Thank god for Global warming and a Great dog.

Hey Centrarcid.

I have enough land to keep dogs and birds separate. That is not a problem. With regards to Lobo jumping his pen, he has always done that but at the same time never left our property. Keeping this in mind, I will have my chickens secured in an area where Lobo can not easily access. When I said that I trust Scruffy and Hatchi to mind the roost, it is based on their demeanor and that is not to say that I felt Lobo would be a threat. I have a lot of land and keeping my chickens, dogs and family in "safe" areas is really not a concern at this point. This is a learning experience for me for sure but the primary "concern" will be the welfare of all my stock albeit dogs or chickens. I do have a lot to learn but I am not so foolish to think that "Kumbaya" will be the anthem of my venture. I understand that you don't know me from Adam's house cat and have some valid concerns: trust me, I do think things through or research the "unknown" before I decide to make a specific decision.

Thank you for your input and please follow me and feel free to make suggestions in the event you suspect I am making an error. There is no doubt in my mind that I can use some help.

jhm47 said:

Hope Lobo turns out OK for you. I find it kind of humorous that you are complaining about the cold. We are forecasted to have -15 - -20 here tonight, and a high tomorrow of -1. This has been a strange winter, with an abnormally cold November, fairly cold December, and a very warm January. Now that the days are getting longer, we are having the coldest part of the winter so far. I have a 15 lb Rat Terrier that refuses to come into the warm house. She sleeps out in unheated buildings in some bales and other fairly decent places. The secret is to get them out of the wind. I also have a fairly large cattle herd, and they NEVER see the inside of a barn. We feed them well, and bed them down in places that the wind doesn't hit, and they are just fine. As to global warming---I'm all in favor of it. The winters here are loooooong and cold!

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jhm, are you in MN? Sounds like our weather here on the prairie!

Hey jhm47,

I am at that age where I find myself complaining about most everything. Nothing is the same as when I was growing up. LOL. I actually grew up in Wisconsin and Illinois where the winters were much more harsh than what I have experienced here. I guess my blood is just getting really thin. Yes, wind is the primary culprit. I have 31 dogs of which only eight are sissies and insist on staying inside the house during the winter. The rest trust me to see to their needs and the primary goal is to keep them out of the wind. I do go overboard at times, but heck, they're family!

bobbi-j said:

Then maybe the OP should consider taking the dog to the vet for proper treatment. Or, OP could wear gloves to treat the dog's wounds. You can't just let the dog go with open wounds and not clean them. (I'm pretty sure I wasn't advising the owner to perform actions that may cause them to come into contact with the rabies virus.)

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No, I realize you weren't advising any other action than calling a vet to get a recommended treatment. I was simply stating that a veterinarian would likely not give advise over the phone regarding the treatment of bites from a wild animal because doing so would open them up to a legal and/or ethical violation. You or I or any other member of the public is not bound by the same professional code of ethics that a vet would be.

Bobbi-j: No, not in MN. South Dakota, but only about 6 miles from MN. It's now -16 here at 0430. Sure glad I bedded the cows down well. It'd be pretty cold lying on the ground tonight. Wish I had a good supply of cornstalks. Wheat straw is good, but cornstalks are better for bedding, and the cows love to pick through them and they eat much more than one would imagine.

jhm47 said:

Bobbi-j: No, not in MN. South Dakota, but only about 6 miles from MN. It's now -16 here at 0430. Sure glad I bedded the cows down well. It'd be pretty cold lying on the ground tonight. Wish I had a good supply of cornstalks. Wheat straw is good, but cornstalks are better for bedding, and the cows love to pick through them and they eat much more than one would imagine.

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No wonder our weather is similar. We're about 20 miles from South Dakota. Howdy, Neighbor!

PS - I'm also an EMT.