We decided we are going to get a pit pit bull and leash him in the backyard.

Unless you left part of the conversation out, I think you're over reacting. I'm not seeing where you get the idea of sharing the cost. Not from your post, anyways.

Why in the world would you state it's "not something we desire"? Maybe you have something in your back yard the neighbor doesn't desire. Get my point?

Simply tell her to keep her dog off your lawn.

She could also put the dog on a stake-outlead that is positioned and long enough to give it adequate range in her yard but will not extend to yours.

Thanks for the responses. randy427 that's a great option that I will suggest.

Please, please, please do not suggest tethering a dog.

"

Why is tethering bad for dogs?

Dogs are naturally social beings who need interaction with humans and/or other animals. Intensive confinement or long-term restraint can severely damage their physical and psychological well-being. An otherwise friendly and docile dog, when kept continuously chained or intensively confined in any way, becomes neurotic, unhappy, anxious and often aggressive.

It is common for continuously tethered dogs to endure physical ailments as a result of being continuously tethered. Their necks can become raw and sore, and their collars can painfully grow into their skin. They are vulnerable to insect bites and parasites, and are at high risk of entanglement, strangulation, and harassment or attacks by other dogs or people.

Tethered dogs may also suffer from irregular feedings, overturned water bowls, inadequate veterinary care and extreme temperatures. During snow storms, these dogs often have no access to shelter. During periods of extreme heat, they may not receive adequate water or protection from the sun. Owners who chain their dogs are less likely to clean the area of confinement, causing the dogs to eat and sleep in an area contaminated with urine and feces. What's more, because their often neurotic behavior makes them difficult to approach, chained dogs are rarely given even minimal affection. Tethered dogs may become "part of the scenery" and can be easily ignored by their owners."

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/chaining_tethering/facts/chaining_tethering_facts.html?credit=web_id80866531#Why_is_tethering_bad_for_dogs

A fence is far more appropriate and although I think you might be inferring heavily here, if your neighbor wants a fence, you might be responsible for some cost, or not. I'd find that out first.

Your neighbor sounds like an idiot and I hope the best for that dog!

Oh she's def. Hinting about $$$ and in the country it is customary to split expense of erecting and maintaining fence. However, it is understood that one of the parties can say no but it's not a popular option b/c of social stigma it creates. Back in the day it was never an issue b/c it was Likely relatives living side x side so sharing expense made sense on many levels. But now that strangers live side x side, the person saying NO is the bad guy, justified or not. If you say that you have no $$ and she sees you carrying endless shopping bags or sporting a new car, she's gonna think you're a liar. I think it's best for you to say 1) you don't want/like fence 2) you feel bad when she has to clean poop in your yard but are very grateful she does the right thing (to clean up). maybe suggest toilet training pooch. Good luck and may she be reasonable

ha ha! bossyvossy, I wish I was the neighbor sporting endless shopping bags or a new car. That definitely won't be an issue! I summarized my conversation with my neighbor for the sake of simplicity, but if you knew her she really was hinting about $$. She is always the victim and very manipulative. You hit the nail on the head. Thanks

It is only on the GW that I have heard of neighbors expecting another neighbor to split the cost of a fence. Seems so strange to me.

Be assured that if the no $ conversation takes place she will be monitoring the shopping bags that come in/out of your house and ONE bag will be one too many in her estimation. Having given you the input I have of saying no, She won't like it and there may be simmering resentment. Need to consider that possibility.

We had a recent issue with neighbor sharing the happy news he was fixing the fence. It was really code for help pay. We decided to pay b/c 1) fence has been in disrepair for a while and his cows are eating or hay bales 2) he's s hot-headed, marginally educated fella who would retaliate, so much cheaper to buy fencing wood than deal with crazy. We hated the manipulation but since we are smarter than him, we did a cost/benefit analysis in favor of fence. It runs in the family to be in & out of jail so......This is in a rural area so hopefully you are in a more suburban setting

I must be missing something here.

If I want to erect a fence, I must place it a few inches inside my property line, and I must pay for 100% of that fence. It makes no difference whether it's white picket fence, a chain link fence, or an electrified barbed wire fence. I must pay for it and maintain it myself.

You really have to look at your local laws or HOA or whatever may apply. If she wants to put up a fence that you have no benefit from, you may not need to pay anything. However, if you add to her fence and use it to enclose your property, then you do share that portion and must deal with co-paying for the upkeep.

We put up a fence in our first house, and enclosed the backyard for our dogs. Both neighbors had no fencing. It never even occurred to me to speak with my neighbors and drop hints that I wanted them to share the cost.

If we both had cattle that we were trying to keep apart a shared fence might make sense. The idea of having to share the cost of an unneeded fence seems absurd. I'd suggest that she consider an "invisible fence" to contain the dog without creating an eyesore you have to look at (no I wouldn't use those words). A buried wire is probably a lot cheaper, and, for most dogs, does the trick.

I have invisible fence in our reg. Home and it is fabulous. The best for keeping our pooches enclosed but it doesn't protect against other dogs running in, which has happened.

wow. nothing like a personal/relationship issue to fire up the posters here on the GW. I have never heard of parties sharing the cost of fence unless it was a mutual decision from the onset. Ususally one person or the other needs/wants one and they pay for it. BTW the "good" side of the fence always faces out from the owner. I;ve owned dogs ofr 30+ years and never needed a fence. I trained them to stay in the yard and was outide with them or watched them from the window whenever they were out to keep them in the yard. In the event they wandered out, I'd immediately call them back and they were trained to come when called. When new neighbors moved in, they fenced in their yard for privacy and to contain their dog. They paid for the fence.

mimipadv, putting a dog on a tie-out to go to the bathroom is not the same as keeping a dog permanently tied outside. Our dog is an inside dog - sleeps on our bed, snuggles on the couch, gets regular walks, knows lots of tricks - he is a solid member of the family. But we put him on a tie-out for 2 or 3 minutes at a time, so we don't have to put on boots and a coat every time he needs to pee (we live in North Dakota, so winter can last 8 months) . We stand by the door, or watch out the window, and let him in as soon as he's done. This could be a perfect solution for the OP's neighbor.

AnnKH, I'm not impugning a tie-out all together. The OP's neighbor sounds like a flake who's realizing how much work a dog is. Please don't take my strong stance on tethering personally.

I, and you, have no idea whether or not the OP's idiot neighbor will abuse the tether.

Best to not mention it as an option at all, imo. Tethering IS common and IS abused, so I'm keeping my eye one that. No loving owners like you.

I'm thankful that we've got a fenced-in back yard, from which I need to get my dogs and let them in from the freezing cold!

mimipadv,

Don't get your panties in a twist. I tether my Chow Chow outside when she needs to go do her business. It's no big deal. She does her business, and comes back inside and fights me for the spot in front of the woodstove. Especially tonight and tomorrow where they're calling for -50 wind chill temps.

May I suggest you never see how Alaskan sled dogs are cared for. They're outside 24/7 with only a coop for shelter. Yes the water freezes sometimes, but the owners are always there to tend to them and feed them a high calorie diet because these dogs are athletes of the highest caliber.

cmc-

I recently put in a fence to replace one that had been destroyed by several falling trees in a freak windstorm. The neighbor sharing the property line had their yard fenced on the other three sides, and it was clearly to their advantage to have the fourth side fenced as they have a dog. I talked with them about splitting the cost, but they had recently moved in and were tight on cash, and said they would only be able to chip in if we could put if off for several months. We decided to go ahead and pay for the whole thing because we wanted it done. We didn't feel bad about how this worked out, and we like our neighbors enough that we put in a gate between the yards. The bottom line is that it's ok for her to ask for help with the cost, and it's ok to tell her it's not in your budget.

As a compromise, tell her you'll contribute 1/2 the cost of a shock collar :-)

The Texas Legislature recently passed laws forbiding dogs to be tethered unless owner/cartaker is with them (although owner need not also be tethered). (: Overall,it has made a postive difference and I haven't heard a single instance where following the law caused harm to animal or human. Peeping out the window aurgument was tested when a concurned citizen snapped a leash on animal and lead them away without owner intervention. IMO,comparing indurance of a dog who lives indoors to one who lives outdoors in Alaska is lame. If owner risk's frostbite or hypothermia staying with their dog it's time to look into useing a pad,not tying dog up and retreating indoors.