Suggestions- aggressive neighborhood dog, need

WildFlower2350

Im looking for a little help here....any and all suggestions welcome.  My parents live in the NYC metro area.  Their back yard (essentially) butts up against several other neighbor's yards  Directly behind them, separated by a 3 ft fence is a house with a dog.  The dog is new to the home and is not a puppy, young adult maybe?  Every time my mom goes into the yard to garden, rake, hang laundry the dog charges the fence, stands on its hind legs and barks and growls incessantly over the fence.  She is so afraid it will leap over that she runs inside.  

About a month ago she saw the owner walking the dog and approached her to discuss this, express her worry, acknowledge this barking occurs all day.  While speaking to the woman her dog started to bark and then out of no where it bit my mom's arm. My mom had a coat on so it didn't break the skin, it was more of a nip I guess b/c as quickly as it happened the dog let go.  No physical harm but mentally my mother is now terrified and is a total wreck.  I cant blame her, shes nearly 70 so isn't at the pinnacle of youth and health.  She went to the local Police Dept who said this was a neighbor issue and she should work it out with them.  Im assuming b/c she had no physical injuries.  I am having her write a letter, keep a copy and send it certified mail.  I told her to keep a log of these incidents for documentation.   She is offering suggestions in the letter such as : a higher fence, enlisting the help of a professional, ect.  She said in her letter she respects the right to have a pet but she too has a right to reasonable peace and quality of life.  She shouldn't fear going in her own yard.

My dad is over 70 with Parkinson's so his mobility is comprised.  It is def a concern considering this dog did already bare its teeth and show aggression, if it decided to jump a 3 ft fence, which is pretty likely, I shudder at thinking what could happen. What else can she do?  She calls me crying she is so scared. 

LuckyAngel07

Unfortunately, there's very little she can do other than what she already is doing. If talking to these neighbors produces no results, there's nothing else she can do unless/until an escalated incident occurs. 

Your mom might try recommending they keep the dog on a run when its outside. This is what my neighbors do with their dog, because they never bothered training her properly, and she's a fence jumper. She's perfectly friendly though, so I have no fears for myself when she does this, just for her getting out and getting hurt. The run isn't a peg in the ground with a long line attached. It's a cord/wire that's run the length of the yard and has a line the loops from it to the dog's collar. This allows the dog to run up and down the yard without being able to get onto/over the fence. It's not going to help the dog's aggression the way proper training would, but it might give your mom some peace of mind.

Do you know if the neighbors leave the dog outdoors all day? Is anyone there home while the dog is outside? Most states have laws regarding outdoor dogs having adequate water and shelter, so the only thing I can think of your mom doing is calling animal services/control to report if the dog is being mistreated by not having these things available outside. 

clarke10

I would just continue to document everything. If she wants the taller fence she'll probably have to pay for one herself.

Sillygirl45

We have a large Doberman behind us who barks all the time. Our fence is probably about 3-4 feet. We have a boston terrier who just looks at him and goes about his business. When we first moved in the owner told me he was a rescue and they were working on it. I told her not to worry about it and the dog would get used to us. We all went about our business regardless of the dog and he seems to have gotten used to us. He still barks, but I'm not really worried. Of course, I'm a healthy 38 year old and as far as our dog, i figure if he really wanted to get over the fence, he could have by now.

So, on the one hand my advice is for your mom to continue with what she wants to do and call the police if the dog ever does jump over the fence or if she has any more run ins with it. On the other hand, I understand why she is scared. 

What did the owner do when the dog bit your mom? As far as I'm concerned a bite is a bite. It wouldn't matter to me if it actually broke skin or not. I surrendered a dog that started going after joggers (after trying to work with the dog and a behaviorist). I just couldn't be responsible for anyone being hurt by my dog when I should have known better. 

Maybe they could go halvsies on a taller fence? Please let us know what happens. I'm interested to know. I hope it works out.

Life&Gwen

Can they fence in their own yard with a taller fence?

cs026a

I'd also suggest fencing in her own yard better, if possible. A 6 foot wooden type of privacy type would probably stop most of your issues, as the dog wouldn't be able to see your mom at all then. I'm sure her yard isn't that big (since she lives in NYC), so it shouldn't cost that much to fence in (even if it's just one side). 

I'd also suggest your mom carrying mace/pepper spray/HALT spray - if the dog ever does jump the fence and comes after her, she'd have some defense.