I'm really concerned that my next door neighbours might be out to harm my dogs

I always check the garden before they go out and I never let them out unsupervised. I can't really go to the police/council as I have no proof.

It's just a couple of weeks back (which is when my concerns started up) there was cooked chicken bones in the garden (which he knows you can't give to the dogs), contacted the police and they did go out and say not to do that. BUT I'm still wary. (I have been having problems with him for 6 months, he's put three complaints in this year about the dogs, me not having control over them, and also apparently they are vicious and his wife is scared of them, she wasn't scared of my staffy though and she was worse.)

Today Venus has howled as though someone rang the door bell and when in the garden she howled cause someone was next. Also I heard some sort of popping noise earlier which Venus was wary of too.

If you were ever in this situation what would you do??

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Keep a record of everything. Every time your dogs come into any contact with them or you have any complaints or more chicken bones in the garden etc, write it down. Whilst avoiding contact with the neighbour as much as possible.

What kind of dogs do you have?

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Could the chicken bones have come from anywhere else? eg could a scavenging fox have brought a carcass in and eaten it there? Its hard when you have crappy neighbours, I do too on one side but unless you actually catch them doing something you cant really do anything about it. Could you approach them and offer the olive branch, maybe ask if there is a particular problem with the dogs that you could work on together.

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gsds (Henrick and Bella), the cats (Syd, Lilly, Elvis and Dizzy), the gerbils (Honey, Lisa, crusty, Millhouse, Flanders, Bart and Homer), the rats (Valentine, Flower, Petal, Blossom, Koda, Cava, George), the mice (Minnie, Pop, Seudag, Caraid, Silver, Trouble, Athena, Pandora, Aphrodite, Meep, and Springtime)

Get CCTV equipment installed trained at next door as a deterrent.

Basset Hounds

No the chicken bones were like whole chicken legs, meat and bone on there, he also told police that his kids must of done it by accident!! There is a 6 foot fence between our gardens.

We haven't been speaking for 6 months due to other problems that occurred so couldn't do the olive branch thing . I think he just has a problem with them in general tbh they aren't staffies I know that is stereotyping (sorry), but he never had a problem with Trixie (my staffy)

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Someone else has suggested this. Suppose I could put it in the back garden (I am getting a security light for the back for night so I can check the garden more easily rather than walking around with my torch)

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agree with both of the previous posts
1st step talk to your neighbours, be friendly ask them what is bothering them about the dogs, allow them to meet the dogs properly, ask them to discuss any concerns they have with you and you will be happy to try to resolve them etc try smooth over the bumps and hopefully you can all put it behind and at least be civil and if they meet the dogs properly perhaps they wont be so scared.

if this tactic fails start logging every little thing, no matter how trivial then go to the council and or police to report it again, however honestly dont see them getting more than a telling off

then there is the more extreme measure of installing a camera in your garden to constantly film anything going on thaat way anything the do they will be caught in the act and you will know for sure and the police and council may take it more seriously with good hard evidence...
a camera may also help deter them from doing anything

I would also get a movement sensor light, i know B@Q do them fairly cheaply, this may deter them from coming near your garden as the light will shine if there is any movement you can point it in the direction of their fence.

Has anything happened since the police went round to discuss the chicken bones? I would be worried that putting an obvious thing like a cctv camera might start a war that wont be a nice or safe environment for you or the dogs. Maybe a well hidden CCTV camera wouldnt be a bad idea though, if you get one get one thats ok for nighttime too though, we got one because cars on the road were getting damaged and we didnt get a nightime one, every night we could see a whole metre in front of the camera, FAIL

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gsds (Henrick and Bella), the cats (Syd, Lilly, Elvis and Dizzy), the gerbils (Honey, Lisa, crusty, Millhouse, Flanders, Bart and Homer), the rats (Valentine, Flower, Petal, Blossom, Koda, Cava, George), the mice (Minnie, Pop, Seudag, Caraid, Silver, Trouble, Athena, Pandora, Aphrodite, Meep, and Springtime)

Thanks for the advice will definitely try and get a camera

thats a good plan

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