Dju Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 For the most part, I'd like to think we have okay, relatively entertaining neighbors. We have a good relationship with the people on our street, and both the houses next to us. But recently about six months ago, new neighbors moved in behind the house (not on our street, they share about two meters worth of our back fence with us). With them, they brought a pitbull pup. Back in the early stages, mum was making small talk with them and from what she tells me, they're philistines. They can't afford puppy preschool, and they think that rubbing the pup's face in his own mess is an appropriate way to teach potty training. We didn't give them much thought until now, though we've extended the invitation to bring over their snarling dog to introduce to Hugo in maybe the hopes that they'll make friends and there won't be a problem in the future, but theyve declined that invite and now I think there may be a problem. The dog sort of lunges at the fence at Hugo and we're really sort of worried that he's going to jump over it one day and attack him. Everytime the owner comes outside and catches the dog displaying aggressiveness and barking, they push his head again the dirt and slap him on the face a few times and continue hitting him while they drag him inside. Putting up fencing around our yard is not feasible. We're all on government assistance here, but even if we weren't, it's not our prerogative, they should contain their dog, not us. We've put up some two meter construction fencing against the area of fence that we share, but all surrounding neighbors have 4-foot fencing including us, it's only a matter of time before the dog figures out that he can jump the fence to the neighbors and then over again to us if he really wants to come over. I dunno, I'm worried I guess. He's not the friendliest looking dog and everytime he's let out and Hugo is in the yard, he's snarling through the fence at my dog. And these bogans next door don't want to train him, they don't want to socialize him, and they think hitting is the answer to everything. It's so frustrating, on the one hand I feel sorry for this poor dog and on the other hand, I'm really worried for my dog too! Argh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) Make sure you have a very high (think 8ft+), very strong fence with a concrete trench for good measure. Pitbulls are very good climbers and diggers. I'd also report them to the RSPCA for hitting the dog. ETA: Just read about the fencing issues: The only solution I can think of is never let Hugo go in the yard again. I wouldn't risk my dog with an unsocialised dog that I couldn't defeat myself. It has nothing to do with the breed, but rather the d*ckhead owners and the fact that he'd be very strong. Edited June 18, 2012 by megan_ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dju Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 If we report them, they'll know it was us--we've commented that hitting the dog will likely make things worse, not better, and they told us "Is it any of your business? No.". Mediation out the window with that one. It just seems ridiculous that I have to shelter my dog and not let him back into his beloved yard when these people shouldn't even have gotten a dog in the first place. Puppy preschool isn't expensive; if you can't afford that, how would you be able to afford food and medication for the dog?? Why get a dog in the first place? They told us from the first day we saw their dog, "The neighbors will make trouble for us because people don't like dogs, happened to us the last place we were, too.." Well don't bloody let them make trouble, raise a well-tempered, behaved dog and there won't be trouble! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pockets Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Whilst I understand that its not "your problem" to do anything with the fence as there dog is the problem, it is still "your reponsibility" to protect your own dog if you think he is at risk :) If you even think that maybe there is chance this could happen in the future, I would be taking all necessary precautions to protect my dog, including putting in a higher fence, or restricting my dogs access to that area of the yard :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 I used to live next door to a pit bull that would climb the 6 foot fence, and then when ivy and stuff grew over it it would dig under the fence and then dig out under our gate to get to the street!! I'd be inclined to keep your animals inside. If you can somehow get video footage (or maybe even sound) you might be able to report it to the RSPCA. Certainly if it gets in to your yard I'd be on the phone to the council immediately. If it is causing nuisance (in terms of the behaviour it is displaying through the fence) you may be able to get help from the council, but not sure if they would act on what it's doing at the moment. Good luck though, it's a shame that it's another instance of a breed that already gets a bad rap having owners that cause that bad rap to continue. And poor pup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dju Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 You can't draw blood from a stone, Pockets. We don't have money to put up 8-foot high fencing with concrete trenches, similar to how we don't have the money to build a concrete bunker in case the Russians throw nuclear bombs at us (just an example). It's a lot harder than it sounds, we can't just.. keep Hugo inside for the rest of his life and only let him out for potty or walkies. We have a gorgeous, beautiful backyard filled with his toys and bones and places to scratch and sniff, and he can spend hours out there playing by himself or sunbaking or getting the ball thrown for him by the neighbors.. Restricting his access to the yard would be like cutting his legs off. Aren't pitbulls illegal in Queensland?? Can't they be destroyed pretty much on the spot if they're reported? What's more is that it's an entire pitbull.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Putting up fencing around our yard is not feasible. We're all on government assistance here, but even if we weren't, it's not our prerogative, they should contain their dog, not us. We've put up some two meter construction fencing against the area of fence that we share, but all surrounding neighbors have 4-foot fencing including us, it's only a matter of time before the dog figures out that he can jump the fence to the neighbors and then over again to us if he really wants to come over. It WILL be your problem if the dog decides to jump a few fences and maul your dog. Put up internal fencing or build a dog run. It doesn't have to be expensive, just get some star droppers and strong wire. You can also cover the wire with shade cloth, tarp or bamboo screening to add height and/or reduce visibility. If it were me I wouldn't be letting my dog outside unsupervised at all. If the dog gets in your yard report it and if at all possible film it - EVERY time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dju Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 It makes me so frustrated because we shouldn't have to deal with other people's messes! :cry: Now it feels like the only real choice I have is give Hugo a good few months to romp around the backyard like usual before he gets eaten by the next door neighbor's dog, or lock him inside the house for the rest of his life so he can sleep himself to misery every single hour of the day that we're not playing with him. It's just not fair! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 You can't draw blood from a stone, Pockets. We don't have money to put up 8-foot high fencing with concrete trenches, similar to how we don't have the money to build a concrete bunker in case the Russians throw nuclear bombs at us (just an example). It's a lot harder than it sounds, we can't just.. keep Hugo inside for the rest of his life and only let him out for potty or walkies. We have a gorgeous, beautiful backyard filled with his toys and bones and places to scratch and sniff, and he can spend hours out there playing by himself or sunbaking or getting the ball thrown for him by the neighbors.. Restricting his access to the yard would be like cutting his legs off. I don't mean to sound rude, but a vet bill for a badly injured dog is going to cost more than a cheap fence (or even a decent dog run). You don't need "8-foot high fencing with concrete trenches" (though it would be preferable!). You just need a smaller house yard or run for your dog. At least until the problem can be sorted out. Report the dog based on his behaviour, not his breed. It's not his fault that he is what he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dju Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 You don't sound rude, SecretKei, but it is quite difficult. If the run costs more than $150-200, we don't have it. We have enough to feed him premium food, to give him checkups at the vet, to give him flea/heartworm/whatever treatments every month, to buy him toys, and to feed and clothe ourselves and to pay the rent. There's no more money left, my mother is on the dole and I'm on youth allowance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheyd Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Could you try some recycling places or Freecycle online to find some fencing that you could put up? MIght not look pretty but be functional enough to keep their dog out Its horrible to feel like a prisoner in your own home (or your dog) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dju Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Could you try some recycling places or Freecycle online to find some fencing that you could put up? MIght not look pretty but be functional enough to keep their dog out Its horrible to feel like a prisoner in your own home (or your dog) It is horrible We had the most beautiful setup/backyard, the most beautifully behaved dog, and the loveliest neighbors and now it seems like that's all changed within the last six months. I'll give Freecycle a look, but we have a pretty large back yard surrounded by about 80 metres of fencing, so it's quite a bit to cover! (It would be cheaper to fence the neigbor's yard, they have maybe about.. hmm.. 5x15x5x15 setup) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Does Hugo go right down to the back fence? Such close interaction would certainly put your dog on the radar, and build up frustration in the neighbour's dog. Can you run a cheap electric wire fence and only give Hugo half of your backyard? Wire is cheap and you could run a 6 strand high fence in the event the dog does ever get onto your property. There will be no perfect solution sadly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 can you plant a prickly fast growing shrub there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Can you get something and pay it in installment? run Or is this still expensive for you? check ebay or trading post.. people might be selling stuff like that cheaply or giving things away for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pockets Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 My friend has issues with Staffies next to her ripping of fence pailings to get to her dogs, she got some "Skunk paste" from the vet, it is hugely vile smelling, even for humans, dogs wont go near it...you smear the paste where you do not want the dogs to go...it worked for both her dogs and the neighbours dogs (even though they were on the other side of the fence) The smell was enough to keep the dogs away from this area. It costs about $30 for the paste and lasts a while...you may have to keep getting it occassionally and re-applying...but worth a try and a little more on the cheaper side :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dju Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) Does Hugo go right down to the back fence? Such close interaction would certainly put your dog on the radar, and build up frustration in the neighbour's dog. Can you run a cheap electric wire fence and only give Hugo half of your backyard? Wire is cheap and you could run a 6 strand high fence in the event the dog does ever get onto your property. There will be no perfect solution sadly Yeah he does, he's delighted by other dogs and always wants a sniff and that's what sets the dog off. We have some spare metal sheeting that we used to construct the chicken house, do you think maybe if the dog can't see Hugo he won't know he's there? I'm just clutching at straws here; in the perfect life, I'd build a water-filled moat full of crocodiles around our house to protect Hugo. An electric fence might be an idea, do you mean to put it on top of the fence seperating our properties? More importantly, will it work to keep the dog out? Edited June 18, 2012 by Dju Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dju Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Can you get something and pay it in installment? run Or is this still expensive for you? check ebay or trading post.. people might be selling stuff like that cheaply or giving things away for free. It's not bad but I mean my gosh, it's tiny. Like putting Hugo in prison He gets anxious if we close him inside a room, I can't imagine all the crying if we locked him up in that cell!Skunk paste.. that's not bad! I didn't know that such a thing existed. That would be a good idea, slick it onto the fence to keep him away from it. But I mean it still wouldn't stop him seeing Hugo, maybe a combo of the skunk paste + some metal sheets to obscure visibility.. I woul just hope that it'd work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pockets Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 The smell is enough to keep him away.....you have to double glove when you apply it, apparently its foul smelling that is vomit worthy....you might need to tell your neighbours though, its quite potent...but the smell goes away after a few days (for humans) for dogs its a lot stronger and longer.. http://www.flybusters.co.nz/shop/DIY+Pest+Control/Dog+and+Cat+Repellent/Skunk+Shot+-+Dog+and+Cat+Repellent.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Can you get something and pay it in installment? run Or is this still expensive for you? check ebay or trading post.. people might be selling stuff like that cheaply or giving things away for free. It's not bad but I mean my gosh, it's tiny. Like putting Hugo in prison He gets anxious if we close him inside a room, I can't imagine all the crying if we locked him up in that cell! You don't have to lock him up there all the time... just when the time you can't supervise him. He isn't a giant dog and it still gives him a chance to hang outside in the sun. Beside you can get bigger ones, but they get more expensive. I rather put my 2 in there there then get them killed. Your other alternative is that you walk him more, take him out to parks or whatever so that when he is at home, he doesn't have the need to go outside the back (aside from going to toilet).. It's a sucky situation and it doesn't seem fair, but first and foremost you have to do right by your dog and keep him safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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