Neighbors let their aggressive dog free in our yard

[Kusanar]

Update....my husband talked to my neighbors and they are going to keep him on a leash. Let's hope they follow through. I appreciate everyone's advice!

That's great news!! Hopefully they do follow through with that, and at least now, they know that he is a problem and if he comes back, you can tell them that animal control will be called next time (would be the 3rd strike) without it being out of the blue.

 

[PouleChick]

Update....my husband talked to my neighbors and they are going to keep him on a leash. Let's hope they follow through. I appreciate everyone's advice!

I'm pleased that there was an amicable resolution all that talk of guns was making me nervous - lets hope that it does stay on the leash and you have no more problems!

 

[Matilda Belle]

I'm pleased that there was an amicable resolution all that talk of guns was making me nervous - lets hope that it does stay on the leash and you have no more problems!

I don't own a gun. I do have a recurve and a few arrows, but I'm a terrible shot. lol

 

[PouleChick]

but I'm a terrible shot. lol

So the dog would have been safe then - perhaps the neighbours hanging back watching not so much

 

[Matilda Belle]

I'm thinking that just the sight of my new naked neck frizzle will be enough to keep the dog away.

 

[Dr.GarryTTucker]

My neighbor does the same thing. I put up an electric fence. It solved the problem when my neighbor said I was hurting their dog I said well I have to protect my chickens from your dog. He stoped letting his dog out.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That’s a person....this is a dog. Sorry you don’t see the difference.

There actually is something more right. It’s right to have proper dog ownership. If the dog needs to be kept close. Then keep her close. If you bring an animal to someone’s house or anywhere you have control at all times. That’s what right.

I never said a dog was the same thing as a person.... not even remotely what I was suggesting...

But what IS the same is the concern for safety.

AKA lock the dog or chickens up.

And I agree that she should have kept him close and had proper control over him.... I never once said she shouldn't have. In fact, I'm pretty sure I said she was in the wrong.

okay hold up. this conversation seems to be heating up a bit. I respect everyone on this forum, but remember, we are here to help someone who needs advice. and, currently, that's not something that is even being discussed. you both have different opinions and that OKAY.

Thank you. I don't see why there has to be such an argument over it.

As a huge dog and chicken lover (along with pigs, ducks, cats, etc... gotta love the critters), I think that there is really an order of operations depending on the poor behavior of said trespassing dog. Dogs are dogs. It's not their fault if their owners are idiots. That being said, there are just plain bad dogs. If a neighbor's dog came onto my property and stood its ground and snarled at me or threatened my birds/family etc, the course of action would be as follows:
First incident: speak politely to neighbor (I always introduce myself to new neighbors - always good to gauge what type of folks they are)
Second incident: speak to neighbor again but be less polite. Maybe let them know that you really don't want to get animal control involved, but you will if necessary.
Third incident: file a report with animal control. Tell neighbor that if their dog is caught on property threatening livestock or yourself/family/etc. that it won't be leaving.

90% of my neighbors are awesome, but there are some folks down the road that are just plain trash. They had dogs running all over the place. Random people living in tents and trailers on their property. Caught one dog on top of my duck pen tearing apart my run. Caught one trying to dig under the coop to get in. Caught one with my freaking hen its mouth (she survived and still cranking today). I had repeatedly spoken to these people. I felt bad because the main problem dog was just young and actually very friendly with people, but I had had enough. I marched over to their house and lost my cool. Informed them that if the dogs are seen on my property again, they are DEAD. Simple as that. My language was less refined and I was literally shaking with rage, but they got the point. Also called animal control and filed multiple reports. In addition to that, reported the conditions the dogs were living in. Week later, no dogs.

Every situation is different and really only you have a handle on what type of people your neighbors are. I truly hope it works out with no hard feelings on either side.

EXACTLY. Hence why I wouldn't shoot one.

Typical 'dog attack' thread here, every one of them turns into a pages long ranting argumentative free for all. Guessing the OP here will never be back to continue their story(not that I blame them)...also typical, SMH.

I didn't mean for it to be

That would seem the smart thing to do and I probably would have if I had known they were coming with their dogs and I only had 5 chickens with a pen and a single coop. However, with about 70 birds free ranging that roost in 7 different buildings it would be impossible to corral them all in the middle of the afternoon. The right thing would have been for the woman I pleaded with to recall her dog rather than ignore the situation, continue to chat, drinking wine and telling me not to worry.
The chickens were ranging at the back of the property a hundred yards from the fire pit. There would have been no problem if she kept the dog close to her.

Or a leash.

If the owner wouldn't or couldn't recall or control her own dog, I don't know how I was going to prevent it from chasing and killing chickens without shooting it. Just because she didn't believe the dog would bother them.

Sorry, I didn't realize you had so many chickens and coops. I can see why it would be rather difficult, or impossible, to round them up. I only have 7 so it's a lot easier for me.

I also didn't realize that you didn't know the dogs were coming. Apologies, I assumed you knew.

And that's quite a ways away. For some reason I was thinking it was a smallish backyard and the chickens weren't that far from the fire. But that's quite a distance and she definitely should have never let him get that far. Well, she shouldn't have even in a smaller yard, but I guess in a smaller yard, she would have had less time to call him I guess. That far, even with no chickens, I would be worried he'd get hurt or into trouble or something too.

Anyways, I can see why you would want to protect your flock but maybe I'm too soft hearted or something because I still wouldn't have shot him. I would have grabbed a leash and leashed him OR if it was too far to get there in time, possibly used an air horn or something. There are other options. It just depends on what one prefers. And I don't like guns, never have, and don't even own one, plus am more suburban, so for me it's not even an option. Though we do have almost 3 acres (only like an acre is grass, the rest woods), we're in the middle of a condo/townhome development and have a street of regular houses right behind us and the houses are really close in the back. So I don't think it would even be legal here, even to protect from an actual predator like coyote or fox or something. And I am NOT saying dogs aren't an actual predator cause I know they are a huge problem in some areas and can do more damage than others, but I just meant like natural/wild predators. Plus dogs aren't an issue here.

Anyway, I guess I just have different perspective or something because I don't live in the country and don't own a gun.

Plus I really love dogs and all animals so I couldn't shoot one. Especially knowing it's not the dog's fault. Idk.

But I didn't realize that you couldn't lock them up or that you didn't know they were bringing dogs.

That's also a huge distance to travel, even no chickens. I used to have my dog on a 50 foot or sometimes 30 foot leash when we would go on a walk somewhere away from the road (6 feet on main roads) but that's it. And even that was sometimes too far for my liking. I'm thinking my next dog I'll train to be within like 25 feet or something. Idk. Long story short, no matter where you are, whether in a safe yard or field, or on hikes or walks or whatever, off leash or on, 300 feet is wayyyy too far for a dog to go imo. Even is a safe location. You just don't have control of them at that distance. And then stuff like what happened happens. And if the dog decides to chase a squirrel (or chickens), greet a person, fight a dog, whatever, they're already 300 feet away and no way you can grab them or stop them. At least at 25 feet or even 50, you could run up and grab them or recall them. Cause at that distance they may not even be paying attention or hear you.

She definitely should have recalled him or leashed him.

But I'd like to add here that I never really had a different opinion in that I never thought the woman was right. I always thought she should have had control or recalled him back. But all I was saying was that IF locking them up was an option, that should have been done too. But I see now that it was not an option. But either way, the lady is still at fault. And frankly, I don't see what's so wrong about suggesting to lock them up or saying that I would have done that.

I'm pleased that there was an amicable resolution all that talk of guns was making me nervous - lets hope that it does stay on the leash and you have no more problems!

Same

I don't own a gun. I do have a recurve and a few arrows, but I'm a terrible shot. lol

LOL

 

[aligarysmom]

Wow long response of defensiveness for someone who doesn’t understand why there has to be an argument about it.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Defensive? You've been passive aggressive and attacking me just because I said I would have locked them up. I'm done here. Have a good day.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

...


Sorry, I didn't realize you had so many chickens and coops. I can see why it would be rather difficult, or impossible, to round them up. I only have 7 so it's a lot easier for me.

I also didn't realize that you didn't know the dogs were coming. Apologies, I assumed you knew.

And that's quite a ways away. For some reason I was thinking it was a smallish backyard and the chickens weren't that far from the fire. But that's quite a distance and she definitely should have never let him get that far. Well, she shouldn't have even in a smaller yard, but I guess in a smaller yard, she would have had less time to call him I guess. That far, even with no chickens, I would be worried he'd get hurt or into trouble or something too.

Anyways, I can see why you would want to protect your flock but maybe I'm too soft hearted or something because I still wouldn't have shot him. I would have grabbed a leash and leashed him OR if it was too far to get there in time, possibly used an air horn or something. There are other options. It just depends on what one prefers. And I don't like guns, never have, and don't even own one, plus am more suburban, so for me it's not even an option. Though we do have almost 3 acres (only like an acre is grass, the rest woods), we're in the middle of a condo/townhome development and have a street of regular houses right behind us and the houses are really close in the back. So I don't think it would even be legal here, even to protect from an actual predator like coyote or fox or something. And I am NOT saying dogs aren't an actual predator cause I know they are a huge problem in some areas and can do more damage than others, but I just meant like natural/wild predators. Plus dogs aren't an issue here.

Anyway, I guess I just have different perspective or something because I don't live in the country and don't own a gun.

Plus I really love dogs and all animals so I couldn't shoot one. Especially knowing it's not the dog's fault. Idk.

But I didn't realize that you couldn't lock them up or that you didn't know they were bringing dogs.

That's also a huge distance to travel, even no chickens. I used to have my dog on a 50 foot or sometimes 30 foot leash when we would go on a walk somewhere away from the road (6 feet on main roads) but that's it. And even that was sometimes too far for my liking. I'm thinking my next dog I'll train to be within like 25 feet or something. Idk. Long story short, no matter where you are, whether in a safe yard or field, or on hikes or walks or whatever, off leash or on, 300 feet is wayyyy too far for a dog to go imo. Even is a safe location. You just don't have control of them at that distance. And then stuff like what happened happens. And if the dog decides to chase a squirrel (or chickens), greet a person, fight a dog, whatever, they're already 300 feet away and no way you can grab them or stop them. At least at 25 feet or even 50, you could run up and grab them or recall them. Cause at that distance they may not even be paying attention or hear you.

...



LOL

No worries. I'm not upset in the least. I realize most people have a small flock of chick, a single coop and runs attached to them. Every situation is different and the whole picture isn't usually possible to be portrayed in a single post.