Neighbors let their aggressive dog free in our yard

[RWise]

im worried about when all my chickens go outside into the coop. But I don't want to make enemies with our new neighbors. They are young and I think lack serious etiquette when it comes to keeping pets. The other day I was out in the coop feeding the two chickens, and the dog comes within 5 feet of me, bears its teeth and growls. She calls him and he doesn't listen. The chickens were pretty freaked out and so was I. This has happen numerous times already this spring and I'm sick of it and I'm afraid I might snap and make enemies. The thing that makes me most angry is she sees that he barks and growls in my face and never once does she apologize. What should I do? I thought maybe do a letter?

I have bad neighbors with bad dogs, keep yourself safe.
I myself shoot these dogs, they are killing my livestock.
Second thing I do is call the sheriff! File a report and have him/her go talk the the dud neighbor.
One of these neighbors now keeps their bad dogs chained, I dont like to see this, but if thats what it takes to keep them home, so be it. Another now has dogs that stay home (for now).
I have told both of these folks that next time their animal kill mine, we go to court, and they will be paying all costs and for my losses!
Good luck!! Do not let this slide or it will get worse.

 

[Kusanar]

Don’t call animal control, it might be very nice to humans and maybe just doesn’t like your chickens, just tell them nicely that you don’t want their dog near your chickens and if you have to say that the dog is stressing out your chickens.

Ahh, this dog is not nice to humans, he barks and growls in the OP's face, these are not signs of a friendly dog...

 

[Duck Lover88]

I have bad neighbors with bad dogs, keep yourself safe.
I myself shoot these dogs, they are killing my livestock.
Second thing I do is call the sheriff! File a report and have him/her go talk the the dud neighbor.
One of these neighbors now keeps their bad dogs chained, I dont like to see this, but if thats what it takes to keep them home, so be it. Another now has dogs that stay home (for now).
I have told both of these folks that next time their animal kill mine, we go to court, and they will be paying all costs and for my losses!
Good luck!! Do not let this slide or it will get worse.

If a dog or anything was killing my livestock I wouldn't hesitate to shoot them…. in the butt…

 

[PouleChick]

Be a grown-up, use your words and be nice. You can always scream and yell and threaten later, but starting out that way never ends well. So slip on the big-girl-pants, get a nice coffee cake and go over with it and say;
"Hey, we haven't properly met. I'm your neighbor, SilkieKeeper

This would be my advice too! Over here the getting out the guns isn't an option anyway I hope it goes well! Look forward to hearing about it.

 

[Savanna’s chickens]

Ahh, this dog is not nice to humans, he barks and growls in the OP's face, these are not signs of a friendly dog...

Even if so, if it is your neighbors dog that’s not your place, so just talk to them about it

 

[Morrigan]

Nothing much to add to the great advice you've already gotten to have a friendly chat with your neighbors before escalating the situation.

Just lending lending moral support for your upcoming conversation with your neighbors. I hate doing that sort of thing as well. My only advice is to get it over with as soon as possible. Worrying and fretting about how it will go, is not productive and is only bringing down the quality of your life. Better to have it behind you.

 

[Howard E]

I think the OP's first observation was the dog's owners are young and perhaps uninformed.......perhaps not stupid.....but likely not aware of the enormous responsibility that goes with having a dog that is allowed to roam free. And the liability that goes with it as well. By and large, many of them are clueless when it comes to that side of ownership. They just thought it would be cool to have a dog. Then for whatever reason, they kick him outside.......the canine version of free ranging chickens. And roam he does. Some will own it, but likely as not, they won't. We shouldn't be the ones to bear the brunt of their mistakes, but we do. Lots of ways to deal with it. Talking to them would be a good place to start. Depending on the kids, that may or may not help. They either understand respect and accept responsibility, or they don't.

FWIW, I had a similar experience a few months back. House across the road is now occupied by renters. On weekends, they get visitors who bring their dogs with them to the country. Nice place to let them run, right? After all, it is a 500 acre farm. But that house is no more than 150 yards from my house....and dogs don't know boundaries of where 500 acre farms start and end. I was outside and had heard a girl yelling, but didn't know what it meant. I found out when I was out in the back with the birds and heard a dog growling. I looked up to see a white pit bull bearing down on me......being followed by a little pug toady. Dog was roaming the neighborhood, out of control and when he spotted me, here he comes. Problem for the dog was he and I (and the birds) were separated by a 4 wire electric fence charged with 13,000 volts. While charging me, he failed to see the fence and walked right into it. He got walloped, let out a yelp and retreated at least 100 feet before he turned around. Stared back at me for a second before trotting on home. Still very much alive but a whole lot more humble and no longer interested in me or the birds. A few moments later, when he got back home, more yelling at the dog, like that was going to help. He has never been back. Nor has the black lab that was roaming around, or the big white dog. Or countless others. They tangle with the fence, they leave and don't come back.

Assuming you are packing heat and ready all the time (when the pit came charging, I wasn't and I wasn't), a person could shoot such dogs, but that creates all sorts of trouble downstream with the owners. With some....who cares. With others, you would regret it. Bad blood from then on. No matter how wrong they were and how much in the right you were, you will always be the bag guy who shot their dog.

So for those who would like to get ahead of the curve, and get prepared for the dogs and other predators who are coming.........so your experience can be like mine was with the white pit............

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/dogs-and-electric-fences.1210854/

 

[bobbi-j]

I think the OP's first observation was the dog's owners are young and perhaps uninformed.......perhaps not stupid.....but likely not aware of the enormous responsibility that goes with having a dog that is allowed to roam free. And the liability that goes with it as well. By and large, many of them are clueless when it comes to that side of ownership. They just thought it would be cool to have a dog. Then for whatever reason, they kick him outside.......the canine version of free ranging chickens. And roam he does. Some will own it, but likely as not, they won't. We shouldn't be the ones to bear the brunt of their mistakes, but we do. Lots of ways to deal with it. Talking to them would be a good place to start. Depending on the kids, that may or may not help. They either understand respect and accept responsibility, or they don't.

FWIW, I had a similar experience a few months back. House across the road is now occupied by renters. On weekends, they get visitors who bring their dogs with them to the country. Nice place to let them run, right? After all, it is a 500 acre farm. But that house is no more than 150 yards from my house....and dogs don't know boundaries of where 500 acre farms start and end. I was outside and had heard a girl yelling, but didn't know what it meant. I found out when I was out in the back with the birds and heard a dog growling. I looked up to see a white pit bull bearing down on me......being followed by a little pug toady. Dog was roaming the neighborhood, out of control and when he spotted me, here he comes. Problem for the dog was he and I (and the birds) were separated by a 4 wire electric fence charged with 13,000 volts. While charging me, he failed to see the fence and walked right into it. He got walloped, let out a yelp and retreated at least 100 feet before he turned around. Stared back at me for a second before trotting on home. Still very much alive but a whole lot more humble and no longer interested in me or the birds. A few moments later, when he got back home, more yelling at the dog, like that was going to help. He has never been back. Nor has the black lab that was roaming around, or the big white dog. Or countless others. They tangle with the fence, they leave and don't come back.

Assuming you are packing heat and ready all the time (when the pit came charging, I wasn't and I wasn't), a person could shoot such dogs, but that creates all sorts of trouble downstream with the owners. With some....who cares. With others, you would regret it. Bad blood from then on. No matter how wrong they were and how much in the right you were, you will always be the bag guy who shot their dog.

So for those who would like to get ahead of the curve, and get prepared for the dogs and other predators who are coming.........so your experience can be like mine was with the white pit............

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/dogs-and-electric-fences.1210854/

Electric fence is definitely a good option.

 

[Folly's place]

Electric fencing will protect you and your birds from more than this one dog; It's good to have for many reasons, as Howard E describes.
There are idiots everywhere, and good fencing is a huge help.
Mary

 

[RodNTN]

If talking nicely doesn't help, put up an electric fence. You don't have to scream in your neighbors face, and that certainly won't do any good.
If the dog growls in your face, he will probably hurt your chickens if he gets the chance.
I would just go with the electric fence, it'll keep this dog and other predators out