Neighbors Pet Comming into My Yard

My dog was going to the next door. Keep in mine i thought we were frineds. they have a pond with a duck, no fence and the pond was right out my sidedoor. eveytime the kids open the door the dog like jump in the pond. plus it was ok the duck was in my yard and dirting everyday. they call, said they are going to shout the dog if it goes in their yard. The next day, they did shout the dog. the police said, they have every right and gave me a ticket. and had a complaint before. They never once said to us they called.i was so upset about the fact they shout her. they didn't say i'm going to call the police or say we need to try to take care of the dog better. I know my dog should have not been in their yard but to shout a family memeber is just mean. I would go to their house and maybe talk to them. If they don't take care of the problem after talking. then call the police.

This is probably the wrong answer...but maybe it will make you laugh. I think you should pick up their dog's droppings and drop them back in their yard or drivway where it belongs.....lol

Not fun. We have a neighbor with 2 pit bulls that run loose and go through out garbage. It's a nightmare.. we've talked to the neighbors and they do nothing about it. The dogs are nice dogs, but in my opinion you just don't know with ANY dog that's loose. The worse thing is I teach out of my home and sometimes the dogs are loose and parents are afraid to get out of their cars. I'd be interested to hear what you do.. and if it works.

Hi! About the dog coming into your yard- you could write a letter to them and drop it into their mailbox or slide it into the edge of their door. Just politely say how you would appreciate it if they could "please not allow their dog to come to your yard unattended anymore because although we love dogs, and he may be sweet, but we've noticed him leaving droppings in our yard now and then, and we are also a bit concerned about a rare possibility of biting or fighting. Please don't be offended; We try to keep our dog tethered when he's out so that he stays in his own space as well. Thanks a lot, have a great day!"
That way it's as friendly as possible, so if they were to get offended by it it is 100% their problem!
I am sorry I can't help you with the other part of your question, though...good luck!

Labs are usually very gentle and sweet, so the thought of this dog attacking seems odd, unless it was to protect its owners. When you live in a neighborhood, animals sometimes poop in your yard. You can put up a fence, make your neighbors dislike you by complaining, or learn to live with it. I've had a lot of dogs and lived next to a lot of dogs. I know it's annoying but I doubt you can change it without putting up a fence or making an enemy of the owner. That's my experience anyway! Even if you complain, it's unlikely that it will stop and then what are you going to do? I lost good friends who called the police because my dog barked while I was taking a group of Brownies on an outing, with their daughter in my care. I came home to police in my driveway. I'm sorry but that just destroyed all the good things that had gone before. I was very glad when they moved away!

We have the same problem except our neighbors do have a fence we don't. We keep our dog tied up when he is out and he can only go so far. I saw them out one day and said Oh is that your dog? They said yes we are just moving in and he keeps getting out, I said well I don't know how your dog is but I know that my dog is pretty territorial especially around our kids and I don't know what he would do if your dog came into our yard with our kids out here. (he is not really territorial but I thought I'd say it anyway as a hint) They told me they would keep him in. A few weeks went by and they now have two dogs that are getting out. My husband just went right over to their back yard and flat out told him, to keep your dog in your yard we have enough of our own dog doo to clean up let alone cleaning yours. The man said he would take care of it that day, which he did not so that is when we called animal control and they came out and told us that they have been there two times already and this will be their third and final warning before they start being ticketed. I noticed the next day the dogs were chained to the back porch like ours! :)

I would imagine there are leash laws in your community. I know where we live, dogs are not allowed to run at all. You could call your local law enforcement or city/township/county office to find out what the laws are. I would for sure go to your neighbor and let them know you don't appreciate the dog droppings in your yard. The dog growling at YOU in your own driveway is not acceptable! You and hubby both should talk with them. They might not even know the dog is doing this if they just let him out, don't pay attention to where he is, and then let him back in. Be assertive with concern for safety etc, but I wouldn't let this go.

I would speak to the owners and document how you have handled each occurance and document each incident with the dog. You can always call your local police department and just ask what you rights are and what the laws are regarding this issue. I have made a couple general calls to the police dept. before just asking questions about situations and they have been helpful.

Good Luck

If it were me, I'd go down to the neighbors and let them know what their dog was doing and how in challenged you. That is unacceptable. If they don't do anything about it, I'd call animal control and report the dog running loose and threatening you.

I disagree with shooting the dog with a beebee gun or harming it....It isn't the animals fault it's their owners.......

We have always had trouble with our neighbors....(34 years worth) Talking to them is like talking to the wall... they don't believe they have to obide by the same rules as everyone else....So when their dogs are in my yard barking and bothering our dog which is always out on a runner and never loose.I call the Animal Control and let them talk to them....It's better yet if you can tie the animal up and call or of course on the week-end the police...if it gets that bad.....

The best trained and behaved animal will leave their own yard if given the right situation or left out on their own..

I would first be neighborly (even though they clearly are not being so) and go over and ask them to please keep their dog confined to their yard and explain the poop and growling issues. If they are not home, I would consider leaving a nice note and ask that they call you. If you don't get a respons and

If the dog continues to come into your yard, call the police. Dogs must be leashed or in a fenced area.

Michigan is a strict liability state for dog bites. You need to put them on notice that the dog has growled at you. They will be liable if the dog bites you or your dog (their homeowners policy will probably pay); but obviously you would like to avoid that.

L. - I used to live in the country and I dealt with this on a daily basis. I used to go out with a shovel, scoop it up and throw it into their yard. The other dilemma I dealt with was I had two female dogs - in a kennel. The neighbors had a male black lab. Each of my dogs had a litter of puppies within days of each other. I had a talk with the labs owners. In our area, there is a leash law. Dogs are not supposed to be just turned loose. The third litter of puppies, they came and took and had to deal with finding them homes. Another thing I used to do was when I would see them turn him loose to run, I would stand out on my deck with a beebe gun and when he started into my yard, I would sting his rump!
You need to find out if there is a leash law in your area and if there is, call animal control. That way, you have a paper trail should the dog ever bite someone in your family.

I hope this helps - but sometimes you have to be a little aggressive with somw people. If you don't they will run all over you.
Good Luck!

Ugh! We have a neighbor that used to do the same thing with their dog. My husband would step in dog poo in the yard while mowing and would be SO mad!!
I would first go and talk to the owner about the problem and ask them nicely if they could keep their dog from your yard. There are leash laws and no dog is supposed to be out running free. If that doesn't help, I would start calling Animal Control. Not fun, but why should you have to clean up their dog poop and deal with being growled and barked at in your own yard?! I wouldn't worry too much about your dog attacking theirs as long as yours is where he should be and their dog is trespassing-that is their problem. I would however, worry about your dog being injured as well. Emergency vet care is very expensive and sometimes issues w/ neighbors can be touchy (I am a vet tech @ an emergency clinic).
Good Luck!

I really don't know what to say. Why?
We have a lab that we do not let out of the house unless she is on a leash or her chain. Why? Although she is VERY well trained (in the house) if she is not on her leash outside she out rightly IGNORES us. She will stand in other peoples yards and bark AT US> hmmmm. (young dog, still working on boundries)
There are days though that if one of the little ones is standing in the doorway with the door open she will run out the door and circle our house for about 3 hours. (Of course barking at us and always staying out of reach of ANYONE. see, she's smart...
Part of me says call animal control if it is a persistant problem.
Another part of me says catch the dog and put it on a chain yourself (in your yard) and when the owners come looking for it just tell them thats what you do if a dog comes in your yard. And if noone has come looking for them in 2 hours, you call animal control... (fair warning to keep an eye on your dog)
It could be that they LET the dog out, or that the dog runs over a child to get out (accidental)...
I am saving up for a fence, but they are quite$$$. ...
Talking to the neighbor MAY help... But if they are letting the dog out on purpose it may just make them look at you as being "that " neighbor...
So basicly your options as I see it is either get the dog picked up a few times, or put up your own fence...

So is shooting him with a beebee gun against the law?
Because talking to your neighbors is only going to work for like a week, and then they will go back to their old ways.
BUt if it hurts, then the dog will learn to not come over. Kind of like those shock collars.

This is actually a quite common problem, as you can see from your replies. It may not be the easiest issue to handle, but there are some valid steps you can take.

First, find out exactly what the laws are for your area. This will help in your "case" with your neighbors. Then, talk to your neighbors...stating your issues, the fact that you don't want to cause a problem, what the law states, and if you have no choice..you will be forced to file a complaint. In otherwords...put the ball in their court.

They will comply, or they won't...but you have to follow through with your "threats". At this point, it would seem to me that if they continue to allow their dog in your yard, they aren't really concerned about "maintaining the peace", at which point you shouldn't be either. You gave them the choice..and the chose wrong.

Yes, you can get great satisfaction from "throwing it back" into their yard...but as most posters state, they probably won't "get it".

Best of luck......

J.

I think some of this stuff varies by community, but most communities have some sort of leash law that says if the animal is not on their property, it is to be on a leash and animals are not to defecate on public or private property (with exception to the owners) or the owner is to remove it immediately. If you check with your township office, you should be able to find out the specific ordinances for your township - you may be able to do so online, our township has ours posted.

You might just ask the neighbor if they mind keeping their dog in their yard - that you like the dog but that you would rather not have to worry about any messes he might leave or company that he might 'attack'. Let them know that he growled at you when you tried to send him home and you are concerned for your safety, your families and companies safety.

If it were me, and I either after talking to them - or if I didn't feel like I could, I would definately check into calling animal control - especially if the dog appears that it could get vicious. I think that some places you have to have the animal confined before they will come and get it, but you can ask if you can make an anonymous phone call. You might ask them what they suggest you do. It maybe to place a phone call to the local law inforcement - according to my township ordinances, violation of the leash or defecating ordinances is "responsible for a municipal civil infraction and shall be punished by a fine as set forth in the Schedule of Civil Fines [Appendix C] and court costs. Equitable relief may also be awarded as permitted by Michigan law."

I feel your pain - I like animals, just not in my yard!
Good luck -
J.

Hello L., Yes you have the right to call Animal Control. When a dog is standing its ground and growling at you on YOUR property, it's a bite waiting to happen. Also, the neighbor should be asked to come down and clean up thier dogs droppings. It shouldn't be your job to clean up after it. There are leash laws for reasons. Dogs are territorial, and this dog has claimed your yard as part of its territory, meaning it will bite to defend it. Good luck.

Shortly after moving into our house, we discovered that the doggy mess in our back yard was not from the previous owners being unable to clean up after their dog (they were in their 90's) as we had thought. It was because the neighbor let his dog out of the house with no leash and no fence to do her business wherever she felt. The neighbor knew this was going on and never cleaned it up. Eventually, we had to put up a 3 foot fence just on that side of the house to keep her out, otherwise my kids wouldn't be able to go out the back door without me having to check the entire yard first. We live in a very close-housed city suburb. Most lots only have 40 to 50 feet in width. There was no other solution for us. Animal control would have just laughed at us, cuz by the time they would have gotten there, the dog would have been right back inside and we'd have no proof. The dog still goes in our front yard on occasion and my husband will scoop it up with the shovel and put it in our neighbor's driveway. Childish, but oh well!

I would contact animal control as to what your rights are as far as your dog and the Lab having a 'discussion' at any given time. What would you be accountable for in other words. At the same time I would let animal control KNOW that there's a loose dog around using others' yards to do its business. AND that it got confrontational with you. It might be something they are more equipped to deal with. The owner obviously is irresponsible and selfish.

Secondly, what you could do is collect what poops you could into a garbage bag, and attach an envelope marked RETURN TO SENDER with a letter inside explaining this dilemma and that their dog has shown some aggression towards you when trying to stop its behavior which is why you haven't come to the front door personally.

Letting animal control know the situation would possibly save a neighborhood child or other person from intimidation or attack by the Lab. It's uncommon for the breed, but without knowing its background treatment anything's possible.

Just a little hint on dog behavior: dogs will go where their scent is. And if they have gone there frequently, and then your dogs go there, the lab will keep coming back to mark his territory. My point is: the dog will not stay out of your yard unless your neighbor walks him on a leash or there is a fence preventing him from getting in. Approach your neighbor with this knowledge, and let the burden be on him to install an electric fence on his property, or put up a regular barrier fence. If the electric fence is installed as a do-it-yourself project it is pretty cheap, but you have to know how to train the dog for it to work.

L.,

It has been my experience that animal owners are a lot like parents, and can be very defensive about their pets. Years ago we had neighbors that we were friendly with and thier dog kept coming over to our house to do its business. When I mentioned it to them they denied that it could have been thier dog and were a little put out that I would even think that, even though I saw the dog do it with my own eyes. In the interest of peace in the neighborhood we didn't push it.

However its something to think about....if you talk to them first and they do nothing and then call the police or animal control they will automatically assume it was you, there will be no anonymity, and if they get angry about it you still have to live next door to them.

I believe that there are leash laws that prohibit dogs from running around loose. You could always call animal control first and find out what the laws are, and if you decide to report it, ask them if they make a record of who made the complaint, and if they do, do the owners of the dog have access to that information.

People need to stand up and take responsibiltiy for their animals, and unfortunately many people don't. Its irresponsible to let your dog out to just run, whether you beleive hes friendly or not, you just never know how a dog will react to a stranger, or a child it is unfamiliar with. Good luck to you and I hope the situation works itself out for you.

i would let the owner know that the dog came down to your place and groweld at you and made you feal uneasy .if they don't keep it tyed up i would call animal controll as far as your dog attacking the other dog when it come down to your place as far as i understand the law you are to have your dog under controll at all time is what i was told when someone broke in to my home and my dog bit the person causing them to get stiches they sweed me and won because my dog was not under controll so yes ever time it running free i would call on them

Hi L.,
There are leash laws in most towns/states, so you need to find out what they are for your area first.
Second, I would advise that you and your husband go down to the neighbors house together and explain the situation -- Make them aware that you have a dog and therefore would prefer that their dog doesn't "visit" and also put them on notice that when you told the dog to go home it became aggressive and wouldn't leave your property; that you have children and don't want this aggressive dog taking over your yard and/or holding any of you hostage. I would also make it clear to them that you don't want a feud and that you would like to stay on friendly terms but will call animal control if the dog returns to your yard and is being aggressive in any way
Please let me know what happens

Check your leash laws. If your dog attacked the other dog in your yard, my experience is the other dog is in the wrong. I would report the dog for taking a stand against you in your own yard. You could add the feces complaint to it. Get the dogs actions on record.

wow, what a bummer.. I think I would walk down to that other house and tell them how you feel. ( obviously, calmly). I suppose if that doesn't help ( and it probably won't ). You may need to keep track of what't been happening , that way , if your dog jumps him or if anything else happens, you will have it all down on paper ( maybe you could call animal control too.. just to file a report.)

I would not just let it go though.. It's YOUR house. Good luck

1)I would approach your neighbor and let him know that his dog has come into your yard several times and you would appreciate it if he could keep him tied up. Let him know that your dog has a "dog run" to keep his dirty business in one area so you don't have to worry about stepping in it. Also let him know that you have tried to send the dog home and he's gotten aggressive.

2) I'm not real clear on the laws. I know in Grand Rapids home owners are required to keep their dogs in a fenced in yard or on a leash at all times. I'm not sure about other cities or areas that would be considered outside the city limits. I also know that in Grand Rapids if a dog owner is neglegent of their animal (letting it run uncontrolled) and it attacks you, your children, or your dog (or if your dog attacks theirs) it is their problem, not yours. And I know this from experience. You could get Animal Control involved, they handle things in a confidential manner, would just come out and talk to the owner and let him know that there have been complaints about his dog running all over the neighborhood. More than likely, he doesn't know how far his dog does run, so wouldn't be able to point fingers at anyone in particular. However, they will be able to add a little bit of "power" behind the statement, especially if there are leash laws in the area. Including threatening to take the animal away if it continues.

Good luck!!

I would kindly speak to the neighbors about their dog and hopefully, if they are decent people, they won't let this keep happening. I have a hunch though that people like this who irresponsibly allow their pets to roam around could care less what their pet does to someone else or other people's property. Look at it like this, if you really love and value your pet would you allow it allow it to roam around where it may get hurt or worse yet, someone could harm it? If they don't change, definitely get animal control or law enforcement involved.

MC