[orlnurse]

Originally Posted by tabbykatty

I've been in this townhouse for over 3 years. Neighbors here have come and gone. Since this summer I have a fluxuation of neighbors moving around me. I have two yorkies. A male and female. I let them out several times a day. The male yorkie LOVES outdoors and never wants to come in. The female plays awhile and then comes back to the door. I have a nice large yard that is fenced from the side to the back. He just loves it. For months I have been hearing them bark excessively. So during some of the times I let them out , I sit and watch. No problem. I figured they just wanted company. Unfortunately the male likes to run and play alot and I can't. It takes awhile to get him back in! What I noticed was when there is alot of barking and I come to see whats going on, there are kids going past. One day I noticed a child picking at the fence and teasing the dogs. I went to the parents and politely asked them to stop their kids from teasing the dogs. I started bringing them in when the kids come around. Now all of a sudden I have complaints about my dogs barking alot. When they start barking I look and see these kids teasing them again. During Halloween I gave out candy with one of my dogs.( we were dressed up as twins) People said how cute we were and rubbed her. The minute one of the neighborhood children came by she started growling and trying to get to them. I was shocked. When others came to the door she shot past and wagged her tail and took in the attention. I thought it was just a moment she had earlier. later another neighbor kid came and she did it again. What I noticed, for 3 hours she was fine with everyone except for the neighbors kids. They are very socialized and NEVER growled or barked. They were the more docile less aggressiveof each litter. They go out around other people and dogs and have always been the type that has been friendly and sometimes a little too open. Now they are changing. I asked the neighbors about their kids teasing them and to please stop. Now Im getting constant complaints about my dogs. Of course they never bit anyone and the rent office says that constant complaints will force them to do something about it. It is to the point I let them out early in the morning and at night when the kids are gone. My dog runs to the door and looks longingly to go out. I do not think its fair to punish my dogs from enjoying the outside as much as they would like because their kids are teasing them. Im wondering have anyone had this problem and what they did. I am considering moving.....alot.

Believe me, I feel your pain. My situation is very similar to yours. I too, live in a TH community. We are not allowed to have fences here. My 2 loved to lay on the rug in the sun and look out the back slider. That is, until the new young neighborhood kids moved in. They would run back and forth in my yard past the door and drive my dogs crazy. The would torment them...actually stop and just stare like a deer in the headlights at my dogs barking. I put a barrier up on the glass to make it "frosted" so they can no longer see out, and the kids can't see in. Then one day, I had my 2 on a tie out when one of the kids that my dogs now hate, ran by and Max broke the tie out cable and chased her and nipped at her leg. Of course I was very apologetic to the mother and offered to pay for her to take the girl to the doctor, but really? IMO she asked for it. She harassed my dogs for months! She still didn't learn her lesson. I put up a 4 foot gate type fence to enclose a small area behind my house (illegally of course). The girl, still continued to run by and stop when to dogs are out to torment them. Finally I shouted out the door " and you wonder why they don't like you!" She hasn't done it since. But how frustrating...I will never live in a TH or apartment again for this reason!

Phew...I ended up venting didn't I? Sorry....

As for the neighborhood complaints about the dogs barking, I would complain to the HOA about the kids. They are the culprit. Sorry, that now your babies probably will not ever like kids. That's what I've noticed with mine.