Enormous, scary pit bull next door
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Anonymous
| We live in a row house in Petworth. Our neighbor, who we share a fence (low, chain link) with has an enormous, very scary pit bull. It barks incessantly at us when we are in our yard and follows us aggressively along the fence as we move. I have two children. I have no doubt this dog would like to do us harm. I try to speak kindly and soothingly to the dog. I feel like we're living next to a time bomb. What are our rights? Should I film him and complain to the police, animal control? We do not feel safe. And I love dogs. But this one seems right out of central casting for killer pit bull. |
Anonymous
| Can you put up a tall solid fence? |
Anonymous
| I would move. |
Anonymous
|
You absolutely can call animal control. Here are the regulations: https://doh.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/publication/attachments/Animal%20Control.pdf
900.1 No person shall own or keep a dog that, by barking or in any other manner, disturbs the quiet of any neighborhood or any person. That said, your neighbor is likely going to know that it is you calling, so you have to weigh your relationship with them and the discomfort of living next to them after involving animal control. If you're uncomfortable using your yard now, there's a good chance the problem will just continue AND you'll be uncomfortable seeing the neighbor, not just the dog. If you're able to put up a fence inside the chain link one, it's not a bad idea. The other thing I personally would try is one of those bark-stopper sonic sound machines. They get pretty mixed reviews, and with a dog like this I find it very unlikely it will work, but you don't have anything to lose. |
Anonymous
| We have this situation as well (ironically, we also have two pit bull type dogs. Angry neighbor dog is a 125-lb. Presa Canario - Italian Mastiff). We know enough about dog behavior/body language from going through training with our dogs to believe it's just territorial barking, but this dog has gotten loose from her owner while on leash and attacked our older dog, so we still tread carefully around her. And the barking alone is incessant. We've tried (gently) bringing it up to neighbor several times, and at one point he promised to put up a privacy fence...but nothing. Bottom line: we're moving. Sorry OP. You can log a call or two with your local animal control, or build your own privacy fence, but that's about it in terms of what's in your control. |
Anonymous
| Move or huge tall fence. An owner that has a dog like that isn't going to be reasonable about it. |
Anonymous
| I don't understand the suggestions to move - this could just as easily happen in the next home, unless you select a home with a solid fence. And even then you could still have an aggressive dog next door - you might not see it, but have seen plenty of dogs bark through solid fences just because they hear something on the other side (or for no reason at all). Wouldn't you be better off to put up a different fence at your current home? I can't see paying literally tens of thousands of dollars in realtor expenses, moving, etc to deal with a dog problem. That seems absurd. |
Anonymous
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Maybe ask the neighbor if you could be introduced to the dog? If the dog considers you a friend he'll be less likely to bark at you.
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Anonymous
| Fence will do nothing for barking. Can you ask the owner to put the dog on a long metal line, so he cannot go over the property lines? |
Anonymous
| I would move. |
Anonymous
Me too but I would start with a tall solid fence in the meantime. Next owner won't want to deal with it either. |
Anonymous
| Privacy fence. |
Anonymous
| OP here. And I should say that I like my neighbor. I don't know her well but we're always pleasant to one another. I believe she took the dog in from her nephew. And i have NEVER, not once, seen him walked on a leash. He is only ever in the house or in the yard. |
Anonymous
Talk to your neighbor. Let her know that the dog is barking at you and the kids and that you feel intimidated by it. See what she says. Maybe she would be willing to hire a trainer to help to get this behavior under control or at least to understand it (and any dangers associated with it) better. |
Anonymous
This is an unsocialized, potentially dangerous dog (and I'm the PP with two PB types). The kindest thing you could do is ask someone from Animal Control (Humane Rescue Alliance in DC) come by and talk to your neighbor about behavior management, or rehoming if she can't safely manage the dog. They have great people on staff who will be super kind and understanding to your neighbor, but be warned they might not make it over right away. |