# What do I do?!?!!



## Fynn&Vandy (Dec 10, 2012)

Hi guys, 
Im posting this because I messed up. I don't know what to do! We recently moved into a big beautiful house that was significantly more expensive because we wanted our dogs to have a massive yard. We've been here two weeks. 

What we didn't know is EVERY house around us has two dogs. Directly behind us are two pitbulls. One is a massive beautiful male and the other is a maybe a year old puppy. The owners are just the WORST. The dogs are never brought inside, ever. It's been in the high twenties/ low thirties at night here lately and, these pups don't even have so much as a blanket. They get no attention or discipline ever. The neighbors come out once a week and, fill up a big bowl of food and, a tub of water. That's about it. There is trash and, large barrels everywhere. it's awful. 

The thing is, that massive male, yeah he's a fence fighter. There's even a big patch in my fence where he came through it before we moved in. He barks and, barks which gets EVERY dog in the surrounding six houses going. Except my angels, who prance around wanting to join in but, know better. 
Anyway this happens eight to ten times a day for about half an hour at a time. I wake up to it every morning. Not only is the barking just enough to make you go mad, he's trying to get through the fence. He's intense. I have trained Fynn not to fence fight but, he is not tolerant of other males. If that dog gets so much as a paw in our yard, Fynn will not hesitate to lay him out. 90% of the time I'd bet on Fynn but, this pit is massive. He's gotten through the fence before and, my nerves are shot just waiting for it to happen again.

I decided to just call my local police department and, see if there was realistically anything I could do about the situation. An officer came out and, checked it out. It turns out that this big boys dog house is shoved into the corner of fence. He's getting on top of it and, trying to get over the fence, which he is very close to managing. The officer agreed that should he continue this he's bound to get over or through my fence and, that his behavior is not only territorial, it's very aggressive. 

He decided to fine my trashy neighbors for the noise and, promised to double check that these dogs were being taken care of and, not in harms way. The next day and, today it's been virtually silent. All the neighborhood dogs are quiet and, there is NO fence fighting between any dogs. (The corner of our fence meets three other yards, so all the dogs would fight there.) Being extremely hesitant to enjoy this peace I half climbed my fence to see what the change was. 

Big boy is chained to the porch. He can barely make it off the porch, much less do any running. Now, he can't go in the dog house when it's cold or do anything really. There is tons of garbage for him to get tangled up on.
Im crushed I am a rescuer, I've been involved with shelters, rescue groups, fostering and, animal sanctuaries since the moment I got a drivers license and, could actually get around to where I was needed. My stupid phone call actually made this dogs life worse. Keep in mind, they give these dogs NO care. They get food and water from their owners. NOTHING else. That dog will never leave that porch again. 

What do I do? It's not illegal. He's under a shelter, he's fed and, has water. I can't live here knowing that this poor beautiful animal is being neglected and, trapped 24/7. I thought my neighbors would feel embarrassed because they were upsetting all the neighbors (the cop asked the other neighbors how they felt about it before going to their home) and, they would take the time to deal with the situation or bring him inside during the day. I now realize that expecting them to actually deal with the situation themselves was far too much to hope for. 

I can't leave this situation as it lies. What would YOU do? Because other than my plan of trespassing, stealing them and, putting them into a better home, I've got nothing. I have a firm rule of only breaking one law per day hahaha! So what can I do here? ANY advice would help! Thanks all!


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## FlyAway (Jul 17, 2012)

Probably should have checked out the neighbors before buying the house. Sorry, I know that doesn't help you now. Add additional fencing inside your perimeter fence, plant shrubs and vines between the two fences, or make it a privacy fence. 

I have a secondary fenced area I use when I'm not able to sit outside with my dogs. It keeps them within sight and earshot so I know when there's trouble.

About the poor dog, maybe it's time to talk to the neighbors about it?


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## PINESTATE (Dec 30, 2012)

What an awful situation for you.
Have you thought of drafting a letter to the editor of your local (community?) newspaper to be signed by all the other (good) neighbors outlining the awful treatment? It might shame those bad owners into acting more responsibly.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Unchain Your Dog.org | Improve Dog Chaining or Tethering Laws/Ordinances
Check and see if your county has anti-chaining laws. You may also consider taking video or photos to show the conditions the dog is living in - perhaps you can make a case for animal neglect.


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## joshua9578 (Dec 14, 2012)

a little off the point of this thread, but how do you train your dog not to fence fight? my girl is pretty well behaved, but there is a weimaraner across the street from us that we meet up with every once in awhile when im walking her. it never leaves the yard and has a good perimeter dirt path. i can correct her after the fact, but how do you get her to not get involved in the first place? 

its not an aggressive interaction just a vocal excitation exchange.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

As far as helping the pit have a better life I don't know what else that you can do. As for the fence I am guessing that it is wooden, since you said that the pit had came through it once before you moved in. Is there a reason that you cannot have a tall chain link fence installed just on the side where the problem is? I would install it directly up against the wooden one which would make it much harder for the pit to enter your yard.


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## Fynn&Vandy (Dec 10, 2012)

Thank you for the link about tethering laws!!!! It's a program I'd love to get involved with! Unfortunately we dont have any laws pertaining to this locally (yet). 
I believe I'm going to speak with them and, see if they just don't know how to handle fence fighting, if they are interested in rehoming their pups or what the deal is. Maybe I can help. I have started taking pics etc. to document not only their conditions but, their behavior. Hopefully a change can be made where everyone wins.
Joshua: It takes A LOT of consistency! I mean tons. Fynn is a rescue so because of his fears I have to be very gentle about reprimanding him. I don't ever want him to do what I say because he's afraid. He isn't learning then (in my opinion anyway). Because I am so consistent with what I do train my dogs, when they are misbehaving all I say is "Come here." in a low stern voice and put my finger on the ground. Fynns nose and, paws will be exactly on that spot in seconds. I literally mean directly on top of that spot. So yeah it'll be a challenge to be 100% consistent but, it's so worth it.
When it came to fence fighting, I would simply go outside whenever I let my dogs out, I'd stay the length of time that they are out there. Until they learned fence fighting was a no go they were never left unsupervised.
If they start running the fence, barking or acting aggressive I'd first get him away from the fence, every time. Then I reprimand him. I'll gently hold him by the collar and, bring him low to the ground. I use the same command/reprimand every time. "Away from the fence." I don't yell it. I just say it in that sort of "Mom" tone LOL 
It's a pain in the butt when they just keep going back to the fence over and over. It's hard to be so consistent with something so frequent and annoying without getting frustrated.
It pays off though, in less than a week we were done with fence fighting. Every now and, then he'll let out a bark or two. All I have to do is open the door and look at Fynn and, he comes running and lays at my feet. Ta-da! It's great. Try not to tell your dog to come, then reprimanding her. She'll be less likely to listen. I also don't yell. If I do they'll just turn their heads and, wait to be able to leave. If I say it in a stern low voice all their attention is on me and, that's what you want. Good luck, hope this helped!


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Fynn&Vandy said:


> I believe I'm going to speak with them and, see if they just don't know how to handle fence fighting, if they are interested in rehoming their pups or what the deal is.


I would get that idea out of your head immediately. Don't, under any circumstances even bring that up. As a rescuer you should know better than anyone that the last thing you ask anyone to do is give up their pet.

Sorry, this is like the 10th "bad neighbor" thread I've seen in the last week. Sounds to me like, "the neighbors have a bad dog, they should get rid of it so that I can live in peace with my dogs." How would you feel if someone said that about your dogs?

Depending on the people, they might accept some help or they might just think you're being nosy. Especially for someone that just moved in. They'll also pretty much know who called the police on them at this point, which would piss me off to no end if I were in their shoes. I understand why you want this issues fixed, but when people treat their dogs this way, I have a feeling they won't be too receptive to your advice or help. A lot of times when you try to "suggest" training to people that aren't asking for it, you just come off bad and are pretty much saying to them "you don't know how to train your dogs but look at how great my dogs are and I can help you do that."

If this home is really that expensive...I'm guessing money isn't the issue for your neighbors either. Its just lack of interest.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Introduce yourself to your neighbors, have them over at your place and let them see how you keep your dogs and maybe you can get on good terms with them rather than calling AC on them as soon as you moved in. It will be better for everyone including the Pit. It is a sad society nowadays where everyone seems to live in his own cocoon and emails, texts and facebooks.......
Or, since it is quiet now sell your house.
and for others: before you buy a house: check it out on weekdays, weekends and nights to find out what is going on in that area.


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Tough situation. Sadly, I fear you might have blown any chance of helping the poor pits when you called the police _before_ trying to talk to your new neighbors.

We had neighbors once who made a noise complaint shortly after we moved in, and I got a fine for a barking dog. Well, you know what, that same night he was barking his crazy head off there was a skunk in the yard and we had to make a midnight run to the WalMart for enough tomato sauce to cover a 127-lb dog. I'm not saying there's an excuse for your neighbors behavior, but what I am saying is that even a responsible pet owner can be offended that you didn't start with giving them the courtesy of introducing yourself. An irresponsible owner is even less likely to be impressed.

I'd also be careful peering over the fence 

I do hope I am dead wrong, though, and that you are able to come up with a civil resolution that benefits _all_ the animals' best interest. The idea about reinforcing your fence and planting shrubs is a great place to start...Maybe by taking that first step, you can then follow up by apologizing to the people that they had to chain their dog and let them know you have made sure it won't happen again so maybe they will feel comfortable letting him off now.

That might seem like a lot to swallow, since their dog is the fence-fighting offender, but it's really all about the dogs, isn't it? I'd want to reinforce the fence anyway, for my own dogs' safety. That chain might not be 100%...

Most importantly, don't beat yourself up with "I messed up." It's life. It's messy, sometimes. :tongue:


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## Fynn&Vandy (Dec 10, 2012)

I honestly called my local pd just to see what rights I had and, if there was anything I could realistically do. I didn't find out about the fine until after it was said and, done. I also stated before I didn't buy this house. I'm renting it. It's a super tough situation. I'm not willing to suffer ALL day for a year and, I surely don't want these dogs to suffer, which sadly seems like it has be going on long before I made that phone call. 
I would have LOVED to invite them over etc. I'm very neighborly and, love to make friends with the neighbors. These are not people I would invite into my home. Please don't take offense to that. Yes I'm sweet and love to bake goodies for my neighbors and, have people over for dinner etc. I'm also a very liberal person. There's are bad seeds. I just wouldn't trust them in my home. EVERYONE in this town takes value in caring for their homes, being neighborly, being polite, helpfulness, goodwill- the whole thing. It's actually trippy. I'm so serious when I first moved here I thought I was getting robbed outside the grocery store (because that's how it is where I came from) Nope. A guy saw me with a ton of groceries and, just walked up without a word, started loading my stuff into my trunk and, then said "Evening Ma'am." and, walked away. We all waive to each other. All the time. Just driving by anyone, you just waive if you make eye contact. It's crazy. These people have been here a while and, have ZERO concern that NO ONE within half a mile has any peace because of their dogs. I'm happy they got fined, I don't care if I've upset them. Ideally I'd like to make friends and, show them how to care for their pets, fix the situation but, that's because Im optimistic and, sweet. I'll help anyone any time, just because I can. 
If they were interested in doing the right thing ever- they would have controlled their dog for the length of time they've lived here JUST to give everyone some peace. NOt only that they'd have done it because it's safest and, best for their pets. I will continue to look for a way to help their beautiful dogs and, hopefully I'll find a way. Also I'd love to say "Oh my bad! Let him off the lead! I won't call anyone again." However, him being tethered keeps the other six dogs in the neighboring yard out of harms way. Not only are all the dogs a peace and, not getting hung up or injured on their fences but, neither is Big Boy or the puppy. Also I can reinforce my fence all day long but, he WILL get over that fence and, there is no way to prevent it. There has to be another way. I hope to find a way. 
Thanks for the input guys! If you come up with anything, let me know. I'm all ears...err...eyes I guess LOL


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Here's my thought on the situation. Leave it alone. If you're that bothered, then break your lease and move. Otherwise, wait until your lease is up and move. You said yourself it's now quiet, the dog has food, water, and cover. You don't have to worry about the dog coming over the fence now. You can't fix the world. Unless you're watching 24/7, you can't say for SURE that the dog has NO interaction or other care from the owner. I'm kind of shocked that the owners actually did anything at all from the police visit. Either way, it's their dog. If they're not breaking any law, then it's nobody's business. Unless you want to be friends with these people for a reason OTHER than you think you need to 'save' their dog, then I don't think you should go invite them over or try to forge some sort of relationship with them.


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## angryrainbow (Jul 1, 2012)

We had a neighbor like that (they have since moved). I made it a point to walk my dogs by their house and after a few weeks of them watching us, they approached me and asked how I could help their dog. In the first month they lived at their home, they got 5 fines for their dog barking. First they thought it was the dog barking at the neighbor's horse.. put slats in the fence. Then they thought he could see through the holes, so they tethered him to the porch.. Still kept barking (and getting written up!). Took him inside.. Where the dog was then crated nearly 24/7 because when he was out of the crate all he did was bark.

All of the neighbors resented these people, idk why. They were decent, not too committed but much progress was made. Their dog could be outside for 5 minutes without barking and was able to roam about the house.

Where I live is kinda tight-knit farmers country. EVERYONES dogs bark. But they all ganged up on these people for some reason. Their house got egged every week and nasty notes left in their mailbox. It was kinda sad.

I personally think they need a gentle nudge in the right direction. But, whatever works.


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## mebully21 (Nov 18, 2011)

are they old people? young? middle age? maybe they want to walk their dogs and cant , maybe they dont know any better. i would have gone over and introduced myself and commented to them what pretty dogs they had to get the conversation going, then ease into the dogs.. i have offered to train and walk dogs that were annoyng, and it worked, dog got out and walked, owner was suprised that dog was so tired after a walk (sniffing is mental exercise and works the brain) and when they saw how calm and relaxed their dog was after a walk and simple training like sit, down, they kept it up themselves... i have not had one person react badly to my suggestions or ideas -its all in how you go about it.. i just moved too, and i knew the neighborhood has loose dogs before i moved in. i was charged on monday by an off leash american bulldog. luckily i told it to go home and it did. i am on the lookout for the owners to be home so i can go over and introduce myself and talk about their dog.... nicely.. i am going to offer training and walking for the dog, feel the owners out to see how they are ... if you go over and start the conversation about their dogs in a good way you will get better results...


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Sorry OP, you're in the wrong here. You're an inconvenienced neighbor that decided to call the police rather than be human about things. Your last post clearly states that you think these people are below you in some way and that you pretty much wish trouble on them.

Tell you the truth...I'd love to see how much of a "perfect angel" your dog is, cause I'm sure I could find fault with yours as well.


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## Tranquility (Mar 13, 2013)

OP... Sorry you are having to go through this. As I was reading this I related to many of the same issues. Our back neighbors have 2 outside dogs. One is quite aggressive at the fence (growling, teeth going through the wood spaces, paws coming through, and paws up on top) and the other is friendly. Every time I let mine out (newly rescued) the 2 dogs run to the fence and bark. It can be quite scary. You should be able to go outside and not have to hear barking all the time, so I can see why you called to find out what can be done. I am surprised they looked into it if you did not file a formal complaint? Though... they must have felt it was a dangerous situation since they followed up on it.

I don't have a solution as to the Pit, but wanted to say that I will be sending some positive wishes your way that it all works out. Things happen for a reason and perhaps being tied up has saved the life of another dog. I can see why you are upset, though. I get upset seeing a dog tied up especially if the owners have them outside and do not pay attention to them (our neighbors are like that). 

Please keep us posted.


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