neighbors dog is threatening and loose

That fact is you have to live with this neighbour and these sorts of situations (dogs, kids, etc.) can get messy and never ending.

Personally if you think you can speak with this neighbour I would ask her/him if you could sit down and talk. Don't take your kids or pets with you. Simply try first to talk to them adult to adult about the situation. Explain that if your child or pet gets hurt by their dog you will sue them, animal control will very likely seize and put down their dog and it will be awful for all parties concerned. Approach it from the view that you are trying to avert a problem before it occurs and for the welfare of both you and the neighbour. Be honest - tell them their dog scares people.

If you get no good response from this person then start carrying pepper spray and a camera. Take photos of the dog charging and barking or loose outside it's yard. Go down personally to animal control and show them your evidence and express your concerns. That way if your neighbour complains you can remind them you first tried to resolve this without involving the authorities but in the end you had to take the steps necessary to protect your young children.

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

I can't picture a Golden Retriever as aggressive either. Perhaps it is fearful. I would suggest asking the owner to introduce the dog to you so it would view you as a friend rather than a stranger. Give it a couple of dog biscuits.

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I second this thought too.

I have NEVER seen a mean golden, but i have met many dogs that snarl/growl and snap and bark, only to be angels when introduced. Excitement could be getting the best of the dog, and causing it to act that way.

I suggest going to petco or some other pet store and pick up some direct stop. It is a totally safe citronella spray. It works great for stopping aggressive dogs in their tracks. I have used it in the past and my wife who works at a dog daycare uses it for those trouble dogs that come for a trial day and start fights. It keeps everyone from getting hurt and gives you enough time to remedy the situation. This is not a cure for this dog. They cure is call you local city hall and ask about off leash laws and put in a complaint of an off leash and aggressive dog. Keep calling until it is resolved. This dog does not sound like he wants to play. Most dogs owners don't understand dog behavior and often mistake aggressive behaviors has I wanna play. There are clear differences, also alot of dog owners with dogs like that ignore it because they won't admit their dog has aggression issues. I would also try to talk with your neighbor one on one. It will be their worst day ever when this dog bites, has to be put down and they are sued for medical or vet bills. Good luck. If you have any questions pm. If I don't have a direct answer I can talk to my wife. She has several years in dog behavior.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Lets take a step back... what one person sees as just a dog barking in excitment, someone else may see a large threatening dog aggressively barking.

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True, but everyone has a different comfort level with different types of dogs and dog behavior. It is a dog owners responsibilty to control and protect the dog and strangers from situations that would be regretted. I own a rottie/st. bernard mix if I am walking her down the street and I notice someone who is nervious of her wiggly happy go lucky behavior I will cross the street and avoid that situation. Every person that owns a dog should not only be watching their own dogs behavior but also other dogs and people to prevent an uncomfortable encounter. Also I have encountered dogs with what was thought to be a happy greeting to find out it was the opposite. There are a lot of under socialized dogs out there that don't even know their own language.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

All dogs have different barks and levels of excitement, and if the owner says they are being friendly, perhaps they are. :cool: We shouldnt all assume that this one side of the story is the only truth.

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I agree, but like I said before we should at respect the space of others. Not everyone is a dog person or comfortable with large breeds. We shouldn't say that the OP is wrong in his story. Yes it is his side, but his side is the most important. He doesn't feel safe with his kids and his own dogs. That is all that matters. I have work with dogs for a few years and my wife still does. Even though we feel comfortable with our knowledge of dogs and behavior we still find ourselves in situations with off leash dogs in public we don't feel safe in. Dog owners need to be responsible and respectful of others and obey the leash laws. They are their for a reason, and off leash dog parks are their so people have a chance if they choose to interact with other dogs and people in off leash situations. Dog ownership is easy it just takes a little bit of respect for the others around you.

We had a situation just yesterday with our female Labrador that might have scared someone. We were walking home from the park with her, she was on her leash and halti and walking along calmly at heel. As we approached a house with many kids outside playing on the porch and out in the front yard, Bella suddenly went nuts. She starting barking, yelping, lunging, etc. I couldn't get her to calm down and I knew she would scare those kids so I walked her across the street and away from them. She calmed down fairly quickly and I wasn't sure what had set her off like that (very out of character for Bella who loves kids).

My husband and son continued to walk by the house and realized that as you got closer you could hear young puppies inside the house whining. That was what Bella was hearing and reacting so strongly too (she had the same strong reaction to the sound of wolf puppies whimpering on a recent tv show).

You have to have your dog under control, you have to be a responsible dog owner and you can't just let your dog scare people. Even in this case, where Bella's maternal instinct was driving her to act up and she wasn't being aggressive - she still could have scared those kids with her behaviour. She's a fairly big dog and all that noise and lunging is scary looking. It's a dog owner's responsibility to ensure your dog doesn't hurt, scare or bother other people. If you can't do that, you simply should not own a dog.

cannot agree more with the comments above about taking responsibility for your dog, thats what an owner should do at all times.

You have to think of other people its part of being a responsible dog owner.

If an owner is not prepared to think about the implications of their dogs behavior and the effect it may have they are putting their dogs at risk and really should not be in the position of owning one.

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Originally Posted by wishexotics

Dog owners need to be responsible and respectful of others and obey the leash laws.

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I read that this dog was in the owners yard, and the OP is walking in front of the owners house.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I read that this dog was in the owners yard, and the OP is walking in front of the owners house.

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I think it was also on the road here is a quote from the 1st post

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I learned to avoid walking in front of this house because the dog would stand in the road growling and barking with teeth bared.

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Originally Posted by snakey68

I think it was also on the road here is a quote from the 1st post

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Then why didn't anyone take action then? That is what most laws consider a stray dog, and animal control could have been called then to seize the dog.

However, if this animal is only in the owners yard, what can animal control really do unless there is some small snippet of law saying the animal has to be on a lead or leash in the front yard? (assuming it is the front yard)

I guess I am not satisfied hearing one side of the story, having seen the results of "misunderstanding" threaten the entire pet trade, I'm not going to be easily persuaded in this case. SO, with that in mind, I know my comments will only be seen as irresponsible or ludacrous by many.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

SO, with that in mind, I know my comments will only be seen as irresponsible or ludacrous by many.

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I certainly dont think your comments are ludicrous or irresponsible I think we need people like you questioning both sides of the story to get the truth.


I hope the dog in question is not overly aggressive and I hope that a good solution can be found for all concerned.