Neighbors let their aggressive dog free in our yard

[True Patriot]

Something I didn't see in the replies is the use of video cameras. While they won't help stop the dog or talk to the neighbor for you. They will document anything that happens. I sincerely hope that this can be resolved with a simple conversation for you. But having concrete evidence if further action is necessary will give you more than just your say so if animal control or other legal action is needed. Best of luck.

 

[Foodfromhome]

I did security for a Dr.s office a decade ago and I saw a 5 year old girl that had half her face peeled down by a dog(Chow). If I can help it that’s not happening to my baby girl. Keep your dog up. I keep my animals up. Aggressive dogs have no place here and won’t be tolerated.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

My wife had her girlfriends over for a girl thing around the fire with wine and their dogs. My chickens were all out. I told them the chickens were out so they needed to keep their dogs close and not let them roam too far afield. One woman's dog, a German Shepard mix, kept roaming farther and farther away. Every couple minutes, I kept saying, "Kathy, call your dog back. I don't want it to attack my chickens". Her repeated reply was, "Oh, he won't do anything". I said, "Kathy, it's a dog. When the chickens run, he'll chase them." Her reply "Oh no he won't, he'll be fine". I said, "Kathy, don't make me shoot your dog. Call him back now or I'm going to grab my shotgun". She was incredulous and said, "You wouldn't shoot my dog and they're just chickens". So I got the shotgun and went back by the chickens at about the same time the dog ran at one of the flocks of chickens, cornering them. Luckily, they managed to fly over the fence before he could grab one, even though he tried to. It was total mayhem. To this day she doesn't understand why I would kill her dog nor the value of extremely rare chickens. She's a chef and cooks chicken all the time and doesn't know about anything other than Cornish cross and eggs.
She still says she doesn't believe I would have shot it and I continue to tell her I would if it killed one of my chickens.
Just how many times does a dog owner need to be warned? I pleaded with her a dozen times to control her dog over 20 minutes till all hell broke loose.

I would’ve shot the dog when it charged the chickens

 

[Foodfromhome]

My flock of birds is as important to me as your dog. If my chicken came to your house and pecked your dogs eyes out I’d expect you to shoot my chicken. We have good leash laws here and so cars I’ve had one small issue with a dog. Pre chickens he was a sweet dog with a collar and adress I took him home. His e collar died.

 

[ShrekDawg]

My wife had her girlfriends over for a girl thing around the fire with wine and their dogs. My chickens were all out. I told them the chickens were out so they needed to keep their dogs close and not let them roam too far afield. One woman's dog, a German Shepard mix, kept roaming farther and farther away. Every couple minutes, I kept saying, "Kathy, call your dog back. I don't want it to attack my chickens". Her repeated reply was, "Oh, he won't do anything". I said, "Kathy, it's a dog. When the chickens run, he'll chase them." Her reply "Oh no he won't, he'll be fine". I said, "Kathy, don't make me shoot your dog. Call him back now or I'm going to grab my shotgun". She was incredulous and said, "You wouldn't shoot my dog and they're just chickens". So I got the shotgun and went back by the chickens at about the same time the dog ran at one of the flocks of chickens, cornering them. Luckily, they managed to fly over the fence before he could grab one, even though he tried to. It was total mayhem. To this day she doesn't understand why I would kill her dog nor the value of extremely rare chickens. She's a chef and cooks chicken all the time and doesn't know about anything other than Cornish cross and eggs.
She still says she doesn't believe I would have shot it and I continue to tell her I would if it killed one of my chickens.
Just how many times does a dog owner need to be warned? I pleaded with her a dozen times to control her dog over 20 minutes till all hell broke loose.

Couldn't you have just locked the chickens up?

 

[Flamens Farm]

I understand your situation and feel for you, a lot of people use mace and spay the dog with it, the only problem with that is it does not stop them from coming back and being even more aggressive. An electric man sprayed my dog that was on a leash in my yard with it and she became a violent dog after that and we had to have her put to sleep. She became dangerous because of his actions of spraying her. There are other alternatives other than spraying, Sifting cayenne pepper alone the edge of your property where the dog comes from. This will irritate their nostril and usually, they stay away from where ever it is. Buy a small bag of dog biscuits and when the dog crosses the line slowly toss it a dog buscuit, it will remember you in a different way. I agree with talking with the owner and explain you are worried about you and your chicken's safety, if you are not satisfied with the results then notify animal control that you have a problem and they will also come out and speak to the owner. Maybe even face a fine if they don't get the situation under control. It's hard being a new neighbor and the dog is the one you might be able to control easier, call him by name when you toss the biscuit. I sure hope it works out for you.

 

[aligarysmom]

I have some very uneducated neighbors. I mean these are the most ignorant people i have ever spoken with. We moved in and their cats along with numerous other feral cats were in under our house. We went over and said if your cats are any crapping under our house they are going to the pound in a humane trap. So we caught a series of these feral animals and low and behold one was theirs.

We have a trespassing law in this county and they got fined for the car being on our property. They then approached us and said please don’t catch our cats anymore I said please make sure your cat stays over on your property. She scoffed at me and said that cat has been here for ten years walking on your property and crapping under your house. Well the day that cat gets a job and can pay my mortgage we can revisit this conversation until that happens if it gets caught again it will go back to the pound. Have a nice day and I closed the door. Really???!!

My husband said the cat won’t go back to the pound again .....

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I have some very uneducated neighbors. I mean these are the most ignorant people i have ever spoken with. We moved in and their cats along with numerous other feral cats were in under our house. We went over and said if your cats are any crapping under our house they are going to the pound in a humane trap. So we caught a series of these feral animals and low and behold one was theirs.

We have a trespassing law in this county and they got fined for the car being on our property. They then approached us and said please don’t catch our cats anymore I said please make sure your cat stays over on your property. She scoffed at me and said that cat has been here for ten years walking on your property and crapping under your house. Well the day that cat gets a job and can pay my mortgage we can revisit this conversation until that happens if it gets caught again it will go back to the pound. Have a nice day and I closed the door. Really???!!

My husband said the cat won’t go back to the pound again .....

My neighbor’s cat used to come over to my property and stalk my chickens and poop in my garden beds, so I sprayed it a few times with the hose and now it won’t even cross the street to my house

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Couldn't you have just locked the chickens up?

Maybe the chickens were out free ranging before the women and their dogs came over

 

[ShrekDawg]

Maybe the chickens were out free ranging before the women and their dogs came over

Yeah I know but that's what I'm saying, I would have put them back in their pen. But maybe they don't have a pen? But even when I let my dog out, I put the chickens away if they're free ranging (they don't every day) before I let him out because I know he's not good with the chickens. Let alone if a strange dog or multiple strange dogs was over. I'm just saying the whole incident could have been avoided if the chickens were locked up, especially if they knew they were coming over in advance and especially if it's rare, valuable chickens. Most dogs aren't good with chickens so not really fair to shoot one for being a dog.