Oh, no it's my owner!

[Christy7279]

Dexter does this too, he is 8 months and sometimes he'll be in another room and hear me in the kitchen and he'll come barking as he investigates. Sometimes it'll take him a few seconds to realize it's ME, and he'll stop immediately. I think this is normal and not a sign of uncomfortableness as other posters have replied.

[lostsouls59]

My dog has never barked at me unless he wants to play. However he did inform me when he found the bowling ball in the yard.. and the new grill box.. then he came to me whined and barked again telling me something strange is out here come make sure it is okay.. Normally I walk up to whatever he has discovered and barking at to inform him it is okay laughing and patting the object until he sniffs it for himself. He rarely barks so when he does I make sure to check it out. It is my job as a leader to let him know it is okay or not.

[alessadry]

Originally Posted by Christy7279

Dexter does this too, he is 8 months and sometimes he'll be in another room and hear me in the kitchen and he'll come barking as he investigates. Sometimes it'll take him a few seconds to realize it's ME, and he'll stop immediately. I think this is normal and not a sign of uncomfortableness as other posters have replied.

I definetely agree with you! My dogs do not seem afraid at all, just alert and responding to something that doesn't seem right. To some posters it seems that dogs should never bark at all for any reason, and if they do it's just to show they are afraid.This does not make sense to me. I know my dogs well, I spend 24/7 of time with them and I know their posture when they are afraid. I can tell you for example that they fear for sure the dust devils that approach here in Arizona, they will bark and fear is in their eyes and their body all tenses up.

[alessadry]

Originally Posted by jlhnokc

"About the barking at night ....I do not want to discourage him from alerting me of strangers approaching my property when I am by myself at night. My hubby got the dogs primarily because he loves them but also because with his job I am often by myself. The other night for instance, I heard footsteps so I sent him out (my fenced property) he barked and whoever it was left. I then called the police but there was no trace. If he hadn't barked who knows what could have happened! Should I tell him to stop barking if he barks at noises at night? All I need to do is say "enough " and he will listen, however, one day maybe the enough could mean for a thief "all clear". however, I am always open to suggestions and advice and I will do what it takes to fix this if in your belief it is a major problem.

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I'm sorry but at 5 months old they are WAY TO YOUNG to be "sent out" to investigate something. Me personally, I wouldn't ever send my dog out to investigate anyway. But again, 5 months is way to young. Your dog needs much more training and time to mature, not to mention needs temperment tested before any of that type of training needs to occur. Your dogs need to be looking to you on how to react, if you are sending them out, they are up to their own vices and choices and you are looking at a lawsuit on your hands. Wether it was a thief or not in your back yard, had one of your dogs bitten them, guess what? They could sue you, you could loose your dogs and be fined a hefty sum. Doesn't sound worth it does it? If you know someones out there, call the cops, please though, don't send your 5 month old pups out to an unknownor send them out at any age by themselves for that matter.

Ok, first of all, when you say 'sent out' it sounds like you mean that I sent them out to attack or injure or put my dog's and possible "thieve's " life at at risk. This is dead wrong.
I KNEW the footsteps were out of my property and I knew my dogs were safe. All I did is send them out for about a 10 second warning bark and I called them back in. Don't make it sound like if I am mean or careless or stupid. I do not want my dogs to be aggressive at all, all I want them to do is give warning barks as any good watch dog. Consider as well that I live in the middle of no where and police is at least half hour away. Sorry if I had this stupid idea, which luckily worked. Perhaps if I haven't sent them out that night, I wouldn't be here typing and needing to explain myself. Perhaps my dogs would have been dead as well. I know some people could care less about this.

So what happes now? I can't even send my dogs out anymore? I let them wander my 3 acre, 5 foot chain linked fenced yard with 4 no trespassing signs and - 2 Rottwilers on Patrol- sign for a good part of the day and now you are implying that because there are chances they may bite an intruder or trespasser I should just keep them in all day? I love these dogs, and bought this large property in the country to let them live a happy dog life unlike many others confined in 4 walls or tied up.

Now to laws.Quoted Directly from :Dog Law :: Dog Bites > A Dog Owner's Legal Defenses :: DogLaw.HugPug.com

"In general, a trespasser is someone who wasn't invited on the property. Unless you warn people off your property with signs or locked gates, you are considered to have given an "implied invitation" to members of the public to approach your door on common errands - for example, to speak with you, try to sell you something, or ask directions.

Without at least some such implied invitation, someone who ventures onto private property is a trespasser. In one case from Nebraska, a child visiting relatives stuck her hand through a fence to pet the neighbor's dog; she was found to be a trespasser. Similarly, a court ruled that a ten-year-old who climbed over a fence to retrieve a ball and was bitten by a dog was a trespasser, and could not sue the dog's owners for his injury."

"Dog-bite statutes. Most dog-bite statutes do not allow trespassers to sue for an injury. The owner is liable only if the person injured by a dog was in a public place or "lawfully in a private place." That means that the injured person must have a good reason for being where he was. Mail carriers, for example, are always covered. Police officers performing their official duties are not considered trespassers, either.41 Neither is anyone else who has an invitation, express or implied, to be on the dog owner's property."



With that being said, with all my signs and warnings I think that without any doubt my property is not considered an "implied invitation property" at all. Thanks anyway for your concern and advice. It may hopefully help those many irresponsabile owners out there, but honestly, I think I have done my homework.

[cerulean]

allessadry, you might want to look a little further, regarding the law's supposed protections from trespassers. There is another thread right now under "general info" "neighbor ripping down sign...." which expresses that many times the trespasser DOES have rights to sue, and can win.

Thank you for the link you posted, I found it very interesting, but it does offer many warnings along the lines of:

"Common law rule. If the state follows the common law rule - which imposes liability on a dog owner who knew a dog was dangerous - technically, the fact that the injured person was trespassing doesn't matter. So if the common law rule were applied strictly, if you know your dog is dangerous, and it bites a burglar who breaks into your house, you're liable."
"Negligence. The states don't agree on whether or not an injured trespasser who sues a dog owner for negligence (unreasonable carelessness) can win.
In some states, an injured trespasser can sue and win if the dog owner acted unreasonably under the circumstances."

Personally, we also live at the end of a gravel road on a few acres, no street lights, rural farm area, rather isolated.... and I am often working at home by myself.

My biggest fear is that a ill-intentioned person will shoot the dog if it barks. This happens alot. I would just call the police and try to protect my pup.

[alessadry]

Originally Posted by cerulean

allessadry, you might want to look a little further, regarding the law's supposed protections from trespassers. There is another thread right now under "general info" "neighbor ripping down sign...." which expresses that many times the trespasser DOES have rights to sue, and can win.

Thank you for the link you posted, I found it very interesting, but it does offer many warnings along the lines of:

"Common law rule. If the state follows the common law rule - which imposes liability on a dog owner who knew a dog was dangerous - technically, the fact that the injured person was trespassing doesn't matter. So if the common law rule were applied strictly, if you know your dog is dangerous, and it bites a burglar who breaks into your house, you're liable."
"Negligence. The states don't agree on whether or not an injured trespasser who sues a dog owner for negligence (unreasonable carelessness) can win.
In some states, an injured trespasser can sue and win if the dog owner acted unreasonably under the circumstances."

Personally, we also live at the end of a gravel road on a few acres, no street lights, rural farm area, rather isolated.... and I am often working at home by myself.

My biggest fear is that a ill-intentioned person will shoot the dog if it barks. This happens alot. I would just call the police and try to protect my pup.

Thanks for posting. I am aware of the liability issues on a dog whose owner knows it is dangerous. This is why I put the sign "Rottweilers on Patrol", rather than "Beware of dog". Many people are not aware of the fact that putting beware of dog signs is basically admitting your dogs are vicious. I also made sure my insurance would take care of possible bites. I know my puppies are the sweetest things on earth, but you never know when they grow up. Really, no dog can be guaranteed to be free from biting.

I am aware of those cases where people did sue and won and of course I am very, upset with how the law works sometimes. I am also upset of how insurance companies blacklist Rottweilers and I am trying to fight over it by writing articles and writing to insurance companies. However, I am trying my best to cover my a*** if some unfortunate event should happen.

You make a good point over the possibiity of somebody trying to shoot the dog. Even if dark and a bit far away a sharp shooter could have done a tragedy. Perhaps I should find a better way to deter possible intruders next time. I could have put my ADT alarm on and set it off for a few seconds. Good advice. Thank you.

[jlhnokc]

alessadry, the biggest point I made was the age of your dogs. At 5 months sending them out to even bark is not a good idea. I don't think you realize how far back you can send them in their training and their confidence. What if the person came onto your property anyway? What if they hurt your dog? What if your dog bit them? I'm not saying you shouldn't let your dogs out, that is far from my point. If you know there is a possible threat outside, I don't think sending your dogs out is the way to handle it. Like you said, you have an alarm, get your dogs in and set it, let them bark from inside that keeps both you and your dogs safe. Jaycee will bark and charge at times with no signs of fear at all whatsoever. But she'll also turn tail and run, that's not good for her confidence and I try and keep that from happening at any time. And she's over a year old. At 5 months, she would bark at a shadow and charge it, then come running back to me if the shadow moved. Imagine that being a person and when your dogs ran the person then knew they were not a threat, then you and your dogs are at an even bigger risk. A dog inside barking is a way bigger deterent than sending your dogs out to bark where they can be seen or gotten to. And in no way in my post was I implying you were in irresponsible owner. We all learn on this forum about our decisions, I myself have learned about many bad decisions I've made, it's all a learning process.