I work in a police department. This is not a police issue (re: criminal matter) and this is what they will tell you (I'm saving you a phone call)
1. Your dog ran off the property after seeing their dog. Your dog will do that if its a squirrel or other critter. By not having a fence (or leashing the dog), you are not taking the proper steps to contain your animal within the yard.
2. Again, peace of mind, and the fence will also provide security (both for the dog and your residence). As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to take reasonable measures to guard your property (just as it is your neighbour's responsibility to reasonably keep his dogs within his property)
Your proper course of action is to either build a fence or keep your dog leashed when on your property incase any animal entices your dog off the property (and it chases it as it is not secured).
If your neighbour threatens you (threatens death, bodily harm, or to harm/kill your animal - this does not include "get lost" or anything like that) then you can call the police. Also, your neighbour is allowed to ask you to leave their property.
You can call animal control but they will not be "on your side" since you allowed your animal to run off your property. You will be just as at fault in this situation. Now, animal control may take measures regarding their dogs running off the property BUT they will take just as much issue with you! So if you want them to do something about your neighbour, you have to realize that you will be a problem for them as well. You are letting your dog out without being secured (a watchful eye does not equal "secured" in the eyes of animal control)
NOT the answer you wanted to hear, but I've been through these things a thousand times before, and this is the way it is. Despite feelings involved, you are just as at fault in this situation.
Just a little update (ok, also ranting a bit! ). Per my previous post, we just got done relocating 2 of the 4 shrubs to the other side of our yard. The shrubs are summer sweets, which are about 5-6' tall and are 'spreaders' via underground roots. PITA to dig them up (especially since we have clay and rocks as our soil ), and move them. The whole family was out in the yard, including the dog. Not 10 minutes after we started digging the first shrub our neighbor came out to play ball w/his dog, once again throwing it towards our fence. He SAW our dog there and just kept doing it. Although he was playing w/his dog, he was really checking out what we were doing. Why he doesn't just ask (like good neighbors do) 'hey, whatcha doing?' We were on the opposite side of the yard, planting the first shrub when our dog just went nuts barking and growling at his dog, who had run right up to the fence. On the 2nd time she did this, I just had it. I yelled to our oldest to put the dog inside and screamed that she doesn't like Fido. The guy waits until our dog is in the house, then goes to the other side of his yard to finish his game w/the dog. As soon as our dog was inside for 5 mins, he took his dog in. We let our dog out again, and she sat at the fence watching and waiting for his dog to come out again. He decided to spray weed killer (the kind that doesn't kill grass) all along the fence, right where our dog was sitting!! It's really windy here today. This guy is nothing short of moronic, rude, ignorant and and full blown a-hole!! .
Didn't mean to steal your thread to rant, NotVaVTFan -- sorry! I know that a fence is a pretty big expense, but you will more than likely love having one (if you decide to get one). It will not, however, do one single thing to keep your neighbor's dog away from the fence. You could put a solid fence along that side of the yard so the JRs wouldn't see your dog and vica versa. Staking your dog is a good in between step to take to make sure she/he doesn't run out of your yard. Don't cha just wish people would be more considerate? Then there wouldn't be a problem! Good luck.
I would venture to say the fence is probably a necessity, since rude neighbors never really go away they can just become a bigger problem!
speaking from experience.....we have lived in our home for over 3yrs now......our neighbors(the wife mostly) across the street are rude ........we had the police called on us because we didn't have curtains on my DD's bedroom.....she doesn't dress in there and no one from the road could see in.....but from her house I guess you can! My oldest son was home for the summer and staying in her room (she bunked with her sister).....his GF came over and they wanted to watch something besides what we were.....so they went up to the room sat on the bed and popped in a DVD.....(our house rule is door open) well they were fully clothed ontop of the bed watching the credits when his GF saw a flash of light(light beam) on the wall coming from the window....she looked outside but saw nothing.....this happened about 3 times then they kinda sat waiting for it and JUMPED up to see where it was coming from......my son said the neighbor was on her porch with a SPOTLIGHT!!! (Huge worklight) so he ran outside to see if she needed some help(living on base if you were ever in danger inside your house, you were to flash your porch light) she went off on my son.......telling him she didn't want to watch him doing that with his GF LOL DH went outside and tried to calm the lady down....she even said "I can't believe you let your son have *** on your baby girl's bed!!" yelling the whole time from her porch....Dh & son were in the street at this point....when the cops showed up.........basically the cops told her infront of Dh & son that if we wanted to walk around nakid inside our house with the windows open it was none of her business.........she was HEATED!!! LOL she yelled at the cops "Well I don't think I should HAVE to see that!" he said very calmly no you dont just turn around! LOL
I tell you this because........that was just one of MANY MANY altercations we have had with them.....our dog barks ONCE after 9pm and cops are knocking on the door telling us about the no barking rule.......I forgot to pay our trash bill one time......well the next week they didn't pick up our trash.....the day they missed, that afternoon she had the city inspector over here to investigate(our town has a mandatory trash pickup law)........What I could do is avoid her, be just as rude back to her, or be extra nice to her............I choose to be extra nice to her.....she gets so flustered it is funny! (we are not friends, never will be but it makes for a nicer neighborhood)
There's been I have to say that I agree with everything sacha said.
Speaking to the fence though, if you decide to put one up make sure you get your property surveyed if you have not already and find out your town's laws about fences. Our neighbors put one up, did not survey first, and also put it up backwards (both against town laws). We haven't done anything about it, but I REALLY wanted to. The whole situation pisses me off, but my husband just wants to let it go so he never has to see the guy again even though it pisses him off too (the neighbor rents out the house and doesn't live there).
Have you given any thought to an e-collar? I'm not sure of the cost, but it will help keep your dog in your yard. It won't do anything for the pesky neighbor animals that come over, though.
Have you given any thought to an e-collar? I'm not sure of the cost, but it will help keep your dog in your yard. It won't do anything for the pesky neighbor animals that come over, though.
Is that the same thing as the invisible fence, where the dog gets a bit of a shock if it crosses the boundaries?
My only caution with this idea comes from experience. In high school, my friend had a yellow lab (we called him Yellow-yes, creative, I know ). They had the invisible fence set up, and Yellow very quickly learned where the boundaries were that he could not cross.
However, if Yellow saw a squirrel or another dog or a cat or whatever, and he just had to chase it, he would run through the invisible fence quickly and get the shock for a second only while crossing that line, Then he was out of the yard and off to chase whatever it was that lured him initially. When he was done chasing, he would NOT come back to the house because crossing the line meant he would get another shock! So he would just wander around the outside of their yard until someone took his collar off (or turned it off or whatever it is they had to do) so he could come back to his own yard without getting shocked.
Is that the same thing as the invisible fence, where the dog gets a bit of a shock if it crosses the boundaries?
My only caution with this idea comes from experience. In high school, my friend had a yellow lab (we called him Yellow-yes, creative, I know ). They had the invisible fence set up, and Yellow very quickly learned where the boundaries were that he could not cross.
However, if Yellow saw a squirrel or another dog or a cat or whatever, and he just had to chase it, he would run through the invisible fence quickly and get the shock for a second only while crossing that line, Then he was out of the yard and off to chase whatever it was that lured him initially. When he was done chasing, he would NOT come back to the house because crossing the line meant he would get another shock! So he would just wander around the outside of their yard until someone took his collar off (or turned it off or whatever it is they had to do) so he could come back to his own yard without getting shocked.
Yeah, I can see that happening! Labs like to chase small critters (I know--I have 2 labs!)
you really need to put up a fence.........i wouldnt call animal control this time, since your dog ran out of the yard it's not going to help your case, and its just going to be a case of he said she said, thats not a fun cirlce to get tangled up in.
if you had a fence or had a better way to keep your dog on your property, then you'd have a leg to stand on and may be able to legally pursue the issue from a better stand point. good luck i know fences are expensive, but how about a large run, you can find them for much less.
), and move them. The whole family was out in the yard, including the dog. Not 10 minutes after we started digging the first shrub our neighbor came out to play ball w/his dog, once again throwing it towards our fence. He SAW our dog there and just kept doing it. Although he was playing w/his dog, he was really checking out what we were doing. Why he doesn't just ask (like good neighbors do) 'hey, whatcha doing?' We were on the opposite side of the yard, planting the first shrub when our dog just went nuts barking and growling at his dog, who had run right up to the fence. On the 2nd time she did this, I just had it. I yelled to our oldest to put the dog inside and screamed that she doesn't like Fido. The guy waits until our dog is in the house, then goes to the other side of his yard to finish his game w/the dog. As soon as our dog was inside for 5 mins, he took his dog in. We let our dog out again, and she sat at the fence watching and waiting for his dog to come out again. He decided to spray weed killer (the kind that doesn't kill grass) all along the fence, right where our dog was sitting!! 
It's really windy here today. This guy is nothing short of moronic, rude, ignorant and and full blown a-hole!! 
). They had the invisible fence set up, and Yellow very quickly learned where the boundaries were that he could not cross.
