What would you do if your neighbor

[manning]

Oh, I'd totally unload my hose on him, aiming just south of his waist. If he tried it again I'd call the police. I'm with you about mistreating animals.

Just make sure it is attached to a high pressure washer

 

[lorijohnhill]

911 what is your emergency?

My neighbor is standing there with a super soaker ready to shoot.

Uh Sir standing with a squirt gun is not illegal and not an emergency.

Who said they would call 911??? I don't remember reading that in this thread. The police do have a non-emergency number.

 

[NHdisneylover]

So as I read this, your dog was outsie, it WAS barking thus you went outside to get it to quiet down, and when outside you saw that the neighbor was holding a super soaker and looking at your dog.

People are suggesting you call the police? And you are upset?
Becuase the neighbor held a super soaker in their own yard?
Becuase you think someone might, at some point, spray water on your dog?

Um, I cannot see that there is anything even remotely worthy of involving police going on here (other than, if your dog is barking more than you realize, the neighbors might have grounds for a noise complaint) or even of being upset about.


If you are really and truly bothered that someone held a super soaker in their yard while looking at your dog, who was barking---then I agree with the PP's who suggesting talking to the neighbors. I think you would be best to go over and start by apologizing for the noise your dog makes and asking if it is perhaps more than you'd realized---that you thought they look annoyed the other day and it hit you that maybe you tune it out sometimes. That way, if your dog is bothering them, they'll feel comfortable telling you and you can tell them what you are doing to curb the behaviour, and ask them to call you if you don't hear it so it can be dealt with---then they are less likely to feel they need to take training into their own hands and thinking about spraying him to get him to be quiet.
And if they are not bothered, you can all laugh it off.


I think being aggressive/angry with the neighbors or calling police would likely start a battle over a dog which hasn't as of yet, begun. YOU would be the instigator if you do.

 

[IMissEd]

I too would go to the neighbor and ask if there was a problem and try to maturely work it out. The only other thing I have to add is that some of those SuperSoakers hurt especially if shot at a close distance. So, I understand the upset of OP.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The neighbor also has three dogs that bark.

The OP and the neighbor seem to have been fine with this up until the neighbor's guest began staying there.

My neighbor has some new friends living with her. Get along with her really well, we both have dogs. She has 3 little dogs that bark a lot, I have 2 dogs, but 1 that doesn't appreciate her new guests. If my dog starts to bark I go out and retrieve her, I'm not the type to let her bark and ignore her. Today I let her out to do her business after dinner, and as she started to bark, walked over to get her. Apparently just in time, because new friend of neighbor was standing there with a super soaker, ready to unload.

Anyone who knows me knows nothing will set me off like messing with my dogs. And this dog already has issues, she is on daily meds for anxiety, so I don't need her scared of anything else. Especially going outside.

I already plan to talk to neighbor lady when I see her home. This is the same guy who keeps letting her cats out, and she has already apologized for that, but she can't get him to stop. So I'm not holding my breath she will be able to stop him from doing this either. Should I just stand there with my hose on? Ready to defend? Kind of joking.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Who said they would call 911??? I don't remember reading that in this thread. The police do have a non-emergency number.

Oh ok then that changes everything.

Good Day Maam. I'm here to take your complaint. What seems to be the problem?

Officer, I'm glad you came. There was this guy visiting my neighbor and he was was standing with a super soaker ready to fire.

Uh standing with a squirt gun is not illegal.

Oh wait. It changed nothing important.

 

[NHdisneylover]

The neighbor also has three dogs that bark.

The OP and the neighbor seem to have been fine with this up until the neighbor's guest began staying there.

But OP does not know that the neighbor or their house guest has any issue even now. All the OP knows is that she saw the neighbor's houseguest holding a squirt gun which she through was aimed at her dog---but no water was fired at her dog or otherwise through her fence and no one ha said anything to indicate a problem. For all OP knows the houseguest was just fooling around in the yard and training the sites on the moving creature for practice with no intention of squirting it.

 

[maxiesmom]

But OP does not know that the neighbor or their house guest has any issue even now. All the OP knows is that she saw the neighbor's houseguest holding a squirt gun which she through was aimed at her dog---but no water was fired at her dog or otherwise through her fence and no one ha said anything to indicate a problem. For all OP knows the houseguest was just fooling around in the yard and training the sites on the moving creature for practice with no intention of squirting it.

Sure. That is really reaching.

 

[Mermaid02]

I probably would have said, "Please don't shoot my dog with your super soaker, if she is barking I will be right out to get her. I don't want to hear her bark either."

 

[nkereina]

For all OP knows the houseguest was just fooling around in the yard and training the sites on the moving creature for practice with no intention of squirting it.

This was kind of my thought based on the OP's description of...

It was literally let the dog out to do her business. Dog sees strange people in the yard next door. Woof woof woof woof, going outside to get her, guy ready at fence with water gun.

I know it can change perception when you're the eye witness, but I'd be certain the neighbor was planning to use it on my dog before I proceed with any conversation. And I agree that calling the police would be extreme last resort, after a few conversations and multiple occurrences at least.

 

[Mermaid02]

Also, the time to talk about it was when it happened IMO

 

[Nancyg56]

What exactly are y’all thinking she should tell the police? He is threatening to get my dog wet?

Now I realize this dog is different due to the anxiety but most dogs will either learn to stop what they are doing (barking) or enjoy the spray of water. For most dogs this is hardly animal cruelty.

My dog would love him forever if he sprayed him with the water gun!! Lol

My first response would not be to call the police, however if a chat did not work this would be my second response. I have no idea where you live, but my small town police department would pay a visit to the neighbor.

Please do not call the cops. It’s ridiculous to think they need to have their time wasted like that. Nothing happened except she saw a man with a water gun. No crime was committed and there’s nothing to mediate because there has been no discussion with the neighbor. The first thing to do would be to talk with the neighbor to get clarity on the situation.

In my town the PD would not mind this kind of call. Many of my friends are officers in town and have indicated they prefer to know about these kinds of situations and that many times they can keep them from escalating. Of course I would visit my neighbor first, but if you met a few of mine you would know how that would turn out. And after a conversation if a water gun pointed at my dogs, and I chose not to call the PD, it would result in that gun pointing someplace else.....so the officer visit would be preferable.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Sure. That is really reaching.

And calling the cops on someone holding a squirt gun that didn't squirt the dog isn't?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

In my town the PD would not mind this kind of call. Many of my friends are officers in town and have indicated they prefer to know about these kinds of situations and that many times they can keep them from escalating. Of course I would visit my neighbor first, but if you met a few of mine you would know how that would turn out. And after a conversation if a water gun pointed at my dogs, and I chose not to call the PD, it would result in that gun pointing someplace else.....so the officer visit would be preferable.

Here in my neighborhood the non-emergency line is called for people parked illegally taking pictures by our waterfall blocking the road, it's called for solicitation (which while legal unless you have a no soliciting sign, people still tend to get upset with the soliciters) and we are encouraged by our police department to call the non-emergency line should solicitors be breaking part of the soliciting ordinance, for people driving too fast in the neighborhood, for cars driving by suspiciously, etc. I'm sure one or all of those things may look like to someone else as wasted resources but it's really not.

In my area I could totally see someone calling the non-emergency line but that being said I would hope for both the homeowner and the person actually pointing the water gun that they had a conversation beforehand though and that it was more the way the conversation went that facilitated the call to the non-emergency line.

I know for some people think "it's a water gun for pete's sake" and that's absolutly true but people in my metro have had dogs poisoned by hot dogs/tainted meat just thrown over the fence, people have had dogs poisoned by neighbors annoyed by them for some reason or another, people have had dogs shot and at times killed for some reason or another. So for me it's more of a 'nip this in the bud' type situation. I would converse with the neigbhors telling them "it's not ok to point the water gun at my dog. If there is something that my dog is doing that is bothering you please come talk to me first". It's quite possible the neighbor's friend says "oh I didn't mean to point it at the dog, etc" to which I would just keep my guard up for a while and be outside with my dog for a while. At the very least the OP's wishes would be made.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

What exactly are y’all thinking she should tell the police? He is threatening to get my dog wet?

Now I realize this dog is different due to the anxiety but most dogs will either learn to stop what they are doing (barking) or enjoy the spray of water. For most dogs this is hardly animal cruelty.

My dog would love him forever if he sprayed him with the water gun!! Lol

Next on America's most wanted. Be on the alert for the Super Soaker Slaughterer!!!! Do not approach. He is considered armed and wet.

 

[Christine]

Well, I'll probably be pretty unpopular here but:

I am a dog lover but never allow my dogs to bark for more than the time it takes me to get them.

My next door neighbor got a dog a few years ago that is an incessant barker. To the point that I can no longer even enjoy my backyard. Forget even sitting out on my deck. She has no control over the dog and he barks, she slowly comes out, tells him to STOP and keeps yelling. Now I've got her yelling over the barking.

My husband had a conversation with her and told her that there are noise ordnance laws in our county and if she cannot control his barking he would begin to call the police. After several calls, the police will charge her with a noise nuisance and she will have to go to court. She's gotten better. Because we like our neighbor we have tried to work with her on this. We've taken our dogs to behavioral training and one of the training techniques to stop bad behavior is using a spray bottle or water gun. This is used as a very workable behavior modification and we've used it on our own dogs. Anyway, my husband said to her: "Hey, if I am outside working in the yard and your dog is barking his head off, do I have your permission to use a squirt bottle or water gun on him." She kind of freaked at first but she then agreed to it. So we are THOSE people that have the super soaker outside to stop this dog's barking. It works. Not permanently but we are able to spend some time in the yard. My husband NEVER uses it up close so as to hurt the dog. But he has been many feet away so that the water just ends up "raining" on the dog...there is no pressure.

Now, I differ from the OP's situation in that I did ask permission and got it from the owner. But the water gun thing is not cruel or a torture unless, of course, you are only 2 feet away from the dog.

 

[Floridaman999]

I've used a squirt bottle with my cat. It works wonders when she gets up where she's not allowed. I only have to reach for it now and she's correcting herself rather quickly.

 

[Nancyg56]

Here in my neighborhood the non-emergency line is called for people parked illegally taking pictures by our waterfall blocking the road, it's called for solicitation (which while legal unless you have a no soliciting sign, people still tend to get upset with the soliciters) and we are encouraged by our police department to call the non-emergency line should solicitors be breaking part of the soliciting ordinance, for people driving too fast in the neighborhood, for cars driving by suspiciously, etc. I'm sure one or all of those things may look like to someone else as wasted resources but it's really not.

In my area I could totally see someone calling the non-emergency line but that being said I would hope for both the homeowner and the person actually pointing the water gun that they had a conversation beforehand though and that it was more the way the conversation went that facilitated the call to the non-emergency line.

I know for some people think "it's a water gun for pete's sake" and that's absolutly true but people in my metro have had dogs poisoned by hot dogs/tainted meat just thrown over the fence, people have had dogs poisoned by neighbors annoyed by them for some reason or another, people have had dogs shot and at times killed for some reason or another. So for me it's more of a 'nip this in the bud' type situation. I would converse with the neigbhors telling them "it's not ok to point the water gun at my dog. If there is something that my dog is doing that is bothering you please come talk to me first". It's quite possible the neighbor's friend says "oh I didn't mean to point it at the dog, etc" to which I would just keep my guard up for a while and be outside with my dog for a while. At the very least the OP's wishes would be made.

Oh we have "that" neighbor, and he is a handful! He has been known to shoot dogs with BB guns, and there have been rumors more powerful weapons. I do not have a dog, however if my cats got out he knows better than to hurt one. I have had a conversation with him on one occasion when he was less than kind to my sister and her children when their puppy got away from them and tried to play with his dog. It did not go well, but he was warned about future interactions, and in 27 years since has been very careful not to be caught doing or saying anything that was even mildly confrontational to anyone or thing exiting my home. It helps that he is terrified of my big ol softy DH, however I am the one he needs to worry about.

 

[maxiesmom]

And calling the cops on someone holding a squirt gun that didn't squirt the dog isn't?

No one has done that.

 

[luvsJack]

Next on America's most wanted. Be on the alert for the Super Soaker Slaughterer!!!! Do not approach. He is considered armed and wet.