neighbors dog is threatening and loose

The argument about the dog in its own yard is ludicrous. It doesn't matter, most laws state dog must be under control within city limits. If there is a leash law where they live the dog has to either be on a leash, tethered or contained within a fence. I consider myself a very responsible dog owner and one of my dogs has very good voice control. I still don't let her wander out in the front yard unattained or unattained too. It is my responsibility as a pet owner to control my animals in order to keep the common public safe.

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Originally Posted by wishexotics

most laws state dog must be under control within city limits.

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I think your wrong there, you may have meant to say, most counties, or perhaps most cities... but not most states, as only Michigan and Pennsylvania have leash laws blanketing the entire state.
Only about 10 states have laws in regards to loose dogs, and they do not all require a leash

http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovusdogleashlaws.htm

I have seen just about every breed and mixed breed out there that has at least one bad apple, maybe it was just that dog or maybe it is because I work for a water company...

He said "Most laws state..." not "Most state's law".
I think a lot of places do have leash laws that require the animal to be contained in some fashion.
I think the dog is probably being protective of it's territory, and is only coming out of the yard on occasion, especially after having "chased" a intruder away. If so, it would be hard to have it picked up as a stray, because by the time the animal control is there, it's back on it's own property.
I personally would attempt talking with the owner in a calm fashion. If they are unwilling to fix the problem in some way, then I would definitely go to the police, or animal control, with video of it's behavior.
Yes, it could be just a big dog who is overly excited, but it still could bite someone, just because it is overly excited and NOT contained. No one wants a child mauled just because it MIGHT not be a problem dog.
I've seen several goldens that were nasty. I saw one that even had 'springer rage' and attacked me with no warning, two seconds after wagging his tail happily. Less than five minutes after the attack, he was wagging his tail again while I bled.
The legal issue will probably hinge on how much OUT of the yard he is, and the video proof of his actual actions.
Good luck.

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Originally Posted by starmom

Are you sure this behavior is coming from a Golden?? :O Very atypical for that breed.....

Arrange a time for a sit-down with your neighbor to discuss the issue and your concerns; I'm certain that this will help.

If it doesn't, and the dog is contained within its own yard, there's not much you can do. If the dog is indeed posing a threat outside of its yard, you could call animal control and speak with them.

However, I would most certainly speak with the owner first.

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I know a girl that when she was about 4, was with her mom minding her own buisness, and was attacked by a golden. She still has bad scars on her face to this day.

And when I was like, 8 or 9 a black lab, "great family dog", attacked me out of the blue. I LOVE dogs, and they LOVE me- well, or maybe respect me, I dont know- but I was doing nothing wrong, I was walking towards my step-dad and it came out of no where and tore up my hand. THEN, went after it's owner, for no reason... So trust me, it dosnt matter what breed it is- it's how its trained, raised- and it's own personality. An animal is an animal.

On another note, I have two dogs- a pit bull mix and a husky. The pit mix is almost three, and when we got her (she was between 3-4 months), she had been abused and had A LOT of issues. Luckily though, me and my family are very dominant people, so training wasnt hard and she can now be in the front yard with us, with no problems. BUT, when we first got her, we went from having no fence, to a six foot privet fence because of how aggressive she was to strangers. We didnt wait for any complants- the first time she "went at" someone, she was in the house or out on a leash until the fence was up. If you have a "aggressive" dog, learn to contain it, and conrol it. Simple as that. If you cant, then why do you have a dog?

Wow, thanks everyone for all of the detailed responses. I, too, take this issue very seriously. I understand the implications for the dog owner and owners everywhere. I have had dogs all my life- big and small-and sort of consider myself a "Dog Person" and have read and researched endlessly for as long as I can remember. I have waited to act because I needed to make sure that my actions were well thought out and not impulsive or entirely fear-based. Asking the opinions of intelligent people that care about animals is apart of that. I haven't walked past this house for the last couple days while I mulled over the issue. I believe the dog was behaving threateningly- head lowered, teeth bared, hair standing up, front legs apart... I am confident that the dog is not under the control of the woman that I am assuming to be the owner. There is no fence in the front yard and the owner persists in allowing the dog to be in the yard with her and sometimes without. I am unable to feel safe in the neighborhood because of this. I think the dog did not step out of the yard as we walked by because I was trying to claim the space that we were in without challenging or backing down and the dog was unsure- my son may not be able to do this, and we shouldn't have to. If I had let my gaurd down or made some unintentional move the dog may have come out and attacked. I think the most intelligent thing to do is go by myself and talk to the owner(s)-deep sigh- and expect to be blown off. I'll figure out the law first and discuss the issue with animal control before I go. The problem I have is that I am less confident talking to the owners than I would be facing the poor Golden.:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by palmer

Wow, thanks everyone for all of the detailed responses. I, too, take this issue very seriously. I understand the implications for the dog owner and owners everywhere. I have had dogs all my life- big and small-and sort of consider myself a "Dog Person" and have read and researched endlessly for as long as I can remember. I have waited to act because I needed to make sure that my actions were well thought out and not impulsive or entirely fear-based. Asking the opinions of intelligent people that care about animals is apart of that. I haven't walked past this house for the last couple days while I mulled over the issue. I believe the dog was behaving threateningly- head lowered, teeth bared, hair standing up, front legs apart... I am confident that the dog is not under the control of the woman that I am assuming to be the owner. There is no fence in the front yard and the owner persists in allowing the dog to be in the yard with her and sometimes without. I am unable to feel safe in the neighborhood because of this. I think the dog did not step out of the yard as we walked by because I was trying to claim the space that we were in without challenging or backing down and the dog was unsure- my son may not be able to do this, and we shouldn't have to. If I had let my gaurd down or made some unintentional move the dog may have come out and attacked. I think the most intelligent thing to do is go by myself and talk to the owner(s)-deep sigh- and expect to be blown off. I'll figure out the law first and discuss the issue with animal control before I go. The problem I have is that I am less confident talking to the owners than I would be facing the poor Golden.:rolleyes:

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I understand your prediciment, I would advise you to take a family member of friend with you when you go round to discuss the issue, both for additional support and a witness.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

I think your wrong there, you may have meant to say, most counties, or perhaps most cities... but not most states, as only Michigan and Pennsylvania have leash laws blanketing the entire state.
Only about 10 states have laws in regards to loose dogs, and they do not all require a leash

http://www.animallaw.info/articles/ovusdogleashlaws.htm

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He didn't say "most State laws", he said "most laws state".Oh Oh. Sorry. I see Wolfy-Hound already noted this.

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Originally Posted by palmer

There is no fence in the front yard and the dog seems to stay in the yard if we are in front of it before he sees us. He'll bark and growl and lunge at us, but rarely puts a paw in the road. Just after we pass he'll be in the center of the road in a defensive stance. Often see him before we get to the house in the road in this same posture.

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I'm surprised no one has commented on this part yet. It should be pretty obvious what is happening. The dog makes a big racket, and you leave, so it gets positive reinforcement. Of course it keeps happening. That cycle needs to be broken for something to change.

Also, this sounds like a dog that is more motivated by fear than aggression, because of the way it retreats to the safety of its yard when you get closer, then only goes back out to the road once you have moved on. That doesn't necessarily mean it can't be dangerous... frightened animals can be very unpredictable and bites motivated by fear are still bites. However, it does change how I'd handle the situation.

My first step would still be to approach the owner, and plenty of people have had good advice there. Once you have the owner's permission and cooperation (if you can get it, if not your choices are pretty much live with the situation or contact the authorities), I'd arrange a time when you can go over without your kids or your own dog, bring some dog biscuits, and try to make friends with the dog.

WARNING! What I am about to suggest has the potential to be dangerous if not done correctly. Make sure you understand, and also read the additional warnings I added at the end.

Approach the dog directly, with confidence but without aggression. If you've ever watched Cesar Milan, keep his "calm assertive" mental image in mind. Most likely the dog will make a stand, but when you get close it will back off, just like it does if it is in the road when you approach its house. Just continue towards it.

I've done this with a few different dogs, and they have usually attempted about 3 times to buff and scare me off, then they realize I'm not fooled and they retreat for real, stop the racket they had been making, and go lie down in a place they feel safe. This is when you need to stop also. Stay close to them, but do not chase them once they stop bluffing. In my experience, it has not taken long before they come check me out, and then I can pet them and/or offer the biscuit.

During the entire time, you'll have to pay close attention to the dog's behavior. At times, if it seems to be getting more excited, you may want to stop and stand still, but do not back down or move away from it. If it corners itself, do not chase it into the corner, make sure it always has an escape route. If, at any point, you have any doubts about the dog's frame of mind, it is much safer to take a bit of a time out (again don't back down, just stop pressuring the dog by moving forward). It will take longer, and perhaps more repetitions, but you'll still get the same results as long as you stop reinforcing the behavior by allowing the dog to believe it has run you off.

For a while, you will need to approach the dog every time you see it, especially if it starts into its "I'm going to scare you off" routine. Otherwise, you are just teaching it that it can scare you off, and reinforcing the behavior.

WARNING! There is potential for this to go very wrong and the dog could end up attacking you. This should not be attempted by someone who is not familiar with dogs, but since you say you are a dog person that has had dogs your whole life and researched them, you can probably pull it off without an issue. Do not do this if the owner is not "on board" with it, because the dog will react to the owner's cues (including ones they are giving off subconsciously). Do not do this if you are not confident of your ability to stay calm, neither fearful nor aggressive. Do not do this if you, having seen the dog in person, think I am wrong about it being fearful and bluffing and think it is truly aggressive. Do not do this if you believe the dog is fearful enough to be mentally unstable.

Also, although I have emphasized how important it is not to back down, if you get in the middle of this and decide you are in over your head, you might need to stop because if the dog detects your lack of confidence, that will make the situation more dangerous. For example, if the dog does not follow the pattern of making a stand to try to bluff you, then retreating when you get close, I would abort because that might mean the assumptions about why it acts the way it does are incorrect, and then who knows what you are dealing with.

I'm pretty sure his behavior is fear-based. I am very familiar with Cesar Milan, and as I've said before, I, by my self, maybe able to handle the dog. I don't have too much confidence in my ability to maintain calm energy with the owner(s) around... People kinda change my energy-know what I mean? Besides, what you're talking about is a longer term project that I am not up for. I suppose I could attempt standing in place out in the road and wait for the dog to retreat, but then the owners might report mefor my strange behavior.:P Even if I were successful with this technique, it doesn't guaruntee my sons safety, does it?