Do dog owners just not care anymore?

[calista]

So sorry to read what happened to the OP and it just reinforces why I feel so strongly that "good fences make good neighbors" whenever possible.

I think so many dog owners with free-roaming pets have motivations that are a combination of self-absorption, a sense of entitlement, ignorance about what their precious puppies do off-leash, economic problems, AND a "reactive-not-proactive" response to any problems. ("I'll just pay the fine/they're just chickens/no big deal," etc. etc.)

I found this article from MEN in 2009 on this subject very interesting in what comments were posted:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Happy-Homesteader/Should-Dogs-Roam-Free.aspx

You do what you have to do to protect your livestock from dog owners who just don't "get it" or just not care anymore, as the OP said.

 

[yinepu]

I have 8 dogs. I know where every one is all hours of the day and night.. it's not that hard to do

Mine do not run loose.. I go out with them when they go outside.. the only one exempt from that rule is my LGD
She is in a secure fenced area..

my dogs should not be anyone's problem but my own.
I also have 7 brooders in the house right now with chicks and turkey poults.. my animals know they are supposed to leave them alone.. my dachshund (the troublemaker) behaves around the birds in the house.. but I would never trust him with them free ranging..

I hate it when strays come on to my property. I try not to shoot them if possible.. in all honest I would rather shoot their owners for letting them loose to be a terror to my livestock (unfortunately shooting their owners is frowned upon in polite society)...

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Quote:
We live on 18 acres of woodland in the Colorado mountains, adjacent to National Forrest on one side and other neighbors who own 25+ acres on the others. We own Bella, a 7 year-old mixed-breed dog who is a wonderful family companion and generally well behaved, but when she has another dog around it is a whole different matter. Five years ago we adopted Noki, another rescue dog who was also a real sweetie, but when the two got together, they'd take off from the house, pushing thorough our legs or stuffing their noses into a tiny crack where the kids hadn't fully closed the sliding glass door and be off at full speed, usually up the driveway about 1/2 mile to play with our nearest neighbor's two dogs. They'd wait till the Fed Ex guy came to the door and then head out the door at a running start. We could go running and shouting after them but had about a 25% chance of finding them and bringing them back. This probably happened about once a month. They'd always show up tired and happy (and often smelly) 2 - 4 hours later. It was so frustrating. Of course one day they decided instead to go the other way and chase prairie dogs along the highway and Noki was hit and killed by a car. My husband was driving up and down the highway looking and calling for them and arrived at the scene seconds after the actual hit but of course that was seconds too late. Noki made it to the vet but died shortly afterwards.

Over the past three years I've often surfed the "Pet Finder" web pages and considered another dog, but I now fear what will happen if we have two again. Bella is safe to walk off leash when she's alone, but something happens when she has even a pack of two that turns her untrustworthy. Anyway, I'm really sorry about your losses and the lady you described sounds like a loser with her attitude, but even the responsible dog owners sometimes have accidents with their dogs.

I suspect that part of the problem is that most folks choose their pets without taking into consideration other people's livestock. Had I been really thinking seven years ago, I should only have adopted a dog breed with a strong family/homestead guardian instinct. Our previous dog had been a herding mix who only wanted to be outside if we were outside and then stayed close by so that he could keep an eye on us. When we came in, he either sat on the front porch or asked to come in as well.

So now I walk Bella 3 - 4 times a day and if I'm outside working, she's out with me, but on a chain in case the neighbor's dogs wander over. What a bummer to have all this open space and have to keep her tied up, but I learned the hard way.

 

[boykin2010]

Here is a little background and extra details to the story. I live on 20 acres that is fenced around the whole perimeter. I have another fence on the inside for the sheep. I have neighbors on both sides of me, behind me, and in front of me on another dirt road. I live in the country so i am not that close to the neighbors. Everyone has dogs though. I used to let my lab run loose but then one of my neighbors ( who i am pretty sure owns the coon dog ) threatened to kill my dog because he saw a dog in his trash one night. He didnt know the size of the dog, or the color just that it was a dog. I am not saying it wasnt her but he didnt have any proof. Needless to say i dont let her run loose anymore. Like i said she has an electric shock color and she is very well behaved.
One of you made a comment about getting a bigger gun. I have plenty of BIGGER guns but i tried to find the smallest gun possible. I have 15 guns in all ranging from a tiny bb gun to a mini .14 with a huge clip. The next smallest gun i had was a pellet gun that shoots as fast as a .22 but i didnt want to hurt the dogs i just wanted them to leave. I dont want to make any of my neighbors mad but i have to do what i have to do.
The neighbor behind me let her German Shepherd Golden Retriever and lab run loose but when i got sheep and they were harrasing them i politely asked her to keep them at home because the sheep are worth about 150$ dollars a piece. She was very nice and said she would do all she could to keep them home. She apologized and said she would never let any of them cause harm to my animals on purpose. I was leniant because the lady is about 90 years old and a widow. She has done what she said and i havent seen them back. Seeing that law back me up makes me feel a little bit better about the whole thing. I know i didnt do something illegal and i didnt hurt the dogs. My dad was here when this happened and he let me handle it but he said if they come back again he will not be using the bb gun....
I tried to get through this whole thing without making anyone angry or hurting any of the dogs and i think it worked. At least it is all OVER with!

( For today at least )
The neighbors that owned the beagle also were new on the dirt road so they didnt know me. I noticed though that when i went to their house they had a newborn pitbull puppy running around chewing on things. ( Great )

And i didnt mean that to offend anyone who likes pittbulls i like them too when the owners take the time to train them. This one looked as if no one paid any attention to it.
Thanks for making me feel better and giving me the information i needed

 

[StrayMagnet]

This is how we aquired our dog bailey a month ago.. he was running stray.. I call AC and they refused to collect him. so we took him in, looked for owners. and when none came forth we decided to keep him. 2 dogs that live across the road keep getting loose. and runnin for me and my dog. now we have the chickens I"m terrified these 2 labs will manage to break into my chicken house.. reason I did the work I did. I may even add one more row of boards to the front.

We called AC on these 2 dogs.. and they said They cant do squat unless they actualy hurt me or my kids or our dog.. hubby just said we wont need them if that happens cause he will kill the dogs if they go after one of us.. one day he stood in the yard (and he claims he dont like our dog lol) well he Stood in the yard with a bat in his hand between our dog n them dogs and was ready to go after them if they came or made any mean action tward our dog!!!!

I am too ERKED that ppl do not keep their dogs secure. our dog has gotten off his chain.. and I check on our dog ALOT. and catch it. and call him back and re hook him up. but ppl who just put them outside with no tie out and hope they come home make me sick

 

[Mattemma]

Shooting with a bb gun is what is considered abuse.If you shoot to kill that is OK.I would shoot to kill.Why wait till the dog actually kills something? No one could *prove* it wasn't attacking your animals.Sad for the kids,buy hey maybe atfter a few pets get killed they would be more careful about letting their pets roam free.

 

[StrayMagnet]

well in our case AC has already been called twice about the labs across the road (now i see 3 there) and I told them I"m concerned for our safty... so if they come and we have to hit them or do whatever to get them away.. I can tell them I called you about it.. you didnt do a thing so I did..
just can't see why ppl let them run free.. if you don't have a fenced yard like me.. put them on a tie out.. ours is on a 30 foot tie out. pleanty of room to run and jump.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
Yeah - I don't know whether it would be considered abuse by your area or not, but I'd either shoot to kill or find some other way of "discouraging" the dogs. I just hate the thought of a bb going into the skin and festering or something...

I would definitely put in a call to verify that it's legal to shoot a dog trying to get into your chicken coop (it's okay in my area), and then I would address the issue accordingly, if it happens again.

 

[Ole rooster]

I too think the BB gun is abuse. If I'm shooting a dog as the law allows, I will us my .223 and not the .22. Unless you are really a dead eyed shot and close, the .22 is not going to kill first shot. The .223 will. But I still refrain cause I hate digging holes. I've had to bury two of my own dogs, old age and cancer, and I can attest the ground is hard as concrete. The last two strays are still here. They train will also.

 

[pjknust]

Quote:
"Tie Outs" are illegal in lots of counties nowdays. You can't tie a dog in my county for any length of time. My daughter ties her GS pup out in the front yard just long enough to potty, and AC stopped and came up on porch and let us know right quick that was NOT legal.