<p>My next door neighbors (whom, to be fair, I don’t like) have a several kids visiting them for a long-term visit. They spend their days in the backyard playing ball and other things. They 're out there from 8 am till whenever, screaming using pop guns, banging on the fence). That doesn’t really bother me, but what does is the repeated incursions of their balls and airplanes into my yard. we have an extremely vicious dog whom we keep in our fenced yard but every time something comes into our yard they knock on our door which means someone has to take the dog away and if the person answering the door is home alone, they have to take a wild dog and lock him up then find out what is missing and go get it. So my question is this: how many times should we be expected to retrieve their stuff? The yard next door is pretty large and the fence is high, so it’s not that hard for them to keep their stuff over there if they make an effort. I don’t like to be a nasty lady, but I was sick of this after the third time today.</p>
<p>The first question that crossed my mind is, why do you have an extremely vicious dog that you keep in the yard?? Not that this has anything to do with the question, just wondering ;)</p>
<p>As to getting their stuff out of your yard, I think I would tell them you will return it once or twice a day- say lunch break and end of the day, or whatever is convenient. You could just walk out once or twice in the day and toss the stuff back over the fence, no need to remove the dog or even answer the door. The interruptions would annoy me, but it would not be a big deal once or twice to just toss stuff back over…most days.</p>
<p>Agreed - tell them firmly but politely that you will make a deal to go out later this afternoon and just before dark to throw back over any items that make it into your yard. Suggest they play in the front yard 
or just really be more careful because their items are likely to be destroyed once they reach your yard. </p>
<p>Also, please tell them about your vicious dog so they are not tempted to go retrieve themselves. </p>
<p>Are the kids coming to the door? Maybe you should also give a call (or knock on their door) and alert the adults in the house.</p>
<p>We have a vicious dog because that’s his personality, but our fence is fully fenced and locked, so when he’s outside, only someone attempting to get in will be bothered by him. He is not vicious to our family, but he’s quite territorial.</p>
<p>They know about the dog, so I think they’re doing a little chops busting.</p>
<p>The kids are coming to the door, countless times since last week. I happen to be home today, but if I wasn’t I would have a problem with my kids dealing with the dog and 12-year old boys who are being pests. In a normal family, I would tell the adult, but I’m confident he’s already falling down drunk.</p>
<p>ZM, have you ever seen the movie “The Sandlot”? :)</p>
<p>I assume you have “Beware of Dog” signs up on your gates. I would be concerned about what happens when no one is home at your house and the kids decide to retrieve balls and airplanes on their own.</p>
<p>I was going to say you could get a box, set it on the front porch or out by the mailbox. Once or twice a day (at your convenience) round up everything you find and put it in the box for them to retrieve. But I like the idea of just tossing it back over the fence once or twice a day. Less hassle for you.
I would not look every time they stop over. If the stuff is that important, keep it in your own yard.<br>
Let them know about the new rules .If they keep coming over, just keep repeating the message (or have your kids repeat the message). Nope, can’t stop what we are doing right now, you will need to keep checking your backyard–and if I am interrupted by answering the door, I won’t have time to retrieve things at all today, it will have to wait until tomorrow.</p>
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Well if no one is home, the dog is in the house. He only goes out when we are home. Interestingly (my husband pointed this out) the only kid who hasn’t been banging on the door over the last week is the kid who actually lives there and with whom my dog is familiar and comfortable. </p>
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Excellent advice. Thanks all!</p>
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Haha - that’s the first thing I thought of as well.</p>
<p>Since the adults next door apparently are irresponsible and can’t be dealt with I like the idea of telling the kids that you’ll only retrieve their stuff at the end of the day and throw it over the fence and you’ll only do this if you happen to see something and aren’t busy. You can also tell them that if any of their things hit the dog or come close to it you’ll not return the item to them - that the parents can come get it or you’ll get rid of it. You can remind them that if they want to use their stuff they need to keep in it their own yard and be careful about where they’re throwing it. They need to have some skin in the game or else they’ll just keep being uncareful and keep bothering you.</p>
<p>I also like the idea of tossing the stuff over once or twice a day. No more ringing doorbells!</p>
<p>I would emphasize to the adults next door that your dog is vicious and that they should explain this fact to any visiting kids and tell them not to come over the fence. You’d think any kid would see a snarling, barking dog and know enough not to jump over the fence, but there’s always a couple dumb ones.</p>
<p>How about telling them if they keep it up you’ll start tossing their stuff into the trash.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t answer the door.</p>
<p>Good advice already given.</p>
<p>School will start soon and it probably won’t be an issue anymore, at least during the week.</p>
<p>The lawyer in me is concerned that if you don’t answer the door, knowing that they want something in your backyard and then they go in the backyard and are bitten, that there will be a claim. I know they should know better and they know about the dog, but facts don’t stop a lot of lawsuits. Perhaps you should “encourage” the dog to chew up a couple of things as soon as they land in his territory. I expect losing a few things will “encourage” them to have better aim.</p>
<p>while your at it, put up a no tresspassing sign. That should stop the lawsuits ^</p>
<p>A “no trespassing” sign isn’t a guarantee if you know that particular people are likely to ignore the sign. When there are kids involved and a history of the kids coming into the yard to retrieve toys, I wouldn’t depend on a sign.</p>
<p>I would tell every child who rings the bell that an adult from the home has to come over and ask for the lost object (and wait for you to retrieve it, or perhaps - better - retrieve it themselves while you restrain Fang). In this way you have shared the inconvenience, and given yourself some amusement in the process. Hopefully this adult will step in a pile of Fang’s droppings. In that case, make sure adult exits through the fence gate, and not back through your home. Eventually your adult neighbor will get sick of retrieving the children’s things, and might make some changes. Tell each child who knocks on the door that an adult is necessary to make sure you are giving the right toy to the correct owner. In all likelihood the neighbor will get what you are up to, but who cares?</p>
<p>OK, this is a really bad idea, but I would be tempted to answer the door with my dog on a leash and really let him scare the kid. I’d also probably yell, “Be careful! He’s really vicious!” Bet they won’t come back.</p>
<p>The thing is, from her posts I think the OP is a very nice person and doesn’t really want to scare the kids or be mean to them in any way. I think the compromise of informing them that she’s too busy to interrupt what she’s doing to collect their wayward things multiple times per day and therefore will just toss them back over the fence when she happens to notice them in her yard but that it might only be every couple of days that she might notice. I think it’s also prudent to inform them that their items might be destroyed by the dog if they come into her yard - I know my dog would likely destroy any ball or plastic things he found in the yard.</p>