Potential problem-- neighbor's yappy dog

[Rillion]

Thanks. It's good to hear that the barking-- even if it continues after getting this handy gadget-- may not bother the chickens as much as it does me. And yes, I will pay thorough attention to predator-proofing. I just gave the fence a good analysis, and there are a couple of places on it where the dirt is lower and Mr. Yappy could conceivably dig under without a lot of effort. Of course during such analysis he was standing on the other side of the fence barking at me the entire time....I was tempted to use the hose, but after a bit some of the neighbor's kids came out and drew his attention away from me.

Bored dogs make everyone's activity their business, it seems.....just as bored humans are sometimes prone to do.

Again, thanks for the advice!

 

[starting.from.scratch]

Good luck! I hope it works as well for you as us.

I agree, I am a dog person, and we have 2 small dogs, but I just don't tolerate behavior of anyone in my family that would be disruptive of others. Loving them means making sure they aren't bored and a nuisance.

 

[Rillion]

starting.from.scratch :

Good luck! I hope it works as well for you as us.

I agree, I am a dog person, and we have 2 small dogs, but I just don't tolerate behavior of anyone in my family that would be disruptive of others. Loving them means making sure they aren't bored and a nuisance.

Would that every pet owner and parent in the world adopt your philosophy!​

 

[ranchhand]

Wow, you live in a suburb that allows chickens?

Are roosters allowed, too? It would be very fun if you could have a roo to converse with the yappy dog! Noisy, but fun!

 

[citrusdreams]

Quote:
I second this suggestion: I think if he doesn't see your chickens, he probably won't bark at them as much. When I lived in the city, I had neighbors with horribly aggressive dogs and they barked at my dogs at the fence all day and night. We put up a tarp and covered it with lattice, alllll along the fence. The dog stopped barking at my dogs. The neighbors hated it because it looked like crap on their side, but on my side it was lattice against a greyish background, and I actually liked the look.

Try making it so that the dog can't see them, and I bet that will help a bit.

 

[darkmatter]

It has been my experience that if a dog can access your chickens, it will and an unpleasant cleanup follows. This picture was one of my guineas which fly out for bug patrol. Guineas are usually keen eyed and avoid dogs by making a racket and flying away----this one didn't.

 

[Kitsap Cluckers]

WOW Rillion! You and I have an amazingly similar situation. I, too live in a subdivision with an incredibly yappy dachshund named "Ozzy" that lives behind me. Ozzy starts barking before dawn, barking at squirrels, cats, whatever he sees and wakes me up every time. Lately, thankfully, my neighbors have seen that this upsets me terribly (I run out in my nightgown and start fussing like a crazed sleep deprived woman) so they've had a somewhat better handle on the problem.

I was so worried that the chickens would set this dog off that I was reluctant to even get them. Thankfully, the birds generally don't react by running or getting noisy when Ozzy goes off, so he hardly pays them any mind.

One thing I am considering is running some kind of opaque material (landscaping fabric?) along the bottom of my side of the fence. I'm thinking this will block his view into my yard and cut down on his barking at my cat.

I have also seen the little birdhouse that emits a high frequency signal in Drs. Foster & Smith. Now that someone on this forum claims that it's working for them, I think I'll try it too.

Don't let that yappy mutt keep you from keeping chickens!

 

[Rillion]

You're right, Amy in NC, it does sound like we're in pretty much the same situation. I'm glad you found this thread-- and when I read the beginning of your post, I checked your location to see if possibly you were one of my neighbors! Nope, pretty far from Texas. But I was in Jacksonville just a couple of weeks ago-- flew in there, as my brother was getting married on Emerald Isle. I'd never been to NC before. It was beautiful! Very rainy, unfortunately, but beautiful too.

I'm glad that the chickens don't seem to send Ozzy into fits. Has he ever tried to dig under the fence to get at them? The landscaping fabric along the fence thing sounds like a good idea-- maybe I'll try that too.

Don't let that yappy mutt keep you from keeping chickens!

Thanks, it doesn't look like I will.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

The best way to deal with enemies (and barking neighbor doggies) is to make them your friends.

If you have this problem, speak to your neighbors who own the dog. Tell them you would like to make friends with the dog, and ask what type of treats their dog likes.

Stock up on such treats.

Every time you go outside, toss over a treat or two as you ask the dog, "Want a cookie?"

I bet you within 2 weeks you are getting wags and wiggles instead of barks, plus you will have a new friend in your neighbor.

 

[A2SciTeach]

As a chicken owner and an owner of a miniature dachshund, I can tell you that most dachshunds do not react to sight, they react to sound and smells. They have an incredible prey drive and instinctively want to kill anything and everything that moves - be it larger or smaller. Our dachshund, who is from a long line of earthdogs and field dogs, will NEVER give up trying - he has dug under boards, wire and cement block to get out of the yard and into the chicken area. Just when we think we've got him blocked out, he finds a way in and all H### breaks loose. He's not being unfriendly or mean, he's acting on his instincts.

I wouldn't worry about the barking, the chickens don't mind the barking - I would worry more about him getting at the chickens. You'll have to have a non-penetrable barrier and a lot of patience. Good luck, and if you find something that works without hurting the dog, let me know