# My boyfriend is an idiot.



## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Behind my boyfriends house is an alley, and the people on the other side of the alley have these dogs all alone in the backyard that bark and bark all day and night. They even bark when they hear someone coming out of the FRONT door of my boyfriend's house. They can forget about trying to enjoy any time in their backyard ever.

I was inside and my boyfriend was playing ball with chrono in the backyard. He accidentally threw the ball over the fence into the alley so they both went to go find it. The neighbors dog was of course barking like crazy.

I've told my boyfriend a million times DO NOT LET CHRONO NEAR THAT FENCE THAT DOG IS PROTECTING ITS YARD. I swear they are the only people in my entire city who have only a 4 foot fence and I have no idea why their dog hasn't jumped over.

Well apparently Chrono goes up to the fence and sticks his nose up into the air to try and sniff over the fence(he's 30" tall at the withers and standing on a snow pile, 4 feet is nothing at that point) and the neighbors dog(husky) jumps up, sticks his head out and over the fence, and grabs Chrono's face.

I'm inside and I could hear Chrono wailing like he had been shot and I instantly knew what happened. Chrono and my boyfriend came in the house, and the only damage was Chrono had a scratch on his nose that was bleeding and a scratch on his paw pad. We were lucky but I was so, so mad at my boyfriend.

It's obviously our fault, but I do wish those people would take their dogs in or get a higher fence. I wonder what would happen if a kid walked too close to that fence if the dog is jumping and sticking his head out like that.


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## Raziel (Sep 29, 2009)

EE! Imglad the only thing that happned is a scratched nose!!!
Boyfriends arent very smart......









That is dangerous to kids walking by too.
GEEZE. Some ppl shouldnt own dogs!!

I am glad Chrono is ok!!!


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

Poor Chrono 
hope he is ok and did you smack your Boyfriend???


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I'm with Dawn on this one. Cuff the boyfriend, repeat as necessary...


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

How about an animal control call? They do sound dangerous.


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## Ryder&SophieSue (Nov 25, 2008)

I am sorry but the dog was protecting his area....I am gald you guys are ok...
However your dog was the one that was out off leash. Just becasue they have a four foot fence does not make them the perfect people to have animal control called....Or the fact that he grabbed your dogs face....Sorry not trying to sound B****y, but people tell me all the time my dog should be put down because he got ahold of this persons yorki twice, adn my dog was leashed, and his was running wild. Not that your s was running wild.


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## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

Andrea, I think you missed the point that it could have been a CHILD. A dog should not be able to reach over a fence to grab something on the other side. 

Our neighbor has a HIGH fence but their GSD chews holes in the boards and can then reach its nose into my yard. So then if my 4 year old is playing too close to the fence and gets bit, is it my fault? I don't think so. People with animals need to be responsible for keeping them contained as necessary and a 4' fence is not exactly safe for a large aggressive dog.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

While I agree that a four foot fence does not seem to be enough containment for a breed that is known to love to run, there is no way that dog aggression equals human aggression. 

Yes a dog COULD have both. 

I know your upset, but letting your dog run up to a neighbor's fence is kind of asking for an issue. Your dog was up on the snow and reached his head over where they could get to. 

If the dogs are a nuisance, if the dogs are being neglected, if the dogs are running loose, by all means call animal control. If the dogs bite a child, well, ya know, kids are pretty resourceful. Kids figure out ways to shove sticks through fences to pick on dogs. Kids climb up on fences and act really stupid sometimes. While it is not generally the case, I would HOPE that it WOULD be the parents fault if the kid was right up against the fence with his arm in the dog's place and got himself bit.

Most fences have to be so many feet within a property line. People should not HAVE to put two fences up because someone's untethered brat MIGHT put their hand through or over the fence. People need to teach their kids, manage their kids, and when their children stray into Mr. McGreggors Garden, tell them that's what they get for going where they should not have been.

The reality of it is that if someone thinks they can get money out of it, they will sue. If someone thinks their child has suffered pain or shame, they will sue. And it really does not matter if you were not negligent, that your dogs were on your property, that your animals were being tortured or teased, they will sue. 

So the long and short of it is that if I am not out there, my dogs are in their kennels within a fenced area on my property. And if someone's kid manages to get themselves bitten by my dogs, the jury will have to make a decision, but they will see plenty of proof that my dogs were contained, and the child was not as innocent as the other side would like you to believe.


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: amd1 Just becasue they have a four foot fence does not make them the perfect people to have animal control called


I'm on the fence on this one (







). 

On one hand, I think that if the dog is that protective of his area, then maybe he should have a fence that is higher than 4 feet tall. Not just to protect his owners and him, but anyone walking by.

On the other hand, your dog was off leash and pestering the fenced dog.

When it comes down to it, I think maybe the BF needs an invisible fence collar to keep him from taking your dog out of the yard.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: selzer
> I know your upset, but letting your dog run up to a neighbor's fence is kind of asking for an issue. Your dog was up on the snow and reached his head over where they could get to.


I'm only upset at my boyfriend, not their dogs. I'm not taking the blame for my boyfriend being an idiot about something I've warned him about a million times heh.

The only thing I'm concerned about is that Chrono's face was outside of the fence and the dog got his head and neck over the fence far enough to grab his nose(little less than a foot away, so says my boyfriend). Just seems like if a 4 foot tall kid was walking too close to the fence(it is an alley after all) the dog might jump up and grab the kids face(with all the barking this dog does, though, I'm sure the kid would have fair warning). I know dog aggression does not equal human aggression, I'm just not sure the dog would check to see if it's a person before jumping up and snapping.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Poor Chrono. Make sure the BF understands that since this happened once with this dog, Chrono probably isn't going be so civil to the dog next time.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: cassadee7since you know your neighbors dog
> can put his nose in your yard and you let your children
> get to close to the fence and the dog bites them that's
> 100% your fault.
> ...


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

I don't think the OP was looking for a reason to call AC on the neighbor, or accusing the neighbor dogs of being dangerous, I think she was venting at her boyfriend. 

I hope BF learned to keep Chrono under control and not run loose in the alley and I am glad Chrono is okay. 

Now I think I might take issue with the constant barking, that would be a disturbance that might be worthy of an AC call. That would drive me nuts.


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## mysablegsd (Aug 7, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: Mandalay
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: amd1 Just becasue they have a four foot fence does not make them the perfect people to have animal control called
> ...


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Poor pup. I would consider calling Animal Control just to let them know what happened and say that you are worried that they might do this to a person/child.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

So sorry your boy got bitten.

If you want to call A/C to complain about the chronic barking then I would.

But I wouldn't call them about your fellow getting bitten unless you want to take the chance of getting cited for allowing your dog to run at large. Your BF was wrong in allowing your dog to be endangered and I'd let it go, I'm sure he's learned his lesson too and won't allow it to happen again.

Does your city have a minimun height for fences for large breed dogs? If not, then a 4' fence is adequate to contain the dog and I don't see what A/C could do - what laws were broken? That a dog might bite a child if that kid migth be on a snow drift craning his or head toward the dog? Yes it might happen but it seems like a rather far fetched scenario.


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## janisinsc (Aug 26, 2009)

I would want to see vet records of the dog that bit so I would call ac for that reason, no matter whose fault.


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## GSDolch (May 15, 2006)

They should have contained their dog better (not the OP the neighbor)

Thats pretty much the big and little of it for me. If I am on my property and a dog can get and will get his head over a fence to bit at something, while me or my dogs are still on my property, the neighbor is at fault. A dog isnt considered running at large on its own property.

While it may not be aggression, from the sound of the dogs (barking and wanting to protect its own property even from people it sounds like) they very well could bit a person. Just because a dog bites a person doesnt mean its human aggressive.

But, the big and little of it for me is that, 1) dog should have been contained better and 2) no one had better EVER tell me not to use a part of MY property because a neighbor cant control their dog. 

But anyways, I am glad he is OK.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

No, the bf went off the property into the alley. The dog went up to THEIR fence, which is probably within their property line and got itself bit. The neighbor dog never left its property unless I am reading it wrong. 

janisinsc, why would you want to see the vet records? Are your dogs vaccinated against rabies? If they are, what is the point? As far as I know, the only required vaccination is rabies, and as long as your dog is vaccinated, it really does not matter if their dog is or not. Now if the dog bites a person, THEN you do need to make sure vet records say rabies vaccine is current.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

if i let my dog get to close to a danger zone
after being warned by my GF i wouldn't call
AC. i would keep my dog away from the danger zone.

next i would go my neighbor and discuss fixing the fence.
maybe you could put some chicken wire on the fence. chicken
wire is cheap, it's easy to tack up and it'll keep
but dogs from making contact.

now the constant barking that's a tough one.
what do you do? if you ask
the neighbors to keep the dog
in the house more; isn't going
to be met with a smile. suggesting
a muzzle probably won't go over well.

i would call AC as a last resort.



> Originally Posted By: JerzeyGSDPoor pup. I would consider calling Animal Control just to let them know what happened and say that you are worried that they might do this to a person/child.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: GSDolchThey should have contained their dog better (not the OP the neighbor)
> 
> Thats pretty much the big and little of it for me. If I am on my property and a dog can get and will get his head over a fence to bit at something, while me or my dogs are still on my property, the neighbor is at fault. A dog isnt considered running at large on its own property.


I agree. The boyfriend was partially at fault because he'd been warned not to take the dog near the fence and did it anyway, which unfortunately resulted in a bite, but the fact remains that the other dog was able to get at Chrono while still remaining on its own property. Next time it could be a person or a child walking next to the fence. 



> Originally Posted By: selzerNo, the bf went off the property into the alley. The dog went up to THEIR fence, which is probably within their property line and got itself bit.


I don't know how things are there, but I would assume that the alley is public property. Fences are generally ON the property line, (again, I don't know how things are there, but that's the way it usually is around here), so even someone walking up to the fence would be on public property, not trespassing on someone else's property. It just shouldn't be possible for a dog to jump up and bite, dog or person, over the top of the fence.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Cassidys Mom
> I don't know how things are there, but I would assume that the alley is public property. Fences are generally ON the property line, (again, I don't know how things are there, but that's the way it usually is around here), so even someone walking up to the fence would be on public property, not trespassing on someone else's property. It just shouldn't be possible for a dog to jump up and bite, dog or person, over the top of the fence.


Yes, this is how it is, unless they somehow own part of the road of the alley, which I doubt. 

I'm not calling AC because it's not my house. I would assume that some of the other neighbors have tried complaining about them because not only is it an alley off of Main street that sees a lot of traffic, but their house is also next to a church parking lot(people literally park up against their fence. Sunday mornings suck.). Especially since the neighbors all seem hyper sensitive to noise. One time Chrono had escaped his kennel and dragged garbage throughout the house, so I put him in the backyard in the partition against the garage so I could clean up. He was whining back there and not 3 minutes later a neighbor came banging on the door to tell us that our dog was whining(this is the middle of the day), at the same time those people's dogs were barking their heads off. I don't know which neighbor. If they can't tolerate a dog whining for 3 minutes they must have complained about the other dogs barking by now. I'm not really sure how our cities laws work regarding dog noise and I can't find anything online.

At least it's been like -25C lately and the dogs have been inside at night. These people just moved there in the fall.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Wow, here if we put up a fence, we have to maintain both sides of the fence, so there is some law stating the fence must be so many feet within the property line. 

I would probably let your neighbors know that your dog was bitten this way, and tell them your concerns about the dog biting other dogs or people, and that you think it would help if they put up a privacy fence that would be taller and and would impede the dogs' vision so that maybe they would not bark so much and get so ramped up. Make it so it sounds like you are concerned with their dogs' health and well being, not like you are trying to be recompensed for your dog getting bit. 

I think demanding to see shot records is basically just trying to force them to scramble about and find or obtain from the vet records. If your dog is vaccinated, I would not mention it as it does nothing for you.


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## BuoyantDog (Aug 21, 2009)

Don't smack your boyfriend! We all make mistakes. The owners of that dog need to be reported! Call animal control and report the incident. What if that had been a child near the fence??


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

If you take Bouyant Dog's advice, plan on paying a fine for having a dog off lead or plan on lying about it. I do not know that animal control CAN do anything else considering the dogs remain on their property and have not attacked any people.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

agree with Selzer. if your dog is off-leash, wanders onto my property and gets bitten, then YOU are at fault. yes, even if the other dog reached over the fence. I have lived in 4 different states, in countless communities and in all of them, fences have to be at least several inches away from the property line (so as to not be also on the neighbor's property or the city right of way). 
Even if the dog reached over the fence, his body was still on his property. Unless the dog has already been declared dangerous by AC, that is all the containment he needs. Then, there are special rules saying that the dog has to be unable to reach or touch anything etc etc (This is also a reason most people don't like invisible fences, doesn't keep strange dogs out.) 

Shoot, even if there was no fence, unless the dog entered into the alley itself, then the BF would be the one at fault. I mean, if you had your dog in your front yard (unfenced) and a dog came over and your dog attacked him, you would view your dog as completely innocent, right? after all, he was at home on his own turf. This dog was as well.


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## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

go to home depot and buy some fencing and stakes and create a line away from these dogs. My neighbors have battling pits all day thru a fence and someone needs to create a new fence line or put up a 6 foot stockade fence if you can afford it. That's what I am doing cuz I am afraid this balck pit will climb the fence.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Since there is an existing fence, the neighbors may be encouraged to put up an e-fence that will keep them a few feet off the solid fence, just a thought.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Dainerraagree with Selzer. if your dog is off-leash, wanders onto my property and gets bitten, then YOU are at fault. yes, even if the other dog reached over the fence. I have lived in 4 different states, in countless communities and in all of them, fences have to be at least several inches away from the property line (so as to not be also on the neighbor's property or the city right of way).
> Even if the dog reached over the fence, his body was still on his property. Unless the dog has already been declared dangerous by AC, that is all the containment he needs. Then, there are special rules saying that the dog has to be unable to reach or touch anything etc etc (This is also a reason most people don't like invisible fences, doesn't keep strange dogs out.)
> 
> Shoot, even if there was no fence, unless the dog entered into the alley itself, then the BF would be the one at fault. I mean, if you had your dog in your front yard (unfenced) and a dog came over and your dog attacked him, you would view your dog as completely innocent, right? after all, he was at home on his own turf. This dog was as well.


Like I said, the fences here are ON the property line, not a few feet from the property line. The dog's body was within the property, the dog's head was not.

*Also, like I already stated, I'm not calling animal control. It's not my house. I don't care.*

*And I've already stated that it's my boyfriends fault and no where did I blame his neighbors.*

I don't understand where people are getting this from. This was a rant, not a speculation thread as to who was to blame.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I think it's gone past your original post to a general "whose fault is it in a similar situation"

If the dog's head can go over the fence, does it make them "uncontained"? I would be tempted to call AC, just to ask them. Not to make a complaint, just for my own knowledge. 

Here, there are no leash laws, so it doesn't matter anyway.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Dainerra
> 
> If the dog's head can go over the fence, does it make them "uncontained"? I would be tempted to call AC, just to ask them. Not to make a complaint, just for my own knowledge.
> 
> Here, there are no leash laws, so it doesn't matter anyway.


That's a really good idea. Now I'm wondering that myself. I think I will call just to ask that on monday.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Good fences make good neighbors. 

We put up a 6 ft privacy fence when we bought our home. It had 4 foot chain link already. Not enough to keep the peace between Kayos, my barker and fence fighter, and the neighbor's Schnauzers. 

When it got very cold hubby was out playing ball and the ball hit the fence shattering the bottom of the fence leaving a large enough hole for a Schnuazer to stick a head under. Good way for an injury. Joe immediately hammered a board over the hole and when over to the neighbors to make sure Mark hammered the nails sideways as they were sticking through. Next day he called the fencer to have the board replaced.

Good fences make good neighbors on both sides of the yard. Cooperation is important with dogs.

Had a Schnauzer stuck a head under and gotten bit or injured itself on a nail we would have been liable. And we don't the dog hurt anyway, they are sweet as can be.


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## BuoyantDog (Aug 21, 2009)

Sorry..didn't realize he was off line and that the dog stuck his head over the fence into the others yard. Ooops!


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## BuoyantDog (Aug 21, 2009)

sorry....i thought the neighbor's dog left the property, my bad. re: "the neighbors dog sticks his head OUT AND OVER the fence"


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: Buoyant Dogsorry....i thought the neighbor's dog left the property, my bad. re: "the neighbors dog sticks his head OUT AND OVER the fence"


That's what was said in the original post - that the DBF let the dog loose in the alley behind their house and the dog ran across the alley to the fence where the bite happened. The two fenced in yards are separated by the alley.


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## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

If my neighbors don't put together some money and put up a stockade we are going to have the pitbull bloodbath of the century over here.


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