Neighbourhood Nuisance Dog Problem

[lilli_star]

Hi everyone.

Around the corner from me lives a family that have a SWF. The dog never seems to be contained (despite there being a fence). It lays in the middle of the road refusing to move (how it hasn't been run over is beyond me!) and basically roams the neighbourhood doing whatever it likes. Since I've started walking my 15 wk old puppy, it now likes to follow us- far enough away as not to be actually touching my puppy, but close enough that my puppy wants to play with it and just generally being a nuisance. For the past couple of weeks, I've only seen it when we walk past its' house- it then follows us back to my house even though I'm trying to send it away. The other day it was raining, so I didn't take my dog for a walk, but when I took her outside to go to the toilet, there the SWF was! Unfortunately, my front yard isn't fenced and I'm pretty sure the little bugger then came and wee'd on my front door! I'm also pretty sure it's started pooing on my front lawn as well. When we've encountered the dog on our walk, I try to ignore it and keep walking/pulling my puppy along, but it keeps following us. This morning I took my puppy on a different route thinking that if we didn't go near the SWF's house, we could walk in peace. WRONG! SWF came looking for us instead! :D As you can understand, it's a pain in the neck. I'm trying to teach my puppy to ignore things when she's on leash, and here's this dog annoying us!

So, I'm looking for advice on what I can do. Would a water pistol (on the SWF) work do you think? Or is that a bad idea?

Obviously, a front fence would stop SWF coming to visit my front lawn, but that of course requires money and time and while it's on the agenda, is not something that can be done quickly (council permission etc). I have kind of brought up the problem with the family (who I know and have a bit to do with through my work), but they just kind of laugh it off.

I'm grateful for any and all advice ;)

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

call the council and report the dog is roaming and they should pick it up

[Caesars mum]

call the council and report the dog is roaming and they should pick it up

+1