[truck]

We have a small horse farm and have the entire farm fenced(for dogs and horses).Our Dakota has the front acre infront of the house.We had a rash of breakins all around our community,we put Dakota out in the front yard where the drive is and main and only entrance to the farm is to deter burglars.Our gate we dont keep locked only when we are gone.My hubby is home most of the time because he trains and works horses and we have a wood shop at home as well.Long story short....we have had 2 people come to the house and pull up on the side of the road and not see my hubby around and unlatch the fence and come on in the yard.Now..Dakota is only 10 months old and doesnt meet anyone at the gate he lays and watches and then came up on them once they were at the front door.Our county does not require signs of any sort(I have already checked with the sherrifs dept and animal control) we have no bad dog laws or even leash laws. We are totally shocked that neighbors would unlatch (we have a latch that you have to remove to open gates)and come on up in the yard.No#1 if my dog gets out and gets hit by a car and No#2 if they get their selfs bit one day..I also have a Great Pyr that is sometimes outfront too
Has anyone ever encountered such ignorant,disrespectful people???We are not sure if we should get a special sign to say dont open gate..or lock gates full time which huuby thimks we shouldnt have to do,being shut and latched means stay out.

[strongjannabiz]

To give a visual of the gate,its a two piece gate thats extremely heavy...we have a slide latch with a hook that you have to take the hook off and slide the latch to open.

[OnlineViagraCheapestFREE]

Where I come from being shut and latched doesn't mean stay out. It just means there's a gate there, and the golden rule of gates is to leave it as you found it. If it's open, leave it open. If it's closed, close it behind you.

A sign is a great idea. Even a sign that says "Close Gate" or mentions the presence of livestock should wake people up enough to get them to close a gate.

[FEti0TUI]

I would just lock it. IMO small amount of effort to ensure no one comes in/let's the dog out. Maybe a private property sign too?

Why are your neighbors there in the first place?

I agree that I've never seen a law against opening a shut gate. Opening or jumping a LOCKED gate, maybe.

[Qdkczrdi]

I am a city dweller and I lock all my gates 24/7 (3 of them) This was more for the safety of my dogs than to keep people out, but over the years we have come to cherish what the locked gates bring us. No solicitors/salespeople, unexpected visits, would be burglars walking by when they see deadbolted gates and alarm company signs etc..

For the safety of your dogs you could put up some signs to keep gate closed/dog in yard but it is still not 100% certainty.
You could install a drop bolt on one gate and then you can install whatever type locking mechanism on the other.
http://www.hooverfence.com/woodfence/dropbolt.htm
Then install one of these (weather proof doorbells) http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/cata...less_doorbells
Then your friends or expected guests can buzz you. I have hidden my doorbells so the salespeople cannot find them.
Overall it may seem like an inconvenience, but when you leave your dogs at home and know the gate is secure it will give you a much better sense of security while you are gone.

[GECEDEANY]

I would just lock it. IMO small amount of effort to ensure no one comes in/let's the dog out. Maybe a private property sign too?

Why are your neighbors there in the first place?

I agree that I've never seen a law against opening a shut gate. Opening or jumping a LOCKED gate, maybe.

The neighbors stop in to find hubby to ask him about woodworking or anything really,they blow the horn and sometimes he cant hear them so they will just come on in looking for him.Also,The sherriffs dept has said that jumping the gate or fence is a different story(trespassing)Didnt think to ask them about just coming on in a gate uninvited.

[Enliseell]

I am a city dweller and I lock all my gates 24/7 (3 of them) This was more for the safety of my dogs than to keep people out, but over the years we have come to cherish what the locked gates bring us. No solicitors/salespeople, unexpected visits, would be burglars walking by when they see deadbolted gates and alarm company signs etc..

For the safety of your dogs you could put up some signs to keep gate closed/dog in yard but it is still not 100% certainty.
You could install a drop bolt on one gate and then you can install whatever type locking mechanism on the other.
http://www.hooverfence.com/woodfence/dropbolt.htm
Then install one of these (weather proof doorbells) http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/cata...less_doorbells
Then your friends or expected guests can buzz you. I have hidden my doorbells so the salespeople cannot find them.
Overall it may seem like an inconvenience, but when you leave your dogs at home and know the gate is secure it will give you a much better sense of security while you are gone.

This picture is when we first installed the gate,we have a slide latch with a hole that we put a lock when we are gone,,when hubby is home we put a clip latch in the hole.

[iNYZgxNC]

So lock it. Tell them to call if they need something. Problem solved.

[Goodwin]

So lock it. Tell them to call if they need something. Problem solved.

That's my vote.

In the world of cell phones, it's just as easy to call as it is to blow your horn and yell.

You could also put a buzzer on the gate that would ring in hubby's wood working area.

But bottom line; I wouldn't trust the safety of my animals to someone else's ability to follow rules, laws or requests.

[dubballey]

I third locking it.

Yea it's a pain in the ass, but it gets the message across without having to count on someone reading a sign, and then actually abiding by it.

And as Jazzy said, maybe you could ring up some type of buzzer that goes down to the work shop or the house, or an intercom system.

Also, sorry if I missed this, but if the only problem is the gate getting closed behind, could you not put a spring or something in the gate so it swings shut by itself if that's the only concern?

[ThisIsOK]

gah can't get the underline off...ignore it....
anyhow, where I live my neighbor comes into my house unannounced, that is just the kinda town it is, she calls about 30% of the time. I do wish she would call all the time because I have to pump 4 times a day minimum (I nurse my baby but she wont latch so I ahve to pump milk for her) and don't remember to lock the door every time (yea I could lock it alll the time but I would lock myself out I am sure at least 1 time a week)

[space-on-s]

They do make automatic gate openers that work the same as a garage door opener. They're pretty popular down here, but I'm not sure what they cost.

[gedsiz]

I third locking it.

Yea it's a pain in the ass, but it gets the message across without having to count on someone reading a sign, and then actually abiding by it.

And as Jazzy said, maybe you could ring up some type of buzzer that goes down to the work shop or the house, or an intercom system.

Also, sorry if I missed this, but if the only problem is the gate getting closed behind, could you not put a spring or something in the gate so it swings shut by itself if that's the only concern?

He closed the gate back..the problem is coming into our fenced yard uninvited..we put the fence and gate outfront to deter burglars and to keep anyone from just coming in the yard unannounced.

[errolespopume]

They do make automatic gate openers that work the same as a garage door opener. They're pretty popular down here, but I'm not sure what they cost.

We are actually going to get the arms to auto open the gates but our problem is the wood gates are very heavy and hubby is afraid they want open them properly..we are still checking into that.

[mikapoq]

I am just amazed that anyone would just come into a fenced yard with gates shut and latched unannounced! They are brave souls or pretty stupid ones

[GalasaKoll]

It's not at all uncommon in rural areas. Many times you have to drive through a pasture or paddock to get to someone's house. The only gate people care about are the ones with a lock on them.

[blogwado]

OT.
Dakotas that looks like a beautiful place you have, and I love horses too.
My father used to have, I used to have when I was a kid, and every summer we used to spend a few weeks at my fathers (and me) favorite uncle ranch, no houses in sight wheat, corn horses and cows in any direction you could look.
To return to your post their gate looked a lot like yours, aaahh! he also had a few dogs that loved to work with him, my uncle and a few dogs alone could move all the cows (many, many), uncle in the back dogs on the sides and they knew where to bring the cows.
Again great place.

Eddy

[attlawqa]

get a bell and sign , , ring bell for attention and beware of the dog , your covered if anything happens , .

[id2008]

OT.
Dakotas that looks like a beautiful place you have, and I love horses too.
My father used to have, I used to have when I was a kid, and every summer we used to spend a few weeks at my fathers (and me) favorite uncle ranch, no houses in sight wheat, corn horses and cows in any direction you could look.
To return to your post their gate looked a lot like yours, aaahh! he also had a few dogs that loved to work with him, my uncle and a few dogs alone could move all the cows (many, many), uncle in the back dogs on the sides and they knew where to bring the cows.
Again great place.

Eddy

Thank you,we really love it here its actually my hubbys homeplace..he was born and raised here..when his mother and father died they left him the farm.We have been together for 5 years and married for 3 so I have not been here as long as him.We have 2 horse stables..one for our horses and one for the training horses.We hold trail rides and dinners also.We also have cows beside us that come right up to the front part of our yard..not our cows but the neighbors,they also have rabbitts and chickens that wonderover.Dakota has already killed him a rabbitt

[Qvqnubpj]

get a bell and sign , , ring bell for attention and beware of the dog , your covered if anything happens , .

The sheriffs dept said we dont need to have any signs(law wise).We are thinking of putting one anyway.We had mixed feelings on the sign..hubby says it warns intruders that there is a dog to be wary of so therefore they can poison him or worse,hubby says with no sign they will get caught by surprise once they are in the yard.