how tolerant should I be of neighbors dog ?

1shot2kill

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 9, 2008
1,323
9
40
north dakota
I moved in a few months ago and since then the small dog shits in my yard
barks at all hours of the night and has ran into my house once and terrorized
my daughters cat
I can't put up a fence because i'm waiting on the empty promise of a retaining
wall from my home builder before I can do the fence
 
Do a search, there was a thread here not too long ago about similar problem. It was full of suggestions, some better than others, but a most of them were entertaining at least.
 
I would start with a non-confrontational discussion with the owner. If I had any more trouble after that, I would just call the dog catcher and let them handle it.
 
I had a similar problem - little ankle biter leashed in the front of their house, barking at everything...when my baby's room is closest to the yapping bastard.

My wife and I each had discussions with our neighbors about how we wouldn't tolerate that bullshit once our son was born. In the lead-up to the delivery, I would scream at the dog to SHUT UP and the neighbors would come out of their house and take the dog inside...where I could continue to hear it barking. I frankly think the neighbors were deaf to it.

I nicknamed the dog "Barky McBulletFace" and had threatened on more than one occasion to run a CCI Quiet 22 through my 22LR suppressor and end the barking once and for all. Couldn't bring myself to do it though, the dog has shitty owners.

I would 1. have a frank discussion with the dog's owners and 2. collect all the shit in my yard and put it on their front porch, outside their front door, with a note of "Your dog dropped these in my yard - thought you might want them back."
 
Sounds like you have a neighbor problem, not a dog problem. The owner has a responsibility and that would be the recommended way to approach the problem.

+1
You really need to talk to the neighbor first. Dogs are creatures of habit, and opportunists, the previous neighbor's most likely weren't bothered by this. My dog shit in the same spot for 13 years, and pissed on the same trees when we walked, best hurry on the fence.

Before you go all commando and the guy looses his dog, just remember 5 years from now when he spots flames engulfing your deck, or up the side of your house from the bbq grill, he'll be the one that ducks inside his house with a shit eating grin on his face. It'll really be a kick in the nuts as you're hauling what little belongings you can out of the place and he's in between the houses dousing the sides and roof of his place with a garden hose.
 
It a math problem.

You've got to figure the odds.

What are the odds that talking to the neighbor will help?

Small, Id bet given they don't seem to get that there is a problem.

Then:

Rat poison + hamburger ball = peace and quiet.
 
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Is there an active homeowners association?
Any deed restrictions and covenants?
Local ordinances?

First step is to get armed and educated.

Then a friendly but firm conversation with the dogs owner. No threats.

You can always escalate later...
 
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Patience is the solution. Patiently collect all the crap the dog leaves in your yard after it's dried in the sun. Wait until the Christmas season rolls around and pack the dried dog shit in a nice cardboard box with a phony UPS or Fedex shipping label on it and leave it on his porch. I'll bet he'll figure it out.

As for the dog coming into the house, a short snort of pepper spray will have the dog screaming home and rubbing it's face on HIS carpet for a couple of days.
 
Sounds like you have a neighbor problem, not a dog problem. The owner has a responsibility and that would be the recommended way to approach the problem.

+1 there

my neighbor down the street left their dogs shit in my yard (on a lease yet, no scooper), not worried about the grass but my footwear and tracking it in the house after cutting the grass.

asked neighbor once, asked neighbor twice, then put up 2 small signs "your dog shits in my yard, i shit in yours" & "shit found in my yard in evening will be buried with your dog in the morning"

never had a problem after that, though i wouldn't punish an animal because their owner is a moron - which is usually the case.

unless the animal posed an immediate threat, which then things get solved another way.
 
Talk to your neighbor, nice at first and then assertively if nothing changes. You can't blame the dog, it's 100% on the owner. Don't kill the dog, man! That's man's best friend! Also you don't know who your neighbor is, if it was me and I found out you killed my dog, I can't say what I would do on here lol. You just don't know what kind of trouble you could be getting in to. Also, a guy I work with shot his neighbors dog and he is dealing with all kinds of issues with the law right now. You don't want to give the authorities any reason to suggest you might not be 'fit to own a firearm.'

Risk vs. Reward says deal with the owner first then the authorities. If worse comes to worse you could use a bb gun??
 
I would approach your neighbor first and be nice and calm about the situation. Just appeal to them as a person who generally would appreciate some quiet time and no poops in the yard. Then put your fence up. Jump on that contractors ass because we all know they never hold to a schedule or promise.

Do NOT harm your neighbors dog unless it attacks you and defense is the only option. When you harm a persons pet a different type of rage comes out of them. You do not want to deal with that. I had a guy kick my dog once, then chased him down MY driveway with a weed eater. I had to show restraint but lets just say there was an altercation and he did not favor so well. He eventually moved, which was great because he was certainly a meth head.
 
For what its worth and as eluded to above...you just recently moved in and i assume purchased the house and intend to live there for a while. I further assume your neighbor likewise has no intention of moving. It is a really bad idea to start what like it or not is going to be a long term RELATIONSHIP on a sour note. I suggest you be a perfect gentleman. Bring some beers. Make a new friend. Swallowing a little pride is a small price to pay to ensure that your sanctuary remain a place of calm and relaxation. Coming home to tension of any kind after a hard days work truly sucks.
 
bait it into your house again...


I have a similar problem. A barking neighbor dog. We just moved in to a house which was a foreclosure previously owned by the son of the next door neighbors, who own the barking dog. I feel bad about the situation and have chosen to be nice/play nice. So when the dog barks we just say "shut up" out of the window and the dog stfu.
 
Do a search, there was a thread here not too long ago about similar problem. It was full of suggestions, some better than others, but a most of them were entertaining at least.

I thought of it too and even remember some of the more entertaining answers (this is not a complete list):

1) Bait it w/ peanut butter then shock it w/ a stripped wire
2) Shoot it w/ frozen paintballs when it comes on your property (Less chance of penetrating then a BB)
3) Bait it w/ bread spiked w/ ex-lax so it shits all over your neighbors house

There's definitely some sickos on here. You should go find the thread.
 
Been there done that with a neighbors dog. There is no way you will convince the neighbor that his dog is doing something wrong. I took action after many talks and regret it as our neighbor relationship is now strained now. The only good thing to come out of it is they did what they should have done and bought a invisible fence for the dog.
 
I moved in a few months ago and since then the small dog shits in my yard
barks at all hours of the night and has ran into my house once and terrorized
my daughters cat
I can't put up a fence because i'm waiting on the empty promise of a retaining
wall from my home builder before I can do the fence


I have a friend who tried to talk to the neighbor about the neighbor's dog crapping in my friends yard. After several discussions with no resolution my friend starting scooping the poop and depositing it on the neighbor's porch. The problem went away fairly quickly.
 
A dog problem can be handled many ways, picking a solution where you don't end up with a neighbor problem is the best bet, because once that game begins it always ends badly for everyone. As always, fences and distance make good neighbors. Barring that, then your choice to live so closely to someone else naturally means that there are going to be problems. Be careful, many people will treat messing with their pet like they would their daughter. You have to make compromises if you co-exist with someone so closely so you may need to just accept it if your neighbor isn't responsive, because while most of the mentioned "solutions" will fix your immediate problem they can create bigger ones.

I dont think people were meant to live in cities...every bad aspect of human nature is multiplied in cities and statically they are worse in almost every way than living rurally. That said, I'm glad so many people do it otherwise there wouldnt be enough space for the rest of us.



Hotdog shoved full of small treble hooks works like a charm too

I often wondered where we get ideas for some of the sicker weapons like the Sensor Fused cluster bomb, gator mines, VX and that kind of stuff. Now I know its this guy!
 
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A dog problem can be handled many ways, picking a solution where you don't end up with a neighbor problem is the best bet, because once that game begins it always ends badly for everyone. As always, fences and distance make good neighbors. Barring that, then your choice to live so closely to someone else naturally means that there are going to be problems. Be careful, many people will treat messing with their pet like they would their daughter. You have to make compromises if you co-exist with someone so closely so you may need to just accept it if your neighbor isn't responsive, because while most of the mentioned "solutions" will fix your immediate problem they can create bigger ones.

I dont think people were meant to live in cities...every bad aspect of human nature is multiplied in cities and statically they are worse in almost every way than living rurally. That said, I'm glad so many people do it otherwise there wouldnt be enough space for the rest of us.





I often wondered where we get ideas for some of the sicker weapons like the Sensor Fused cluster bomb, gator mines, VX and that kind of stuff. Now I know its this guy!

Had a neighbors dog when I lived in SA that would come over and kill my kids kittens , I would get them more kittens from pound ..next day or so go by find them dead in our yard all chewed to pieces . Found a Spot in fence where his dog ( a red heeler ) was going in and out and caught him in our yard a few times when we would come home , but he would bolt back under into his yard again ...I confronted him about it and immediately he copped attitude saying no way it was his fkn dog , I couldn't prove it and to pound sand ....I got a piece of fishing leader with a Hot Dog and slid a treble hook in it then clipped it to our clothes line about 2' off the ground ... You can guess where this ended :). BTW I don't condone this but if owner will not take responsibility and you are suffering damages from his animals , then I believe the ball is in your court to take action by whatever means ...
 
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Had a neighbors dog when I lived in SA that would come over and kill my kids kittens , I would get them more kittens from pound ..next day or so go by find them dead in our yard all chewed to pieces . Found a Spot in fence where his dog ( a red heeler ) was going in and out and caught him in our yard a few times when we would come home , but he would bolt back under into his yard again ...I confronted him about it and immediately he copped attitude saying no way it was his fkn dog , I couldn't prove it and to pound sand ....I got a piece of fishing leader with a Hot Dog and slid a treble hook in it then clipped it to our clothes line about 2' off the ground ... You can guess where this ended :). BTW I don't condone this but if owner will not take responsibility and you are suffering damages from his animals , then I believe the ball is in your court to take action by whatever means ...

Lemme guess you found your neighbors fat kid on a string? Just think how bad you would have felt if you had shot the dog!
 
I have been dealing with stupid/lazy ass dog owners next door for several years and I've even mentioned it to them when I had a few drinks with them. The dogs bark when they want back in the house, I guess the don't give a fuck so lately I will yell at their dogs and they let them in fairly quick. A few weeks ago this happened at 2 am and I have decided that one of these days they are getting a healthy dose of ex-lax before the owners leave for work. They won't like it since they just redone the basement lol
 
Lemme guess you found your neighbors fat kid on a string? Just think how bad you would have felt if you had shot the dog!

Imagine how traumatized , my 4,9 year old girls and 11 year old son with downs syndrome were to find their beloved pets ripped apart with guts strewn across their back yard ? And it happened more than once , if I could have gotten to a gun when that sob was still in our yard ! Damn skippy he would have gotten popped !
 
I moved in a few months ago and since then the small dog shits in my yard
barks at all hours of the night and has ran into my house once and terrorized
my daughters cat
I can't put up a fence because i'm waiting on the empty promise of a retaining
wall from my home builder before I can do the fence

Might I simply suggest a couple rolls of chicken wire or screen and a few wooden stakes until you get your fence done?
Alternately get a bigger meaner cat?
 
Hey, whatever works Twisted, I was impressed with the devious ingenuity. I think it would be interesting to see what else you could catch with that something like that in various neighborhoods. Meth in a bear trap might be fun, the possibilities are endless.
 
LOL,,, id say if the little f#cker comes into your house again = fair game. Load the bitch up in the trunk and drop the bitch off in the middle of a national forest to play with the wolves... will see how long the little bastard keeps on barking when it has a pack of wolves after its ass... LOL JK!




I moved in a few months ago and since then the small dog shits in my yard
barks at all hours of the night and has ran into my house once and terrorized
my daughters cat
I can't put up a fence because i'm waiting on the empty promise of a retaining
wall from my home builder before I can do the fence
 
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I moved in a few months ago and since then the small dog shits in my yard
barks at all hours of the night and has ran into my house once and terrorized
my daughters cat
I can't put up a fence because i'm waiting on the empty promise of a retaining
wall from my home builder before I can do the fence

Your actions are entirely predicated on one, the physical size and prowness of your neighbor, two, his firearm collection and his temper. I'd approach it at first diplomatically and see what result you get. If a negative reaction, then get serious but be prepared to either get your ass kicked or worse.

Personally, I'd just feed the dog something to eliminate it and keep my mouth shut.
 
Simple way to take care of it. Get one of those motion detecting sprinklers. Dog gets sprayed a few time it will start doing it's business elsewhere.
Either that or drop it off at the pound a few times. He might not want to bail it out but his wife will.
 
I don't know what things are like in North Dakota. But if you harmed the dog here in California and it can be proven, you would probably be in for a shit-storm of legal trouble. But California is a state dedicated to busy-bodies fucking with their neighbours. So several calls with complaints documented with dates, times, etc. to the appropriate bureaucratic Stasi agents would likely result in a government sponsored harassment, civil fine, and dog confiscation nightmare for your neighbour. Try that. Or whenever you catch him in your yard consider taking him to the pound and explain you found this stray dog in your yard, you think it might be a neighbour's but aren't sure, but wanted to take it to the pound so it wouldn't get hit by a car. Repeat over and over again. I suspect the neighbour might not think to check and you're problem is solved. Or if it happens a lot they might eventually start billing him; which will probably get his attention. The reason I would say what I suggested is that some neighbour is bound to see you and you want to be able to cover your arse. Good luck. And I agree a nice talk is unlikely to do squat. Just look at the people who will take a screaming kid to a nice restaurant or movie and will neither control the brat or take them outside -- they literally think they're entitled to ruin your expensive outing. Welcome to the new America.
 
Alternately get a bigger meaner cat?


Never underestimate the abilities of a large, mean, cat. For that matter, even a large, mild-mannered cat. We now have one that adopted us about 2 years ago. Lays on the couch a lot looking like a huge orange pillow. One of the kids brought their Chesapeake Retriever by one day. Had to separate 25 lbs of Orange Tabby from the face of the Brown Retriever. Dog won't go anywhere near the cat anymore, which has returned to daily "Couch Duty". It's funny to see how big it gets when the neighbors cat just wisely watches it from the top of the fence. Hair sticks out straight in every direction giving it a look of "doubling" in size. Good Kitty.

BTW, it's best friends with my Shih Tsu which is half it's size. They both sleep next to each other in front of the patio door during winter and during the summer months go outside and sleep upside down on the deck, again, next to each other.
 
I moved in a few months ago and since then the small dog shits in my yard
barks at all hours of the night and has ran into my house once and terrorized
my daughters cat
I can't put up a fence because i'm waiting on the empty promise of a retaining
wall from my home builder before I can do the fence

Where do you live in ND if you are any where near a res just take it for a ride as no one would notice another loose dog running around. Hopefully talking with them will cure the problem as I don't know if I would have the heart to hurt or kill some ones dog unless it is threating the safety of my family or dogs. I had no problem unleashing the baseball bat on the pit in my fenced in back yard that had my wife and kid treed on the picnick table. Went and talked to dogs owners they said sorry and next day said dog took a one way trip to the country.
 
Please don't punish the dog just because it has idiots for owners...if you need to punish someone/something, go for the owner. Even though I like hunting, I think we have a general responsibility as the more powerful beings to protect more vulnerable people and animals.
 
Lots of awful answers here suggesting animal abuse, poisoning & torture. It's not only illegal, it's just wrong. You mentioned you have a daughter and cat. Lots of pet owners consider their pet like a child. If they are as bad as 50% of the people replying to your thread, well, flip a coin.

If you've completely exhausted trying to talk with the irresponsible owner, keep the Sheriff department # handy and file a noise complaint the next time it's yapping. Nearly all cities have pet leash & waste ordnances. When the Deputy shows up, mention it is very often running around unsupervised off a leash and pooping in your yard. If the neighbor fails to comply after citation, the city will make them get rid of the dog.
 
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hamstur is right.... call the sheriff's dept. and file a report. 2am is bullshit, and you are a better man than me for putting up with it.

After you call the PD a few times and the same cop comes out to do the report once or twice, I bet they will do a good job of convincing the neighbor that the dog needs a bark collar (or a new home).

I am currently on the opposite side of the same problem. We moved in August to a new house and my dog (always fenced and inside by 9:00pm) barks at the deer and other critters running around. Our new neighbors have complained 3 different times about his barking. Twice I drove home from work immediately and put him inside. Once my wife was at home and the dog barked for less than 1 minute (seriously, 1 minute). Neighbor showed up on our door step to complain and my wife told him where he could go. I bought a bark collar for him the next day and we haven't heard from them since.

Don't punish the dog just because the owner is a dick..... unless it comes in your house again
 
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w home).

I am currently on the opposite side of the same problem. We moved in August to a new house and my dog (always fenced and inside by 9:00pm) barks at the deer and other critters running around. Our new neighbors have complained 3 different times about his barking. Twice I drove home from work immediately and put him inside. Once my wife was at home and the dog barked for less than 1 minute (seriously, 1 minute). Neighbor showed up on our door step to complain and my wife told him where he could go. I bought a bark collar for him the next day and we haven't heard from them since.

Don't punish the dog just because the owner is a dick..... unless it comes in your house again

How long should your dog be able to bark before the neighbor has a right to notify you or your wife?