Neighbours "free range" dog driving me crazy

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MagicMelon

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I've posted on here before about this. Basically we moved here a few months ago and the neighbours are perfectly nice and we live in a very rural area so I dont want to make enemies of them of course. However, they keep letting their dog roam free round the area. Its a BIG dog and well camouflaged so it always scaring me to death when it rushes out of the undergrowth. Its poos in my front garden every day (even though Ive never caught it in the act, its not my dogs as she isnt allowed in the front!) which is horrid as why should I have to keep cleaning up after it. It keeps getting into our back garden (it can jump a normal fence no problem) and encouraging our 5 month old dog to escape with it onto the road. I'm desperately trying to teach our dog good manners which includes trying to teach her to walk on the lead calmly etc. which goes well until this dog leaps out of the woods and comes to play with her right in the middle of the road (I cant even move the dog when cars come and drivers then look at me like Im a useless owner thinking she's mine!). I was pretty upset last night after my OH told me he'd almost hit her while out on his motorbike, he skidded on the road - now sorry but thats getting seriously dangerous!

I'm shortly moving my horses to the house but I'm really worried this dog will chase them or simply spook them by running up and down the verge like she currently does. One of my horses did his tendon last year seriously, I cannot have him galloping about. I also want to start hacking my other horse but there's no way I can with this dog jumping out everywhere!

I've spoken to the owners several times, but of course kept it light hearted etc. but I've started sending the odd text etc. if she's been out and telling them we've almost hit her etc. and I'm worried she'll be killed - but they dont seem concerned. They just say that no fence will keep her in but they dont even have a fence round their garden...! What do I do?!
 
ok options in no particular order and only suggestions
1. dog warden to come and talk to them, might help but also might increase any other issues with your neighbors.
2. every time the dog comes on your land, if can catch it and tie it up and wait for them to come and pick it up, hopefully they will have enough of having to come and get it and sort out the problem from their end
3. start training it yourself to heel, stay and come to call.
4. i think there is something like an electric fence/ulltra sound system which you could use to keep yours in and theirs out.
 
Do you have a dog warden for the area? I would just start calling them to collect the dog, or taking him to the local police station. They charge a release fee every time. I bet that would make him less free range...You could not mention to the warden/police that you've already told the owner, or alternatively simply see the owner and say that this is now a problem and you WILL take action if it happens again.
 
Does she have a collar? I'd be reporting the lose stray dog that's causing problems on the road and worrying livestock personally...

Maybe when she's deposited back with the owner with a flea in their ear about controlling the dog they may do something!
 
Oh golly, short of training the dog if the owners can't be trained, I'm not sure what you can realistically do without causing animosity.

I live at the end of a dead end road with only one other farm on the same lane as me. They have 3 little dogs who come visiting often during the summer months. I have 7 big dogs and they all get along well together so it doesn't bother me and the little dogs do go home eventually. But I'm in a different situation to you as their little dogs are quite safe coming over just a hay field to get to my farm.

I'm sorry for you being put in this situation. I think I would be tempted to train the dog myself tbh
 
The dog could have caused your OH serious injury last night.. What if he had come off his bike??!... This needs sorting. I would be tempted with the dog warden route. That or I would buy them a ground anchor and teather and tell them they need to use it when the dog is outside.
 
Hmm, I think you need to tell them that you don't want to harm your neighbourly relationship, but this is getting to you now and can they imagine what will come of your friendship if the dog causes your OH to come off his bike, or even if one of you hits it in a car when it is out on its jollies?

Perhaps a report or two to the dog warden as well, are there any livestock near you that are being worried? Would be nice if the finger pointing didn't automatically come down to you but at least the dog warden will hopefully have a word with them.
 
I can't see a way of your resolving it now without causing some upset with your neighbours.

Are there any other houses locally that he causes a nuisance to?
Does he have a collar and a tag so that a walker could return him to the correct address if they had found him?

Otherwise it is going to be obvious it was you, but I don't think you have any other option that to involve the dog warden. I would pop him in your car and take him straight there!
 
Oh dear, all these routes will upset the neighbours :( I really dont want to cause any issues, especially as I said we live in a very rural area as it is and they're our only visible neighbours (next ones are a mile or so away out of sight). Its good to stay on their side as they keep an eye on our house if we go away on holiday etc. And plus, they are really nice people, its only this thats an issue. I think the dog has been doing this for some time but the person who owned the house before us didnt have any animals etc. so I guess it didnt bother him.

I dont think we even have a dog warden TBH up here. The dog does mooch about everywhere but I've only ever seen it in the wood beside our house and mainly up and down the road. I've never seen it actually IN a farmers field (all fields surrounding us have cows in at the moment). The farmers must have seen it out too but I guess it probably doesnt chase their stock so they dont care. The dog definately hunts in the wood for pheasants/rabbits etc. so I dont know if it would take a lamb but there's none around here right now to know. I should point out I see it out every single day, its not just an occasional thing!

I do worry every day that I'll be the one who finally hits the dog in the car and that thought absolutely horrifies me!

I guess all I can do is speak to them, but more firmly and see if they finally do something. Unfortunately they live in a tiny tiny house with this massive dog so it has to go out, but surely they can deer proof fence their garden or a section of it.
 
MagicMelon said:
I guess all I can do is speak to them, but more firmly and see if they finally do something. Unfortunately they live in a tiny tiny house with this massive dog so it has to go out, but surely they can deer proof fence their garden or a section of it.
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I live in a small house with a big dog.... I take him on walks! Don't feel too guilty! I never even let my dog go out in my garden (with 6ft fencing) unattended. I have not need to.

Good luck. You're going to have to stand stong on this one. You are not in the wrong or out of order, so just remember that. :)
 
Don't take the dog to the police, most forces no longer accept them. It is a council matter. If they don't have a dog warden they will have a sub-contracted company that deal with it, although you might have to take the dog to them.
 
The others have given great advice so nothing to add.

Just chiming in because where I live the owners keep their dogs in a pen by day and shed at night. When out loose the just run off. Used to freak me out when I had foals. They have taken down sheep. They have also attacked my dog when my husband had a hold of her. I still don't know how we got her in the house injury free. Sustsined attack with 4 adults trying to get the dogs off. Suffice to say I hate these dogs. I know it's not their fault but hate them anyway. And when you walk by the pen all is quiet. Every so often they leap up on the side of said pen growling and snarling while I'm horseback. I don't care how good your horse is it still frighten's them. And me. Nothing can be done. Owners know. They can't control them and so we can only minimise risk. The only good thing is they have not ventured into mare field since Abba chasd them out. Yeah, I was rooting for my horse. And then the person who keeps one horse here feels inclined to bring her mannerless terrier out to the farm. Chased the ponies the other night and all I could say was wow she almost got kicked. I mean how difficult is it to deal with dogs? I have 3. No chasing, no killing livestock, and no running off. I'm not a dog genius so how hard is it?

Terri
 
I would tell neighbour you are planning to get some sheep and clearly the dog can't be roaming near them added to the road safety risk. Maybe offer to help them put up fencing if they get the materials in. But it's not ok for dogs to be roaming, it's very unfair on neighbours. We had a Doberman and a. Small house but we fenced the garden and he had plenty of walks. The exercise will do them good :-)) I know it's not easy we also live very rural area and neighbour relations are very important but it does take 2 to tango - it's not too late to teach them to dance :-)))
 
I would catch the dog and either pen it or tie it up & wait for them to come and look for it. I would point out the pile of dog poo & request they clear it up also, & do this everytime the dog were on my property. I might also be inclined to take the dog to another location where there is a dog warden and hand it over without telling the DW where it came from. I can be horrible tho.
 
Oh goodness MM - this reminds me of some neighbours we had about 15 years ago - I never did get anything sorted but eventually they moved . I'd found out they ( the dog owners) used to make up tales about anyone who complained about their dogs, the dogs were alright really, not their fault. I haven't had time to read other helpful suggestions yet, but we decided that if it ever happened again we would get a dog warden involved, and/or catch up the dogs and put them in a building, and ring up later to say we had found them etc. We have other livestock too and the dogs would chase hens and sheep - but for some reason that was our fault! We were irresponsible to have them out on our land - never could fathom that one.
Do hope you can get it sorted, without too much aggro. Good luck.
 
First things that spring to mind:

Call the dog warden
Bag up all the poo and return it
Build a big fence
Get after the dog and make roaming into your land not a nice experience (I can understand not everyone wants to do this!!)
I think the 'we're getting some sheep' is a good idea. Or a billy goat!!!
 
Siennamum my grandad was a farmer and used to do that type of thing when he had too many cats. He'd load them in the back of his van and go and see a farming friend, and leave the doors to the van open while they chatted. It was called 'taking them a ride'. Still makes me chuckle *the cats did not come to any harm.

OP I think the thing that would make me do something about it without being able to blame you would be the tying up and the phone call. As I'd have to get off my ass and come to yours, but of course you couldn't let dear little rover run free because he would be in danger. Few times of that, the neighbours will get very bored.
 
Councils do have a legal requirement to take care of stray dogs. So call the dog warden at your local council and if the dog wears disc on it's collar I would remove it and plead ignorance if you are asked where it comes from. The owners will have to pay a reclaim fee and frankly that is what they deserve. Sometimes the only way is to hit folk in the pocket.
 
We have this with our horse dealer / puppy farmer neighbour. I found a newfoundland in the paddock one day and called her. "not mine love" was the reply, "ok" says I "they are worth a bit I will feed it up and sell it on preloved as she would make a lovely family pet" - her hubby was round like a shot:rolleyes:
 
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