Losing my patience with neighbor's dog....

[gtaus]

What breed?

It was a mixed breed dog, but very beautiful. Still would have benefited from some good training. Even if the dog was a pure breed, the owner would not have changed her mind to "let the dog be a dog" meaning she had no intention of training any dog she had.

 

[gtaus]

UPDATE: The family's vacation appears to be over. Their outside tent is packed up, their car is gone, and the kids and dog went back home. I don't know if expressing my concerns to the owners about their dog made any difference, but at least I made it through this period without any fatal dog attack.

Thanks for all the responses and suggestions. Just happy to report that all ended well. Take care.

 

[Folly's place]

People can be such idiots! I'm glad this worked out for you this year. You were a saint about it!
Electric fencing would still be a good thing...
Mary

 

[Rosebud25]

UPDATE: Well, the dog was back again this evening. Not that anyone is surprised. Both Dear Wife and I were out in the yard watering plants, mowing grass, etc... So the dog knew we where there and did not go near the chicken coop or run. She was sneaky that way. But she was wandering around the yard, the house, and the garage. I walked her back home, again, but took a different approach this time....



Yeah, that's probably a good idea to put the scare into them. I did something similar this evening. My property boarders the highway, and I saw the dog up around the road, not on it, but close to it. Anyways, when I brought the dog back this time, I told them their dog was back in the yard, but saw my wife and me outside so it did not bother the chickens, but it was wandering around the highway and I was worried that she would get run over. The neighborhood has had a number of dogs that have been run over on the road, so I told them I hope they don't have to bury their dog before they go home.



I have considered taking out my air rifle and scaring off the dog with a BB pellet in the butt. But, really, the dog is very old, weak, and limps really bad. Probably been the family pet for about 13 years. I don't think I would have the heart to ping her with a BB to scare her off. I don't have any firearms anymore. So, shooting a dog, or any predator, is not an option.

My grandfather was a great outdoorsman and he had me out deer hunting before I was in kindergarten. I grew up with firearms like so many other boys my age. When I was in college, my grandfather was in the hospital from a heart attack, and someone broke into the house and stole all our firearms while we were visiting him. Unfortunately, it was a relative that had a drug and money problem that set it up. Not too hard to figure out, but, of course, the cops were clueless even given all the info we had. They said they could do nothing without more proof. Well, grandpa died, and none of the stolen goods, including all our firearms, were ever recovered. I never bought any more firearms because I mainly shared that experience with my grandfather, and those days were gone.

If I ever experience a predator attack, I may change my mind and buy a 12-gauge shotgun for livestock protection. I'm not at that point yet. I would not have a problem shooting a wild predator, but I am much more hesitant about taking down someone's family pet. Maybe I'm getting too soft in my old age?

You might want to get a firearm before it becomes really difficult or illegal to get one

 

[Rosebud25]

I live on a lake. We (the neighborhood) get lots of visitors in the summer, especially around the 4th of July. One family of visitors is here this year with a couple of their dogs. Unfortunately, either they must think that being at the lake they can let their dogs run free, or maybe they live somewhere the dogs are never supervised. At any rate, they have an older female chocolate lab that has been coming on my property and sniffing around the chicken coop and run. She is in bad shape, limping really bad with bad hips, and can't even run.

First day, she came over, sniffed around a bit and went back home. Second day, yesterday, she came back and started testing the chicken run fencing. At that point, I went outside and walked her back to the family and asked that they please keep an eye on their dog because she was getting too interested in the chickens, and "dogs will be dogs" and I would hate to see any animals hurt. OK, they said they would keep her close to home.

Yesterday evening the old chocolate lab was back and had managed to stick her head through part of the chicken run fencing. This time, I put her on a short rope and walked her back to the family. I told them that their dog was back checking out the chickens, but this time she had broken part of the fence and had gotten her head through part of it. I asked them again to supervise their dog before bad things happen. I told them that the fence had been partially broken, but that I was able to fix it. However, their dog was getting smarter on each visit and I really did not want see any animals harmed. OK, they said they would keep the dog in their yard.

Today, this morning, their dog was back walking the chicken run fence line, looking for any weak spots. Once again, I grabbed my short rope and was going to walk her back. However, by the time I got outside, the dog had gotten into my garage and was checking out my chicks in the brooder. She had knocked over a bunch of stuff and broke my chick waterer with glass mason jar. So, I had glass all over the place. I went to put the rope on the dog, but she limped ahead of me and I just followed her back to their home. Again, I asked the mother to please watch their dog because now she was going into my garage where I have small chicks in the brooder and she had broken one of their waterers.

She offered to pay for the damage, but I said I was not so concerned about the broken jar, but really would appreciate if they kept a better eye on their dog because things are continuing to get worse with each visit. Of course, she promised that they would watch their dog and that the kids must have left the door open.

I am posting this because I want dog owners to know that they need to be responsible for their pets. If that dog actually gets inside my chicken run and kills my chickens, or into the brooder in the garage, the chicks and chickens cannot just be replaced with money. Although I only paid $15,00 for my new baby chicks, I have put in lots of time with twice daily feedings for over 6 weeks, not to mention the feed and bedding, and everything else to brood them. More importantly, these baby chicks are the ones I am counting on to provide my family with eggs this winter. I cannot get more chicks locally until next spring.

I really get along good with my summertime neighbors, and I hate to think that something could really go bad with their unsupervised dog during their vacation. As much as I value my backyard flock, I also value a great relationship with my visiting neighbors that we have built up over many years. Anyways, just a mini rant today to get things off my chest. I am currently watching my birds like a hawk to keep them safe. I have always said my greatest predator concern is neighborhood dogs. So far, my fencing has held and kept the visiting dogs out. But, a returning dog gets smarter with each visit, and that concerns me when the adult owners of the dog don't seem to take their responsibility very seriously.

You were much more patient than I would have been.

 

[NatJ]

You might want to get a firearm before it becomes really difficult or illegal to get one

You were much more patient than I would have been.

Read all the way to the end. The matter has been resolved:

UPDATE: The family's vacation appears to be over. Their outside tent is packed up, their car is gone, and the kids and dog went back home. I don't know if expressing my concerns to the owners about their dog made any difference, but at least I made it through this period without any fatal dog attack.

 

[Saaniya]

I live on a lake. We (the neighborhood) get lots of visitors in the summer, especially around the 4th of July. One family of visitors is here this year with a couple of their dogs. Unfortunately, either they must think that being at the lake they can let their dogs run free, or maybe they live somewhere the dogs are never supervised. At any rate, they have an older female chocolate lab that has been coming on my property and sniffing around the chicken coop and run. She is in bad shape, limping really bad with bad hips, and can't even run.

First day, she came over, sniffed around a bit and went back home. Second day, yesterday, she came back and started testing the chicken run fencing. At that point, I went outside and walked her back to the family and asked that they please keep an eye on their dog because she was getting too interested in the chickens, and "dogs will be dogs" and I would hate to see any animals hurt. OK, they said they would keep her close to home.

Yesterday evening the old chocolate lab was back and had managed to stick her head through part of the chicken run fencing. This time, I put her on a short rope and walked her back to the family. I told them that their dog was back checking out the chickens, but this time she had broken part of the fence and had gotten her head through part of it. I asked them again to supervise their dog before bad things happen. I told them that the fence had been partially broken, but that I was able to fix it. However, their dog was getting smarter on each visit and I really did not want see any animals harmed. OK, they said they would keep the dog in their yard.

Today, this morning, their dog was back walking the chicken run fence line, looking for any weak spots. Once again, I grabbed my short rope and was going to walk her back. However, by the time I got outside, the dog had gotten into my garage and was checking out my chicks in the brooder. She had knocked over a bunch of stuff and broke my chick waterer with glass mason jar. So, I had glass all over the place. I went to put the rope on the dog, but she limped ahead of me and I just followed her back to their home. Again, I asked the mother to please watch their dog because now she was going into my garage where I have small chicks in the brooder and she had broken one of their waterers.

She offered to pay for the damage, but I said I was not so concerned about the broken jar, but really would appreciate if they kept a better eye on their dog because things are continuing to get worse with each visit. Of course, she promised that they would watch their dog and that the kids must have left the door open.

I am posting this because I want dog owners to know that they need to be responsible for their pets. If that dog actually gets inside my chicken run and kills my chickens, or into the brooder in the garage, the chicks and chickens cannot just be replaced with money. Although I only paid $15,00 for my new baby chicks, I have put in lots of time with twice daily feedings for over 6 weeks, not to mention the feed and bedding, and everything else to brood them. More importantly, these baby chicks are the ones I am counting on to provide my family with eggs this winter. I cannot get more chicks locally until next spring.

I really get along good with my summertime neighbors, and I hate to think that something could really go bad with their unsupervised dog during their vacation. As much as I value my backyard flock, I also value a great relationship with my visiting neighbors that we have built up over many years. Anyways, just a mini rant today to get things off my chest. I am currently watching my birds like a hawk to keep them safe. I have always said my greatest predator concern is neighborhood dogs. So far, my fencing has held and kept the visiting dogs out. But, a returning dog gets smarter with each visit, and that concerns me when the adult owners of the dog don't seem to take their responsibility very seriously.

I remembered my dad shared his experience from his adulthood when he was very upset with a dog who bark at 2 am he told me a very kind technic is that he somehow manage to apply Olive Oil in his Butthole and voila he stopped barking without harm

 

[CannedMonster]

The problem is solved for now. Here’s to hoping they don’t show up next year with a new puppy

 

[gtaus]

You might want to get a firearm before it becomes really difficult or illegal to get one

I grew up hunting out in the field with my grandpa before I was big enough to carry our lunch. Always had rifles and shotguns from an early age, went through gun safety training, member of NRA (when they believed in gun safety), and really enjoyed those days out in nature hunting for food. We never killed anything that we could not eat.

I am not anti-gun, per se, but had not felt the need to own a firearm in my current situation. If I had a problem with small predators, then I would use one of my live traps to capture the animal. If a large predator, like a bear, were to attack my chickens, I would not be willing to kill the bear. A few years ago, we had a mountain lion cross the property in the dead of night - she was screaming and howling - so there was no mistake she was outside. I would not be able to shoot a mountain lion either, and they might be protected in any case.

I seriously doubt that hunting rifles and shotguns will ever be hard to get in the US. I have no use for other types of guns with large capacity mags or that can be converted to fully automatic with bump stocks and such. When I went out hunting squirrels with grandma's long barrel 22 rifle, I would only take 1 bullet with me. If I missed, the squirrel got to live another day. (I did not miss very often). Our shotguns for birds had a plug in them to limit the loading of 3 shells. I was OK with that too. Our deer hunting rifles had small clips, too, but I cannot remember how many they held. Point is, none of the firearms I grew up with and used for hunting are used for the terrible mass shootings we see today. So, I don't think I will worry about not being able to purchase a hunting firearm in the future.

Fortunately, I was able to prevent an attack by the neighboring dog without the use of firearms. That was the outcome I was hoping for in this case. I don't judge others who decide to use lethal force to protect their livestock, but that was not my intention in this situation.

 

[gtaus]

You were much more patient than I would have been.

I am much more patient than I used to be! Maybe it comes with older age? But I tend to reflect more now than immediately react to a situation as I get older.