[BrianR]

Cloud, I have to join the "talk politely to the neighbor first" crowd. I have numerous dogs, all of which are licensed, microchipped, up to date on shots (tags on collars) and each has an ID tag as well. None are permitted to roam freely, they are kept inside a fenced yard.

Even if the dog is the nicest dog in the world, allowing it to roam freely can be dangerous to it's health and safety. It can be run over (some people like to run up their "score"), meet rabid wildlife, eat poison, be stolen and sold in Mexico or simply adopted right off the street.

Try being nice first, this way they can avoid trouble with management and the law. If that doesn't work, the landlord is the next step and finally, animal control.

My neighbor has three mean dogs chained outside. One day the mastiff got loose and chased a man several blocks. The dog returned without the guy's pants but animal control showed up two days later to talk to them about building a fence (the fence went up the next day) and the consequences of loose dogs.

Surprisingly, my momma Shih-Tzu took on this same dog once and sent it running for home and safety. She has learned to be aggressive to protect her babies, food and bones from marauding Weimaraners and pit bulls.

It's for their (and their pets') own good.