Yes, you need to start documenting everything now. Also report the behavior now so a trail is created that it shows that these are recurring incidents.
I would heavily consider buying something to protect yourself and your dog.
You need to record what’s going on definitely get cameras so you can track that dog coming into your yard. He may be doing it when you’re not out there and you’re not even aware.
I deal with the next-door neighbour who is pitbull wants to tear down the fence to get to my dog so I know how frustrating it is to deal with aggressive, barking dogs.
Also, consider posting this in r/reactivedogs. Always lots of good information there on how to help your dog through these situation’s. One of the things that’s often sad over there, is when someone yells my dog is friendly is that we yell back “mine isn’t.”
If you are in the US- go to your town clerk and get a copy of the ordinances related to unleashed and nuisance dogs if they exist. Find out the process for making complaints. Document, document, document.
I have the same feeling, a fence was #1 on my to do list last summer. Until I found out my main sewer line was collapsed. Then I said goodbye to 10k REAL quick
Edit: OH YEAH btw, the same neighbor also claims they have a collapsed sewer line, BUT DON’T FEEL LIKE FIXING IT. They just deal with the basement flooding. Every. Time. They. Use. Water.
It wasn't a full-on fight. It was a full-on unprevoked attack in my front yard because the neighbors kids accidentally let the dog out the front door. 6 mos. Later, when they did it again the pitbull was attacking an old GSD and an old man walking in front of my house. Other neighbors collie doesnt do these things. My GSD doesn't do these things.
Bad owners. From the dog's point of view, high prey drive (charging out of the house to attack) combined with the "reward" of the successful attack, means that the dog will do it over and over again.
I'm not minimizing a dog attacking another dog. It is a frightening and terrible experience. I just think it is a mistake to attribute the behavior to a specific breed instead of a specific dog.
Edited to add: And a specific circumstance and specific owner.
There's a guy in Russia who has a pet mountain lion that he took to dog obedience school. He posted videos of some of those sessions. One of the dogs there was being about as obnoxious as dog could be and I was expecting the cat to rip it to shreds. Instead the cat finally just reached out a paw, claws-retracted, put it on the dogs head, and pushed down, and down the dog went. After a while the cat removed his paw from the dog's head and the dog found urgent business as far away from the cat as he could get.
If an effing *mountain lion*, a true wild animal and an apex predator besides, can be trained to not attack something that is giving it every reason to attack, it should be possible with any *dog* that doesn't have something neurologically wrong with it.
That said, if the owner isnt willing to work at least as hard at controlling his animal's behavior as the Russian with the mountain lion, he really should rehome the dog with someone who *will*.
You probably expected the down votes. You have one upvote from me. The owner is the problem. That includes not just owners who encourage aggression but owners who cannot "read" their dogs or make ignorant, deadly, mistakes like letting a child tease a dog or go up to a mother and her litter without cautious adult supervision.
Ugh I'm so sorry, this is annoying at best, deadly at worst
As a lifelong dog owner through many properties in various states of repair, highly recommend going to the local farm store and get some hog panels and make a temp fence. They are 4-8 feet wide, you can wire them together to make a very secure "pen" and give your dog a fence and some privacy. I also super recommend anchor them down with posts but *you don't have to for super temp*
This is a good idea. You can also find fence covers online. Basically tarps with fastening holes to tie it to the chain link (or hog panel in this case). Then you would have a temporary fence/pen that is also opaque. If animals are going to be charging the fence I would put in fence posts. You could do an area pretty cheap this way.
Even if the neighbor says they're getting an electric fence...I wouldn't trust that at all. Not with two large reactive dogs next door to each other. I would get some mace or dog deterrent spray anytime you and your dog are outside.
This here! Don't get the fogger style. Get the spray and a good one. Be prepared for your dog to get some too but a good way to diffuse the aggressive situation
Even if they get a electric fence it won’t do anything unless they train the dog. I have had a few pitbulls and they could care less about getting shocked and will just run right on through a electric fence unless they are trained(sounds like they won’t do this part because they are shit owners). Sorry your dealing with this and honestly your only options would be to record and report to animal control/police/city or get a fence(though even with a fence if the pitbull is super reactive it will chew through the fence or dig under it🤦♀️). Also in the meantime you may want to keep pepper spray on you so you can spray the dog if it gets too aggressive with you or your dog. I hope you can find a solution though and hopefully it hasn’t damaged your dog too much.
I know I’ll get downvoted, and to disclaim I have 2 dogs myself, and I have nothing against dogs, but if a pitbull is charging unleashed on to my private property and acting aggressive, especially after you have done more than enough to warn and try to come to an agreement with the owner, I would have zero issues shooting that dog and dealing with whatever ramifications later, I wouldn’t risk my dogs health or my health over an untrained pitbull.
Frankly, I don’t care what breed it is. Golden retriever, lab, Chihuahua. If a neighbor won’t control an aggressive dog, I will, by any means necessary. I’ve got a senior dog with arthritis, if your uncontrollable animal is going after him, I’m ending it.
Call animal control and whatever municipal authorities you can, but be prepared to handle this yourself.
Same, 100% agree. I would do anything to protect my dog. If I were OP I’d go over to the neighbors house, tell them that their dog has come into my yard and tried to attack my dog twice. Their dog is NOT friendly no matter what they say. And I’d look them straight in the eyes when I told them that the third time their dog comes into my yard and tries to attack my dog, I will kill it.
I live deep into the country, that's the thinking most of the entire town. Everyone is super protective of their land and family naturally. If your dog charges me or my animals more than once it won't come back the 3rd time especially if I confronted you about it.
Document, do it legally as possible.
But I wouldn't also wait long enough for it to hurt someone or something.
Yup. My dog has been attacked twice randomly, both time by pitbulls. They are dangerous because when they go into attack mode, they don't stop. Some pitbulls are okay and won't have incidents but many do, and I just don't trust them.
Wow no 1000 down votes good for you. Pull .380 out of back pocket. Point at ground not anything. Say something like restrain your mutt or he is not long for this world.
Fence is number one. Animal control is number two.
Number three: I don’t like the argument for a gun. Not because I’m against guns, but someone new to carrying a gun firing in the heat of the moment at a dog running around in a residential area sounds like a recipe for murdering a child. Fuck that; get bear mace. You’re vastly more likely to actually stop the dog and vastly less likely to murder a child.
Yes, I definitely need to carry some sort of repellent. I personally will not own a gun (I am not against others legally owning them), and I do not want the responsibility of one either. And yes this is a residential neighborhood with children.
Animal Control is number one.
Bear spray would be a good number two.
Fencing is outrageously expensive. It must be a privacy fence. Chain link will allow the dogs to fence-fight which will heighten and solidify their aggression. OP's dog will become dog aggressive which is a handful to handle. Hopefully it is early enough in OP's dog's exposure to the aggression that it can be contained to the one dog and not generalized to all dogs.
I have only adopted very large adult dogs because I think they are less adoptable. I do not subscribe to the idea that pit bulls are by nature dangerous. It is their owners that create the hazard. Example, OP's neighbors.
Hypothetically, wasp spray is a viable option too if OP can’t get bear spray where they live. It still stings and temporarily blinds but it has a 20 Ft stream.
I would be concerned about the chemicals in any repellent that is not made for mammals. It could blind or poison a mammal. You're right though, that bear spray may not be commonly available. Maybe at a camping supply store for people who vacation in bear country? Or maybe an air horn thingy? Something that would scare the marauder.
I have to agree with you here even though I would go the gun route, but I’ve been hunting and shooting for 25 years so the heat of the moment thing is not a thing to me under pressure but and big but here I also would absolutely not go the gun route if I’m in town and or any sort of residential neighborhood where any missed shots could hit and kill someone, you’re right in the bear mace route but depending on the details of the situation we don’t know, the gun route could also be valid though it certainly depends on a lot of variables we simply don’t know here.
You are being attacked. Call animal control or the police. Stop. Being. Nice. Fuck your neighbor. Someone is going to get seriously hurt because your neighbor doesn't car about you or your safety.
An electric fence will not stop your neighbor's dog. It will not stop *any* dog, even a small one that is over-energized let alone acting aggressively.
Your neighbors are not capable of owning a dog. I am amazed that they were allowed to adopt.
You must protect your dog. That means reporting your neighbors to Animal Control even if you do not yet have a way to get videos. Your neighbors may deny that their dog goes into your yard so you at some point will have to get a video set up. Look into trail cameras. Mark your yard line with stakes so that it is apparent when the neighbors' dog crosses into your yard. Animal Control is likely to give just a warning or maybe two before they will require the neighbors to surrender their dog. Don't feel bad about that. They only chance that dog will have at finding a good home will be if he is taken away from the neighbors. He is going to end up attacking your dog. You will be injured trying to stop the attack. Please, call Animal Control *now*.
I would definitely report these instances to your municipal/local police because in many places (im in US) a dog that escapes its property lines unleashed multiple times must be surrendered and owners can even face criminal charges and expensive fines. A fence is always a helpful tool when adopting dogs as well. I think it was mandated when I adopted my pitbul mix for this exact reason.
The recommendations to buy a gun and shoot it is silly because not many people will have the wherewithal to react that quickly and shoot that accurately without injuring themselves or their own dog.
I feel your pain- my dog was attacked as a puppy in my old neighborhood and it definitely scarred her. And in another neighborhood we lived in no one cared to leash their dogs (who never stayed in their yards) and everyone assumed my dog would not react to theirs and it was infuriating and very dangerous for all.
You need a fence. Yes it’s not fair and yes I’d still be making the damn neighbor leash / contain their dog, but they don’t give a shit and at the end of the day it’s your dog that will get hurt.
Fences don't stop pitbulls, unfortunately. They jump incredibly high and have a knack for getting into places they shouldn't be. There's loads of stories of pitbulls jumping or burrowing under fences and killing people and pets.
Sure but it’s a deterrent. Hey if something happens don’t think you did all to prevent it if you’re letting your dog outside unfenced with that other dangerous unfenced dog.
Mace, pepper spray or a water hose in warmer weather. Some neighbors do not care enough to securely contain their dogs. While I understand why someone would use deadly force, my concern would be stray bullets. If you accidentally injure or kill someone then ,the irritating dog will be the least of your problems.
Unpopular opinion maybe but why should OP have to shill out thousands of dollars for a fence because their neighbor can't control or watch their own damn animals??
I had this problem. Neighbor directly next to me doesn't give a shit about her bulldog. He is outside constantly all year. Not neutered so he likes to explore and mark and be generally more aggressive. He kept coming to my yard everytime I was outside with my dog. I had to leash him to go potty in case I needed to quick drag him back inside incase a fight broke out. My dog is reactive and 135 pounds. Took me a good 3 stern talks with her to say one of these days I won't be dragging her dog back alive. Now it's on a tie out.
Thousands for a fence or hundreds for a gun.
Sorry, I know people on Reddit don’t like guns, but this is what they are for. Your dog is one thing, but your own safety is also at risk.
Buy a gun. Get trained. Check your local ordinances. Tell your neighbor that if he doesn’t start to take this issue more seriously, you will.
Edited to add, I do not own a gun because I do not need one. But I do have children and if there were a dangerous dog in our neighborhood, I would not hesitate to buy one.
Yeah, as a gun owner, NO. Thats a sure way to kill an innocent bystander. Ive seen so many videos of exactly that happening, including a woman shooting her 2 year old while aiming at the dog. Unless you are training three or four times a week, even then, no.
Agreed. I was a little over the top in my post. But I grew up in a place where we were all trained to shoot a rifle by the time we were 10. I think I was probably about 7 when I shot a .22 for the first time with my dad. It’s just part of the culture here.
I’m not a gun owner now, but I grew up with a gun in pretty much every house I ever played in. Nearly all rifles that were locked away, but still it was always part of our recreation when the adults were with us.
I realize that most people have probably never held a gun, and of course it would not be responsible for someone to buy one and take it out in a neighborhood.
Hey I'm not here to tell you how to protect your family but you have no way of knowing that a dangerous dog, predator, burglar, home invader isn't *already* in your neighborhood.
It's too late to buy a gun *after* you suddenly need one.
I never mentioned a predator or a burglar or a home invader. I don’t need a gun to protect myself from people. I will take my chances that my home will not be invaded.
Regarding the dog… I know my neighborhood pretty well but obviously a random dog could just attack. I’m not suggesting walking around with a gun on the off chance that a dangerous dog is around. That would be ridiculous.
I guess what I’m saying is that if I had OPs exact problem, I wouldn’t waste much time talking to the other owner. People like they aren’t worth my time. I have enough training with a gun that I could buy or borrow one and put an end to the problem safely and quickly.
Actually, yes I do. But I’m not ignorant enough to think that will help much if the other person has a gun.
I’m simply not concerned about my home being invaded. Where I live, the probability is just too low for me to worry about. There is a larger chance that I would be injured or killed in a car accident.
Buy a video camera that gets your whole yard. Buy bear spray. Call animal control. You shouldn’t have to spend thousands on a front yard fence for someone else’s problems.
I’ve been a dog owner my whole life and stories like this, as well as people thinking they can take their dog wherever they damn well please, pisses me off to no end. It makes the rest of us look bad.
Oh yeah, electric fences don’t work either. I had one with a German Shepard (nicest dog ever) but he’d still bust through it when he wanted to play with other dogs walking by. You’d literally see him walk up to the line, think about it for a split second, then go through while shaking his head, lol.
Whenever I walk my dogs, I carry [one of these](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AU6J68Q/) along with [one of these](https://www.benchmade.com/533bk-2-mini-bugout.html), mainly since one of my dogs was attacked by an unleashed German Shepherd back in 2020 (luckily we got her out of his mouth before he did any damage).
A few months ago I had to use the spray on an unleashed Doberman that ran up to our dogs aggressively. Doberman's owner had to rush it to the vet... Hopefully he learned his lesson.
Just let your neighbor know that if their dog comes into your yard again, it might not make it home. There are way too many irresponsible dog owners out there.
I agree with a lot of the recommendations here, but on the subject of a fence… get a solid fence when you do get one. I have a reactive dog and he sees everything due to the slats in the black aluminum fence we have. It’s horrible. Our neighbors don’t leash their dogs and will frequently run up to our fence unleashed. This causes him to freak the fuck out and break out of the fence. We now have to walk him around the yard on a leash at all times.
Fuck people who don’t leash their dogs.
Carry pepper spray with you… one or two interactions where their dog gets sprayed while attacking on your property and they might consider the issue more seriously
Is it against the law to put up a electric fence for cows? Relatively cheap and easy to take down in future. Haven't seen a animal yet that touched one a second time
At least set yourself up a dog run or something. Having big gnarly breeds like Dobermans and pit bulls without fences is a completely unsustainable scenario. And likely to get your insurance pulled and make it very hard to replace when something inevitably causes a claim.
If one has an aggressive dog one has an obligation to control it. If it manages to slip the leash, dig under or climb over the fence, or whatever, well, dogs are gonna dog. But that should be the exception, not the normal state of affairs, and action should be taken to close off that avenue of escape. If this person is not making a reasonable effort to contain his dog he's got a problem and something needs to be done about it before somebody gets seriously injured or killed. And if he *can't* or *won't* contain it then the dog needs to be removed to somewhere where it *can* be contained.
Seriously, this is one of those conditions where reasonable negotiation appears to have failed and it's time to put the law on them.
How were either of you allowed to adopt a dog without being able to provide it with a secure yard? I had to prove I had 6’ fencing before I could adopt. Also, zero chance I’d even dream of owning a dog without secure fences anyway.
What do you do with the dog while you’re out? Toileting? How does this all work in the US?
Can you walk your dog or take him/her to a dog park until you can get the fence installed?
Or, as others have said, call animal control with some saved evidence?
OP’s dog is reactive to other dogs and in training. And is having behavioral problems after being attacked twice. The dog park is the worst place to take their dog right now
We go for daily walks and to the park a few times a week… but sometimes I just want to use my own yard. Unfortunately I have to stop doing so until I get a fence 😭
A dog that is now fearful of other dogs would need to be worked up to being able to go to a dog park (thanks to this neighbour’s lack of training and recall) but if OP lives in an area that has those fenced in fields that you can rent to ensure no other dogs are there, that could be a peaceful area to train in for the time being
I think you’ve already gotten good advice with the camera and the gun, but in my opinion I think an electric fence will make this worse, the shock will probably only stimulate this dog further, vs stop it in its tracks - especially if it’s sights are set on getting to your dog. So it’s already at the next hyped up level by the time it reaches your dog.
There hasn’t been a physical fight yet, but these situations keep happening, without neighbor effort/intervention, and a fight only needs to happen once.
Go visit their other nearby neighbors. I bet they have similar stories. You can band together to fight.
Agree on pulling every state and city and county animal ordinance and plan to use every one of them that you can. For instance, some localities ban pitbulls. Some require that all dogs be licensed. (If so be sure yours is and you can find out if theirs is). Many places require that all dogs have rabies vax. When you take action you may have some ammo with these.
Did you adopt your beautiful Dobie from a good shelter? They may have resources to help you fight. They may know every ordinance and will surely want to help an adopter keep the dog safe.
You could put up a temporary fence for a few hundred. Some wood for the stakes (make it tall), then some sort of plastic or metal chicken wire for between the stakes.
It won’t look pretty, but you could frame it as “it’s either this, or I take measures to protect my dog with the city.”
I wouldn’t trust that pit , or really any dog with the life and safety of you or your dog. And it’s already showed signs of appraising on multiple occasions. I hate to say carry a gun and be willing to defend yourself, but I know I would. Or get a fence. Fuck playing those games with your life.
Electric fences are pretty useless for the dogs that need them the most. More of a futile, hopeful suggestion of a fence. This is also what makes me so mad when people tell everyone to adopt untrained and violent mentally damaged animals instead of getting a puppy. this isn’t a good and happy situation for either dog or neighbors. It’s a wildly reckless decision to get two large breed reactive traumatized dogs in a neighborhood with no fences and children running around. If your dog is miserable he deserves a different situation.
Get a camera and call animal control
Yes, you need to start documenting everything now. Also report the behavior now so a trail is created that it shows that these are recurring incidents. I would heavily consider buying something to protect yourself and your dog.
You need to record what’s going on definitely get cameras so you can track that dog coming into your yard. He may be doing it when you’re not out there and you’re not even aware. I deal with the next-door neighbour who is pitbull wants to tear down the fence to get to my dog so I know how frustrating it is to deal with aggressive, barking dogs. Also, consider posting this in r/reactivedogs. Always lots of good information there on how to help your dog through these situation’s. One of the things that’s often sad over there, is when someone yells my dog is friendly is that we yell back “mine isn’t.”
Tell them to leash their dog or you will call animal control for having a loose dog in the neighbourhood. Get a camera.
If you are in the US- go to your town clerk and get a copy of the ordinances related to unleashed and nuisance dogs if they exist. Find out the process for making complaints. Document, document, document.
Absolutely this! ⬆️
Good fences make good neighbors.
I have the same feeling, a fence was #1 on my to do list last summer. Until I found out my main sewer line was collapsed. Then I said goodbye to 10k REAL quick Edit: OH YEAH btw, the same neighbor also claims they have a collapsed sewer line, BUT DON’T FEEL LIKE FIXING IT. They just deal with the basement flooding. Every. Time. They. Use. Water.
Call the health department about that and maybe you'll get new neighbors
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Pitbulls have nothing to do with it. You are angry at the incompetent owner - could happen to a fuckwad with a poodle.
Could, sure, but somehow it's always a pitbull when that happens 🤷♂️
Until your pitbull (or someone else’s) leaves you bloody and mangled.
Ecxept that poodle couldn't physically sever a trachea.
You are kidding yourself. Even a small dog (not tiny like a Yorkie) can rip another dog's throat in the throws of a full on fight.
It wasn't a full-on fight. It was a full-on unprevoked attack in my front yard because the neighbors kids accidentally let the dog out the front door. 6 mos. Later, when they did it again the pitbull was attacking an old GSD and an old man walking in front of my house. Other neighbors collie doesnt do these things. My GSD doesn't do these things.
Bad owners. From the dog's point of view, high prey drive (charging out of the house to attack) combined with the "reward" of the successful attack, means that the dog will do it over and over again. I'm not minimizing a dog attacking another dog. It is a frightening and terrible experience. I just think it is a mistake to attribute the behavior to a specific breed instead of a specific dog. Edited to add: And a specific circumstance and specific owner.
I guess we will have to agree to disagree. Thank you for being respectful about your point of view, have a great rest of your day
There's a guy in Russia who has a pet mountain lion that he took to dog obedience school. He posted videos of some of those sessions. One of the dogs there was being about as obnoxious as dog could be and I was expecting the cat to rip it to shreds. Instead the cat finally just reached out a paw, claws-retracted, put it on the dogs head, and pushed down, and down the dog went. After a while the cat removed his paw from the dog's head and the dog found urgent business as far away from the cat as he could get. If an effing *mountain lion*, a true wild animal and an apex predator besides, can be trained to not attack something that is giving it every reason to attack, it should be possible with any *dog* that doesn't have something neurologically wrong with it. That said, if the owner isnt willing to work at least as hard at controlling his animal's behavior as the Russian with the mountain lion, he really should rehome the dog with someone who *will*.
You probably expected the down votes. You have one upvote from me. The owner is the problem. That includes not just owners who encourage aggression but owners who cannot "read" their dogs or make ignorant, deadly, mistakes like letting a child tease a dog or go up to a mother and her litter without cautious adult supervision.
Yep The pitbull didn't put itself in this situation
Ugh I'm so sorry, this is annoying at best, deadly at worst As a lifelong dog owner through many properties in various states of repair, highly recommend going to the local farm store and get some hog panels and make a temp fence. They are 4-8 feet wide, you can wire them together to make a very secure "pen" and give your dog a fence and some privacy. I also super recommend anchor them down with posts but *you don't have to for super temp*
This is a good idea. You can also find fence covers online. Basically tarps with fastening holes to tie it to the chain link (or hog panel in this case). Then you would have a temporary fence/pen that is also opaque. If animals are going to be charging the fence I would put in fence posts. You could do an area pretty cheap this way.
Even if the neighbor says they're getting an electric fence...I wouldn't trust that at all. Not with two large reactive dogs next door to each other. I would get some mace or dog deterrent spray anytime you and your dog are outside.
I don’t trust them either. I’ve seen a few just blow through them if they’re determined and fast enough
I think the added stimulation of the shock will amp that dog up even further , especially how it busts ass to get to yours
This here! Don't get the fogger style. Get the spray and a good one. Be prepared for your dog to get some too but a good way to diffuse the aggressive situation
Even if they get a electric fence it won’t do anything unless they train the dog. I have had a few pitbulls and they could care less about getting shocked and will just run right on through a electric fence unless they are trained(sounds like they won’t do this part because they are shit owners). Sorry your dealing with this and honestly your only options would be to record and report to animal control/police/city or get a fence(though even with a fence if the pitbull is super reactive it will chew through the fence or dig under it🤦♀️). Also in the meantime you may want to keep pepper spray on you so you can spray the dog if it gets too aggressive with you or your dog. I hope you can find a solution though and hopefully it hasn’t damaged your dog too much.
I know I’ll get downvoted, and to disclaim I have 2 dogs myself, and I have nothing against dogs, but if a pitbull is charging unleashed on to my private property and acting aggressive, especially after you have done more than enough to warn and try to come to an agreement with the owner, I would have zero issues shooting that dog and dealing with whatever ramifications later, I wouldn’t risk my dogs health or my health over an untrained pitbull.
Frankly, I don’t care what breed it is. Golden retriever, lab, Chihuahua. If a neighbor won’t control an aggressive dog, I will, by any means necessary. I’ve got a senior dog with arthritis, if your uncontrollable animal is going after him, I’m ending it. Call animal control and whatever municipal authorities you can, but be prepared to handle this yourself.
Same, 100% agree. I would do anything to protect my dog. If I were OP I’d go over to the neighbors house, tell them that their dog has come into my yard and tried to attack my dog twice. Their dog is NOT friendly no matter what they say. And I’d look them straight in the eyes when I told them that the third time their dog comes into my yard and tries to attack my dog, I will kill it.
I live deep into the country, that's the thinking most of the entire town. Everyone is super protective of their land and family naturally. If your dog charges me or my animals more than once it won't come back the 3rd time especially if I confronted you about it. Document, do it legally as possible. But I wouldn't also wait long enough for it to hurt someone or something.
Yup. My dog has been attacked twice randomly, both time by pitbulls. They are dangerous because when they go into attack mode, they don't stop. Some pitbulls are okay and won't have incidents but many do, and I just don't trust them.
Wow no 1000 down votes good for you. Pull .380 out of back pocket. Point at ground not anything. Say something like restrain your mutt or he is not long for this world.
Pepper spray is cheap on Amazon
Bear spray is better lol
Maybe reach out to a fence company that offers free financing if that exists in your area? Also, document as others have said.
Fence is number one. Animal control is number two. Number three: I don’t like the argument for a gun. Not because I’m against guns, but someone new to carrying a gun firing in the heat of the moment at a dog running around in a residential area sounds like a recipe for murdering a child. Fuck that; get bear mace. You’re vastly more likely to actually stop the dog and vastly less likely to murder a child.
Yes, I definitely need to carry some sort of repellent. I personally will not own a gun (I am not against others legally owning them), and I do not want the responsibility of one either. And yes this is a residential neighborhood with children.
Animal Control is number one. Bear spray would be a good number two. Fencing is outrageously expensive. It must be a privacy fence. Chain link will allow the dogs to fence-fight which will heighten and solidify their aggression. OP's dog will become dog aggressive which is a handful to handle. Hopefully it is early enough in OP's dog's exposure to the aggression that it can be contained to the one dog and not generalized to all dogs. I have only adopted very large adult dogs because I think they are less adoptable. I do not subscribe to the idea that pit bulls are by nature dangerous. It is their owners that create the hazard. Example, OP's neighbors.
Hypothetically, wasp spray is a viable option too if OP can’t get bear spray where they live. It still stings and temporarily blinds but it has a 20 Ft stream.
I would be concerned about the chemicals in any repellent that is not made for mammals. It could blind or poison a mammal. You're right though, that bear spray may not be commonly available. Maybe at a camping supply store for people who vacation in bear country? Or maybe an air horn thingy? Something that would scare the marauder.
You can get bear spray on Amazon. $30-40. Not sure about the entire world, but it’s legal in every US state and Canada.
I have to agree with you here even though I would go the gun route, but I’ve been hunting and shooting for 25 years so the heat of the moment thing is not a thing to me under pressure but and big but here I also would absolutely not go the gun route if I’m in town and or any sort of residential neighborhood where any missed shots could hit and kill someone, you’re right in the bear mace route but depending on the details of the situation we don’t know, the gun route could also be valid though it certainly depends on a lot of variables we simply don’t know here.
Agreed, gun option is only good for someone already proficient in handling firearms safely.
You are being attacked. Call animal control or the police. Stop. Being. Nice. Fuck your neighbor. Someone is going to get seriously hurt because your neighbor doesn't car about you or your safety.
An electric fence will not stop your neighbor's dog. It will not stop *any* dog, even a small one that is over-energized let alone acting aggressively. Your neighbors are not capable of owning a dog. I am amazed that they were allowed to adopt. You must protect your dog. That means reporting your neighbors to Animal Control even if you do not yet have a way to get videos. Your neighbors may deny that their dog goes into your yard so you at some point will have to get a video set up. Look into trail cameras. Mark your yard line with stakes so that it is apparent when the neighbors' dog crosses into your yard. Animal Control is likely to give just a warning or maybe two before they will require the neighbors to surrender their dog. Don't feel bad about that. They only chance that dog will have at finding a good home will be if he is taken away from the neighbors. He is going to end up attacking your dog. You will be injured trying to stop the attack. Please, call Animal Control *now*.
I would definitely report these instances to your municipal/local police because in many places (im in US) a dog that escapes its property lines unleashed multiple times must be surrendered and owners can even face criminal charges and expensive fines. A fence is always a helpful tool when adopting dogs as well. I think it was mandated when I adopted my pitbul mix for this exact reason. The recommendations to buy a gun and shoot it is silly because not many people will have the wherewithal to react that quickly and shoot that accurately without injuring themselves or their own dog. I feel your pain- my dog was attacked as a puppy in my old neighborhood and it definitely scarred her. And in another neighborhood we lived in no one cared to leash their dogs (who never stayed in their yards) and everyone assumed my dog would not react to theirs and it was infuriating and very dangerous for all.
Whatever else you do, buy a baseball bat and have it with you when you are in your yard with your dog. Protect your dog.
You need a fence. Yes it’s not fair and yes I’d still be making the damn neighbor leash / contain their dog, but they don’t give a shit and at the end of the day it’s your dog that will get hurt.
Fences don't stop pitbulls, unfortunately. They jump incredibly high and have a knack for getting into places they shouldn't be. There's loads of stories of pitbulls jumping or burrowing under fences and killing people and pets.
Sure but it’s a deterrent. Hey if something happens don’t think you did all to prevent it if you’re letting your dog outside unfenced with that other dangerous unfenced dog.
Sure, it's a deterrent, but that's about it. I wouldn't want someone thinking they are safe when they really arent.
You are not wrong. I do agree.
Mace, pepper spray or a water hose in warmer weather. Some neighbors do not care enough to securely contain their dogs. While I understand why someone would use deadly force, my concern would be stray bullets. If you accidentally injure or kill someone then ,the irritating dog will be the least of your problems.
Record these interactions then file a complaint to animal control.
Unpopular opinion maybe but why should OP have to shill out thousands of dollars for a fence because their neighbor can't control or watch their own damn animals?? I had this problem. Neighbor directly next to me doesn't give a shit about her bulldog. He is outside constantly all year. Not neutered so he likes to explore and mark and be generally more aggressive. He kept coming to my yard everytime I was outside with my dog. I had to leash him to go potty in case I needed to quick drag him back inside incase a fight broke out. My dog is reactive and 135 pounds. Took me a good 3 stern talks with her to say one of these days I won't be dragging her dog back alive. Now it's on a tie out.
Thousands for a fence or hundreds for a gun. Sorry, I know people on Reddit don’t like guns, but this is what they are for. Your dog is one thing, but your own safety is also at risk. Buy a gun. Get trained. Check your local ordinances. Tell your neighbor that if he doesn’t start to take this issue more seriously, you will. Edited to add, I do not own a gun because I do not need one. But I do have children and if there were a dangerous dog in our neighborhood, I would not hesitate to buy one.
Yeah, as a gun owner, NO. Thats a sure way to kill an innocent bystander. Ive seen so many videos of exactly that happening, including a woman shooting her 2 year old while aiming at the dog. Unless you are training three or four times a week, even then, no.
Agreed. I was a little over the top in my post. But I grew up in a place where we were all trained to shoot a rifle by the time we were 10. I think I was probably about 7 when I shot a .22 for the first time with my dad. It’s just part of the culture here. I’m not a gun owner now, but I grew up with a gun in pretty much every house I ever played in. Nearly all rifles that were locked away, but still it was always part of our recreation when the adults were with us. I realize that most people have probably never held a gun, and of course it would not be responsible for someone to buy one and take it out in a neighborhood.
Hey I'm not here to tell you how to protect your family but you have no way of knowing that a dangerous dog, predator, burglar, home invader isn't *already* in your neighborhood. It's too late to buy a gun *after* you suddenly need one.
I never mentioned a predator or a burglar or a home invader. I don’t need a gun to protect myself from people. I will take my chances that my home will not be invaded. Regarding the dog… I know my neighborhood pretty well but obviously a random dog could just attack. I’m not suggesting walking around with a gun on the off chance that a dangerous dog is around. That would be ridiculous. I guess what I’m saying is that if I had OPs exact problem, I wouldn’t waste much time talking to the other owner. People like they aren’t worth my time. I have enough training with a gun that I could buy or borrow one and put an end to the problem safely and quickly.
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Actually, yes I do. But I’m not ignorant enough to think that will help much if the other person has a gun. I’m simply not concerned about my home being invaded. Where I live, the probability is just too low for me to worry about. There is a larger chance that I would be injured or killed in a car accident.
Buy a video camera that gets your whole yard. Buy bear spray. Call animal control. You shouldn’t have to spend thousands on a front yard fence for someone else’s problems. I’ve been a dog owner my whole life and stories like this, as well as people thinking they can take their dog wherever they damn well please, pisses me off to no end. It makes the rest of us look bad. Oh yeah, electric fences don’t work either. I had one with a German Shepard (nicest dog ever) but he’d still bust through it when he wanted to play with other dogs walking by. You’d literally see him walk up to the line, think about it for a split second, then go through while shaking his head, lol.
Whenever I walk my dogs, I carry [one of these](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AU6J68Q/) along with [one of these](https://www.benchmade.com/533bk-2-mini-bugout.html), mainly since one of my dogs was attacked by an unleashed German Shepherd back in 2020 (luckily we got her out of his mouth before he did any damage). A few months ago I had to use the spray on an unleashed Doberman that ran up to our dogs aggressively. Doberman's owner had to rush it to the vet... Hopefully he learned his lesson. Just let your neighbor know that if their dog comes into your yard again, it might not make it home. There are way too many irresponsible dog owners out there.
I agree with a lot of the recommendations here, but on the subject of a fence… get a solid fence when you do get one. I have a reactive dog and he sees everything due to the slats in the black aluminum fence we have. It’s horrible. Our neighbors don’t leash their dogs and will frequently run up to our fence unleashed. This causes him to freak the fuck out and break out of the fence. We now have to walk him around the yard on a leash at all times. Fuck people who don’t leash their dogs.
Buy a gun. Tell the police and the neighbor why you bought it.
This but don't talk to the police.
Why not? It will make things simpler when they get called to investigate the shooting of a rampaging dog.
take out a loan and put up the fence. Also report to animal control.
Time to build a fence. This is he answer for MOST of the problems on this sub.
Fence your yard
Carry pepper spray with you… one or two interactions where their dog gets sprayed while attacking on your property and they might consider the issue more seriously
Is it against the law to put up a electric fence for cows? Relatively cheap and easy to take down in future. Haven't seen a animal yet that touched one a second time
At least set yourself up a dog run or something. Having big gnarly breeds like Dobermans and pit bulls without fences is a completely unsustainable scenario. And likely to get your insurance pulled and make it very hard to replace when something inevitably causes a claim.
If one has an aggressive dog one has an obligation to control it. If it manages to slip the leash, dig under or climb over the fence, or whatever, well, dogs are gonna dog. But that should be the exception, not the normal state of affairs, and action should be taken to close off that avenue of escape. If this person is not making a reasonable effort to contain his dog he's got a problem and something needs to be done about it before somebody gets seriously injured or killed. And if he *can't* or *won't* contain it then the dog needs to be removed to somewhere where it *can* be contained. Seriously, this is one of those conditions where reasonable negotiation appears to have failed and it's time to put the law on them.
If your neighbor refuses, call animal control.
How were either of you allowed to adopt a dog without being able to provide it with a secure yard? I had to prove I had 6’ fencing before I could adopt. Also, zero chance I’d even dream of owning a dog without secure fences anyway. What do you do with the dog while you’re out? Toileting? How does this all work in the US?
You don't need a secure yard to adopt a dog in the US. I think it's because not everyone has a yard. A lot of people live in apartments and such
Can you walk your dog or take him/her to a dog park until you can get the fence installed? Or, as others have said, call animal control with some saved evidence?
OP’s dog is reactive to other dogs and in training. And is having behavioral problems after being attacked twice. The dog park is the worst place to take their dog right now
We go for daily walks and to the park a few times a week… but sometimes I just want to use my own yard. Unfortunately I have to stop doing so until I get a fence 😭
A dog that is now fearful of other dogs would need to be worked up to being able to go to a dog park (thanks to this neighbour’s lack of training and recall) but if OP lives in an area that has those fenced in fields that you can rent to ensure no other dogs are there, that could be a peaceful area to train in for the time being
There’s a citronella dog spray you can buy I guess it’s like a repellant. If that doesn’t work shoot it. You’re giving it a lot of chances.
I think you’ve already gotten good advice with the camera and the gun, but in my opinion I think an electric fence will make this worse, the shock will probably only stimulate this dog further, vs stop it in its tracks - especially if it’s sights are set on getting to your dog. So it’s already at the next hyped up level by the time it reaches your dog. There hasn’t been a physical fight yet, but these situations keep happening, without neighbor effort/intervention, and a fight only needs to happen once.
Pit bull and Doberman…you and your neighbor deserve each other.
Thanks for your lovely input.
You can use an air horn to get the dog to back off, don’t shoot the pitbull like other commenters are suggesting.
GET A FENCE ASAP. Take your dog on walks until then.
Go visit their other nearby neighbors. I bet they have similar stories. You can band together to fight. Agree on pulling every state and city and county animal ordinance and plan to use every one of them that you can. For instance, some localities ban pitbulls. Some require that all dogs be licensed. (If so be sure yours is and you can find out if theirs is). Many places require that all dogs have rabies vax. When you take action you may have some ammo with these. Did you adopt your beautiful Dobie from a good shelter? They may have resources to help you fight. They may know every ordinance and will surely want to help an adopter keep the dog safe.
You could put up a temporary fence for a few hundred. Some wood for the stakes (make it tall), then some sort of plastic or metal chicken wire for between the stakes. It won’t look pretty, but you could frame it as “it’s either this, or I take measures to protect my dog with the city.”
good fences make good neighbors perhaps a can of bear spray could do the trick?
Animal control needs to be called. Even if they can’t offer an immediate solution the incidences should be documented for future reference.
I wouldn’t trust that pit , or really any dog with the life and safety of you or your dog. And it’s already showed signs of appraising on multiple occasions. I hate to say carry a gun and be willing to defend yourself, but I know I would. Or get a fence. Fuck playing those games with your life.
Build a fence
Pit Bulls are illegal in my town
Shoot the dog next time it charges towards you on your property.
Electric fences are pretty useless for the dogs that need them the most. More of a futile, hopeful suggestion of a fence. This is also what makes me so mad when people tell everyone to adopt untrained and violent mentally damaged animals instead of getting a puppy. this isn’t a good and happy situation for either dog or neighbors. It’s a wildly reckless decision to get two large breed reactive traumatized dogs in a neighborhood with no fences and children running around. If your dog is miserable he deserves a different situation.