Dog / Human Conflict

[centrarchid]

A couple neighboring counties have animal control. Cole with state capital and Boone with University of Missouri-Columbia.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

A couple neighboring counties have animal control. Cole with state capital and Boone with University of Missouri-Columbia.

I just looked it up to see where the closest animal control was to where I live. It is 31 miles away and does not serve my county.

 

[Lin77]

This will be brief. I have barn with groups of chickens penned in 10 x 10 dog pens. Another dog pen houses a dog during night and much of the day to keep predators from coming into barn. Another dog is penned at house and allowed out at night to patrol with its mother that is out 24 / 7. Barn has in total about two dozen chickens that are allowed to free-range the immediate vicinity of barn during the day. Barn is about 120 feet from property boundary. Neighbors their have nearly 10 dogs, a combination of Huskies, Pitbulls and a Rotwieller x German Shepherd. Fencing at property boundary designed for cattle so not dog tight. Neighbor dogs have been crossing property boundary for at least last couple months and steadily encroaching further over time to where they come into barn and challenge penned dog. The dogs also took a hen a couple weeks ago. Fencing started to be upgraded at property boundary until dogs demonstrated another access point that is not boundary with their owners and stretch much larger than I can afford for short term. Another inner perimeter is being constructed, also to protect incoming sheep and goats, especially during winter months. It is not yet complete and dogs move freely around it. This morning dogs came across and went after chickens. Old dog free-range all the time could not keep them out but did have some chickens find protection by moving in her direction towards house. I saw issue so shot one of neighbors dogs. Later owner was informed as his dogs came back over again that his dogs over in my barn area, actually in barn killing chickens. I came well into my property to collect his dogs. I informed to collect his dog carcass as well which he did. Many details left out, but threats leveled at what I presume are my dogs and both parties contacted county law enforcement. I'm within my rights, but may still have to deal with a civil suite in regards to loss of their dog. My dogs with my help have driven their dogs off multiple times. My defending chickens not held by dog owners to be sufficient so targeting their dogs.


I will be getting real particular with labelling property boundaries, but will have a lot of trouble making so entire property boundary is dog tight. This is the first time in my life to employ no trespassing. largely to prevent neighbors from coming on to embolden their dogs.

I am so sorry, there is NOTHING worse than a bad neighbor!! My Min-Pin used to kill and bring home my neighbors chickens quite often. My husband told me to beat the dog (not hard) with the dead chicken to make it stop, it didn't work, the next day she brought me another chicken! We loved our wonderful, helpful neighbor and finally asked him to shoot her in the butt with a BB gun.... he did and that stopped it! NOT everyone's solution but it worked for us, it was either that or keep her in a pen.

 

[centrarchid]

I am so sorry, there is NOTHING worse than a bad neighbor!! My Min-Pin used to kill and bring home my neighbors chickens quite often. My husband told me to beat the dog (not hard) with the dead chicken to make it stop, it didn't work, the next day she brought me another chicken! We loved our wonderful, helpful neighbor and finally asked him to shoot her in the butt with a BB gun.... he did and that stopped it! NOT everyone's solution but it worked for us, it was either that or keep her in a pen.

We did something similar with neighbors beagle. This occurred long ago. Offending dog was caught in the hen house chasing hens. Dog's bottom was rubbed with a dry corn cob, then turpentine was applied to rubbed area. Dog ran home dragging it's butt on ground much of the way. It did not return. Lesson dog learned likely just not visit that barnyard to be caught by those kids.

Dog survived and lived long life. Contrast that with legal option of shooting to kill as not killing gets the shooter in trouble.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I wish that it was legal to shoot with a paintball gun. Sounds mean, I know, but I can't imagine many dogs (maybe thicker furred ones?) Would continue after a ball or two to the ribs

 

[DoozyWombat]

I just looked it up to see where the closest animal control was to where I live. It is 31 miles away and does not serve my county.

So call the sheriff's department and ask them what your options are. I'd be willing to bet that the owner is responsible for what their animal does on other people's property; I think that's one of those fundamentals.

The deputy I talked to said, "If it were me, I'd just shoot him when he comes back--as he surely will."

It's explicit in Virginia state law (the deputy looked it up and quoted it) that shooting a dog on one's own property that is attacking or chasing livestock or pets is a fully protected action. He also said the owner would have to pay for any damages caused. And he also said that the owner of that dog was committing a crime if the dog attacked my livestock.

I don't know anything about laws in MO or elsewhere, but it can't hurt to ask. Ironically, some animals are protected under federal law, and there might be crazy places (like Fairfax County, VA) where shooting a rabid dog that's about to bite your child will get you arrested. But start with the sheriff.

All the comments about just training the dog to leave your place alone don't make any sense at all to me. Once the dog has learned that killing a chicken is fun with a tasty reward, I don't think it will ever learn to leave them alone. It might learn to stay away from your property, but it will just go kill someone else's flock.

I don't believe in any form of cruelty to animals, but I am not going to confuse them with people. I don't want to shoot anyone's pet, but I will most certainly shoot a predator going after creatures in my care. One of my hens got carried off and eaten. I never found the body, but found the place where he'd plucked her before carrying her off. Another of my hens I found badly chewed, with her neck bleeding and half her feathers gone, but alive. I tried to treat her, but she didn't last the night. That's animal nature, but it's also cruel. Much less cruel, in my opinion, is killing the predator which is out of control and killing my flock.

I don't blame the dog for being a dog, but I do blame the owner of that dog for failing to train and control their pet.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

So call the sheriff's department and ask them what your options are. I'd be willing to bet that the owner is responsible for what their animal does on other people's property; I think that's one of those fundamentals.

The deputy I talked to said, "If it were me, I'd just shoot him when he comes back--as he surely will."

It's explicit in Virginia state law (the deputy looked it up and quoted it) that shooting a dog on one's own property that is attacking or chasing livestock or pets is a fully protected action. He also said the owner would have to pay for any damages caused. And he also said that the owner of that dog was committing a crime if the dog attacked my livestock.

I don't know anything about laws in MO or elsewhere, but it can't hurt to ask. Ironically, some animals are protected under federal law, and there might be crazy places (like Fairfax County, VA) where shooting a rabid dog that's about to bite your child will get you arrested. But start with the sheriff.

All the comments about just training the dog to leave your place alone don't make any sense at all to me. Once the dog has learned that killing a chicken is fun with a tasty reward, I don't think it will ever learn to leave them alone. It might learn to stay away from your property, but it will just go kill someone else's flock.

I don't believe in any form of cruelty to animals, but I am not going to confuse them with people. I don't want to shoot anyone's pet, but I will most certainly shoot a predator going after creatures in my care. One of my hens got carried off and eaten. I never found the body, but found the place where he'd plucked her before carrying her off. Another of my hens I found badly chewed, with her neck bleeding and half her feathers gone, but alive. I tried to treat her, but she didn't last the night. That's animal nature, but it's also cruel. Much less cruel, in my opinion, is killing the predator which is out of control and killing my flock.

I don't blame the dog for being a dog, but I do blame the owner of that dog for failing to train and control their pet.

OP has been speaking with their law enforcement. They have already shot a dog but since they and their young children live there and are planning to continue living there for some time, they don't want to cause unnecessary issues with the neighbprs. Hence why he hasn't wiped the pack out already.

 

[MTKitty]

I wish that it was legal to shoot with a paintball gun. Sounds mean, I know, but I can't imagine many dogs (maybe thicker furred ones?) Would continue after a ball or two to the ribs

Especially if they are fresh from the freezer ...

 

[centrarchid]

It is unfortunate, but I have dealt with multiple dog problems over the last decade or so. I have killed multiple dogs over that interval. Killing a dog has usually been a behavior changer for just that dog's owner, if a change occurs at all. There has been a relatively high rate of turnover of neighbors with only one that had an offending dog that is around after a couple years. All the others have moved out, sometimes to be replaced by another with problematic dog management. I must do this for the long haul. A wise person previously said in so many words, do not be overly controlled by over-sized pendulous gonads. Getting all riled up does not work well and may be bad for your health. My approach has kept me in chickens the entire time while not a single one of my neighbors within a mile radius has kept birds for more than 5 years. They did have dog / chicken conflicts without exception, and they tended to be reactionary and one dimensional in their responses.

 

[NatJ]

I wish that it was legal to shoot with a paintball gun. Sounds mean, I know, but I can't imagine many dogs (maybe thicker furred ones?) Would continue after a ball or two to the ribs

You're thinking of it as a deterrent?

I've thought it would be useful for marking dogs, to settle questions of whether it was really THAT dog that was intruding.

(I have no actual experience with paintballs, so I don't know how it feels to be hit with one.)