This morning's little incident with neighbour's dog

Well, you know how with me, it's never a day goes by....

Just got back from our usual morning walk in the rain, started climbing up the long, low steps around the side of our house to the side gate, and inbetween this is a flower bed and then the other neighbour's path up to their side gate where they have a high, wrought iron gate.

Zena was pulling me up the steps, I'd just got to the last one, where on the right hand side we keep our wheelie bins in an alcove, and I can see the neighbour's gate. I then see that blooming nasty labradoodle of theirs which has attacked Zena twice already, it opened the gate with its paws, and made its way through the big bushes towards us, I leaned forward to open our wooden gate to get to safety, but there wasn't time, the dog was there, knocked me over backwards down one of the steps (they're long shaped steps, so I only fell down one), Zena was cornered against the wall and the gate in front of us, Dave couldn't get to the dog because my body was in the way He managed to grab the dog, who swung round and would have bitten him if it hadn't of been for Zena stepping in and protecting herself, resulting in a yelp from the dog and it scarpered back over the bushes and back into it's own garden

Dave was livid, Zena wasn't hurt, nor was I, and he said he thinks she might have bitten it the way it yelped and decided it wasn't a good idea to pick a fight with her

He tried and tried to get hold of a dog warden, as he was having none of this anymore, this was the 2nd time in a couple of weeks, that this nasty dog has got free, having attacked Zena on OUR driveway as I was getting her into the car one morning the other week, it just appeared from nowhere between a dividing bush from their driveway and ours. The owners knew cos they were all there on the drive and apologised.

No dog warden on the end of any of the 5 telephone numbers supplied on the council website, so I e-mailed them telling them about it. The neighbours were both out, so I couldn't wait for one of their cars to return so that I could go round there and vent off.

The husband returned lunchtime, so I went round there in the p*ssing rain and knocked on his door. Told him what had happened, he apologised profusely, gave me a big hug and said he promised me that the gates would all be security locked in future and it would never happen again. He understood, he said he doesn't do aggressive dogs either and he knows what this dog is like. The little boy was there and I told him to back me up about the other morning when he saw how Zena had been attacked unnecessarily, so the father then knew about that cos she probably hadn't told him.

Dave's worry is, what if I was on my own, dog knocks me over on the concrete steps and I crack my head open, with him away all week, doesn't bear thinking about. I told the neighbour this! I also told him, this was the final straw, the dog warden has been contacted, as it's totally out of order that I should be afraid to come and go from my walks for the fear of getting knocked down/attacked or my dog assaulted on my own bluddy property

HAD I been hurt, rest assured they would be taken to court, but Dave being so close behind me I think he kind of broke my fall, but with the wall of the house next to me, I had nothing to grab a hold of. Poor Zena being cornered like that It was only when the dog went to bite Dave that she got her real adrenalin going and I think she might have bitten it, although it looked fine when I went round there lunchtime.

When I see his missus about all this, I'm also going to warn her, that next time she lets this dog come at me in the woods at 90 mph to launch an attack on Zena, I won't be held responsible when I let Zena offlead to greet it I don't think a stoopid labradoodle is going to be any match for a shepherd that's finally had enough of this aggression, but if I can launch it first with my boot, all the better. She will not be getting her vet bills paid either.

Surely the dog warden will want to get involved in this one? The blooming dog could have killed me, knocking me over on concrete like that, especially backwards My other neighbour said I should have rung the police and in hindsight I wish we blooming had

Always summat and it's never our fault

Feel better now I've ranted that away

If your dog is onlead and the other dog isn't then it is cut and dried, BUT if you let Zena off at it, and oh how I know you want to, then it is entirely different.
I would speak to the dog warden as soon as you can about it all as they will at least make a note of the incident and if you have a community police officer (with being on t'Committee you'll be bezzie mates probably) inform them about it and they will visit the people.
I know how tempting it is, but purleese DON'T let Zena offlead at it, otherwise it puts you on the backfoot.

Helena. The little terrier got out of its garden and onto the road and launched itself at Dillon the other day and that was frightening but in your own back yard that really is out of order.

****hugs***** poor you, that is horrible, I can't imagine and Dave is right to be worried if you were on your own, doesn't bear thinking about..

Poor Zena - the girls send her some kisses xxxx

Tempting as it is don't please let yours off lead to sort this out, your dog could end up in serious trouble and no telling what changes to the temperament after wards.

Really feel for you though as we have nightmare dog here too that we have to creep past to get out.

I see where you're coming from June, and yes of course you're right and of course I don't want Zena hurt, but I also see that I'm a great hindrance to her by pulling her behind me all the time cos she's been onlead when it's gone for her no less than 3 times now! It had no back up this morning, either, whereas it had the black lab in the woods,and 3 other dogs on its driveway the other morning, but today, it had the gall to launch a solo attack

Being neighbourhood watch co-ordinator of this road that I am I have access to the local police via their website where they send me the usual weekly updates, BUT, I don't want to take it quite that far yet, but if the dog warden doesn't respond, then I sure will be

Scarey isn't it Lynn, and we had the little black terrier problem at the old house, that one attacked her 3 times too up on the local green, zooming over at 90mph from the other end of it to launch said attack too, the very gall of it Everytime, Zena would get it into a rolling, yapping ball underneath her, but never a mark was put on it, until the final day, when she punctured its back leg because she'd had it by the neck, KNEW she could kill it in an instant as she slowly swayed it from side to side, but common sense prevailed and she decided to gently deposit it on the ground in front of her in the hope that it had been taught a lesson. It was only when it tried to scarper before confirming it had learned its lesson that she grabbed the hind leg.

Don't let Zena off the lead
It is scary isn't it.
I was out with Sal just before she died and a woman let a small yappy dog loose Sal was just getting into the backseat of the car I was by it obviously.
I was sort of blocking its entrance to the back seat it was jumping up the woman shouted "He wants to play" it was then biting my jeans attacking my trainers I held Sal's muzzle shut and shouted "You've got 2 seconds to get your dog or I let go." She did move then well sort of got it and grabbed it as if I were at fault - WHICH I WAS NOT. Then as I shut the car door to speak to her and she let it go again. It went after the two Boxers and the chap who walks then booted it.
I made a pointed walk over and wrote her reg number down and and went home.

Swyping on my tablet.

What a pain for you and zena. I haven't quite understood the layout, access, paths, gates and all that from what you say. I think any 'shared' access is a pain. Now they are in the wrong no doubt because their dog is loose (never mind aggressive too).

My thoughts are these. If you are going to complain officially because it is not the first instance - (they are aware you had a problem before and they should have fixed it so it didn't happen again) once you got no response from dog warden depots. you'd have been better reporting it to the police. They'd have to take it seriously then and it would be on record that they'd been warned. And they'd be far more likely to keep the dog under control in future.

Because you don't sound like you have much hope that they are going to with almost anticipating more problems when out walking or coming and going.

I know how it must make you feel but am sure you are not daft enough to set Zena on their dog and maybe end up being the one in the hot seat!

Bearing in mind all that is said about dogs on private property - what exactly is this bit where it happened? Public? Shared? Yours? Or what?

Are other neighbours aware or in agreement that her dog is a menace? Always helps if they are!

I don't like to think about you having neighbour problems in you new home where you've worked so hard to get it as you want it - especially when you are there alone so often.

OMG that must have been really frightening. . With any luck Zena will have warned the dog off what with the 'doodle' () yelping and retreating as it did. Sounds like that dog needs to be put in its place

Is there anyway you can put up a couple of 3' fence panels so the dog can't actually see you approaching from its gate? or would that not help. Or what about one of those little spray aerosol cannisters of 'Pet Corrector' which makes a godforsaken noise. I know lots of dog walkers who have them in their pocket for just the reason of scaring another dog. I couldn't have one as Rucksack is terrified of the noise hence me carrying my old riding crop, but you could probably get Zena use to the noise.

Its really not funny having a hazardous dog living right next door to you

Thanks Debbie, and bearing in mind I'm a pensioner with brittle bones and all that, this is verging on an assault on ME by a dog let alone an assault on poor Zena isn't it

I know Julie, I never have done in the past, and I probably never will, but you do feel tempted to let her fight her own corner sometimes without being hindred by me and her lead, but I like to keep her safe and that's why I always use a lead so that I can step in front and block the other dog if I have time. I'd hate Zena to be hurt, but this dog needs to be taught a lesson. Maybe one day, it will meet up with us when she has her 5 gsd friends with her and then let's see if it's up for it

The trouble is, they said they got this dog from a dubious breeder, they know that, they have issues with it, it doesn't like tall men (including Dave, it's gone for him on our driveway before). They also leave it shut indoors most days with the other dog, they give it no stimulation, sometimes it gets a 15 min walk in the woods, sometimes longer, but not regular walks like my dog gets. It's probably only just reached maturity and it needs some sort of stabilisation, otherwise I can see this getting very out of control if they let things carry on. Maybe my little visit to him this morning has made him think about this, I hope so.