Across-the-street dogs

[TeaKettleK]

Insight, please?

We live out in the country with a couple acres and have great neighbors. But. They have 2 dogs who roam pretty free. They've gone mole hunting in my front yard, which I let go... They've gotten into our roadside trash waiting for pickup, the owners cleaned it all up... Our house sat empty for a long time before we bought it, so the dogs got used to hanging out wherever they wanted. Our neighbors told us if they come over, we can just tell them, "Go home!" and they will. I have not found that to work particularly well, but I can usually encourage them off our land without too much hassle. I don't particularly like dogs...

When we first got home from running errands this morning, the neighbor's 14yo barely-walking dog came out from around back of our house and headed straight home... that's when we found that we'd had some kind of attack. Feathers EVERYWHERE. One dead chicken outside the fence, injured chickens hiding all over the place.

We dug out 7 of our 14 layers from the bushes and trees, there was the 1 dead, the other 6 returned home over the course of the day. We went across the street after we searched around, they "don't think either of their 2 would". I was inclined to agree. Some are completely untouched, just really skittish and nervous. Some are missing feathers and have small injuries on their backs. Some have much larger injuries on their backs. None are injured anywhere else. Just the tail/back. And none of them (including the one who didn't make it) look 'eaten', just roughed up. The last one, she hobbled over from across the street... where the 2 dogs live... and she is by far the worst.

Kinda makes the "they probably wouldn't" harder to swallow. So conflicted about what to do NOW... By law, I can take down an animal on my property, especially one who is killing my livestock. That would complicate neighborly relations, to say the least. Plus, man, I don't want to fire at a pet.

Is there such a thing as a "dog-proof fence"?? This really complicates the plans for the meat-chicks' outdoor enclosure!

Thoughts/insight?

 

[jerseygirl1]

Mmmmm. tough one, since they and you will have to tolerate each other as neighbors, reall y don't want to start off bad
I would talk to them and tell them that you may have to file a police report to protect your property,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and livestock...................

 

[arch_cpj]

Id grab me a few step in electric fence posts and Id put up a quick 3 wire fence saves the fight you dont want to have with the neighbors and it solves the dog issue you can spend 75 - 100 bucks and get a nice little system the dogs wont be back...

 

[nzpouter]

we give 1 warning to the owner if we don't caught their animals in the act.

 

[HathawayHens]

I would hope that they can see that it is their responsibility to keep their dogs on their property. If you have a good relationship, maybe they will put up their own fence. If not, I guess you need to put electric fence around your coop... and set it to "stun"

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

I, unfortunately, have had similar experiences. We had our entire flock (some 30 birds and 1 very large pet turkey) killed in one night by 5 marauding huskies. Hubby layed out the turkey carcass in wait....when the dogs came in again the next night, he confronted them..the dogs stod their ground and growled...he shot and killed 4. In our area there are is the 3 S's rule - SHOOT - SHOVEL - SHUT UP. Mind you I am a dog lover and since I will go to jail if I shoot the irresponsible owner...we take care of the problem. We have not had chickens since that horrible night some 9 years ago. We just got a new group of 12 BR and they are now inside my fenced yard sooon to be inside their own fenced yard...so doubly fenced. Dogs in my area have many times been a problem. 3 years ago neighbor dogs came into my pasture and attacked my mother and son while changing sprinklers...son come running back to house...hubby went to field and dogs came over fence and attacked hubby...hubby shot 1 of the dogs, killed it. The dog owner called the cops because we were shooting guns....guess what? We can protect property and livestock and family members....they got a ticket for $500 for a vicious dog (other dog that attacked lived). You either need to get a really good fence or call the cops. In my experience the local cops will inform you of the 3 S's (see above). So you will need to decide how to deal with this. I will tell you one more thing....those dogs have tasted blood...they WILL be back for more. I am sorry to be so blunt...but this is all factual.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote:
An electric fence around your property at dog level may be a really good idea (if you don't want to kill dogs)....they do these all the time for horses, swine, and cattle. Put it at dog height, make sure there are no weeds touching and leave it for dogs....make sure they can't jump over it. 1 zap is all it will take and those dogs will learn not to come back. Oh, and from personal experience as a kid....don't touch this yourself...mean bite.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Get pictures of when the dogs are on your property, dates, times and what they were doing.

Don't "shoo" them home, put them on a rope and WALK them to the door if they are friendly. Tell the neighbor where the dog was.

If you don't want to shoot to kill, shoot to scare the heck out of them. If they have been around guns, this won't work.

Get a garden hose and blast the heck outta them when they come on the property.

Inform your neighbors that their dogs are NO LONGER WELCOME on your property, period. They have no intentions of keeping their dogs at home or they would have said something when you went over there.

BTW I have NINE dogs... so I love dogs, I just don't tolerate other irresponsible pet owner's pets on MY yard.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I hate to rain on your parade, but I've had a neigboring Boxer bust right through a 2-wire electric fence (that kept MY animals in just fine). It was a constant state horse fence too- not no wimpy puppy-containment type fence. That was before chickens, the dog just wanted to exit his yard and had to go through mine (and my fence) to do so. I eventually stopped it by electrifying stronger wires that he couldn't break (cable actually, and I have used chains as well) but I wouldn't use it alone to protect my chickens.

What you really need is a good dog type fence (like chainlink or horse fence) and reinforce THAT with electric wires to prevent digging or climbing. If I find a strange dog inside my dog-proofed fence, it's gonna be a dead dog.

 

[bakerjw]

Call the police and/or animal control and get an official report filed.

I ride my bicycle a lot and there are times when I do have issues with loose dogs. I used to allow a dog owner one freebie as dogs can get loose but animal control advised me that I need to report any issue with a loose dog.

They may be great neighbors but if they let dogs run loose then I'd re-evaluate that perception.