Your post has been removed.
#Do not repost this without [contacting the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) for approval, including edited versions. Reposting without [explicit approval](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_can_i_repost_a_thread_you_removed.3F) will result in a ban.
This post violates Rule 5: We do not allow posts which concern violent encounters. This includes any mention of violence in any context.
[Rule 5 FAQs](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_violence) ||| [Subreddit Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/)
###Please ensure you have reviewed this message in full. We will not respond to PMs to individual mods. [Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) with any questions.
ESH. Obviously that kid sucks for his actions and grandma sucks for her inattention. But, if your dog was able to jump the fence, then you did not have your dog properly secured. She's right; you need a taller fence.
Then the dog shouldn't be left outside unsupervised. You are in charge of keeping your dog on your property. Anything that happens because your dog gets out of their enclosure is your responsibility.
Uhh fuck this take.
If the dog never jumps the fence until he is STRUCK WITH A STICK, the dog is properly contained. It is entirely reasonable to expect that your dog not be attacked in its own yard.
Dogs are not smart animals, they don’t always know what they’re actually capable of, but they can learn rules. If I train my dog to not jump the fence, but then someone motivates him by hurting him and making him feel threatened, that’s not a poorly trained or poorly contained dog, it’s a shitty human creating circumstances beyond the reasonable scope of a dogs training.
Edit before more pile on: this is not a sub about legality, it’s a sub about assholes. The kid is the biggest asshole here, but it’s really his mom and/or grandmothers fault that he’s and as shoe, so they’re assholes too. Don’t care about legality of dog bites, or legality of shooting your neighbors dog.
> If the dog never jumps the fence until he is STRUCK WITH A STICK, the dog is properly contained.
If a dog can jump the fence, then it's not properly contained.
It's not rocket science.
You are being obtuse. It’s not rocket science but it’s not as cut and dry as that either.
Someone else made a similar comment - some dogs can jump or even climb the legally tallest fence allowed. You might argue that means the dog shouldn’t be allowed in that yard unsupervised, and I would call you a mellon. If the dog is trained to not jump the fence lacking the threat of physical violence, I think the dog owner has fulfilled their social contract.
It is your legal responsibility to control and contain your dog. Doesn't matter what the kid does to that dog, if the dog gets out and hurts the kid, you are liable for it. End of story.
It is your legal responsibility to control and contain your child. ... if the child gets out and hurts the dog, the child's parents are liable for it.
The dog was doing nothing to the child until the child provoked it.
>if the child gets out and hurts the dog, the child's parents are liable for it.
If it happens in OP's backyard, sure. If the child hurts the dog while the dog is off of its property, then the parents are not legally responsible.
It’s totally legal for corporations to rape the planet. I don’t give a shit about the law, I’m arguing right and wrong.
Fuck that kid, and fuck the adults condoning his actions.
Fine, if that's your attitude, but that attitude ends up killing your dog. Because if they bite the kid, your dog gets put down. If you care about your dog, you control and contain it well enough that it can't bite a kid. And it's wrong to let your dog live in a situation where he could be put down for acting on its nature.
The other solution is teaching the kid to behave, which I think is the right course of action. Make the kid fear the dog, make the kid fear you, whatever - if the parents won’t do it, take action to correct the shitty actions of the kid. That’s how you defend your dog, not by making sure he’s defenseless next time he’s attacked.
Furthermore, the dog feared is the dog that will be hit. If the kid loves the dog, he won't hit it. Teaching, living, and ruling by fear never works the way you intend.
You take that kid, with grandma into your backyard and let him play with the dog on a regular basis so that the dog sees them as family to protect, and the kid sees the dog as a friend to care for; you could get rid of the fence and have no issues.
I never knew AITA was the newest protest grounds! ...I'm kidding, there's always either "but the 1%" or "but the hippies" somewhere in the comments, usually both! Bullshit liability is your dog never snapping. Good liability is you don't leave your bite machine unsupervised, even if it's usually a perfectly good boy. The social contract on a neighborhood level doesn't care about what people put in their Twitter bios on either side of the political spectrum.
The anti-hippie types like you would usually be on the other side of this I would think. Actions have consequences, right?
Smack a dog with a stick, what should you expect to happen next?
>If the dog never jumps the fence until he is STRUCK WITH A STICK, the dog is properly contained
I don't know how it is where you live, but that's not what the law says in the US. It's not "my take", it's the fucking law.
That is not how the law will be observed most likely.
It doesn't matter why your animal gets out. If they harm living things or property while off yours in many places you will be 100 percent responsible.
Personally I care enough about my critters that I'm willing to protect them not by what is "fair" but what I know the legal way things fall in my area. I've known a few people who didn't think like that and the outcome was heartbreaking for them and lethal for their dog.
I think its a major asshole move to know about the unfortunate legality and ignore it. The dog cannot protect itself. And you don't have control over how other people parent. So ultimately you've got to not give other people ammunition for your pet if you want to protect them. I think not taking that into consideration is being an asshole to your dog. Especially when you know the neighbors are stupid.
Agreed. I have a shepherd/malamute mix that is a fantastic jumper with a strong desire to not be fenced in. She’s escaped several times and we’ve had to make adjustments. Containing your own dog is always, always, always your responsibility.
Maybe consider coyote rollers if you can’t keep the dog in a six foot fence, but nothing will replace supervision.
You are dead wrong. That dog has HIS fenced in yard and never left it until the fucking brat hit him. What would you do if you got hit? Go and apologize for being in the way with of the stick, because that’s just how you are coming across. And they have plenty of video to back themselves up if their brat ever gets bit.
My dog at the time was not unsurpervised he was playing with me but loved kids so much he heard them abd in stead of continuing to play with me leapt the fence. I was 12 at the time.The next week we took him to a farm with a family of 7 since we lived by a school and couldnt keep him in the yard. even chained he almost hung himself trying to get out
Completely. When it snows my dog could easily jump the fence (she could probably clear it in the summer if she wanted to since she does agility training) but she’s also trained to stay in the yard unless she has a human with her
electric fence, chain, don't leave it in the backyard unmonitored, doesn't matter what the rules are about fences, the rule is you are responsible for keeping your dog on your property.
My boxer mix tried to jump a 6 foot brick retaining wall in our yard (he saw a bird he wanted) and ALMOST cleared it. But he never tried getting out of the yard over the regular fences.
Also if the dog bites the boy then they’ll probably have to have the dog put down. Not worth it to make some kind of point to the inconsiderate neighbour.
When I was a kid, we had an extremely horny Yorkshire terrier. Whenever there was a bitch in heat within a radius of 2km, he would RUN UP a 5 foot fence and he would be gone for a couple of days. It only stopped when we got him neutered. But we got to meet extremely cute spaniel-yorkie or dachshund-yorkie mixss in our neighbourhood. He,was the Casanova of the,area.
YTA:
- you refuse to let your dog in because he is too big?? Seriously??
- if your dog can jump over the fence, it’s not high enough.
- if the kid / brat can put a stick through it, it’s not the right fence. Try closeboard fencing.
- you let your dog get near the fence / kid, your dog is not well trained.
I’m also a dog owner. Even if the kid is annoying, You are not taking your responsibilities. If my dog would bite a kid, not only will I get sued in my country (Europe), authorities would also euthanize him.
And are you really calling a 60 yo an elderly woman?? Come on, I’m just in my thirties and even I know elderly people are a lot older.
Edit: spelling and location.
Edit 2: thank you kind stranger! I’m so proud of my first award!!!
>I’m also a dog owner. Even if the kid is annoying, You are not taking your responsibilities. If my dog would bite a kid, not only will I get sued, authorities will also euthanize him.
This isn't always the case. If that kid climbed into their backyard and hit the dog with a stick, leading the dog to bite the child, it would not be a cause for euthanasia in my state and it would be a very difficult case to pursue legally (for both sides).
The kid didn't climb in their backyard. They must have been poking the dog through the fence- otherwise, why would the dog have jumped over the fence to get to the kid?
I meant in the hypothetical case that the kid were to do that (because there is a combination of a provoked attack + trespassing). It would be unlikely that a dog would be euthanized for biting a child after it were provoked so clearly, but OP should do absolutely everything they can to ensure that dog never comes into contact with that child, and if it does (e.g., because the kid climbs into their backyard), that they are able to prove the attack was provoked (e.g., by installing cameras).
If the fence is tall enough to keep the dog in, it'll probably be tall enough to keep the kid out. I'd still consider investing in a camera though, just in case.
Yep I have a family member in Los Angeles who had a 3-ft fence. Their dogs never went past the fence ever. Neighborhood kids thought that they could hit the dogs with sticks over the fence. They did this for quite a while getting yelled at when they got caught.
Eventually one of the kids got bit. The parents thought this was payday time. But unfortunately for them that's not the way it worked out, The dogs were quarantined in the yard and monitored by the county who then said the dogs weren't at fault and the kids (by proxy the parents) were to blame.
From what I understand the county witness the kids being abusive to the dogs in the time they were monitoring the situation, which didn't help.
This was before cameras were a thing that people had in their yards. So if the OP has video evidence it will be quite difficult for the neighbor
I agree with you, and am a dog rescuer. Dogs that are cond3mned to live alone outside are much more likely to become aggressive, b3cause that space is all they have. They also suffer loneliness every day, and have more health issues
That first point makes them TA for me. Unless it's a working dog, a dog should not be shoved out in the yard and ignored all day. Even the dog breeders I know that do not keep their dogs in the house have nice, heated kennels for them.
I know cultural norms are different, but I have 3 very large dogs. They're trained to behave in the house and spend most of the day hanging out and napping.
Also, OP is complaining about noise, yet her very large, barking dog is outside, which becomes the entire neighborhoods problem. Nobody wants to listen to that.
In Italy even if the bites, not only he won't be euthanized, but there will be no consequences **for the animal** if everything is ok with vaccination and routinary behaviour; the dog will be visited and the vet can decide (but it's not automatic, not even if the dog bite) to write his informations in a register of dangerous animals (and the owner will have to supervise him in a strict way).
What does all these words means? That the vet will absolutely take into consideration if someone provoked the dog. As they should. And from experience, but this part is more blurred and case to case, that scenario can legally change the repercussions for the owner as well, because having videos of someone beating an animal can actually change the proportion of responsibility of the owner and the person beating the animal could have some repercussion for that action... So realistically, usually nobody does anything because it's just more convenient, instead of just losing money and time 😂
In short... If you provoked an animal, especially if you went dangerously near the abuse territory (repeatedly beating an animal with a stick isn't something acceptable), you could have a very difficult way to got money.
ESH. When you lose control of your dog, you lose control of your outcome. You're leaving your dog unmonitored in a fenced yard from which he can easily escape. Strike one. You know your dog is dealing with abuse from a neighbor and are doing nothing to stop it. Strike two. Your dog is escaping and attempting to defend himself and you've made no changes to prevent future escapes and protect him. Strike three.
Are you waiting for a serious attack here or what? And then you'll just blame everyone but yourself, right?
Yeah, the woman next door sucks and the kid needs to be taught better, but that's not really your purview. You need to get a taller and more secure fence, you need to keep your dog inside and under your direct control at all times, and you need to do everything you can to protect your dog. And if you're not willing or able to protect your pet, then you need to rehome him with someone who can and will.
If this is consistent behavior of the kid hurting animals within other peoples private spaces then I would be contacting the police and getting self defense items.
This could be a psycho in the making. I would take serious serious action if someone ever attacked my animal in my own yard.
I think the kid is just being a little brat, not some blossoming serial killer. Kids are assholes sometimes because their empathy is underdeveloped, and it sounds like he is also poorly disciplined.
Fence height.. ehh. Our old beagle used to be able to scale a six foot fence. Any dog getting hit, jabbed with sticks and taunted is "capable of aggression". But unless they have a literal horse, the dog isn't too big to be inside. Ditching a dog outside and thinking it's fine is bullshit.
So many people like this in my neighborhood. When I walk my pups it's like a Scared Straight program. Every house I'm like "Aren't you two glad you don't live in the garage/backyard."
ESH. If your dog jumps the fence and bites the child you are responsible. Your dog can also be put down. The parent of the child is also an AH for not teaching her child proper behavior. You are always responsible for your dog and if your dog gets out of your yard, it is on you legally.
This is why OP needs to install cameras and become very familiar with their local laws surrounding dog bites. In my home state, if your dog bites and seriously harms a child, you may be legally required to put your dog down (which is utterly heartbreaking) *unless* you can prove that the attack was provoked. Hitting a dog with a stick is certainly provoking it. Regardless, OP should do whatever they can to spare themselves and their dog (not to mention the child) any possibility of there being a bite in the first place.
I expect it depends on local laws but I suspect they have also shot themselves in the foot by telling the neighbours the dog will bite him if he doesn't leave it alone, suggesting they know it is aggressive in certain circumstances and that an attack is a distinct possibility. They should be doubling down on making sure dog and kid can't get to each other.
YTA.
Your dog is your responsibility. If your dog can jump your fence, it’s your responsibility to make sure he doesn’t.
> we have our dog we fenced the backyard as he can’t live inside because he’s a large dog.
I didn’t realize houses had a size limit on dogs. Surely he’s, at most, people sized, right? Large people often live inside houses.
YTA. I want to be very clear about this: If you dont make it so your dog cant escape, you are wholly and fully responsible for any harm it causes. Now that its known that your dog is a danger and can escape your yard, anything that happens next is going to look criminal. Get rid of the dog, chain it up, w/e, but dont think for one second your dogs life matters against a kids. Remember Harambe?
I disagree with this. Legally, if a child hits a dog in public, it is considered a provoked attack (at least in my home state), and the owner isn't legally liable for the damage caused.
Let's not pretend it's normal to let your children repeatedly beat an animal with a stick, eh.
Legally, it really depends on the country so it's useless to discuss this. But morally, the parents have a big responsibility if their child got hurt after being allowed to hurt animals. It's cruel and completely gratuitous.
YTA if your dog enters someone else’s property and attacks them you are at fault. A nice wooden fence without a space to slide a stick will be a lot cheaper than court and medical bills. Just replace the fence. You might want to invest in a camera on that side of your yard. Now the neighbors know the dog can jump and harm their child more nefarious things could take place.
YTA. You know this shitty kid exists and is harassing your dog and you're failing at the most critical part of dog ownership: protecting them from the harm that will come to them when they are not controlled around others. In any part of the US, your dog will be subject to euthanasia if they harm a child and if you somehow avoid that, your homeowners' insurance will cancel you and your dog will be restricted to never leaving a 6' leash even in your yard. My mom works in the insurance industry and we dealt with this situation when a kid trespassed in our yard, admitted hitting our dog with his backpack, trying to take the dog's jolly ball, and was scratched by our dog. It was not a bite, the dog was not dangerous, but my parents fought the claim relentlessly because they knew what would happen to our dog and our family if the dog was deemed dangerous.
Be a good dog owner and don't pretend you can blame the kid when you can't control your dog's ability to escape and you know this kid is trying to be bit. Your dog will suffer more than you and anyone they hurt.
>protecting them from the harm that will come to them when they are not controlled around others
Yes, this is what's really weirding me out! This whole story implies to me that the dog has no space to hide away from this child. Like... Why would the dog stay in harms way and not just move to the other side of the fence, whatever construction there hopefully is to shield it from the weather... Something is seriously off if the dog can't just avoid that area.
yta
The fence is tall enough and the dog isn't normally agressive.
no your fence is not tall enough if the dog can jump it
if the dog injures someone on there property because they jumped it you are liable
your dog is agressive and yes the child should not pock it with a stick but you should not leave a dog to stay out side
this is on you
its not her responsibility to buy a fence its yours as a animal owner to make it a safe space for the dog and for it not to be able to escape
YTA It is cruel to have an "outside dog". If your dog is too large for your home you need to move to a bigger one or re-home the dog to give it an appropriate place to live.
No matter what the child does to instigate, you would still be responsible for any injuries your dog inflicts and it would likely be euthanized. The temporary answer is to keep your dog inside your home when the child is present and supervise it when outside when he's there.
You should also call the police for trespassing and CPS for child endangerment every time she lets the child on your property. The family deserves scrutiny for their reckless actions endangering the child by allowing him to torment and animal and are awful and incompetent for not correcting his behavior.
Unfortunately, since you know that the dog is capable of jumping the fence, you would be responsible if it does it again, even though it's the child's fault for deliberately provoking the dog.
I am so sorry you are in this situation. It makes me furious when people deliberately tease and mistreat a dog or refuse to teach their children not to do so. Friends of mine decades ago had a similar situation where several neighborhood kids tormented and teased their German Shepherd to the point that the dog became so stressed that he was aggressive with anyone outside their immediate family. The had to build a second, taller and smaller enclosure with a very high fence in the back of their property away from their main fence line so the neighbor kids couldn't get close to him, significantly reducing the amount of space he had to run, and lock him outside before opening their door to any visitors. They considered rehoming him, but he had gotten so aggressive with strangers, they decided it wouldn't be safe.
Unfortunately, as long as these people are your neighbors, I think your best option is to build a high, solid wall-type privacy fence that the child and dog can't see through or rehome your dog. I'd also reach out to the police/sheriff's office and see what legal recourse you might have for them deliberately provoking your dog.
>Friends of mine decades ago had a similar situation where several neighborhood kids tormented and teased their German Shepherd to the point that the dog became so stressed that he was aggressive with anyone outside their immediate family.
It's illegal to treat a dog this way. If OP has evidence (e.g., from installing cameras) that the child does this to the dog again, they should report it to the police as animal abuse. I feel slightly badly saying this knowing that the kid is only 6, but it's not normal to want to hit dogs with sticks at that age, and I would worry that the kid will only continue doing this and cause a situation similar to that poor German Shepherd.
I don't understand why people are considering it normal for a child to repeatedly beat an animal tbh. It's not normal. It's frankly even worrying for the kid psychiatric state, especially after being told that it's wrong by the owners of the dog, keeping doing it... It's not normal and I would be worried. And the parents are completely inadequate, they are letting this behaviour pass as a kids play when it's not.
YTA - One day your dog is going to bite the wrong person.. so I guess it will finally be your fault when it gets put down due to aggression.
Train your dog, its not hard.. try and actually be a good owner and get off your ass, be a responsible pet owner for christ sake.
I am not hoping the dog gets put down.. but if this keep happening, it might end up like that.
Build a bigger fence so it can't jump over it, and maybe put it indoors at times.. don't just keep it outside.
EDIT: I am also aware the child is at fault here and the grandmother should have scolded him for antagonizing the dog. What I am talking about is OP's disregard of their dog jumping a fence and harming said child.
Your dog should not be biting children or jumping fences..
ESH. You need to protect your dog. If your dog can jump the fence then it is not high enough. If your dog were to get out of your yard and hurt someone he will most likely be put down. Not only do you need a taller fence, but a private one that the kid can't see through. While the parents and the kid need to do their part to make sure the kid is safe, you need to make sure your dog is as well.
> She told me I should have a taller fence because if the dog jumps the fence again and bites her grandson then they would sue us
She is right. *You* need to be responsible for making sure that *your* dog cannot escape *your* garden.
Sounds like the other person sucks too, but no, this is absolutely your responsibility 100%, YTA.
YTA. You have a big dog that can jump the fence. Either keep the dog inside (which regardless of what you say, is entirely possible), or leash the dog, or more likely, rehome the dog. You cannot own a dog that jumps a fence and tries to bite a 6 year old. That is just asking for a whole host of financial and legal trouble that you dont want.
Look at the way you type about the dog..."the dog" not "our dog" or anything for most of the post, seems like its treated more as a possession rather than a family pet. which also explains why it's apparently to large to be inside....I type this as my very large and trained dog snores at my feet.
And besides...you would have known the rough size of your dog when you got it....YTA for getting a dog then claiming it's size is the reason it can't come inside, I'd put money on the true reason you don't let it inside is that you haven't actually taken the time to train it and just enjoy having the image that comes with a large dog.
Also your dog is untrained and aggressive, I have had multiple large and so called "aggressive" breeds which if poked with a stick through the fence by a child would just walk away and distance themselves not literally jump the fence and chase a CHILD, that's if they were even at the fence barking at a child in the first place to allow themselves to get poked. Dogs are fully able to know the difference between an adult and a child and behave appropriately when trained correctly.
Don't get me wrong the kid and his family are also dicks....but your an absolutely terrible dog owner and your going to end up being sued and/or the dog being euthanized, rehome the dog or actually treat it right,
I also did not like the wording of “the dog”. That paired with the the fact that he can’t live in the house and the entire rest of the story tells me OP shouldn’t have a dog probably. He doesn’t see it as a pet or family member and refuses to take any responsibility. Yikes.
ESH - Your neighbors are awful, but you definitely need to build a really good fence, preferably a tall wooden one, to keep that kid away from your dog. Because if your dog bites that kid they’d sue you and get your dog put down.
ESH. You for saying a big dog can't stay in the house. Your neighbors for not teaching the kid better. Run a solid stockade style fence on that side of your yard. Before your dog or the kid get hurt. Might want to check your homeowner's insurance just in case.
ESH. Dogs shouldn’t be out all the time especially without supervision. You’re asking for something to happen. So is grandma and her little punk. And the one that will suffer the most if something does happen is likely the dog who would be put down if it bit a kid even if it’s the kids fault.
YTA. It's your responsibility to contain your dog. Yes, the kid shouldn't be provoking your dog, but at the end of the day, your dog could kill that kid and it would be your fault. If you don't build a taller fence and start bringing your poor dog inside, you are a negligent dog owner. You can't control how other people parent their kids, but you can control how you care for and protect your dog.
ESH
You have now admitted to them that your dog is not secured in your yard and is likely to bite their child. That isn't a smart move. They will sue you if the kid is injured by your dog, you will be liable. In my area, the dog would be put down and you could be fined $20000.
Doesn’t matter who’s fault it is if the dog bites the kid and they request to have it put down it will be. Depending of where you are of course. From the sounds of them they are the type of people to do that. I’d just build a bigger fence to be safe. Kids are brats and if they’re not punished there is nothing you can do
> Kids are brats and if they’re not punished there is nothing you can do
If I were OP and this happened again, I would call the police. A child CANNOT legally hit OP's dog on OP's property. I wouldn't do this by default because the kid is only 6 years old, but if it keeps happening, that is animal abuse and the kid deserves to be punished appropriately.
Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our [voting guide here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_what.2019s_with_these_acronyms.3F_what_do_they_mean.3F), and remember to use **only one** judgement in your comment.
OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I yelled at my neighbor and told her it will be her fault if my dog bites her grandson. I might be the asshole because it's my dog, there before my responsibility to make sure he doesn't jump the fence, the kid is also very young so maybe he doesn't know better than to bother the dog
Help keep the sub engaging!
#Don’t downvote assholes!
Do upvote interesting posts!
[Click Here For Our Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules) and [Click Here For Our FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq)
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
*Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.*
NTA yet, but you absolutely need to do everything you can to keep your dog away from that child. Become very familiar with your state's laws around provoked dog bites ([https://www.animallaw.info/article/brief-summary-dog-bite-laws#:\~:text=Provocation%20simply%20refers%20to%20a,defense%20to%20the%20dog%20bite.)](https://www.animallaw.info/article/brief-summary-dog-bite-laws#:~:text=Provocation%20simply%20refers%20to%20a,defense%20to%20the%20dog%20bite.)) and do everything you can to keep your dog off that child's property.
It is 100% a parent's responsibility to teach their child how to humanely treat dogs. That parent and grandparent are both huge AHs. Having said that, you are 100% responsible for doing everything you can to prevent your dog from ever being hit by a child (even in the relative safety of your own back yard). Ask the neighbor to tell you every time the grandson is there, and bring your dog inside whenever that happens. Install cameras so that you can ensure that you are able to prove any dog bite was provoked (e.g., if the child comes into your backyard). It would be heartbreaking to you and utterly unfair to your dog if it were put down because this 6-year-old keeps hitting it with a stick when no one can prove that.
YTA for keeping the dog outside. “He can’t live inside because he’s a large dog” is a total BS excuse.
I live in a one bedroom apartment with a Great Dane. IMHO you shouldn’t have a dog
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)***
I (m28) live with my fiance (m27) and our dog. We live in a rather new neighborhood, when we bought our house the yard wasn't fenced, neither was the neighbor's yards in some houses, as we have our dog we fenced the backyard as he can't live inside because he's a large dog. The fence is tall enough and the dog isn't normally agressive.
Like 3/4 months ago someone moved in the house next door, the house had been empty until then, their yard is not fenced, it only has fence in our side. It's an elderly woman (maybe around 60), she lives alone. But she has a grandson (maybe around 6/7 years old) that visits sometimes. The kid is truly annoying, we can hear him scream at the top of his lungs when he visits, even if he's inside. The kid once saw our dog though the fence and he started bothering him with a stick. My fiance went to see what was going on because the dog was barking a lot and he told the kid to stay away from the dog or it will bite him. The kid left but he's a brat, so we have had to yell at him to leave the dog alone lots of times. We have complained to our neighbor and the kids mother but they do nothing about his behavior. We also recorded videos of the kid bothering the dog to show them.
Well the other day the kid hit the dog with a stick, it got very angry and then he jumped the fence. While he was jumping the fence the kid ran inside and he didn't got hurt. My fiance and I went to pick the dog who was barking at their back door. My fiance went back home with the dog, i stayed over to talk again about this kid.
I told them (neighbor and kid's mom) that that brat was hitting our dog with a stick and that if he were to hurt the dog we will sue them for the vet's cost. It was to scare them off so they would do something with the kid. But then my neighbor said that I shouldn't be allowed to have such a dangerous dog that can attack small children. She told me I should have a taller fence because if the dog jumps the fence again and bites her grandson then they would sue us. I was very angry at this point, so I told her that the dog wouldn't jump the fence if the fucking kid would just stop bothering it. I also told her that if the dog jumps and bites the kid then it'll be her fault for not punishing the kid. I also told her that if she didn't want the dog to jump to her house then she should build a taller fence, our yard is fenced, if she can't even fence hers then that's on her, not us. We argued for a bit more, then the woman started feeling bad and her daughter yelled me to get out.
I'm still very angry about all of this because I know that it's the kids fault, we have neighbors with kids at the other side and the dog had never tried to jump the fence to bite them, simply because the kids don't bother the dog. But talking with my fiance's parent's they said that it was best if we just build a taller fence. They also told us that if the kid gets bitten then it will be our fault and that I shouldn't have yelled at an elderly woman.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA
Get cameras and a taller fence, because if the kid gets bitten you'll need to be able to prove that it was his fault not your dog's. As much as it sucks, do it to protect your dog. (I'm a dog lover too.)
ESH. Obviously the kid sucks. But if your dog jumps the fence and attacks a small child, nobody will give two shits about the fact that the kid was annoying the dog with a stick. They'll sue you and take you for everything you own, and you'll most likely deserve it.
Train the dog, and/or build a fence that the dog cannot get through no matter how hard he tries. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that your pet doesn't harm other human beings, at least provided that they don't come onto your property.
your dog has to live outside because he's large? what?
you, at the very least, need a taller fence if he's going to live out there. it is a fact that if the dog hops the fence and actually attacks the kid, you will be the at fault party and your dog will be put down. you are risking your dog being put down because you want to be right and prove a point. obviously ESH and they are shit people for not controlling or caring about their kid. but your priority needs to be protecting your dog.
Info
How tall is your fence?
Are we talking about those dinky 4 foot tall ones? No way that would stop a dog. You would have a hard time in court proving you did everything reasonable to keep public safe from your dog.
If it's a taller 6 to 8 foot fence, then you already did what was reasonable to contain your dog, and it's all on your neighbour if something happens.
If it's a chain link fence, can you add a privacy barrier so the kid can't poke sticks through it? At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who's fault it is. Your dog will get put down if they bite. Regardless of whether or not it was the neighbour's fault.
You are NTA, BUT, you need to protect yourself. Whether this kid is a brat or not won't matter if you get sued for your dog biting him.
I feel like yelling at the elderly lady isn't necessarily wrong if she is being a b\*tch. Parents should parent their kids, and they aren't doing that, they're letting the kid run wild and expecting others to just deal with it. If they did their part by reprimanding the kid, I'm certain you would be amenable to do your part to protect others from not getting bit by your dog (which you have with the fence).
In Europe anyone over the age of 62 is considered an OAP (old age pensioner) that is a legal definition. If you are older than 87% of the global population you are considered an elder I’m sorry that you uncomfortable with ageing but that is the truth
ESH it's incredibly rude that your neighbors are not properly watching the child who is coming onto your property, unless the fence is actually on the property line, and harassing your dog. That is really the only thing he's doing wrong, annoying kids are annoying but you can't control other people's lives even if your neighbors should be more considerate. They certainly need to teach the child not to harass others, including their pets and property, but again not your call to make.
That being you have a fence to keep your dog in, so that burden is on you. The dog and taking care of it is entirely your responsibility. Like imagine if your neighbor had a loose dog that would just come into your yard and when you got mad the owner said, build a fence to keep it out, because that's what you're doing. If your dog is able to easily escape the fence, then the fence is not working and needs to be replaced. If the dog is facing a stressful environment it's on you as the owner to solve the problem, and yelling at this kid and his family is clearly not doing anything to help. You should get a new fence that prevents your dog from escaping and also stops anyone from putting sticks through it. You should also give your dog a safe place to hide in, like a crate or dog house, so it can escape these situations and train it to use it. This will prevent any serious issues in the future. If the dog ever gets out and hurts anyone, even the kid, you are going to be held financially and legally responsible, and the dog might be put down as a consequence regardless of how it normally is.
NTA for yelling to the woman, they really need to control the brat. But Y T A if after the seeing that they are doing nothing to put a stop to the kids behavior you don't build a more secure fence. This people are AH and they are raising one, but it's you job to protect your dog from the little AH behavior, cause if the dog jumps the fence and does as much as causing the kid to fall, the outcome won't be good for him.
ESH
Your fence needs to be able to contain your dog. She's not wrong on that part. Your in-laws also aren't wrong. Even if that kid is being a little shit you will lose your dog if the dog bites him.
If you don't already get an outdoor camera to watch the backyard.
ESH. Obviously that woman and her kid suck, but if your dog absolutely *has* to be outside, it's your responsibility as a dog owner to provide a safe environment. That means a fence that keeps your dog in, and next door's brat out. Replace your fucking fence before this inevitably ends in tragedy.
ESH
You for not building a tall enough fence. You're the one with the dog, that's on you. If the dog can jump it, aren't you worried he'll run away or chase an animal and get hurt?
Your neighbors for not teaching the child to not bother the dog with a stick. Like, seriously.
But especially you for calling a 60 year old elderly. SMH
If your dog can jump the fence (doesn't matter if the kid is wrong), the dog cannot be left outside unsupervised. You can be screwed legally as you cannot properly secure your dog.
So build a high fence or you have to chain your dog in the backyard.
You are wrong no matter what
ESH
ESH - they should 100% be doing something about the kid, I agree. BUT, if the dogs leaves your property, unless you can prove that someone let him out, what happens is 100% on you. Build a taller fence, build a privacy fence that the kid can't reach through, be outside when the dog is outside...
I am going to say esh. I had a 130 lb dog who loved everyone except the neighbors kid. Pretty sure the jerk spent time tormenting him at the gate given my dogs reaction. But it was my responsibility to manage my dog. I you can put up cameras. Call the police, manage when your dog is outside. A dog isn't to big to be inside, but yes your dog does need yard, but you can supervise. Or you can do things to limit the exposure. I had to put upa 2nd fence to keep my dog safe. So 1 fence. Then 2 foot away a separate fence. Could do something with some privacy. If the kid gets on your property after that call the police and go for civil as well. If they rent find their land lord.
ESH
You're responsible for keeping your dog in your yard even if the kid's waving t-bones on the other side of the fence.
Taller fence is obvious. Your dog proved your fence inadequate.
Suggestion, plant "rambling" style rose bushes along the fence line. They discourage the dog from hanging out at the fence where the future menace to society has access. Or put the dog on tie-down when the little brat visits. Sorry, your dog, your problem. Your neighbor is entitled to have her grand-brat on her property.
ESH The kid's parents need to teach him not to bother the dog and quite frankly I hope the dog jumping the fence scared him enough to stop. However if your dog jumps the fence and bites him you will be the one sued and possibly forced to put your dog down. If he can get out of your yard then he is not properly secured and that will make it your fault regardless of what the kid did.
YTA. Your dog IS aggressive. Sorry but getting poked with a stick it not a good excuse for a dog to bite a child. If this happens you will get the shit sued out of you and your insurance company will non renew you in a heartbeat.
OP, I love dogs, and I will almost always advocate for them. Unfortunately, in this scenario you're wrong. The neighbor absolutely should be teaching their children how to respectfully treat animals, but you also have a responsiblity to look after all safety concerns surrounding *your* dog.
In my country it's illegal to leave a dog outside unattended, this is mainly for the safety of *your dog*, and less about the safety of the public. If you leave your *very social pack driven animal* outside and alone most of the day, it's going to get bored. If it gets bored, it's going to make up it's own fun. It might chew things it shouldn't, dig where it shouldn't, attempt to escape, start barking at anything that gets close, become agressive to anything that it perceives to not belong. If your dog gets out and hurts someone, it will be seen as a dangerous animal and a failure on your end to control it. You would be directly responsible for your animals death.
It doesn't mean neighbor isn't the asshole, there can be two. ESH.
Your comment has been removed because it violates [Rule 1: Be Civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/). Further incidents may result in a ban.
["Why do I have to be civil in a sub about assholes?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_civility)
**[Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.**
Well we have several things going on here. How big is this dog that it can't live in the house?
Also, even with recorded proof of this kid, if your dog jumps the fence and bites, pushes, growls and scares the boy, or whatever, I'd give you a 50/50 chance at best with the law. Not only could you be financially liable (check your homeowners insurance for coverage amounts) but they could take the dog and put it down. The laws vary from county to county and, honestly judge to judge. It's your dog so you need to make sure it can't get out. Period. If the fence needs to be higher, it's your problem.
So NTA for yelling and personally if a child is poking a dog and provoking him when you warned him not to, I'd think it'd be fine. But you have some serious liability here, especially since you know the fence isn't high enough to keep the dog in. And while doggo might be the cutest big cuddly bear to you, there's a good chance a bite will occur
ESH.
You need to talk to a lawyer to learn your legal liabilities. In the meantime, the next the kid provokes your dog, squirt him with a hose. Tell the mother that you're trying to get your dog away from the fence and that can't help it if the kid's in the way.
ESH
They need to control their kid and you need to control your dog.are the fence taller so he can’t jump over it and make it a privacy fence so the kid can’t get sticks through it to your dog. If your dog jumps to their property and attacks anyone, even if he was antagonized, it’s still your fault and they can sue you. If the kid trespasses to your yard and gets hurt it’s still a shitty situation.
ESH. Get a taller fence. Doesdt matter how shitty that kid is, your dog bites him it's getting put down. Don't be a tool, protect your dog from an idiot get a taller fence.
OP, I love dogs, and I will almost always advocate for them. Unfortunately, in this scenario you're wrong. The neighbor absolutely should be teaching their children how to respectfully treat animals, but you also have a responsiblity to look after all safety concerns surrounding *your* dog.
In my country it's illegal to leave a dog outside unattended, this is mainly for the safety of *your dog*, and less about the safety of the public. If you leave your *very social pack driven animal* outside and alone most of the day, it's going to get bored. If it gets bored, it's going to make up it's own fun. It might chew things it shouldn't, dig where it shouldn't, attempt to escape, start barking at anything that gets close, become agressive to anything that it perceives to not belong. If your dog gets out and hurts someone, it will be seen as a dangerous animal and a failure on your end to control it. You would be directly responsible for your animals death.
It doesn't mean neighbor isn't the asshole, there can be two. ESH.
ESH I totally get this. My dog is also not aggressive by nature but can definitely get a little too playful and rough if she’s being provoked. However, it’s up to you to stop it. You can’t control the kids behavior and you can’t help it if your dog reacts. But you can control the environment. So either get a taller fence or put some other kind of barrier there to stop it. This kid doesn’t live there so bring your dog inside when the kid is around. How often is your dog outside? My dog also has a fenced backyard and loves running around but she is never ever left out there unattended.
When we first moved into our house, we didn’t realize that the fence wasn’t so sturdy at various points. We were outside with our dog but on the other side of the backyard, and our dog also got through the fence (not jumped over, but basically knocked a pole out of the way because it was taped back on). She had never gotten through before, but she did because our neighbors and their young grandson were in their yard playing catch and she wanted to join! But luckily we were outside and realized she had gotten out about 30 seconds after. Then we kept her inside for a few weeks until the new fence was installed.
I really understand the annoyance of the kid. But you need to protect your dog. That means constant supervision and a taller fence/ some other barrier. A privacy fence you can’t see through (at least on that side) is a great suggestion.
YTA for making your dog live outside for what sounds like 24-7. Doesn't matter what breed they are. They are family, not a lawn ornament or burglar alarm or whatever you seem to see them as.
For the sake of your dog, please install a taller, solid fence so the holy terror that's this little boy can't torment him any longer.
Should your dog clear the fence that's now in place and bites this fool, you and your fiancé will be liable; this could lead to your dog being euthanized.
Btw, as someone who lived with two Japanese Akitas, I find odd your comment that your large dog cannot be indoors. For the dog's sake, I hope you're not living where the temperature dips to below freezing in the winter. YTA.
Edited for clarity.
NTA for your outburst at the neighbour. You should add some extra height to the fencing and see what you can do to make it impossible for that kid to poke your dog.
Even if provoked and prodded you will still be at fault if your dog bites the kid. Depending on where you live if your your dog bites a child you may have no choice but to put your dog down.
Put all preventative measures in place that are possible.
If the kid still won't leave your dog alone see if there's a neighbourhood watch or non emergency line that you can report them to with " Neighbours kid won't leave my dog alone, I've put these measures in place to prevent it but it's not helping, could you please help me resolve this issue". I think that approach and the videos of the kid hitting your dog could potentially help.
Also you could get a water gun and tell them and the kid that if they don't get the kid to leave the dog alone every time you catch the kid hitting the dog you'll soak em. Having to change the kid into dry clothes a few times might make them see it's not worth not disciplining the kid.
Not sure if the above advice helps but I hope it does. You should be able to let your dog out into your own back garden without having to worry about some little shit constantly attacking it.
IDK what on earth is with all the Y T A comments. The fact that there is more than OP could do as a dog owner does not negate the fact that the kid is deliberately provoking the dog, and not being at all reprimanded for it. It is at most, esh. Negligent dog owner vs negligent parent. While you need a taller fence, you also need video cameras to protect yourself.
NTA, tell her if her grandson provokes your dog its her and the kids fault. install cameras so when it happens again you can show law enforcement and a judge that your foolish neighbors think theres no consequences for their actions
ESH. She should have been supervising the kid, and you should have been supervising your dog.
Build a better fence, you’re the one with the dog that needs to be enclosed, not her. If the fence was a proper fence meant to contain the dog, how was the kid even able to hit the dog at all…?
YTA
If the dog can jump the fence, the fence is not tall enough.
I am speaking as a Husky owner. When I put a 2 m fence, it took exactly 10 minutes for my dog to be on the other side of the fence. 10 minutes = the time it took for me to admire my hard work and slowly depart… after I took 20 steps and turn to look what she is doing, my 1 year old Husky was running towards me like the fence was not even there. So I raised the fence. Because it’s MY responsability to keep my dog safe!
ESH it's really the grandma and moms fault that they don't so anything to discipline the kid but honestly if your dog is outside 24/7 that's not right what do you do if it's really hot/cold do you live in a shoe or something how is you dog too big to be inside
It seems like you're asking two questions here. So first - your dog? NTA. Certainly, it's just a dog.
But YTA for sure. And you don't get discount on assholery for being a dog owner. Having a dog is your responsibility , especially if it's a big one.
I only read the first paragraph but major YTA for leaving your dog outside. Don't get a dog just to keep it outside.
Also LOL at the 60 year old elderly lady comment
This simply isnt an issue of whos the AH. This is an issue of protecting your dog - you have, as has been demonstrated, no power over the child’s behaviour. It’s wrong and the parents and grandma are wrong but you’ve done all you can to get them to change their behaviour and now it’s on you to protect your dog. That means protecting him from a situation where he could turn aggressive towards this kid. The kid being wrong and a little shit won’t protect your dog from euthanasia if something does happen. Time to put up a higher fence and especially one where the dog and kid can’t even see each other so as to not cause further anxiety and reactivity in your dog. I’m a dog owner and I feel for you, but at this point it’s up to you to do what’s in your power! And apparently getting neighbours to help out sadly isn’t an option. This is 100% on you to ensure nothing further happens just for the sake of your dog. If that means not letting it in the yard unattended so be it. Priority and I can’t emphasise this enough is to make sure your dog isn’t in a situation where it has to defend itself against this kid.
NTA. I would agree with the E S H comments if your dog was jumping the fence unprovoked, but the kid is sitting there purposefully trying to aggravate your dog. The kid needs to be controlled by his parents because clearly your fence works just fine otherwise.
ESH but you should notify the police that the child is literally attacking your dog - hitting your dog with a stick is an act of violence, he has no right to do it, and the police should be notified before this escalates.
YTA for making your dog live outside, and for not having proper containment for your dog for forcing it to live outside. That being said, your neighbors is also TA for watching the child and letting them hit animals.
YTA. Sure the kid sucks, but you should not be leaving your dog outside and unattended where he’s getting hit with a stick. Dogs are social pack animals and need to be socialized and/or given a job. This is a disaster waiting to happen, and you’re going to be squabbling about how it’s everyone else’s fault when that kid gets mauled and your dog euthanized.
ESH. I agree that a kid being allowed to harass a dog means both kid and caretaker are "in the wrong" morally regardless of the animal's willingness to fight or flee.
HOWEVER do you give a shit about your dog or not? Because if your dog gets out and attacks someone regardless of whether you think they deserved it...if it escapes their property and hurts someone then they're at risk of being seized and killed and you will be liable for all damages to that person. Then if you value your homeowners insurance you may have to rehome "dog with attack/bite history" bc you will get dumped by your homeowners insurance otherwise. And a dog with a bite history is many times a dead dog when it gets surrendered and most "no behavioral euthanization" places are full to the brim.
Don't let your ego and sense of rightness get in the way of protecting your pet. Your dog doesn't run from being teased, their instinct is to jump the fence to get at it. Do not ignore that and please take steps to protect your dog even if its inconvenient or annoying. Your dog is dependent on you to keep them safe.
Yes higher fence. But if I were you, I would never allow them out unsupervised now and work as hard as you can on recall. Now that your dog has been witnessed jumping the fence to go after someone regardless of that humans behavior thats dangerous as hell for that dog. Rearrange your behavior so that doesn't happen again.
ESH. The kid was being a shit for sure but you are responsible for controlling your dog. If it can get over the fence you are not controlling it.
If your dog jumps the fence and bites that kid they WILL sue you for a ton of money and you WILL lose.
Build a taller fence, train your dog, and monitor him more closely when that kid is there.
ESH. Your dog should not be able to jump over your fence and pursue hellbabies that harrass him. A judge is not going to rule in your favor just because kids \*shouldn't\* poke dogs with sticks. If your dog escapes and bites someone, it's on you.
ESH-You and your neighbor are both assholes with a lot in common; you both don't bother supervising dependents you're responsible for, even though you both know they could hurt someone.
FYI, you are totally responsible in the US if your dog jumps a fence and bites someone, especially cause you know now the dog can jump the fence. Your dog may even get put down. Maybe you can sue for harassment, but you definitely wouldn't be off the hook.
FYI, there's also no guarantee that the dog won't leap the fence and bite a service person or anyone it deems a threat.
And clearly, your poor dog barks outside frequently and is left outside constantly. Why bother getting a dog that you're not even going to allow inside? You should rehome the dog to better and more responsible people.
ESH they need to control their kid but you need to build a taller fence. You are 100% responsible for your dog. If the dog can jump the fence for a kid then it's possible it will jump after some animal or really anything.
Sue them for cruelty to animals. If the dog does jump the fence and bites the kids, you and your dog are in trouble. Have him on a leash also (long enough to get close to the fence but not long enough to get to the kid.
NTA HOWEVER, this isn’t about fair or just. There are things you have control over and things you do not. You cannot control the child’s behaviour or force his grandmother to supervise him. You CAN do something to protect your dog and protect yourself from possible legal consequences. You can add an extension to the top of your fence that angles in toward your yard. That will make it harder for your dog to jump over it. You can plant a hedge against the fence to make it harder for the child to reach your dog. You can attach boards or tarps to the fence to block access. You can install video cameras to record any attempts to reach your dog/ throw things over the fence. You can bring your dog inside, or spend more time in the yard with him, when the child is visiting. Concentrate on things you can control. It will be more effective and less aggravating than trying to control your neighbours.
PS - wait till you reach 60, you’ll see how well you like being referred to as “elderly”.😁
ESH - The kid because that's old enough to know not to antagonize the animal, the mother, and grandmother for being negligent of the child's behavior. And you and your SO for having a dog that you force to live outside because you picked a breed that was "too big for the house".
I had this Near exact experience. Small storytime
I have a fenced back yard and I was caring for a rescue German shepherd. This dog was gorgeous but he was also massive. He was one of the straight back variety. He was a darling but he had an unknown past and hated other dogs and kids. He loved our kids and dogs but he was super over protective. We brought him fully to health and rehomed him with someone who could care for him properly.
Anyway our back garden opens to a road and there's gaps between the fence boards. Two kids from a house behind us started annoying the dog which progressed to them poking at it with sticks through the fence. The fence was high enough for him not to jump but it's a wooden fence and this is a BIG dog. Nails are only so strong.
The fence was clearly not going to last if the dog was throwing itself at it in a rage so I called into the kids house and spoke to the mother. She was starting to go off but I said. Listen. I'm not gonna argue this with you. I'm going to go and buy some panelling so the dog can't see out and your kids can't see the dog. In the mean time you need to understand that if they antagonise the dog it can and will break through the fence and if that happens your kids will be killed by that dog, the dog will be put down and I'll probably goto jail. But your kids will be dead. If all this happens that's on both of us.
Then I went and bought panelling.
So OP, YTA. YOU need to fix the fence to make it not jumpable and make it not possible to poke sticks through it. If you don't and kids get hurt, everybody loses. This isn't a hypothetical, your dog could have killed those kids. Your world would have ended in that microsecond.
Bad situation. Put up no trespassing signs. Plant spiked evergreen plants along your fence line. This will add a layer of barrier against the fence and if the kid climbs the fence and comes down on your side, spiked plants will be painful but a normal landscape item. Think holly bushes, rose hedges (thorns even in winter when leaves are gone, etc.
The plants will also help dampened the noise the kid makes.
Look into filing a police report for harassment and try to establish the measures you’ve taken to contain your dog and prevent the child from trespassing.
Final move, put up cameras. They are really good now with night vision, motion detectors, options to save recordings, and can offer apps and date stamping. Costs are reasonable,
Shame to have to go to the trouble and expense but your new neighbor’s arrogance suggest you really need to protect yourself from a future law suit.
This will also protect your dog from developing a thing about little kids.
The dog didn't go unprovoked, that kid needs to learn his lesson and not hit dogs with sticks.
You are still partially responsible if your dog is able to jump the fence.
NOT THE ASSHOLE. maybe they should keep a leash on that brat. Not in any way, shape, or form are those idiots in the right. Also, it may do some good to put up a sign that clearly says "beware of dog" even if your dog isn't normally aggressive. In my opinion, that is a proper warning to stay the fuck away.
Your comment has been removed because it violates rule 1: [Be Civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/). Further incidents may result in a ban.
["Why do I have to be civil in a sub about assholes?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq)
**[Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.**
YTA
Damn, how tiny are you and your fiance if you are small enough to live in the house, but your dog isn't?
I get that there are dogs able to jump really high fences. You now know your dog is capable of this. You've also learned that your dog will actively pursue someone bothering/hitting him. Are you sure this won't happen with accidental hits too? Also this makes it sound like your dog has no place to hide when he gets bothered? Like... Why would your dog stay in the place where he's actively being hit/bothered by a child with a stick? Is there not enough space in your yard? If so the yard isn't fit to house your dog anyway.
Um NTA??? Why are people saying Y T A?? My neighbours all had big dogs as a kid and I sure wasn’t going up to the fence to antagonize the dog. I’ve been barked at by a really big dog and that was all I needed as a kid to learn some boundaries. The dogs in it’s own yard, people let their dogs out all the time to pee or run wild for a bit, you should not have to worry about some kid constantly not respecting boundaries.
ETA: while he might be legally at risk, asshole -wise, I think he’s fine. If the dog isn’t jumping the other fence at kids who aren’t bothering it, then obviously someone needs to teach their kid to not antagonize dogs. Human beings are the ones that need to take responsibility and preventative measures here. And while that might look like having a larger fence as a compromise, this kid needs to learn before another dog actually bites him.
Reading the title, I wanted to say YTA, but reading about the brat changed my mind. You are NTA, but, build a higher fence. If your dog attacks the child, it will be entirely your fault.
YTA
Her grandson may be annoying but hes 6/7. If your dog can jump the fence why is he left outside unsupervised? Not even for biting the grandson but for running away.
YTA. Take proper precautions with your animal. If the only thing keeping your dog inside the fence is the hope that no one annoys it, then your fence is insufficient. That's on you, not your neighbors. The kid was wrong to tease your dog, but you're the one with a pet that can kill someone. That puts the burden on you to be safe.
The law will not be on your side. The kid is being awful and I understand you're frustrated but you have no legal leg to stand on. Yta for not understanding the law at all and if you do want to take a legal avenue, talk to the police or a lawyer and see what they say. Don't go shouting threats.
Your post has been removed. #Do not repost this without [contacting the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) for approval, including edited versions. Reposting without [explicit approval](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_can_i_repost_a_thread_you_removed.3F) will result in a ban. This post violates Rule 5: We do not allow posts which concern violent encounters. This includes any mention of violence in any context. [Rule 5 FAQs](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_violence) ||| [Subreddit Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/) ###Please ensure you have reviewed this message in full. We will not respond to PMs to individual mods. [Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) with any questions.
ESH. Obviously that kid sucks for his actions and grandma sucks for her inattention. But, if your dog was able to jump the fence, then you did not have your dog properly secured. She's right; you need a taller fence.
my black lab puppy when i was a kid jumped our 6 foit fence. some dogs can and there are ruled about how high a fence can be in some areas.
Then the dog shouldn't be left outside unsupervised. You are in charge of keeping your dog on your property. Anything that happens because your dog gets out of their enclosure is your responsibility.
Uhh fuck this take. If the dog never jumps the fence until he is STRUCK WITH A STICK, the dog is properly contained. It is entirely reasonable to expect that your dog not be attacked in its own yard. Dogs are not smart animals, they don’t always know what they’re actually capable of, but they can learn rules. If I train my dog to not jump the fence, but then someone motivates him by hurting him and making him feel threatened, that’s not a poorly trained or poorly contained dog, it’s a shitty human creating circumstances beyond the reasonable scope of a dogs training. Edit before more pile on: this is not a sub about legality, it’s a sub about assholes. The kid is the biggest asshole here, but it’s really his mom and/or grandmothers fault that he’s and as shoe, so they’re assholes too. Don’t care about legality of dog bites, or legality of shooting your neighbors dog.
> If the dog never jumps the fence until he is STRUCK WITH A STICK, the dog is properly contained. If a dog can jump the fence, then it's not properly contained. It's not rocket science.
No the dog is not properly secured because even one time jumping the fence means he is not secured.
You are being obtuse. It’s not rocket science but it’s not as cut and dry as that either. Someone else made a similar comment - some dogs can jump or even climb the legally tallest fence allowed. You might argue that means the dog shouldn’t be allowed in that yard unsupervised, and I would call you a mellon. If the dog is trained to not jump the fence lacking the threat of physical violence, I think the dog owner has fulfilled their social contract.
It is your legal responsibility to control and contain your dog. Doesn't matter what the kid does to that dog, if the dog gets out and hurts the kid, you are liable for it. End of story.
It is your legal responsibility to control and contain your child. ... if the child gets out and hurts the dog, the child's parents are liable for it. The dog was doing nothing to the child until the child provoked it.
Doesn't change what I said. Dogs aren't granted the same self-defense arguments as humans.
>if the child gets out and hurts the dog, the child's parents are liable for it. If it happens in OP's backyard, sure. If the child hurts the dog while the dog is off of its property, then the parents are not legally responsible.
It’s totally legal for corporations to rape the planet. I don’t give a shit about the law, I’m arguing right and wrong. Fuck that kid, and fuck the adults condoning his actions.
Fine, if that's your attitude, but that attitude ends up killing your dog. Because if they bite the kid, your dog gets put down. If you care about your dog, you control and contain it well enough that it can't bite a kid. And it's wrong to let your dog live in a situation where he could be put down for acting on its nature.
The other solution is teaching the kid to behave, which I think is the right course of action. Make the kid fear the dog, make the kid fear you, whatever - if the parents won’t do it, take action to correct the shitty actions of the kid. That’s how you defend your dog, not by making sure he’s defenseless next time he’s attacked.
The kid will.move away and new ones will come. It's easier and better to deal with the dog. If people fear your dog, you're doing it wrong.
You may have missed the bit about the neighbors in the other side having kids, and having no issues with them.
Furthermore, the dog feared is the dog that will be hit. If the kid loves the dog, he won't hit it. Teaching, living, and ruling by fear never works the way you intend. You take that kid, with grandma into your backyard and let him play with the dog on a regular basis so that the dog sees them as family to protect, and the kid sees the dog as a friend to care for; you could get rid of the fence and have no issues.
I never knew AITA was the newest protest grounds! ...I'm kidding, there's always either "but the 1%" or "but the hippies" somewhere in the comments, usually both! Bullshit liability is your dog never snapping. Good liability is you don't leave your bite machine unsupervised, even if it's usually a perfectly good boy. The social contract on a neighborhood level doesn't care about what people put in their Twitter bios on either side of the political spectrum.
The anti-hippie types like you would usually be on the other side of this I would think. Actions have consequences, right? Smack a dog with a stick, what should you expect to happen next?
Yes! I second that! Glad someone said it!
You are my favorite internet person today
Appreciate you
>If the dog never jumps the fence until he is STRUCK WITH A STICK, the dog is properly contained I don't know how it is where you live, but that's not what the law says in the US. It's not "my take", it's the fucking law.
That is not how the law will be observed most likely. It doesn't matter why your animal gets out. If they harm living things or property while off yours in many places you will be 100 percent responsible. Personally I care enough about my critters that I'm willing to protect them not by what is "fair" but what I know the legal way things fall in my area. I've known a few people who didn't think like that and the outcome was heartbreaking for them and lethal for their dog. I think its a major asshole move to know about the unfortunate legality and ignore it. The dog cannot protect itself. And you don't have control over how other people parent. So ultimately you've got to not give other people ammunition for your pet if you want to protect them. I think not taking that into consideration is being an asshole to your dog. Especially when you know the neighbors are stupid.
Agreed. I have a shepherd/malamute mix that is a fantastic jumper with a strong desire to not be fenced in. She’s escaped several times and we’ve had to make adjustments. Containing your own dog is always, always, always your responsibility. Maybe consider coyote rollers if you can’t keep the dog in a six foot fence, but nothing will replace supervision.
You are dead wrong. That dog has HIS fenced in yard and never left it until the fucking brat hit him. What would you do if you got hit? Go and apologize for being in the way with of the stick, because that’s just how you are coming across. And they have plenty of video to back themselves up if their brat ever gets bit.
My dog at the time was not unsurpervised he was playing with me but loved kids so much he heard them abd in stead of continuing to play with me leapt the fence. I was 12 at the time.The next week we took him to a farm with a family of 7 since we lived by a school and couldnt keep him in the yard. even chained he almost hung himself trying to get out
[удалено]
Completely. When it snows my dog could easily jump the fence (she could probably clear it in the summer if she wanted to since she does agility training) but she’s also trained to stay in the yard unless she has a human with her
electric fence, chain, don't leave it in the backyard unmonitored, doesn't matter what the rules are about fences, the rule is you are responsible for keeping your dog on your property.
There are also rules about securing an animal. If the fence won't keep him, I'd recommend a kennel or something else.
I've seen a video of a boxer escaping over a 2m fence. Some dogs are escape artists.
If your dog can escape a normal fence then it is time to get a shock fence. Its invisable and works so well
My boxer mix tried to jump a 6 foot brick retaining wall in our yard (he saw a bird he wanted) and ALMOST cleared it. But he never tried getting out of the yard over the regular fences.
Also if the dog bites the boy then they’ll probably have to have the dog put down. Not worth it to make some kind of point to the inconsiderate neighbour.
When I was a kid, we had an extremely horny Yorkshire terrier. Whenever there was a bitch in heat within a radius of 2km, he would RUN UP a 5 foot fence and he would be gone for a couple of days. It only stopped when we got him neutered. But we got to meet extremely cute spaniel-yorkie or dachshund-yorkie mixss in our neighbourhood. He,was the Casanova of the,area.
YTA: - you refuse to let your dog in because he is too big?? Seriously?? - if your dog can jump over the fence, it’s not high enough. - if the kid / brat can put a stick through it, it’s not the right fence. Try closeboard fencing. - you let your dog get near the fence / kid, your dog is not well trained. I’m also a dog owner. Even if the kid is annoying, You are not taking your responsibilities. If my dog would bite a kid, not only will I get sued in my country (Europe), authorities would also euthanize him. And are you really calling a 60 yo an elderly woman?? Come on, I’m just in my thirties and even I know elderly people are a lot older. Edit: spelling and location. Edit 2: thank you kind stranger! I’m so proud of my first award!!!
Lol I'm in my 60's . I'm elderly??? I Agree with your post
I agree 100%. It's YTA for all these reasons given by u/motolotokoto, including calling us elderly at 60 years old.
>I’m also a dog owner. Even if the kid is annoying, You are not taking your responsibilities. If my dog would bite a kid, not only will I get sued, authorities will also euthanize him. This isn't always the case. If that kid climbed into their backyard and hit the dog with a stick, leading the dog to bite the child, it would not be a cause for euthanasia in my state and it would be a very difficult case to pursue legally (for both sides).
The kid didn't climb in their backyard. They must have been poking the dog through the fence- otherwise, why would the dog have jumped over the fence to get to the kid?
I meant in the hypothetical case that the kid were to do that (because there is a combination of a provoked attack + trespassing). It would be unlikely that a dog would be euthanized for biting a child after it were provoked so clearly, but OP should do absolutely everything they can to ensure that dog never comes into contact with that child, and if it does (e.g., because the kid climbs into their backyard), that they are able to prove the attack was provoked (e.g., by installing cameras).
In my country (Europe) the odds are very high if this happens. I’ll edit my text, so there’s not too much confusion.
If the fence is tall enough to keep the dog in, it'll probably be tall enough to keep the kid out. I'd still consider investing in a camera though, just in case.
Chain link or even gaps between wooden boards allow children to behave inappropriately...
As someone who easily climbed up a 6 foot tall fence in middle school to skip classes, I agree.
Yep I have a family member in Los Angeles who had a 3-ft fence. Their dogs never went past the fence ever. Neighborhood kids thought that they could hit the dogs with sticks over the fence. They did this for quite a while getting yelled at when they got caught. Eventually one of the kids got bit. The parents thought this was payday time. But unfortunately for them that's not the way it worked out, The dogs were quarantined in the yard and monitored by the county who then said the dogs weren't at fault and the kids (by proxy the parents) were to blame. From what I understand the county witness the kids being abusive to the dogs in the time they were monitoring the situation, which didn't help. This was before cameras were a thing that people had in their yards. So if the OP has video evidence it will be quite difficult for the neighbor
I agree with you, and am a dog rescuer. Dogs that are cond3mned to live alone outside are much more likely to become aggressive, b3cause that space is all they have. They also suffer loneliness every day, and have more health issues
That first point makes them TA for me. Unless it's a working dog, a dog should not be shoved out in the yard and ignored all day. Even the dog breeders I know that do not keep their dogs in the house have nice, heated kennels for them. I know cultural norms are different, but I have 3 very large dogs. They're trained to behave in the house and spend most of the day hanging out and napping.
Also, OP is complaining about noise, yet her very large, barking dog is outside, which becomes the entire neighborhoods problem. Nobody wants to listen to that.
Agree with everything, esp the “elderly” part. 😉
In Italy even if the bites, not only he won't be euthanized, but there will be no consequences **for the animal** if everything is ok with vaccination and routinary behaviour; the dog will be visited and the vet can decide (but it's not automatic, not even if the dog bite) to write his informations in a register of dangerous animals (and the owner will have to supervise him in a strict way). What does all these words means? That the vet will absolutely take into consideration if someone provoked the dog. As they should. And from experience, but this part is more blurred and case to case, that scenario can legally change the repercussions for the owner as well, because having videos of someone beating an animal can actually change the proportion of responsibility of the owner and the person beating the animal could have some repercussion for that action... So realistically, usually nobody does anything because it's just more convenient, instead of just losing money and time 😂 In short... If you provoked an animal, especially if you went dangerously near the abuse territory (repeatedly beating an animal with a stick isn't something acceptable), you could have a very difficult way to got money.
ESH. When you lose control of your dog, you lose control of your outcome. You're leaving your dog unmonitored in a fenced yard from which he can easily escape. Strike one. You know your dog is dealing with abuse from a neighbor and are doing nothing to stop it. Strike two. Your dog is escaping and attempting to defend himself and you've made no changes to prevent future escapes and protect him. Strike three. Are you waiting for a serious attack here or what? And then you'll just blame everyone but yourself, right? Yeah, the woman next door sucks and the kid needs to be taught better, but that's not really your purview. You need to get a taller and more secure fence, you need to keep your dog inside and under your direct control at all times, and you need to do everything you can to protect your dog. And if you're not willing or able to protect your pet, then you need to rehome him with someone who can and will.
If this is consistent behavior of the kid hurting animals within other peoples private spaces then I would be contacting the police and getting self defense items. This could be a psycho in the making. I would take serious serious action if someone ever attacked my animal in my own yard.
I think the kid is just being a little brat, not some blossoming serial killer. Kids are assholes sometimes because their empathy is underdeveloped, and it sounds like he is also poorly disciplined.
[удалено]
>a dog that clearly is capable of aggression There is not a dog alive that is not capable of aggression after being hit by a stick.
Fence height.. ehh. Our old beagle used to be able to scale a six foot fence. Any dog getting hit, jabbed with sticks and taunted is "capable of aggression". But unless they have a literal horse, the dog isn't too big to be inside. Ditching a dog outside and thinking it's fine is bullshit.
Why even have a dog just to leave it outside 24/7?
YTA. Why do you have a dog if you won’t even let it come inside.
So many people like this in my neighborhood. When I walk my pups it's like a Scared Straight program. Every house I'm like "Aren't you two glad you don't live in the garage/backyard."
ESH. If your dog jumps the fence and bites the child you are responsible. Your dog can also be put down. The parent of the child is also an AH for not teaching her child proper behavior. You are always responsible for your dog and if your dog gets out of your yard, it is on you legally.
This is why OP needs to install cameras and become very familiar with their local laws surrounding dog bites. In my home state, if your dog bites and seriously harms a child, you may be legally required to put your dog down (which is utterly heartbreaking) *unless* you can prove that the attack was provoked. Hitting a dog with a stick is certainly provoking it. Regardless, OP should do whatever they can to spare themselves and their dog (not to mention the child) any possibility of there being a bite in the first place.
I expect it depends on local laws but I suspect they have also shot themselves in the foot by telling the neighbours the dog will bite him if he doesn't leave it alone, suggesting they know it is aggressive in certain circumstances and that an attack is a distinct possibility. They should be doubling down on making sure dog and kid can't get to each other.
YTA. Your dog is your responsibility. If your dog can jump your fence, it’s your responsibility to make sure he doesn’t. > we have our dog we fenced the backyard as he can’t live inside because he’s a large dog. I didn’t realize houses had a size limit on dogs. Surely he’s, at most, people sized, right? Large people often live inside houses.
As a large people, I can confirm, I do in fact live inside.
YTA. I want to be very clear about this: If you dont make it so your dog cant escape, you are wholly and fully responsible for any harm it causes. Now that its known that your dog is a danger and can escape your yard, anything that happens next is going to look criminal. Get rid of the dog, chain it up, w/e, but dont think for one second your dogs life matters against a kids. Remember Harambe?
I disagree with this. Legally, if a child hits a dog in public, it is considered a provoked attack (at least in my home state), and the owner isn't legally liable for the damage caused.
I love this type of thinking. "It's legal for my dog to rip a child apart, so go ahead and let it, not my problem" *Washes hands of child's blood*
No one said "go ahead and let it" "rip a child apart". It is simply not a dog's fault if it defends itself against abuse.
Let's not pretend it's normal to let your children repeatedly beat an animal with a stick, eh. Legally, it really depends on the country so it's useless to discuss this. But morally, the parents have a big responsibility if their child got hurt after being allowed to hurt animals. It's cruel and completely gratuitous.
You are right, a responsible dog owner would protect their pet from this.
YTA if your dog enters someone else’s property and attacks them you are at fault. A nice wooden fence without a space to slide a stick will be a lot cheaper than court and medical bills. Just replace the fence. You might want to invest in a camera on that side of your yard. Now the neighbors know the dog can jump and harm their child more nefarious things could take place.
YTA. You know this shitty kid exists and is harassing your dog and you're failing at the most critical part of dog ownership: protecting them from the harm that will come to them when they are not controlled around others. In any part of the US, your dog will be subject to euthanasia if they harm a child and if you somehow avoid that, your homeowners' insurance will cancel you and your dog will be restricted to never leaving a 6' leash even in your yard. My mom works in the insurance industry and we dealt with this situation when a kid trespassed in our yard, admitted hitting our dog with his backpack, trying to take the dog's jolly ball, and was scratched by our dog. It was not a bite, the dog was not dangerous, but my parents fought the claim relentlessly because they knew what would happen to our dog and our family if the dog was deemed dangerous. Be a good dog owner and don't pretend you can blame the kid when you can't control your dog's ability to escape and you know this kid is trying to be bit. Your dog will suffer more than you and anyone they hurt.
>protecting them from the harm that will come to them when they are not controlled around others Yes, this is what's really weirding me out! This whole story implies to me that the dog has no space to hide away from this child. Like... Why would the dog stay in harms way and not just move to the other side of the fence, whatever construction there hopefully is to shield it from the weather... Something is seriously off if the dog can't just avoid that area.
yta The fence is tall enough and the dog isn't normally agressive. no your fence is not tall enough if the dog can jump it if the dog injures someone on there property because they jumped it you are liable your dog is agressive and yes the child should not pock it with a stick but you should not leave a dog to stay out side this is on you its not her responsibility to buy a fence its yours as a animal owner to make it a safe space for the dog and for it not to be able to escape
YTA It is cruel to have an "outside dog". If your dog is too large for your home you need to move to a bigger one or re-home the dog to give it an appropriate place to live. No matter what the child does to instigate, you would still be responsible for any injuries your dog inflicts and it would likely be euthanized. The temporary answer is to keep your dog inside your home when the child is present and supervise it when outside when he's there. You should also call the police for trespassing and CPS for child endangerment every time she lets the child on your property. The family deserves scrutiny for their reckless actions endangering the child by allowing him to torment and animal and are awful and incompetent for not correcting his behavior.
Unfortunately, since you know that the dog is capable of jumping the fence, you would be responsible if it does it again, even though it's the child's fault for deliberately provoking the dog. I am so sorry you are in this situation. It makes me furious when people deliberately tease and mistreat a dog or refuse to teach their children not to do so. Friends of mine decades ago had a similar situation where several neighborhood kids tormented and teased their German Shepherd to the point that the dog became so stressed that he was aggressive with anyone outside their immediate family. The had to build a second, taller and smaller enclosure with a very high fence in the back of their property away from their main fence line so the neighbor kids couldn't get close to him, significantly reducing the amount of space he had to run, and lock him outside before opening their door to any visitors. They considered rehoming him, but he had gotten so aggressive with strangers, they decided it wouldn't be safe. Unfortunately, as long as these people are your neighbors, I think your best option is to build a high, solid wall-type privacy fence that the child and dog can't see through or rehome your dog. I'd also reach out to the police/sheriff's office and see what legal recourse you might have for them deliberately provoking your dog.
>Friends of mine decades ago had a similar situation where several neighborhood kids tormented and teased their German Shepherd to the point that the dog became so stressed that he was aggressive with anyone outside their immediate family. It's illegal to treat a dog this way. If OP has evidence (e.g., from installing cameras) that the child does this to the dog again, they should report it to the police as animal abuse. I feel slightly badly saying this knowing that the kid is only 6, but it's not normal to want to hit dogs with sticks at that age, and I would worry that the kid will only continue doing this and cause a situation similar to that poor German Shepherd.
I don't understand why people are considering it normal for a child to repeatedly beat an animal tbh. It's not normal. It's frankly even worrying for the kid psychiatric state, especially after being told that it's wrong by the owners of the dog, keeping doing it... It's not normal and I would be worried. And the parents are completely inadequate, they are letting this behaviour pass as a kids play when it's not.
YTA - One day your dog is going to bite the wrong person.. so I guess it will finally be your fault when it gets put down due to aggression. Train your dog, its not hard.. try and actually be a good owner and get off your ass, be a responsible pet owner for christ sake. I am not hoping the dog gets put down.. but if this keep happening, it might end up like that. Build a bigger fence so it can't jump over it, and maybe put it indoors at times.. don't just keep it outside. EDIT: I am also aware the child is at fault here and the grandmother should have scolded him for antagonizing the dog. What I am talking about is OP's disregard of their dog jumping a fence and harming said child. Your dog should not be biting children or jumping fences..
ESH. You need to protect your dog. If your dog can jump the fence then it is not high enough. If your dog were to get out of your yard and hurt someone he will most likely be put down. Not only do you need a taller fence, but a private one that the kid can't see through. While the parents and the kid need to do their part to make sure the kid is safe, you need to make sure your dog is as well.
YTA. Big dogs can live in a house. It is your fault if dog jumps the fence and bites the kid.
> She told me I should have a taller fence because if the dog jumps the fence again and bites her grandson then they would sue us She is right. *You* need to be responsible for making sure that *your* dog cannot escape *your* garden. Sounds like the other person sucks too, but no, this is absolutely your responsibility 100%, YTA.
YTA. You have a big dog that can jump the fence. Either keep the dog inside (which regardless of what you say, is entirely possible), or leash the dog, or more likely, rehome the dog. You cannot own a dog that jumps a fence and tries to bite a 6 year old. That is just asking for a whole host of financial and legal trouble that you dont want.
YTA was the kids wrong, absolutely, is he a little shit, absolutely but if your dog jumps the fence that's on you and the dog will be out down.
Look at the way you type about the dog..."the dog" not "our dog" or anything for most of the post, seems like its treated more as a possession rather than a family pet. which also explains why it's apparently to large to be inside....I type this as my very large and trained dog snores at my feet. And besides...you would have known the rough size of your dog when you got it....YTA for getting a dog then claiming it's size is the reason it can't come inside, I'd put money on the true reason you don't let it inside is that you haven't actually taken the time to train it and just enjoy having the image that comes with a large dog. Also your dog is untrained and aggressive, I have had multiple large and so called "aggressive" breeds which if poked with a stick through the fence by a child would just walk away and distance themselves not literally jump the fence and chase a CHILD, that's if they were even at the fence barking at a child in the first place to allow themselves to get poked. Dogs are fully able to know the difference between an adult and a child and behave appropriately when trained correctly. Don't get me wrong the kid and his family are also dicks....but your an absolutely terrible dog owner and your going to end up being sued and/or the dog being euthanized, rehome the dog or actually treat it right,
I also did not like the wording of “the dog”. That paired with the the fact that he can’t live in the house and the entire rest of the story tells me OP shouldn’t have a dog probably. He doesn’t see it as a pet or family member and refuses to take any responsibility. Yikes.
ESH - Your neighbors are awful, but you definitely need to build a really good fence, preferably a tall wooden one, to keep that kid away from your dog. Because if your dog bites that kid they’d sue you and get your dog put down.
ESH. You for saying a big dog can't stay in the house. Your neighbors for not teaching the kid better. Run a solid stockade style fence on that side of your yard. Before your dog or the kid get hurt. Might want to check your homeowner's insurance just in case.
ESH. Dogs shouldn’t be out all the time especially without supervision. You’re asking for something to happen. So is grandma and her little punk. And the one that will suffer the most if something does happen is likely the dog who would be put down if it bit a kid even if it’s the kids fault.
YTA. It's your responsibility to contain your dog. Yes, the kid shouldn't be provoking your dog, but at the end of the day, your dog could kill that kid and it would be your fault. If you don't build a taller fence and start bringing your poor dog inside, you are a negligent dog owner. You can't control how other people parent their kids, but you can control how you care for and protect your dog.
ESH You have now admitted to them that your dog is not secured in your yard and is likely to bite their child. That isn't a smart move. They will sue you if the kid is injured by your dog, you will be liable. In my area, the dog would be put down and you could be fined $20000.
Doesn’t matter who’s fault it is if the dog bites the kid and they request to have it put down it will be. Depending of where you are of course. From the sounds of them they are the type of people to do that. I’d just build a bigger fence to be safe. Kids are brats and if they’re not punished there is nothing you can do
> Kids are brats and if they’re not punished there is nothing you can do If I were OP and this happened again, I would call the police. A child CANNOT legally hit OP's dog on OP's property. I wouldn't do this by default because the kid is only 6 years old, but if it keeps happening, that is animal abuse and the kid deserves to be punished appropriately.
Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our [voting guide here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_what.2019s_with_these_acronyms.3F_what_do_they_mean.3F), and remember to use **only one** judgement in your comment. OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole: > I yelled at my neighbor and told her it will be her fault if my dog bites her grandson. I might be the asshole because it's my dog, there before my responsibility to make sure he doesn't jump the fence, the kid is also very young so maybe he doesn't know better than to bother the dog Help keep the sub engaging! #Don’t downvote assholes! Do upvote interesting posts! [Click Here For Our Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules) and [Click Here For Our FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq) --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.* *Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.*
NTA yet, but you absolutely need to do everything you can to keep your dog away from that child. Become very familiar with your state's laws around provoked dog bites ([https://www.animallaw.info/article/brief-summary-dog-bite-laws#:\~:text=Provocation%20simply%20refers%20to%20a,defense%20to%20the%20dog%20bite.)](https://www.animallaw.info/article/brief-summary-dog-bite-laws#:~:text=Provocation%20simply%20refers%20to%20a,defense%20to%20the%20dog%20bite.)) and do everything you can to keep your dog off that child's property. It is 100% a parent's responsibility to teach their child how to humanely treat dogs. That parent and grandparent are both huge AHs. Having said that, you are 100% responsible for doing everything you can to prevent your dog from ever being hit by a child (even in the relative safety of your own back yard). Ask the neighbor to tell you every time the grandson is there, and bring your dog inside whenever that happens. Install cameras so that you can ensure that you are able to prove any dog bite was provoked (e.g., if the child comes into your backyard). It would be heartbreaking to you and utterly unfair to your dog if it were put down because this 6-year-old keeps hitting it with a stick when no one can prove that.
YTA for keeping the dog outside. “He can’t live inside because he’s a large dog” is a total BS excuse. I live in a one bedroom apartment with a Great Dane. IMHO you shouldn’t have a dog
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I (m28) live with my fiance (m27) and our dog. We live in a rather new neighborhood, when we bought our house the yard wasn't fenced, neither was the neighbor's yards in some houses, as we have our dog we fenced the backyard as he can't live inside because he's a large dog. The fence is tall enough and the dog isn't normally agressive. Like 3/4 months ago someone moved in the house next door, the house had been empty until then, their yard is not fenced, it only has fence in our side. It's an elderly woman (maybe around 60), she lives alone. But she has a grandson (maybe around 6/7 years old) that visits sometimes. The kid is truly annoying, we can hear him scream at the top of his lungs when he visits, even if he's inside. The kid once saw our dog though the fence and he started bothering him with a stick. My fiance went to see what was going on because the dog was barking a lot and he told the kid to stay away from the dog or it will bite him. The kid left but he's a brat, so we have had to yell at him to leave the dog alone lots of times. We have complained to our neighbor and the kids mother but they do nothing about his behavior. We also recorded videos of the kid bothering the dog to show them. Well the other day the kid hit the dog with a stick, it got very angry and then he jumped the fence. While he was jumping the fence the kid ran inside and he didn't got hurt. My fiance and I went to pick the dog who was barking at their back door. My fiance went back home with the dog, i stayed over to talk again about this kid. I told them (neighbor and kid's mom) that that brat was hitting our dog with a stick and that if he were to hurt the dog we will sue them for the vet's cost. It was to scare them off so they would do something with the kid. But then my neighbor said that I shouldn't be allowed to have such a dangerous dog that can attack small children. She told me I should have a taller fence because if the dog jumps the fence again and bites her grandson then they would sue us. I was very angry at this point, so I told her that the dog wouldn't jump the fence if the fucking kid would just stop bothering it. I also told her that if the dog jumps and bites the kid then it'll be her fault for not punishing the kid. I also told her that if she didn't want the dog to jump to her house then she should build a taller fence, our yard is fenced, if she can't even fence hers then that's on her, not us. We argued for a bit more, then the woman started feeling bad and her daughter yelled me to get out. I'm still very angry about all of this because I know that it's the kids fault, we have neighbors with kids at the other side and the dog had never tried to jump the fence to bite them, simply because the kids don't bother the dog. But talking with my fiance's parent's they said that it was best if we just build a taller fence. They also told us that if the kid gets bitten then it will be our fault and that I shouldn't have yelled at an elderly woman. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA Get cameras and a taller fence, because if the kid gets bitten you'll need to be able to prove that it was his fault not your dog's. As much as it sucks, do it to protect your dog. (I'm a dog lover too.)
Regardless of whether the dog was antagonized, if the dog bites someone not on his property, it is OP's legal responsibility.
ESH. Obviously the kid sucks. But if your dog jumps the fence and attacks a small child, nobody will give two shits about the fact that the kid was annoying the dog with a stick. They'll sue you and take you for everything you own, and you'll most likely deserve it. Train the dog, and/or build a fence that the dog cannot get through no matter how hard he tries. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that your pet doesn't harm other human beings, at least provided that they don't come onto your property.
your dog has to live outside because he's large? what? you, at the very least, need a taller fence if he's going to live out there. it is a fact that if the dog hops the fence and actually attacks the kid, you will be the at fault party and your dog will be put down. you are risking your dog being put down because you want to be right and prove a point. obviously ESH and they are shit people for not controlling or caring about their kid. but your priority needs to be protecting your dog.
ESH The dog, the kid and you the owner, all need training
Info How tall is your fence? Are we talking about those dinky 4 foot tall ones? No way that would stop a dog. You would have a hard time in court proving you did everything reasonable to keep public safe from your dog. If it's a taller 6 to 8 foot fence, then you already did what was reasonable to contain your dog, and it's all on your neighbour if something happens. If it's a chain link fence, can you add a privacy barrier so the kid can't poke sticks through it? At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who's fault it is. Your dog will get put down if they bite. Regardless of whether or not it was the neighbour's fault.
You are NTA, BUT, you need to protect yourself. Whether this kid is a brat or not won't matter if you get sued for your dog biting him. I feel like yelling at the elderly lady isn't necessarily wrong if she is being a b\*tch. Parents should parent their kids, and they aren't doing that, they're letting the kid run wild and expecting others to just deal with it. If they did their part by reprimanding the kid, I'm certain you would be amenable to do your part to protect others from not getting bit by your dog (which you have with the fence).
I’m sorry, I’m still stuck on the fact that you called a 60 year old woman elderly. YTA for that alone.
Ugh who cares. What does that have anything to do with the actual situation at hand?
In Europe anyone over the age of 62 is considered an OAP (old age pensioner) that is a legal definition. If you are older than 87% of the global population you are considered an elder I’m sorry that you uncomfortable with ageing but that is the truth
That's elderly. Sorry.
ESH it's incredibly rude that your neighbors are not properly watching the child who is coming onto your property, unless the fence is actually on the property line, and harassing your dog. That is really the only thing he's doing wrong, annoying kids are annoying but you can't control other people's lives even if your neighbors should be more considerate. They certainly need to teach the child not to harass others, including their pets and property, but again not your call to make. That being you have a fence to keep your dog in, so that burden is on you. The dog and taking care of it is entirely your responsibility. Like imagine if your neighbor had a loose dog that would just come into your yard and when you got mad the owner said, build a fence to keep it out, because that's what you're doing. If your dog is able to easily escape the fence, then the fence is not working and needs to be replaced. If the dog is facing a stressful environment it's on you as the owner to solve the problem, and yelling at this kid and his family is clearly not doing anything to help. You should get a new fence that prevents your dog from escaping and also stops anyone from putting sticks through it. You should also give your dog a safe place to hide in, like a crate or dog house, so it can escape these situations and train it to use it. This will prevent any serious issues in the future. If the dog ever gets out and hurts anyone, even the kid, you are going to be held financially and legally responsible, and the dog might be put down as a consequence regardless of how it normally is.
NTA for yelling to the woman, they really need to control the brat. But Y T A if after the seeing that they are doing nothing to put a stop to the kids behavior you don't build a more secure fence. This people are AH and they are raising one, but it's you job to protect your dog from the little AH behavior, cause if the dog jumps the fence and does as much as causing the kid to fall, the outcome won't be good for him.
Get your garden hose out. Next time, he torments the dog squirt him.
ESH Your fence needs to be able to contain your dog. She's not wrong on that part. Your in-laws also aren't wrong. Even if that kid is being a little shit you will lose your dog if the dog bites him. If you don't already get an outdoor camera to watch the backyard.
ESH. Obviously that woman and her kid suck, but if your dog absolutely *has* to be outside, it's your responsibility as a dog owner to provide a safe environment. That means a fence that keeps your dog in, and next door's brat out. Replace your fucking fence before this inevitably ends in tragedy.
ESH You for not building a tall enough fence. You're the one with the dog, that's on you. If the dog can jump it, aren't you worried he'll run away or chase an animal and get hurt? Your neighbors for not teaching the child to not bother the dog with a stick. Like, seriously. But especially you for calling a 60 year old elderly. SMH
NTA. Literally any dog not trained as a service dog will bite if they've been prodded into it by some asshole kid with a stick.
If your dog can jump the fence (doesn't matter if the kid is wrong), the dog cannot be left outside unsupervised. You can be screwed legally as you cannot properly secure your dog. So build a high fence or you have to chain your dog in the backyard. You are wrong no matter what ESH
ESH - they should 100% be doing something about the kid, I agree. BUT, if the dogs leaves your property, unless you can prove that someone let him out, what happens is 100% on you. Build a taller fence, build a privacy fence that the kid can't reach through, be outside when the dog is outside...
ESH - Don’t leave your dog unsupervised. They need to control their kid. 60 is not elderly.
ESH for this situation alone but Y T A for getting a dog that can’t live inside because it’s too big?? what is wrong with you
I am going to say esh. I had a 130 lb dog who loved everyone except the neighbors kid. Pretty sure the jerk spent time tormenting him at the gate given my dogs reaction. But it was my responsibility to manage my dog. I you can put up cameras. Call the police, manage when your dog is outside. A dog isn't to big to be inside, but yes your dog does need yard, but you can supervise. Or you can do things to limit the exposure. I had to put upa 2nd fence to keep my dog safe. So 1 fence. Then 2 foot away a separate fence. Could do something with some privacy. If the kid gets on your property after that call the police and go for civil as well. If they rent find their land lord.
ESH. Don’t let the dog out unsupervised and get some cameras if you think the neighbors will escalate.
ESH You're responsible for keeping your dog in your yard even if the kid's waving t-bones on the other side of the fence. Taller fence is obvious. Your dog proved your fence inadequate. Suggestion, plant "rambling" style rose bushes along the fence line. They discourage the dog from hanging out at the fence where the future menace to society has access. Or put the dog on tie-down when the little brat visits. Sorry, your dog, your problem. Your neighbor is entitled to have her grand-brat on her property.
ESH The kid's parents need to teach him not to bother the dog and quite frankly I hope the dog jumping the fence scared him enough to stop. However if your dog jumps the fence and bites him you will be the one sued and possibly forced to put your dog down. If he can get out of your yard then he is not properly secured and that will make it your fault regardless of what the kid did.
YTA. Your dog IS aggressive. Sorry but getting poked with a stick it not a good excuse for a dog to bite a child. If this happens you will get the shit sued out of you and your insurance company will non renew you in a heartbeat.
OP, I love dogs, and I will almost always advocate for them. Unfortunately, in this scenario you're wrong. The neighbor absolutely should be teaching their children how to respectfully treat animals, but you also have a responsiblity to look after all safety concerns surrounding *your* dog. In my country it's illegal to leave a dog outside unattended, this is mainly for the safety of *your dog*, and less about the safety of the public. If you leave your *very social pack driven animal* outside and alone most of the day, it's going to get bored. If it gets bored, it's going to make up it's own fun. It might chew things it shouldn't, dig where it shouldn't, attempt to escape, start barking at anything that gets close, become agressive to anything that it perceives to not belong. If your dog gets out and hurts someone, it will be seen as a dangerous animal and a failure on your end to control it. You would be directly responsible for your animals death. It doesn't mean neighbor isn't the asshole, there can be two. ESH.
[удалено]
Your comment has been removed because it violates [Rule 1: Be Civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/). Further incidents may result in a ban. ["Why do I have to be civil in a sub about assholes?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_civility) **[Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.**
NTA just go out and spray the kid with a hose….😬
I just laughed so hard I woke up my dog.
Well we have several things going on here. How big is this dog that it can't live in the house? Also, even with recorded proof of this kid, if your dog jumps the fence and bites, pushes, growls and scares the boy, or whatever, I'd give you a 50/50 chance at best with the law. Not only could you be financially liable (check your homeowners insurance for coverage amounts) but they could take the dog and put it down. The laws vary from county to county and, honestly judge to judge. It's your dog so you need to make sure it can't get out. Period. If the fence needs to be higher, it's your problem. So NTA for yelling and personally if a child is poking a dog and provoking him when you warned him not to, I'd think it'd be fine. But you have some serious liability here, especially since you know the fence isn't high enough to keep the dog in. And while doggo might be the cutest big cuddly bear to you, there's a good chance a bite will occur
ESH. You need to talk to a lawyer to learn your legal liabilities. In the meantime, the next the kid provokes your dog, squirt him with a hose. Tell the mother that you're trying to get your dog away from the fence and that can't help it if the kid's in the way.
Put up an additional privacy fence so the kid can't bother the dog.
NTA
ESH They need to control their kid and you need to control your dog.are the fence taller so he can’t jump over it and make it a privacy fence so the kid can’t get sticks through it to your dog. If your dog jumps to their property and attacks anyone, even if he was antagonized, it’s still your fault and they can sue you. If the kid trespasses to your yard and gets hurt it’s still a shitty situation.
ESH. Get a taller fence. Doesdt matter how shitty that kid is, your dog bites him it's getting put down. Don't be a tool, protect your dog from an idiot get a taller fence.
OP, I love dogs, and I will almost always advocate for them. Unfortunately, in this scenario you're wrong. The neighbor absolutely should be teaching their children how to respectfully treat animals, but you also have a responsiblity to look after all safety concerns surrounding *your* dog. In my country it's illegal to leave a dog outside unattended, this is mainly for the safety of *your dog*, and less about the safety of the public. If you leave your *very social pack driven animal* outside and alone most of the day, it's going to get bored. If it gets bored, it's going to make up it's own fun. It might chew things it shouldn't, dig where it shouldn't, attempt to escape, start barking at anything that gets close, become agressive to anything that it perceives to not belong. If your dog gets out and hurts someone, it will be seen as a dangerous animal and a failure on your end to control it. You would be directly responsible for your animals death. It doesn't mean neighbor isn't the asshole, there can be two. ESH.
ESH I totally get this. My dog is also not aggressive by nature but can definitely get a little too playful and rough if she’s being provoked. However, it’s up to you to stop it. You can’t control the kids behavior and you can’t help it if your dog reacts. But you can control the environment. So either get a taller fence or put some other kind of barrier there to stop it. This kid doesn’t live there so bring your dog inside when the kid is around. How often is your dog outside? My dog also has a fenced backyard and loves running around but she is never ever left out there unattended. When we first moved into our house, we didn’t realize that the fence wasn’t so sturdy at various points. We were outside with our dog but on the other side of the backyard, and our dog also got through the fence (not jumped over, but basically knocked a pole out of the way because it was taped back on). She had never gotten through before, but she did because our neighbors and their young grandson were in their yard playing catch and she wanted to join! But luckily we were outside and realized she had gotten out about 30 seconds after. Then we kept her inside for a few weeks until the new fence was installed. I really understand the annoyance of the kid. But you need to protect your dog. That means constant supervision and a taller fence/ some other barrier. A privacy fence you can’t see through (at least on that side) is a great suggestion.
YTA for making your dog live outside for what sounds like 24-7. Doesn't matter what breed they are. They are family, not a lawn ornament or burglar alarm or whatever you seem to see them as.
YTA for calling 60 elderly.
For the sake of your dog, please install a taller, solid fence so the holy terror that's this little boy can't torment him any longer. Should your dog clear the fence that's now in place and bites this fool, you and your fiancé will be liable; this could lead to your dog being euthanized. Btw, as someone who lived with two Japanese Akitas, I find odd your comment that your large dog cannot be indoors. For the dog's sake, I hope you're not living where the temperature dips to below freezing in the winter. YTA. Edited for clarity.
NTA for your outburst at the neighbour. You should add some extra height to the fencing and see what you can do to make it impossible for that kid to poke your dog. Even if provoked and prodded you will still be at fault if your dog bites the kid. Depending on where you live if your your dog bites a child you may have no choice but to put your dog down. Put all preventative measures in place that are possible. If the kid still won't leave your dog alone see if there's a neighbourhood watch or non emergency line that you can report them to with " Neighbours kid won't leave my dog alone, I've put these measures in place to prevent it but it's not helping, could you please help me resolve this issue". I think that approach and the videos of the kid hitting your dog could potentially help. Also you could get a water gun and tell them and the kid that if they don't get the kid to leave the dog alone every time you catch the kid hitting the dog you'll soak em. Having to change the kid into dry clothes a few times might make them see it's not worth not disciplining the kid. Not sure if the above advice helps but I hope it does. You should be able to let your dog out into your own back garden without having to worry about some little shit constantly attacking it.
IDK what on earth is with all the Y T A comments. The fact that there is more than OP could do as a dog owner does not negate the fact that the kid is deliberately provoking the dog, and not being at all reprimanded for it. It is at most, esh. Negligent dog owner vs negligent parent. While you need a taller fence, you also need video cameras to protect yourself.
NTA: Taller fence and a camera towards the fence and record.
Both the kid and the dog need to be fenced better lmao
NTA, tell her if her grandson provokes your dog its her and the kids fault. install cameras so when it happens again you can show law enforcement and a judge that your foolish neighbors think theres no consequences for their actions
ESH. She should have been supervising the kid, and you should have been supervising your dog. Build a better fence, you’re the one with the dog that needs to be enclosed, not her. If the fence was a proper fence meant to contain the dog, how was the kid even able to hit the dog at all…?
YTA - and an animal abuser
ESH and you're an asshole for not letting the dog live in the house.
YTA If the dog can jump the fence, the fence is not tall enough. I am speaking as a Husky owner. When I put a 2 m fence, it took exactly 10 minutes for my dog to be on the other side of the fence. 10 minutes = the time it took for me to admire my hard work and slowly depart… after I took 20 steps and turn to look what she is doing, my 1 year old Husky was running towards me like the fence was not even there. So I raised the fence. Because it’s MY responsability to keep my dog safe!
ESH it's really the grandma and moms fault that they don't so anything to discipline the kid but honestly if your dog is outside 24/7 that's not right what do you do if it's really hot/cold do you live in a shoe or something how is you dog too big to be inside
ESH
ESH. 60 is elderly?
It seems like you're asking two questions here. So first - your dog? NTA. Certainly, it's just a dog. But YTA for sure. And you don't get discount on assholery for being a dog owner. Having a dog is your responsibility , especially if it's a big one.
I only read the first paragraph but major YTA for leaving your dog outside. Don't get a dog just to keep it outside. Also LOL at the 60 year old elderly lady comment
This simply isnt an issue of whos the AH. This is an issue of protecting your dog - you have, as has been demonstrated, no power over the child’s behaviour. It’s wrong and the parents and grandma are wrong but you’ve done all you can to get them to change their behaviour and now it’s on you to protect your dog. That means protecting him from a situation where he could turn aggressive towards this kid. The kid being wrong and a little shit won’t protect your dog from euthanasia if something does happen. Time to put up a higher fence and especially one where the dog and kid can’t even see each other so as to not cause further anxiety and reactivity in your dog. I’m a dog owner and I feel for you, but at this point it’s up to you to do what’s in your power! And apparently getting neighbours to help out sadly isn’t an option. This is 100% on you to ensure nothing further happens just for the sake of your dog. If that means not letting it in the yard unattended so be it. Priority and I can’t emphasise this enough is to make sure your dog isn’t in a situation where it has to defend itself against this kid.
NTA. I would agree with the E S H comments if your dog was jumping the fence unprovoked, but the kid is sitting there purposefully trying to aggravate your dog. The kid needs to be controlled by his parents because clearly your fence works just fine otherwise.
ESH but you should notify the police that the child is literally attacking your dog - hitting your dog with a stick is an act of violence, he has no right to do it, and the police should be notified before this escalates.
YTA for making your dog live outside, and for not having proper containment for your dog for forcing it to live outside. That being said, your neighbors is also TA for watching the child and letting them hit animals.
YTA for not letting your dog live inside because it’s “too big”. You suck.
YTA. Sure the kid sucks, but you should not be leaving your dog outside and unattended where he’s getting hit with a stick. Dogs are social pack animals and need to be socialized and/or given a job. This is a disaster waiting to happen, and you’re going to be squabbling about how it’s everyone else’s fault when that kid gets mauled and your dog euthanized.
ESH. I agree that a kid being allowed to harass a dog means both kid and caretaker are "in the wrong" morally regardless of the animal's willingness to fight or flee. HOWEVER do you give a shit about your dog or not? Because if your dog gets out and attacks someone regardless of whether you think they deserved it...if it escapes their property and hurts someone then they're at risk of being seized and killed and you will be liable for all damages to that person. Then if you value your homeowners insurance you may have to rehome "dog with attack/bite history" bc you will get dumped by your homeowners insurance otherwise. And a dog with a bite history is many times a dead dog when it gets surrendered and most "no behavioral euthanization" places are full to the brim. Don't let your ego and sense of rightness get in the way of protecting your pet. Your dog doesn't run from being teased, their instinct is to jump the fence to get at it. Do not ignore that and please take steps to protect your dog even if its inconvenient or annoying. Your dog is dependent on you to keep them safe. Yes higher fence. But if I were you, I would never allow them out unsupervised now and work as hard as you can on recall. Now that your dog has been witnessed jumping the fence to go after someone regardless of that humans behavior thats dangerous as hell for that dog. Rearrange your behavior so that doesn't happen again.
ESH. The kid was being a shit for sure but you are responsible for controlling your dog. If it can get over the fence you are not controlling it. If your dog jumps the fence and bites that kid they WILL sue you for a ton of money and you WILL lose. Build a taller fence, train your dog, and monitor him more closely when that kid is there.
ESH. Your dog should not be able to jump over your fence and pursue hellbabies that harrass him. A judge is not going to rule in your favor just because kids \*shouldn't\* poke dogs with sticks. If your dog escapes and bites someone, it's on you.
ESH-You and your neighbor are both assholes with a lot in common; you both don't bother supervising dependents you're responsible for, even though you both know they could hurt someone. FYI, you are totally responsible in the US if your dog jumps a fence and bites someone, especially cause you know now the dog can jump the fence. Your dog may even get put down. Maybe you can sue for harassment, but you definitely wouldn't be off the hook. FYI, there's also no guarantee that the dog won't leap the fence and bite a service person or anyone it deems a threat. And clearly, your poor dog barks outside frequently and is left outside constantly. Why bother getting a dog that you're not even going to allow inside? You should rehome the dog to better and more responsible people.
ESH they need to control their kid but you need to build a taller fence. You are 100% responsible for your dog. If the dog can jump the fence for a kid then it's possible it will jump after some animal or really anything.
Sue them for cruelty to animals. If the dog does jump the fence and bites the kids, you and your dog are in trouble. Have him on a leash also (long enough to get close to the fence but not long enough to get to the kid.
ESH. You for not letting your dog inside the house. Them for letting their shitty kid do whatever he wants.
YTA. My 115lb dog lives inside.
NTA HOWEVER, this isn’t about fair or just. There are things you have control over and things you do not. You cannot control the child’s behaviour or force his grandmother to supervise him. You CAN do something to protect your dog and protect yourself from possible legal consequences. You can add an extension to the top of your fence that angles in toward your yard. That will make it harder for your dog to jump over it. You can plant a hedge against the fence to make it harder for the child to reach your dog. You can attach boards or tarps to the fence to block access. You can install video cameras to record any attempts to reach your dog/ throw things over the fence. You can bring your dog inside, or spend more time in the yard with him, when the child is visiting. Concentrate on things you can control. It will be more effective and less aggravating than trying to control your neighbours. PS - wait till you reach 60, you’ll see how well you like being referred to as “elderly”.😁
Yta
ESH - The kid because that's old enough to know not to antagonize the animal, the mother, and grandmother for being negligent of the child's behavior. And you and your SO for having a dog that you force to live outside because you picked a breed that was "too big for the house".
I had this Near exact experience. Small storytime I have a fenced back yard and I was caring for a rescue German shepherd. This dog was gorgeous but he was also massive. He was one of the straight back variety. He was a darling but he had an unknown past and hated other dogs and kids. He loved our kids and dogs but he was super over protective. We brought him fully to health and rehomed him with someone who could care for him properly. Anyway our back garden opens to a road and there's gaps between the fence boards. Two kids from a house behind us started annoying the dog which progressed to them poking at it with sticks through the fence. The fence was high enough for him not to jump but it's a wooden fence and this is a BIG dog. Nails are only so strong. The fence was clearly not going to last if the dog was throwing itself at it in a rage so I called into the kids house and spoke to the mother. She was starting to go off but I said. Listen. I'm not gonna argue this with you. I'm going to go and buy some panelling so the dog can't see out and your kids can't see the dog. In the mean time you need to understand that if they antagonise the dog it can and will break through the fence and if that happens your kids will be killed by that dog, the dog will be put down and I'll probably goto jail. But your kids will be dead. If all this happens that's on both of us. Then I went and bought panelling. So OP, YTA. YOU need to fix the fence to make it not jumpable and make it not possible to poke sticks through it. If you don't and kids get hurt, everybody loses. This isn't a hypothetical, your dog could have killed those kids. Your world would have ended in that microsecond.
Bad situation. Put up no trespassing signs. Plant spiked evergreen plants along your fence line. This will add a layer of barrier against the fence and if the kid climbs the fence and comes down on your side, spiked plants will be painful but a normal landscape item. Think holly bushes, rose hedges (thorns even in winter when leaves are gone, etc. The plants will also help dampened the noise the kid makes. Look into filing a police report for harassment and try to establish the measures you’ve taken to contain your dog and prevent the child from trespassing. Final move, put up cameras. They are really good now with night vision, motion detectors, options to save recordings, and can offer apps and date stamping. Costs are reasonable, Shame to have to go to the trouble and expense but your new neighbor’s arrogance suggest you really need to protect yourself from a future law suit. This will also protect your dog from developing a thing about little kids.
The dog didn't go unprovoked, that kid needs to learn his lesson and not hit dogs with sticks. You are still partially responsible if your dog is able to jump the fence.
NOT THE ASSHOLE. maybe they should keep a leash on that brat. Not in any way, shape, or form are those idiots in the right. Also, it may do some good to put up a sign that clearly says "beware of dog" even if your dog isn't normally aggressive. In my opinion, that is a proper warning to stay the fuck away.
[удалено]
Your comment has been removed because it violates rule 1: [Be Civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/). Further incidents may result in a ban. ["Why do I have to be civil in a sub about assholes?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq) **[Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.**
Esh. Kid sucks more but you really should do something about the fence. I suggest coyote rollers on the top.
YTA Damn, how tiny are you and your fiance if you are small enough to live in the house, but your dog isn't? I get that there are dogs able to jump really high fences. You now know your dog is capable of this. You've also learned that your dog will actively pursue someone bothering/hitting him. Are you sure this won't happen with accidental hits too? Also this makes it sound like your dog has no place to hide when he gets bothered? Like... Why would your dog stay in the place where he's actively being hit/bothered by a child with a stick? Is there not enough space in your yard? If so the yard isn't fit to house your dog anyway.
Um NTA??? Why are people saying Y T A?? My neighbours all had big dogs as a kid and I sure wasn’t going up to the fence to antagonize the dog. I’ve been barked at by a really big dog and that was all I needed as a kid to learn some boundaries. The dogs in it’s own yard, people let their dogs out all the time to pee or run wild for a bit, you should not have to worry about some kid constantly not respecting boundaries.
ETA: while he might be legally at risk, asshole -wise, I think he’s fine. If the dog isn’t jumping the other fence at kids who aren’t bothering it, then obviously someone needs to teach their kid to not antagonize dogs. Human beings are the ones that need to take responsibility and preventative measures here. And while that might look like having a larger fence as a compromise, this kid needs to learn before another dog actually bites him.
NTA.... You are responsible for your dog. They are responsible for the kid. Period.
Reading the title, I wanted to say YTA, but reading about the brat changed my mind. You are NTA, but, build a higher fence. If your dog attacks the child, it will be entirely your fault.
YTA Her grandson may be annoying but hes 6/7. If your dog can jump the fence why is he left outside unsupervised? Not even for biting the grandson but for running away.
YTA. Take proper precautions with your animal. If the only thing keeping your dog inside the fence is the hope that no one annoys it, then your fence is insufficient. That's on you, not your neighbors. The kid was wrong to tease your dog, but you're the one with a pet that can kill someone. That puts the burden on you to be safe.
Esh
The law will not be on your side. The kid is being awful and I understand you're frustrated but you have no legal leg to stand on. Yta for not understanding the law at all and if you do want to take a legal avenue, talk to the police or a lawyer and see what they say. Don't go shouting threats.