neighbor called police bc i have dogs and he has a 3 yr old daughter-

I would watch letting the dogs out alone without you. It may be just complaining right now and if you don't get a new fence soon things may get nasty. He may start trying to poision your dogs I don't know if he is that kind of man or not. But if he doesn't like your dogs now and who knows if a fence will make a better situation or not. Watch your dogs.
 
Also I would be kind of careful about putting a bark collar on them just incase the little girl isn't trying to do something to your dog. I have had relatives where their neighbor didn't like their mini pin and they keep causing problems for my relatives. No matter what they tried to do the neighbors were never please and the min pin didn't bark. Yet sadly the min pin was killed and we believe the neighbors  did some thing due to the sever injuries the min pin.

OK, I've got to speak my piece.  I don't believe that any dog should HAVE to be strictly outside.  And, in a situation like this, mine would not EVER be outside without me.  This guy is trying to protect his child and heaven knows what lengths he might go to in order to do so.

If the fence is the least bit questionable, it is irresponsible of the dog owner to let the dogs be unsupervised in the yard. A german shepherd and two other dogs jumping and hitting old wooden fence pickets is likely going to break them at some point. I don't know who "owns" the fence, but it is your responsibility as a dog owner to ensure that your dogs are properly contained and supervised.

but it is your responsibility as a dog owner to ensure that your dogs are properly contained and supervised.

The most important statement made so far[]

ORIGINAL: bluelighting

I would watch letting the dogs out alone without you.

The dogs are outside dogs which I believe means they live outside all the time, so he can't be out with them or watch them all the time. And if they bark whenever someone walks by (or is in a neighboring yard), that certainly could be a nuisance to your neighbors. Do they bark a few times and then stop? Or do they continue to bark until the person is no longer in sight? Knowing now that we're talking about outside dogs, I'm actually a bit surprised that you didn't secure the "old" fence on your own without a neighbor having to complain to force you to do it. If your dogs live out there 24/7 then there's no way you can watch them all the time (or guarantee what they will or will not do in any given circumstance out there). So I would think you would have wanted to fix the fence as soon as you moved in. To keep your own dogs safe, if nothing else. [sm=2cents.gif]

my dogs are not always outside. They stay inside at night and when i'm at home. Sometimes they stay inside when I'm not at home. Let's say 50/50 in/out. The fence isn't old. It's only 3 yr old and it's not bad. My dogs have not jump on the fence. They bark a couple of times and stop. I had a dog house built next to the fence and it's also attached to my side wall. I can't move the dog house-it required 2 men to build and no way i'm going to dig that dog house up by myself (i'm a 5'0 short lady) and move it bc he's concerned. 
Anyway, I bought some fly wood and ready to layer that fence tomorrow.

I'm glad you are going to fix the fence. The respect has to go both ways here. You have to respect his feelings of safety for his child and now that he see's you are doing that, he hopefully will respect your dogs. He may not like having dogs next door, but as long as you confine your dogs, there is really nothing he can do. I would not ever leave my dogs out without me though, only because you now know that he may be a problem. I have a problem with my neighbour, who swears and screams at my dog, I believe 100% that he would poison my dog, so she is NEVER out without me.
 
Good luck.

I just wanted to comment on a law in our county where we live about fences.  Our county has a law that if one homeowner wants to put up a fence on the property line, then he is responsible for that fence.  If the neighbor then decides to use that fence as part of an enclosure then that neighbor assumes responsibility for half of the fence seperating the properties.  Otherwise he has to put up his own fence.  So only if the other side wishes to enclose their property, does the fence become a 50/50 situation.  And it can be upheld in court as well.  The determination is that when you look at the fence, the right side is your responsibility, the left, the other homeowner.

If you wish to put up a fence not on the property line, then your neighbor cannot use your fence and you can seek redress for them for building on your property if they do.

I would definitely get a site survey done though.

I just thought that I would add my [sm=2cents.gif] to this one.  Not sure who said it, but I would not entirely rely on the fact that because the fence does or does not face your yard with the "pretty or ugly" side it's shared and that the neighbor will help fix it.  Unless you have a survey or some sort of documentation, it is better to error on the side of caution.  You take the stand that the safety of your dogs is your first and foremost priority.  That means making sure that they can't get out, even if they are friendly and wouldn't jump on the fence.  Doesn't really matter, protect your babies!  Even though the 3 yr old kid is the neighbor's responsibility, many parents (not all so please don't get made at me for that statement) will try to put the responsibility on you to protect her.  Make sure she can't get into your yard, make sure that she can't stick things through the fence, etc.  If you rotect your dogs, then in turn you are protecting the kid next door.  Once you have the fence fixed and secured, YOU call the police department/animal control and have them come over, meet the dogs, document the backyard and YOU start the conversation about the neighbor making complaints and show what you have done to ensure EVERYONE'S safety.  BE PROACTIVE!    The neighbor may be blowing smoke, but you don't know for sure and it is never good to get caught unaware.  They are dogs, you can't guarantee what they would or wouldn't do, please do not assume that their bark is always going to be worse than their bite. 
 
It is easier and better for you and the dogs to be the ones to show that you have taken steps to make sure you have done everything you can to make the situation good rather than having to respond to complaints from next door.  Take it from someone who has gone to school of Hard Knocks, the police and animal control will be your friends, have them work with you, show that you are trying to be the bigger person, but it's harder for them to take that stance if they have to come to you regarding complaints.
 
Sorry for the long post, just remember to CYA.

Slightly OT here, but the fences in CA (with the 2X4s going from side to side) really don't look bad at all.  It's like a small ledge or shelf and in the spring and summer I've used the top one for small plant pots. Maybe someone in CA who is not as much of a dunce as I am with the digital stuff can post a pic of the section of their fence where the 2X4 faces their yard.

nigguysmom-
thanks for your great advices. One more question, how do I go about calling the police and have them come over to document things that easy? They are willing to do that? I thought they only come when there's a problem.

I just have to comment that it's odd that we have two rather opposite sides of the fence, shall we say, going on over this topic? There's another thread just started about someone ELSE who has a three-year-old kid but they are the ones with the dog breaking IN.

I'd suggest everyone read both threads. Very interesting.
http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=8358

Guess I don't see what's opposite??

In both cases the dog owners are responsible for keeping their dogs contained and supervised.  The tone of this thread changed a lot when we found out these dogs are outside in a questionable fence while no one is home.

yes, I've read the thread. Interesting that this person has a 3 yr old boy, ect. But rest for sure, this is not my case. LOL.

I have the need to say this:
jeano-I'm looking for good advices to help me solve my problems that's why i'm here on this forum.  No one know who I am, why would I make up stuffs for? it just doesn't make sense. But I guess it's our nature to over analyze. Anyhoo, it's cool.

Mickey, all you need to do is call the non-emergency phone line and tell them that you don't know where to direct the question, and then give them a quick run-down of the situation and let them direct you.  Some departments will send you right to AC and some may just send a patrol officer out to your house.  Let them know that you are trying to respond to your neighbor's concern for safety and would like them to come out and assist you and ensure that you are following the guidelines for your community.  They will hear that you are trying to do the right thing and most likely will bend over backwards to try to help you out.  My next door neighbor was a cop when my stuff happened and he was a wonderful help and he used to tell me that they love it when citizens take the initiative to be proactive and not reactive.  I have always had a really good interaction with the PD, even when I had trouble..I would just make it clear that you are trying to make things right from the get-go and when the nasty neighbor sees that you are doing this then he may either just find something else to complain about or become a nice neighbor because you are being the bigger person and he knows that he has nothing to complain about anymore.