NFT:Neighbors and Pit Bull - what's expected?

[RufusRJones]

Hi All -

Sorry to be writing this here, but I'm having a hard time finding a good audience for this question and I know there are many here that have some strong opinions.

My neighbors just bought a catahoula/pit bull mix puppy. It's really cute, but I know this is going to grow into a very strong dog that is going to have some specific needs. My area is very suburban with lots of families and small children. It's generally considered a nice area (at least for the All-Star Wrestling Ring). I have a toddler.

My neighbors are not what I would call responsible people. The typically take down their Christmas wreathe around July. They've had a hole in their roof for for almost six months that they just got fixed. They don't mow their lawn often. Generally they don't take care of stuff. This is where my concern lies. Not with with dog or breed necessarily, but with the people.

My wife and I asked them if was going to be an inside dog, and they responded that they were thinking of getting an "invisible fence" - my experience is that these are certainly not guaranteed to keep the dog in their yard. It also doesn't have any guarantee if keeping a child or another dog out of their yard.

Our county mandates that any dog either be on leash or sufficiently restrained by a fence...am I being unreasonable to expect my neighbor's to comply with this request? And for you pit owners...are they acting irresponsibly?

[DeezNutz]

Antifreeze.

Problem solved.

[Just Passin' By]

The key here is to have various small children walk over and beat the dog daily while it's still a puppy. That'll pay off in the long run.

[Bugeater]

Yeah....that has trouble written all over it. Not sure what you're really going to be able to do about it though.

[Fritz88]

Too early to take a serious action.

Hopefully some guys in here will be able to offer more help.


Good luck.

[Just Passin' By]

Ok, call the county and get a ruling from them on whether or not an invisible fence is considered sufficient.

[RufusRJones]

Ok, call the county and get a ruling from them on whether or not an invisible fence is considered sufficient.

It's definitely not sufficient according to the ordinances that are published. I'm not sure if they'll actually enforce it...but...we'll see.

My state also has extreme laws on owner responsibility for dogs. If you're dog kills someone...second degree murder charges for the owner.

[DeezNutz]

It's definitely not sufficient according to the ordinances that are published. I'm not sure if they'll actually enforce it...but...we'll see.

My state also has extreme laws on owner responsibility for dogs. If you're dog kills someone...second degree murder charges for the owner.

They should.

After-the-fact consequences don't sound promising to me.

[kcxiv]

My sister has a pit bull. He's awesome. When its time for the meter dude to come, they bring him here for the day, and i dont hardly ever see him, but i feel safe enough to go out there and play with him. This is me hardly ever see'ing him. Just once in a while when i go to her house and what not.

Any dog can snap imo. Its just how you treat them i guess. I have seen regular mutts go nuts. Like you said though, they arent to trustworthy. I may go over there and talk to them about it. Or just keep an eye on how they treat him.

[Valiant]

Hi All -

Sorry to be writing this here, but I'm having a hard time finding a good audience for this question and I know there are many here that have some strong opinions.

My neighbors just bought a catahoula/pit bull mix puppy. It's really cute, but I know this is going to grow into a very strong dog that is going to have some specific needs. My area is very suburban with lots of families and small children. It's generally considered a nice area (at least for the All-Star Wrestling Ring). I have a toddler.

My neighbors are not what I would call responsible people. The typically take down their Christmas wreathe around July. They've had a hole in their roof for for almost six months that they just got fixed. They don't mow their lawn often. Generally they don't take care of stuff. This is where my concern lies. Not with with dog or breed necessarily, but with the people.

My wife and I asked them if was going to be an inside dog, and they responded that they were thinking of getting an "invisible fence" - my experience is that these are certainly not guaranteed to keep the dog in their yard. It also doesn't have any guarantee if keeping a child or another dog out of their yard.

Our county mandates that any dog either be on leash or sufficiently restrained by a fence...am I being unreasonable to expect my neighbor's to comply with this request? And for you pit owners...are they acting irresponsibly?

The dog would be fine if the owners were responsible and caring.. And an electric fence only works so much, if the dog hits it full speed it will get zapped but then be out of range I believe.. They could have made these better, so I am not sure on that..

If you really don't care if they like you are vice versa get the HOA on them, if you have one..

Again, it is not the dog that will be the problem.. It will be the people not taking care of the dog and making it aggressive or neglecting it..

[Valiant]

It's definitely not sufficient according to the ordinances that are published. I'm not sure if they'll actually enforce it...but...we'll see.

My state also has extreme laws on owner responsibility for dogs. If you're dog kills someone...second degree murder charges for the owner.

Oh, then just keep calling on them until the city forces them to get a fence or they get rid of the dog.. Or the dog gets picked up in the yard because of no fence or leash..

Or get a calling group with neighbors that agree with you.. It sounds harsh, but I would not trust people with a dog like that if they are like how you described them..

[KCChiefsMan]

.

[RufusRJones]

The dog would be fine if the owners were responsible and caring.. And an electric fence only works so much, if the dog hits it full speed it will get zapped but then be out of range I believe.. They could have made these better, so I am not sure on that..

If you really don't care if they like you are vice versa get the HOA on them, if you have one..

Again, it is not the dog that will be the problem.. It will be the people not taking care of the dog and making it aggressive or neglecting it..

Exactly. I just want to be clear. I'm not a pit hater. I don't mind pits...but the folks I know that have been successful owners have been very discipled and aware of the potential issues with the breed. They love their dogs and they understand the power of the breed and take appropriate precautions.

These folks on the other hand...they don't seem to be able to handle the basic responsibilities of home ownership.

[Pioli Zombie]

Fuck the dog early so he knows you are in charge
Posted via Mobile Device

[Mile High Mania]

Based on the picture you painted...

You're neighbors are less than desirable, borderline redneck (apologies to those responsible rednecks out there) and the notion that they'll be responsible with the dog is a joke. If I had kids, I'd do what I needed to do in order to keep them safe.

I'm guessing you don't have an HOA... you might place a call to the city/county and ask about the specific dog ownership laws (in regards to fences, leashes, etc).

I wouldn't take a chance and wait. Again, this has nothing to do with the type of dog, but the type of owner. I'd rather come off as a prick early on in this type of situation rather than give them the benefit of the doubt when my better judgement says not to... then regret it later. Hell, how bad of shape is the house in? You could really be a jerk and call the city/county and say "Dunno what's going on next door, but the city inspector should check it out".

It's a cruel world, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to protect your own.

[KC Jones]

antifreeze...



then after your neighbors have died a slow agonizing death, adopt the dog.

[EyePod]

I dunno, I've had great experiences with invisible fences. It sucks that they aren't the best, because it only comes down to training. ALL DOGS have the innate "need" to attack. It's not just in pit bulls. There's actually a test for the mentality of dogs and retrievers actually fail the test more often the pit bulls. I wouldn't worry, but that's me. This might change when I actually have children....

[Red Dawg]

You need to find a way to kill that mutt before it kills one of your family members.

[kepp]

My parents have an invisible fence for their dogs and it does nothing. I can't say that all of them are worthless...just the one they got. And FWIW, your neighbors told you they are "thinking of" getting one. When translated, that means "we're not getting one but we want you to drop the subject".

[Iowanian]

It would go away or be locked up tight if it were near my kids.

[EyePod]

My parents have an invisible fence for their dogs and it does nothing. I can't say that all of them are worthless...just the one they got. And FWIW, your neighbors told you they are "thinking of" getting one. When translated, that means "we're not getting one but we want you to drop the subject".


That second part is a very good point. I mean, when my parents had it installed, my dad had already had the piping required under the driveway. My dog got zapped twice and now he won't go near that thing (about 5 years now).

[suds79]

Based on the picture you painted...

You're neighbors are less than desirable, borderline redneck (apologies to those responsible rednecks out there) and the notion that they'll be responsible with the dog is a joke. If I had kids, I'd do what I needed to do in order to keep them safe.

I'm guessing you don't have an HOA... you might place a call to the city/county and ask about the specific dog ownership laws (in regards to fences, leashes, etc).

I wouldn't take a chance and wait. Again, this has nothing to do with the type of dog, but the type of owner. I'd rather come off as a prick early on in this type of situation rather than give them the benefit of the doubt when my better judgement says not to... then regret it later. Hell, how bad of shape is the house in? You could really be a jerk and call the city/county and say "Dunno what's going on next door, but the city inspector should check it out".

It's a cruel world, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to protect your own.

:bravo: Great advice.

I had a neighbor whose house was right behind a rental property. He had young kids. The tenant had a pitbull (on a side note. Why does it seem that young, single males always get a pitbull? Young males - bad judegment & pitbulls. That's scary). He called the landlord and threatened to take him for everything he owned if that dog ever were to touch one of his kids. About a week later the Pitbull was gone.

Now was my neighbor being kinda a d!ck? Yeah. But who cares. He took care of business.

[MOhillbilly]

I dunno, I've had great experiences with invisible fences. It sucks that they aren't the best, because it only comes down to training. ALL DOGS have the innate "need" to attack. It's not just in pit bulls. There's actually a test for the mentality of dogs and retrievers actually fail the test more often the pit bulls. I wouldn't worry, but that's me. This might change when I actually have children....


dogs do not have a 'need' to attack. most dogs esp. terrier types have a immense prey drive. Terrier types are made to do one thing, kill. as a trainer you can hone that to whatever level fits your needs. I always suggest LESS is more since the drive gene is so strong.

[dtebbe]

The sad thing is that the dog is probably never going to have a chance. The people probably won't spend the time to train and exercise the dog so that it will be well behaved. Chances are it will be a frustrated, aggressive dog. If you don't see them out walking the dog and working with it on a regular basis, set the dick factor to 11 and give them hell. I know several people who have both breeds, and they can be great dogs. But the owners have to wear that azz out with exercise, and most importantly, the dog has to look at the people as the Alpha. If not, it's a disaster waiting to happen.

One other angle, find out who their home insurance company is and tip them off. Many insurance companies specifically exclude those breeds or will really raise rates if they find out you have one.

DT

[Chiefnj2]

Until you decide what to do about the fencing issue with ordinances etc., I'd have my kids play with the puppy a lot so it gets used to them, isn't threatened by them and develops a taste for their flesh.

[MOhillbilly]

take this for what it is as ive been around hundreds of pitbulls and thousands of dogs in my day.
Ill tell you i HATE mixed breed pitbull/staffs and the catahula tends to be shy and are one owner types. they are very head strong. mix this with a bulldog type and you IMO basicaly have a loaded handgun raoming the yard.
I would advise anyone looking into a mixed pitbull type to stay clear do some research and purchase a dog on performance and not looks.

[El Jefe]

take this for what it is as ive been around hundreds of pitbulls and thousands of dogs in my day.
Ill tell you i HATE mixed breed pitbull/staffs and the catahula tends to be shy and are one owner types. they are very head strong. mix this with a bulldog type and you IMO basicaly have a loaded handgun raoming the yard.
I would advise anyone looking into a mixed pitbull type to stay clear do some research and purchase a dog on performance and not looks.

He knows what he's talking about.

[Chief Faithful]

An underground or invisible fence is very effective if the dog is properly trained, but you just painted the picture of neighbors that will not properly train the dog to the system.

Is the dog a male or female? Will they get the dog "fixed"? If they are going to have an un-neutered male dog combined with neighbors lack of responsibility the invisible fence will not be effective.

[Demonpenz]

mobilley knows his shit.

[El Jefe]

mobilley knows his shit.


REPOST



He knows what he's talking about.

[ping2000]

If the neighbors are as bad as you say, they will probably put up a real fence to comply with the law. The only problem is it will be a half ass piece of shit fence full of holes that the dog will be able to break through at will. Buy your daughter a gun and teach her to shoot.

[MOhillbilly]

Rufus acouple things. before you jump off the deepend and play the hardass role id suggest you have a sitdown and explain that even though they have a invisible fence they will still be liable for anyone who enters the yard and gets bit.
Then id suggest they go to lowes and purchase a kennel run. young dogs can be conditioned to kennel runs, older dogs mostly tend to jump or plow through chain link if they want out.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&N=4294961544&Ne=4294967294&Ntk=i_products&Ntt=kennel

[Pneuma]

I know of many dogs that would run though the invisible fence. Good luck. Anti-freeze...

[POND_OF_RED]

If you are that worried about it why don't you just build a fence to keep your toddler in the yard.