'My neighbor doesn't want me to walk my dogs on the street because of her neighbor's reactive pitbull. AITA?'
"AITA: neighbor doesn't want me to walk down the street she lives on because she's concerned about her neighbors reactive pit bull?"
About two months ago this neighbor, let's call her Joan, left a letter in my mailbox requesting that I avoid walking down her street because her neighbor that owns a reactive pit bull "goes crazy" when I walk by with my two 35ish lb dogs. My dogs are also not fans of other dogs.
She explained that the dog belongs to guy who lives there with another woman and he recently passed away and the dog is confused and extra reactive.
For awhile I would walk down the street and the dog was chained up in the front yard and would go crazy so for my own safety I would avoid walking down that particular street. A few months pass and I don't see the dog chained up outside anymore so I start walking down that road.
There's two loops in my neighborhood and if I go on the second one it takes me twice as long. Yesterday I'm walking down the road said pit bull is not outside and she comes running out of the house yelling at me to stop walking down the street that the dog inside the house goes crazy and I need to turn around.
I explain to her that I live in this neighborhood and I have the right to walk down a public road if I'm so inclined and I'll do my best to avoid walking by if the dog is outside but it's ridiculous to ask me to not come by here when the dog is inside the house. AITA? Should I go out of my way to avoid an entire street when walking my dogs?
The internet had a lot to say in response.
TheNintendoBlurb wrote:
NTA but I would avoid confrontation here for your dogs safety, not for the convenience of your neighbour. They clearly aren’t a responsible owner if they are blaming you for their dogs bad behaviour and irresponsible owners tend to do other things like leave their dogs unleashed, or allow them to escape from their yard/house. It only takes 1 time for something horrible to happen.
I have an elderly neighbour who walks an aggressive German shepherd who had dropped the leash multiple times and their dog has charged mine and others in the neighbourhood.
Now that I know I purposely go out of my way to avoid her or I will keep my dog in the car until she walks out of sight and it’s annoying and frustrating as hell that her lack of control is causing me an extra 15 minutes whenever I see her. But I know it’s just not worth the risk.
OglioVagilio wrote:
YTA. Totally with in your right to walk that way. Kind of an AH for doing it when you know what happens and someone has asked you several times. Plus your dogs aren't dog friendly either. Totally within your rights, kind of an AH for doing it when it wouldn't take you any extra effort. This feels like when I'm watching bad driver videos.
Driver A obviously is a bad driver and wants to pass, but Driver B insists on escalating and doubling down to block that person over and over. Driver C the neighbor is watching both drivers wishing Driver B would just let that person pass.
There's two loops in my neighborhood and if I go on the second one it takes me twice as long....go out of my way. You act like you have to go all the way down the loop. It's not a mandatory set course. Going halfway and turning around is allowed.
PaleoBibliophile917 wrote:
How often is the dog outside? Can you be sure it is in the house when you are walking by? It is not whether the dog is reactive that would concern me, but whether the dog is safe (living as I do in a community where a woman walking her dog as usual in her own neighborhood was killed, along with her dog, by a pair of pit bulls who objected to her passing their property and went over the fence to get to her).
If the neighbor lady is concerned for your safety, you might try asking what she has seen to lead to her concerns and whether she has reported same. If, on the other hand, she’s just bothered because she doesn’t like the barking, you are NTA.
lividideal971 wrote:
NTA— I have three dogs, two of which are Pitbulls. Do they bark when people walk by—yup. I’m working on that so now it’s maybe one bark and some whining. I walk my dogs several times a day. I don’t expect anybody to not walk in front of my house just bc my dogs may bark just like I will walk where I wanna walk in the neighborhood regardless if their dogs are gonna bark. They need to train that dog.
I_need_a_date_plz wrote:
NTA but she’s warning you of a dog that could easily kill yours. I really hope you at least take precautions when you walk down that street knowing full well that there’s a reactive dog you could encounter. I stopped walking my dog in the neighborhood because I had too many inconsiderate neighbors with poorly trained, reactive dogs.
Jet-Rep wrote:
NTA - but I'd have a solid plan in place to deal with said pit bull when (not if) it gets out of that house. Post event yes - you were walking down a public road which is your right until the bad dog was in front of you either going after puppies or worse yet even you.
I love dogs but this has trouble coming in the future if not for you someone else. Consider reaching back to the home owner as it sounds like she is in denial and / or not sure how to manage her pit. She needs help.
TMNTerps wrote:
It's not your fault other people can't control their dogs properly. Next time tell her not to approach you because she is "scaring" your dogs and let's see if she is fine being told where she can and cannot walk. NTA.