Next door's dogs in out garden

Anti- social behaviour! I have to share a small hallway with a neighbour who persistently smokes weed.,.it stinks and penetrates into my flat. I've asked and explained how this affects me. Falls on deaf ears. Have spoken to the management company, they have sent a generic letter to all residents saying it is illegal. But guess what people who are constantly stoned (if they even read it) take absolutely no notice whatsoever.

Plevey08 Had a friend who had the same circumstances. Didn't hesitate to inform the police. The culprit rented flat and rental terminated, had to move out.The management company may well have authority to terminate agreement if any charges made by police.

If it's your front garden and there are no fences I guess there's not much you can do, but coming into your back garden, taking it's a private dwelling, then you should make it secure so dogs can't get in...
Don't put the fence up whilst the dog is there though as it may be trapped inside!

This is only sort of related but I didn't know where to post.

I'm still feeling really stressed about what happened a couple of hours ago.

My husband thought he saw someone walk down our drive so I went to look and there was a man coming out of our back garden. I was a bit scared and very cross. I shouted and told him to get out.

He then said something about looking for a dog. I said "you could've knocked on the door if you think your dog is in my garden".

He had to pass my front door and back door to get to the garden.

Then I saw three women coming from my garden. I admit I screamed at them to get out. I've never seen any of them before.

Once on the street it turned out my next-door-but-one neighbour had lost her dog and these people were looking for it. (It wasn't in my garden).

I told my neighbour that they just needed to knock at the door and I would have helped. I also said I would go and help now if wanted (she said no). I said just don't go in my garden without even knocking.

It's over but I'm still shaking. I feel like I'll be the talk of the village as the bad, shouty, old woman who didn't care about the missing dog (I do care, I would've gone straight out to search if asked).

I think I'm embarassed, not just by shouting at people but because the kitchen has a floor to ceiling window that you can see right in if you're in the garden and my husband doesn't always get dressed straight away (he's not weird, he may come down to get his meds before getting dressed, or may put his gardening clothes in the washer and be in the kitchen undressed).

The garden isn't tidy as my husband is working on things. He's building a fence and gate so the garden is completely fenced off but he's almost 70 and it will take him a long time to get it done. He's really cross about someone being in the garden.

I feel like our privacy counts for nothing and I dread bumping into neighbours as I'm sure it will be seen as me who's the problem. If no damage was done and it was just a bit of a fright for me perhaps everyone but me thinks it's okay to go into someone's back garden without asking.

How do I stop the uncomfortable feeling, not worry about being labelled 'the baddy' and not worry about other people thinking they're justified to be in my garden without even knocking on my door to ask me?

Sandgrownun I think you were absolutely in your rights to shout at these people. I would have been inclined to chase them out of the garden with a broom. How dare they walk uninvited nto your garden when you were clearly in the house. It would have served them right if you had rung the police.

People will only see you as the problem if you allow them to do so. In your place I would conplain to all and sundry about how having people come into your garden was frightening for you, you did not know who they were, you thought they were going to break in and you were afraid they might physically attack you, any way they were trespassing and what they did was illegal.

Put your best foot forward and present yourself to all as more sinned against than sinning and lay it on with a trowel.. You could talk about age and infirmity and only being pensioners, should you fancy it.

sazz1

Son invested in a motion activated sprinkler system that would target anything moving in the garden, then turn off.
He doesn't get cats, foxes or any other animal intruders now. Works well and harmless, helps water the lawn too.

A variation on that being to turn on a hosepipe and aim it straight at living beings trespassing.

In my case - neighbours dogs haven't particularly been an issue - and I've just shooed them out a couple of times and had chickens trespassing a few times - until it became clear to the relevant neighbours that I had figured out they could build up enough "protection" in their garden to stop the chickens going walkies at mine.

But a hose does come in handy for aiming straight at a trespassing neighbour (as - being a human - they'll know full well they should not be in a garden).

Yep......I've had issues with neighbours trespassing into my garden since buying this house and just the threat I'll hose them down works - since the time I pointed the hose straight at an offending neighbour. I think she thought I was just threatening and wouldnt actually turn it on her. So she kept trying to "break in" and head through into my garden like she was entitled - and I honestly thought she'd stop that when she saw me pointing my hose straight at her. She didn't stop....so I did turn my hosepipe on her and drench her. She hasn't tried it since.....LOL.

Yep...I think that was about the most obvious example of "entitled" behaviour I've come across - unless one counts the other neighbour that trespassed a few times and I caught him out walking straight through my garden (me a woman living on my own!!!) at 7 a.m. in the morning one day. Unfortunately I didnt manage to get out there fast enough to drench him.....or I certainly would have...

Sandgrownun

As per my hosepipe disincentive to trespassers - have you got a hosepipe? In which case.....

Hopefully it will be a one-off incident and they won't repeat their bad behaviour.

The other thing I've found very useful with them is I installed security cameras because of them - worth it as 3 separate households were all trespassing into my garden if they thought they would and two of those households were "regulars" at it! Neighbours like that do soon spot the cameras and their faces are an absolute picture of incredulity when they do and then usually literally back off.

The "keep out" message can take a while to sink in - as some people are very "entitled" - but they get the message eventually and it sunk into their heads finally not to think of me as a "little woman" - but to regard me as "a right fury - sex irrelevant....do NOT treat me worse for being a woman".

Sandgrownun

This is only sort of related but I didn't know where to post.

I'm still feeling really stressed about what happened a couple of hours ago.

My husband thought he saw someone walk down our drive so I went to look and there was a man coming out of our back garden. I was a bit scared and very cross. I shouted and told him to get out.

He then said something about looking for a dog. I said "you could've knocked on the door if you think your dog is in my garden".

He had to pass my front door and back door to get to the garden.

Then I saw three women coming from my garden. I admit I screamed at them to get out. I've never seen any of them before.

Once on the street it turned out my next-door-but-one neighbour had lost her dog and these people were looking for it. (It wasn't in my garden).

I told my neighbour that they just needed to knock at the door and I would have helped. I also said I would go and help now if wanted (she said no). I said just don't go in my garden without even knocking.

It's over but I'm still shaking. I feel like I'll be the talk of the village as the bad, shouty, old woman who didn't care about the missing dog (I do care, I would've gone straight out to search if asked).

I think I'm embarassed, not just by shouting at people but because the kitchen has a floor to ceiling window that you can see right in if you're in the garden and my husband doesn't always get dressed straight away (he's not weird, he may come down to get his meds before getting dressed, or may put his gardening clothes in the washer and be in the kitchen undressed).

The garden isn't tidy as my husband is working on things. He's building a fence and gate so the garden is completely fenced off but he's almost 70 and it will take him a long time to get it done. He's really cross about someone being in the garden.

I feel like our privacy counts for nothing and I dread bumping into neighbours as I'm sure it will be seen as me who's the problem. If no damage was done and it was just a bit of a fright for me perhaps everyone but me thinks it's okay to go into someone's back garden without asking.

How do I stop the uncomfortable feeling, not worry about being labelled 'the baddy' and not worry about other people thinking they're justified to be in my garden without even knocking on my door to ask me?

As a woman on my own I would have been very stressed by this and would probably have reacted just as you did. It is the people who were rude enough to intrude on your privacy and security who are in the wrong, not you, and they should be made very aware. Hold your head up and make your feelings known. You are not the problem.

sazz1

Son invested in a motion activated sprinkler system that would target anything moving in the garden, then turn off.
He doesn't get cats, foxes or any other animal intruders now. Works well and harmless, helps water the lawn too.

What a great idea. I will suggest it to my neighbour who suffers with good tempered resignation the local cats (mine included) visiting his lovely garden. Water will not hurt the cats and most hate getting wet. Might not be an option with all the hosepipe bans in force now though.

Flippinheck

Sandgrownun

This is only sort of related but I didn't know where to post.

I'm still feeling really stressed about what happened a couple of hours ago.

My husband thought he saw someone walk down our drive so I went to look and there was a man coming out of our back garden. I was a bit scared and very cross. I shouted and told him to get out.

He then said something about looking for a dog. I said "you could've knocked on the door if you think your dog is in my garden".

He had to pass my front door and back door to get to the garden.

Then I saw three women coming from my garden. I admit I screamed at them to get out. I've never seen any of them before.

Once on the street it turned out my next-door-but-one neighbour had lost her dog and these people were looking for it. (It wasn't in my garden).

I told my neighbour that they just needed to knock at the door and I would have helped. I also said I would go and help now if wanted (she said no). I said just don't go in my garden without even knocking.

It's over but I'm still shaking. I feel like I'll be the talk of the village as the bad, shouty, old woman who didn't care about the missing dog (I do care, I would've gone straight out to search if asked).

I think I'm embarassed, not just by shouting at people but because the kitchen has a floor to ceiling window that you can see right in if you're in the garden and my husband doesn't always get dressed straight away (he's not weird, he may come down to get his meds before getting dressed, or may put his gardening clothes in the washer and be in the kitchen undressed).

The garden isn't tidy as my husband is working on things. He's building a fence and gate so the garden is completely fenced off but he's almost 70 and it will take him a long time to get it done. He's really cross about someone being in the garden.

I feel like our privacy counts for nothing and I dread bumping into neighbours as I'm sure it will be seen as me who's the problem. If no damage was done and it was just a bit of a fright for me perhaps everyone but me thinks it's okay to go into someone's back garden without asking.

How do I stop the uncomfortable feeling, not worry about being labelled 'the baddy' and not worry about other people thinking they're justified to be in my garden without even knocking on my door to ask me?

As a woman on my own I would have been very stressed by this and would probably have reacted just as you did. It is the people who were rude enough to intrude on your privacy and security who are in the wrong, not you, and they should be made very aware. Hold your head up and make your feelings known. You are not the problem.

As a woman on one's own - then it could well count as sex discrimination if people trespass into one's garden - as I'd be willing to be they wouldnt do it if there was a couple living there and the man was a big burly one.

In reply to OP,-it's called a fence and a locked gate.

Thank you so much for responding and understanding how it could be stressful.

We aren't very frail but we aren't spring chickens in tip-top health either. We still wear masks to go and get the groceries as we could well be on a Covid hit-list if it ever gets one of us!

The man couldn't have known I had a husband indoors. My husband wasn't dressed so I went to look to see what was going on but I hadn't expected to go outside.

I honestly expected it to be a delivery driver looking for the right house (they usually don't go beyond the front door though). I absolutely wasn't expecting anyone to have gone beyond the back door and into the garden. I think my reaction was a bit out of fright.

When I told the man to leave and a minute or so later 3 women emerged from my garden (it's long and you can't see down it from the back door) it made me jump. I really shouted at them to get out. Not my finest moment, I don't remember the last time I shouted (must be decades ago!).

I just can't get my head around why anyone (4 people in all) would go past someone's front and back doors (the house is sort of sideways on to the street) and not knock.

I wouldn't have been so shocked if it was my next-door-but-one neighbour herself (about 25 years younger than us). I'd have still been surprised she hadn't knocked but at least she isn't a stranger.

I didn't used to be the sort that would feel vulnerable but somehow this silly little incident has shaken me.

Long ago we had a house with those open front gardens, no fences allowed. Next door used to let her dog out and shoo it onto our lawn to crap. I asked her nicely, once, not to do this but she just carried on. So I carried on picking up all her dogs poo, while she watched.

Mr Nextdoor was a desigher suit/handmade shoes/city type.
One morning as he rushed out of his front door he found himself ankle deep in a huge pile of dog poo right in the middle of his door step.

An hour or so later the milk boy knocked on the door and asks if I want this dog he's got on a string, because Mrs Nextdoor doesn't want it any more and has ordered him to take it away and find it a new home. He must have succeeded, because that was the last time I ever saw it.

Our previous dog was an escapist and would end up in neighbouring Gardens thanks to the holes the foxes made in the hedging , so we put chicken wire fencing all around the garden . Our current dog doesn’t escape thank god

Sandgrownun; your reaction was perfectly understandable. I have a porch that I don’t lock because the door sticks and there is another door anyway. But one night, quite late someone walked into the porch talking quite loudly. I can’t remember exactly what happened other than it really scared me and several years later the thought of it still freaks me out. Which reminds me that I’ve been keeping my side gate unlocked recently and I must lock it. If I looked out onto the back garden and saw someone standing there it would scare me. Perhaps you could go and see the owner of the dog and explain to her what had happened other than a second hand account from the people in your garden; if you show genuine concern for the fact that she’d lost her dog and was in a panic it will smooth things over. I’d like to think that she would show concern for you being upset, too.

Thank you.

They also had to go between our car (parked on the drive) and the water barrel. I think if you'd had to guess you'd guess we were in as the car was there!

My husband is making progress on the gate & fence. I'm so glad it was already planned.

Sprinklers aren't as common in the UK. Somehow I don't think the drip-feed for the tomatoes will have the same impact!

I'd consider the hose pipe if we didn't have a ban

butterandjam

Similar happened to me. Next door's new girlfriend's dog (not the escaped dog I was writing about) got through a broken part of their fence and I stood in something hideous as I walked down my path with a laundry basket.

Sorry to hear you can't have any fences. We are allowed fences but I didn't want to repair their fence. It's quite a lot of work keeping up with the fence that I'm responsible for (on the other side, everyone takes responsibility for a side each).

My solution was to put chicken wire across their broken fence. A couple of years later they rebuilt almost all their fence. Emphasis on 'almost'. Perhaps they bought one panel too few, I don't know but 4 years later there's still a bit they haven't done.

CariadAgain

7am! That's way beyond excusable. I think I would've reported that as a peeping-tom. Do they see your garden as a shortcut to somewhere?

The hosepipe treatment seems very effective.

You can get a similar deterrent that uses sound. If there are young people about it would not be suitable as the noise can be heard by those with good/outstanding hearing!
On the roving dog front pretty sure the law says you must keep your animals secure.

CariadAgain

Cameras are a good idea but might be a bit out of my price range.

Tenko

If anyone knocked and said their dog had escaped I'd be out helping straight away. I know it is a worry when a pet goes awol.

MayBee70

That sounds terrifying. I hope they weren't trying to get in.

I did explain (rather too emotionally) to the neighbour, who was stood on the street. Goodness knows why she didn't knock or go into my garden herself (it would have been less of a scare). I was rather pathetic and implored her to just knock if she wanted something. I asked if she wanted me to come and help look but she didn't.
BTW her dog wasn't in my garden. I heard later that the dog was at home but nobody came to tell me or to apologise.

Sandgrownun

CariadAgain

7am! That's way beyond excusable. I think I would've reported that as a peeping-tom. Do they see your garden as a shortcut to somewhere?

The hosepipe treatment seems very effective.

I could see it was Mr PeaBrain (as I called that particular neighbour) and I told him off forcibly for that. I made sure I told him off every time he trespassed into my garden - but he got a particularly strongly-worded telling-off for that particular trespass.

His response was to lie and say it wasnt him - which obviously made me all the angrier because it was very clear it was him. That was followed a few weeks later by him saying that "We (aka Mr and Mrs PeaBrain) hadnt seen you around and wondered if you were alright and so we were checking to see if you were".

Cue for comments of being in a lone womans garden at 7 a.m. in the morning, that anyone might still be in bed at that time and that I have a doorbell if they were really concerned (but it hadnt been rung by them).

My garden can't be used as a shortcut to anywhere else. But what I'm pretty darn sure he was doing was to do with the way it coincided with the PeaBrains setting out to steal a bit of my garden from me and the bit they managed to steal (ie get the Land Registry to take it off my title plan and put it on theirs instead!!!!) makes less than zero sense from their point of view. No advantage at all to them in the event and in fact a big disadvantage to them and I figure they were after rather more of my garden than they managed to steal - but the Land Registry weren't that big a mug to do that for them.

So I think he was, quite deliberately, walking through my garden at a time he thought I wouldnt be awake to notice him and I think/feel pretty sure what he was doing was roughly measuring it - whilst he was calculating how much he might be able to manage to steal from me if he was lucky.

midgey

Wouldn't it be wonderful if all dog walkers kept their dogs secure. [Most dog owners are responsible and do everything they can to care for their dog. I'm referring here to a growing band of owners who don't think they need to take any responsibility.]

Since about 2021 it's been all hell let loose with dog walkers near here. I used to walk in the nearby woods everyday until people got dogs but didn't train them.

I had a dog (making friends according to the owner) drag it muddy paws down my trousers and another time (different dog) one jumped up and caught my inner thigh with its nail. No bad intention on the dogs part, no apology from the owners. I've also had a few times where dogs have run at me barking with the owner nowhere to be seen. The last time the dog was so big I could easily have fallen over.

Long story short, I don't go out walking anymore. I miss it but I stopped feeling safe in my own neighbourhood.

I do love dogs but not unknown dogs off the lead jumping up or barking at me.