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- #81
Well, it was not my dog, but I did talk to her. And yes, I told her leave the chickens alone and go back "home" - which was in this case just the lake cabin they were staying at for a few weeks. I also walked with her all the way back home to her owners.
The second time she came around, I put her on a short rope and walked her back home. I don't think she liked that, because the third time she can into my yard sniffing up the chickens, she immediately starting walking back home as soon as she saw me coming. Still, I walked with her all the way back to her owners.
Come to think of it, I never raised my voice to the dog as she was not in the process of immediately threatening the chickens. She was testing the chicken run fencings and had actually broken a small section to get her head in, but no more than that. She was an old dog and could not move all that fast. She was not barking or making any overt attempts to chase the chickens in the run. But, she was quietly searching for weak points in the fencing and looking for a way in. She was getting smarter every time she came back and that was my concern.
Right, they were only here on vacation for a few weeks and have long since left. After the third time I returned their dog, they keep her close to the cabin and then the family was gone a day or so later.
Would I have preferred not to have to deal with that issue three times before they kept the dog at home? Absolutely. But I live with these neighbors every summer for the past 30+ years, have seen their kids grow up and return with kids of their own. That's a lot of time and investment in personal relationships that I did not want to damage with a dog attack on my chickens. So, I took extra care and effort to be patient and work with the family about their dog. I also reinforced the weak spots the dog had found/made and my predator defenses are all the better for it.
