Did my dog do it?

[Meeker]

Yesterday I was approached by my neighbor, of six months now, claiming, putting it nicely, that my dog killed one, of two, of their turkeys AND a wild possum but none of the dozen or so chickens they have freely roaming around. The neighbor is insisting that my dog be leashed and never allowed on their property.

I found this claim to be very concerning since my dog, well trained, has never shown any signs of interest or aggression towards farm birds. The only killing I've seen him do are mice and voles. At night my dog is indoors and during the day he's within eye sight, never wonders off. Yes, he will go over to the neighbors but it's usually to visit their dogs (always chained up), play with their calf or look for chipmunks.

I personally have not seen the dead turkey or possum but my neighbor says that there were no maul marks, eaten portions or torn out feathers/furs. What could have done that? dog? poison?

The killing apparently happened during the day but I, working outside rebuilding my farmhouse, never heard him bark or come back with any scratches, feather or fur on him. I want to be a good neighbor but my dog is there to patrol and protect my land otherwise I would have gotten a cat, which I have two of.

I can't explain the killings but I'm wondering if it has anything to do with my neighbor, who shows signs of a classic passive-aggressive personality, not liking my dog "taunting" one of hers that's always on a lease.

When it comes down to it I just find it very hard to believe my dog killed a possum and a turkey but none of the chickens all in a short amount of time and in the same area.

Suggestions/Advise?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Yesterday I was approached by my neighbor, of six months now, claiming, putting it nicely, that my dog killed one, of two, of their turkeys AND a wild possum but none of the dozen or so chickens they have freely roaming around. The neighbor is insisting that my dog be leashed and never allowed on their property.

I found this claim to be very concerning since my dog, well trained, has never shown any signs of interest or aggression towards farm birds. The only killing I've seen him do are mice and voles. At night my dog is indoors and during the day he's within eye sight, never wonders off. Yes, he will go over to the neighbors but it's usually to visit their dogs (always chained up), play with their calf or look for chipmunks.

I personally have not seen the dead turkey or possum but my neighbor says that there were no maul marks, eaten portions or torn out feathers/furs. What could have done that? dog? poison?

The killing apparently happened during the day but I, working outside rebuilding my farmhouse, never heard him bark or come back with any scratches, feather or fur on him. I want to be a good neighbor but my dog is there to patrol and protect my land otherwise I would have gotten a cat, which I have two of.

I can't explain the killings but I'm wondering if it has anything to do with my neighbor, who shows signs of a classic passive-aggressive personality, not liking my dog "taunting" one of hers that's always on a lease.

When it comes down to it I just find it very hard to believe my dog killed a possum and a turkey but none of the chickens all in a short amount of time and in the same area.

Suggestions/Advise?

Suggestion and advice - keep your dog contained on your property - problem solved. Whether your dog did this or not, the neighbor believes it did and the next time your dog is off your property and even looks at their birds your dog may end up not coming home. This type of kill is exactly the sort of thing a dog would do, so if your dog was at large at the time then, yes, it may well have been the culprit.

ETA - reread the post and see that "none' of the chickens were killed - for some reason the first time through I read that as the chickens had been killed - which would look like a spree kill and fit with a dog attack. Re-reading this more clearly it does not sound like a dog attack, but would still suggest containment due to the neighbor being under the impression that it was your dog and being likely to employ SSS at the next possible opportunity.

 

[20736]

I agree.
If your dog couldn't get to your neighbors, then it couldn't be your dog.
Otherwise, it could be, even if it wasn't.

 

[Meeker]

I was thinking to try using a muzzle before leashing him all day.

 

[gawildlife]

I'm with contain your dog to your property and you won't have an issue. Now that said the description of the dead bird does not jive with any sort of predator attack I'm familiar with, and I consider myself a professional at determining such deriving my sole income from wildlife control.

 

[Meeker]

I know I should just contain the dog to my property it's just that I've spent a lot of time training him to know where the property boundaries are and to stay close. I also understand it only takes a second for all that training to go out the window if he locks onto something of interest. I will comply, for now...

I have little to no experience at identifying predator attack but as Gawildlife pointed out the details don't jive.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I know I should just contain the dog to my property it's just that I've spent a lot of time training him to know where the property boundaries are and to stay close. I also understand it only takes a second for all that training to go out the window if he locks onto something of interest. I will comply, for now...

I have little to no experience at identifying predator attack but as Gawildlife pointed out the details don't jive.

Is he trained to stay within your property boundaries or to "stay close"?

 

[Meeker]

He naturally stays close, since day one, and I have been working with him on the boundary lines. He is at the point where he will sit on the edge of the property and just watch everything but at some point he does get "bored" and wonders over to play with their calf and roll in whatever stink he can find...

like I said I will comply with containing him to our property it just bothers me that I have to do this when the evidence is minimal and that my neighbor could be using this to justify some sort of grudge

 

[CrazyTalk]

Why does it bother you that you have to contain your animal? The neighbor doesn't want the dog on their property - that's their right. Keep it off. It doesn't matter whether the dog killed the turkey - it's not welcome, and it's not your property.

 

[Big Bubba]

A dead possum and 2 dead turkeys. Maybe the turkeys and possum all went at it and none made it out alive.

I don't understand why he'd be upset if your dog killed a possum.