Your dog, Your yard

Another thread has got me thinking, if your dog is in your backyard, and someone does something ie, put there hand over your side of the fence, tease the dog, look over the fence.
Who's fault does it end up being
What should the outcome be
What precautions should you take if your dog might take a bite at something/someone hanging over the fence? ie chained up? A pen made up for the dog? Something else?
Is it different if it is a child compared to an adult?

I never leave the dog out in the fence unless I am around.

I get that Labman, but look at the what ifs as well, say you are in your backyard and a child did something like reach over the fence and your dog hurt that child by accident or otherwise, how do you see it??

last summer I was running my six dogs in our paddock which sides onto a small country lane . a family went by all riding push bikes and with a young black lab on the lead held by the mum of the group - when my dogs saw then they all ran over to the fence whereupon the black lab pulled towards the fence to say hello too and the mum came crashing off her bike onto the road hurting her leg quite badly - her hubby then shouted at me for having my dogs out of control and off lead - on MY land and said he would report me - needless to say I did'nt hear another word !!

Our back garden is as it says at the back of the house, we have a secured 6 ft fence topped with a 2 ft trellis (thats for the climbing roses and honeysuckle etc) the back fence has two large fir trees infont of it which form a thick blanket of privacy........and in my opinion if someone was in our garden then they had to of climbed over the garden behind us/come up the side of our house and next doors then climbed into mine so if they got bit....then thats thier problem.

We had this senario last year with someone the police were chasing and Bruce soon put paid to any intention he had of climbing on our shed roof.......later the Police came to see if I was OK and told me to get Bruce ''signed up'' but seriously if they came into our garden then thier intention wouldn't be honourable

Unfortunately in this country, from what I've read if your dog bites a trespasser on your land, you are still responsible. Incredible the amount of rights burglars etc have these days!

Little off topiC but if u leave a pair of shoes on ur stairs a burgler falls over them and down the stairs an breaks his leg he sues you how does this work?! It's crackers.

Legally dog and owner are in the wrong really the idiot sticking his hand over the fence. I remember were I use to lj e the little en next door winding the dogs up he just wanted to play with them michael jumped up all excited and caught his hand, the little en said he had been bitten (which he hadn't not even a scratch) lucky his mum tole him off for winding the dogs up
ATD x

Kids have stirred Jed up I caught them throwing lemons at him, and there is a jacaranda tree hanging over their side and ours, and they were tormenting him, I yelled at them to cut it out, they denied doing it and I told them I had seen it and what are these lemons doing on the ground etc and they said 'oh someone must have then', my reply 'yes you lot and I will be over to see your mother next time it happens'
I know what the law says but feel there is a time and place where that isnt always the case.

At night my dogs have free acess on and out of the house via the dog flap... About 6years ago I was living alone my house is end terrace, a burglar climbed over my gate and into my garden. My little rescue Lancashire heeler jackjack attacked him. I woke up to the noise and called the police. By the time they arrived the man was long gone but there was blood on the path. They were able to catch the criminal when he showed up at casualty later to get stitches in his hand.

My dog. My land. The police were very complimentary about my guard dog and said he was the best thing I could ever have as a deterent. Burglars would very rarely attempt a house with a dog, even a small one. They advised not to put up any signs to beware of the dog as that could be perceived as admitting the dog is potentially dangerous. But to give him extra treats from them they bought him a bonio

But if that burglar had been a child??? Climbing over the fence to get their ball??? I bet they wouldn't have given him the bonio then!

Think of all the films where kids know there is junkyard dog neighbour dog etc. But chance it to get something. They always end up chased and usually bitten on the bum or leg vaulting back over the fence! It's a basically understood consequence of entering a property with dogs isn't it? Yet still even if the kid wasn't innocently after their toy but actually breaking in to steal your tv I would still bet that if jackjack mauled their hand I would have been facing a heafty fine and a heartbreaking decision!

But what can you do? We could all train our dogs to bark but never bite. Or to be friendly to all people even strangers coming over the fence or through a window. Or keep them locked in crates whenever we are not in direct supervision.

As a woman living alone I still rely on the security aspect of having three large dogs loose on my property. I guess I'll continue to chance it!

My next door neighbour has 4 large dogs - 3 seem sound, but 1 is always barking, and snarling.

If that one is not out, I do put my hand over the fence to stroke the other 3, but if he is out, I don't bother!

But if I got bitten when I was putting my hand over and stroking the dogs - I wouldn't blame them!
It would be my fault for encroaching onto their territory!

I have been bitten a few times when I worked at kennels - going into a dogs kennel - but I didn't blame the dog. Yes I was upset, but the dogs were probably scared/nervous, or just protecting what they see as their territory!