Approximately 89.7 million dogs in the United States are considered household pets, which puts emphasis on the phrase “man’s best friend.” Regardless, not everyone is enthusiastic about dogs—especially if they live next door to one. If you’re a dog-owning neighbor, it’s important that you execute proper etiquette and train your dog to behave in a manner that’s acceptable by all. Here’s how to keep things under control.
How to Handle an Angry Neighbor
In order to keep a simple conversation from escalating into a full-blown argument, it’s important to have a plan of action if you’re approached by an unhappy neighbor:
- Listen: Listen and don’t interrupt when your neighbor is stating their case. Avoid getting defensive even if this person is exaggerating the problem—remember, you have to live next store to this person.
- Empathize: Empathize, apologize, and offer a solution to the problem.
- Investigate the Problem: In an effort to make sure your neighbor has a viable complaint, do a little digging on your own. Consider setting up a video camera to observe your dog when you’re not around, but make sure you’re monitoring your pooch when you are. It’s important that any complaints aren’t violations that could get animal control involved, so obey leash and poop/scoop laws at all times.
- Take action: Once you’ve determined the root of the problem, it’s up to you to take action.
Keeping Your Dog Out of Your Neighbor’s Yard
When dogs are playing, they become curious creatures, so it’s a good idea to install a fence to keep your dog out of the neighbor’s yard while also preventing him from running away. Most homeowners spend between $216 and $4,399 to install a fence. Make sure it’s at least four feet tall (five to six feet if you have an exceptionally large dog), is climb-proof, and has privacy to avoid distractions in your neighbor’s yard.
Quieting a Barker
It’s up to you to control your dog and make sure he’s properly socialized and trained. It’s also likely that your pooch is barking because he’s being neglected—never leave your dog in the backyard without necessities like food and fresh water—or he’s distracted by something in the lawn next door. This is yet another reason why you should install a fence.
Keep Things Tidy
Regardless of the scoop laws in your town or city, do your due diligence by picking up after your dog, whether it’s in your own backyard or in the neighborhood when you take your pup for a walk.
Repair Any Damage
Dogs chew out of boredom, anxiety, or for play, but if they damage your neighbor’s property in the process, you’re responsible for paying for any repairs. To prevent this from happening, make sure you keep your dog occupied with chew toys and bones.
Socializing
Before walking in common areas, make sure you’ve dedicated some time to teaching your dog some basic obedience skills so you both feel confident when coming into contact with people, dogs, cars, and bikers. Start by leash training before moving into basic commands such as “sit” and “stay.”
Whether you have an energetic puppy or a senior animal who prefers to enjoy his golden years snoozing in a patch of sun, behavioral issues can happen at any age. Make sure you institute good habits from the get-go to avoid any potential problems down the road. Not only will you have a more harmonious household, but you’ll keep peace with the neighbors, too.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Article Submitted By Aurora James.
Like most dog owners, I enjoy spending as much time with my pup as possible, and sometimes that means bringing him with me to dog-friendly restaurants and shops.
He’s very well-trained so I trust him to behave properly around other dogs and humans. And before bringing him to a business, I always make sure I know their rules regarding dogs.
Unfortunately, not all dog owners keep close tabs on their pup’s behavior when out in public. At DogEtiquette, we thought it might be good to come up with some hard and fast rules for dog owners to follow when bringing their pets to coffee shops, specifically, and we’ve included them in a new infographics. – Aurora Visit her on her website DogEtiquette.info.