I have these neighbors.
Husband, wife and baby boy not yet a year old. They have dogs –two, black, yappy Schipperkes. I sure hope they are taking better care of the baby than they do of their dogs
Richie and the Bride of Frankenstein own about 2 acres. But that’s just not enough for them or their pets. The dogs (and the owners) seem to think our yard is their yard. They traipse all over it. They crap all over it (the dogs, not the owners). They bring over fleas and ticks for visits. They bark and growl at me when I go out in my own yard.
But the owners think this is okay. No, wait, they think this is funny.
It’s not.
I don’t know if their dogs are licensed. I can’t be sure they’ve had their shots. Frankly, because of this free roam policy, I don’t know where the dogs have been.
I own two Westies. They are licensed, have their shots and get treated for fleas and ticks as does our fence line. Our dogs only bark if I let them. If they fail to stop barking when given the command, they get to go inside, alone. Spike and Harri roam around 3/4s of an acre of fenced yard.
Our dogs are ONLY allowed out of the yard on a leash. The Schipperkes wouldn’t know a leash if it bit them.
Our state is one of only two that have statewide leash laws. Dog owners are responsible for controlling their dogs. That means the dogs are on a leash, in a fenced in yard or in a kennel. So what’s the problem? Why don’t I just call animal control and turn them in?
Like it or not, they are our neighbors. Not close neighbors for a couple of reasons. We live about an acre away from each other. We’re not in the same stage of life. Our daughter is grown. We don’t socialize with each other — partying and drinking beer is not our idea of a good night. But still…they’re neighbors.
I can’t shoot them – the dogs, not the neighbors. I don’t want a feud. If my Dad were alive he would say, “Good fences make good neighbors.” They do but I would hate to have to put a perimeter fence around our 2 1/2 acres just to keep their dogs off our property.
So, what would you do? I could use any and all ideas.
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