We recently moved into the cumberland valley area. Purchased a home on 2.7 acres in a more rural area.
Since we moved in the neighbors dog's have been a nuisance: primarily barking continuously. If we are outside, they bark the entire time. It has made it so we cannot enjoy the great property we have.
We have tried to be patient with the neighbors, mentioning the issue in a friendly way. However, their repsonse (when they are home to address the barking) is to shock the one dog and scream at the other. Both dogs are kept outside (one tied up:chocolate lab/ the other in a kennel: german shepherd mix). Niether dog seems to be well socialized. The lab's barking is annoying but non threatening. More excitement and release of pent up energy. Understandable as he is a high energy/intelligent breed. The german shepherd's barking I have always interpreted as more threatening.
Our kids are not afraid of dogs and normally nor am I. We own a large breed dog ourselves (Bernese Mountain dog). Our dog's best playmates are large breed babies: mastiff, labs and german shepherds.
What has started as a nusiance today jumped to a deep safety concern with the neighbor's dog.
I walk my berner everyday. He is a big boy at 115lbs. He far outweighs me but is very well socialized and wonderfully obedient. Thank god after my experience today!!
Like always, my boy and I were walking down our road. As I passed our property line, the neighbor's normally kenneled german shepherd mix came charging up their driveway growling and barking very viciously toward me and my dog.
He charged off their property into the road at me growling, barking and baring he teeth. My instant reaction was to scream "BACK, BACK BACK". I had no idea what this dog would do nor how my dog would respond to the threat. I was terrified!
The dog continued to bark, growl and bare its teeth (snapping too) at me about a foot away. It was bizarre because it didn't focus on my dog at all. All that aggression was aimed right at me.
Finally, the owners must have heard me screaming because they called off the dog. NO APOLOGY. THEY DIDN'T EVEN COME UP THE DRIVE TO SEE IF I WAS OKAY! They just yelled at the dog to get back into the kennel.
Thank god my dog is well trained! In our house, BACK is our danger call for him to immediately sit and freeze. I truely believe this command and control over my dog prevented both of us from being attacked.
What disturbs me about this situation is the owner. He never came over to speak to us about it. WE had to go to him and his response was to declare he was getting rid of the LAB? The lab has never acted in a threatening mannner.
I think it is very important to file a report but I don't know the proper entity. I have children that play in our yard, a dog and neighbors who walk down the street all the time. If this dog were to go after or harm anyone else, I think it is important to have it documented.
Any suggestions? Animal control/ police? who?
The owner's response when my husband went to talk to him was "I don't think she would hurt anyone"....I beg to differ. I have owned dogs all my life. Never would I tolerate or allow my dog to threaten someone that way.
All I have to say is if that dog steps foot on my property, she is done. NO questions asked.
Do I have the right to alert other neighbors to the risk? We have elderly folks on our street that walk too.
