NIEGHBORS DOG!!! VENT!!!!!

[sunket77]

I have had chickens for 3 years and in this three years have *hoped* longingly that our neighbors would just move! First it was their big dog they just could not keep in their yard....which led to a threat of shooting the dog if this continued. FINALLY they have seemed to manage the big one and keep it in their yard. NOW they have a chiwawa! Which they have felt they can just let out to come back whenever. The dog has come into our yard and has repeatedly chased our chickens that are loose ....we have about 3 free rangers that refuse to go in the coop they have been out here for nearly 3 years with no problem, I wouldn't be completely heartbroken if something happened to them BUT that to me is different when it comes to your neighbors do mangling them.

AGAIN today the D@#*! dog was in our yard and had the little rooster cornered. ALONG with my dog whom I have worked with for months and months to leave chickens alone...obviously she does or they would all be dead. BUT as all dogs will do the pack mentality just is to high when another dog is having so much fun. Thanks to me and my big pregnant but running out to stop them the little guy got away, although I am pretty sure he is injured he is hiding under the porch and wont come out.

Our laying flock is luckily in a run, BUT we do on occasion let them out to free range, now we can't, if we do we can't even go inside. We haven't lost a chicken yet to a predator including my dog which KNOWS not to mess with them.....that is unless a friend is doing so.....she obviously falls victim peer pressure easily....which *sigh* is no laughing matter when it comes to our precious chickens.

I just don't know what to do!!!! this dog doesn't even run from you when you yell at it.....(I actually managed to smack it today)

.....I invested money on an invisible fence because we rent and just can't afford to put a fence over 4 acres we don't even own! BUT it keeps my dog in my yard!

.....I invested TIME to train my dog to live with chickens and it all flies out the window with something like this!!

.....I don't know how much longer we are going to be neighbors but I want it to stop but I don't want to get on some level of just plain yelling at them....

......I almost did today..... I was ******, and pregnancy hormones didn't help! ANY advice on how to handle this kindly????


They have been asked to to keep the dog in the yard already.

 

[Jenny28]

Call your town hall or animal control depending on how big your town is. Explain the problem. Write down dates, times, examples. Keep a log of when/how often it happens. Take pictures. Document, document. Call and call again until it stops happening and/or is taken care of. Most states have laws that if a loose dog is bothering/chasing/harming livestock it can be shot no questions asked. While I wouldn't necessarily go that route, I would consider it an option if needed. But, the first and easiest step is to call and complain. At the very least they are in violation of leash laws and will be fined and the animal impounded. If they have to shell out $ they might be pushed to keep their dog fenced in.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Can you call the cops? I know if any pet in my neighborhood is off the owner's property, it is considered a stray, and if anyone calls animal control, they will gladly take it away. And, the owner has to pay to get it back form the shelter. Or, you can do what other people do, and just shoot it, but then you would be causing huge problems with your neighbors, and they may try to kill your chickens in return. I would give them one more final warning, and figure out what you can do from there. I know ow you feel, because peoples' cats are always wandering around my neighborhood and pooping on my lawn. You have the right to be mad and should do something about it.

 

[sunket77]

I live pretty far out, if I called animal control it would take a while to get here (not to mention I am on the county line and they can't even tell me which county to call!)

We have the same landlord but they have been warned before and there aren't any real consequences. I do live and Texas and I can legally shoot the dog if I want to (I think....seeing as how I rent and it's not technically my property) My problem is we love all animals like you said....it would only cause more problems.

A while back a guy shot a dog after his flock and it hit the media like crazy. Sure people love their pets but part of loving and taking care of them is making sure no harm comes to them, the dog could have just as easily been hit by a car. The guy was just protecting what was his.

Right now besides yet another awkward conversation with the neighbors, I think I will invest in an airsoft gun and practice my aim. I do have the next step up which is a bb gun but it may actually hurt the dog pretty bad, since it's so small. My husband wants to take a more indirect approach and just take the dog and dump it down the road.....I get what he means but the dog may get hit by a car. I would rather turn it over to animal control. I am considering putting it in a crate until animal control gets here....at least if they have to come out and they want the dog back they will have to pay a fine or at least take us seriously.

I just really HATE we have to be put in this situation in the first place!!!! I know only in a perfect world would your only neighbors be polite and respectful, some people are just that lucky!

 

[MBagel]

I have had the same exact problem, I also live in Tx and rent but I took the pellet gun approach and it has worked wonders! the dog will not even come close to our yard now. I hope you get it figured out, it is such a pain when people dont respect others and let their dogs run all over the place.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I have had horrible neighbors all my life and it's worse for me because I live in a tiny, crowded, suburban town where your nearest neighbor is always a good 5 inches away from your property line. If I were you, I'd use an air soft gun. My brother has one and we tried shooting the cats once, but they ran away. Or, you could trap the dog and turn It in. Those are your best options.

 

[Gryphon]

If your options were to shoot the dog or abandon it, the far less cruel option is to shoot it. Abandoning a dog that has no idea how to survive on its own means you've slowly starved it to death, or just made it some other person's problem by having the dog attack THEIR livestock. Catching it and waiting for animal control to pick it up is the best option, make it clear that although the dog is small, it WAS attacking/harassing your livestock. One other option if you can manage it is to put up a small electric fence around the coop, so at least that area is protected.

I'm sorry you have such bad neighbors, they never make it easy on anyone else, do they?

 

[sunket77]

I think they actually think because of the dogs size that it can't hurt chickens, lets say it can't catch one....well my dog can....my chickens don't run from my dog. They have gone and undone everything I worked so hard for!! I can let all my chickens out and she completely ignores them....but at what point will this fun game become a habit for her??

My chickens stay in my yard, they don't even venture to the front (which is where our properties meet my house faces the side of theirs) even my CHICKENS stay in the yard with no fence. My dog does try to heard them and keep them close but sometimes they go in the back and out of her parameter so. The most she does is run around them.

I am hoping that if we go out and hit the dog with a pellet gun every time it won't want to come over here, the big problem will be when we are not at home.

 

[polyanvil]

our animal control was a joke until the neighbors dog bit me, the neighbors would tell me I had a dead duck or chicken in their yard if I wanted to come get it. I let one or 2 lots free range each day since we have just over 40 acres. One of their 2 dogs came into our garage, a half mile from their house, and killed a chick I had been helping get over splayed leg. I went over and asked him to keep the dogs on his land. After the dog bit me on our land animal control finally showed and made them take the dog for a mandatory 10 check for rabies. The neighbor took his little house dog to the vet to lower the kennel bill. They never once took responsibilty for their animals, never said they were sorry or can I pay for your lost birds. We've been neighbors over 30 years and I was pretty nice about it, now he walks his property line yelling at me about how its my fault his dogs come wont stay on his land. If you hit their dog with a pellet gun you can get in trouble still, animal cruelty or lead poisoning, the sheriff said I was better off shooting the dog.

 

[sunket77]

I am wondering if the sheriffs dept. is any clue as to how my animal control is....not long after I posted this one of my two close neighbors (not 3 acres between us) fired off about 8 shots from some sort of fire arm....small and quick sounding. I called the police to check it and when they asked if I wanted a follow up I said yes. I would like to know exactly what the heck that was! It has been a couple of hours now and they haven't shown up. So they may not have even come out at all for all I know! Thanks guys for all your input!