Has anyone ever used one of these types of motion detectors on a fence or something similar? Or have any other product to recommend? We've been having some issues with the dog's balls "disappearing" from the yard lately...I'm pretty sure it's probably the neighbor kids but I still don't like the idea that someone has been in my yard and we didn't notice. Our fence is only 4' as we only got it to keep the dogs in, not people out, so there's not really a good way to secure it. The gate is on the side of the garage and we can't see that area from the house (kind of stupid, but that's just the way the yard is shaped). I just want a way to know if someone is sneaking around back there. :(
http://www.amazon.com/Driveway-Patrol-Sensor-Receiver-Kit/dp/B00006...
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I know for sure it was a person that took the balls, as the first one to go was the kid sized basketball and there is absolutely no way that went through the fence. We actually saw it in the corner of the suspected kid's yard later that night so we took it back lol (I know it's ours as it has teeth marks on it). Yesterday we had at least 6 tennis balls in the yard when my boyfriend mowed it, then he went to see his mom for 30 minutes and when he came back, there were only 3.
If it was the kids on either side of us I would just say something to the parents, but these people I don't really know. They used to have an old lab that they let just wander the neighborhood and pee all over the lawn, bug the dogs, beg us for food when we grilled out, etc. Their kids play baseball and shoot dozens of balls into our yard but expect us to throw them all back and not let the dogs touch them (because two barking dogs in the house going nuts is soooo fun!) They aren't the most responsible or respectful people.
I thought about a light but they do it during the day too, and I can't really put a big light by the gate because it would directly face the neighbor's house. :( I think I'll probably get a light for the back and the sensor too since it's pretty cheap anyway. It's not so much the balls I care about as worrying that one of the kids will leave the gate open and the dogs get out, or they try to sneak in at night and end up getting bit, or the dogs get hurt, etc.
The area it would be going is only about 15' wide and would look directly at a 6' high wooden fence with nothing in between. I've been looking through a bunch of different ones on amazon and even the expensive ones seem to have a lot of bad reviews lol. Either you love it or you hate it apparently!
Best solution is to develop a friendly rapport with neighbors. Meet and talk, get to know each other a little, and then you're "Jane, Henry, and Luke, our neighbors", not "...those people with the two dogs...". If it's within your comfort zone, you might even negotiate permission for the kids to retrieve their baseballs from your yard provided they respect your conditions (latch gate, not trample plants, meet your dogs, etc.); that extends some recognition to them and might earn some respect in return. Might even end in trust.
[sigh] Appealing to our better natures works with *some* people.
I'd worry that the sudden appearance of the alarm would be seen as an affront, an invitation to an adversarial relationship. Try wagging before you try barking.
Not to sound like a huge jerk but I have tried being friendly in the past with them and it went absolutely nowhere. The way my yard is shaped they wouldn't even be able to see the alarm unless they were inside my yard so I don't think that would be an issue.
You said the fence is ony 4' high so no good way to secure it- so you can't put a lock on the latch?? That way whilst people might be coming in to get balls you know that they can't leave the fence open.
Also, perhaps install a gate alarm and a motion detector? That way you'll know if someone opens the gate- the sound might also scare them off, whilst the motion detector will let you know if someone is jumping the fence. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/YARD-GUARD-GATE-DOOR-ALARM/dp/B0007N5LK4/ref=...
Maybe perhaps write your dogs names on the balls, that way if you catch them and they claim they're simply fetching their own balls you can point out that 1)that's not their ball and 2) if they do have a ball that goes out the back they can come and ask for you to retrieve it.
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