STOPPING DEPREDATION BY DOGS USING LETHAL MEANS

[Ridgerunner]

Some dogs can and do roam without causing trouble to livestock or gardening.  Those I tolerate.  Somewhat of a problem is all go through a stage where some trouble is caused and it needs to be stopped quickly.  With proper training the trouble making can be stopped and the dog becomes a model member of rural society.  Dogs that tend to do best in that regard are not confined as much, do have some sort of purpose involving people (i.e. hunting, herding) and are familiar with all sorts of livestock.  Dogs penned up all the time without outlets for energy and mental stimulation tend to be problematic and such dogs can be effectively ruined if owner does not effort to train and excersise them.  Dogs are more of an investment than most people realize.  They are more than pets.  They have smarts as well.

I agre with all this. In a rural area, dogs have a purpose, which is usually to guard and protect livestock, gardens, crops, or some sort of property. It does take training, not just getting a dog and turning it loose. Those dogs cannot do their job if they are penned up. I'm not talking about suburbia. That's different.

Some of my neighbors have dogs that run free and are not a problem. Thye have been trained what is livestock and what is fair game. Occasionally a neighbor gets a pup that needs training. Failing that training can be and usually is fatal, often at the owners hand but sometimes not.

My biggest dog problems are not the neighbors' dogs. People like to drop dogs off out here in the country. I have taken some of those to the pound. It's free to drop them off as long as you are a county resident here. It may be different where you are. I try to do that before they become a problem. But I have also been known to permanently solve the problem using a 12 gauge, #4 shot, Turkey load. Instead of using a shovel, a neighbor suggested I just drag them to a specific place on his property. The coyotes or vultures soon dispose of the carcass.

The problem I forsee your nephew possibly having is that those dogs may have been trained by your actions to leave when they see a human approaching. It may be hard to get a good shot. But if at all possible, they need to be shot on your property. Photos showing damage and them on the property, either before or after are a great idea. Many people in a true rural setting understand how the system has worked for centuries, but some don't. Your nephew needs to protect himself against possible legal claims.

Good luck with it.

 

[Mattemma]

I have caught dogs in my yard and sent them to the pound.If a dog was causing death and destruction I would get rid of it in a way that the owner(and neighbors) do not know about.

I have read enough NFH stories to know that even just telling your neighbor they are mowing on YOUR side of the property line can set off years of torture by them. People rarely react nice when you kill their dog.SSS

My big fear is a neighbor annoyed by MY animals(in my yard),and they throw poison in my yard.Rare,but it does happen.

Best wishes and very sorry to read of the deaths.

 

[abChicken]

No way I'd tolerate someone's dog killing my chickens. I'd shoot MY OWN dog for killing chickens, so there's be no qualms over someone else's for sure! If I needed to do it quietly, I'd slip an arrow through it...

You folks that worry over the legality of everything you do....where do you draw the line? When do you decide enough's enough? When the dog kills 1 chicken? 2 chickens? A dozen? Granted I live out in the sticks, and don't have neighbors to deal with, but I can't see tolerating a chicken-killing dog. ANY predator that attacks my flock is doomed.

X2 took me 4 days but finally found snake that killed a silkie of mine he just ate 4 eggs when i found him he eat no more.

 

[smilingcat]

Geez go to jail for protecting your animal? Problem with people who do not understand the "customs" out in farm country. If someone were to shoot and kill my dog on their property, I would really feel bad for my dog and be really sad; but, I can't be mad at the guy. It would be my fault for allowing my dog to attack/damage/destroy someone else's livlihood.

Definitely SSS. The owner of the dog seems to have history of not being responsible. You gave him a warning. He hasn't bothered to compensate for the damages. definitely shoot to kill the offending dog.

My ex-brother in law once said to me, "hell if a dog chases my herd of cattle and runs them around in the pasture, I see dollar signs floating away. The steers are losing weight by all that running around. Can't afford that."

 

[nzpouter]

when somebody told me "my dogs didn't do it, they never leave my yard to go to yours.." my answer is always "sweet... you have no problem with me laying bait in my land then."

Works everytime...

 

[centrarchid]

when somebody told me "my dogs didn't do it, they never leave my yard to go to yours.." my answer is always "sweet... you have no problem with me laying bait in my land then."
Works everytime...

I am not trying to get a psychological leg up on them. I want them to think I am just trying control my losses without causing undo discord.

 

[ldutch123]

I have caught dogs in my yard and sent them to the pound.If a dog was causing death and destruction I would get rid of it in a way that the owner(and neighbors) do not  know about.

I have read enough NFH stories to know that even just telling your neighbor they are mowing on YOUR side of the property line can set off years of torture by them. People rarely react nice when you kill their dog.SSS

My big fear is a neighbor annoyed by MY animals(in my yard),and they throw poison in my yard.Rare,but it does happen.

Best wishes and very sorry to read of the deaths.

I agree! I worry that my chickens are loud and annoying my neighbor even though we all have five acres and he will throw poison out. He keeps one of his dogs kenneled up all day and I assume all night unless he lets it out to run which I assume it goes immediately to my neighbors house because he has had some fun with the unlocked coop over there.

This neighbor came running out when I clipped limbs off a pine tree on MY PROPERTY because when I mowed they smacked me in the face.....he flipped out tellin me he planted those 15 years ago and blah blah ....it really made me want to take a chainsaw to them but I let it go. Some people are jerks and looking for a fight. Just be careful, I would hate if my dog (bird dog) got out and took out a chicken and someone killed him. He is very special to me. Also note I take extreme care to make sure my dogs have never been outside their fence and house because they are my pride and joy[/B.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[DobermanGuy]

I am not trying to get a psychological leg up on them. I want them to think I am just trying control my losses without causing undo discord.

Hate to say it but...

You should have dealt with the matter when you actually had your hands on the dog before (when you yanked it off the crushed pen). That dog would have never made it home if I had caught it... He would not have had a second chance to come back and kill more birds.

My advice: Do NOT use too small of a gun in the hopes of being 'quiet'. Use something that will work and be humane. The last thing you want to do is wound the dog and have it get angry and turn to attack YOU. A .22lr is 'quiet' but a poor choice here. A .45ACP with HP ammo is loud but will solve the problem in short order.

 

[DobermanGuy]

My big fear is a neighbor annoyed by MY animals(in my yard),and they throw poison in my yard.Rare,but it does happen.

Best wishes and very sorry to read of the deaths.

A friend of mine lost all 8 of his dogs to an idiot with poison. He watched them die one at a time over the course of a few weeks. It DOES happen.

I have worked with mine since they were pups to teach them NOT to take food from strangers and to NOT eat any food they may happen to find in our yard. Dogs are smart and they CAN learn to do this. The way I taught mine to NOT eat things they found in the yard was by baiting it myself... EX: I go out before the dogs and strategically place the bait (bread, cheese, hotdog, etc) where I know they will find it. When I take them to go potty if they make a move to eat the bait I give a tug on the leash and have them SIT and STAY. I remove the bait and then give them a better reward for doing as they are told (the SIT and STAY). If they actually try to pick up the bait with their mouth it gets fished out and they get NO reward at all... With patience and practice you can get your dogs to learn this... About a year ago I had a new roof put on the house here. Was taking the girls out to potty and instead of them doing their business within a few minutes they were both just sitting there looking at me. I kept giving them their command to go potty but they just sat there... I walk over to see what is wrong and notice that each of them had found the chicken bones/remains that the roofers had tossed in my yard after they finished lunch that day. Cooked bones are not always the best thing for a dog to have. Could have been potentially dangerous if one of my dogs had swallowed one that day...

Sometimes accidents happen because people mean harm and sometimes because people are just plain stupid (like my roofers). As a good dog owner you just gotta train for the worst and hope for the best. The more you practice this sort of training the more likely you will be to save your dogs life in the event that a real 'problem' every happens (like some fool baiting your yard). FWIW - My dogs were NOT on leash when they found the chicken bones. By that point in their training those leashes were not needed for them to do what they were supposed to do...

 

[Dwkuska]

Here is my advice. Sounds like you live on a chunk of land no? Do you own a shovel? Sounds to me like a situation where your neighbors dogs wandered off an never came back. Either way I would as a friend to all have you ask a moderator to delete this thread. Police/lawyers can dig this thread up and use it against you in court. Its one thing to shoot on site to defend your property, its another thing to a judge when they can prove you had "re-meditated malicious intent." I wish you the best of luck!