Neighbors...grrrr

Get to know other Positively members here.

Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost

Post Reply
thepennywhistle
Posts: 669
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:20 pm

Neighbors...grrrr

Post by thepennywhistle »

Well, I've finally found out why my collies are so reactive to the man
next door. Man is not exactly accurate. He is an adult and lives alone,
but has issues and is emotionally about 16. My dogs will not let him
pass without a challenge. I've worked it out so that they tolerate his
dog without much noise, but Michael? Never.

Last night after dark I let my dogs out to potty and stayed with them,
as Michael had chucked some pelleted feed over the fence and I'm not
trusting things at the moment. As I stood in the shadows, his door
opens, he pops his head and barks at my dogs. Yes, the guy BARKED,
which of course set them off roaring at the fence. He didn't know
I was there, and my comment of "that was classy" from the shadows
made him jump, glare at me, and slam the door, but the dogs were
still barking even after he'd gone back inside.

I don't know how to fix this one. Poor dogs have every reason to
bark at the strange man, but I wish they'd stop. I wish he'd stop,
but I doubt he will.

The issue of him throwing food over the fence is a new one. Don't
like that. No one seems to have been harmed by the bit they
scarfed before I got there, fortunately, but this scares me too.

Grrrr.
User avatar
DogzRule1996
Posts: 575
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:21 pm
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by DogzRule1996 »

Have you ever thought about going over and talking with him? And from the sound of this reminds me of a good Halloween scare :lol: (ok probably shouldn't be joking sorry) :oops:
(¯`'•.¸(¸.•'´ ¯)
♫♪(¯` ¸(¯`'•.¸**¸.•'´¯)¸.• ¯)♫♪
(¯`'•. --=-_Stop Animal Cruelty Now!_-=-- `'• .¸_)
(_¸-_(_¸.•'´*♫♪♫♪*`'•.¸_)`'• .¸_)
(._¸.•'´`'• .Â.=-¸_)
User avatar
Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by Nettle »

Sheeyit, bad position to be in. :evil:

Can you fence within your fenceline so dogs can't get at stuff he throws over?

You can't reason where there is no intelligence, so it's all about management. What the heck you do about his "barking" issues I don't know, but maybe someone else can come up with a useful suggestion. All I can think of is napalm.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
maximoo
Posts: 1111
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:07 am
Location: South Florida

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by maximoo »

put an electric collar on the neighbor & zap him when he barks! lol.... :lol:
wvvdiup1
Posts: 3397
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:31 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by wvvdiup1 »

Maximoo wrote:
put an electric collar on the neighbor & zap him when he barks! lol..
That's what I would do to the neighbor if he or she barks at my dog! :lol:

Seriously, how old is this male neighbor of yours? If he's emotionally and mentally stuck at 16, there's not too much you can do until he does something that is potentially dangerous to others and himself. The only thing you can do is before you let your dogs out, check to make sure he isn't outside or popping his head out a door or a window. If he isn't doing either, let your dogs out and watch out for him as you watch your dogs. Once you see or even hear him, tell him to "Make my day" as Clint Eastwood did in his Dirty Harry movies. I've done it and it works! :lol:
Image
Image
"Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius." -author unknown
Fundog
Posts: 3874
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by Fundog »

Hmmm.... I wonder how likely it is this guy has some mental/cognitive issues, and is on some sort of "program" that enables him to live on his own, with assistance? Of course, due to privacy laws, you may not be able to find out this information. Instead, document his actions and behaviors and report him to social services. If he is in the system, they will want this type of information, as it shows his ability or inability to integrate with society, and will help them determine whether he would be better suited in a nursing care or assisted living facility.
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
wvvdiup1
Posts: 3397
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:31 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by wvvdiup1 »

Hmmmm, I think Fundog is right on this one. If you bark back or say "Make my day" in a Clint Eastwood way, you actually be encouraging him to keep acting the way he does. :(

So, to add to Fundog's post, why don't you or get someone to video your neighbor doing this? Maybe you can send a copy of the video to whatever institution in charge of your neighbor's well-being. I think the video will open their eyes to what he's doing as well as serve as a complaint, or it could be used as a tool to study his condition. Just think! Your video may save your state some money! 8)
Image
Image
"Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius." -author unknown
thepennywhistle
Posts: 669
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:20 pm

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by thepennywhistle »

Thanks for all the thoughts and replies.

This guy is 37 years old, an alcoholic with Tourette's syndrome (though I've not seen any evidence of it),
and some other problem his mother and his step-mother both declined to specify, which I find interesting
as they've both told me some terribly personal things regarding him. Makes me wonder just what this big
secret is. He is on disability. He spends his days playing video games and his nights blaring unpleasant
music. He and his step-mother who owned the place along with his father before they died, are also
responsible for the huge and starving cat colony I took over. I figure I've spent thousands on HIS cats.
I've tried not to confront or create obvious conflicts with him because I felt my dogs would be vulnerable,
but as he's broken the truce, I think anything goes from this point.

He also seems terribly spoiled, although this may be from my lack of understanding of his issues. I have
watched his senior mother and step-father with a serious heart condition cleaning out his shed and mowing
his lawn in the Arizona heat while he sat on his behind inside in the AC. When confronted, as the neighbor
on the other side has over his cats, he will lie and say whatever he can to squirm out of the moment and
change nothing. Although, now I think on it, he did stop throwing aerosol cans into his bonfires during
his drunken parties with friends (good friends until the money runs out mid-month) once I yelled at him,
while trying to simultaneously crawl over Seraph who was doing her best to body block me from going any
closer to the drunks. They loved the explosions. I envisioned my house burning down :evil:

He also has this creepy habit of putting a folding chair in the middle of the yard and sitting there for long
periods of time while doing nothing but staring at my door. I'm glad I have the biggish dogs in here.

In short, I think direct confrontation or negotiation is pretty much a lost cause. I always watch to make sure
no one is outside when I let my dogs out, and we've worked through problems with his pit bull, but now I see
that the doofus is harrassing my dogs while I'm not looking, and all hope for peace just died. Poor dogs, I've
been frustrated with their behavior, but now I understand. Rowan barks while inside every time he moves
around outside. I am walking the fence line before I put the dogs out, and now I'm staying with them while
they're out, which lengthens my day and cuts down on their playtime (must work, after all, to buy the kibble).

I'm planning buying a roll of livestock wire in the morning so I can fence them away from the fenceline and make
sure I can reach any "snacks" on the ground before they do. That will make their yard long and narrow, but it's
better this way. I can actually see the coward chucking something harmful over the fence to them. Poor doggies,
losing play time AND play space because of this jerk. I am also budgeting for the huge privacy fencing on that side
of the yard. Won't stop him from tossing stuff over the fence as he's very tall, but at least they won't be able to
see each other. *sigh* No new laundry equipment for me until this is settled, if it ever is, but the dogs are
the priority. :(

I'm intrigued by the idea of forwarding info on his behavior to the authorities. Could you elaborate on who should
be told, what you think they should be told, and how I should get word to them? I'm awfully tired of his childish
behavior, but I didn't want to cause him any problems, but now he's crossed the line with my dogs!

Thanks for all the suggestions!
Fundog
Posts: 3874
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by Fundog »

Contact the Department of Health and Human Services (also known as DHHS). If he is on disability and has a certified mental disability such as Tourette's (which is a form of autism, btw), then he surely has a caseworker who oversees his well-being and determines his ability to live on his own. If he presents a danger to himself and others while living alone, then he needs to be determined by a court of law to be unable to live on his own, and placed in the care of someone qualified to oversee his behavior, such as a behavior medicine unit or nursing home.

Some behaviors that pose a danger to self and others would be:

* tossing aerosol cans into a bonfire
*threatening neighbors
*animal cruelty
*criminal activity
*suicidal thoughts or self-harm
*inability to take prescribed medications correctly

More things the DHHS will be wanting to check on (if you place a call, they are very likely to make a home check on the man) might be:

*Ability to dress himself every day, appropriately to the weather (for instance, does he ever wander the streets in his pajamas or sit in the backyard naked, or does he wear shorts and tank top in a snow storm, or dress in sweaters and jackets in the scorching heat of summer?)

*Cleanliness of the home and yard
*Freshness/quality of food in the home
*Evidence of illegal drug use
*Are pets properly cared for?
*Personal Hygiene (does he shower, shave, and comb his hair and wear clean clothes?)
*Overall health at first glance
*Is the home structurally sound, or are there serious safety hazards?
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
emmabeth
Posts: 8894
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:24 pm
Location: West Midlands
Contact:

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by emmabeth »

I would make an official complaint if you can figure out who to make one to, it may well be that if he has carers, they are not aware of what he is doing outside the times they are there and it also may be that IF he is told 'officially' not to do something, he may quit (long shot but worth it).

As for the fence - instead of fencing off inside the existing fence - could you put up some sort of lightweight mesh netting at an angle to catch anything he tosses over. It might need vertical supports along the outer edge, being fixed to the fence on the inner edge, but the dogs could still run around underneath it and if its low enough that HE cant see it from his side of the fence he may never realise it is there and so ever attept to chuck things into the middle of the yard (ie where the netting doesnt fully 'roof' the yard).
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
wvvdiup1
Posts: 3397
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:31 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by wvvdiup1 »

Fundog said to "Contact the Department of Health and Human Services (also known as DHHS)." I've also said to get videos of his behaviors and so on, and you might want to get pictures, too. In addition to that, if you can, get witnesses as well. They can corroborate what they see and hear as well as to your videos and pictures, should your witnesses see you taking videos and pictures of the instances. All of these should be sufficient evidences to your complaints to the DHHS or whatever name they are under in your state. Why should you, your neighbors, and your pets suffer?
Image
Image
"Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius." -author unknown
thepennywhistle
Posts: 669
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:20 pm

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by thepennywhistle »

Fundog, I did not know that Tourette's was connected to autism. Makes total sense
now that I think of it, and explains his disconnected, odd affect as well. And I am
going to take notes and see if the opportunity arises to report his behavior. His
second set of parents are seniors with health issues and he will be left without carers
again in the future. He has failed 2 attempts at living alone, so I'll be there when it
goes downhill again.

His mother and step-father came back about 4 months ago, and took care of everything
you listed as info DHHS needed. Gutted his trailer and rebuilt it, hauled 12 truckloads of
trash out of his back yard, put an end to his parties with the teenagers, during which he
supplied them with alcohol and cigarettes and smelled like marijuana as well. His mom
says he is suicidal, and I know he's been in legal trouble because they walked him from
his home to where they'd parked in my driveway to serve the latest warrant (got mad
and broke a shop window). Hey, if it happens in my driveway, I get to watch, so I got
all the info. He will retaliate if crossed, and I'm honestly about half scared of this guy,
especially with his habit of staring at my back door for hours. Parents have bought a
house about 2 streets over, so hopefully they'll spend LOTS of time with him.

He doesn't abuse his dog, just ignores her. She has an automatic waterer and automatic
feeder next to the doggy door. He just refills her once every 2 weeks.

I have now got the livestock wire as suggested by Nettle, and 2 hute rolls of nylon window
screening for the angled fence as suggested by Emmabeth. I have someone coming in the
morning to help with the logistics and installation, so by tomorrow night I will feel a bit
safer about his gifties over the fence. I can totally see him tossing antifreeze over here
in the mood he's in right now. Nettle, you're right. Diligent management is the way I'm
going to go from here on out, even after I get the privacy fencing up. Can't stop him
barking at the dogs (which he is still doing), but I will prevent him from poisoning them.

Thanks for all of the suggestions and sympathy. I really appreciate all of it!
Fundog
Posts: 3874
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by Fundog »

For those wanting more information about Tourette's Syndrome in particular, here is a link with the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions:

http://tourettenowwhat.tripod.com/FAQ.htm

And for some clarification, not all children with autism necessarily have Tourette's, however many children with Tourette's will often have autism and other behavioral/neurological disorders. To be even more precise, Tourette's is a type of "Tic Disorder," and may or may not include inappropriate/annoying vocalizations such as swearing, barking, or growling. But not all tic disorders are necessarily Tourette's. (Does any of this make sense so far?)

One thing Autism Spectrum disorders and Tic Spectrum Disorders have in common are "social inappropriateness." While two separate spectrums, the two types of disorders have many similarities and are often linked, or found within multiple family members, much the way asthma and eczema have been linked. (Many people will have both asthma AND eczema, or some family members will have asthma while other members have eczema, and yet asthma and eczema are two completely different disorders!).
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
dontpugme
Posts: 1294
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:01 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Re: Neighbors...grrrr

Post by dontpugme »

Fundog wrote:While two separate spectrums, the two types of disorders have many similarities and are often linked, or found within multiple family members, much the way asthma and eczema have been linked. (Many people will have both asthma AND eczema, or some family members will have asthma while other members have eczema, and yet asthma and eczema are two completely different disorders!).
Whoa, I didn't know that. Now that i think about it, my dad has asthma and i have eczema. :shock: :)
--dontpugme
Post Reply