Should we buy a house with aggressive dog next door?

We had a staffie. She was a lovely gentle dog. It might well have been said in jest

It's quite possible the dog is fine, but the neighbours are not! I definitely wouldn't want people like that living next door to me. What a ridiculous way to speak about your own dog. As others have said, they possibly have a reason for not wanting the house next door to them sold. But who cares, there are loads of houses and you'll find far better, I would think, so give these idiots a wide berth. There may be a sum to pay to the Solicitors for abortive work, but far better than exchanging on something that is going to make your family concerned about the future - and probably not just worry about a dog.

People who will have a nice dog and think of it like a weapon are often a few sandwiches short of a picnic. To speak like that to prospective neighbours? Do they sound even half reasonable human beings? Avoid at all costs.

I bought a place where a staffie lived next door but it wasn't until I moved in that I knew that. Next door dog then became aware that I had a dog when we met it with it's owner in the road outside after I'd been there a couple of days...and straightaway growled and lunged at mine. Both on leads luckily.

From then on every time the dogs were in their respective back gardens there would be lots of barking and the staffie would throw itself at the fencing every day to get at mine. I was really worried as my dog was so small. I rehomed her with my sister [my dog eventually forgot the chaos she'd been through as it had been making her nervous and hyperalert, upsetting to see]...as I could see the fence would give way one day.

The owners were not a nice couple, very territorial and interfering with others in the street. I moved in the end.

So I would say do not buy this house, from bitter experience. I wouldn't take the risk.

What a peculiar thing to say.
As others have said, the vendor has to declare any conflict with neighbours.

Delila

I have a little dog & I’ve had owners of large dogs say to me, jokingly, “my dog would eat yours for breakfast”, when actually there was no danger of any such thing, it was just intended as a comment on the contrast in size.

The use of the word “kill” suggests otherwise, but perhaps it was said in jest?

I agree.A house we once moved to had a neighbour next door who commented with a grin, that if our cat went into his garden his dog would kill it. He was a strange character, and his dog never did anything, though no doubt ( like all dogs) would have chased any cat that did venture in.
It’s an unpleasant thing to say to a new neighbour, but I wouldn’t pull out of buying a house close to exchanging contracts because of it.

Will the neighbours dog start barking every time you walk out of the door or your dog goes into the garden?
Nothing worse than living next to a dog that barks at you even if it’s on the other side of the fence and nothin as scary as a large powerful dog hurling itself at a fence with you on the other side of it.

Why are the present owners selling? Shouldn’t they, by law have to legally inform the buyers, if there is something bad about the neighborhood.

Why don’t your daughter and her husband have a word with other close neighbours to try to gauge their opinion of the man with the dog ?

I agree that it was a strange thing to have said and it could be a warning of a potentially troublesome man or it may just have been a rather silly throw away comment from a rather childish man.

Regarding barking, or concerns about any possible noise problem, it’s always recommended that potential buyers walk past the house on various days of the week, and different times of the day and just listen.

It may have been a throw-away, jokey remark but rather daft, admittedly.

Staffies are not usually aggressive, however, tiny dogs, particularly terriers, can often be aggressive.

A strong fence should prevent any problems. I'd make sure that it was solid, though, so that the neighbour's dog couldn't see through it. My dog is very territorial and dislikes other dogs (loud but not aggressive). When next door got a dog, she barked herself hoarse when outside - for a couple of weeks - then, seeing no result or reaction whatsoever, decided to ignore it completely!

Logically, it makes little sense to choose (or not) according to the neighbours. People often move away, others move in - and you can decide how much, or how little, interaction you have with them.

Initial judgement can be way off and misleading too. For instance, I have some very polite and (surface) friendly neighbours - who have behaved appallingly and made my life hell.

Others, who first struck me as rough, loud and common, have been absolutely brilliant.

This chap's stupid, offhand remark could just be a case of 'mouth before brain', after all.

You cannot put a price on having good neighbours. It's not possible to control who moves in over the years but there is no way I would choose to live next door to those Staffie owners - what a horrid thing to say, if in jest, but what a horrid fear to live with if they weren't joking.

Of course any larger dog can kill a tiny dog in seconds, but a large golden retriever, for example, is less likely to induce an atmosphere of tension than any bull breed, however soppy an individual Staffie might be with its own family.

I hate bull breeds though, as a young dog of mine was mauled by a bull mastiff who ran out of its open garden gate and attacked my dog, who was on a lead and walking politely beside my year-old daughter in her pushchair. My dog survived but needed stitches behind his elbow. It was over 30 years ago and I still tense up whenever I see any bull breed off leash or without a muzzle. Owners that joke about their 'killer' dogs aren't people I'd like as neighbours.

No way ever! Why would they say that anyway - saying that is aggressive! What if they have a baby? You could never relax in the garden!

Owners of aggressive dogs would probably keep very quiet about it - and deny it. If it wasn't just a silly remark, think about motive. I can imagine three:

They want you to pay to replace their fence.

They know somebody who'd like to but the house, cheap.

They hate the present owners - and want to cause them problems.

If my 'surface friendly' neighbours ever moved, I'd fall into the last category. I'd be very up front and honest about their planning breaches, damp problems and misconnected drains!

(buy the house)

At the very least do some checking in the area though the Vendors are unlikely to divulge very much if they are moving to get away from these people.

When our children were very young we moved from a flat to a house with a garden that we cold barely use because of a Weimaraner living next door. I went to hang washing out and the dog came out barking, snarling and throwing himself at the waist height fence. Terrifying! Our neighbour tried to reassure us and insisted the dog was harmless.

Fortunately he returned home one morning and saw the dog in full flow. He had the grace to apologise and the dog was kept inside when the family were out in the following years.

Pigsmayfly..I don't think that's s very nice thing to say regarding " my dog will kill your dog "comment. Th neighbours sound as aggressive as the dog. I wouldn't get too involved with that particular neighbour , killing a dog is not a good thing to say to anyone, I hope it's not a threat. Be wary or don't move in

I wouldn’t be too happy moving there but not because of the dog, more the neighbours. Who would make such a comment ? Insensitive, rude and unfriendly. Trouble up ahead.

Would be more concerned with the neighbours, they sound quite agressive and unwelcoming

The staffie owners in the house next door to where your DD and SIL would be buying sound aggressive, never mind their fierce dog, very unpleasant. It could’ve been a throw-away remark, but it would put me right off as it sounds threatening. These people sound as if they’re trying to put your DD and SIL off from buying, but is it just their sense of humour, warped as it is? I wouldn’t be happy about moving into that house. Perhaps have a few walk-by’s/rethinks before signing the contract.

mokryna and others... pigsmayfly says the elderly owner has died.

They haven't just moved because of the dog - or the neighbours!

I suspect a chain link fence is more protection than wooden panels. however some dogs can dig under a fence, and it is a good idea to lay solid slabs along the fence line, or bury some chicken wire there.

Perhaps a chat with the neighbour next to the house with a Staffie if there is one would be a good idea. Somebody said they would lose their deposit if they pulled out but except for new builds I think it is unusual here in the UK to pay a deposit these days but they would of course lose fees paid for surveys, searches and other legal work carried out. Definitely some more investigation is needed before proceeding to completion stage.

I definitely wouldn't go looking for trouble I'm afraid. No move for me. Perhaps that's why the house is for sale.

No way could I ever live there. I'd rather live in a tent.

I have lovely neighbours who have a staffie.