Issue with neighbor

[brewer12345]

I usually have a can of pepper spray on my person. When we lived in a more urban areas there were several mastiff/pitbull dogs with less than responsible owners. I never had a problem, but if one of them had gotten aggressive with me or one of my marshamllow 25# beagles, I would have doused the aggressor, "put the boot in" and asked questions later.

 

[Martha]

Buy a collar that is designed to stop dogs barking, they yap, they get a small shock, works in most cases.

What works better than a shock collar is a collar that sprays citronella spray in the dogs face when it barks. Shown to be more effective than a shock collar and gentler.

 

[Martha]

I usually have a can of pepper spray on my person.  When we lived in a more urban areas there were several mastiff/pitbull dogs with less than responsible owners.  I never had a problem, but if one of them had gotten aggressive with me or one of my marshamllow 25# beagles, I would have doused the aggressor, "put the boot in" and asked questions later.

The best strategy I have found for dealing with potentially problematic dogs is bring really good treats along when you walk. Just about any dog becomes a friend when thrown a treat. Once you make friends with the dogs in the neighborhood, the chance of a problem will decrease dramatically. Works really great for dealing with dogs that chase you when you ride a bike. The dogs will stop for good treats and then are more likely to wait politely for a treat next time you pass. Be sure though to use really good treats the first time or two. No stinking dog biscuits. Hot dogs instead.

 

[Andre1969]

My roommate bought a collar for the dog that was supposed to curb his barking. I forget how it worked exactly. I think it was supposed to emit a signal that the dog would find unpleasant, and stop his barking. It didn't work. Worse, it turns out that anytime you'd hear a dog bark on tv (and it's more common than you might think) the damned collar would go off!

For the most part our dog is pretty good about barking. He never goes out except on a leash, and when someone is with him. Usually he'll only bark if he hears something outside, such as a car pulling into the driveway (or the neighbor's driveway) or if he hears a big truck outside like the trashmen, oil truck, etc. One thing I wish I could curb, though, is his barking at the tv. Every time he sees a dog, or something that even resembles a dog on the tv he'll bark at it! He'll get his face right up into the screen and just go off. For some reason he goes after horses, too. I'll often fall asleep on the couch with the tv on, and tend to watch TVLand alot. Well, around 5 or so in the morning he'll often start barking, and I'll know "Little House on the Prairie" is on! And if he makes it through that, "Gunsmoke" will usually set him off! Heck, the other day I was watching "Jonny Quest", and he was barking at a black panther! And worse...a CARTOON of a black panther!

 

[SteveR]

The best strategy I have found for dealing with potentially problematic dogs is bring really good treats along when you walk.  Just about any dog becomes a friend when thrown a treat.  Once you make friends with the dogs in the neighborhood, the chance of a problem will decrease dramatically.  Works really great for dealing with dogs that chase you when you ride a bike.  The dogs will stop for good treats and then are more likely to wait politely for a treat next time you pass.  Be sure though to use really good treats the first time or two.  No stinking dog biscuits.  Hot dogs instead.

One word of caution here. If I see a stranger throwing food to my dog the first thing I am thinking is poison. I had that happen to one of my dogs so I guess I am a bit sensitive to it. Some owners might feel the same way and call the cops on you. Just be careful about doing that.

Also, some dogs will ignore food to trear your legs off if you are in their territory and they see you as a threat. Hot dog or no hot dog....your better be able to pedal faster than they can run.

 

[Outtahere]

My biggest issue is when I'm walking my leashed dog and someone's loose dog comes and attacks us. I've had that happen more times than I care to remember. One guy actually told his dog to get us, his ass was in a police car about an hour later and he wished he'd never crossed paths with me.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

My biggest issue is when I'm walking my leashed dog and someone's loose dog comes and attacks us.  I've had that happen more times than I care to remember.   One guy actually told his dog to get us, his ass was in a police car about an hour later and he wished he'd never crossed paths with me.

That was the right thing to do.

 

[Martha]

Gee, mean dogs, mean neighbors. I guess I have been lucky on both accounts.

We spend a lot of time walking our dogs in a big park in town where the unwritten rule is that off leash is OK. Never have had a problem with other dogs. The dogs that frequent the park are all just big dufuses with friendly owners. The only real problem if failure to pick up poo.

 

[justin]

Both my next door neighbors have dogs. One neighbor's dog used to bark a lot. They take it inside now when it starts barking. We also built a storage shed between the back of our house and their back yard that effectively shields the barking noise (and their entire back yard) from our living room and deck.

We have given some serious thought to buying the houses on either side of us when they go up for sale. That way, we can lease them to whoever we want to, and restrict the tenant's right to have a dog. The neighbor with the barking dog should have his house go into foreclosure pretty soon we're guessing.

 

[Nords]

What works better than a shock collar is a collar that sprays citronella... Shown to be more effective than a shock collar and gentler.

I've heard that it's much more popular in Cubicleville too...

 

[Andre1969]

What is it about barking/annoying dogs and foreclosures? Back in 2000, these neighbors from hell bought the house behind my grandmother. I was living in my condo at the time, so my experience with them was limited to whenever I was over visiting, doing yardwork, etc. Anyway, at one point they had a pit bull back there...a dog that's illegal in this county. It used to howl and carry on constantly, but thankfully they didn't have it long. It was only a few months in 2002 that they had it. By early 2003 they had abandoned the house. I think the mortgage company actually bought them out though, instead of foreclosing on them. Once the place went on the market, I tried to buy it, but got out-bid.

 

[Outtahere]

I have to say for the most part the people in my neighborhood are very good, it's when I wander beyond this block that I run into problems. I live on the edge of 4 towns and two state, my 4 mile walk takes me thru all 4, I have the police numbers of all the towns programed into my cell but except for the city I live in the others just blow me off.

 

[brewer12345]

The best strategy I have found for dealing with potentially problematic dogs is bring really good treats along when you walk.  Just about any dog becomes a friend when thrown a treat.  Once you make friends with the dogs in the neighborhood, the chance of a problem will decrease dramatically.  Works really great for dealing with dogs that chase you when you ride a bike.  The dogs will stop for good treats and then are more likely to wait politely for a treat next time you pass.  Be sure though to use really good treats the first time or two.  No stinking dog biscuits.  Hot dogs instead.

I personally never had a problem because when I meet a local dog I go out of my way to display acccomodating body language and use a high pitched voice.  I am more concerned about dog-on-dog aggression, where I have less influence.

Martha, my dogs are hounds.  That means the nose runs the dog, and the nose is more interested in food (and rotting things) than anything else.  My two have broken down a gate, chewed through a baby-safe restraint on the cabinet doors and emptied the garbage can (more than once).  One dog figured out how to climb up on the table so he could clean out the sugar bowl.  The same dopey dog broke open a box while we were getting ready to move and ate a couple pounds of brown sugar and a big bag of raisins (vomitted it on the tan carpet - yay!).  So when you suggest that I carry a hotdog with me on walks, all I an see is a comical situation that ends with one or both dogs consuming the "meat" before we get 6 steps down the block.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

As a long time cyclist, I have encountered many hundreds of dogs on
both my vacation rides and on my commute. Only once in over 200K
miles of riding has a dog actually wanted to bite me ( a firm whap on the
nose with my bike pump convinced him otherwise). Every other pup,
single or in packs, pit bulls, rotts, or mutts, just wanted to lope after me
for awhile to see what was going on, or wanted to escort me to the edge
of his property. A few required yelling at, but that was it.

I also talk friendly to the dogs as I pass, only yelling if they show too
much interest. I currently commute through Compton and Carson
(LA suburbs) and so get to see a lot of strays.

 

[brewer12345]

As a long time cyclist, I have encountered many hundreds of dogs on
both my vacation rides and on my commute. Only once in over 200K
miles of riding has a dog actually wanted to bite me ( a firm whap on the
nose with my bike pump convinced him otherwise). Every other pup,
single or in packs, pit bulls, rotts, or mutts, just wanted to lope after me
for awhile to see what was going on, or wanted to escort me to the edge
of his property. A few required yelling at, but that was it.

I also talk friendly to the dogs as I pass, only yelling if they show too
much interest. I currently commute through Compton and Carson
(LA suburbs) and so get to see a lot of strays.

The only time I was chased, I was pretty sure it was just a barking dog having fun chasing a cyclist, but I was not feeling too trusting. I just opened my water bottle (wide mouth type) and dropped about a liter in the dog's face. Stopped him in his tracks in mid bark and perfectly harmless.

 

[Andre1969]

I don't know if this is true or not, but I've heard that it's not the barking dogs you have to watch, but the ones that are eerily silent. Usually if they're barking they're trying to either get attention or scare you away, but attacking is usually not on their mind.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Not so much the bark as the tail.

A dog with a very erect, non moving tail may be feeling aggressive. Insert your own joke here. An up and wagging tail is a good sign. A tail thats down means the dog feels threatened. Down and tucked under means extremely frightened.

A dog advancing on you, growling or silent, with its tail down, is a very bad sign. A growling dog with an upright wagging tail is probably not a problem.

 

[Martha]

I love trying to translate doggie talk. I don't think I agree that the wagging tail is enough of a sign. If a dog is showing other aggressive signs, it might still stiffly wag its tail. Head and ears held stiff and high? Hackles up? Not good.

We have our dog with post traumatic stress disorder. When he is frightened, his hair stands on end (piloerection--love that word), his ears go back, and he carries himself low to the ground. I can see the whites of his eyes. Before doggie drugs, he might have bit you when he was scared.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

The only time I was chased, I was pretty sure it was just a barking dog having fun chasing a cyclist, but I was not feeling too trusting.  I just opened my water bottle (wide mouth type) and dropped about a liter in the dog's face.  Stopped him in his tracks in mid bark and perfectly harmless.

I knew a cyclist who carried a "super soaker"-type of squirt gun (the small kind with about 1/2 liter's worth of water). If he didn't need it for aggressive dogs, he just simply unscrewed the water bottle part and drank it himself.

 

[Andre1969]

I used to have a plastic squirt bottle that I tried to use on my dog in an attempt to curb him when he'd bark at the tv or do other annoying things. It didn't work. He'd actually snap at the bottle, and try to drink the water! And if I made a hissing noise with my mouth, then he'd start barking more! Then one day I went to reach for the bottle, and he actually jumped up and knocked it out of my hand! It was hard plastic, and broke when it hit the floor.

I guess a super soaker would have a lot more power to it, though! I've also heard that vinegar works better with dogs, although water's fine for cats.

 

[HFWR]

I've been bitten twice, and the last thing I heard was "Oh, s/he doesn't bite..."

If a dog is charging me, I'm assuming the worst, and will defend myself however necessary. The owner comes next...

 

[Outtahere]

Martha my Lab was abused by neglect and not socialized correctly, his method of a friendly greeting is tail wagging, barking with hackles up. Most people think he's aggressive but he's really a sweet heart and very timid.

I've been bitten twice, both times by poodles, I don't trust little dogs at all!!

 

[BigMoneyJim]

All dogs bite; just because they never have doesn't mean they won't. An owner saying his dog doesn't bite is a dangerous owner.

Other anti-barking aids--mostly for owners but I've seen a dog's neighbor use it--include an emptied soda can with pennies and/or a beanbag. Shaking the penny can bothers the dog, and they usually get the idea soon. Throwing the beanbag near--not directly at--a dog seems to freak the dog out...something about it not bouncing I guess. I've seen that stop a few barkers.

For dogs that love-to-bark-at / live-in-mortal-fear-of vacuum cleaners or lawn mowers I don't know if anything will make them stop barking at the mechanical demon.

 

[Lancelot]

I used to have a plastic squirt bottle that I tried to use on my dog in an attempt to curb him when he'd bark at the tv or do other annoying things.  It didn't work.  He'd actually snap at the bottle, and try to drink the water!  And if I made  a hissing noise with my mouth, then he'd start barking more!  Then one day I went to reach for the bottle, and he actually jumped up and knocked it out of my hand!  It was hard plastic, and broke when it hit the floor.

I guess a super soaker would have a lot more power to it, though!  I've also heard that vinegar works better with dogs, although water's fine for cats.

Yup, dogs are different....

Plain old water from a squirt bottle used to work on my dog. One drop and he acted like I'd turned a high pressure fire hose on him. He had a natural talent for drama

He did develop new strategies, like peeking around the corner, making a few fast "ruffs", then ducking for cover...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I'm still trying to figure out why dogs will stick their heads out of a window at 60mph with no problems but if someone blows in their face they freak out.

Ok, dont touch that one.