just a bit of a moan... neighbours.

Just wanted to have a moan about some annoying neighbours!! they have 4 kids, and all 4 kids yell at our dogs nearly every night through the hedge, worse still they make dog noises, it really winds bluebell up and she barks and barks and barks, lottie isn't so bothered, but i just feel annoyed with those little brats! i have put up some screening to try and make it more private, but they still do it. they also have a trampolene, so all bluebell sees is these kids jumping up and down trying to annoy her. i am not saying kids cant have fun, but it is just annoying me that they are doing stuff on purpose!!! if they keep doing it i will say to them to stop or ill speak to their parents....

the thing is, other people who live nearby probably think "i wish those dogs would stop barking" - well if the kids stopped annoying them then they wouldnt bark as much.

i would definitly be having a little chat with their parents, the horrors! good luck!

Hi tupup

I think I would try tossing a couple of had grenades over ,but send the dogs to your mums first ,and if that dont work try a couple of napalm bombs and if that dont work nuke the bxxxxxxx. Or you can borrow my AK 47 or UZI my Barrett hasnt come yet ,good luck theres nothing worse than pain in the ass neighbours.


Best Wishes

brian

I was trying to come up with something also. HOw old are the kids? all under 5? Maybe you could go to a costume supply and rent a scarey costume that is real looking and when its dark jump over the fence and grab them and when they run peeing their pants from being so scared--lol. If that doesn't work then talk to the parents.

Sounds like a nightmare!
I hope you figure it out! I'd borrow a friend's rottweiler or two - leave the pups at a friend's if you are not sure if it's friendly! Leave them in the yard for a few hours to scare the kids!

I fostered a few rottie pups once and nothing says leave me alone like a large barking dog!!!!

Jen and Ilsa

how about saying
"you like playing with the dogs, you can clear up after them"
then flick dog poo at them

sorry very low tolerence for gittish kids

:lol: wow some great ideas here for pesky kids, keep 'em comming, Emma which one do you think you'll go for ? I had a similar problem before, and I found a good telling off worked.

I've lived through that nightmare at my old house, so I know how you feel! I don't know what ages the kids next door to you are, but if they are a little older they might retaliate. I'd worry that they might start throwing stuff over the fence that you wouldn't want your dogs to eat. I'd deal with the parents first, and try to find an article to show them about kids teasing dogs - the damage it can cause.

ilsamom said:

I fostered a few rottie pups once and nothing says leave me alone like a large barking dog!!!!

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A truer statement was never written. We have a HUGE Pyrenean Mastiff in my neighborhood. The first time I saw that dog bark and jump up on the fence I about pee'd in my pants!!! I think Lucky did too.

(BTW, we later met that 180 lb dog and he's the sweetest most gentle thing in the world, but that BARK means business!!)

Emma, I hope you get the situation resolved amicably. I'd be a bit concerned actually about retaliation too, like Cathy said. You just need to be careful.

Thats a great idea cathy about the article. The kids i would say are all under 10, maybe one is 10 or 11. I did say to George that they might throw things over and that we would have to keep an eye on them. The previous people who lived there have gone over to America for 2 years, having rented the house to this new family.

I actually caught the older boy this morning yelling at them and climbing on the fence, so i caught him and told him off, saying if i caught them doing this again i would be round to speak to your parents, and that they shouldn't wind dogs up and encourage them to bark! he looked a bit scared and just said rather quietly "ok" and went away, so i shall keep watching this space! they are right little buggers, and i don't have any patience for children!!! (sorry not a bit fan of them!) - prefer cavaliers!

I am in a similar situation, my neighbour has 4 kids, ranging from 6 to 15 and they are total brats!!!! They keep kicking their ball at our windows, I have been out to them several times and all I got for that was an egg thrown at my front door on halloween night! I really dont envy you, I am not a huge fan of little darlings either, give me a cavalier any day :biggrin:

Well, at least when you corrected him, he responded with some respect. That would give me some hope that they are not total brats, but maybe they are just not showing good judgment in this situation. Maybe you could invite them over to meet the dogs in your yard? Then they would get to know them (and you) and there would be less fun in provoking them. Most cavaliers will win people over very quickly, as we all know! Right now the kids just know your dogs as little yappy creatures that they probably hear their parents complain about. Personalizing things sometimes helps in these situations.

Just a thought. It's hard to know without actually seeing the kids in action how they would respond.

How about turning the water hose on them, or set of a piecing alarm, sit and wait until they start, im sure what will happen is there parents will soon complain about how your scared their kids, dogs dont seem to count to some people you would only have to do it once though di

Daisy's Mom said:

Well, at least when you corrected him, he responded with some respect. That would give me some hope that they are not total brats, but maybe they are just not showing good judgment in this situation. Maybe you could invite them over to meet the dogs in your yard? Then they would get to know them (and you) and there would be less fun in provoking them. Most cavaliers will win people over very quickly, as we all know! Right now the kids just know your dogs as little yappy creatures that they probably hear their parents complain about. Personalizing things sometimes helps in these situations.

Just a thought. It's hard to know without actually seeing the kids in action how they would respond.

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I agree. It would probably be better to try & make friends, not enemies.

Despite what many members may think here, there will be more attention paid to complaints about your dogs barking than complaints about your next door kids teasing them.

It would be a good idea to encourage the children ( and their parents ) to know & like you & the dogs if possible.

Otherwise Brian will just have to sort out the vapouriser gun in his attic & rid you of the whole family.

Margaret C

Maybe you could invite them over to meet the dogs in your yard? Then they would get to know them (and you) and there would be less fun in provoking them. Most cavaliers will win people over very quickly, as we all know!

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I think this is a good approach, as a follow through to having laid down the law on talking to parents.

I'd explain the dogs get really upset and unhappy if they are teased and bark. Instead why not say they are welcome to come around once a week to visit the dogs instead; they can ring the bell and come around to the back.

If they continue to pester the dogs I'd just really politely talk to the parents. But you also have the responsibility, and a legal one, to keep your dogs from barking, which means you will need to take them in if they bark.

So, the best approach is one of friendliness to defuse the situation and also -- just bring the dogs in so they don;t get upset. Kids tend to be noisy and squeeky when playing anyway, and they have a right to play on their trampoline and make kid noises. The legal onus is on you as the dog owner to bring in your dogs if they bark -- a complaint can be made formally which could see you having some serious problems including having the dogs impounded if neighbours start to make complaints! -- so it is better to avoid the barking by just bringing the dogs in.

Most dogs of any type will bark at unexpected noise -- it may not even generally be that the kids are teasing them but just that the noise is new and that sets them off.

I'd agree with Karlin. My big dogs don't ever bark without GOOD reason, but Lizzie is a real barker when she goes outside. I have to bring her back in frequently until whatever got her barking is no longer an issue (she barks when the neighbors dog goes out, or their cats, or the neighborhood cats go by, or large birds fly low overhead, or someone walks down the street, or the neighbors go out into their yard etc. I don't allow her to do so even though it is a pain to have to bring her back in, sometimes after only 30 seconds.
On the flip side, your neighbor kids do need something done about them. Teasing the dogs is certainly not acceptable, even if your dogs are barking. I'd try the "make friends" route, but for kids, they probably won't be inspired to be nice just to come over and visit the dogs once or twice a week. I'd offer an incentive, like pay them a small amount to do poop pick-up in your back yard and maybe even pay them for "play dates" with your dogs, like throwing a ball for 20 minutes or something. You could give them a few small, short responsibilities that they do once or twice a week and get paid (you don't have to pay kids that age much) for them. I'd certainly talk to the parents and try to make friends (and, of course, get permission for anything you'd be asking of the kids). As it is, the kids will become a bigger problem if they see you as crabby neighbors, and if they see the dogs as the catalyst in the situation, they will antagonize them more, or worse. You want to avoid that, no matter how bad you want to thrash the little crumb-snatchers.