Katie has a problem with barking, tried everything I could think of so went back to basics for about the 20th time, I've found my telling the kids off voice works best. She's gotten better with the neighbours and only has a quick 'woof' to let them know she's seen them. She was told 'quiet' yesterday when someone she'd never seen was in their garden and supprisingly she didn't bark again after that. Hopefully she's getting better with people now and will stop barking quickly.
Just barking at the new dog they're getting is going to be the biggest problem as I hate barking dogs. Although I wish they'd make up their mind what they're going to get (incase I have to buy high fence panels to stop it jumping over (Katie doesn't know how to jump over things, luckily enough) into the garden when the kids are playing out. So far they've talked about getting an american bull, but think that ones been binned, now it's a Dogue De Bordeaux Mastiff, I don't know anything about them apart from it's the dog in Turner and Hooch, lol. My fence is about 4' 6" high between us, I'm probably going to have to put something on my side of the fence to stop a toddler sticking it's fingers through the fencing, so any cheapish suggestions as I've not got a lot of money to spend on extras after the bills have been paid. It's going to have it's kennel and run next to my fence so if anyone knows anything about this breed can they let me know, things like how high they jump, temprement etc I'd be really greatful.

hiya my friend has a bordeaux and he is really friendly,he used to play with my ab when they were pups but iv moved now,i still see him & he jumps on me & my 4yr old everytime..i would recomend u get a higher fence as they can jump......high but this one is v.big & v.friendly with kids ..hope you get on ok..marie

Thanks for that, I'll suggest they pop a taller fence on their side (they've put fence panels up on the other side of the garden) as that side of the garden gets an awful lot of sun in the summer so the dog will need some nice cool shade. I'm not sure how much it'll get socialised or not. They've had about 3 or 4 dogs in the past few years but none have stayed longer than a few months, fingers crossed for this one. Think I'll pop some of that reed screening up to start off with, I'm assuming it's a pup that they're getting so jumping over the fence shouldn't be an issue for a while, it'll stop Katie from seeing it so much as I know she'll bark at it as soon as she see's it, and it's going to be kenneled from day 1 so it's always going to be there. She barks at things whilst wagging her tail, she's a little confused I think, she won't bite but she's bloody loud when she's barking. She's actually a jack russel cross, LOL, her mum was a parsons ... her dad was the biggest ugliest mongrel on the estate (border x GSD) but Katie looks like a gsd cross with all the nurotic stuff of a terrier down to the trembling legs they get, lol, I think if she was smaller then she'd be a yappy terrier, but she's as big as a border collie. Thanks for the info, I'll look into getting a fence if they won't even though it's not my dog that gonna jump over it, Katie can't jump, pop something in her way and if she can't climb over it she doesn't bother.

Another quick update - have now got 6' fencing panels, so should solve any problems with jumping and most importantly Katie barking

haha...well done that was quick

Spoke to my neighbour and explained that where he was going to be kenneling the dog was where the sun is for 90% of the day and that the dog should have some shade apart from in it's kennel area. I know Katie like to lie outside but in the shade during the summer months. Went out and when I got back 2 fence panels were already up, just waiting for him to put the other 2 up now so they're not my fencing panels they're the neighbours I just hope they're fixed better than they seem to be as we can get some very strong gusts being on the coast. Fingers crossed for both the fence panels staying up and also that they don't get bored of the dog and get rid of it a couple of months after they've got it like they seem to have done with all the rest of them ( 2 staffies, 1 boxer, 1 bull mastiff I think thats it).

hiya my dog is the same in summer she likes to be in the garden & she lies under the trampoline for shade lol,i agree with you about that,they need shade..your neighbour is a quick mover with the fence panels thats good isint it?least hes made it secure for the dogs,,just hope the winds keep down now eh?one of mines came down a couple of weeks ago & i didnt see it ,let mia off in the garden & away she went she thought this was a game cause she wouldnt come back to me she could see me but she kept dodging me got it fixed now...well secure..keep in touch would like to hear how u all get on..marie

Why do people do that? its so sad when people buy get animal just to get rid of it when the novelty wears of or it becomes to much hard work! I waited my whole life for my dog, as I knew it would need a lot of time and money. It makes me so angry when people don't think these things through proberly, its one thing if something really bad happens, but it sounds with the amount of dogs they are gtting through the next one won't stay long.

I hope that they do manage to keep this one, I'm not going to hold my breath but the guy seems to have done his research on it, and is getting a proper kennel and run built (the guys are coming round today to measure up and start the build). I'm assuming that the dog once they've got it is going to be outside in the kennel all the time as I know one of the factors with them getting rid of previous dogs was the hair in the house (his wife is very house proud), so if this one is outside that gets rid of that problem. I'll keep you updated on how the kennel build goes and then once they've got the dog as it'll be a few weeks between the kennel build and actually getting the dog.