That is a good idea. I'm in zone 5 (can't get my page to update for some reason). Would it give winter privacy too? And how deep of a barrier do you need to install? I run into tree roots all through the area so it might be difficult. I went out into the woods the other day and dug up some weed shrubs (they look similar to privet). I put them around the last area where I cannot fence. I planted lots of little ones that can take a transplant and a couple larger ones for more of an instant privacy. I did this in the rain and it seems like the big ones are going to live. At least it is blocking the trash cans and the trash pile of food. You can step around the little ones but hopefully the hint will be taken. I might trudge back through the poison ivy woods and get a couple more larger ones. I don't want to be mean, I just want a my privacy back. I can take these out at any point but at least I don't have to wait for anything to grow. I would absolutely die if someone was watching me with binoculars. Especially in a swim suit! People have so much nerve.

Well this was an eventful weekend! Yesterday (Saturday) I found another loose Husky running around my fence. This one was a female and much more people-friendly. She kind of ran off when I first came out, but after a treat and a water bowl was put outside she came right up. I leashed her, she had a collar but no tags. She immediately rolled over and made the "I'm a good dog" face at me, then walked fine on the leash. No aggression whatsoever. She looked VERY similar to the male Husky seen previously. I took her through my backyard and put her in my laundry room with a bowl of water. On the way she lunged for my dogs, I wasn't sure if it was to play or to eat them, but either way I had planned on keeping her separated from them. I called AC and they came and picked her up. During this time I watched for anyone to walk by who might be looking for her. I let the AC officer know she looked like the Husky that was out before and they should check with that family. I never did find out where they lived - I'm regretting that now. The AC officer also mentioned that the dog matched reports of a Husky that was attacking local livestock. I'm in a neighborhood, but there is farmland 1-2 miles away. Again I feel bad about calling AC, but it is far outweighed by knowledge that she won't get hit by a car, go hungry and she has a real chance of finding either her owners, or better ones! I left for visiting friends that evening and was out until about midnight. When I came home there was a note on my door saying that my dogs were keeping the entire neighborhood awake all night and had been since I moved in. AC and the police had been called multiple times and they were considering legal action. And my dusk to dawn light was too bright and keeping people awake. It was signed "Residents of X lane". This greatly upset me as I try to be a good neighbor and considerate of people around. Any time I hear my dogs bark I bring them in or do the "hush" command. Since the note was pretty anonymous I went around to each house on my street this afternoon to talk with everyone - apologizing profusely for bothering anyone and letting them know that I would fix the problems by not letting my dogs out at all after dark (even though they are never out past 10pm and even then are supervised) and turning off the light. Not a single one said they had a problem with my dog barking or the light or admitted to writing any note or discussing it with other neighbors. One did admit the light came in through the edge of her bedroom window and I immediately agreed to unplug it/put it on a timer for early night hours only. She also said she had heard my dogs sometimes, but it didn't bother her, and denied writing any note. The pit bull in a pen in the house behind me was the only real problem anyone had - it barks constantly and I've only seen it out of the pen once in the 7 months I've lived here. There was only one person that wasn't home, but she had a dog herself so I can't imagine she'd complain about mine. I plan to follow up with her later. The thing that really bothered me was the note mentioned AC and the police had been called but I haven't heard anything from either them and I just had AC at my house the day before for the Husky! My mother suspects that it's retaliation from calling AC on the Husky. I'm scared to leave my dogs outside anymore (they have a dog door so they can come in at any time, but they have access to the outside while I'm at work too) and I'm scared to call AC if anything else happens again. I guess I just can't wait to get out of this neighborhood - which won't happen for several years. My plan is to lay low for a while and hope it blows over. I just can't believe that some people could be so petty, stupid, and just plain liers.

Superficial friendliness beats being completely unnoticed IMO. I have the best neighbors. I have a Siberian husky, and she is solid white with blue eyes. Now and then she tricks me some way or another and gets to go on a romp off leash. She did this on Tuesday. I'd already exercised 3 dogs a total of about 4 miles when she slipped her collar (it is loose because she has lymphoma and I don't want it irritating her neck nodes). She realized she was free and gave me a grin and loped off. I ran the other 2 dogs home and put them in the back yard. I got the leash with collar attached and took off after my Siberian. Neighbors looked up from their work and smiled. I waved to 2 cars that came by and pointed ahead so they'd slow down, which they did. In fact one gentleman rolled down the window and asked if I wanted a ride to catch up. I said SURE! So I rode in his fancy car for a block, which was a help after all the walking I'd done. Then another person in a pickup who had observed all this drove ahead of my dog and parked his vehicle. I could see his bird dog looking out the back window, so I knew this would be another friend. He got out and squatted down and my dog went right to him. There was little to hold on to since she was collarless, but he let her lick his chin until I could trot up and slip her collar on. I called Sasha a skallawag and she wagged and we trotted home. What great neighbors.

I don't have a gun myself, but I might invest in some mace to protect my family if I had this issue. Does mace or pepper spray work on dogs? I would think so. We had a dog loose in our neighborhood for a long time, several months. He was friendly, at least, but he was quite the escape artist, untrusting and smart as anything. He escaped from my fence once after weeks of trying to get his trust, then he would not come back. It took months to get him caught. Animal control was of very little help as they couldn't/ wouldn't do anything unless the dog was contained. However, at some point someone hired a trapper to humanely trap the dog. It was a nice dog and ready to be a good pet, but it was a big yellow lab and way too thin, everyone was worried for its health. It was sad, it would act so interested in being around people, then so scared to get too close. Funny, too, b/c the whole neighborhood was rallied around this dog. ;o) It was expensive to get a trapper, but we took up a collection to cover it for the sake of the dog as well as kids and other pets. We had a happy ending. Once the dog was finally caught and "vetted" LOL a local family did adopt it and now "Duke" is a legend. ;o) Anyway. My point was if AC is not much help and you are concerned for safety, look into a humane trapper to help and take up a collection to pay for it (or if you have a HOA ask them to cover it).