'AITA for secretly feeding my neighbor’s aggressive dog steaks until he liked me better than his owner?'

"AITA for secretly feeding my neighbor’s aggressive dog steaks until he liked me better than his owner?"

So…I’m not trying to be the neighborhood weirdo, but I may have created a four legged betrayal and now I’m catching heat. I (29F) live in a duplex with thin fences and thinner patience. My next-door neighbor, we “Gary” (50sM), has this HUGE German Shepherd named Brutus, he literally hated me.

Like, full on Cujo energy, every time I’d step outside, he’d throw himself at the fence barking like I stole his bone in a past life, I don’t even blame him I think Gary trained him to be aggressive, dude yells at delivery people like it’s a sport, anyway, after a few months of Brutus threatening to eat my face...

I had an idea, I started tossing him tiny bits of steak over the fence, not often just whenever I grilled, or had scraps and within a week, he stopped barking, a month later, he’d wag when he saw me.

Fast forward six months, Brutus loves me. He’ll whimper and scratch at the fence if I don’t come out and one time, I heard Gary yelling at him and Brutus ran over to my side and sat at the fence, like he was asking me for help.

Then last week, Gary knocked on my door. He was livid and said I turned his dog against him, that Brutus won’t listen anymore, and “won’t even eat unless it’s from the fence lady, ”He said I “emotionally hijacked” his dog and demanded I stop interacting with him entirely.

I told him I’d stop giving him food, but Brutus still watches me through the fence like I’m the only one who understands him and he doesn’t bark he just…stares. I swear he looks sad.

Now the whole neighborhood is kind of split. Some people think it’s hilarious and others (including Gary’s sister) who by the way also lives in the same neighborhood think I’m the “canine homewrecker” and should’ve minded my business. So you guys tell me AITA for steak-seducing my neighbor’s dog?

Here's what people had to say about this one:

Bellatrix_ed said:

NTA. Brutus finally found someone who loves him. I would try to buy Brutus from Gary because he doesn’t deserve to have such a good boy.

Ok_Pomegranate9639 said:

NTA - sounds like a Gary problem. And yeah ask Gary if you can buy Brutus. Gaslight, gate keep, girl boss.

C_Majuscula said:

NTA. He was behaving aggressively towards you and getting him on your side is better than having to call animal control after he breaks through your fence or bites you.

clearheaded01 said:

NTA. Next step is doing the same with Gary - every time you see him, throw beers after him...eventually he'll mellow out and you can all live happily everafter...

Jocelyn-1973 said:

NTA. Keep feeding him, but be a good neighbor and give the owner your recipe. After that, it's every person for themselves.

Sexy_Smokin_Scorpio said:

The only way you would be NTA is if you somehow garnered ownership of Brutus. Otherwise, the poor pup is stuck living in a house with someone who hates him. Your neighbor probably didn't like Brutus much to begin with, but because he was trained how your neighbor wanted, he was tolerated more.