My neighbors angry dogs

[hairykrishna]

The old chap that lives next door has two dogs. One's a big German Shepard, the other some kind of little terrier cross. His back yard and our driveway are separated by a low-ish slated fence. Whenever the dogs are out and either my partner and I go anywhere near the drive the dogs go absolutely mental. Sometimes they calm down after a bit, sometimes not. The old bloke is clearly very embarrassed by it and dodders about trying, and normally failing, to get the dogs back in the house.

We've put up with it for the best part of a year now after moving in hoping that they'd get used to it and calm down. I've tried to 'make friends' and get them used to me. I've succeeded a few times in getting them calm to the point where I can stroke them and they seem comfortable but then they're just as bad the next time I go out. My partner refuses to go anywhere near them. She's also not really happy in the garden when they're out on the not unreasonable grounds that if it really wanted to the big one could easily get to us and seems bloody angry.

Any ideas? I don't really want to put up a big fence/wall because I think it'll make the neighbors yard/garden feel closed in and it's a bit antisocial. That's currently my only plan though.

[Doofus]

It sounds to me like they need some exercise.

[jonny996]

hairykrishna said:

I don't really want to put up a big fence/wall because I think it'll make the neighbors yard/garden feel closed in and it's a bit antisocial.

if anyone is being anti social it is him, old or not. If it does not cause you any shadow issues I would be putting the biggest fence allowed up

[V40Vinnie]

Doofus said:

It sounds to me like they need some exercise.

If theyre owned by an old man why not offer to take them for a walk for him, they'll get used to you and they'll be calmer

[Kawasicki]

Why not bring the dogs for a walk a few times? Or call around to the neighbour and talk about old times? Just spend some time with the dogs until they get to know you.

Installing a big fence sounds pretty extreme, and it won't stop the dogs barking.

It is not your fault, agreed.

Some solutions are just easier than others.

[hairykrishna]

It's quite hard to talk to the chap. He's not fully with it I think - he doesn't really seem to recognize us if we say hello and we're out of a familiar context (i.e. if we see him in the street/shop rather than at the house). Any conversation we have is normally rendered tricky by the fact that we're trying to make ourselves heard over two enraged dogs. I've tried to suggest that he leaves them out when I'm out so they have more time to get used to me but he always tries to put them in. I'm not sure how he'll feel about me asking to take them for a walk but it's not a bad idea. I don't think he exercises them.

I realise that they'd probably still bark if there was a fence up. At least with a 6 foot fence though there'd be a physical separation if the German Shepard finally decides he's had enough of warning me that I'm in his territory and he's going to sort me out.

[King Herald]

You could try one of those ultra sonic dog bark deterrents, to teach the dogs that barking at you equals uncomfortable ears?

We had one in our back yard when we moved into our house, previous tenants left it. I think they had it for cats, to stop them nipping one off in the roses and gladioli . I put batteries in it and assumed it didn't work, I could hear nothing.

I showed it to my daughter, she squealed in discomfort, she said there was a horrible screeching squeaking sound coming from it.



I'm 57, not sure if that has everything anything to do with it?

[Andy_stook_2k]

The poor dogs are desperate for attention, exercise and stimulation. If you can befriend them some way that is definitely the way to go.
Good luck.

[kowalski655]

King Herald said:

You could try one of those ultra sonic dog bark deterrents, to teach the dogs that barking at you equals uncomfortable ears?

We had one in our back yard when we moved into our house, previous tenants left it. I think they had it for cats, to stop them nipping one off in the roses and gladioli . I put batteries in it and assumed it didn't work, I could hear nothing.

I showed it to my daughter, she squealed in discomfort, she said there was a horrible screeching squeaking sound coming from it.



I'm 57, not sure if that has everything anything to do with it?

It will be a very high pitched sound,only dogs/cats/kids can hear, as you get older your hearing range decreases.Shops used it to deter chavscum tens ,not sure if it got banned though
I used to have an app on my phone(called Mosquito IIRC) that had a high pitched whine-pissed off the kids royally
Us oldies have to have some fun

[King Herald]

kowalski655 said:

It will be a very high pitched sound,only dogs/cats/kids can hear, as you get older your hearing range decreases.Shops used it to deter chavscum tens ,not sure if it got banned though
I used to have an app on my phone(called Mosquito IIRC) that had a high pitched whine-pissed off the kids royally
Us oldies have to have some fun

I guess it would make an effective morning wake up alarm for the daughter then, I could operate it remotely from my room, to save me even getting out of bed.

[Opel-GT]

The kids also used it against adults, as a ringtone in school that the teachers couldnt hear.

[kowalski655]

Opel-GT said:

The kids also used it against adults, as a ringtone in school that the teachers couldnt hear.

Surely putting the phone to their ear & saying "Hello" was a dead giveaway?

[Pesty]

V40Vinnie said:

If theyre owned by an old man why not offer to take them for a walk for him, they'll get used to you and they'll be calmer

This.


Not a great situation but have some empathy for the guy. He's obviously trying and failing he's old.
Help him out.

[Boosted LS1]

GDS's were born to bark and can be very annoying. You need them to associate you as a friend with some sort of reward. They'll still get excited though but not in a guarding way. Start by getting they're attention before you approach, you could even call them. Then do something they like, could be a friendly pat or some dog kibble. Just a small amount mind. They'll soon welcome you.

They do need excercise though, sounds as if they have to much energy.

[Autopilot]

Kawasicki said:

Why not bring the dogs for a walk a few times? Or call around to the neighbour and talk about old times? Just spend some time with the dogs until they get to know you.

Installing a big fence sounds pretty extreme, and it won't stop the dogs barking.

It is not your fault, agreed.

Some solutions are just easier than others.

100% this!

We used to live in a Victorian terrace with our Two Dobermanns. The female wasn't a problem, but the male is very intelligent, very guarding and loves the sound of his own bark. We had some new neighbours on one side, a young couple with a young daughter. When they moved in, the male would bark at them over the fence. They were high fences, so he could only hear and not see them.

We had the new neighbours over (His brother has Dobermanns so knows the breed), and the dogs had a great time playing with them. They NEVER barked at them again. As we were a mid terrace, we had an access gate so we could get through their garden to put the bins out. On the odd occasion when they came round for a social visit and used the back gate, the dogs never kicked off, not once.

On the other side, there is an old lady. He used to bark at her too. We suggested she met the dogs either by coming round or by us setting up some steps on her side of the lowest part of the wall and maybe feed them some treats we supplied. She refused to help and said the barking was our problem to solve and not hers. We explained that we needed her help with this and 10 minutes of her time benefits us all....but she refused.

We didn't allow the dog to continue barking at her, if he was in the garden and she went out and he started barking at her, we'd either get him to be quiet, or if he persisted, bring him back in. The frustrating part for us was that we used our dogs for sport (Schutzhund) so they tend to be very obedient, but this went out the window when he was in the garden (or if he could hear her in the house). Eventually we received a letter from Environmental Health asking what we're doing about the problem? This was a little bit like a red rag to a bull. We travelled 100 miles each way to train with some of the best trainers in the UK EVERY weekend, and had sought our neighbours help on many an occasion. EH got a letter back with all the copies of the letters we sent her asking for help. EH just said case dismissed and that was the end of it. Obviously it wasn't the end of the barking at her, but as she refused to help in the slightest, we were out of options and EG acknowledged that.

If I were the OP, I think I'd be inclined to go round and meet the neighbours dogs. When they are familiar with them, maybe introduce some treats and feed them over the fence with the owners permission. This problem can very easily be fixed but they'll need to be patient they let it continue for a year first so it will take a bit of time.

Obscuring the dogs view by putting a big fence up will probably make things worse to be honest. They'd hear what's going on but not be able to see so wouldn't be surprised if it escalated things.

Go meet them. Meet them again. Meet them a third time and when you leave, go straight to the fence you share and feed them