a bit of a dog problem

[teresa42299]

whenever our neighbors let their dog out,she comes to our yard and chases the rooster and trys to get the chicks. we've already told them about their dog but they still let her out without a leash or put on a runner. she has already been at our chickens a few times already. i'm worried that they might let her out when we're not home and she gets someone. what should I do to keep her away from the chickens?

 

[Pyxis]

I just had the very same problem and actually lost some birds. Luckily my neighbor felt awful about it and keeps his dog away now. But what you need to know is this: if that dog is on your property and threatening your birds, it is no longer a pet, it is a predator. You can shoot it, kill it, trap it, whatever, if it is on your property threatening your livestock (chickens count as livestock). So maybe you're not comfortable killing it. I know I wasn't, so my plan was, if the neighbor did not cooperate, to catch the dog the next time it was on my property and find it a new home far away, whether that be by dropping it at a shelter or placing it myself. I was going to inform my neighbor, if he was uncooperative, that it was fine if he didn't want to pen or tie his dog, but if the dog was on my property again, it was going to disappear.

Luckily it did not come to that, but if it had, I would have told him this and 100% followed up on it. I think that since the owner, in your case, is unwilling to work with you, maybe you need to inform them of your rights to protect your birds, and tell them that if the dog is on you property again it is going away permanently. That, they may take seriously.

And if they don't listen, you need to follow through with it and make it disappear in whatever way you're comfortable with. Believe me, right now he may just be chasing, but eventually she'll catch and kill one and more.

 

[Chikenbutwut]

In most places there are leash laws. In any case, you're not suppose to allow your dog to chastise livestock. Pyxis has some really good suggestions. You also could call the dog warden or the police if you have to. Even if you're not comfortable with shooting a dog, you could threaten to, that might make them keep their dog locked up.

I'll never understand people like that. It's beyond rude and not neighborly at all. There's no darn good reason for them not putting their dog up. Besides what you're going through, there are numerous other problems associated with roaming dogs. It's their responsibility to do the right thing. Either they'll do it voluntarily or you'll somehow have to make them do it. I have no tolerance for people like them and they're lucky you've been good about this, because you don't have to be. I'd remind them of that.

I wish you luck and pray you don't lose any birds to these idiot's dog.

 

[teresa42299]

thank you for your suggestions for next time I see the dog around our birds.

 

[4 the Birds]

I think that the general legal rule of thumb is that a stray dog on your property is not fair game to kill. A dog that ATTACKS you or any of your livestock IS fair game to kill. A stray dog on your property that is threatening you and or chasing your livestock is always a grey area. Kinda like an intruder on your property. All about intent and harm. Use reasonable force as warranted. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[D Kluck]

.. legal rule of thumb here in east texas according to our local sheriff's office is: "Any dog that you don't know that you think is large enough to do harm to your livestock, pets, kids, or you, can be eliminated by deadly force. "

Obviously this is common sense,...you shouldn't shoot a dog that does not pose a threat just because it wanders on your property....so dont shoot a small dog just because it's intruding... If you do you could be charged for animal cruelty. ... if it's a larger dog you would probably not get in trouble....

I am not against large dogs (we have three 50 pound dogs) .... if they got off our property around here they could be shoot....that's just the way it is..

 

[CedarAcres]

I'd report it. They are being irresponsible owners by knowingly letting their dog leave their property & wander.

 

[cntrywmnkw]

I'd report it. They are being irresponsible owners by knowingly letting their dog leave their property & wander.

X2 Totally agree, sometimes when irresponsible owners are paid a visit by animal control or law enforcement, it suddenly wakes them us, especially if they get a nice hefty fine for not controlling their animal, plus they get "advised" to keep their animal contained or lose it.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I would call the dog warden for advice, first.

Don't know where you live, but here in Ohio the dog warden will come out to your property to pick up the stray dog.
At our place, the dog warden told us to shoot the dog if it was threatening the livestock or seemed aggressive, then call the dog warden to pick up the body. If the dog wasn't threatening, then simply catch the dog and call the dog warden to come get it. If I knew where the dog was coming from, then the dog warden would contact the owners and take things from there. Of course, we are in a rural agricultural county, so YMMV.

A couple of years ago, we did shoot a big black Lab that had taken one of our chickens. Filled his butt full of birdshot. Turned out he belonged to a neighbor, who came screaming over to our place with the sheriff in tow, expecting us to have to pay for his dog's vet bills. The look on his face as the deputy informed him that, not only did we not have to pay for the vet bills but he was liable for the replacement cost of the chicken PLUS a reasonable amount to cover the loss of her production over her lifetime was PRICELESS.

(The dog lived, BTW, and we did not charge the neighbor. We figured that the $1000 vet bill to have pellets picked out of his dog was punishment enough)

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I think that the general legal rule of thumb is that a stray dog on your property is not fair game to kill. A dog that ATTACKS you or any of your livestock IS fair game to kill. A stray dog on your property that is threatening you and or chasing your livestock is always a grey area. Kinda like an intruder on your property. All about intent and harm. Use reasonable force as warranted. Just my 2 cents worth.

In this particular case, the dog chases the birds. That is absolutely a prelude to an attack. You do not have to wait until the predator actually kills a bird if the animal is showing prey drive behaviors. However, if you want to absolutely cover your rear in case of lawsuits, etc--you might have to sacrifice a bird and let the dog take one so you can shoot him with the bird in his mouth.