Since last Christmas my neighbors have had their one dog, a brown lab, running over to my place all the time. I have my place fenced and 5 dogs. When he'd run over here, my dogs would all go nuts and it made it hard for me because I couldn't do anything. They'd take their quad and have their dog running behind the quad. I complained to the by-law people and the man kept doing it. He thinks it's okay to have his dog loose and running over here but someone else's dog would go in his yard and he'd get really mad.
I have complained to the police and the man still kept up having his dog running loose all summer. I have spent all spring and summer building another fence to keep my dogs away from the fence I already have and they do nothing, don't fence their yard or tie up their dog. I went over their twice with a note telling them to keep their dog over there and the second time, he sicced his dog on me. The dog chased me as I walked out of their yard and stood there growling at me and I was afraid I'd be attacked and bitten. Yet this man still has his dog loose and takes no responsibility.
I don't drive a quad. When the man starts his lawn mower, the dog runs over here too.
I think their dog was conditioned to run over here when he hears a quad sound because he was "trained" to do so. Then they'd yell "Errol" when he'd run over to my fence. From what I know about dogs, I think when he hears his name, it means he should run over here.
I was so mad plenty of times, I felt like putting a gate in my fence and letting him in here, but I spent hundreds of dollars and time and work building another fence.
I bought Sit Stay Fence in summer because it was a good deal and I was having trouble with them and their dog running over here. My dogs behave okay if he stays over there.
It is harder with five dogs then with one dog to train them. I used the clicker with mine. For housebreaking, I had only two dogs and had to keep them tied up to keep them out of my neighbor's yard or my neighbor would shoot them or send them to the pound. Then a few years later my neighbor had his dog running over to my fence all day long every day that I built to keep my dogs out of there. They claimed they couldn't do anything because I have more dogs. They don't even try.
I was shaking a pop can that had six pennies in it and my dogs would all come running and then I'd click and treat them all. If one was by the house, I'd click and treat her and the others were far away but they'd see me treating her and get jealous and all come running for theirs. It's more complicated with five. Everything I read is about one dog.
People drive quads by my place and my place was fenced, yet they'd swear at me but the same people can't keep their dogs from running over to my fence.
In a few more years my dogs will all be old and I was thinking I ought to open up my fence and let my neighbor's dog in here and then take him to the SPCA. When I don't want him over here, they claim they can't keep him over there and then they'd be saying I stole him. If I got my own dog, it'd forever be the wrong dog according to them. If my dog barks they'd swear and then their own dog was barking 6 hours a day and running over to my fence. Then if my dogs were all inside sleeping, they'd say they were concerned because there was no sign of activity.
They don't train their dog at all or pay any attention whatsoever to him. They sit in the house and he's outside alone all day and outside alone all night. He used to be quiet at night but now since I have two fences in between me and their place, he barks all night.
If I left my dogs tied up outside at night, they'd bark all night too. My dogs sleep in my bed with me. For example I had four big dogs in bed with me and one on the floor beside my bed last night. All the dog books say not to do this because to be "alpha" you shouldn't have your dog in your bed. The facts are that my dogs were on my bed with their mother since they were two days old. Their mother died from porcupine quills when they were 8 weeks old.
My dogs have a ranking system amongst themselves but I have never had a problem with any of them trying to be the boss with me. My problem is with people, not dogs.
I think my neighbor ought to fence his yard because his dog probably thinks my place is his territory. They do what they want and blame their dog, my dogs, and me, never themselves. I believe it's the owner's fault for not training his dog and understanding his dog's behaviour.
Next time I don't want this many dogs. The previous neighbor started problems when I had only one little three month old puppy. I had to tie her up so she wouldn't chase them on the quads which they were all driving by my place eight hours a day seven days a week. Then after it was fenced, my dogs got out three times and they had the police here each time. Now they can never keep their dog out of my place and don't even try, just make excuses that they "can't".
I get along well with my dogs. They are long past the chewing, housebreaking stages. The only problem I had with chewing was one dog I had who chewed up a $50 pair of shoes,and the cord from my television. The dogs I have now are used to being left inside. I left six dogs inside when I went to town and nothing was chewed up when I got back.
This problem is more about people than about my dogs.
