And PEACE is winning!
So the worst part of this whole neighbor thing is the feeling of betrayal... we've been neighbors for 12 1/2 years - the entire time, I've had dogs – he did too for 3 years. His goofy thing would HOWL every day at 3 am, outside, but none of us complained. It had to be put down for suspicious reasons when it was 3 (I think he beat the poor thing until it had to be put down – but have no proof).
Before all this occurred, we wanted our little yard to be nice, so when our wood fence was broken during a tornado, we offered to move it in 3 feet so it lined up with his encroaching driveway (that was already there when we moved in). His shed is also sitting 1 1/2 feet on our property... and he knows this. When we replaced the fence, we got a chain link one so that everyone around could tie into it if they wanted to... the dogs could play with each other through the fence... and everything seemed good.
My neighbor had some control issues back then, but nothing very serious.... until my divorce. That's when he would dictate how I'm supposed to maintain my yard, repair my home - but I just blew it off – after all, it's MINE. Last December, when I left for an overnight staff meeting, is when it began to get creepy.... he knew when I packed, knew when I left (and he was supposed to be at work), knew I was gone overnight, knew the moment I got back (because THAT'S when he told me he knew). So I started keeping to myself.
In January, my dog (who's now 3 1/2 – I've had him since he was 8 weeks old) ran up to the fence like he always did to get pet. And my neighbor would always pet him.... until that day. Bear thought he didn't get seen, gave off a friendly bark and my neighbor who is partially deaf, jumped. Instead of saying – oh Bear, didn't see you and then petting him – my neighbor let off this string of obscenities.
Bear has always enjoyed being an outside dog, so every time my neighbor and Bear were outside together after that, Bear would think he was playing that way and would bark more, my neighbor would get more and more threatening. So I immediately tried to fix it.... I put Bear on a leash, I'd go outside with him and discipline when the barking started.... I even bought a $200 shock collar. But you can't train a dog to stop when the other person goes out of his way to tease, threaten and antagonize it. So when I saw that I was just beating my head against the wall, I offered a solution to the neighbor – because you can rationalize with people much better than you can with a dog.
That's when I was threatened. And when I refused to let it bother me, that's when he followed through on it. And he won't put in his own privacy fence because he'd have to put it right up next to his house and move his shed.
But today, I've let it go.... because I LOVE the way PEACE feels.
Thank GOD for my DVR, lol.... I recorded Debbie Ford and Wayne Dyer when they were on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday recently.... And every time I feel anxious, stressed, worried about when my neighbor is going to return, I rewatch them. Yep, THIS is the way to go. A nice white fence.... flowers, lawn decorations, maybe even a little doggie statue in the corner where I need the fence the most.... And I'll just let God deal with the neighbor.
LATER!
Before all this occurred, we wanted our little yard to be nice, so when our wood fence was broken during a tornado, we offered to move it in 3 feet so it lined up with his encroaching driveway (that was already there when we moved in). His shed is also sitting 1 1/2 feet on our property... and he knows this. When we replaced the fence, we got a chain link one so that everyone around could tie into it if they wanted to... the dogs could play with each other through the fence... and everything seemed good.
My neighbor had some control issues back then, but nothing very serious.... until my divorce. That's when he would dictate how I'm supposed to maintain my yard, repair my home - but I just blew it off – after all, it's MINE. Last December, when I left for an overnight staff meeting, is when it began to get creepy.... he knew when I packed, knew when I left (and he was supposed to be at work), knew I was gone overnight, knew the moment I got back (because THAT'S when he told me he knew). So I started keeping to myself.
In January, my dog (who's now 3 1/2 – I've had him since he was 8 weeks old) ran up to the fence like he always did to get pet. And my neighbor would always pet him.... until that day. Bear thought he didn't get seen, gave off a friendly bark and my neighbor who is partially deaf, jumped. Instead of saying – oh Bear, didn't see you and then petting him – my neighbor let off this string of obscenities.
Bear has always enjoyed being an outside dog, so every time my neighbor and Bear were outside together after that, Bear would think he was playing that way and would bark more, my neighbor would get more and more threatening. So I immediately tried to fix it.... I put Bear on a leash, I'd go outside with him and discipline when the barking started.... I even bought a $200 shock collar. But you can't train a dog to stop when the other person goes out of his way to tease, threaten and antagonize it. So when I saw that I was just beating my head against the wall, I offered a solution to the neighbor – because you can rationalize with people much better than you can with a dog.
That's when I was threatened. And when I refused to let it bother me, that's when he followed through on it. And he won't put in his own privacy fence because he'd have to put it right up next to his house and move his shed.
But today, I've let it go.... because I LOVE the way PEACE feels.
Thank GOD for my DVR, lol.... I recorded Debbie Ford and Wayne Dyer when they were on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday recently.... And every time I feel anxious, stressed, worried about when my neighbor is going to return, I rewatch them. Yep, THIS is the way to go. A nice white fence.... flowers, lawn decorations, maybe even a little doggie statue in the corner where I need the fence the most.... And I'll just let God deal with the neighbor.
LATER!
Replies
Oh, and a P.S.... I\'ve been taking videos of the dogs in the yard when the neighbor is NOT there - even with kids playing on one side in the back, another working on his lawn on the other, my dogs just lay down and sun themselves. Just in case. :)
Smart idea, now you can prove what is really happening! Sounds really \"PEACEFUL\"! LOL! Keep up the good work, you are amazing! Wish it would rub off on me! (((HUGS))) to you and the dogs!