Irrational/Rude neighbors-Chow owners?

Question

I live next door to a couple who own 2 male Chow Chows. They are nasty dogs. They have to be muzzled to go to the vet. The owner is afraid to shave close to their heads when grooming them for fear of being bitten. One dog has bitten my husbands ankle, but he had on work boots so it didnt get his skin. This same dog has been hit by a car while chasing a man walking his dog down the street. I have a 5 lb dog and 2 kids so I am concerned. These people absolutely refuse to tie/leash/fence their dogs in. They claim they can keep them in their yard. I reported them to the dog officer who sent them a notice stating their dogs are on the dangerous dogs list and they HAD to put up a fence, but they havent done it yet because now they are disputing the property boundary!! it's a total stall tactic, but it's buying them time. We got an attorney, but none of this helps when we are outside and these dogs are out! We actually have a loaded pellet gun ready just in case. Sad. It isnt the dogs fault.

Answer 1

chows are fighting dogs, they were originally bred as chinese temple guard dogs. They can also get quite large! our neigbor across the street has one but he has a 6ft tall privacy fence and the dog is secure. My advice is to call animal controll every day that you feel threatened by the dogs, sooner or later they will get sick & tired of comming out and either take the dogs or give the owners a citation or a ticket. After a while the owners will get sick of recieving tickets and will either put up the fence as required by law, or give up the dogs. a pellet gun probably won't do much as a deterrant to these dogs, they are bred for fighting so the little sting of a pellet gun is unlikely to phase them. You might want to consider pepper spray if it is legal in your state, most states allow some type of dog deterrant for mailmen... ask your mail carrier what he or she carries, and where to get it. so sorry for your trouble with bad neighbors... remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease! keep on calling animal control every time you or your children feel threatend. The chow across the street has already bitten 2 kids in the neighborhood, and one adult, each requiring at least 15 stitches... the only reason this dog has not been euthanized is because everyone that the dog has biten has been related to the dog owner. They are very tempremental toothy dogs, and it is just a matter of time before the unthinkable happens...

Answer 2

I'm so sorry for your situation. I have had several close calls with chow chows from working in a vet clinic and also some strays. I don't know what you can do, but I just wanted to share that I where I live, if a dog that has been registered as dangerous has one more complaint made against it, it is automatically put down, no questions asked. It is sad, but if the owners are not willing to take the necessary action to protect others and the dog, they should not have the dog period. I hope everything is resolved.

Answer 3

That is sad, I don't understand why people insist on doing that and not caring for their animals. If those dogs are that mean, and come into your yard and bite, I'd have more than a pellet gun on hand. There's no reason why they can't put a stake in the ground and chain it till the fence issue is resolved. Especially if one's already been hit by a car. I'd keep calling animal control, they'll get tired of hearing from you. I'd even ask animal control how far you can go to protect yourself from these dogs that are terrorizing you guys in your own yard, bet that gets their attention as well. Do they own or rent? If they rent, call the landlord and let him know he's going to get sued if those dogs bite again. If they own, see if you can find out who their insured with. Guarantee they didn't tell their insurance company about the dogs. Not sure if they'll do anything, like drop them or increase their rates, but worth a shot.

Answer 4

Keep calling animal control everytime you see the dogs out without a leash or are a nuisance. This cannot be stalled due to the property boundary issue. This is a matter of public safety and must be addressed immediately. The dogs need to be indoors if they have a fence issue. Seriously, keep calling animal control and your local police office. Make sure to report any attacks or bites wether skin was broken or not. Just imagine if something terrible happens that could have been prevented by attempts to correct it. If you want, post their address and I'll complain about them too! I'm sure we all will. Good luck.

Answer 5

Keep complaining to the dog officer and let them know about the fencing situation.
If they are not following the rules set out for them keep reporting them.
Chows can be very nasty tempered and should be kept in fenced yards not let to run free.
If anyone has been bitten they should make sure it has been properly reported to the proper people as it will help in making a case agaist these people.
It is sad that you are stuck with the problem and not fair to your family as you could not use your own yard if those dogs were loose.

Answer 6

Don't listen to that guy about communicating with the dogs. There are many ways dogs can detect fear also, if a dog is abused or mistreated behavioral patterns can change dramatically. Do not take this issue into your own hands, it's very dangerous and you don't have enough knowledge about the dogs to deal w/them yourself.

Answer 7

Take video of the dogs out running loose several different days, then contact your city council, mayor, or go to your local government official meeting. Tell them your concerns, show the video, have copies of the police reports, and bug them till something is done! This is intolerable & dangerous.

Answer 8

The next time they are out of the owner's property, call animal control or the health department..again! the noisy wheel gets the grease...whether they can fence their entire yard or not, they have to fence a containment area..

Answer 9

i feel so bad for you, people that are irresponsible like that suck, but maybe you should fence your yard. I know you shouldn't have to pay for the fencing, but at least you can be sure it's done right, cuz it doesn't seem like your neighbors will be too concerned with the security of the fence they need to put up.

Answer 10

Contact Animal Control again, and stay on them. Also the police. Have your attorney file suit. Your enjoyment of your home has been compromised by those people. It is sad for the dogs.