Incident Yesterday .... Child At My Side Gate Wanting To Pat My Dogs

[Tilly]

I was home yesterday afternoon when both my dogs went mental ... barking their heads off. It was not their normal bark so I headed out to the front yard ... and found a young boy (in his school uniform) at the side gate and his mother standing on the footpath.

She said "it is ok, he just wants to pat the dogs" ... to which my immediate reply was "no it is not ok to enter my property to touch my dogs". I then turned to the boy and told him never to enter anyone property and try to touch their dogs.

His mother said something about "we didn't know they were aggressive dogs". I told her all dogs can be territorial in their yards and it is never a good idea to pat any dog without checking with the dogs owner … and the kid cut through the neighbours yard and the mother just walked off.

My front yard is not fenced. My dogs are securely fenced in the back half of my yard with a side gate coming off the side of the house to the side fence … it is set back about 2 to 3 metres from the front of my house. The gate (padlocked at all times) has timber palings which are no more then 1cm apart but there is a smallish gap between the house and the gate post due to the house foundations – I can just squeeze part of my hand through the gap but a child could probably get their hand into it.

I rang the council to find out what my obligations were in regard to “if the boy was bitten” sticking his hand through the gate … and they redirected me to legal aid.

What should I now do? Should I now create a second gate to keep my dogs away from the side gate to protect them from stupid people?

Edited August 9, 2010 by Tilly

[Ravyk]

can you block the gaps up at all? some pieces of ply wood tacked over the holes on the inside could do the trick.

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

I think I would be tempted to add a gate before the one you currently have , like you do in a chook shed or cattary , double gate set up would remove the issue altogether , a no tresspass sign on the letter box might help you in the legal sense but a front fence would be your best bet

If you are close to the school perhaps contact the principal to address safety around dogs to the children , there is no help for a lot of the parents that I meet but a lot of schools are now addressing the issues of dogs and children teaching them what is safe and how to behave

[kiesha09]

I would put a sign up saying 'beware of dangerous dog.' Even if they aren't most people would think twice about trying to pat the dog. Or I would put up a baby gate style rig up so that you're dogs can't get down the side of the house to the gate.

[Souff]

Some public aviaries have signs saying "These birds bite!" and that message is obviously aimed at the young and the stupid.

Can you put a "DO NOT ENTER" sign on the fence and gates?

Wonder if you can buy signs with snakes on them "Poisonous snakes are behind this fence - DO NOT ENTER!" ;)

Souff

[Tilly]

Unfortunately I can't close the gap between the house and the gate as this room is needed by the hinges to allow the gate to open fully.

I think I might need to look at some pool fencing style gates off the front of the house ... problem is that we use this side gate to get the trailer down the back for when we buy mulch or dirt for the back yard (and it is a tight fit). By putting another gate in we will probably loose this access.

One would have thought an 8 foot fence, padlocks and signage would have been sufficient but it apparently isn't. I just don't want to risk my dogs because of stupid people...

Edited July 27, 2010 by Tilly

[Souff]

I would put a sign up saying 'beware of dangerous dog.' Even if they aren't most people would think twice about trying to pat the dog. Or I would put up a baby gate style rig up so that you're dogs can't get down the side of the house to the gate.

It used to be said that having those signs is admitting that you own a dangerous dog. ;)

[Dame Aussie]

Maybe get some shade cloth or something similar, thick enough, and place it over any gaps?

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

Yup souff that would be why I would suggest no trespass as the alternative ,

but if the front area is not fenced it is still a little shaky , no trespass helps as it protects from liability , the person has no legal right to be on the property so no right to claim damages .

this is the best option when the property is fully fenced , our signs read no trespass and dogs running free ( oh and please keep gate closed ) but we are rural people up here are a little more careful about what they do as well as a lot more dog savvy

[Souff]

Unfortunately I can't close the gap between the house and the gate as this room is needed by the hinges to allow the gate to open fully.

I think I might need to look at some pool fencing style gates off the front of the house ... problem is that we use this side gate to get the trailer down the back for when we buy mulch or dirt for the back yard (and it is a tight fit). By putting another gate in we will probably loose this access.

One would have thought an 8 foot fence, padlocks and signage would have been sufficient but it apparently isn't. I just don't want to risk my dogs because of stupid people...

Tilly, I would love to say that a bit of electric fencing would solve the problem but the little brats might get a kick from it and then you would be in more strife.

It is hard to get the message across to some parents - they think their kids are so good with all animals - they just don't see it from the dog's perspective.

We had one at the back fence the other week (in the school holidays) , laughing at my dogs going berserk and with one of the kids poking a stick at the dogs. I felt like turning the hose on the whole lot of them. ;)

I am totally over these idiots - I just might set the hose up in a convenient place.

Souff

[Loraine]

I would put a sign up saying 'beware of dangerous dog.' Even if they aren't most people would think twice about trying to pat the dog. Or I would put up a baby gate style rig up so that you're dogs can't get down the side of the house to the gate.

It used to be said that having those signs is admitting that you own a dangerous dog. ;)

and then the metet people will not enter your land to read the meters.

[megan_]

and then the metet people will not enter your land to read the meters.

which isn't a bad thing? I don't want people coming onto my property when I'm not home. Many a dog has been lost/killed due to a meter reader leavinga gate open.

[Kavik]

I'm pretty sure you have to allow access for meter readers?

I vote for double gate, better safe than sorry.

[macka]

At our place, the gate from the front yard to the back leads to a path down the side of the house. I have put in another gate (just made out of an old puppy pen) on the backyard side, to stop the dogs from being able to get to the actual gate. Someone has to open the gate to read our electricity meter and I was paranoid about them letting the dogs out which is why I did this.

Would this be an option for you?

[Ravyk]

I would put a sign up saying 'beware of dangerous dog.' Even if they aren't most people would think twice about trying to pat the dog. Or I would put up a baby gate style rig up so that you're dogs can't get down the side of the house to the gate.

It used to be said that having those signs is admitting that you own a dangerous dog. ;)

It still is said, and apparently it can be used against you in court if your dog does attack someone.

I'm pretty sure you have to allow access for meter readers?

Yeah you do, we got a letter the other day saying we need to trim around our meter because they cannot get to it. ;)

Edited July 27, 2010 by Ravyk

[Brennan's Mum]

I found this link by doing a google search. The guy is an Aussie..and he says that even if the person sticks their hand through the fence of your property, or enter's your property you can still be liable for any bites.

I would double check that though...maybe make a phone call to the local council or DogsQld.

!

[Red Fox]

That really sucks Tilly ;)

If it were me then yeah I would put up a second gate. Perhaps something that is easy to unscrew/take down when you need to access the side area. I'd also whack some kind of sign on the second fence too..

Why ANYONE would allow their kids to run onto private property and stick their fingers through a gate and into a yard with 2 large GSD's barking their heads off is beyond me. Some people have no brains!

As someone has already said, ring all the nearby schools, explain what has happened and have the principle chat to the kids about how dangerous this is.

[TsarsMum]

i had a thought when i read it i wondered if they where casing the place. seeing what the dogs are like (bad way of doing ip but still) or what type of dogs they where.

i would call the school and tell them what happened maybe they might to a talk at assembly

[minxy]

Sigh.. this is what happens when idiots are allowed to breed. Poor child is going to think it's okay to approach strange animals now and will have no issues with wandering onto someone elses property - which of course is an issue for a number of reasons.

I'd look into putting another gate in front. Maybe you could construct like a fake gate - i.e. looks like a gate, but slides up off rails so that you can take it off whenever you need the side access?

[Nekhbet]

'beware of dangerous dog.'

you NEVER put this sign up. You are admitting you own dangerous animals and if something happens it will be on your head since you admitted they were dangerous. Even 'Beware' and 'caution' signs will point to you as the accountable one.

I used thin brush fencing from bunnings, it will bend with the gate swinging or have the end over the gap. Just cable tie it on.

As for the sign, something like 'dogs on premises' is enough. If some dickhead child tresspasses on your property to stick his hand through the gap in the gate that is his or his parents problem for raising a child that has no respect for other peoples property. You could even argue provocation on the unattended childs behalf since he purposely entered your property, walked up to the gate and did god knows what to the dogs.