[Greater Swiss]

I know I've posted about the problems we've had on our property, with all of the loose dogs. We have neighbours who moved in yesterday and we're already having issues.

We apparently live in a culture on this property which considers caring for a dog to be giving it food and water and "room to roam", oh, and that room to roam is what constitutes exercising a dog.

Tonight we tried to walk Caeda and the new dog wouldn't leave us alone, I chased it back to its home several times, then we're walking beside the highway (on the 20m wide grassy area), and there is the new dog staring at us from ON THE HIGHWAY! It wouldn't leave, and in the interest of keeping it from getting hit we had to go home after a whopping 15 minute walk.

We're going to talk to them tomorrow, my DH and I are too angry right now. We just started really enjoying these longer walks, and we've been coming a long way with Caeda's LLW, I've also been suspecting that Caeda is somewhat leash reactive (excited not aggressive) when other dogs are around (I think that has been confirmed tonight). This has put a major wrench in the works to say the least.

I'm almost positive we're going to be looked at like we have three heads when we ask them to do something about keeping their dog contained. The landlord may also start considering us the "problem tenants" if we push it. It seriously looks like we're going to have to drive a half an hour into town just to take Caeda for a walk. Oh, and since we're outside of the city limits....no animal control

Sorry, I really just had to rant...yes, again. I'm actually angry almost to tears right now, partially because of the problems its causing us, but also because this seems to be a pretty standard way to take care of dogs out here in general, especially on this property.

Is there anybody else on the forum here that lives in an area where walking a dog is the exception rather than the rule? How do you deal with it?

 

[Kayota]

That's how my mom's neighborhood is... And I walk my dog at night a lot and the other day a gigantic black lab just suddenly loomed out of the darkness, it was frightening :\

 

[Bordermom]

Is there any way to leash the loose dog, tether him someplace safe and then once you've walked and returned home let him loose again? I'd do that or if you want to get really cranky, just take him to the vet as a 'lost' dog each time. We used to have that problem when we lived on an acreage, the neighbor's GSD mix used to come 'play' with my guys, so I couldn't train or anything unless I made sure the gate was shut before she came over. So after a few weeks of shooing her back out before leaving and locking up, I just gave up and started locking her in the 5 acre yard. It only took twice and she never returned, so I guess they got the message.

Short of that bear spray or a super soaker might help.....

 

[Greater Swiss]

I probably could tether him if I took a tether of my own over there. We'll see how it goes tomorrow talking to them. I've considered calling the vet, or taking him to the SPCA, but I really don't want to start a war.....I know our landlord wouldn't take our side, his dog wanders too (and he talks to us as though we are cruel or at very least idiots because we don't let Caeda roam!).
We have a super soaker for Caeda (she actually loves it), I might start taking it on the walks. I am SO terrified that the poor thing would get hurt.

 

[HollowHeaven]

-raises hand-
Don't know if you've seen any of my other rant type posts, but so help me I feel your pain all the way to my bones. I am the only person who regularly exercises their dogs and makes an effort to keep them at home. Every single day we get chased by some loose dog, and I actually blew up the other day and said a few things to a group of owners and parents that could probably get me arrested. Just standing there letting their kids and dogs chase us. Haven't seen one of the dogs since. Don't know what happened, don't care.

but I really don't want to start a war.....I know our landlord wouldn't take our side, his dog wanders too (and he talks to us as though we are cruel or at very least idiots because we don't let Caeda roam!).

This is how it is with out landlord. He used to have a collie mix that not only got one of my dogs pregnant because he was let to roam, but he also attacked my chihuahua. Eventually he got hit with a car and I did not shed any tears on that faithful day. All the neighbors let their dogs just wander around, in heat, destructive, loud, rude. Every single day I have at least two dogs standing in my yard just barking for no reason. Nothing gets said to these people.
The second of my dogs manages to get away, hell is raised. I don't even understand this logic. Like it's fine for everyone else but my dogs are vicious, diseased spawn of satan and simply must be kept home at all times.


I hope these people are ones to be reasoned with. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[hast]

I know what you're saying. We own a 10 acre ranch/farm with about 5 acres not being pastures but within our perimeter fence. It took me threathening one neighbor that my rottie might kill her agressive chihuahua if it came onto our property when my dog was out and I didn't see it so I could control my dog ... she said it wasn't a problem and sounded so wistful that I thought she'd prefer if it died.

Then I had to call one neighbor with a unneutered Jack Russel and inform him that if I ever found his dog on my property again I would leave it with animal control where it would be neutered ...

Mandy keeps other dogs off our property pretty much, but there's no way I can walk her in our neighborhood ... I drive 20 minutes to town and walk her there. It's quite sad that I can't walk my dog at home where we have so many nice little dirt roads. It can even be scary to ride the dirt roads because of the dogs.

 

[Kayota]

I was working on training LLW with my dog tonight, and yet another gigantic black lab came out of nowhere. My dog couldn't settle down after that because she was so surprised by it, and of course I was frustrated.

 

[Greater Swiss]

Kayota, that is just like my other night, except Caeda was inside and the big monstrous (but sweet) chocolate lab that tried to impregnate Caeda months ago was standing just outside of the light of our porch and all I could see was yellow eyes. I was absolutely terrified for a moment. Then I said "is that you Scout" then he comes lumbering towards me with his big full body wag. UGH relief....I mean hey, the bears are waking up and are hungry right now! Sad thing is this guy lives 5km away and across the highway from us.

We managed to take Caeda for a decent walk the other day, the other dog was....somewhere else. I also said to heck with it and took Caeda out to do some play with the flirt pole and of course, two minutes in the other dog came trotting towards us. CAEDA IGNORED IT! Treats don't cut it, tug doesn't cut it, but apparently the flirt pole does. after another minute with the other dog standing by and her focusing on me and the flirt pole I let her go play.

This is after two days of Caeda not being able to poo because every time she tried this other dog ran up and Caeda's priorities changed.

We haven't gotten the chance now to talk to the new people since they seem to work odd hours so when they're home we're either on our way out or heading to bed I'm just baffled though by the mindset of people who get a dog and just dump it outside, give it food and water and are convinced that this is how a dog is supposed to live, no play, no grooming or petting. UGH! The night the new people moved in and we first met them I said something that they either ignored or didn't hear. I had Caeda on leash and the lady said "oh does she run away on you" and I said "no we just try to take care of our dog". Rude, but it just came out, I'm kind of glad there wasn't a response. The "culture" of "dog care" up here drives me nuts.

On the up side we have let Caeda play with the new dog once or twice and they play really well together, though they tend to run a little further away than I like, but so far so good (at least dragging a 50 foot line). Hopefully on the weekend they'll be around enough to talk to.

Although I hate the situation I'm sort of glad in an odd way that I'm not the only one that faces idiots like this.

 

[spotted nikes]

Paint ball gun or skunk spray. Both will encourage owners to contain dog.

 

[Bordermom]

Ha reminds me of when I was a teen, and this annoying toy poodle (intact male) would come over and squeeze into the yard to play/breed my dog (neutered male). So finally after attaching polite notes to his collar, I got ketchup and COVERED the little white poodle. Looked like he'd been mauled. He never returned after that so I'm guessing the scare factor combined with the mess/cleanup once they realized it wasn't blood was enough to clue them in. Sad because I thought mustard would be good for the next round.

 

[Greater Swiss]

Ha reminds me of when I was a teen, and this annoying toy poodle (intact male) would come over and squeeze into the yard to play/breed my dog (neutered male). So finally after attaching polite notes to his collar, I got ketchup and COVERED the little white poodle. Looked like he'd been mauled. He never returned after that so I'm guessing the scare factor combined with the mess/cleanup once they realized it wasn't blood was enough to clue them in. Sad because I thought mustard would be good for the next round.

LOVE IT!!!! I might try this!
We had Caeda out tonight in the yard, decided to let her out for a good rip chasing the laser. First off, she pretty much ignored the other dog until it decided it wanted to play too. It was faster than her, but she went longer. It finally left on its own!!! Exhaustion. A great defence against an unwanted harassing dog lol

We did notice that the neighbours have started doing something I find, odd and a little irritating. They let their dog hang out in the house while they are at work, and let it out when they get home (at least for a couple of days), they don't really spend any time outside so far. So what I'm seeing is owners with a dog that they are ensuring is not spending any time in the same place where they are. Really....why have a dog? UGH and the more I look at him, I think he's younger than Caeda, still so puppyish. Sweetie too, but we'll see. He may go home covered in ketchup yet (and mustard, just for you Bordermom).

 

[hargyle]

We live in a fairly quiet neighborhood, very small - the only street between a lot of industrial parks and busy roads. There is this one lab who lives a few houses down ... is always on our door step. It all started one day I was packing up the car for a trip with Loki, and Loki RAN out of the house, he just wanted to play in the front yard, I didn't think any thing of it because it is so quiet around here. Then this huge Lab comes sprinting across the yards towards Loki - my hands are full, I didn't know what to do - and the owners .... are standing on their porch calling to dog to come back *face palm* CLEARLY the dog is not listening to you and has Zero intentions of responding. They just wanted to play, thankfully. So after I drop everything shoo Loki back inside .. I had to take the dog back over. Careless weenies. I feel your pain ... in a very small way. I love the ketchup trick!

 

[Greater Swiss]

I think a lot of the personal "inconvenience" of it bothers me on a relatively superficial level, what is really driving me nuts, deep down inside is that there are SO many people who are firmly convinced (and wouldn't hear otherwise) that the way they are "taking care of their dogs" is the way you are supposed to, and is meeting all of the needs of the dog. I'm sure in some cases the dogs are perfectly happy, but it just seems like telling bored kids "go play in the street". Its leaving these dogs to end up like so many trouble vagrant dogs, barely any more than strays other than being fed, a dog that may or may not bite because its not socialized properly, and might end up in a shelter because they are "dumb" or aggressive or whatever, simply from being largely neglected. Though at the same time I guess it could be worse, I've heard of one individual who got a dog "for the kids", who got bored of it, so it is tied in the back yard 24/7, on one hand it isn't getting loose to get hit by a car or bother anybody, but its suffering almost worse neglect. It all makes me so sad and frustrates me SO much, especially because I can't really do anything about it. So many of the people like these who own dogs just will not listen to any other way of doing things.

 

[workerant]

I am the only person in my area who walks their dog on a leash, and I only do it partway on our walks. I live in the country, on a road with little traffic. If I take the first left turn, I walk on a road with virtually no traffic (it's not a dead end, but it doesn't go anywhere useful either) so I let Kenda off the leash there. On our routine 3-mile morning walk we encounter five off-leash dogs, sometimes more or fewer. Everybody gets along pretty well; the worst thing I've seen is barking and hackles before the inevitable sniffing and detente.

It's not a big deal; I look forward to seeing our frienddogs in the morning. I have pictures of a couple of them: here's Jenny and Lily and here's Ellen. I don't have pictures of Reba and Beauty... sorry. ;-)

 

[MusherChic]

I have the same problem you do with my neighbor's dogs coming at my dogs and I on the highway. We have trails about half a mile down the road from us by we have to walk on the grass beside the highway like you do to get to them. If my neighbor' dogs are loose then they will come charging out of the yard and across the highway (they've nearly been hit many times).
Luckily my neighbor was outside a few times so he was able to see what his dogs are doing. They aren't allowed to roam as much unless there is somebody outside with them in which they will be able to call the dogs back if we walk by.

I didn't have to talk to my neighbor as he saw for himself what was going on and (somewhat) fixed the issue.

As far as how much exercise dogs get, I'm not sure that you can really do anything about that. Around here, as long as he dogs are fed, watered, and look mostly healthy, they don't do anything about how much exercise a dog gets. there are a few dogs in my area that I know don't get exercise but I have to just grit my teeth and bear it.

 

[LazyZoe]

This may be a stupid question, but are there leash laws where you live? In my area dogs either need to be contained by a fence or on a tether/leash when outside. That doesn't mean everyone does it, but if there are "problem" animals we can call animal control or the local police department and report them. My parents have had to do this a few times as they live in a fairly rural area and most of their neighbors just let their dogs roam.

 

[Greater Swiss]

This may be a stupid question, but are there leash laws where you live? In my area dogs either need to be contained by a fence or on a tether/leash when outside. That doesn't mean everyone does it, but if there are "problem" animals we can call animal control or the local police department and report them. My parents have had to do this a few times as they live in a fairly rural area and most of their neighbors just let their dogs roam.

Nope, no leash laws, no rules for being contained. The only leash law is ones landlords want and enforce by shotgun (sounds cheezy, but its fairly true). I could call the RCMP, but it isn't like the dogs are really being aggressive, just major annoyances. I honestly have no problem with outside dogs, or dogs that are allowed to roam IF they aren't "in your face" and are given proper attention.....both of which seems to be an issue with SOME of the dogs here.

Love the pics of the friend dogs workerant. Despite the fact that he can't handle Caeda's excitement, I love the landlord's dog (he is pretty polite, he doesn't like Caeda, so he stays away mostly). The gentle giant (except with Caeda) Buddy, or Bruce as we called him at first.
I've got to share some pics of him that I came across today on my computer, he came to our wedding in our back yard and got some photo ops:

I love this one, shows how big AND how sweet he is:

I miss him coming to hang with us like he used to, but I guess its for the best with Caeda bothering him. Side note, does anybody have any idea what breeds this guy might be?

I don't have any pics of the new dog, but he looks like a smaller version of Buddy. Probably about a year old, about the size of Caeda, a little taller but about 15lbs lighter than her. Great news about the new one though....I THINK I saw the neighbours walking him down the side of the highway and I think he was even on leash!! YAY, I would like to assume that the first week here they were so busy moving in that they didn't spend time with him, and will do so now that they are settled. He may still roam and bug us, but at least he gets his "people time" possibly!