Do domestic dogs run in packs?

[AlienChick]

I saw a dog running across our property as I was sitting at my desk in the office.

I ran and told my DH, who ran upstairs to grab the gun.

I went outside to check on the chickens. They were okay (fortunately, it was raining and the chickens were all inside one of the pole-barn sheds).

We looked around for the dog and saw it across one of our pastures.
Turns out there were FIVE of them all in a pack running wildly across our field!
I don’t know if they were wild or coyotes, but I’ve never seen that many domestic dogs running together.

Anyway, my DH shot at them, and they all turned and RAN (real fast) towards the road.
My DH didn’t actually shoot the dogs; just shoot near them. If we see them again, we’ll be forced to shoot to kill.

I just have never seen that many dogs running together like that. So I was wondering if they were wild or coyotes? In the middle of the day. Anyway, I’ve never seen the dogs around here before (but that’s not saying much). They were all different colors (shades of brown). There was one brindle color. They were about german shepherd size.

Next month we’re getting about 3 LGD’s. But they will all be puppies and so there’ll be a long training period involved. But I’ll feel better with an LGD barking at potential predators.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Yes domestic dogs pack up and run together.

 

[Imp]

Yes domestic dogs will pack up. They are much more dangerous as well. Be careful.
My hometown had 3 packs. When they started menacing people they were hunted and killed.

Imp

 

[1muttsfan]

Yes. And when they do, they are much more dangerous to livestock - this is where the saying "pack mentality" came from

 

[chicmom]

Yes they do. Sometimes they are domestic, but then they survive on their own, make puppies and then those puppies are feral. Wild.

They can be very dangerous. Be careful!

 

[AlienChick]

Holy cow!
I didn't know (having lived in the sheltered suburbs all my life).
Learn something new every day.

THANK YOU everyone!
We will certainly be very careful!!

 

[chickbea]

They do indeed run in packs, and when they do they are far more dangerous than any pack of coyotes. Coyotes kill for food, whereas pets that pack up will kill just for the fun of it, and they will kill over and over. A couple of winters ago while snowshoeing I came across three dead deer all in close proximity to each other, all ripped apart but very little eaten. All three were still warm, so I'm assuming the dogs killed those three and then took off after other deer that had run away. Very sad.

 

[Kevin565]

Yes they often do form a pack once they on their own. These packs are VERY DANGEROUS. Since they are dogs they don't have the natural fear a wolf would have. Once they get in a pack mentality they are no longer a "cute house pet." They are vicious hunters. Their hunting styles are similar to wolves. Dog Packs have been known to kill other dogs,cats,birds,goats,cows,horses, and many other livestock.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Yes, VERY DANGEROUS as they will kill for sport, not food. I've seen the city slickers dogs pack up and kill horses, hogs, cows along with chickens. Apparently it's great sport for fido & fuffy & spot & rover. Set traps, shoot to kill, it will only escalate till they take down a child waiting at the bus stop.

 

[terrilhb]

I agree with all of the above posts. I used to have 5 dogs.(Sadly 1 passed away) but I am down to 4. My dogs definetly have a pack mentality. They think together and act together. All of my dogs are nuetered. But my friend used to have a female not fixed and one day she came over to our property with a unneutered male. My dogs attacked it. It could have been ugly. I got the waterhose. The dog got away with little injuries. When they hear anything on our property they go together. They will spread out and come together somewhere. It can be very dangerous.