Law around soaking neighbours pets?!

[TurmericFan]

My next door neighbour's large dog always barks extremely aggressively when I go out of my side-return door and then down my garden path. This is very disturbing and is negatively affecting my ability to enjoy my garden.

There is a gap in the fence which it runs to, and it looks straight at me barking with full intensity aggression. So now I carry a water-bottle and I will get it right between the eyes whenever this happens. (This gap is where the fence goes around a protected tree which is on the boundry line).

I intend to continue soaking it until the owners stop the dog from doing this.

I understand that legally speaking the dog is the neighbour's property. Am I 'damaging' it in some way by doing this?

It is not in my garden when this is happening. But I don't think there's any kind of trespeass because although the water is going into the neighbour's garden, I am not.

Am I legally safe to keep on doing this, until such time as the neighbours pay to send their dog to doggie behavioural classes/to live on a farm somewhere?

Also, as I embark upon this course of behaviour, I find myself wondering about my own cat, who goes where he likes into other neighbour's gardens.

Would a neighbour who didn't like cats, whose flowerbeds were being trampled, etc, be permitted to soak my cat? Because I'm sure I wouldn't like it if that happened...

Can I just say - this is how neighbour disputes begin and they only go one way .

Op just talk to your neighbour.

Why aim around the eyes, you could miss and get him in the eye. Unless that is what you are hoping for?
I f you must spray the animal rather than talk to the owners, have the decency to spray his body.
And please, mumsnetters, avoid the lemon. As previous poster said, they hate it. why? Because it hurts, that’s cruel and you know it

TREAT THE GODDAM DOG! As an owner of 4 dogs who like to bark….say hello to it. When it has a brief quiet moment give it a treat, and repeat. Over a few days it will shut up.

Sorry to hear of your troubles, which sound worse than mine with multiple dogs and unco-operative neighbours involved!

I think you're right that I'm more annoyed than frightened - although in the moment it's disquieting and jarring, it's not the worst form of neighbour nuisance out there.

For example I'd much prefer neighbours with a barking dog, to neighbours that smoked dope in their garden.

Still, if it persists, as I'm sure it wil, I will try speaking to them about it....

The gap in the fence is quite small, and the dog sticks its snout through and barks straight at me. (So technically it's sometimes actually in my 'airspace'.). So I wouldn't be able to aim at its body.

Anyway yes best not to do this at all and instead try talking to the neighbours...

Our neighbour’s dog is extremely noisy. If mine barks, he comes inside, I won’t have him disturbing people by barking. He very rarely does, because we’ve actively discouraged it. I would speak to them and say you want to cover gaps as you feel intimidated seeing him going crazy at you. Hopefully this will make them bring him in if he barks aggressively.

I can’t imagine why that dog is barking at you OP, you seem like a lovely person.

This is not a legal issue. Talk to your neighbours, they may not realise how much it is bothering you. If they’ve already apologised once they are obviously approachable on the topic. Don’t throw water on the dog, it won’t work and could lead to a much worse dispute with the neighbours.

Well I'd continue soaking the dog though I would soak a cat without a second thought too.

Two irresponsible pet owners living side by side.

As pp above, treats might be the answer.

Our neighbours dog, barks like mad, and is a pita at times, I wouldn’t ever dream of soaking the poor thing. Speak to your neighbours, it’s their fault, they should control their dog, it’s not the dogs fault. We haven’t ever complained, our neighbours are aware of it. If it became a big problem we would speak to them about it. No way would I ever consider for a minute spraying the dog with water. That’s just mean.

I would suggest speaking to your neighbour, telling them that you are distressed. Letting the dog out early might be so he/she can pee and poop before they go out. I'd be livid if I found my own pet had been soaked in his/her home territory! Treading in cat poop in your garden when you don't even have a cat is far worse IMHO.

My concern would be that the dog might have a health problem if he/she is barking a lot; again, speak to your neighbour expressing concern rather than irritation.

Don't forget that if their dog barks when you go into your garden he/she will also bark when they hear an intruder, so there is a positive aspect for a security point of view. You could always try earphones listening to music when you go in the garden.

Perhaps try to befriend the dog - ask your neighbour if you can offer a treat, so he/she is pleased to see you. At the moment, the soaking could be perceived as a game (in which he/she participates) and you are unintentionally encouraging or an attack, where you are the perpetrator and you are triggering the response.

If you continue to soak their dog, be prepared to get an 'accidental' soaking yourself when they are watering their garden...karma!

Could you be aggravating it more do you think? He might be scared of you, soaking him and banging on the fence? Maybe speak to them see if you can meet the dog and have them give you some treats, that way when he hears you leaving he won't feel threatened.

Also imo a cat pooing in my garden would piss me off way more, and I don't think you have any right to say you wouldn't like your pet getting soaked if you're doing it to someone else's.

Yes if every time you go out to your garden the neighbour's dog is barking like WW3, it's extremely disturbing wouldn't you agree?

Get a grip! No, I wouldn't agree that it's "extremely disturbing", what an overreaction. Dogs bark when they hear people near their property - it's what they do. I wouldn't spray water at any pet, but it's interesting that you think it's okay for you to do it, but not for someone to do it to your pet. Maybe others might find your cat pooing or digging in their garden "extremely disturbing".

Personally I would politely speak to the neighbour and explain your feelings. I would then block the gap on your side.
My neighbours dog bark a lot but they regularly apologise and try to stop it but if they are at the front of the house or busy they can’t always be around to stop it.
I instead take more issue with the cats who continually fowl in my garden. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the flowerbeds. I have young children who want to play In the garden yet I have to pick up after other peoples cats to allow my children to play safely. This to me is a bigger annoyance.
Please think about how you would like your own pet to be treated. You may be aggravating the dog by spraying it and actually causing it to bark more.

I think the dog just barks every time it hears anything from any of its many neighbours, to be honest! As I have been sitting here in the other side of my house I am hearing it barking at something or other!

I don't think my cat actually goes in their garden by the way, it prefers the gardens in other directions. Probably because it knows there is often an aggressive dog in there!

You can attach stuff to your side of the fence, as long as its not going to damage their fence. It should not be able to stick its mouth through a gap. As far as the noise on a morning, do they work strange times? have young children to tend to so the dog is let out in the garden. The dog sounds bored to be honest. It needs some decent big dog chews to entertain it. If you cover the hole it most likely will forget about it.

Throwing water at an aggressive dogs face won't calm it down. It'll make it worse.

Soaking other's pets though? I don't have an issue under the right circumstances. I've told my neighbours to throw water at my cat if she's trying to take a shit in their gardens or stalking their bird feeders. It doesn't harm her but lets her know that X territory and Y territory are hostile areas to be avoided.

All of the official sources about barking and complaints state that it is the owner's place to make sure the dog doesn't bark by training etc - they do not suggest it is for others to make friends etc with the dog. 🙄

@RockinHorseShit

I said that it was legal to let pets out at the time. And I also said that I do my best to prevent my dog barking at that time.

I said that it was legal to let pets out at the time. And I also said that I do my best to prevent my dog barking at that time.

Unless "doing your best" is 100% effective to shut your dogs up, you still risk a fine & noise abatement order, because it's not legal to disturb your neighbours so early (or late) & a dog is 100% your responsibility

Gosh, you say you don't think your neighbours are considerate people but they popped round together to apologise for the noise the dog makes? They sound like people who want to be good neighbours and just haven't realised the impact it's having.

They probably let the dog out first thing in the morning as part of their routine so it can 'do its business' and then the dog barks to say 'hey, let me back in'. The dog probably barks when you're walking by because its guarding its turf. If an intruder was roaming about your various gardens, you might be grateful for this furry burglar alarm.

They sound like they're reasonable enough people but instead of talking to them to find a happy compromise, you're just going to keep soaking the dog until they telepathically discover what it is you want them to do? Go and chat to them. You might be surprised. You might even make some new friends.

Why don't you just block up the gap Where the dog can see you ?

@RockinHorseShit

She normally doesn't bark, but if she sees a cat or one of the neighbours who she likes, she is going to let out the occasional bark before I can put a stop to it. Like I said, I do what I can to not let her bark, and she doesn't often do it anyway. But unless I put a ball gag on her before I let her out the house, it is going to happen occasionally.

I know that my dog is 100% my responsibility. I take that responsibility very seriously. Thank you 🙂

I know that my dog is 100% my responsibility. I take that responsibility very seriously. Thank you 🙂

I'm pleased to hear it, sadly too many don't take their responsibility seriously as per this thread & give dogs a bad name

Also remember that a dogs hearing is way better than our own hearing. Dogs can hear sounds that we do not, and a lot louder too.