Neighbours kid

[wishingw]

So we've lived in our home for 2 years now (we own it) and we've had a few issues with the neighbours kid who lives diagonally to our back garden. The kid is 12/13 ish (pretty sure he's in high school now) and he's been known to sit on the fence and look into our garden at our dogs. I've caught him doing it maybe 5/6 times, today being one of those times. He was sat on the fence and looking over and my dogs obviously went ballistic so I had to go out to calm them down. He did it again and pretended he was climbing over to my neighbours to get a ball, again my dogs went crazy so I went out and asked him politely to get down which he did. 5 mins later he again was up at the fence and my dogs went crazy again, he also was whistling and clearly trying to get my dogs attention.
I went out and brought my dogs in as they were getting worked up.
I've been out and asked him to get down, I'm not really sure what more I can do. I'm not sure who his parents are but my neighbour said they're kinda rough so don't really want to go round there.
I'm trying to think of a way to block his view and give my garden more privacy. We already have 6ft fences but has he climbs and sits on his fence anyway it doesn't make much difference.
AIBU to want to block his view or am I overreacting?
I'll also add I have autism and very bad anxiety and this is really having an effect on me and I constantly feel paranoid that he's up at the fence looking in.

You can. It would need a big pot and to be repoted every other year.

The responses on page one are crazy! I think all the boy's family must be on mumsnet instead of keeping on eye on what their little darling is getting up to.

Anyway, plant a nice thorny shrub in that corner. Firethorn (Pyracantha) grows 50cm/year so if you buy one that's already quite tall from the garden centre, it should be pricking his conscience (sorry) in a year or two. They have pretty berries too: red, orange or yellow. Hawthorn (crataegus monogyna)is also quite fast to grow, and has red berries which the birds will enjoy. Holly has the advantage that it's evergreen, but is slow-growing.

While you wait for your plants to grow, you could try killing him with kindness - every time you see him on the fence, rush out with a cheery "yoo hoo!" and engage him in a long and boring conversation about the weather, gardening (make up any old nonsense - he's unlikely to know the difference) or a tedious account of the difficulties you had getting to work last week. He'll soon dread the sight of you, and hopefully that will be that.

I would go with the sail for now or a gazebo, and then have something fast growing and evergreen on the border for a more permanent barrier. Photinia is quite nice and fast growing.

Get some pleached trees with a trunk at the same height as your fence that will solve your problem instantly.

I can't believe some posters would be happy to have him staring into their garden all day.
It's not the same as being overlooked by other houses at all. I don't sit staring out of my upstairs windows into my neighbour's gardens and I'm sure most other people don't either.

Can you put up some trellis on your fence with some climbing plants, or maybe some fake ones for a quick solution?
Something like this?
https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/smart-garden-white-bloom-leaf-trellis?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=21005801885&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_plt=gp&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw2Je1BhAgEiwAp3KY74UjFAOOYJBmTca5QW7DmW4IeGEv7wvZ-u3sFbiT04VpOY1Fi6vIcBoCweoQAvD_BwE

No of course not, I'm not sure what's given you that idea?

However, as a dog owner it's my responsibility to stop my dogs disturbing others.

It doesn't matter if they're barking because there's a kid on the fence, a cat on the shed roof, a squirrel up the tree or for any other reason.

The OP can't do much about the child, and she was wrong to tell him to get off his own fence.

The only thing she can control here is her dogs.

He'll soon get bored. Try not to let it get to you.

No one in their right mind is going to train their dog out of alerting them to the perceived threat of someone trying to get into their garden. Are dogs allowed to bark if someone’s smashing the windows in? The anti dog rhetoric on here is fucking ridiculous and none of you can genuinely believe you’re right.

The 'weirdo' you're referring to is a child, does that make you feel clever?

At 12, I might've done the same and tried to wind up some yappy dogs. But he is a bit weird to continue after being told not to half a dozen times. Lol

@TheresaCrowd I asked him to get down as he was directly looking into my garden. If he was sat on his fence with his back to my garden and minding his own business I'd not have said anything.
Also, as I've said, my dogs rarely bark, only if they see him and I stop them from barking straight away. I've never ever had anyone complain about my dogs as I'm a responsible owner and make sure I take good care of them, hence why I don't like someone purposefully teasing them

Im as much of a NIMBY as anyone but you cant really tell him to get down when hes not even on your fence.

Of course if you were in the privacy of your garden practicing your new archery hobby and somehow forgot to put on your bi-focals which you'd carelessly left on top of the washing machine just as it was starting the spin cycle...

'M'lord, my client thought an assailant was coming over the garden fence just when she swung the baseball bat... moments before that her intention was to practice for a game of Rounders'

What would Agatha Christie do?... probably something smelling of almonds.

Very much this with regards to having a reactive dog. I have one non reactive dog who wouldn’t care but my reactive dog would hate this too. And she’s had plenty of training with behaviourists as she had a troubled start in love and unfortunately there are only a few people in her close circle of trust.

I also think given the boys age he shouldn’t be staring so purposefully into your garden. Or anyone’s tbh, fences are there for privacy.

Put up a tilted parasol or sail to block his view.

Those dogs are protecting their owner and their property. OP do not listen to this. My neighbours kid does it too. We have put up a higher fence but before I just told him firmly get down. I have also made it very clear that my dogs will bite if they go in my garden. They wouldn’t as they are soft but it’s been a deterrent. My dogs bark too. Bamboo grows very quick and if you post on a local fb group you will probably have someone give you some as it grows that quick! But put it in pots!

Rude entitled kid winding dogs up. Lots of great ideas above. Leylandii etc.

That’s a good idea

He is getting a reaction of you everything he sits on the fence. Just ignore him and he will tire of it. Stop escalating the situation by confronting him. Order the dogs to be quiet if they start barking at him so that they know he is not the target.

This. MN is full of dog hating idiots.

That may be true but there's no law against a kid in his back garden straddling a fence. No different to being on a trampoline or up a step ladder. The OP is powerless to control him.

You don't need a law for something to be weird, intrusive, inappropriate, intimidating and just not ok

My dog just lies there if someone passes near the fence. She couldn't give a toss who's passing. She never barks.

Teach your dog to stop barking. They're just drawing all the wrong attention to your property. Without those yappy dogs the 13yo probably wouldn't be interested in your garden. Just a thought 🤷‍♀️

True, but she can say what she likes to him and he can ignore it. Unless she can grow some 10 foot conifers so dense as to not see matey boy then hes best off ignored till he gets bored.

This is ridiculous. Just coz your dog doesn’t mind it doesn’t mean every dog should. This kid should be taught to behave properly by his parents. Speaking of which What are his parents doing??
OP don’t listen to all the ridiculous posts on here. You have had some brilliant advice from sensible folk

I’d be telling him that he’s winding up the dogs and it’s not on. Sod this ‘it’s a dog problem’ shite. If a dog didn’t bark at someone looming over the fence, I’d be worried! Trellis, spiky stuff, fast growing leylandi, whatever it takes.