Neighbour's Naughty Dog

I’m surprised the height of fences wasn’t checked by the rescue organisation. Either your neighbour needs to increase the height of the fence or you do. Whether the dog can be trained not to bark is more difficult. Maybe if there is a close boarded fence which it can’t see through things would improve, but that wouldn’t be cheap. It’s up to your neighbour to keep her dog within her property, but legalities are one thing and practicalities another.

Germanshepherdsmum

I’m surprised the height of fences wasn’t checked by the rescue organisation. Either your neighbour needs to increase the height of the fence or you do. Whether the dog can be trained not to bark is more difficult. Maybe if there is a close boarded fence which it can’t see through things would improve, but that wouldn’t be cheap. It’s up to your neighbour to keep her dog within her property, but legalities are one thing and practicalities another.

Thank you for your reply. It is very helpful and enlightening.

Have you told the neighbour what happens when they are out?

Either way, the dogs need the training to prevent separation anxiety. It is not fair to the dogs or yourselves for this to continue.

I would say that you are concerned about the dogs being upset and maybe show them something online that you have found which would help the dogs.

When we adopted a rescue dog, we had a home check first and one of the requirements was that the fence should be at least 5’ high as he was a ‘jumper’. I would not put up with this unacceptable and anti social behaviour. You really do need to speak to your neighbour.

If the fence is yours, perhaps you could add some trellis to increase the height?

Even if the fence isn’t yours you could put posts next to it with trellis or something similar.
It doesn’t seen fair for you to have to go to the expense but if you can afford it then it will make you feel more relaxed even if it doesn’t stop the barking.
We had a problem with our neighbours free range chickens. I rang the council to ask whose responsibility it was - ours to keep them out or theirs to keep them in. The answer was theirs but we ended up fencing along the hedge anyway, sometimes it’s just easier.

I think you do need to mention this to the neighbour. After all she may not know the dogs are barking while she is out, as they probably stop just before she comes home again.

And she does definitely need to know that the one dog jumps your fences. The owner is responsible for the dog at all times and for any damage it may do.

What does the owner of the small dog feel about having this other dog in her garden?

Have you tried saying in a calm, reasonably low voice, "It is just me, you don't need to bark at me." or something like that, when the dogs bark at you when you are in your garden?

Obviously, dogs bark to defend their property , but they do bark for other reasons as well - insecurity, curiosity.
If you can establish yourself in the dogs' minds as belonging next door, they may stop barking at you.