Quote: Dani Story

My dog doesn't run the fence. He barks when his garage door opens runs to the fence and then turns to get his ball not barking.

But you mentioned that they don't like the dog because of the barking. How would they describe it? Startling? Menacing?

Well, It seems there is a lot of coming and going from their house. They sleep with the windows open. We leave very early in the morning and when Deacon first goes outside that is when my neighbor leaves. He usually gives a "ruff, ruff, ruff, and maybe one or two more. They told my husband that it was disturbing for his wife because she sleeps in. Also, they have two kids. A young boy who used to run along the fence saying Deacon's name repeatedly and being a kid. Squealing and singing. You know like they do. Deacon got disturbed by that. The boy hasn't done that in a long time. But he did bark a little more aggressively. In fact, now that I think of it. The only time he barked at anyone while on leash was my neighbors boy. My husband had just walked him and the boy ran up to D and kind of danced around about a couple of feet from him saying his name over and over. D lunged and barked. My husband gave a hard correction and D laid down and that was it. Since then my neighbor has been distant.

When the doorbell rings....to someone who hasn't heard it before its startling. In the yard it sounds like a typical bark if I can say that. But to those who don't know would say mean, I guess.

So the dogs stay outside on their own all day?

 Quote: Dani Story

... When the doorbell rings....to someone who hasn't heard it before its startling. In the yard it sounds like a typical bark if I can say that. But to those who don't know would say mean, I guess.

No, I meant the part about the neighbor not liking the dog because of the barking.

You do understand, right, that we are concerned about the neighbors who don't like your dog? Neighbors who have it in for a dog (or the dog's owners) are a very bad thing for that dog. Fixing that is crucial. None of these questions have anything to do with the escape-bite any longer (except indirectly). They're geared to getting your dog off anyone and everyone's sh*t-list. It becomes even more important when the dog has bitten someone.

Are your dogs outside on their own during the day?

Two things to consider:
Keep him away from the fence
No more barking at the neighbors

Dani,
Your yard set up sounds like mine; close quarters to my neighbors. For this reason my dog is never unattended in the yard; not because anyone has complained but because I don't want them to. I love dogs but believe me if I had to listen to barking every single morning while I was trying to catch my beauty sleep even if it was only 5 minutes a day; I'd be pissed.

Even more important to me is if my dog is outside without me but in close contact to others; he can behave whatever way he wants and that is not a good thing. He can become defensive to the shrieking child, take offense to your neighbor moving around on his own property and get loose and bite someone because aggression is acceptable when there is no one there to correct it.

I know you feel really bad and I'm not trying to make you feel worse but in response to your question; how did this happen? maybe it will offer a little food for thought.

If he barks routinely at the neighbors doing their routine (sorry for the odd semantics), I would find that extremely annoying if I were a neighbor. My dogs don't like one of my neighbors (and they have good reason), but I don't let them keep barking at him- even though I can't stand him. I have very nice neighbors that abut my back fence (their back yard does) and my dogs will run to bark at them/their friends when they come down there (they usually all line up - the kids that is, and stare at my dogs, as if they are in a zoo). That unsettles the dogs, so in they come. It's just a matter of prevention, more than anything. No barking at neighbors going about their business, and if I had to, I would plant some sort of thick hedge/bush/ivy, so that the dogs could not see the neighbors, in addition, I would teach the dogs not to bark, and not leave them outside unattended. Now that your dog has gotten loose and bitten someone, I would have to advise that your dog not spend any time outside alone, in addition I would make that back yard Fort Knox. He's proven now to be a menace- even IF he was provoked in some way. I am sorry this happened, but now you know you have to take this as serious as a heart attack.

These are pets I assume and not used for work. The key is socialization and getting them out and about. If they are strictly house and yard dogs and they got loose and into a new environment they can and usually will become stressed. Ever see how a lost dog reacts? They become stressed and will either act fearful or aggressive. All of a sudden they are not secure with their family, they are in a strange and noisy environment with cars and bikes and strange people.
Fix the fence, teach them not to bark (this may require an anti-bark collar) and socialize the heck out of them with new people and new environments.

 Quote: dani story

EMT arrived..she was treated on scene, refused hospital. Neighbor next door met her today and says she was bandaged on one hip and middle torso other side.

in dog-bite cases (in general), i'm assuming any medical records would be taken into account. but are they? b/c medical records are confidential, i'm also assuming that they would have to be subpeonaed (sp?). a lot of "ASS-uming", i know, but i don't know.

is the neighbor the lady left her contact info with the one who dislikes your dogs?

if the "victim" takes photographs of the injuries, does the dog's owner get to see them? does the dog's owner even get to enter a rebuttal to AC when AC is making a decision?

i just realized how little i know about this. WOW! time to get educated.


and dani--your dogs ARE UTD on rabies vax, right?