Advice Please

[bednobs]

i like to let my dogs out into the back garden when the weather is nice and i am in. we have a wrought iron back gat, with an access drive behind our house that people use to get to their garages. Both of my dogs are frightened of bikes, and this manifests itself by when they see one getting defensive by woofing and woofing. There are two kids up the road who just ride round and round on their bikes (both ends of the access are open) meaning that the dogs bark and go crazy around every 5 minutes. I swear they do it just because they bark!
Anyway, i realise i would be completely unreasonable to ask the kids not to ride past and wind the dogs up, but i dont want to put the dogs in. quite frankly the barking (and subsequent shouting) is driving both us and our neighbours potty, yet the kids just glide past day and night.
I have orgered a new gate that they wont be able to see through in the hope that this will help but i'm not sure i hold out much hope, cause i swear they sense them coming, plus they can still hear. can anyone else think of a reasonable compromise where we wre both happy, the dogs can still be out and the kids can still ride their bikes?

i had thought i would go and see their parents and tellt hem my gates not coming for a month and could the kids not come past till then, but i have no way of assessing if that sounds reasonable, except asking you lovely ab'users who have kids if you might slap me if i said this to you about your kids?

[bimbo123456]

We had this problem with our dogs barking whenever someone came to our neighbours front door. Whichever bright spark designed our houses did it so the door faced each other. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we fell out with our neighbours big time. They ended up complaining to the council. Unfortunately, your lovely pooches are only doing their job. ie protecting the pack from the threatening (as they see it) bicycles. I agree it is unfair to ask the children to stop riding past. If it is public there is no right for you to do this. In my experience making the gate opaque won't help because they will still be able to hear. Might you be able to get those collars that squirt whenever they bark? I have often seen them advertised. Fortunately, our neighbours moved and the new ones are not so unreasonable. Have you tried sitting out with them. Waiting until they perk up on hearing the bikes and telling them to lie down and be quiet in a firm voice. Repeat "no" firmly and quietly. Then praise them if they (hopefully) keep quiet. I find a biscuit is good too!! Wishing you lots of luck XX

[Ethel]

Have you tried obedience / training classes for your dogs?

It should not be impossible to stop them barking at passing cyclists.

[showcatbenga]

If the access to the garages is private property & the children's families do not have garages to access then you are quite within your rights to stop the kids. You can check who owns the land at 'the Land Registry'.
I do feel that a considered approach could be made to the children's parents. It is not unreasonable for you to explain how disturbing this behavior is for both you, your dogs & the neighbours. Do not blame or accuse. Try to explain that you are taking steps to retrain the dogs (the only answer) but that some consideration would be very helpful especially the kid's help at certain stages of this training. Hope this helps - x.

[bednobs]

thanks for your answers.
The dogs have both been trained + are usually well behaved. We had a behaviourists session and she says its because they are frightened of the bikes, therefore they woof and get offensive which results in the bikes riding away so therefoe next time they think "aha! i'll woof and the bike will go away"
They are usually well behaved, but i really think there is no training them into not woofing,
The childrens parents have access t their garage, and even if they didn't it somehow dosent feel right to ask them to stop riding their bikes - it's what kids do, and makes me feel like a grumpy old woman, just a single step away from shouting "GAH" and shaking my fist at them

[Eve]

Could you get the kids to help you in introducing the bikes in a more friendly setting to your dogs so that they're not so afraid and learn they're not a threat?