Quote: Barbara Schuler

Aaron, I think your recommendations are excellent.

I agree!!!

My first post ever on Leerburg ws about a neighbor like this, only.my neighbor made no attempt to contain his dog.

It was aweful, he lived two houses up from me and every time I brought my dog out I was afraid of an attack. This dog attacked five other dogs on our block before he moved away.

The big similarity is that he was a "nice guy". He wasn't.

Nice guys want other people to feel safe and comfortable. Don't feel bad about doing what you need to do.

I'm with Aaron on everything else.

 Quote: Lauren Jeffery

Nice guys want other people to feel safe and comfortable.

Excellent point.

I put 'nice' in parentheses in my initial post. I think a lot of 'nice' people are merely passive, and actually aren't very nice when it comes down to it and they are actually asked to DO something.

I realized at some point over the past few years that most of the really 'nice' guys I knew were people you couldn't rely on. Their easygoing nature was simply a defensive mechanism for people who resisted commitment.

His responses to me and to the other guy whose dog got attacked were plaintive and childish, like a teenager reacting to a stern parent. He's clearly got issues w/authority and being reprimanded, yet his behavior seems almost intentionally antagonistic. It's like he's inviting disaster so he can have a forum to play the unwitting victim or the helpless child. It's weird.

Aaron's suggestions are good, but honestly I'd have a tough time even making those offers to a friend. People are just too headstrong, especially men.

Also, the landlord won't be changing the dog policy anytime soon. There are breed restrictions but this place makes its bread on being one of the only apartments in Reston that won't limit you to one dog, or limit the size of your dog.

Unfortunately that brings a lot of people who have dogs, and aren't serious enough to handle them.

So do what you need to do. You may not have absolute control over the outcome, but you are also not powerless in the situation.

I personaly would talk to the neighbor one more time. It doesn't have to be a heart to heart, and it doesn't have to be a confrontation. Its also best not to do it in the heat of the moment.

Just give him the benefit of the doubt. You don't really know him, and its always better to be cordial to the people in your building.

His charecter is irrelevant to the situation.

I would go knock on his door and say,"Hey, I'm worried about this. Is there anyway we can work it out?"

If no, then call the landlord.

Just to add quickly coming from the animal control standpoint if this is private property its happening on they may not be able to do anything. But... I would invite your neighbor over (or preferably meet in some neutral place) to make it as non-confrontational as possible and suggest ways together you can make it work. I would also suggest letting him know that if you have another incident you will report him to management and animal control, as much as you don't want to do this. I might also suggest to him that liability is that if his dog gets loose and YOU get injured (even if you just twist an ankle avoiding the dog) the liability is on HIM. Not that you'd do that...You both have to be reasonable, it sounds like you are, neighbor relations over dog issues can sour really quickly so in my humble opinion handling it as non-confrontational as possible is the solution and then move on from there if it continues. Good luck.

 Quote: Ross Rapoport

His responses to me and to the other guy whose dog got attacked were plaintive and childish, like a teenager reacting to a stern parent. He's clearly got issues w/authority and being reprimanded, yet his behavior seems almost intentionally antagonistic. It's like he's inviting disaster so he can have a forum to play the unwitting victim or the helpless child. It's weird.

Aaron's suggestions are good, but honestly I'd have a tough time even making those offers to a friend. People are just too headstrong, especially men.

Just about everyone has a an issue with a random person reprimanding them. A challenge to his ability triggers a defense mechanism. He knows he has issues, but admitting them seems like weakness (not uncommon in the male gender, no offense)

Headstrong works both ways. You never know unless you try. If you try and he blows you off, then you know. How serious are you about finding a solution? If you're serious and concerned enough, it's worth a shot.

*gasp*

I'm appalled at this blatant display of misandry!

*snort*

LOL!!!

But nope, not misandry, just many, many years of experience. With 8 brothers I have just a touch of experience with dealing with the male psyche...

 Quote: mara jessup

Just about everyone has a an issue with a random person reprimanding them. A challenge to his ability triggers a defense mechanism. He knows he has issues, but admitting them seems like weakness (not uncommon in the male gender, no offense)

Headstrong works both ways. You never know unless you try. If you try and he blows you off, then you know. How serious are you about finding a solution? If you're serious and concerned enough, it's worth a shot.

I probably am being a bit headstrong myself, but I do feel like I already did the 'nice neighborly thing.' The talk we had (during which he petted Roger and was perfectly 'nice') involved me saying, exactly, "I like your dog and I know he doesn't mean any harm. But accidents do happen, like the incident I witnessed, and I wouldn't want to see something like that cause a big problem for you and your dog."

I'll leave a note on his door w/my phone #.