If I have seemed a little tense lately it is because I have been and I apologize for it

[NNN0LHI]

This is going to sound like a scene from the movie "Neighbors" that was left on the cutting room floor but unfortunately it is not a movie.

Had a new neighbor move in with a 100 pound doberman pinscher that she has been attempting to keep confined with an "invisible fence." The kind that has a wire in the ground and the dog wears a shock collar so theoretically the dog will not cross my neighbors property line.

The woman has told me the dog is only aggressive when someone comes onto her property. Sounds all well and good as long as the dog knows who's property is who's?

Well the first couple of weeks I didn't give the dobe much thought as he followed me step for step on his side as I would walk a hundred feet or so to the back of my property from my house. He went trough the "invisible fence" a couple of times since then but I wasn't outside when it happened. I just watched the action out the windows.

My grandson who is three and my daughter who is 8 months pregnant came to visit last Wednesday and as usual as soon as he heard the train whistle my grandson went running to the back yard where he had the angle he can watch it. As has has for over a year now. Its about his most favorite thing in the world. He even talks to me on the telephone about it. And the dobe followed him to the back edge of his property.

At that point it hit me that if the dobe went after my grandson it would be too late to prevent the dog from mauling him by the time I got to them. So I got him back up by the house. No more train watching.

Thursday I walked one of my dogs to the back of my property and the dobe crossed over and chased me into my house and ran by as I closed the door. I don't think the dobe took that shock to come over and play with me and my dog.

Dealing with the dogs owner has been a complete horror show. That is a another comlpete story.

Again, sorry.

Don

[madrchsod]

1. good luck..some dog owners are just

plain stupid

[EFerrari]

2. I've been dealing with the same stuff this whole last year

and now, the coyotes in GG Park are taking walks out to the avenues at high noon. That's scary for everyone.

:scared:

[emilyg]

3. Call Vick.

[David Zephyr]

4. Don, start making video tapes now.

I'm serious. The best thing you can do right now is to begin video taping every instance that this dog takes to your property. You will need something to "date" the video as a dog on the property on Tuesday could look like a dog on the property on Thursday, if you know what I mean.

Make videos with audio. You've already missed a few opportunities. Having proof of the dog on your property should be enough, along with a letter to the neighbor, that the "invisible fence" is not enough. Carbon copy the letter to your "legal counsel" and to the police.

Protecting your grandson is everything.

[JacquesMolay]

5. Same thing happening with my brother...

... he's got a rottweiler a couple of doors down, and the guy doesn't have a fence. They've had a couple of confrontations already, and the dog has been doing his business in all the yards in the neighborhood. Someone finally called the police, and the guy got a 500 dollar ticket.

[H2O Man]

6. That's a tough situation.

I can understand why you would be upset by that.

However, I read everything I see you posting on DU, and haven't noticed anything other than the high quality thinking that you are known for.

[porphyrian]

7. "Now just put the coffee powder back in the cup."

I fucking love that movie.

[Kingshakabobo]

12. "you were out, rootin around for Ramona."

My friends and I still say that when we go out to the bars.

[porphyrian]

21. And it's the only movie I know of where the soundtrack is actually a character.

Definitely an underappreciated movie, and, yes, quite quotable.

[blogslut]

8. Break him with love

Try treats.

[MadMaddie]

9. Have you called the police to file a complaint? You have to get

the information in the records...I have two dogs myself and I am cautious about suggesting this...however; owners who endanger others (humans and animals) do not deserve the benefit of doubt.

Can you put fence up for your families protection? Even a temporary fence is better than nothing.

Good luck my friend.

[greatauntoftriplets]

10. I used to have a neighbor in Chicago who had an attack German shepherd.....

Happily there was a high fence between the two yards, but that dog (and I LOVE dogs) had a vicious bark. We celebrated when the jerko owners moved to the country.

Sorry about your problem neighbor and that your grandson can no longer watch the trains go past.

[Donnachaidh]

11. Call your local cops and tell them the situation and ask

if there are any laws on the books regarding this *invisible wire* fencing she claims will keep her dog on the property. I would let the police know that the dog appears to be aggressive, at the very least territorial. And ask them what you can do to not only protect your rights, but also protect your family on your own property.

[Forkboy]

13. Jeez...this is you tense?

On my good days I'm more tense than then you've ever been here.

Good luck with the dog thing.That sucks.

[panader0]

14. Even a 100 lb dobe doesn't like a good swift kick in the nose.

I've had many big dogs. I love dogs and generally have no problem with them. But They know if you mean business. Don, you are one of my first friends here on DU. Never worry.

[Lerkfish]

15. call the police

[tularetom]

16. I shot a rattlesnake in my driveway this morning

They crawl up on the asphalt apron when it cools down at night because the blacktop holds the days warmth. They're usually gone by the time we wake up alothough we have surprised them coming home late in the evening. This one was getting the horses agitated and one of the dogs was barking his fool head off at the thing which is what woke me up. I keep a single shot .410 by the door and shells in my nightstand so I was able to load the gun before I went out the door. I got within 15 feet and took a shot. With an improved cylinder choke that was all it took.

It's getting kinda scary. This is the second one this year. We shot one on the Fourth, skinned it and cleaned it and threw it on the grill. I didn't like it but my grandkids thought it was great. Last year we had three and my wife is getting scared shitless of the friggin things. Whether it's due to climate change or something else we've definitely seen an increase in the visible snake population over the past 10 years.

[femmocrat]

17. I think putting up with a neighbor's uncontrolled dogs is extremely stressful.

We lived next to a raving lunatic with uncontrolled dogs for years. He finally moved after another neighbor called the police and the officer almost shot the dog (which was at-large). This guy had so many fines for letting his dogs run loose, but he never stopped it. And he just kept getting more dogs.

But... one thing that did work for me was pepper spray like mail carriers arm themselves with. I got sick of nearly having a heart attack when one of his Cujos would run up to the fence snarling at me. One shot of pepper spray in the snout and that particular dog avoided me after that. We eventually put up a 6 ft. tall stockade fence along the entire property line on his side.

That is a real shame about your grandson not being able to enjoy your yard. I don't know where you live, but in our rural area, there isn't much enforcement. Good luck ... and do what you have to do to keep your family safe.

[Scout1071]

18. Has the dog acted threatening?

Either way, I would tell the neighbors that the fence isn't working out. Tell them that you are a dog person, but you can't have a strange dog chasing down your grandson or your smaller (i presume) dogs.

If the dog has a good temprement, maybe you just introduce it and befriend it with your dogs and the kids. If not, demand a fence. If they don't comply, call the animal control.

[NNN0LHI]

20. I tried introducing him to my 30 pound female Keeshond who loves all male dogs

She especially likes large dogs. He snapped at her. She said goodbye and headed for home. I couldn't drag her back near him. No second chances for her.

Don

[IChing]

19. Alert the mods or skinner

just kidding....

Get some kind of record going so when you talk to the police they can see what
you are talking about....that sucks.


you have no reason to apologize here at DU that I can see.

[lonestarnot]

22. Consider a leash law fight if you don't have one, or move.

[DemBones DemBones]

23. Call the police about this before the Doberman bites someone in your family.

The law should be on your side. Her "invisible fence" isn't working and the dog has been on your property, chasing you. That alone shows the dog is dangerous.

Keep your grandson inside until this dog is taken away from the woman as a dangerous animal or confined inside a high chain link fence with a locked gate.

I was bitten in the neck by a collie when I was two and had to have rabies shots. I don't remember having the shots, thank God, and have never been afraid of dogs but was afraid of needles for many years, after that series of shots in my abdomen. They say they're very painful so I'm glad I repressed the memory. The collie knew me, had never bitten before, and her owners and my parents saw it happen, couldn't figure out why she snapped at me. I just went over to pet her, which I'd done many times.

I'm glad it was a collie that bit me, I think a Doberman would likely have done serious injury, inside of just breaking the skin. I don't even have a scar.

Despite what Doberman owners and pit bull owners say, I think those breeds are more aggressive than other dogs. Beyond that, any dog may bite, even if it's never bitten before, as I learned very early!


We walked out of "Neighbors," it was such a depressing movie. I wish you could walk out of this depressing situation as easily.

But you were there first and this woman has to be made to control her dog or have it taken away from her. I love dogs, but not when they are dangerous like this Doberman. Maybe the Dog Whisperer would adopt it.

[ninkasi]

24. This situation sounds like tragedy in the making

I have absolutely no sympathy for owners of large, powerful dogs, who do not keep their dogs under control at all times. My husband and I had a beautiful Rottweiler a few years ago. She weighed about 125, and had a very gentle disposition.

HOWEVER...I was never content to count on her good nature, so before we got her, we had an 8 ft wooden fence built in our back yard. We had a gate which was kept locked, and notified the utility companies, who allowed us to read our own meters, and send a card with the readings in. From time to time they had to come check the readings, but we always had her in the house.

We had a "Beware of Dog" sign posted on the gate. All of our neighbors got to know her, and everybody loved her, but I felt that it was better for us to make sure she would never be in the position of deciding, in her canine brain, and a running child wasn't "prey", instead.

She was 9 when she died, and our vet told us that she was the sweetest dog he had ever treated. Fine, but there are probably many, many other people who depended on the gentleness of their dogs, or large dogs who were loved by their families, and vets.

We were very, very vigilant about keeping her away from any potential trouble. As much as we loved her, we would never have been able to live with ourselves if she had been permitted to roam around, unleashed, and hurt somebody. There is nothing wrong with larger breeds, as long as their owners are extra careful, and protect others.

Can you talk again to this dog's owners? If the dobe is only aggressive when somebody comes onto their property, then it's the responsibility of the owner to make damn sure that there is a secure fence, that will contain their dog.
What about calling animal control? I'd be frightened, and angry, too. Keep us posted.

[yewberry]

25. Sorry to hear that you're struggling.

I don't know where you live, but you could call a local 'invisible fence' company and explain the problem. Granted, your neighbor may have bought her system off the shelf of some discount store (which means that her dog might not be well-trained to it) but it's worth a shot. Some companies (like the 'Invisible Fence' company) actually guarantee containment. Dogs getting out of any 'invisible fence' is bad advertising for them, and some offer training packages that your neighbor could buy.

You could ask the neighbor to take the collar and walk the property line with you. Those collars make a beeping sound as they near the fence (before the shock) and you might get a better idea of where the line is (and whether or not the fence actually works).

Otherwise, please call the police and file reports. You should not be terrorized on your own property.

[karlrschneider]

26. I have discovered that 99% of dobes are basically fraidy cats, as it were.

I'm not suggesting a confrontation, but speaking from experience I can say that without exception, I have never failed to intimidate a doberman by standing firm and issuing a loud and strong order to SIT or similar vocal instruction. Most of them are cowards, really.