Vent ! New Neighbor & their dog....Update pg 2

[pandora174]

Here is the thing. A few weeks ago a couple moved in next door with a male Shar-Pei. As you can see by my picture we have a beautiful female. Well Shar-Pei's are delicate, they have skin issues, more inside than outside dogs & very loving & protective. OK I love my dog. I love the breed.

Anyway this couple has their dog outside solely (he's about a year to a year & half old). In the rain & cold (it's 55 in FL now) with no house or protective cover. Also his food is left out for rain & bugs to get in it.

We see this through the fence when we let our dog for her business or playtime & she goes over to the fence to make friends. For the last 3 days their dog has gotten out. First night my DH found him, knocked on their door, no answer so he put the dog back in their yard.

Last night again the dog is loose (no collar, only a flea collar). This time I knocked but no one home & the dog looked skinny & didn't want to leave their front door. So I went & got him a plate of dog food & water which he gobbled up.

Today again he was loose . My DH was home, knocked & no answer (no cars in the driveway) & let the dog in their yard & left him some food.

Our hearts are breaking here. All he does is lay on the grass & is very inactive. He doesn't bark or run, his tail is down....My DH next time he sees the neighbor plans on diplomatically telling them along the lines of that their dog got loose a few times & we were worried someone might steal him or get hit by a car so we put him back in their yard & we gave him some food. We'd be willing to keep an eye on him when they're out of town ?

I don't know how people can have dogs & not take care of them properly. Maybe we're so emotional about this issue because our Shar-Pei was a rescue dog. People love them when they're little & all wrinkled but when they get big some people get mad b/c they lose most of their wrinkles.

What else can we do ? It's not our dog, any suggestions. We've never been in this situation. They don't appear lacking funds to care for the dog properly. we're just so sad for this dog

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Well, you can try talking with them. Do you want to take the dog?

If you don't, and if you honestly think the dog is being abused or neglected, there is always "that call" you can make.

Good luck to you. Wish that dog next door had good owners!

 

[MM27]

My old neighbors got their daughter a Rottie because at 4 years old she had a stuffed animal Rottie and wanted a real one

Same story. They kept the poor thing outside 24/7, in the rain, snow, heat and it had no shelter at all. The poor thing was dirty, it was covered in flys, it was so skinny and I think just wanted some time of human contact.

We called animal control several times and they would come, tell the people that they needed to take care of the dog and then leave

I would feed the dog over the fence whenever I could. Then the dog started getting loose. He was very calm, but when a full grown Rottie is out and someone is walking their own dog down the street, they freak a bit. Several times I went out and got the dog. One time I was even yelled at by someone that thought it was my dog. I finally called the police instead of animal control when the dog was loose again but running into the street. I live on a busy county road and I was so afraid the dog would get hit. The police came, saw the condition of the dog and took him right away in their car.

So then the little girl decided she wanted a rabbit...

 

[AlleyKat]

How sad!

He needs a loving family and it doesn't seem as if they fit the bill!

Ask them nicely what type of shelter they plan on providing their dog. In conversation, mention how delicate their skin tends to be and how they love being indoors.

Their response should be revealing, you'll know what to do at that point.

 

[yoopermom]

Could you google your local pet regulations? Even here in the country, any outside pet is required to have "shelter, clean water, food" etc. Can you document that the dog is outside for extended periods of time without basic care (time dated camera or video?).

IMHO you have two options: try and talk to the neighbor nicely and educate them (maybe using your experience with the breed as a way to break the ice), or, next time the dog is loose and no one is home, take it to the nearest (no kill) shelter (ours would require the owner to pay a fee and show proof of vaccinations to reclaim).

Good luck, and good for you for caring...

Terri

 

[Abbie]

I think you have to find a way to contact them, if for no other reason than to alert them that they have a containment problem with their fence. Maybe a note tacked to the door?

How long have they lived there? Is it possible they haven't had a chance yet to get the dog properly settled? Where we live, it is required that an outside dog have shelter of some sort, and clean food and water available. Call your local animal control and see if you have that requirement too and if so, go ahead and report them. The very least they can provide is a doghouse!

 

[pandora174]

Well, you can try talking with them. Do you want to take the dog?

If you don't, and if you honestly think the dog is being abused or neglected, there is always "that call" you can make.

Good luck to you. Wish that dog next door had good owners!

I know what you mean about the call. We would want the dog. We know Shar-Pei's he is very sad & fearful. But let's you come near to feed him & slightly pet him. If they would be willing to give him to us, we would have to put him in our third room & introduce him to family life. We have a DS (7) & a very happy female Shar-Pei. He looks like he needs the Dog Whisper honestly . Just don't know what they could possibly be thinking He's so beautiful, white with pink leather paws & nose with the purple tongue. A little bushier fur than our Shar-Pei.

Let's see when they get home & DH goes & does his best diplomatic talk. I'm too upset to go with him.

 

[kafitty]

oh my, i would be freaking out if i were you.

i would try to engage them in conversation - nothing accusatory at first, but maybe just chat about the breed and how much you LOVE them and their certain personality traits (indoor vs outdoor, etc).

Not that everyone can take a hint...but that might be a good way to start without alienating them off the bat, KWIM?

good luck, my heart is breaking for that poor baby.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

im in a similar situation with someone on our street and their dog. the only advice i can give is to talk to them about it. maybe they'll see how foolish they're being and keep the dog inside. if not, well, i don't really know what to say. sorry.

 

[Pluto 2]

some people shouldnt own pets. this is a good example. imo all dogs should be in the house. they should only be outside when they want to go outside.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

some people shouldnt own pets. this is a good example. imo all dogs should be in the house. they should only be outside when they want to go outside.

agreed.

 

[doxdogy]

More than likely the dog is undernourished since the food is left outside for him. A friend of ours had the same problem with his neighbors. He went to the neighbors and gave them one of two choices, give me the dog or I will call the police and make an animal cruelty complaint. The neighbors gave him the dog.

 

[RitaZ.]

Here is the thing. A few weeks ago a couple moved in next door with a male Shar-Pei. As you can see by my picture we have a beautiful female. Well Shar-Pei's are delicate, they have skin issues, more inside than outside dogs & very loving & protective. OK I love my dog. I love the breed.

Anyway this couple has their dog outside solely (he's about a year to a year & half old). In the rain & cold (it's 55 in FL now) with no house or protective cover. Also his food is left out for rain & bugs to get in it.

We see this through the fence when we let our dog for her business or playtime & she goes over to the fence to make friends. For the last 3 days their dog has gotten out. First night my DH found him, knocked on their door, no answer so he put the dog back in their yard.

Last night again the dog is loose (no collar, only a flea collar). This time I knocked but no one home & the dog looked skinny & didn't want to leave their front door. So I went & got him a plate of dog food & water which he gobbled up.

Today again he was loose . My DH was home, knocked & no answer (no cars in the driveway) & let the dog in their yard & left him some food.

Our hearts are breaking here. All he does is lay on the grass & is very inactive. He doesn't bark or run, his tail is down....My DH next time he sees the neighbor plans on diplomatically telling them along the lines of that their dog got loose a few times & we were worried someone might steal him or get hit by a car so we put him back in their yard & we gave him some food. We'd be willing to keep an eye on him when they're out of town ?

I don't know how people can have dogs & not take care of them properly. Maybe we're so emotional about this issue because our Shar-Pei was a rescue dog. People love them when they're little & all wrinkled but when they get big some people get mad b/c they lose most of their wrinkles.

What else can we do ? It's not our dog, any suggestions. We've never been in this situation. They don't appear lacking funds to care for the dog properly. we're just so sad for this dog

Don't go by appearances. We had neighbors that drove an Escalade and a big Hummer. They kept their dogs outside all the time. One dog was an English Bulldog and the other a St. Bernard. The St. Bernard was beyond filthy. They got into my backyard one day and they were desperately drinking water out of our fountain. It was sad to watch. Turns out that the neighbors didn't even have water outside for the dogs. I learned that and a whole lot more from one of the neighbors on their street.

 

[Tina]

I hate pet owner's like this. Since the dog has no collar, is constantly getting loose, and not well nourished -- perhaps you should call a Shar-Pei rescue the next time you catch it and claim ignorance. These owners obviously don't care too much what happens to her.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

some people shouldnt own pets. this is a good example. imo all dogs should be in the house. they should only be outside when they want to go outside.

Comments like this are going to help make this thread go badly (as others before them have).

There are many dogs who live outside and are perfectly healthy and happy.

There are others who are left outside and, basically, neglected. And they suffer in silence.

Humane laws in this country (although they vary by state, county, town, etc) are such that, at minimum, animals must have proper food, water, medical care and shelter. If they aren't providing that, they are breaking the law.

There are no laws that Fido must be in the house all comfy by the fire.

This is a difficult situation, pandora. You might have a conversation with them to see if they'd be interested in giving the dog to you. Maybe it would be a relief to them to get rid of him since they're not doing much with him anyway. (Kind of a coincidence they moved in beside you, isn't it?) I'd just be careful how you handle it as if they feel offended, they might dig their heels in just because they can.

Good luck (with the thread, and the situation).

 

[luvsJack]

Why are they never home? Are they always at work when the dog gets loose or did they go out of town?

If they are out of town, is it possible that someone was supposed to be feeding and caring for the dog but wasn't doing it?

Before ds got married his room mate was supposed to be taking care of his dog while ds was at work out of town. Wasn't happening. Luckily he had asked us to double check on the dog and we discovered he wasn't being fed properly and had knocked his water over and the room mate had discovered a leak and turned the water off! We had to run to the store and buy some water for the dog. From then on we just told the room mate not to worry about it we would come by every day and take care of the dog (I even took gallons of water over with me to make sure I could give him fresh water.) It would have been really easy for the neighbors to think the dog was being neglected during those couple of days.

 

[chisnpeke]

Comments like this are going to help make this thread go badly (as others before them have).

There are many dogs who live outside and are perfectly healthy and happy.

There are others who are left outside and, basically, neglected. And they suffer in silence.

Humane laws in this country (although they vary by state, county, town, etc) are such that, at minimum, animals must have proper food, water, medical care and shelter. If they aren't providing that, they are breaking the law.

There are no laws that Fido must be in the house all comfy by the fire.

This is a difficult situation, pandora. You might have a conversation with them to see if they'd be interested in giving the dog to you. Maybe it would be a relief to them to get rid of him since they're not doing much with him anyway. (Kind of a coincidence they moved in beside you, isn't it?) I'd just be careful how you handle it as if they feel offended, they might dig their heels in just because they can.

Good luck (with the thread, and the situation).

We have three dogs outside. They prefer it out there. They have a big backyard to run and play in and bird watch (spaniel and dalmation love that). They also have a big detached garage to go into that has heat and has couches. We also built them a little hut type thing under our back deck and it has a heater in the window and a couch.

 

[pandora174]

Thanks for the advice !

luvsjack : The dog has gotten out within the last 3 days. I assume no one is home Sat & today but Friday I saw their car parked. So yeah they could be out of town but from the 3 weeks they've lived here, the dog has been always in the backyard with no shelter & food left out in the open.

Not that's it mandatory but in our neighborhood all dog owner's take their dogs for walks since we have a large undeveloped plot right next to us. While we have backyards our dog enjoys a nice walk, run sniff around bushes etc. But this dog just sits in the back yard. DS plays alot in our backyard so we spend alot of time there. Also DH works from home & likes to get fresh air & work from his laptop, so unfortunately we know when it's raining & the dog is getting soaked, or that it's mosquito time & their yard is not treated. So the dog is not a happy camper with the grass wet, muddy etc. Shar-Pei's have very sensitive skin. Just to give you an example we gave our Shar Pei a flea treatment (from the vet), natural ingredients & it burned off the hair from her neck to her tail She get's oatmeal baths to keep her coat healthy & I add fish oil. They also suffer easily from eye infections because the wrinkles droop into their eyelids. So I routinely have to use eye ointment on our SHar-Pei & she really doesn't have that much of a wrinkled brow. Otherwise within a few weaks she develops cloudy eyes !

This is a breed that needs a lot of care. They both work alot so I can understand but give the door some basic shelter & RESEARCH if you can provide the dog the care it needs ! vent over


Pea-N-Me : I totally agree, before our Shar-Pei we owned a male German Shepard (he passed 5 years ago). That was an outside dog for sure But I made sure he had a dog house, his water & food were in containers that pests couldn't get to. He was bathed regularly. The yard was treated. He received lots of love and attention & exercise. If it was too cold & raining I brought him in. Usually to be honest at night he liked sleeping in by the front door but during the day when I was at work he liked to be outside.

All I'm saying is take care of your dog. Inside/Outside DH will go the diplomatic route, mabe they really don't know about the breed so that would be a good way to ease into the conversation

 

[Pea-n-Me]

this dog just sits in the back yard. DS plays alot in our backyard so we spend alot of time there. Also DH works from home & likes to get fresh air & work from his laptop, so unfortunately we know when it's raining & the dog is getting soaked, or that it's mosquito time & their yard is not treated. So the dog is not a happy camper with the grass wet, muddy etc. Shar-Pei's have very sensitive skin. Just to give you an example we gave our Shar Pei a flea treatment (from the vet), natural ingredients & it burned off the hair from her neck to her tail She get's oatmeal baths to keep her coat healthy & I add fish oil. They also suffer easily from eye infections because the wrinkles droop into their eyelids. So I routinely have to use eye ointment on our SHar-Pei & she really doesn't have that much of a wrinkled brow. Otherwise within a few weaks she develops cloudy eyes !

This is a breed that needs a lot of care.

Uggh. I know skin is a huge issue with Shar Peis - even when they're well cared for like yours. They have to provide shelter for the dog, at minimum.

 

[padams]

Pandora, be patient and don't assume the worst about your new neighbors. They may have a lot going on with their move. Tell them that the dog has escaped and you are concerned.

Our 7 month old puppy (and future agility champion) learned to jump the fence in our back yard this past week. Three times the neighbor across the street has brought the dog back to me. The first couple of times I thought the dog had slipped through the gate or had dug his way under it. It took a few days for me to figure out that he can really jump the fence. We plan to install a new fence that won't be "jumpable" (we hope) but twice this week, the fence companies have not shown up. It may be another week before I can get the fence issue fixed. In this time, we have quit allowing the dog to be outside without one of us.

If you don't like the neighbor dog being left in the back yard, you could volunteer to walk their dog with yours to the undeveloped area for playtime with the neighbor dogs.