Do neighbors complain about your dogs?

manuel

manuel

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I'd like to know how many of you have had poor experiences with your neighbors because of your dogs? What started the incident? Did things get any better? :)

Most of my negative experiences happen as a result of walking Gabby. Gabby potties on his walks: That's why I walk him. ;) He usually does it on the grass next to the sidewalk. If he poops, I pick it up with a plastic grocery bag. Most neighbors don't say anything. One gentleman actually thanked me for cleaning up his yard after Gabby did his business. Occasionally, a neighbor will poke their head out from their door and ask that I take Gabby away, sometimes rudely. One elderly gentleman yelled at me not to walk by his house anymore because Gabby agitated his Kerry Blue terriers. I fail to see how Gabby was responsible for this gentleman's poorly behaved dogs. I try to avoid neighbors who complained to me. Oh, how I envy those of you that live out in the country. :'(
 
no problems here but I don't walk mine often since there's no sidewalks and a lot of traffic AND sandspurs! Mine have a big backyard to run in after all...
 
Fortunately, we live in a small 4-home subdivision that is very pet friendly. Of the four homes, three of them have dogs. We all exchange training advice and tips. We get the dogs together frequently to socialize.:)

I consider myself to be blessed to have such dog-loving neighbors. The next door dogs are two Schnauzers and the other home has a very smart and friendly mixed breed. DeeDee gets along with all of them.:thumbsup:

Our subdivision and the neighbor Schnauzers, Pearl and Troy:
 

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I live in a large condo complex (92 units, all one-story, so it's big.) I walk Frankie daily, more in the warmer seasons. No problems with neighbors, in fact I know more people because they stop to greet Frankie. Some forget my name, but remember his! Also have friends here with dogs...another black cocker, toy poodle, powderpuff Chinese crested, and more....we often walk together.

The only problem is the condo rules that you MUST pick up after your dog, and some ignore that rule.

I do remember when I lived in a house that some people seemed afraid of dogs (or pretended to be) and got upset when even a leashed dog came near them. And some people were paranoid about anyone, dog or human, stepping on their property.

Judy
 
I live in an area of lots of houses and small (though completely fenced) backyards. We walk a lot. There is a park about 1/2 block from my house. I haven't had any complaints about my dogs. I try to remember that not everyone likes dogs and keep them by me unless someone indicates they want to pet the dogs. Like Judy, lots of people know Dylan's and Riley's names but not mine, but I guess I know more dog names than people names, too. I pick up after my dogs. I have had instances of unleashed dogs (illegal here) running up to my dogs and Dylan growling at them. A couple of owners remarked, "My dog is so friendly. Boy, yours is mean." I just tell them that Dylan doesn't like unleashed dogs he doesn't know running and jumping on him while he is handicapped by the leash."
 
I live in the city, and have neighbours all around. I've never had complaints about my dogs, but I'm pretty careful. I don't leave them in the yard to bark, and I always clean up after them. As an obedience instructor in the city, it would look pretty bad if I didn't play the part of responsible dog owner.

Manuel, it's too bad that not all of your neighbours can appreciate Gabby and the fact that you're such a dedicated owner to walk him and clean up after him all the time.
 
I live in what's called a "recreational cabin" in the Los Angeles Angeles National Forest. This is federal land that we lease from the Dept of Agraculture. There are 100 cabins in this tract. They are in groups of 4 or 5. Our group is of 3 with one that is empty.. so a total of 4. Of our 3, only Michael and I live in it full time. The other owners are friends, they have a dog and visit on the weekends.

So we see no one really. We have a doggy door and the dogs go in and out as they wish. There is a bar/grill directly across the street that caters to bikers.. big harley guys and gals. We know the owner very well. Our dogs just love to bark at the bikes LOL.

We walk the dogs also on leashes. Our street is the only one going through our canyon, through the forest here. So, it's busy. We have a trout stream in our front yard.^_^

Manuel I'm so sorry that you do. But, you are a responsible dog owner/walker and they should be thankful!!!

So, no we have no problems with neighbors.
 
OMG I have to update my response for sure! We did the Bark in the Park today and a man was there with two adorable little girls. Well - you're in the park on a huge day for DOGS and this man was unbelievable! I was walking Mozie past them (on-leash mind you) and that man went nutso! One of his little girls came within 3 feet maybe of Mozart and he screamed at her to stay away from that dog! "You NEVER get near dogs! Wait until she takes that dog across the bridge before leaving my side!" My God is he teaching those little girls to be afraid of dogs?! Mozart is a very sweet pooch who loves kids. Not in the least aggressive. If you feel that way about dogs why go to the park when the Humane Society's having it's annual Bark in the Park for pity's sake?!!! Attached photo of the "dangerous dog"
 
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We were in Carmel, CA last year. Our dogs love it there. No leashes required on the beach, very dog friendly hotels. Dogs allowed in all the shops and art galleries and most give treats to four pawed visitors. Special outdoor dining areas for doggie patrons in many restraunts and some even have a doggie menue. As we were walking our dogs through the downtown some tourist, (Should I say some other tourist?) sans dog remarked in an overly loud voice, "What are all those dogs doing here? Everywhere I look there are dogs. Why would I pay good money to come somewhere over run with dogs?" One of the Carmel residents gave the tourist a -if looks could kill stare- and answered, "Well you certainly picked the wrong place to come then, didn't you." She reached down to pet Dylan and Riley while Keith and I tried not to laugh.
 
We have a new, temporary neighbor (actually, she is the daughter of the woman who owned the house) . Her mother and her mother’s “boyfriend” lived in the house for over 20 years, but her mother never put him on the deed even though he did a lot of the repairs and paid for half the utilities and association fee. When the mother died, the daughter swooped down and threw the boyfriend out. I felt bad because I liked him. He had a sweet cat and he loved Pluto, but because he wasn’t on the deed, she was within her rights. I knew at that point there would be a problem.

Last week she was walking to the mail box and passed my house. She was on my side of the street and had her little yapper with her (I think it’s a Yorkie, it looks like a stuffed toy). When she passed by, Pluto naturally started barking at the strange person and odd little dog coming past “his” house. Woody, being a puppy, started barking too, just because Pluto was. She yelled at me through the gate “you better keep those two vicious dogs away from my house.” She got her mail and went home on the other side of the street and when she got to my house, she picked up her dog and RAN to her house. It was almost funny. She is a pain to other people too.

She complained to another neighbor about her dogs, a Rottweiler mix and a German shorthair pointer rescue. She passed by when my neighbor and I were walking our dogs. She said my neighbor's dogs were too big to live in this neighborhood. My neighbor is not one to mince words and I heard her tell this woman that her dog was too ugly to live in this neighborhood. The war has started. Hopefully this woman will sell the house fast and get out.
 
I have a neighbor who blames my dogs for every dog that barks in the neighborhood. I don't pay much attention to him since his goal in life seems to be to cause trouble for everyone around him. He has caused feuds between people in the neighborhood, complained so much about a neighbor's garage that he was forced to tear it down, and even prompted the mayor of our town to ban grilling for a short time because he complained so much about another neighbor's bonfires during the summer. I really don't get people like him. The only time he has ever said anything to me directly about anything (every other time has been through someone else) is when he purposely pulled in front of me driving down the road and I confronted him about that. Despite his immaturity and obviously bully-ish behavior with many people, I do try to be mindful and don't let my dogs out when anyone in that family is outside - part of this is because I'm just sick of having to deal with him but the other part is that his kids yell and bark at my dogs to purposely rile them up. But I am here pretty much all day, every day and I hear many different dogs barking throughout the day and know it's not mine 99% of the time.

In reading other people's stories I am quite surprised by how many people get comments about their "vicious" Cocker Spaniels!! I am used to the vicious dog label with GSDs, but no one has ever said that about Charley!!

And imo anyone who allows their dog to run loose where it's not permitted is just asking for trouble. I would never take Gunner to an off-leash area because he is dog-aggressive and would expect for the safety of both their dog and mine that people would respect leash laws where they are required. Unfortunately Gunner would do more than just growl if a strange dog ran up to him and jumped on him. :(
 
My neighbors are cool with my dogs so I guess I'm lucky. I live in a small development.. split levels, colonials, cape cods, etc.. The street is a cul-de-sac, so the only traffic are the neighbors and the mailman. The yards are smallish... maybe about 1/4 acre each, but my backyard is fenced. When the pups are out, I'm always out there with them. I never leave them out there alone, or for any length of time like all afternoon. But in the past, there were times when ALL of mine would be out there screaming at something. Murph.. God bless him.. would bark at anything, and he always started, then the other 5 would get going. So before herding them back into the house, I would always apologize if anyone else was outside, but they would always just say dont worry about it.. no big deal. They like my dogs, and sometimes come by the fence to pet them and all that, and ask me how they're doing. Plus they've got dogs too.. but their dogs dont have the mouths that mine have. lol
 
Nope, not here we live in the country so the girls can bark their full heads off and no one would say anything around here.
 
several years ago, we had Anna Banana fostering here. she was deaf. She would go outside and bark her head off. That made all the other chime in.

My neighbors on one side of the fence have 2 little boys that liked to run up and down the fence (cyclone) and make the pups run and bark. Well, apparently one of the other neighbors just had a baby and was getting annoyed.

I heard someone yell "SHUT UP"... so I yelled back, YOU SHUT UP ;)

oh about an hour later the cops showed up. They gave us a warning. I had Garry run to Home Depot and we got enough privacy fencing to put up in front of the cyclone fencing. We just zip tied it to our existing fence. Told my neighbors we were warned, said it wasn't their fault, but we needed to keep the dogs from barking at the kids for a bit.

Whew, was I in a tizzy. I was ready to put citronella collars on ALL the dogs.

Anyhow, I guess my dogs might have woken up a sleeping newborn and her hormones were all crazy or something -- but we never had another problem with that neighbor. My neighbor with the kids come over ever time we bring in a new one to meet them and they look over the fence sometimes to watch them play.

If it was up to me, I would have a concrete bubble put over our back yard.

HA, or a 10 foot high wall, but it's not legal here. We can go as high as 6'
 
We live in a tri-plex (our street is full of them) and dont have a yard so we have to walk Cricket so she can do her business.

We found out in November when we left her with some friends that do have a yard that she is "trained" to do her business with her leash on.... they would let her out in the yard and she didnt know what to do... but the minute they put her leash on her she did her business. :lol:

One of the neighbors though made a comment one morning about her peeing on his grass... I was so irritated that I told him the truth...
I said at least she only pees and doesnt leave you any presents to step in!

Then there was the first time I EVER took her outside (we were on grass that belongs to the city but some people use it as their "own" backyard). We were going to the vet and I needed a stool sample and this old man says "You better pick up her business.." I pointed to my doggy poop bag dispenser and told him that I was looking forward to her pooping.

It's the "bad" dog owners that give the "good" dog owners a bad reputation. We can only strive to make it better!!!
 
Speaking of "Shut up," we had a neighbor that used our yard as a shortcut to the liquor store. We had recently moved in and I was working on the roof when our neighbor behind us hopped his fence and walked through our yard. Gabby didn't appreciate him in our back yard and started barking at him. Right in front of me, in my yard, he yells "Shut the [obscenity] up dog!" I was furious but said nothing. At the first opportunity, I completely fenced in my back yard to keep him out.

Maudee, you're right about everyone having to do their share. Someone in our neighborhood must have a huge dog (or a pony lol) based on the evidence. It amazes me they have no shame in leaving something like that on the sidewalk. :blink:
 
After reading what most of you are dealing with, I'm very lucky. I've never had any complaints on any of mine. Many in our neighborhood do have dogs & many let them run free. My kids have two different fenced in areas to run & play in. When I walk them though, I have to be careful of some of the other neighborhood dogs. They think they own the neighborhood. Overall, everyone in our area gets along.
 
Nope, our neighbors and their kids love my 2 cocker spaniels..but then our closest neighbor is 1.5 miles away ;)
 
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