Advice on dog next door please

[Whatalife88]

Hi all, there is an American Bulldog next door. We live across from each other in a ridiculously small alley and the person with the dog has no fencing up in their garden so this dog jumps and barks at me at the very small gate and is in touching distance to me every time I come out or come into my garden. It could easily jump over. I have children including a small toddler. We don't feel safe coming in or going out and i fear we won't be able to use our garden in the summer. Neighbour is unsavoury so wouldn't listen. Neighbour never comes out with the dog and will only call it when it's already going mad at us. We are in a council house. There is only one gate in and out the property so can't avoid it. I'm getting very concerked.Council are saying they won't do anything unless it attacks! What do we do?

Get advice from your dog warden.

Just to be clear, is the dog getting out of the garden and onto public land?

I know you say the council won't do anything unless it attacks - which department have you spoken to? Is it housing, dog warden or someone else?

It often gets out onto the public path yes but it can literally jump at the 2ft gate and bite someone going past and there's only one way in and out. Have spoken to housing officer.

You need to put a fence up. It’s not classed as a dangerous breed so neither the dog warden or council will do anything . Can you move?

Even if we put a fence up we still have to go out and come face to face with it. It's all hedges and then a small gate between hedges to get in and out of and the neighbours garden is the same. We wouldn't be able to easily move and we are happy here except this issue.

Is there house owned or rented? Sounds like they need a bigger gate to stop it jumping over. If it had bitten people it would have been removed by now so it looks like it’s just protecting its area and doesn’t get that the alley isn’t part of that. My dog barks at passerby’s doesn’t mean he’d bite someone.

Theirs is also council and yes maybe it won't bite but why should there be that risk?

The jumping and barking must be very annoying, but surely if it was going to jump over the small gate it would have done by now. A shouty dog isn’t more likely to be a biter than a quiet one. I sympathise about the barking, our NDNs have a dog that barks all the time he’s in their garden. He sounds ferocious, but it’s all mouth. But the noise is really annoying.

It’s a risk you have to take sadly. Can you video record the next time it happens. Or keep a diary. I can’t see the council buying a new gate but you could try.

Speak to the dog warden and the non-emergency police. It’s an offence under the dangerous dogs legislation for a dog (of any breed) to be dangerously out of control in a public place in such a way that it causes alarm and reasonable fear of injury (no requirement that it has actually done so) so a large bull breed not adequately contained on the owners property is likely in breach of this. If no specific incident has happened the most they will do is have a word and recommend that your neighbour gets proper 6ft fences but his card is then marked.

We had to ask permission to keep our dog in council property. It might be worth a word with the council. Our dog not being a nuisance is part of the tenancy agreement.

I’d be out there with biscuits 🙈😂

There are lots of reasons Dog’s will bark and jump at you in your garden like that, most of them you can solve by bribing the dog - but, don’t take that as advice because if you’re not a dog person it’d be quite easy to misread the dog.

But - would the owner listen if you weren’t actually complaining, but went round going, hey, the dog is clearly upset at me being out, can I make friends with it so it’s not upset?

I love dogs, we want to get another dog ourselves someday, but these American Bulldog XLs are all you see in the news killing children and adults alike and the owner is one of those who has it as a status dog. If I was to use treats I think I'd then encourage it to want to come to us more and into our garden and likely make it more likely to jump. I don't want to befriend it, I just want to live in peace.

Dogs often do not like very high pitched noises
There are apps that play very high pithced noises that cannot be heard by the human ear
Some dogs go all quiet when they hear these high pitched noises

I think you can see where I am going with this.

Can you not put up a higher fence on your side. If they say you can't, ignore them, don't ask permission. It's unbelievable what the council saying,that that can't do anything until attacks.
People have died because of dog attacks.

I think you are being sensible to be concerned. Someone posted a list of dogs who had killed people in the UK and American Bully XL were featured on the list the most.
I'm not saying this one is aggressive but I can understand your anxiety and I love dogs
I would contact the dog warden for advice.
I would also contact the council and highlight your concerns and the anxiety it is causing.
If you do t get anywhere I would seek advice from your local community police and MP.
Good luck.

I agree with PP. You are right to be concerned, with any dog actually. If they're acting aggressive they could jump over and attack. This happened to my elderly father walking home! Gives me the rage 😤

The dangerous dogs act states that you only need to feel you might be injured by a dog for it to be investigated- therefore you can and should contact your local police if you feel it’s likely to cause you harm and quote the above legislation.

Whether it actually would or wouldn't hurt you is debatable, the vast majority of dogs will bark at people passing property without intentions of mauling someone, but it isn’t something I would want to risk either despite being a dog loving person. Any responsible owner would not allow this behaviour at all.

I think if the past few years of deaths by dogs are anything to go by things like this should be taken way more seriously by authorities.