Ok crew,
I have a problem going on. Could use some suggestions. Here goes:
My back yard is tiny. My middle-set townhouse has a patio & grassy area about 12 X14 length enclosed by a sturdy 4ft high wood slatted fence. The grass slopes down about 8 feet & there is a narrow lane with another townhouse' front area. (I'm in a development area of nothing but these rowhouses -- unfenced back yards except for mine.)

Anyway, Chienne & Samma enjoy lying out on the patio in the sun & watching the clouds go by. Many of the residents walk by along the cobbles of this lane. Most are walking with little children & baby carriages. Samma loves kids & chortles when she sees them. Non-dog people think she's growling at them, but she's not. Some of the kids run up to the fence & stick their hands in....she usually licks them & is very happy.

The problem is when the parents are retrieving their kids. Most run up this small embankment calling their kid, then taking him/her by the arm and pulling them away. Being small dogs, they see this suddenly looming adult yelling and forcing a kid away. Samma & Chienne react by growling and barking at them.... trying to protect the child, the yard, & themselves. If the kid starts crying, they get even more upset.

It's likely these parents are beginning to think that my dogs are aggressive. Samma has a long memory & actually remembers people. Now she is starting to become proactive and barking when the wildest parents are walking by.....not helping anything out. Over the years, I've gone out & introduced myself & tried to "educate" them about the actions mean to the dogs. Not working very well, I think. They probably call me the "crazy dog" lady.

If I'm downstairs, I can usually do something, it's when I'm upstairs or away that I can't interfere to calm things down. This doesn't happen enough to be regular occurence--perhaps once a month or even less. It can go for 3 months without anything & then a week goes by with three of these incidences going on. No pattern like on weekends/holidays/evenings. That's why I do worry a bit. If it was predictable, it would be easier to handle & be able to be outside when these adults run up to the fence.

So, any ideas out there for dogs trying to watch out for other people's kids????
toodles

Hi Sara,

what about putting a notice on the public side of the fence, informing people you have dogs loose in the garden.

That may be enough to get parents to keep their children away from the fence.

Fiona
x x x

Fiona,
It's a serious thought... but it's the dogs being at the fence that is attracting the rug rats in the first place :D Samma is just so pathetic when kids are near. Perhaps a sign that says "When retrieving child, please walk...don't run & yell" ????

personally I would not leave them out alone give a dog a bad name and all that .They sound really sweet but I am thinking you are asking for trouble .

Pat

Hi, be careful putting signs up about dogs, as some do treat this as a game "oh could get some money out of this" and attracked the idots of this world! What about putting up a different fence so they can see out and no one can see in! like no holes for the idot children to put their hands in? Good luck though.

Julieann

Good idea,
I'm thinking putting screening around the inside of it.... it's a product for the iron balconies they have here. I think that shadowy forms outside of the fence will still show, but it won't be as open. Personally, I'd love to put an 8ft fence up, but it just won't fit & the $$$$$$$$ would easily add up. This fence three years ago was quite expensive too.

Anyone need pool guards to remind no running??? That's what my girls are good for. You can bike, rollerblade, skateboard, pogo stick by, but NOOOOO Running :D :D

Oh, I do have liability insurance for them if something ever does go wrong. German laws are different, though. If someone puts themselves in my yard & gets bitten, then it's that ijiot's own fault. But they are very aware of their small size & would likely run into the house if that happened.
toodles

Thanks for reminding me about covering...I'm heading out now to see what's out on the market :D

Can you put a low fence about 40cm inside the present fence, need only be high enough to stop the dogs reaching the boundry fence. Jackie H

What about putting some chicken wire or something like that on the fence that way the children can't get their hands through- which in turn would hopefully stop these over reacting parents from snatching their children away- aren't some people just so naive? You could try and pick up a couple of second hand fireguards and attaching these? My friend has Rotties and they're all so soft but when she walks them down to pick her son up from school all the kids run to stroke the dogs and the parents grab the kids as if they're about to be mauled- I realise that they don't know the dogs but surely they should educate their kids by explaining that one day a strange dog may bite therefore they should keep away? If the dogs were in any way 'funny' with children obviously my friend wouldn't walk them down to school in the first place.

What about fencing off half of your garden so they can't get down to the bottom fence? I have my garden fenced - half of it is full of gravel for the dogs and the other half is for us and our vegetable patch. We don't have people walking past but it keeps the dogs from the bit of garden we don't want them to go on.

We have used that green mesh type stuff (not sure what it's called) so it blends in a bit and doesn't look too out of place.

Helen

have you thought about the bamboo fencing that will act as a screen for the dogs
and they can still be happy in the garden.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions..... If my yard was big enough, trust me, I'd do the fence within a fence scenario. But I can take two large steps & I'm at the edge of my patio + one really large step & I'm at the fence :D Very tiny yard.

I found some striped woven plastic that has gromets on each side. It's designed be tied around the inside of a balcony to give privacy & wind protection. I'll try it out on Wed. when the wind dies down. This should work. If not, there are bamboo strips that I can purchase per meter than will do the same, but at a higher cost (not so much though). I'm looking for something that blocks the view AND prevents fingers & noses from touching. I used Chicken wire at my last house to keep the puppies from squirming through... but I didn't have a road right behind the house.

I'll keep the side that gets the heavy wind free from cover. Besides, when my dogs see the neighbor's teenager, I hear crying & moaning until he comes up to the fence to visit. They do the same for his parents. They moved here after the "no pets" policy was invoked. (people weren't taking care of the fenced-in areas, so no more fencing...then they weren't picking up after their pets...so no more pets) I wouldn't want to take away that pleasure for them --the son & my dogs. It's the main view to the south that gets the most attention by little kids.

Thanks all.
toodles

You could try planting some prickly raspberry bushes or roses. Kids won't be so eager to be scratched by the plants, your dogs have a barrier, and you get delicious raspberries! :D

Hope something works for you.

Butter

Hope the covering will work for you.

Julieann