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I have a dog who does not like other dogs. He used to, but then he met an old neighbor's Golden who was viscous towards him, and since then, he's not liked other dogs. So, here's the set up:
I live in a big house. The house is one of those huge, old, New England homes that the landlord split up in to units. Each person has their own entrance, each person has their own area, but there is a huge back yard that is for everyone.
Okay, so, since I've been here, and after the Golden incident, I've let the landlord know that my dog doesn't like other dogs now, and I hired a professional trainer who deals with dogs who do not like other dogs. It cost me a LOT of money. The problem is, if you don't have any other dog to help through the training, it's hard to train the dog to stop acting like an idiot when he sees other dogs.
When I take him out, I am extremely cautious about where we walk. He has never gone after any other dog, but we sure have had others come after us, requiring me to put myself between my dog and the approaching dog.
In the yard itself, I always, ALWAYS check the yard before I go out. Even after I check the yard, I let the girl dog out first, (she has no issues with other dogs), and I let her run around the yard first. After awhile, when I know, 100%, that all is clear, I let the boy out. And this has worked the entire time I've been here.
Some months back, a new neighbor moved in. They have a dog. They use the backyard, usually in summer for bbq. And we have discussed that my dog does not like other dogs. Two times, I have been in the yard with my dogs, and they just waltzed right on through the gate without checking, and while my dog raced over to them and their dog, we never had an issue. I even made a sign that I would hang over the gate, after those two times, to let them know, my dogs are in the yard, because apparently, they never check before they open the gate.
With the winter here, and snow and rain, I haven't put the sign out because the wetness will ruin it, (it's just a paper), and I stupidly trusted that by now, they would realize, "we should check before we open the gate".
Yesterday, I let my dogs out. Again, I checked the yard, no one there. I let the girl out, no one there. I let the boy out. My dogs were not even out for 15 minutes. It was a quick bathroom break for them, let them run circles for a minute to get some energy out, and then come back in.
Apparently, at some point in this, the neighbors walked in to the yard with their dog, and my dog attacked their dog. Apparently, my dog left a puncture wound on their dog. That is the first time that has ever happened...but if they say my dog attacked their dog and left a wound, then it's probably true.
They say that they knocked on my door, but I never heard anyone knock. So, I get a letter from the landlord today asking me to work it out because she can't have a "dangerous" dog on the property. The other tenant is going to give me the vet bill.
I haven't talked to them yet, I'm guessing they are at the vet. I left them a note to come see me.
So...if my dog did attack theirs, holy crap....yes, of course I feel like .....
On the other side, however, I'm pissed that they didn't check the yard before they came in.
Edit: Just talked to the neighbor. He openly admits that they did not physically check the yard before coming in. And the vet bill is $253.
Yes, my dog attacked, of course I have responsibility.
Part of me feels like they have responsibility as well, because they didn't even check the yard before opening the gate and entering the yard. (The gate they open faces the street where all kinds of people and dogs walk by.)
Last edited by Three Wolves In Snow; 11-14-2014 at 09:52 AM..
To avoid trouble with the police, you need to come to an agreement with your landlord and the dog owners as to how to prevent this from happening again. They should have been more careful as well, it's true, but that's not going to help you here. You need to agree to not leave your dog outside unattended at any time, for any length of time. If that's not enough, I would add that the dog will be muzzled when in the yard. And I would pay the full vet bill.
It really depends on how liable the landlord is (varies State-by-State), and what your lease says. Free legal advice websites are good places to get a more accurate opinion.
I think it all depends on how hurt the other dog is and what kind of people your neighbors are. Perhaps if the dog isn't too hurt and you agree to pay the vet bill, then they might be willing not to press the issue. I don't know for sure, but it seems a given if they do decide to press the issue you definitely could lose your dog.
I don't mean to be harsh towards you because I know you didn't mean for this to happen AND yes perhaps they should have been more vigilant given your warnings about the dog, but I can also see the situation from their point of view. It would be really inconvenient to not be able to use the yard whenever your dog is outside. I don't know if there's a front yard or another area for them to take their dog to use the bathroom? If not, that would be even more inconvenient. I would be frustrated if I had a shared space where I couldn't use the space whenever I wanted because of a potentially aggressive dog. To me, it is your responsibility to stay with the dog at all times knowing that there could be issues. I would not have left the dog alone outside, sign or no sign knowing that if the neighbors didn't see or flat out chose to disregard your sign and come into the yard there could be issues. I hope for your sake they are open to discussing some ways to prevent this from happening again.
To avoid trouble with the police, you need to come to an agreement with your landlord and the dog owners as to how to prevent this from happening again. They should have been more careful as well, it's true, but that's not going to help you here. You need to agree to not leave your dog outside unattended at any time, for any length of time. If that's not enough, I would add that the dog will be muzzled when in the yard. And I would pay the full vet bill.
I had a muzzle that I got to put on him for walks, and he destroyed it within minutes.
As for the left unattended...they have come in to the yard before, without checking, while I was out there. The yard is huge, my boy runs FAST. That time it was avoided because I turned around, saw them, and yelled at them "NO! My dogs are here". She managed to get her dog and leave the yard before my boy got there. Whether I'm there or not, if they just walk through the gate without checking, this would not have been prevented.
I already said I was paying the bill. I never said I wasn't. I'm just ticked off because whether I'm in the yard or not, I wish they would check before just walking in the gate.
I think it all depends on how hurt the other dog is and what kind of people your neighbors are. Perhaps if the dog isn't too hurt and you agree to pay the vet bill, then they might be willing not to press the issue. I don't know for sure, but it seems a given if they do decide to press the issue you definitely could lose your dog.
I don't mean to be harsh towards you because I know you didn't mean for this to happen AND yes perhaps they should have been more vigilant given your warnings about the dog, but I can also see the situation from their point of view. It would be really inconvenient to not be able to use the yard whenever your dog is outside. I don't know if there's a front yard or another area for them to take their dog to use the bathroom? If not, that would be even more inconvenient. I would be frustrated if I had a shared space where I couldn't use the space whenever I wanted because of a potentially aggressive dog. To me, it is your responsibility to stay with the dog at all times knowing that there could be issues. I would not have left the dog alone outside, sign or no sign knowing that if the neighbors didn't see or flat out chose to disregard your sign and come into the yard there could be issues. I hope for your sake they are open to discussing some ways to prevent this from happening again.
Yes, there are side yards and a front area. Nonetheless, of course everyone should be able to use the back yard, it's not my personal back yard.
My point is, after the incident with the old neighbor's Golden, I informed my landlord what happened, and how it affected my dog. When we moved here, my dog did not have any issues with other dogs. None. After the Golden incident, he's scared of other dogs, and that comes out in aggression.
I hired a behavior specialist. The fear is still there, mainly because I don't have the funds to keep the behaviorist coming each week with random strange dogs to help work that last part out. I got to learn the little things I was doing wrong, I got to learn training exercises for my boy, but the desensitizing part...I just don't have that kind of money..and he really needs it.
I discuss with neighbors who have dogs, when they move in, about my boy.
Every single time we go out, I check the entire yard first, physically. I then let the girl out to run the yard, and then I'm assured I didn't miss anything. THEN I let the boy out. I do everything I can to avoid this.
They have walked in to the yard without checking when I was there. This time, my dog got to their dog. Why would they not check the yard?
No one is saying that their dogs can't use the yard. My dogs are not in the yard all day long. I let my dogs out once in the morning to do their thing, run off a bit of energy, then they come back in and I work. (The morning is about 15 minutes)
When I have a break, I let them out again, to do their business and burn off energy. I go out and throw things for them, or chase the girl around the yard, to really burn off their energy. Then we go back in.
At night, I don't even let them out without a leash. Night time, they go out to do their business, that's it.
It happened, apparently, on their morning outing to do their morning business. They are never out there more than 15 minutes...and it's usually a little less than that. It's the same schedule, every single day, except weekends.
What also bothers me is that when we were out for their afternoon break, the guy was in the yard, cutting at a tree that fell over after a heavy snow storm. I and my dogs were doing our own thing, and while I did chat with him for a bit, he NEVER mentioned what happened. That was 4 hours after it happened. Why the heck didn't he say anything then?!
I knew something was up because when I did chat with him, he was acting differently than he usually does...but I had no idea why. Not until today did I find out that this all happened. Twenty four hours later, I find out? What the heck?!
Anyway, being out there won't prevent it if they ignore a sign or don't check. It's happened before and I was out with my dogs. (My dog did not get to their dog, not saying he attacked their dog before, but he sure did run towards them when they walked in through the gate.) That's why I'm a little ticked off.
I'm not looking for ways out of this, I'm not looking to say to them, "You're partially responsible, therefore I will only pay this part of the bill", I'm not looking for any of that. I'm just pissed. I'm pissed that a simple procedure, "check the yard first", is something they seem to have a problem doing.
It shouldn't even matter if my dog is fearful or not. Even if it were just my girl in the yard, who has no problems with anyone or anything, (and these are brother and sister dogs...same litter...so it's not something he was born with, it was because of what happened before), I still would be pissed that they came in without checking the yard first. The girl and their dog get along, and play, but it still bothers me.
I'm venting, mainly. Bringing this up right now to them is NOT the right time. OF COURSE. Time needs to pass, I need to pay their bill, and we have to have a talk...but saying, "why the hell do you insist on just walking through the gate" is not what needs to be said right now.
So, instead of having your paper sign laminated so that you could hang it out in bad weather, you are in fear of having to put your dog down? Frankly, you are lucky you have had a landlord who allows you all to turn your dogs loose in a confined area for activity and to relieve themselves. You have an unsociable dog for whatever reason. I, too, have a male cockapoo who lives with a female English Shepherd and he does not like other dogs....none, nada and I know he thinks he has to bite them. I live in a resort community and I have a huge yard. Every single day and I have been here for 4 years, either my husband or I walk these dogs....at least 4x a day because we cannot take the chance that some tourist/renter will come by with their dog off leash (hey, I am on vacation)....and my dog will take off after theirs. I do this because in every other respect this cockapoo is a great and loving housedog. If I take him to a shelter (and I would never, ever do that) and I tell them he doesn't like other dogs...they A: will not take him or B: suggest I donate him to he "kill" shelter. I know this happens as I am President of a no kill Humane Society. Your neighbors with the other dog are morons....that is a given. You have gone out of your way to make it known the circumstances about your dog...BUT, you can't regulate STUPID and it is your responsibility to avert what just happened to you. You have a couple of choices....one of them is to move, but with this particular dog, might not be easy. The other is to never let that dog out without being on a leash ever again. I do it....and I worked (they were crated for that 4 hour period), and I boarded them with my vet when I visited homes with dogs. Not ideal, not cheap, but you are dealing with a life here. Good luck.
Though it is a shared yard I do not feel that asking them to check the yard before they bring their dog in is asking too much it is not like your dogs are out there for hours Jazz was a reactive dog and I live in a condo with neighbors who ignore the rules that dogs are to be leashed on the property and one neighbor with labs that just opens the door and lets them out. They are nice dogs but labs had a habit of getting right in her face despite her warning them so to prevent that I always checked outside before I went out with her even just to take her to my car. Checking really is not that hard to do it just takes a moment.
Trying to solve the issue is difficult as you do need other dogs and owners to help work on it and as you do it is baby steps and all it takes is one off leash dog running up and your dog going off then it is back to square one again as you have to start all over. I tried it enough times with Jazz but there are just too many people that do not use leashes and when you yell at them to call their dog you get the " it's ok he/she is friendly" and then it is back to starting all over again. I was lucky as Jazz had a very inhibited bite and while she did get into it with a few dogs she never left tooth mark despite the fact that she did get a wound once or twice.
Even now I try to avoid taking my dogs out when the labs are out as Dazzle gets too excited and wants to play and starts that excited hound howl but being on a leash he can not and that is not fair to him so if they are out we stay in or if they are up at one end of the yard we go out and avoid that area.
Good luck and I hope you can work something out with the neighbor.
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Jazz was a reactive dog and I live in a condo with neighbors who ignore the rules that dogs are to be leashed on the property and one neighbor with labs that just opens the door and lets them out. They are nice dogs but labs had a habit of getting right in her face despite her warning them so to prevent that I always checked outside before I went out with her even just to take her to my car. Checking really is not that hard to do it just takes a moment. 
