My neighbor’s dog is tearing my coop apart.

[wolfram]

My neighbors are awesome people with a lab. We’ve been friends since I moved in but recently their dog broke into my coop and killed 4 of my chickens. Now it’s become an arms race between me and Gizmo. The first break in was just her digging under the coop. then I buried fencing and she ripped a huge hole in it the next night. My neighbors fixed all the holes in their fence and put gravel around the base of their fence. Didn’t work. They put a fall trap over the fence, nope. I fixed the hole in the underground fencing and put wood around the base of the coop to make it harder to dig and nope. They have locked her in their barn and she tore up their door and got out. I even moved the coop to a concrete base I had ready for a shed and she tore the door off of my coop. Most of the time we catcher her before she gets in and they have paid for all of my chickens and for the extra fencing and wood. Gizmo is a great dog (except for this) but their little girl is autistic and them getting rid of the dog is not an option. (And not something that I would make them do because that can cause serious issues for their little girl) at this point I only have 3 birds left and I’m out of ideas. What else can I do to keep Gizmo the wood devouring dog out of my coop? at this point my chickens are going to be living in a sheet metal coop.

 

[RWD]

Run a good stout hot wire around the coop.

 

[Hokum Coco]

We’ve been friends since I moved in but recently their dog broke into my coop and killed 4 of my chickens.

I always introduced my chickens to my dog and never had a problem. Then again it was "MY DOG".

 

[wolfram]

I have to say, I admire how you are handling this with your neighbors. A lot of people get bent out of shape over stuff like this. I think it's great that your primary concern (other than saving your chickie babies) is the young girl. Your neighbors are very lucky to have someone like you next door!

Thank you, I try to help them as much as i can, autism can be a challenge and the last thing they need is someone telling them that they need to turn their child's world upside down for a few chickens. I love my chickens, and i was upset, but that dog is very important to her and lets her parents (and some times me) know when shes wandered off. so if i cant find an answer to the issue i'm having its bye bye chickens.

 

[wolfram]

I always introduced my chickens to my dog and never had a problem. Then again it was "MY DOG".

The dog has been here since before i moved in and I've had the chickens for a little more than a year and they are generally out in the yard during the day, we had never had a problem with it until someone dumped a bunch of dead chickens and guineas in a ditch not to far from where we live, suddenly Gizmo started chasing them and trying to get them. I built a run and they started putting gizmo in the fenced area of their yard. that was fine for a while but now shes become destructive in her efforts to kill my chickens. I blame whoever dumped their dead birds for ruining a great dog. Anyway they were introduced, However some Idiot ruined Their dog for farm life.

 

[wyoDreamer]

It sounds like the dog needs some training - and not just for your chickens. She probably needs more exercise and they need to play games with her to challenge her in problem solving. If she has learned to destroy whatever is in her way to get to what she wants, then they may start having other problems with her.

Can you put the dog on leash and work with her around your chickens? work on getting her to ignore them as you walk past the coop and run. Start far away and gradually move closer as she gets better at ignoring them. Treats, her favorite toy, whatever will keep her attention off the birds if you need to. If she focuses on the birds - snap the leash, say "NO" and turn and walk away.

 

[aart]

Nice to hear neighbors working together to solve this problem instead of going to war over it, which is usually what gets posted here.

Training of the dog is the owners responsibility....and if they were capable it would already be done, but sounds like they have their hands full.

Best of luck to the OP.

 

[Katieboosmama]

It sounds like you have a good relationship with your neighbors. Have y'all discussed invisible fencing? or maybe put an electric fence around your coop?

 

[wolfram]

i"ve never done an electric fence before How do they work? is that something i can buy at a farming store? I will have to talk to them, i worry about their little girl coming over to my yard and getting zapped, but if we can be sure that she is not in any danger than i will give it a shot. she tends to wander and sometimes she comes over to visit.
We have tried the invisible fencing, Gizmo runs straight threw it, it zaps her but it stops once shes out of range which is only about 20 feet from the invisible fence line. she is a smart dog.

 

[wolfram]

they are great people, they are trying everything they can to help me out but changing things around a child with Autism is tricky. Were are trying to work it out so that it impacts her as little as possible.