Loose Dogs and Tact

[ewashkow]

Since this is becoming a regular occurrence, I would like some advice.

I have neighbors a few doors down that have two pits that are kept outside all day, every day. They are required by AC to bring them in at night since a neighbor behind them complained about the constant barking at night. The pits are kept in a pen which is in a fully fenced yard so when they do get let out to stretch their legs a bit, they have a tendency to dig and roam the neighborhood.

I doubt these are well socialized dogs due to the living conditions. I have never seen them walked but another neighbor mentioned that when she saw them getting walked, they were muzzled. Another thing I am basing my doubts on is one time when they got out, they initiated a fence fight with one of my dogs. The pits saw him walking around the back yard and before I could call my dog back into the house, the pits were lunging at the fence.

My concern is that one day I will be walking my dogs while pushing my stroller, or just enjoying the front yard with my dogs and kid and the pits will get loose. There is no doubt in my mind that a dog fight will ensue if the pits see my dogs and my dogs will be on the losing end of it. Not to say what might happen to my child if his stroller gets hit or is somehow caught between the dogs-God forbid.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can tactfully tell my neighbors to keep their dogs in line? I don't want the owners negligence to endanger me or mine and unfortunately, I can see that happening.

Please do not turn this into a pit bull debate. I have nothing against the breed but I do have problems with any dog that doesn't have proper boundaries.

 

[RoseRed]

Call AC every time you see them out and establish a pattern with the proper authorities. :shrug:

 

[vraiblonde]

Why would you worry about being tactful with people who let their vicious animals roam the neighborhood?

 

[TurboK9]

Why would you worry about being tactful with people who let their vicious animals roam the neighborhood?

Exactly. Tact shmact. I don't care if they are mini schnauzers, if they are loose they endanger my children, and every other kid out there (screw the adults, ya'all can take care of you dang selves ). See em loose, call AC. They don't come fast enough, remember.. you "saw them chase a little kid". That'll get their attention.

It's a simple matter to properly contain a dog to a yard, if you care enough to do it. They have no excuses.

EDIT: For the record, I would EXPECT someone to call AC if MY dogs were loose.... Hence, I don't cut slack w/ others...

 

[Cowgirl]

Exactly. Tact shmact. I don't care if they are mini schnauzers,

We *are* talking about vicious animals.

 

[TurboK9]

We *are* talking about vicious animals.

As your toes will attest to should you ever take off your shoes with two of those little buggers in the room!!

 

[TurboK9]

There is no doubt in my mind that a dog fight will ensue if the pits see my dogs and my dogs will be on the losing end of it.

What kind of dogs do you have again?

 

[poster]

Since this is becoming a regular occurrence, I would like some advice.

I have neighbors a few doors down that have two pits that are kept outside all day, every day. They are required by AC to bring them in at night since a neighbor behind them complained about the constant barking at night. The pits are kept in a pen which is in a fully fenced yard so when they do get let out to stretch their legs a bit, they have a tendency to dig and roam the neighborhood.

I doubt these are well socialized dogs due to the living conditions. I have never seen them walked but another neighbor mentioned that when she saw them getting walked, they were muzzled. Another thing I am basing my doubts on is one time when they got out, they initiated a fence fight with one of my dogs. The pits saw him walking around the back yard and before I could call my dog back into the house, the pits were lunging at the fence.

My concern is that one day I will be walking my dogs while pushing my stroller, or just enjoying the front yard with my dogs and kid and the pits will get loose. There is no doubt in my mind that a dog fight will ensue if the pits see my dogs and my dogs will be on the losing end of it. Not to say what might happen to my child if his stroller gets hit or is somehow caught between the dogs-God forbid.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can tactfully tell my neighbors to keep their dogs in line? I don't want the owners negligence to endanger me or mine and unfortunately, I can see that happening.

Please do not turn this into a pit bull debate. I have nothing against the breed but I do have problems with any dog that doesn't have proper boundaries.

Unfortunately, no.

Your best bet is to call EVERY time you see them loose. Not just you, all your neighbors should call also. Make sure you tell AC that the animals are aggressive and keep good records on this. Hopefully AC will take charge once they get tired of the calls and sometime before something bad happens.

Don't know what else you can do otherwise but stay clear of them.

How high is the fence these dogs are escaping from? Are they only digging out or are they jumping out? We had a neighbor that was required to put in a 6' fence because of this.

 

[TurboK9]

How high is the fence these dogs are escaping from? Are they only digging out or are they jumping out? We had a neighbor that was required to put in a 6' fence because of this.

Concrete pad or blocks burried around the bottom of the fencing is an easy solution to the digging as well. Sadly, most owners with the problem are either too lazy or too cheap to do it right.

 

[ewashkow]

Why would you worry about being tactful with people who let their vicious animals roam the neighborhood?

I know that I shouldn't care about being tactful since this has happened more than once but I have yet to directly approach the people about this. I want to try the old "You catch more flies with honey" route once before I start to get nasty about it.

What kind of dogs do you have again?

I have a GSP mix and a Boston. Like I said, no way could they hold their own if two aggressive pits wanted to take them down.

How high is the fence these dogs are escaping from? Are they only digging out or are they jumping out? We had a neighbor that was required to put in a 6' fence because of this.

The fence is a 6' wooden privacy fence. I know that some dogs can clear this height but I am sure these dogs are digging out. The escapes happen more when the ground is softer.

 

[Larry Gude]

Since this is becoming a regular occurrence, I would like some advice.

I have neighbors a few doors down that have two pits that are kept outside all day, every day. They are required by AC to bring them in at night since a neighbor behind them complained about the constant barking at night. The pits are kept in a pen which is in a fully fenced yard so when they do get let out to stretch their legs a bit, they have a tendency to dig and roam the neighborhood.

I doubt these are well socialized dogs due to the living conditions. I have never seen them walked but another neighbor mentioned that when she saw them getting walked, they were muzzled. Another thing I am basing my doubts on is one time when they got out, they initiated a fence fight with one of my dogs. The pits saw him walking around the back yard and before I could call my dog back into the house, the pits were lunging at the fence.

My concern is that one day I will be walking my dogs while pushing my stroller, or just enjoying the front yard with my dogs and kid and the pits will get loose. There is no doubt in my mind that a dog fight will ensue if the pits see my dogs and my dogs will be on the losing end of it. Not to say what might happen to my child if his stroller gets hit or is somehow caught between the dogs-God forbid.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can tactfully tell my neighbors to keep their dogs in line? I don't want the owners negligence to endanger me or mine and unfortunately, I can see that happening.

Please do not turn this into a pit bull debate. I have nothing against the breed but I do have problems with any dog that doesn't have proper boundaries.

Tactfully? Who cares about tact? The scenario you are fearing isn't some impossible fantasy. My ex was worried about her boyfriends pit, years ago, and our children, a dog that had already bitten it's owner, one of this guys daughters, once, which she then tried to excuse away as some sort of accident, and she asked my opinion on how to 'tactfully' handle it and I told her;

"If you are worried about the dog and our kids then trust your instincts. If you won't, then I will tell you right now, they are not ever going with you again to be around a dog you are scared will hurt them. And you let me know when the coast is clear."

Knowing her, she was telling me to make her do it, tell him no more dog, mean Larry said so, because she's not up to that sort of thing.


What I am saying is that if you are worried about the dogs you do something about it and now. You send a registered letter to the owners, from your lawyer, that you are worried about their dogs. You carry some sort of repellent. I hear wasp spray works great, the kind that shoots a long stream. You carry a walking stick. A knife.


Or, you live in fear and, tactfully, hope nothing ever happens. :shrug:


We had a great dog some time ago but, he scared us around neighbor kids. Vrail had him put down which was terribly hard on her. But, she didn't wait for something to happen that would have been far harder to live with than the loss of an animal and she was right to do it.

Trust your instincts.

 

[ewashkow]

What I am saying is that if you are worried about the dogs you do something about it and now. You send a registered letter to the owners, from your lawyer, that you are worried about their dogs. You carry some sort of repellent. I hear wasp spray works great, the kind that shoots a long stream. You carry a walking stick. A knife.

I really like the wasp spray idea. Gets the distance on it, easily accessible, and is quick to use. Thanks for the idea.

I am going to talk with the owners about my concerns and make sure that I always have something on hand should the worst case scenario come out. Like you said, I haven't created an impossible situation in my mind and if the owners can't respect what I am asking, then steps will be taken. The lack of socialization and training falls on the owner. Should anything happen, I will hold them responsible.

 

[TurboK9]

Should anything happen, I will hold them responsible.

Trouble is, at that point, it may be hard to bring your children back, and the county will handle the problem for you. You need to be making sure nothing happens.

 

[Larry Gude]

Trouble is, at that point, it may be hard to bring your children back, and the county will handle the problem for you. You need to be making sure nothing happens.

 

[poster]

I really like the wasp spray idea. Gets the distance on it, easily accessible, and is quick to use. Thanks for the idea.

I am going to talk with the owners about my concerns and make sure that I always have something on hand should the worst case scenario come out. Like you said, I haven't created an impossible situation in my mind and if the owners can't respect what I am asking, then steps will be taken. The lack of socialization and training falls on the owner. Should anything happen, I will hold them responsible.

Let us know how that goes, my guess is it won't go well. What are you asking them to do exactly? Make sure you document it in some way, you might need to give details of what was discussed/said. Go with a witness if possible.

You need to be proactive in this, the next time they're out call right away.
Are other neighbors concerned also? If you deal with AC as a unit it may help the situation.

 

[LadyCoyote]

Yipes, I feel for you. I sooooo dislike people that have no regard for others and let their dogs run loose. Good luck with it all, and stay safe.

 

[ewashkow]

Let us know how that goes, my guess is it won't go well. What are you asking them to do exactly? Make sure you document it in some way, you might need to give details of what was discussed/said. Go with a witness if possible.

You need to be proactive in this, the next time they're out call right away.
Are other neighbors concerned also? If you deal with AC as a unit it may help the situation.

Well, it went about the way I thought it would. I voiced my concerns-lack of socialization, ease of which the dogs get loose, aggression when they are loose-and was pretty much told to mind my own business. "It's not my fault they get out. I can't watch them the entire time and they dig. What do you expect me to do about it?"

My reply to that was simple "As a dog owner, it is on you to make sure that your animals aren't nuisances and are controllable. If you can't keep them properly contained, then find someone who can. Just be aware that if I see your dogs loose when I am out, I will be equipped to defend myself. In the mean time, every time I see the dogs out I will be calling AC and letting them know." Door got slammed in my face at that point.

Most of the other neighbors that I have talked to have agreed to call AC if they see the dogs loose too. Unfortunately, after talking to AC, it doesn't sound as though there is much they can do. They mentioned they can issue citations but that seemed to be about it.

I may have to go with a suggestion you made earlier in the thread Turbo-mention they went after a human. The pits did aggressive posturing with my husband the last time they were out so I wouldn't put it past them.

 

[TurboK9]

Well, it went about the way I thought it would. I voiced my concerns-lack of socialization, ease of which the dogs get loose, aggression when they are loose-and was pretty much told to mind my own business. "It's not my fault they get out. I can't watch them the entire time and they dig. What do you expect me to do about it?"

My reply to that was simple "As a dog owner, it is on you to make sure that your animals aren't nuisances and are controllable. If you can't keep them properly contained, then find someone who can. Just be aware that if I see your dogs loose when I am out, I will be equipped to defend myself. In the mean time, every time I see the dogs out I will be calling AC and letting them know." Door got slammed in my face at that point.

Most of the other neighbors that I have talked to have agreed to call AC if they see the dogs loose too. Unfortunately, after talking to AC, it doesn't sound as though there is much they can do. They mentioned they can issue citations but that seemed to be about it.

I may have to go with a suggestion you made earlier in the thread Turbo-mention they went after a human. The pits did aggressive posturing with my husband the last time they were out so I wouldn't put it past them.

If AC won't cooperate throw the county ordinance in their face.

SECTION IV – DOGS AND CATS RUNNING AT LARGE AND IMPOUNDMENT

A. Dog and cat owners shall not allow a dog or cat, with or without proper license, to run at large within the confines of any part of Calvert County. Any dog or cat, when off the property of the owner, must be under the control of the owner or an authorized agent of the owner, capable of physically restraining the dog or cat. All dogs must be under control by leash, lead, cord, or chain, when off the property of the owner. Any dog or cat found running at large is in violation of the law and may be deemed a public nuisance and is subject to seizure, detention and destruction.
B. This paragraph does not apply to dogs being used for supervised hunting, or being professionally trained by a certified agent. This does not allow dogs to enter public or private property without prior consent of the property owner.
C. The Animal Control Officers are authorized and directed, whenever possible, to seize and impound any dog or cat found running at large. If the Officers are unable to catch an animal running at large that is threatening a human being or another animal, and all other means have been exhausted to capture the animal, they are authorized to shoot or otherwise destroy the animal.
D. Dogs and cats seized and impounded shall be held for the owner for a period of 72 hours, unless determined by the Animal Control Officer that it is unsafe for the animal to be held. During this period, any dog or cat impounded may be redeemed by the owner or his or her duly authorized representative upon satisfactory proof of ownership and tender of fee in such amount as charged by the Animal Shelter.
E . Any owner not redeeming his or her dog or cat within 72 hours shall be deemed to have forfeited all rights of ownership and the dog or cat becomes the property of Calvert County. The dog or cat shall remain impounded for an additional 48 hours, during which time any person may obtain ownership by paying an adoption fee. Any dog or cat impounded and not redeemed may be destroyed in the most humane manner possible if no one adopts or rescues the animal.

Dangerous Dog - DANGEROUS DOG shall mean any dog which has a known propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack when unprovoked, chases or approaches or otherwise by its actions puts a person in fear while on public ground or in public places, any dog which is kept or the purpose of dog fighting, or which has been attack trained.


I have a printed copy of the ordinance just in case

Oh and for any wise guys who want to try and point out my dogs are 'attack trained', um no. There is a definitive difference between attack and protect. They are protection trained. Na na na nee boo boo!

 

[ewashkow]

If AC won't cooperate throw the county ordinance in their face.

Printing out a copy now. Thanks!

 

[Crashpupty]

Well, it went about the way I thought it would. I voiced my concerns-lack of socialization, ease of which the dogs get loose, aggression when they are loose-and was pretty much told to mind my own business. "It's not my fault they get out. I can't watch them the entire time and they dig. What do you expect me to do about it?"

My reply to that was simple "As a dog owner, it is on you to make sure that your animals aren't nuisances and are controllable. If you can't keep them properly contained, then find someone who can. Just be aware that if I see your dogs loose when I am out, I will be equipped to defend myself. In the mean time, every time I see the dogs out I will be calling AC and letting them know." Door got slammed in my face at that point.

Most of the other neighbors that I have talked to have agreed to call AC if they see the dogs loose too. Unfortunately, after talking to AC, it doesn't sound as though there is much they can do. They mentioned they can issue citations but that seemed to be about it.

I may have to go with a suggestion you made earlier in the thread Turbo-mention they went after a human. The pits did aggressive posturing with my husband the last time they were out so I wouldn't put it past them.[/QUOTE]

They didn't attack him so why lie? And what is aggressive posturing as you know it. How well do you know your neighbor? My guess it is the first time you talked to them. Do you hate the dogs or the neighbor? Or never took the time to know the neighbor or the dogs. Guess that is a reason they closed the door on you. How long have you been neighbors and how long has this been a problem? Just some things I would need to know before passing judgement.:shrug: