I know that I have brought this one up before but can't find my original thread.  Originally I was asking about what laws there were to stop someone letting their dog guard their very flimsy boundary aggressively.  This morning the problem is escalating and I have had cause to get in touch with the dog warden.  The rottie was out growling and barking as I stopped to talk to the neighbours.  They warned me to be careful because the fence was broken.  Sure enough the rottie stuck her head through the hole and started pushing.  The staffie wasn't out but has got through the hole I was informed.  Now Meg (a bc) has always walked past quickly before but has now started to react to the rottie.  She has as she has got older become nervous with other dogs she doesn't know when on the lead.  Now she is starting to pull towards this rottie and growl.  I hate to think how she would end up if one of these dogs got out and attacked her - it would probabally give us problems for the rest of her life.  I have always put Meg on the opposite side to the fence and walked past without making eye contact as if everything is normal.  I was nervous this morning so Meg would have picked up on this.   I have always planned on walking briskly away if one of the dogs got out but now with Meg responding to their aggression I have no choice really but to avoid walking past.  It really is not fair.  I don't think there are any other options are there?

Well, I would report it the police - better to do it now than have somebody report that their child got bitten. The owners MUST mend the fence!

Perhaps if the police cant do anything try calling the local paper and see if they could publish a warning in the community spirit sense of things..  just to try and let other people/children know,

Maxine

Well, we all know if those dogs get out the law is on your side, these people should make a safe boundary and their dogs should not be able to exit their property unsupervised, who wants to be bitten or scared half to death at this tradgedy just waiting to happen. So you have to find a way to prevent it.

Are the neighbours approachable or the type that just don't care? Could things be put right with a knock at the door to say that their fencing needs fixing before there is an accident.

If they are not approachable, and I know in this day and age many neighbours just aren't, I think I would be making a phone call to the police as well as the dog warden that you have just called, if they can't help perhaps they could advise you on what you can actually do.

I would at all lenghts avoid passing this fence if possible, if you can't then get passed quickly, as you have a BC who are normally ball mad, I would pop a ball in Megs mouth as you trot past to stop any growling or barking from her.

I think I will ring the dog warden for feedback tomorrow.  I won't be walking the dog tomorrow morning - I have my granddaughter thurs and fri.  I don't think the neighbours are on friendly terms - they were not happy with the fact that these dogs are out at all times making a racket. 
As for distracting my dog with a ball - I do wish that I could do that but I gave up carrying toys some time ago.  She gets confused and wants to head back home with the toy instead of playing with it.  She used to retrieve until she thought that keeping the toy to chew was a better game.  I am not sure how to get her to play with toys outside the house now - inside is no problem. Outside there are just too many distractions. 

I'm sorry for you as it's a ridiculous situation where the owners of the other dogs clearly should be controlling them and sorting out their fence.

I do hope the dog warden speaks to them and sorts things out a bit -have you heard back from him or her yet?

Lindsay
x

No -- thanks Lindsay - I haven't had time to spit these last 2 days because I have had my nearly 2 year old granddaughter.  My husband took the dog out today and she came back with the lovely odour of fox dabbed behind her ears.  Rather that then scared to death by being attacked by 2 big dogs.  It said a lot about people's knowledge of dogs when the community council clark who I spoke to  to report the incident (they are responsible for the footpath and this was a council house and I wondered if they had any other powers over their tenants) said that surely these dogs should be muzzled.  I had to explain that Rottweilers and Staffies do not need muzzles but all dogs should be trained not to growl and bark aggressively at their flimsy boundary fences  especially when those fences back onto a busy back lane and footpath.  I don't think I will chance it tomorrow because I don't want hassle before going to agility.  It will probabally be next week before I find anything out. I just feel I can't use that path any longer until I know that fence it secured.

Yes, I would report it to the police as well. It's too late once they have got out. You could try writing an anonymous letter to the homeowner stating your concerns and cc it to the police..... We have a similar problem nearby where the dog knows its boundary boardering on a busy A road. The gates are left open and it speeds to the gateway growling and barking but up to now has never gone beyond. My children back into the road off the pavement even though they are expecting the dog to come. It makes me boil how people are so irresponsible.

The visit from the dog warden has got them to repair the fence - have been past for the first time today and no dogs in garden.  Rest of fence is still flimsy but someone has made a good job of securing the hole.  I took my clicker and plenty of treats to keep my dog at heel and paying me attention all the way along the back lane. 

Well done Ceejay, now you just need to persist until the whole fence is secured to your satisfaction. Keep bugging the dog warden, you really could be preventing a tragedy - and if the Rotties got out and frightened someone, it would reflect on ALL  Rotties...

You are quite right - I have been told that when it is out it is perfectly sociable but I have never seen it out - don't think it is walked that often.  Once the owner called it and it responded straight away.  Shame they couldn't be on the ball a bit more with their dogs.  Once these 2 dogs start barking and growling the whole row starts - except for my dog's very good pal - Smudge the Whippet - he is the only well behaved one that my dog has socialised with on a regular basis.  The other terror on it's boundary is a yorkie.  Well it's boundary is secure so no worries.  However it is aggressive when we meet it out so really that owner should be paying attention to it's behaviour too.  Nobody is going to complain about a yorkie though!!!