How to dispose of annoying dogs

[PunkinPeep]

Texas laws lean heavily in favor of the rights of the property owner. That said, i would wait until the dogs were well inside my fenced property before i shot them. Otherwise, you run the risk of wounding them and having them running down the road away from your property. Then it's just your word to say they were actually on your property when you shot them. Besides, they're not actually a threat to you or or your chickens while on the other side of your gate.

I know that where i live, the Sheriff isn't too quick to get into a dispute like this one, but if the dog is well on your property when you shoot (and hopefully very quickly kill) him, then the owner is less likely to even claim something different happened. If he dies in the street, then it's all he said...she said...my sweet dog, etc.

Oh, and for those of you mentioning leash laws....leash laws rarely exist out in the country, at least in Texas, and if they do, the police in small communities are not generally too excited about enforcing them.

 

[rufus]

Electric fence. Once will do the trick. You don't want to go shooting in neighborhood. Those bullets keep on going until they hit something solid, like your prize bull, your $200,000 tractor or worse your wife's car. And surely you don't want to kill someone.

Rufus

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
ummmm not in Texas. Secondly, the OP stated the same dogs almost killed her rooster previously which meant they were on the wrong property. The dogs coming under the gate, growling at the OP trying to shoo them away...they took off after OP went inside to get a gun.

OP...shoot the danged mutts and be done with it. The have an idiot for an owner if he thinks his "babies" would not hurt anything and secondly, he is letting them run at large and be a nuisance so he is also an irresponsible owner or just does not give a dang. Either way...protect your birds...drop the dogs.

 

[Beekissed]

JustOneBite....not a painful death, merely uncomfortable as they bleed out inside. They should be dead in a day, maybe two. They will mainly feel thirsty and restless, maybe a weak feeling. No pain involved and they will die.

You can just leave some at the edge of your property when you see them approaching....it tastes like molasses. Dogs love it!

Can you help it you left out rat poison for your rats and these dogs came on your property and ate it?

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:
Just to set the record straight: If your dog were walking down my road, I'd leave it alone. If your dog had previously been on my property and attacked any of my chickens (or other animals), then growled at me on another visit - while ON MY PROPERTY - it wouldn't be going home. I wouldn't shoot a dog that strayed onto my property if it left my birds alone and didn't act in a threatening manner - heck, I'd more be likely to feed it. It's the growling that got me. I don't need a stray dog on MY property growling at me. I don't know if it's going to attack me or not. I'd feel threatened and defend myself.

"Being annoying" may not be a capital offense, but being threatening is.

As far as poisoning - I think it's cruel. They may not feel pain, but are still suffering if they're "uncomfortable and weak". If an animal needs to be put down, it should be done as swiftly as possible.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
x2

 

[highcountrychickens]

Quote:
Sounds like a good idea,but we don't have a lot of bears in texas so bear pepper spray is not widely available

Any sporting goods store will have it - Sportsman's Warehouse, Cabela's, Bass Pro shops - they all carry bear spray... I'm with you that there is no patience for a dog on your property that growls at you - Check your state statutes before you start wielding your six guns (you're in Texas, so it's long in your favor)
I have been in the same situation as you described - wayward dogs in my yard squaring off to me, being aggressive... I honestly thought I would be the sort to respond to it as you described... but when the dog growled at me I said "alright... you're going there, huh? I'll be right back" Living in Wyoming, I keep bear spray in the car for hikes, so I grabbed a can, went back and gave the dog another chance (actually there were two... part of the reason for their brevity) I removed the safety, pointed it at the dog and said "GIT"... the dog squared off and growled so I cut loose - both dogs got the blast
Honestly? Pulling a trigger would have made me feel terrible - truly - but this was just gratifying down to my socks... The dog wasn't injured, but never, ever left his property again... the owner couldn't say a thing.

I also used to have a pony who DESPISED dogs she didn't know - she trampled every wayward cur that crossed her fence, but never seemed to notice my dogs - it made for funny cocktail party conversations with the neighbor lady who cornered me to complain that my pony had caused $1300 in injuries to her Dalmatian.. to which I apologized profusely that my pony must have jumped over her fence, trotted a half mile to her house, jumped into her yard and trampled her dog (the dog had a rep. for chasing livestock and wildlife) She never mentioned it again.

Finally, if they're on your property, I recommend quietly scooping the dogs up if you can, driving them to Animal Control and dropping them off - don't remove collars or anything (not only is it bad mojo, it's illegal in most places) and drop the dogs off with the explanation that they were running free and appear to be stray - you shouldn't have to leave your name (if you do - who cares!) The owners, if they find them, will have to pay to get them out - our Animal Control officer here calls it "Checkbook Therapy". Again, it takes a bit of time, but is terribly gratifying...

Good luck - not a fun problem, is it?

 

[Beekissed]

If an animal needs to be put down, it should be done as swiftly as possible.

I agree...but if you live in a residential area and need to do these dogs on the quiet, it doesn't leave many options, does it? Of course, you could just lure them into the yard and slam them over the head with a sledge hammer....that's quick.

 

[highcountrychickens]

Quote:
Just to set the record straight: If your dog were walking down my road, I'd leave it alone. If your dog had previously been on my property and attacked any of my chickens (or other animals), then growled at me on another visit - while ON MY PROPERTY - it wouldn't be going home. I wouldn't shoot a dog that strayed onto my property if it left my birds alone and didn't act in a threatening manner - heck, I'd more be likely to feed it. It's the growling that got me. I don't need a stray dog on MY property growling at me. I don't know if it's going to attack me or not. I'd feel threatened and defend myself.

"Being annoying" may not be a capital offense, but being threatening is.

As far as poisoning - I think it's cruel. They may not feel pain, but are still suffering if they're "uncomfortable and weak". If an animal needs to be put down, it should be done as swiftly as possible.

You're so right...

I want to add that not only is poisoning cruel... it's also illegal

 

[Beekissed]

So is shooting another person's dogs, regardless of provocation, in some states. Usually involves jail time. Proving you poisoned one is harder than proving you shot one, as one involves noise, a gun, being in the open to shoot, etc.

After all...this is SSS. If you cannot S, then you can P. A dog that threatens me and mine on my own property is not going to come back to do it again, regardless of laws.