Dog Problems...Any tips on keeping them away?

[AGeese]

I would go with the electric wire options as noted earlier. You can also use a hose and give them a good squirt, but better still I've seen motion activated impact sprinklers to scare of pests. Otherwise since you don't know who's dog this it may be best to just contact Animal Control and get a report filed so you're in the right should this progress.

If the situation is immediate like an animal in danger or causing danger/conflict I've never had a problem reporting to 911, they just relay it on over to Animal Control or whoever's on duty be it the sheriff or police. It's not just your chickens here, but your right to peace on your own property.

 

[allenw]

Can you put a fence or barrier of some type up to restrict access to where your chickens are at? Pallets can often be picked up for free, ugly but will work and could be painted. If you can find some of the light wood material that is wrapped around some bulk pallets it is light and wired and stapled together and can be held up with electric fence posts or rebar stakes.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I think the fences (electric wire and others) are a great option, but if you don’t already have them it can be a huge expense. Especially if the dog is a one time (hopefully) issue.

 

[bobbi-j]

A roll of wire, some step-in posts and a bag or two of insulators will cost a bit, but would be worth it in the long run. They are on duty all the time, night and day. The water hose and loud noise tactics require you to be available 24/7 to be affective. A few wires of electric fence are also fairly easy to set up.

 

[McChooky]

I bought an "open box" 10 volt electric fence charger on eBay for $50 after sending them an email offering them less than their buy it now price.There are deals to be made everyday lol.

 

[AGeese]

I bought an "open box" 10 volt electric fence charger on eBay for $50 after sending them an email offering them less than their buy it now price.There are deals to be made everyday lol.

There you go, ebay has some deals, but prices are rising everywhere now.

 

[NatJ]

If I reported one dog would they fine for all of the others? I'm not sure who's dog it is, as I've said, but most people here have multiple they let run around. I don't really want anyone to get in trouble for dogs I (as of yet) have no quarrel with.

I don't know for sure, but if you say you are reporting one dog, and describe that particular dog, it might help avoid trouble for other dogs and their owners.

Funny that you're allowed to kill a dog harassing your animals (in some places), but might get in trouble for just shooting it.

I think it does make some sense.

Almost no-one wants a dog to suffer, but people do need to protect their livestock.

If the dog is actually dead, it is not suffering any pain, and it is never going to come back and bother the chickens or other livestock again.

But if you injure the dog, it is in pain until it heals, AND it might come back later.

Some dogs will stay away after you scare them with noise, some will stay away after being hurt, and some will keep coming back no matter what you do, as long as they are still alive.

So for a dog that is determined to come back, killing it is more effective at preventing ALL suffering (to the dog that gets killed, and to the livestock that would otherwise be chased, injured, or killed.) Of course, just chasing the dog away or making noise is the obvious thing to try first, because for some dogs that is enough to stop the problem.

 

[GenStewart]

I’ve had very similar experiences. Some neighborhood dogs are fine. Others have claimed several chickens while free ranging. All animals have a risk/reward ratio. So far the reward doesn’t seem to be that high except for fun. So it’ll be easiest to solve it now before something worse happens.
I don’t know where you live, but in Alabama, it’s legal to shoot and kill “any creature” that is a threat to you or your livestock. I haven’t and will not shoot a dog. BUT, a gunshot nearby will make the dog think twice. But absolutely check your local laws and such before using a gun to any extent.

Check with your local animal control office. In our area, they will come out and set a humane trap at no charge to you. What happens next is they try and contact the owner and they have to pay to get them back. And the price to free the dog goes up each time.

Also again, check local laws and such. But reporting a loose dog to the sheriffs office could produce fines for the owner. And if nothing else, it creates an official paper trail in case something bad happens and you need compensation. Pictures/video go a long way as well.

I haven’t had to go that far yet. But all of this was told to me by the sheriffs office and animal control. We were able to solve to problem easily. But look at local laws and find your rights before doing anything drastic.

This is how we have done it from the old days ! Take a shotgun shell,open it up and fill it with rock salt. Make sure the dog is 30 ft way and shoot it in the body avoiding it’s head. The sound of the shot and sting of the salt will assure he will not return. The salt won’t break the skin and only leave whelts. If you are to close and the salt breaks the skin it will melt and act as a healing agent. You will actually be saving the dogs life because someone is going to kill the dog in the future out of frustration and anger. Some lessons in life are hard and unpleasant. Never the less we must be responsible and do what is necessary.

 

[samanthaoverton]

My lovely white trash neighbors dogs killed my fatty Pekin ducks..they were my pets. They killed them for sport. We live on thirty acres..said neighbors don't feed dogs. My husband does warning shots but if something kills something... I would also suggest (don't care how it sounds) conning it with food and dropping it off at a neighboring humane society in another town. I have a dog myself but I wouldn't want it hurting livestock. He is an indoor dog. Either keep the dog Inside or on a leash. I stress everytime I leave my feather babies, and they are all in fences now..hungry dogs are resourceful. Either take care of your animal..or don't have one..in tn we have nuisance animal laws..if it's a nuisance. I'm sorry you have crappy neighbors, I know the feeling. SHOOT, SHOVEL, SHUT UP

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It's the dog owners responsibility to keep their dog under control not yours. It shouldn't be too much trouble figuring out whose dog it is. Talk to neighbors and solve the two questions at hand. First and foremost is who owns this blue healer? Then the question is are they willing to contain the dog? Shock color and perimeter, leash the dog or whatever they desire if they even consider containing the dog. It's their responsibility.

I find talking to neighbors works well. If it's evident a neighbor is not receptive then I'd voice/threaten a call to animal control to try and prompt them into taking care of their responsibility in animal ownership.

Having birds in runs or tractors is your responsibility of reasonable protection. If the neighbor does not comply with their duties after you've explained the situation then call animal control or town constable. If they don't or can't take care of the situation then clearly a bullet is cheaper than a fence to solve the problem.

There are no bad dogs, only bad dog owners. Sadly those poor animals are lost to being useful. It's not their fault but they are a menace that need eliminating. Young animals that are allowed to harass livestock eventually kill livestock and run down and kill wildlife. Where I grew up the constable always took care of straying dogs and did not have the patience to find the owners. He kept a gun in his truck. People would call him to say where they are seeing dogs or groups of dogs running deer or what have you and he was a good shot. As a humanitarian I would start to solve a situation by talking with neighbors. Regardless the outcome the problem would get solved quickly and humanly.