rent a fence?
 

You could rent a 6 foot chain link fence until they build a taller one or until you decide to move. Maybe they would split the cost of the rental with you. I know there are companies that do this for construction sites etc.
I would also call the city, like someone suggested so you know if they have to indeed put up a taller fence.

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't think those things you weave will work since the fence is old and bent in places. The tarp might be a good idea though.

This is so scary. I guess I have been trusting that those dogs really are nice and won't jump the fence. I know that is not true, they very well could jump. I am sure that the neighbors would be so so sorry if they killed my yorkies but it would be too late then and their sorrow would not matter. I think some pits are very friendly with people and kids but see little dogs as prey and are not so friendly to them.

I think I will bring up the subject of the fence to them and see what they say about it.

I'll have to give it some thought if I will let them meet. I know my babies sometimes make fast unpredictable moves and might cause the other dogs to react in a bad way. Someone tried to introduce Daisy to a pit bull once before and Daisy went nuts and would have none of it. I am a little afraid to try this again.

Yorkie4luv, I didn't know you could rent a fence. That is another idea to check out. Thanks.

Now I am on my soap box
 

Putting your dogs in the back yard to run the fence and "bait" the pits, is crazy. Do you really think you could do anything to save your dogs, and yourself for that matter, if those pits decided today was the day they were going to make their move? Why would you put your babies at risk like that? If your dogs get attacked, some of the blame will be on your shoulders. Ready for that? I bet you are not. I'll bet you would be devastated if anything at all happened to your dogs. Your dogs should not be anywhere close to those pits. Please, put your babies on leash and take them to the other side of the house. Please.

I appreciate that you are putting the fear in me that should have been more natural. I put too much trust in the neighbors that the dogs will not jump the fence or hurt my babies. I guess I thought I could save them but I think in reality we could all be hurt. My yorkies are teapots but I guess the pits would still see them as 'bait' even though they are larger. Thanks for the wake-up call. Yes I would be totally devastated if any harm came to my babies. I would never forgive myself for putting them in danger.

I know I am just repeating what others have said but I would never let my dogs meet with pit bulls or any larger dog. I have had my yorkies charged at by a rottweiler, and twice by Golden Retreivers when I was walking them. The GR actually had Gracie in his mouth before the owner stepped in ( I was walking her and the GR came from behind a car in the driveway)> I also feel that for some reason small dogs can set off bigger dogs. I would stop going into the yard until a secure fence was put up. Especially with 2 yorkies, you could not get both up in time if they did get over to your yard.

I have to disagree with this respectfully, in a way. I think it's good for small dogs to be able to learn how to meet big dogs, and vice versa. I think the reason so many small dogs will bark like crazy at big dogs is because they don't know how to act around them... they need to learn to socialize with dogs of all kinds. Obviously, if it's a dangerous situation, and the dog looks vicious or you know the dog is vicious, never... I'm sorry you've had such crappy situations with big dogs but I've only had 2-3 bigger dogs that have bugged Jackson too much for my liking and had to take him out of the situation. Jackson knows how to handle the larger dogs though so I trust him first and foremost. I feel like 90% of the time, the small dog is the one egging on the big dog, then the big dog gets all the crap which is unfair.

Like in the OP's situation, I wouldn't trust the Pits at all since your dogs are being just as bad as theirs and they're egging each other on. I would never trust that situation at all. I think it's a matter of dog owners learning some dog body langauge and being able to understand the basics. If I see a mouth closed, fixation or direct eye contact, tail erect, that's not good = remove my dog from the situation. Would I let Jackson run around with a pack of 10-20 big dogs? No! When they're running around and playing, they could easily hurt him by total and complete accident. But I allow Jackson to meet as many different kinds of dogs as he can and he's a very social butterfly. A dog could be behind a fence barking and barking at him and he won't give a flying poop. We can walk right by a crazy dog and he keeps walking along with me. Occasionally, I give him a bit of a tug but I owe that all to just being around all kinds of different dogs and socializating. It's not a big deal to him.

Being an parent to a pit bull, English Bulldog, Maltese and a Yorkie I can understand where you are coming from. My dogs all get along with each other. However, I NEVER leave the pit bull unattended. If I am gone, she goes in a crate, if she is outside, I am there with her. Not that I don't trust her cause I do, I just KNOW that if anything charges at her including one of my other dogs she will do what is natural and defend herself. Little dogs have a tendency to charge after bigger dogs and bigger dogs see little dogs as "threats." A lot of it comes from poor socialization on both dogs parts. My pit has been with me since she was 5 weeks old when I rescued her and has grown up in a house with little dogs. She loves to snuggle with the babies but being 63 lbs, we have to watch her closely. Unless you know all of the dogs "triggers" I would not let your dogs go unattended while they are outside. If my neighbors dogs are out, Lola (Pit) is on a leash with me at the other end or she comes inside and we do have a fenced yard. I just won't take any chances of my baby having to be put down for something so I don't let her have any opportunities for anything to happen. This all comes from knowing my dogs and what will and could set them off. I can tell by looking at her if she is uncomfortable in a situation or not.

My advice would be work with the neighbors on a time when your dogs can go out and when theirs can. They sound like they are willing to work with you. Another thing is keep your dogs on a leash while you are outside and they are too. You just don't know how those dogs are raised and what will set them off. Remember clothes and bows on a dog makes the dog look like a toy. Next I would work with your dogs on "charging" the fence with dogs on the other side of it. That is a big NO-NO and could get them in trouble.

Don't let anyone make you feel like you can handle this with training...this is an accident waiting to happen. I have nothing against any breed, but I can tell you right now that my pups are not going to be "meeting" any large breed dog that could kill them with one snatch and a shake. The heck with that nonsense. I have a pit/chow mix on one side of me and trust me there is a very secure fence there....my neighbor and I split the cost. He did not want her over here any more than I did.

Two temporary ideas for now....you could buy some chicken wire (comes in plastic) and some fence posts at Home Depot and put up another fence inside your yard...or at Lowe's they have a nice looking wrought iron looking fence you can put up yourself. Never leave them alone outside of course...but, if one of the pits did jump the first fence, you would have warning before he jumped the second.

Cindy mentioned a schedule. Since your neighbors are friendly and cooperative, that might be the best solution for now.

Do not tempt fate.

I personally would have an issue with someone who had large dogs with a low fence. That is just ridiculous. I don't care what kind of dog it is...it is not safe...for others and for the dog. Any dog will jump a fence if given a chance. He might not even hurt another animal or person; but he could be hit by a car or get lost!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

You've been given some good advice already and I too believe that a pit bull should never be trusted, your neighbor's pits have already shown aggression by running, barking and growling at your babies when they are out...it's only a matter of time before the right opportunity presents itself. Is there any way you can get a couple of x-pens and attach them together to use for your Yorkies when they go out? You could secure them to the side of your house so they could go out the back door into the x-pens and not the yard. That wouldn't be too expensive and their area would be smaller where you could keep a closer eye on them...then you could let them out in the full yard only when your neighbor's dogs are inside. I would not cover the fence with anything...curiosity of hearing and not seeing could make it worse and they may want to come over the fence at that point.

Please follow your heart on this one and make a decision you can all live with now and not one that your conscience may have to live with later.

Good luck and be safe...

I just want to say a word about socialization of our pups. We have done all we can to socialize our two since we have had them and I think they are pretty well socialized. Since they were little puppies we have taken them everywhere, to the pet stores as often as possible, many pet carnivals and dog events each year (we just went to a pet carnival this past weekend where there were about 300 dogs and they were great socializers). We have at least 3 doggie halloween parties that we plan to attend this month and we go to every year--they do great. The reason I mainly like to attend these events is to keep them socialized.

I walk them in a park every day where they meet old friends as well as new dogs of all sizes and for the most part they are great. They meet an occasional dog at the park that they don't seem to like but that is rare. I walk them at the park all year long and if it is raining or the path has ice on it I will take them to Petsmart and walk them there where they usually meet more dogs.

I think as much as anything they receive a surprise each time the pits (I call them the freight trains) run to the fence and they are reacting to the surprise. There has never been a dog in that yard in the 6 years I have had them so you can imagine that they are startled when the dogs come charging to the fence.

We had a problem with the dog in the yard behind us charging the fence and ours charged it too at first. After a lot of work I got them to calm down and walk away from the fence as soon as they reached the fence. The dog in the other yard continued to charge the entire time mine were in the yard but mine ignored it. But I never could get them to NOT charge at the fence when the other dog initiates the charge.

When I first got them, the first dog they made friends with was a very gentle german shepard that my friend owned. They were the best of friends and when we would go to Petsmart I noticed that they always wanted to run up to the big dogs to make friends and the seemed a little afraid of little dogs. I was a little worried that they would only like big dogs so I made sure that they met a lot of small dogs too. I still make sure that they continue to meet other dogs.

I don't usually dress them in the yard except a rain coat if it is raining. And I will have to put sweaters or coats on them in the winter. That's about it.

I just wanted to mention this because I know it seems like they might not be used to being around other dogs but they are around a lot of other dogs constantly.

There is a driveway on the side where the gate is and that is the side that the pits live on so that won't work. No gate on the other side and only a couple of feet of grassy property on that side. BUT... I can put my little garden fence on two sides of my shed and give them a smaller area away from the other dogs where they are partially blocked from view. If they would happen to jump the fence I could run with them into the shed and close the door. I think that will work for now until we can get something done in the way of a new fence or work out a schedule. As nice as they are, I have my doubts if they would want to work out a schedule and have times when their dogs are not allowed outside. I have been trying to think of how I could even suggest that.