So, once I'm done working for the day I really don't check my personal emails too often (don't really get that many anyway). For some reason at 9pm I did. There was an email at 6pm from our neighbor.......oh guess what?! He let one of his dogs out again and they ran off and wouldn't listen to him (duh) and he's not sure if he ran through our seeded area or not...
Well, of course he did. Tore the crap out of it. It rained most of yesterday. The topsoil is now basically mud, if you stepped in it, of course you'd sink down several inches. There is literally no way for dh to fix it now. If he walked out on it it would just turn into his boot prints sunk down all over.
PISSED OFF, to say the least. The fenced in area their dogs have to play and run around in is as big as most people's back yards! It's certainly bigger than the fenced in back yard we had at our house in town. We couldn't just let our dogs out of our fenced yard to run around wherever they wanted to.
DH was furious. He managed to be somewhat "nice" in his reply:
Yes it looks like he tore it up pretty good. I'm sorry but we can't
have your dogs running through here. I can't even get out on the dirt
to fix it until it dries out and I'm out of energy and money to be
redoing anything around here.
I wish others had understood the
urgency I had to get this done before it came to this but here we are.
Kinda wishing I had just graveled the whole thing right now. Hoping you
can keep them in their run or leashed for the time being. Thanks
Neighbors reply back:
On behalf of every living creature at my house I am terribly sorry! We have kept them 100% inside the house or their kennel since your topsoil was laid down with the exception of 2 times. And both times they ignored coming when called and ran through your property. B had come when called in the driveway of his former owner so I thought we now had 1 dog who obeyed, until yesterday. This is hard on us, too, but dogs on leash from this point on.
Well, I'm so sorry that your dogs are no longer able to just go wherever they please! The neighbors down on the last lot have a toddler who is very afraid of dogs. She has mentioned to DH that the dogs sometimes come down to their place and run around. So, their little boy shouldn't play outside (now that he's getting older) and have to deal with being scared of the dogs in his yard?
Like I said to DH - yard or no yard, they don't have a right to just let their dogs on our property.
Here's what I replied back. Probably snotty, but I don't care anymore. And it wasn't twice, it was 3 times and it wasn't just this time. It was also when we were having patios and parking pads concrete poured and when we were seal coating it all. He did the same thing, even though we gave them plenty of notice when we were pouring and seal coating.
Yes, it sucks for all of us, unfortunately. It only takes once to tear it all up and we aren't trying to seed it like field grass, we are trying to have it smooth for a nice lawn. Neither of us has the option of having someone else take our dogs for several months, while we put in a yard, as you were able to do for your son's dogs. It's hard on us and our dogs, too, but we don't have much choice but to get through this inconvenient period. We love all the dogs and are trying our hardest to get it all done so it's not an issue to deal with.
I haven't hit SEND on the above yet, but so far I think that's what I'm going to reply.
It's just selfishness on his part. Who cares what they do, apparently they have a right to just go wherever they want, so that they aren't inconvenienced. His dogs will actually go a mile down the road to others houses. The people down there are always calling him up and saying "your dogs are down here".
And the irony of it? Their son dropped his dogs off at their house for months, so he could put a yard in without it getting torn up............
I think your email sounds fine. Maybe he will get the hint. I don’t get people who think just because they don’t live in town means they can just let their dogs run. We aren’t in town either and over the years we have had neighbors like that. Thankfully everyone now keeps their dogs home. It took a neighbor threatening to shoot another neighbor’s dog to get the last people to cooperate, but they finally did. We have always had a dog, but we have always kept them in the yard. If for no other reason thanI don’t want them to get hit by a car.
ReplyDeleteexactly! We live on a "highway" though it's very little traffic, what traffic there is the speed limit is 60. I always worry one of their dogs is going to get hit one of these days. I guess the hardest part I have with it all is they own 4 acres and on the other side of them is 20 acres of state land. USE THAT!
DeleteUgh! Your e-mail is not snotty at all. This is just ridiculuous. He should be the one who knows best that his dog does not obey him when called. I think it is highly disrespectful.
ReplyDeleteit is disrespectful.
DeleteI would outright tell them to use their fenced in area for their dogs. That's what its for. I'd tell them that too!
ReplyDeleteNo kidding! and it's not like their dogs are cooped up in the house all day. They have the dog door and go in and out all day. Plenty of room in their fenced area.
DeleteYou have every right to be upset. I don't get why they feel the need to let the dogs out of the fenced area. They obviously know the dogs are runners, so why even let them have such free range? I googled for possible solutions. Not many of much use, but a motion activated sprinker might be worth a try. In addition to not wanting the dogs on your newly seeded lawn, I also wouldn't want them to start using your lawn to do their business. Here is the link I found to the sprinklers
ReplyDeletehttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=motion+sprayer+garden+sprinkler&crid=23HVH79T1AN4&imprToken=wf0TV50Bke3dkRS0qla2lA&linkCode=w61&slotNum=0&sprefix=garden+sprinkler+motion%2Caps%2C440&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_23%3Ftag%3Dreolinkblog-20
Thanks for the info. I'm guessing the sprinkler wouldn't work. I know 2 of them LOVE water. One of the first things they do is run down and jump in the river! We will have our fence up next spring, so that will be taken care of, as far as them doing their business over here.
ReplyDeleteYour husband's response is good & not snotty. Yours is not either. I would be highly pizzed at the neighbours who are being completely disrespectful to you guys. Their's no excuse for them letting the dogs just run wild. I don't care where they live!
ReplyDeletethanks. I was trying to be as diplomatic as possible. I did send it. I don't care where they live either, I agree, they dogs should not be running around off their property. They are the one's that need the property fenced! not us. Our dogs won't leave, but we're putting the fence up, LOL.
DeleteThat is just not on at all, more especially for the people down the road who have a small child who is afraid of dogs. They should keep their damn dogs on their own property! I have to say my friend had 3 labs at one time and when we were out walking them one time she had them off the leash and one lady asked her to put the leashes back on as she was afraid of dogs. My friend's answer was quite snotty but I didn't agree with her. It's like when some ruddy great dog comes running and you and the owner tells you he's really cute. Well I may not think so and I don't want his damn paws all over me either - and I actually LIKE dogs. Since my garden is open at the back I have the added joy of shit-shovelling my neighbours' dogs crap too. Uuuurggggh, some people are just so selfish!
ReplyDeleteWe are always super conscientious of others around our dogs. Not everyone feels the same way about dogs.
DeleteMaybe you could mention that you have a friend who has suggested a mild pepper spray, or some other deterrent..without hurting them. If their owner (or caregiver) can't control them, maybe it's up to you to do what you need to do! We have a (little) dog, she only goes out on a leash because we have coyotes in our area.
ReplyDeleteThat could be an option to have in our back pocket. He's lucky....most of the folks around here are the type that would just tell him they've got their shotgun out....
Delete:( I hope your neighbors make up for the damage their dogs have done.
ReplyDeleteNo, they haven't. Just keep apologizing and say it won't happen again. And then he does it again :(
Delete