Speaking of dogs (long rant)

MidgetDogg

MidgetDogg

Cathlete
Anyone who is a friend of mine on Facebook has seen me going a bit nuts about the idiots who live next door to me. They've called Animal Control on me because they don't like where I take my dogs on MY OWN PROPERTY to relieve themselves. They're so self-centered that they think I do it to bug them, but it's actually because my yard gets ridiculously wet and it's the driest spot. I also had to go to court twice because they claim I let them run at-large. I don't. The first time was because my hands were ice cold, the dog saw a squirrel and tore his leash out of my hand. The second time was a collar that slipped off. Both court cases ended with the judge pretty much telling them to quit bugging him. I have fenced in my back yard and usually let the dogs run there now, instead of taking them over to the Area of Controversy.... but if it's raining or I'm in a hurry, I'll leash them and take them over there. I will sometimes see one of them taking my picture from their window. Even though I'm doing nothing wrong, am on my property and not even close to theirs, and they've been told by the authorities that I'm well within my rights. I just wave to the camera. Once she threw open the window and yelled, "hi you stupid b**ch!". I just shook my head and chuckled.

Anyway, they're just incredibly negative bullies who complain about everybody in the neighborhood and nobody likes them. I don't really care too much about what they do anymore, since I've decided that the negative vibes they send my way ruin the person I am if I absorb them and have put mirrors up in my windows to send the negativity back at them. I know... it's New Agey crystal hippie drippy stuff (suggested to me by a medium out at Lilydale, no less), but it makes me feel better and isn't that all positive energy is - your own decision to be positive in the midst of negativity?

My beef is that in the past 4 years, they've had 3 different dogs. They had this beautiful sheltie that was very well behaved. I never saw her leave their property and never heard her bark. They gave her away when she was 1 because she had too much hair.

Then 2 years ago they got a really nice yellow lab. They put in invisible fence around their yard, never took him for a walk, and I'd see him sitting on their front steps all alone outside. They gave him away when he was probably 6 months old. The excuse "that dog couldn't be trained". I know that American labs are a bit of a challenge, but come on... do some research before you buy a dog.

Then this past winter they got a golden retriever puppy. Bets around the neighborhood was that he'd be gone in 5 months. I saw him in the front yard a few times with their kids and seemed like a very typical golden. Then they started chaining him out back. He was gone by July. I don't know what the excuse is for him, but since he was a golden, I imagine it was "he had too much hair, he had too much energy and he couldn't be trained".

They obviously don't like dogs, or have any understanding of what having a dog means, yet they keep bringing these animals into their homes and booting them out when they get to the age where they start being a little bit more of a challenge. Anyone who has had a dog for any significant amount of time knows that puppy - 2 years is tough and requires not only a lot of patience, but a good sense of humor and the realization that maybe you shouldn't have put in such an expensive carpet.

They make me so angry because it's so unfair to the dogs (though I imagine they're much happier in their new homes) and it teaches their daughters such a bad lesson. I wish that there was something I could do to prevent them from ever getting another dog. They've bought 3 very good breeds and they couldn't handle them. I feel like contacting every breeder in the state and telling them that if these neighbors ever ask to buy a puppy, they need to refuse.

Sorry, I'm venting. If anyone has a suggestion, short of me talking to them because they LOATHE me. Well, mostly she does. He's just henpecked and has anger management issues. He seems a bit unstable and makes me nervous.
 
No advice here but nothing is worse than next to people that are difficult to get along with!

It's a shame that when you buy a house, you can't pick your neighbors! Kind of like family, isn't it?
 
I don't have any suggestions on what to do since they don't seem like human beings capable of having a decent conversation about this or even recognizing their own downfalls.

I do feel your pain. A woman I work with keeps getting talked into getting a dog by her husband. They have tried three different dogs in the last year only to give the dog away after a few weeks because she is afraid of dogs and can't stand touching them or the fact that they leave hair and slober around her immaculately kept home. I finally told her that she needs to tell her husband they are not having anymore pets because she doesn't want them and that is being unfair to the dog. These poor dogs that they get think they are going to be in a loving home only to find themselves at a shelter caged up for no good reason.

I really get frustrated when people mistreat dogs intentionally or unintentionally. It is people like your neighbors and my coworker that are unintentionally hurting dogs. They don't see how their choices are affecting the dogs (or maybe they just don't care).

I love all animals but dogs are the best in my opinion. They ask for nothing in return for the amount of love they share. Anyone with half a brain needs to realize that dogs have hair, they slobber, they make messes sometimes, and it may take some dogs longer to train than others. In my opinion none of these things are different than having a kid since they too have hair, slobber, make messes, and can be difficult to raise!

Sorry I don't have any advice for you. Although, maybe if you a couple more neighbors go in together to talk them, you won't feel like your alone. I am not sure how that would go either if this guy has anger issues and this woman seems so self-righteous that she wouldn't listen anyway.

Good luck!
 
You have my sympathies. I really don't know what else you can do. I like the mirrors! Maybe just pray they move. I had a neighbor like that a few years ago who would call the police and say my dogs were running free. The police would call me and my dogs would be standing next to me in my house. She harassed everyone in the neighborhood. It ended when she was suddenly found dead in bed!
 
Is it bad that I laughed at the laugh sentence? My BF keeps asking me if it's OK if he blows up their house. He says he can make it look like an accident, but that's just bad for the karma. Believe me, the whole neighborhood is praying they'll move.
 
No advice here either, but I just wanted to say I feel your pain about your neighbors. Mine aren't quite that bad (no taking photos or calling police), but they are terribly inconsiderate about their undisciplined kids making incredible amounts of noise (high-pitched screaming, etc). The mom's home all day with the kids, but seems to wait to send them outside until the rest of the (working) neighborhood is home and wants to relax on their patios in quiet.

The issue with your neighbor's treatment of dogs is absolutely horrible. Good luck!
 
Time for reflection

MidgetDogg, believe it or not, the bagua mirrors will work! Never use them inside your house, rather, put them outside (or on a windowsill propped up outward) aimed at the source of negativity. My mother has ornamental metal flowers with mirrors in the center in her garden and aimed them at her slob neighbors with junk piled up all over and dog poop left forever stinking up the neighborhood :mad:. Not too long afterward, the house was foreclosed and the people moved out :eek:. Volunteers for the city came and cleaned up the yard and a nice young couple with an adorable baby moved in! They keep the house and yard immaculate and have become quite fond of my mom :D. She's aimed the flowers at a noisy construction site behind her house and is hoping quiet will soon follow ;).
 
Wow, Nanbo! That's awesome. I have 3 mirrors propped on windowsills inside, but facing their house. The weather would've blown them down if I put them outside. I also have one hanging on the dog's fence facing the back of their house, just in case they send their negativity in their direction.
 
I don't really know the full extent of your relations with these neighbors, and I agree that they sound very, very negative and unpleasant folks...but are you SURE you don't want to try talking to them again? I get that things aren't good between you right now, but there aren't a lot of other solutions, unfortunately.

I have had plenty of terrible neighbors. In fact, right now we have neighbors who walk their dogs right through our backyard and past our sliding glass door, stare into our living room, and make our dogs go berserk, then act annoyed that our dogs are barking at them! Needless to say, I am positively incandescent with rage whenever this happens. I thought they'd get the picture when I glared at them, flicked them off, or rolled my eyes at them, but evidently they didn't.

I finally went and talked to them about it. It turned out they cut through our yard because it was the shortest way to get to the hike & bike trail, and it didn't occur to them that they were invading our privacy, ruining the peace & quiet of our home, etc. I explained to them that they were doing all of those things, and politely asked if they would be so good as to stop it...and they did. For a while.

They've been back at it again recently, and next time I catch them I'll talk to them again. I'd dearly love to haul out the shotgun and the rock salt, but...Mr. Rogers teaches a shotgun-free approach to neighborliness, and I suppose he's probably right. :rolleyes:

Anyway, the only reason I bring it up is that by talking to them, you might dispel some of the tension. Why does it bother them so much if you take your dogs to a particular place in your own yard? Maybe they have a reason that seems valid to them.

Maybe you could also gently suggest that they find alternatives to further dog abuse & neglect - like having their kids volunteer at a shelter or something? I mean, I wouldn't necessarily bring that up all at once, but if relations could be improved, and if you could each share your perspectives, maybe you could make a lot of difference and forestall a LOT more negativity (and prevent more unwanted dogs from landing in the local shelter).

And then, if that doesn't work, you can try burning their house down.
 
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It's a good theory Afreet, and believe me.... I've tried to be friendly with them. But the woman is delusional and a downright liar. They originally thought that I took them over to that spot to harass their new dog. The reality is that I took the dogs to that spot before they even had the dog, but since they weren't outside, they never saw it. Then they thought that I was taking the dogs out to harass their kids, when in fact I'd be out with the dogs and THEN their kids would come out. I take my dogs out when they give me the "I've got to pee" signal and it has nothing to do with the neighbors.

Of course, none of that makes any sense because they took pictures of me outside at night with the dogs when nobody was outside for me to harass.

The husband tried to be friendly with me a couple times after I split up with my husband. I think that may have something to do with why the wife hates me so much. I was cordial to the dude, but not overly friendly. Like I said, I think he's unstable. I've got a few neighbors watching out for me, since it's just me and my daughter living here. They all have a bad vibe from him and pretty much - everyone around them has had some sort of run in. Even the cops roll their eyes when you mention his name. LOL

As for your neighbor cutting through your yard.... if they're going hiking, why do they care if it takes a couple minutes longer to walk there without trespassing through your yard? Double LOL for the Mr. Rogers comment. That made me blow my Diet Coke through my nose.
 
That sucks. Sorry you have to live next to these people. Do what you are doing, . . don't worry about them. Trust me Animal Control will eventually start telling them to mind their own buisness. When there are people out there abusing animals, . . or someone pet hording a person who is letting their dog poop on their property would be a waste of money even investigating. Just give them the evil stink eye.
 
Oh my, I feel like I could've written your post with the exception of a few details. We built this beautiful new home in a neighborhood on a dead end street three years ago and have the neighbors FROM HELL> Seriously, they live in a lovely home, but for some reason, have been absolutely hateful since day one. They call the police on everybody and everything. We have friends who work for the township and tell us these two have a reputation now for that. They have a dog that is chained pretty much 24/7 to a ratty old dog house and barks continuously. It's awful and I am probably much like you are... we can't won't and should probably never speak.
I wish this post was here to give you advice, but unfortunately the only thing I can offer is a "me too". To make matters worse, she has the biggest mouth and I hear her shouting and her kids or husband all the time. We have pretty much rendered our living to our back yard which sucks because I designed this house to have a beautiful covered front porch.:(
Sorry I'm not any help, but I do think I'm going to try that mirror idea!!
 
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