Next door's fence hopping dog!

[wobblyweeble82]

We've not long moved house and our lovely Weshi, Jimmy, now has a marvellous new garden in which to roam about in :) Problem is, there's only a four foot fence at the bottom of the garden and next doors dog keeps leaping over and bothering our Jim. He's a staffy-cross - bit all talk and no trousers from what I've seen - but we're working really hard to try and get Jim to just toilet in the one spot in the garden and this dog comes over and marks his territory everywhere (not great when we've got one DS and a DD on the way). We can't afford to replace the fence with a higher one just yet due to the impending birth of DD but want to nip this one in the bud. The neighbours laugh it off in a 'dogs will be dogs' way ... Which I kind of get. But at the same time, I want it to stop. And I'm getting that big, I can't keep picking up this dog and sending back over the fence! Advice please!

Thats very annoying.
My neighbours Rottie kept getting in our garden and no matter how many times i asked them to find a way to stop him they never bothered. We couldnt afford fencing either - but the problem got so bad we just had to get the fencing sorted ourselves.
Is there any temporary way of blocking the dog out? Anything you could put up/in the way?
I do feel for you x

DH was talking about maybe topping the fence with a trellis topper but the fence posts are too small - if we're going to replace the fence posts we might as well do the whole fence and right now I need a cot more than a fence! I don't want to fall out with the neighbours either - nobody does especially when other than this, they're a lovely couple. My dad suggested putting moth balls around the fence but I don't know if this would just bother Jim or have no effect at all? As soon as baby is born, if it is still happening I'll just have to be blunt and tell them to make it stop - can't put a baby to sleep in her pram in the garden with a flying staffie-cross on the loose

Dont wait until you have had your DD, put a stop to it NOW! They need to control their dog and you need peace of mind for your dog and children in your garden.

Who does the fence belong to? You or neighbours. I think you need to speak to your neighbour and get them to maybe pay half for the fence, and make sure it is at least 6ft and then you can put some trellis on top for extra privacy.

Dont be a doormat, yes, you have just moved in and of course you dont want to piss off the neighbours, but equally your new neighbours shouldnt want to piss you off either! And it is THEIR dog causing havoc in your garden.

Would it make any difference if the dog wasn't a staffie cross then?!

I think you need to speak to your neighbour again and make it absolutely clear that their dog jumping into your garden is a pain and you'd like them to stop it happening. That might mean going halves on a fence or it might mean them supervising access until the dog is trained to stop jumping over or long term supervised access/on lead access only to their garden for their dog if they cannot train it to stop the jumping.

My dogs can jump out of my garden (3ft fences to neighbours, 6ft to road etc) but they know they are not allowed to jump out and have no need to, so they don't.

Have a look on your local council's website. There is actually a law that a dog must be controlled, which includes not wandering into other people's gardens. It isn't actually your responsibility to fence him out- it is theirs to keep him in.

(I did a lot of research on the subject when our neighbours refused to replace their fallen-down fence and we were the ones with the dog)

I can understand that you don't want to fall out with them but doesn't sound like they are making much effort with you.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I wouldn't be happy regardless of the dog breed midori but I'm rather intimidated about a gnarling staffie type growling his socks off, especially when my DS is in the garden. Our area is full of staffie-type status dogs, being dragged about on a chain. I know it's not the dogs fault that they get a bad rep, but they do intimidate me espesh in my own garden. Doesn't help that our dog is like a fluff ball on legs. It only seems to happen when the families' son is in. He's by no means a child though - bout 6ft 5" and I'd say about 25. Thoroughly pleasant, like. Maybe he doesn't have control over him?? Had a chat with DH and decided that going to act next time it happens. Will take him back round the front of the house on a lead so can have the chat with them then rather than hoiking him up over the fence. And thanks for the tip tallulah - will check mbc website too. Really appreciate your advice folks. Good to have an action plan :)

Can you wait for him with a hosepipe and give him a shot of water in the face when he jumps over?

Ha ha no hosepipe, but I can nick the DS's supersoaker

how are things now? have you spoken to your neighbours yet about their escape artist?

Jax Quiet day today with the offending canine, although it didn't stop Jimbobs patrolling the bottom of the garden and huffing and puffing most of the day. I've tried washing teh area where next doors dog peed to calm Jim down, but whats a bit of hot soapy water against a canine nose! I imagine we'll see the owners of the dog (rather than their son) over the weekend and DH has promised me he's going to have a chat with them. Not quite sure how I'm going to calm Jim down - just hope he'll get bored and forget about his unexpected visitor. Fingers crossed ...

love your dogs name! JimBob is ace.

I was out in my garden today, looking at the fence and on 2 sides it is 5 or 6 foot fence and on the other it is a 4 foot fence. Both of my dogs could easily hop over the fence if they wanted to, but never have. They have no desire to, or need to. They are exercised mentally and physically.

It sounds like this dog has learned this behaviour and unless your neighbours put up a tall fence this pest will keep on crapping in your garden.