Imagine not owning a dog but living in a neighborhood where a lot people own dogs. Would you go out of your way to prevent dogs from setting foot on your property, or would you not really consider it a big deal to have dogs walk by your house?

In this story, one neighbor goes out of their way to make sure dogs stay off their property, and one couple who owns two dogs is really bothered by this neighbor’s actions.

Let’s read all about it.

AIO for getting city council involved with a neighbor dispute?

My wife and I live in a newer neighborhood.

We have two dogs and enjoy walking around the block with them.

Last week, we went around the neighborhood and on the far corner of the block, our dogs started to act up and we could hear a high pitch tone.

We notice a neighbor has placed these high pitch “ultra sonic” pet deterrents in their yard.

Some online research was enlightening.

My wife looked on Next Door, not something we use often, and found that these neighbors have been fighting with homeowners on their side of the block to the point where the cops had been called to their house.

However, the cops can’t do anything as there isn’t any clear city code being broken.

We’ve talked with some of our friends about it and some think they have a right to “defend” their yard and others think they devices are unreasonable.

They understand why the homeowners are using these deterrents, but they still don’t think it’s a good idea.

The reason the homeowner felt necessary to put these up was because some irresponsible dog owners have left dog waste on the verge.

My wife and I always carry bags with us so while we never leave dog waste, I understand the frustration with dog owners who do.

None-the-less, I don’t think these are the correct method of deterrence.

We’ve done some research and found many vets and animal behaviorist think it’s a bad idea to use these high pitch devices on dogs as it can be stressful for them, maybe painful for their ears.

OP has talked to a lot of people to try to get this issue resolved.

We asked the neighbor to reconsider, or to move the devices to where they only sound for dogs in the yard because as of right now, they are pointed squarely at the sidewalk, only two or so feet from where we walk.

They did not respond kindly and instead were hostile toward our request, saying “If you feel so inclined call the cops but they’re on our side.”

We’ve approached the HOA but, as our neighborhood is still underdevelopment, the developer manages the HOA and doesn’t find it important.

Down to little options left, I emailed our city council member. So far all he’s said was that he’s going to talk to our chief of police and city manager and get back to me with their response.

This does sound frustrating.

The part that gets me is how the devices are pointed at the sidewalk.

I’d prefer if they would turn the devices around and point them into their yard, so that way they only activate when a dog is in their yard, not for people who are walking on the sidewalk.

It’s made walking the dogs stressful for my wife and I, and while crossing the street or going around another block is possible, I find the neighbors actions selfish and unneighborly.

I should be able to enjoy any sidewalk in my neighborhood as they are and these interfere with that.

Am I overreacting?

I think the annoying neighbor is trying to force dog walkers to cross the street or walk around a different block.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This person calls OP a bully.

Maybe there’s a better route.

This person points out the obvious solution.

Another person thinks they sound entitled.

The world doesn’t revolve around their dogs.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man who is annoyed with his neighbor following the letter of the (leash) law.