what do you do about a neighbor like this...

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 1:51pm

ok, a little background... we have two dogs in our house, my brother's dog, cody, is a viszla. the family dog, manny, is a little maltese lhasa apso mix. they're not the best behaved dogs in the world, but we make a rule to not yell at them unless they're doing something really bad... like if we catch one of them tearing apart a pillow, or going through the garbage, stuff like that...

well, my neighbor hates our dogs. i'm really not sure why, but the second i let cody out into the back yard, if she's in her backyard, she starts screaming at him. and because she screams at him, he starts barking because he gets scared. they she starts yelling that the noise he's making is hurting her flowers. she's even said things like "i hate your dog" to our faces, which really hurts because i love cody.
when she starts yelling at her, he thinks he did something wrong. there have been times where we've had to physically force him outside so he can go ot the bathroom because he has no idea why she's yelling at him, since he didn't do anything wrong.
i've asked her several times to please not yell at cody, and just just him run around the yard (he stays in our yard, he can't get into her yard because our yard is fenced in) and if he barks a few times at a bird or something else, just let him have his fun, but she never seems to listen.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 2:23pm

When she starts yelling at the dog, blast your stereo speakers at her. When she stops turn them off. Soon she will get the idea that her noise makes more noise.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 2:25pm

Yeah, I was going to suggest an air horn in her face. Of course, that'll startle your dog, too, but the neighbor would certainly get the point.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 2:27pm

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Updated On: 4/22/10 at 02:27 PM

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 2:29pm

Or, there is always this....
nothin' says lovin' like a piping hot gift

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 3:01pm

The air horn is a great idea, but keep your dog inside. Set aside some time to spend in your yard and every time she walks out of the house and into her yard, start blaring. When she yells at you to stop, start blaring. If she gets angry, just tell her it was her idea in the first place.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 3:19pm

Air horns aside for the moment . . .

So you're saying that the neighbor starts screaming at the dog as soon as you let him out? Not just in response to his barking? What exactly does she say?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 3:28pm

Maybe you could tell her "He's really gentle -- with gentle people, that is."

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 3:36pm

No, I hate YOUR dog!
Whatever...
Shut up!

*clicking heels fade into distance*

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 5:06pm

That'll work, too!

[winston89]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 5:08pm

It sounds as if she is a nasty bit of work. And, that she is acting as if it is some sort of federal crime to let your dog outside on your property, despite the fact that there is a fence that prevents your dog from accessing her yard.

I think that what should happen is this. Next time your dog takes a nice stinker. Pick it up, put it in a paper bag, go over to her house with it and light it on fire right outside her door and ring the bell and run. If she gets pissed off about that just let her know that she had it coming and that there is plenty more of that where that came from.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 5:48pm

Great Winston.
She can be arressted for that.


You need to call your local police department and file a complaint. Start a paper trail, like sending one of the letters from the web site I mentioned.

If your dog is not a nuisance, then she can be cited for harassment.

It's very simple. No air horns, or flaming bags of poo. That will only cause more problem.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 5:55pm

Just stare her down and say "Well, what do you suggest I do to rectify the problem? My dog has to go outside from time to time. It's what dogs need. Any dogs. What do you suggest I do?" Should shut her up.

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 6:53pm

she's kind of a nut job to begin with... like if there's a car in our driveway she doesn't know (ya know, like when we have friends over...) she starts knocking on the door demanding to know who is here and why she wasn't informed ahead of time that we were having guests.

and yes, as soon as she sees cody, she starts yelling at him. and it's always the same damn thing: apparently, his presence upsets her flowers, which are well out of his reach and woulnd't hold his interest even if he could get to them.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 6:59pm

two words, pax: molotov cocktail. knowhatimsayin?

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 7:03pm

Does she own or rent the unit?

Sounds like she needs a mandatory psych hold!

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 7:10pm

I'm getting kind of fascinated by this woman.

Do you share a driveway, or she's just nosy? Or just basically crazy?

Maybe you should say that your dog told you her flowers hate her.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 7:20pm

"she starts knocking on the door demanding to know who is here and why she wasn't informed ahead of time that we were having guests."

Um, because it isn't any of your business? I like the stereo speaker idea, but make sure you know your local noise ordinance. Blast them at her flowers.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 4/22/10 at 7:31pm

Air horn jokes aside, I don't know that I'd recommend retaliating. But I do think I'd inform her, verbally or in writing, that you consider her behavior harrassment and that you'll take steps with the authorities if it continues.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 4/23/10 at 12:00pm

Another thing: Document what happens. Should this "come down", you should be equipped with information for third parties.

Also, be objective with yourself a little bit. Is the dog out for long periods of time, barking and barking?

I still stand behind simply confronting her with "What would you like me to do?" and if she deflects back to you simply but firmly remind her that she's the one with the problem, how would she like it rectified? You don't need to be a bitch, even. If she's complaining for the sake of complaining, you can lead her to that truth and hopefully make her see how impossible she's being. Good luck!

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 4/23/10 at 12:56pm

Abba, your neighbor sounds like a damned nut.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 4/23/10 at 7:58pm

Serve her w papers. Seriously. Bury her in boilerplate w a quiet hint that her home would be taken as part of legal settlement. ( no its not true but it's amazing how the idea of legal retribution can scare people off)

[winston89]

Posted: 4/24/10 at 3:51am

This reminds me of the father of the family that lives next door to us. To say that he is a little crazy putting it nicely. The notion of anyone parking near his house drives him up a wall to the point that he complained and complained to the town to the point that just for our street, they have a list of what side you can park on and on what day. He also hates it when someone uses his driveway to turn around.

I will admit that due to the fact that he has not ever been nice to anyone in the family since we moved here years ago, my dad or my brothers would sometimes turn around in his driveway.

[D2]

Posted: 4/24/10 at 1:01pm

You seem like a fun family.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/24/10 at 7:39pm

To quote one of the other neighbors about this family they said " it's like this guy (the one that we don't like) is wearing a proverbial kick me sign on his back. He is going out of his way for people to not like him and he is shocked when he finds out that he has made more enemies than friends."