[Closed] Over concerned about a neighbors dog?

Staffie? They can be lovely dogs.

Staffie? They can be lovely dogs.

Can be. In the right hands. To their owners.

By the sound of it OP, I certainly wouldn't be leaving my child out there unaccompanied until I'd spoken to the owners and sorted a secure fence/border.

Is there a residents' association? Is there an annual maintenance charge for the upkeep of fences backing onto the common area?

iolo - Member
Staffie? They can be lovely dogs.

There's one helluva difference between a Staffie and a Pitbull.

Is there a residents' association?

Actually yes there is. The fences are our responsibility though, many of us have open access as well which is a minor concern, but a good avenue to express my concern.

Staffie/pitbull I don't know, big bugger. Thought it was a Rotwieler at first, has those 'snipped' ears.

Sounds like an American Bull Dog if its a big tall thing. A lot of dogs will be barky about their territory without it being a problem. If it was growling though you are right to be worried imo.

Pics?

A lot of dogs will be barky about their territory without it being a problem.

It's always a problem if the neighbours can here it.

Would the RSPCA offer advice on this sort of thing? I'd be asking.

Any breed can be a problem, and any breed can be fine stereotyping like in normal life will probably let you down. Bad owners are worse than bad dogs.

The grown up thing to do is to speak to the neighbours.

Any breed can be a problem, and any breed can be fine stereotyping like in normal life will probably let you down. Bad owners are worse than bad dogs.

All true and a small dog can be just as aggressive as a large one however a basic risk assessment tells me that a large dog is likely to cause significantly more harm in the event of an attack. IMO its not enough to say most dogs are fine or "he's never done that before" etc etc. By stereotyping the above the worst you can do is be over cautious. The potential for incident given what you described would concern me. Speak to them yes but be prepared to escalate.

It won't be a pit bull (especially as you've already said you're no expert).

Staffy cross or American Bulldog.
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American Bull Terrier
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Go speak to the neighbours, please don't go ringing the council or RSPCA without cause or speaking to them first.

We've had our neighbour's Scottish Terrier break through the fencing and get into our garden. Not exactly a dog with a fearsome reputation but like other people have said, the breed isn't really the issue. Any dog can be dangerous especially with a small child.

Good fences make for good neighbours.

I have a Lakeland Terrier and a young Cocker. Our Neighbours have the largest Bull Mastiff I have ever seen. They are experienced owners (this is their second) and the dog is well socialised and extremely well behaved and is always on the lead. He is totally non plussed around people and other dogs and as well as neighbours they are good friends.
However part of me always wonders if having a dog that large is wise.

Go speak to the neighbours, then please go ring the council or RSPCA with due cause for your childs safety.

FIFY

In our old place a young couple moved in next door, complete with a rather large Rottweiler and a not so large, but getting bigger bull mastiff, which were left outdoors all day. I had built a 6' fence around our garden, but every time the wee one was out the back garden the two dogs were going nuts.

That was end of summer 2010, I did the wee jobs I had to do on the house, and then sold in October, when it was dark at night, so that viewers couldn't see our 'neighbours'. I had intended moving a couple of years down the line, this just gave me the push.

As said above, the problem was more the ****wit young couple rather than the dog, but it's the dogs that do the biting.

Go speak to the neighbours, then please go ring the council or RSPCA with due cause for your childs safety.
FIFY

Why would he need to ring the council/RSPCA after talking to the neighbours?

"The dog in the garden next door was looking at me funny"

i went out of my door to be confronted by a dogue de bordeaux growling at me, ive never seen it before so i guessed it was a stray. I went and got the peashooter and it went away. Couple of nights later just about to get into my car and it started running at me growling, so I went back inside.
Now the dilemma, do I take some sort of hammer or baseball bat when I go in the garden just in case or do i just take my chances that its going to run at me barking and growling and then lick me?
It turns out its the new neighbours dog and they hadnt realised it could get out, even though the fence has been blown down by the wind recently.
It turns out the lady owner trains dogs for the police!! anyway she started calling the dog, it didnt take a blind bit of notice, unbelievable, it just stood there barking at me.
Eventually she got it to lay flat and stop growling. Im not scared of dogs, but i dont like them or some of their owners much, but I went and stroked it anyway, it was really friendly.
Thing is it might have been different if a small child had gone outside instead of me? Is there time to be passive and hope for the best outcome or should I be ready for confrontation with the dog and then the owner?
Either way someone innocent has been put in a place of uneasiness and potential harm by the lack of concern and responsibilty of the owner.
Owners know that their dog may seem intimidating and nearly every owner of a dog that has attacked someone, says its never done it before.
WTF what a way to risk someone else and your OWN FAMILY

part of me always wonders if having a dog that large is wise

Why would he need to ring the council/RSPCA after talking to the neighbours?

"The dog in the garden next door was looking at me funny and I felt threatened for the safety of not only me but my family, so I'm calling you to see if the dog is on the dangerous dogs list becasue I'm not an expert. Whilst I'm on, can you recommend any actions I maybe able to take to ensure that dog is kept away from my family, I feel threatened "

FIFY

here it.

Hear it, even.

Spelling 3/10. See me.

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That's an American BullTerrier is it? Looks like aPitbull to me. Ugly F***er all the same.
Just shows how complicated breed spotting is. Frankly, if something looking like that, or the two above, for that matter, was growling in a poorly fenced garden I wouldn't let my daughter anywhere near it. Not because of the breed but the size. The poor fencing says the owner doesn't really give a sh*t about the dog, about you,or anyone else.

complete with a rather large Rottweiler and a not so large, but getting bigger bull mastiff

talk to the owners, that'll probably tell you all you need to know about the dog and whether it will be a problem

coincidentally our immediate neighbour has a rottie and a big pit bull / ridgeback / mastiff-of-some-kind cross - still a puppy now but the massive paws indicate he'll be a big lad - both lovely dogs that are fine with us, our boy and our own dog - however they're nice people and conscientious owners so never been a worry.

just because you are worried about a dog doesn't make it dangerous or put you at risk. Dog attacks are still pretty rare, regardless of what you read in the dailymail.

you and your kids/grandkids are much more likely to be killed by cars so I would be more worried about the road running past your house.

Dog attacks are still pretty rare, regardless of what you read in the dailymail.

I dont read the dailymail but I have been bitten on 2 occasions over the years. Never been hit by a car so far.
If its all the same with you I would ignore your advice and consider the fact that just because you estimate them to be "rare" the potentially catastrophic or even life threatening consequences to my child are my main concern. I would err on the side of caution.
A responsible owner has nothing to fear.

That's an American BullTerrier is it? Looks like aPitbull to me

The breed is "American Pit Bull Terrier" I believe.

They're essentially a bigger Staffie, and are normally [i]people friendly[/i] dogs. About the size of a labrador (medium) IIRC. They are not by nature so cool with [i]other dogs[/i] - this is where you need a good owner who will socialise them with other dogs.

They are actually illegal to own without license - they're on the dangerous dogs list.

Scottish Terrier ... Not exactly a dog with a fearsome reputation

You know they were bred to kill badgers ?

I dont read the dailymail but I have been bitten on 2 occasions over the years. Never been hit by a car so far.

Well I've never been bitten by a dog, but I have been hit by two cars (one whilst on a pedestrian crossing) and I have had countless near misses over the years (wingmirror brushes), mind you I still don't feel threatened by cars, so may'be I m a bit more rational than you.

Statically you and your children are much more likely to be killed or injured by a cars, so my point is it might be worth prioritizing your concerns to where the real dangers are.

richc - Member

just because you are worried about a dog doesn't make it dangerous or put you at risk. Dog attacks are still pretty rare, regardless of what you read in the dailymail.

you and your kids/grandkids are much more likely to be killed by cars so I would be more worried about the road running past your house.

You are over 100 times more likely to be attacked by a dog than you are killed by a car.

Over 200,000 dog attacks each year, in England alone.

Statically you and your children are much more likely to be killed or injured by a cars, so my point is it might be worth prioritizing your concerns to where the real dangers are.

You really dont understand how a risk assessment works do you.

so may'be I m a bit more rational than you.

Or maybe you are not.

Edit: looks like you are not hot on statistics either.

Circa 1800 people killed on the roads.
Circa 200,000 people a year bitten by dogs.
Great advice.

But how many non-fatal traffic accidents and how many killed by dogs?
Let's not forget how many hours spent on roads and pavements compared to those in the presence of dogs.
If you are going to have a stat war be armed with all the FACTS.

The pointless comparison was only brought about by richc's poor English, but there are over 500 dog attacks a day; it isn't a rare occurrence.

Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain, 2012
Killed 1,754
Seriously Injured 23,039
Slightly Injured 170,930
All 195,723

Although there's reported to be 200,000 dog bites a year, only 6,500 a year result in a hospital admission, and there have been 17 deaths between 2005-2013. Still bad for those involved, but still not as dangerous as cars...

OK, lets be concerned about both then shall we?

As said a lot of dogs bite.
But its the attitude of the persons being bit that regularly contributes to this.
A dog can sense hatred and doesn't like it.
This hatred is normally instilled into humans from an early age. When I walked my dog (rip jarvis ) the amount of people who would say to their toddlers stay away from that naughty dog he'll bite was unbelievable. He was a lab/spaniel cross that was the kindest thing ever.
Grown men with this in their dna tend to get bit.

+1 /\

iolo - Member

As said a lot of dogs bite.
But its the attitude of the persons being bit that regularly contributes to this.
A dog can sense hatred and doesn't like it.
This hatred is normally instilled into humans from an early age. When I walked my dog (rip jarvis ) the amount of people who would say to their toddlers stay away from that naughty dog he'll bite was unbelievable. He was a lab/spaniel cross that was the kindest thing ever.
Grown men with this in their dna tend to get bit.

I had no fear of dogs as a child, and wasn't brought up to fear them.
Every week I would visit someone with a dog and we would always run to greet each other, I loved that dog.
Every week until the day it decided to savagely bite me in the face.

I'm not scared of dogs now, my parents look after a lovely Staffie who is part of the family, but I probably am a bit wary. Whether this makes me more prone to dog attacks or not I don't know, but then I haven't been attacked by a dog since.

But in short, you can take your victim blaming and shove it up your arse you ****ing imbecile.
🙂

I would never let any dog that I didn't know near my son (or leave a known-dog unattended) with him.

So if a neighbours fence doesn't look secure- I'd reinforce it myside.

Any dog can turn on a child. Our own pet did. He went from loving/protective of him to turned.

Unless you are actually provoking the dog in some way, the problem is always to do with the dog owner for not ensuring that their property and those that may come into contact with it are safe together.

Unless you are provoking the dog in some way it is never the fault of the victim. especially for just just being scared!

A dog can sense hatred and doesn't like it.

Although there's reported to be 200,000 dog bites a year, only 6,500 a year result in a hospital admission, and there have been 17 deaths between 2005-2013. Still bad for those involved, but still not as dangerous as cars...

But in short, you can take your victim blaming and shove it up your arse you **** imbecile.

This

iolo - Member
Staffie? They can be lovely dogs.

seosamh77 - Member

iolo - Member
Staffie? They can be lovely dogs.

Not if it's growling at ye, take a hammer to its face would be my advice.

I think I know who needs reporting to the RSPCA

There seems to be a lot of canine hatred here.
I an not defending dog attacks.
Many are unprovoked.
Many are provoked. I witnessed a dog playing with a ball quite happily on the beach with his owner. Some guy got a bit pissed as the ball got too close to his pick nick and kicked the dog in the head.
It wasn't the dog who bit this guy. It was the dog's owner. Those poor kids having a pick nick had to see daddy getting ten bags of shite beaten out out him.
It's all down to control.
Keep your dog under control and everything will be fine.
Keep your dog hatred under control and everything will be fine.
Dog and man living in harmony.

EDIT: seosamh77, You sound quite disturbed. Go to your doctor and and for thearpy. It will only get worse unless you do.

The pointless comparison was only brought about by richc's poor English, but there are over 500 dog attacks a day; it isn't a rare occurrence.

500 dog attacks a day!?! really....... which country do you live in?

I really hope you aren't taking the fag packet estimate of 200,000 and dividing it by 365.

Also has anyone found how the media took the actual figures of ~6300 reported dog bites and worked out that only ~ 3% of people bitten actually report/do anything about it.

I am not even going to bother commenting on how someone compared estimated dog bites with actual car fatalities to make the figures look good, as I am sure they are aware of just how retarded that comparison is.

But in short, you can take your victim blaming and shove it up your arse you **** imbecile.

Keep your dog hatred under control and everything will be fine.

but I'd rather not have my jacket messed up / torn by your dog jumping up at me.

Has this ever happened?

But in short, you can take your victim blaming and shove it up your arse you **** imbecile

You tell me all attacks have been unprovoked? Possibly a schild tries to take food from a dog - that should be parent and owner responsibility

iolo - Member

You tell me all attacks have been unprovoked?

Where have I said that?
Can you show me where I said that?

No you can't.
And you're still victim blaming.
Don't use such pathetic tactics to try and argue with me.
You're a waste of ****ing carbon.

All in from reading some of the bile in here I know I'd prefer the company of dogs.

Theres a woman locally who walks a very surly ginger-looking short-haired Pitbull(?) thing. She always walks it around lunchtime past the local school, around the local college and Police station slowly. Very slowly.

I've gone to stroke it before- now I've stroked Staffs (had a Staff jump up into my arms), had staffs on the hind-legs leaning against me but the woman firmly said 'do not come anywhere near him'- he also growled (alot).

From looking at her- I'm gathering shes trying to send a message out to the local youth who she is and her dog. Must be a local whose suffered (perceived) anti-social behaviour?!

In an extreme view- if there were no domestic dogs there would be no deaths or attacks.

We really should be regulated/breeds regulated more. Sad but when I used to take my dog into the park it was a lottery to see whose dog had been attacked by another etc and the bad owner had run off.

iolo - Member

but I'd rather not have my jacket messed up / torn by your dog jumping up at me.

Has this ever happened?

No you can't.
And you're still victim blaming.
Don't use such pathetic tactics to try and argue with me.
You're a waste of **** carbon.

Jesus, I would be more worried about having a heart attack then a dog attack if I were you; as you are coming across as a little mentally delicate.

Remember to count to ten, wipe the spittle off your monitor and breathe before you comment.

So, proportionally (based on numbers of cars v numbers of dogs), how does that equate? It is nonsense to state a 'fact' like that without quantifying it.

Number of cars in UK ~23 million, number of dogs ~8.5 million, both figures are estimates.

So using crappy logic 0.0741% of the UK's dogs have been involved in an event that was reported; compared to 0.85% of cars.

I dont mind a dog jumping up/dirtying my clothes- its a trade off for the interaction that follows.

No you can't.
And you're still victim blaming.
Don't use such pathetic tactics to try and argue with me.
You're a waste of **** carbon.

I sense issues.
Maybe anger management therapy is required
You seem to be a human Pitbull with psychological issues. Do your jaws lock when you bite?
If you need to talk let me know. I feel your pain.

Dog threads should be saved up for Friday afternoons

I've been bitten by a dog despite wearing hi-vis and a helmet

gwaelod - Member
I've been bitten by a dog despite wearing hi-vis and a helmet

I don't quite get it here with dogs.
Someone put's up a puppy picture - every one is awwwwwwwwww love it schwweet schnuggly pumpkiny baby doggyyy.
Someone has a trail hound - everyone goes cool dog dude. I love you trail hound.
Everything else not owned by a cyclist is the spawn of Bieslibub that must be destroyed as they are bike rider killers.

iolo - Member

I sense issues.
Maybe anger management therapy is required
You seem to be a human Pitbull with psychological issues. Do your jaws lock when you bite?
If you need to talk let me know. I feel your pain.

If you think you can wind me up you're as pathetic as I thought.
I'll waste no more time on a silly little bell whiff like you. 😀

Not winding up. Actually concerned.

EDIT:

http://www.mind.org.uk/

I get a lot of help here

No, those who don't like dogs don't generally tend to look at cutesy pictures of dogs on those type of threads.
The OP is looking for advice over a possible dog issue and there you go.

If its any consolation cats get just as much stick on the regular "cat poo in the garden" threads.

Think of it as balance. 🙄

So, proportionally (based on numbers of cars v numbers of dogs), how does that equate? It is nonsense to state a 'fact' like that without quantifying it.

There are approximately 8.5 million dogs in the UK. If we round up the average number of fatal dog attacks per year since 2007 - 2013 as being 3, then that works out as 0.00004% of dogs will be involved in fatal attacks on people.

There are approximately 35 million vehicles in the UK. In the 2012, there were 1754 vehicle related fatalities. That works out that 0.005% of cars will be involved in fatal accidents.

I think. I was always a bit ropey at maths.

That said, I would still be cautious with children around large and powerful dogs, and wouldn't leave a child unattended with even a small dog. Some children don't know how to behave around dogs, and some dogs don't know how to behave around children. Most are ace though, but it does pay to be cautious (just like how I assume that most people on the road are complete idiots, heh).

I've never been bitten while riding 29" either

stands to reason..bigger wheel size gets you further away from the gaping cainine jaws

What about clearance though...does the extra wheel diameter make an appreciable difference to the speed and distance of dog turd "throw" from the tyres?

I feel 650b might be the ideal anti dog compromise......

Has this ever happened?

I've had clothing ruined by dogs, a handful of occasions where they have jumped up and their claws/teeth have damaged my running tracksters/tights etc. Few puncture wounds as well.
Anyway all my own fault apparently.

I wasn't blaming people, just trying to point out that sometimes there are two sides to a story

mikewsmith - Member

Not if it's growling at ye, take a hammer to its face would be my advice.
I think I know who needs reporting to the RSPCA

Because you would put a hammer to a dog's face when it was pushing out a fart.
That's not the response of a sane person.

iolo - Member
Because you would put a hammer to a dog's face when it was pushing out a fart.
That's not the response of a sane person.

could you quote where I said that please?

growling to you, farting to others, who knows? Let's hope there's no hammers around when it's taking a dump.

iolo - Member
growling to you, farting to others, who knows? Let's hope there's no hammers around when it's taking a dump.

Hmmm I'm kind of in the anti-dog owner camp.
Not the greatest fan of some dog owners (I have mates with dogs who are good and one who understand dogs well enough to know when a 1 way trip to the vet was the only solution) due to too many rows when their beloved dog has attacked me in a public place BTW I've never reported an attack (so skewing any statistics).

Personally I think the rule they had in Texas was a good 'un...
if you feel threatened by a dog in a public place you have the right to demand that it's put down.
Never had a problem with a dog owner in Tx.

Personally I think the rule they had in Texas was a good 'un...
if you feel threatened by a dog in a public place you have the right to demand that it's put down.
Never had a problem with a dog owner in Tx.

Good ol USA. Shoot every thing until it's dead. Kill it again then shoot it to be sure. Was that texan law a George W Bush special? Texans really like to kill. Prisoners or dogs, nobody cares.

Would you do it personally?
Or would you use the preferred STW hammer in face method?

I ran over a cat the other week whilst riding my roadie, broke it's leg I did.
It was a sad incident, nothing to do with this thread but I thought I'd share.

iolo - Member
Would you do it personally?
Or would you use the preferred STW hammer in face method?

strange guy with deep issues