Why do people leave their dogs loose???

[Lil Jon s mama]

I live in Pa. Yesterday one of the neighbors' dogs dug under our fence (in our yard around chicken quarantine pen)& killed one my pullets. Dogs running free is a BIG problem around me. I live in a semi-rural area that was all farms 10 years ago and is quickly being developed. Of course the folks from the city think its big country & for some reason that means their dogs roam free. Now I do not know who owns these 2 dogs however I've expressed concerns to other neighbors whose dogs ended up in my yard often. Sooo I really don't want to kill the dogs I truly believe its the owners fault for not keeping them contained. My plan was to shoot them with a paint ball gun, thinking it would hurt/scare the dog keeping them from coming back. And I figured when the dog went home with a giant red paint mark on it the owner would want to do a better job as dog owner. But after reading info here @BYC I'm now concerned I'll legally be in trouble for paintballing someone's dog but not for killing them. Does anyone have a better idea or do I have no choice?? I shot (a 22) to scare yesterday hoping that will be enough for those two dogs but that was third incident this week (5 different dogs 3 different neighbors). I have to wait till Monday to make a report to dog warden which I plan on doing even though I don't see how it's going to help since I'm not sure who those 2 dogs belong to. My DH has to put his weekend plans on hold we have electric fencing to put in it really stinks that we have to go through all that trouble because of irresponsible dog owners but as responsible chicken keepers we have to try our best to keep them safe. If there are dog owners out there with better ideas please let me know. When speaking to dog owners how should I express my concerns?? I really don't want to kill someone's pet (baby) but not as much as I want my pets(babies) to live. Thoughts???

 

[Adalida]

I'm not trying to be negative but I don't have much hopes for the dogs learning their lesson. In my experience, the kind of people that let their dogs run wild, won't take you seriously if you complain to them. And since the dogs had fun killing the chicken, they'll want to do it again, and they'll learn soon enough that you're just trying to scare them off and not actually shooting at them. You can't keep an eye on your chicken pen 24/7 and you never know when those dogs will show back up. Believe me, I totally understand not wanting to kill a dog. I've always had a dog, always a rescue dog at that, I volunteer at rescues and have fostered dogs to re-home. But you're dealing with undisciplined dogs allowed to run wild, and chickens which frankly don't stand a chance against them. Fortunately, I have not had to shoot a dog yet (just about every other predator though). I talked to the game warden about it because I had some of the same concerns as you- what if I injured the dog and the owner sued me for vet bills? what if I killed the dog and the owner sued me for killing their dog? The game warden looked right at me and said, "If you shoot a dog in your yard, just get rid of it. Don't contact the owners, don't contact me. Get rid of the body. If the owner is irresponsible enough to break laws and let their dogs run free, then they can deal with wondering where their dog went." I know it sounds really harsh but honestly, if I ever need to shoot a dog, I'll definitely take his advice.

 

[speckledhen]

After years and years of BYC stories, plus my own issue with a next door neighbor, I treat EVERY dog like any other predator. After all, it's only a pet if it is on it's OWNER's property. See my sig line. I'm not playing games with loose dogs, not waiting until they actually kill one of my hens who is probably older than the stupid dog and doesn't deserve to be torn apart.

The other day, I had just gotten out of bed when my husband came in the kitchen door and grabbed the shotgun. Two humongous dogs, very well cared for by the looks of them, were running by my perimeter livestock fence on our pasture lot. If they'd made it over, that would have been the end of someone's "pets". To me, they're just predators on my property. I have had dogs most of my life and they were cared for like members of the family, meaning, they were ALWAYS contained on my property, period. So, I have no patience for anyone who allows their dogs to run like wild animals.

 

[dekel18042]

IMHO these irresponsible owners care nothing about their pets. If they were truly their babies and beloved members of their families they would never be allowed to run loose where they could be injured or killed. The dogs' behavior alone shouts that they come from somewhere no one cares about them.
Probably the best thing that could happen to them would be to be picked up by animal control, go to a shelter, and be rehomed to someone who actually wants to own a dog and is willing to put some time into training and containing the dog.

 

[melehe24]

I'm sorry you are dealing with this issue. It is definitely a frustrating thing to go through. I recently had to have a talk with my neighbor, who was letting her dog roam over to our yard while my chickens were free ranging. It was awkward and uncomfortable but had to be done for the safety of my chickens. I explained that even though he seems to be a gentle dog, he could still harm my flock and I'm not willing to chance it. She tried to lay a big guilt trip on me, crying and saying she would just have to get rid of the dog because she can't keep him from roaming. I told her that was all on her, not on me. My chickens are my responsibility and her dog is her responsibility. I think some people think chickens are just easily replaceable and they don't understand that our chickens become our babies. We name them, care for them and nurture them, so of course we become attached to them and love them, and protecting them is just part of our obligation to them.

 

[DancingWthDucks]

Im really sorry for your loss

I would go and talk to your neighbours, explaining that their dogs are killing your birds, and tell them that next time that you see a dog on your property you will shoot it. If you really don't want to shoot the dog dead, maybe shoot it with a paint gun or pellet gun just to scare it off.

I'm not really sure on the laws and wether it's legal or not, since I'm not in the US but I would definately talk to the dogs owner.

 

[PingoBags]

Since you don't want to shoot the dogs, which I can understand, maybe just catch them and bring them to an animal shelter and or talk to the owners.

Try securing the fence so they can't get in. I know you probably don't want to go out of pocket because of someone else's dogs but sometimes you have no choice.
It might be the owners fault for the dogs getting in your yard but you have the responsibility of protecting your chickens from predators.
At this point, the dogs are the predators.

 

[Lil Jon s mama]

Tha

Im really sorry for your loss

I would go and talk to your neighbours, explaining that their dogs are killing your birds, and tell them that next time that you see a dog on your property you will shoot it. If you really don't want to shoot the dog dead, maybe shoot it with a paint gun or pellet gun just to scare it off.

I'm not really sure on the laws and wether it's legal or not, since I'm not in the US but I would definately talk to the dogs owner.

. Thanks for sympathy. I wish I knew who owned the dogs who actually killed my pullet so I could talk to them. When I spoke with other neighbors whose dogs frequent my yard they did apologize but also made excuses for their dog. They have a Burmese mt dog which the owner said is not a bird dog their golden retriever is. I told them I am concerned about all dogs not just "bird dogs" in MY yard. There is a leash law in pa and you can shoot a dog on your property if you feel it's a threat to you or your property. I wanted to mention this to neighbors but i don't want to start feuds. If I owned a dog I wouldn't let them roam free not only because its irresponsible but I would be afraid something would happen to it. Guess I better speak to law officials before paintballing dogs. It would be just my luck that I'd end up in trouble if I try the more humane (IMO) way of deterring dogs over shooting them dead.

 

[Lil Jon s mama]

Since you don't want to shoot the dogs, which I can understand, maybe just catch them and bring them to an animal shelter and or talk to the owners.

Try securing the fence so they can't get in. I know you probably don't want to go out of pocket because of someone else's dogs but sometimes you have no choice.
It might be the owners fault for the dogs getting in your yard but you have the responsibility of protecting your chickens from predators.
At this point, the dogs are the predators. 

.
I have tremendous guilt for not having a better security for my gals. My main hen house is very secure. This is our quarantine pen. The plan for today is expanding electric fence around our beehives to include hen houses. Hopefully that will keep chickens safe. Now If the neighbor would get shocked at the same time the dog hits the fence I'm pretty sure problem would be solved. If only I knew how to invent one of those

 

[PingoBags]

Guilt is a good motivator, I think your chickens are lucky to have you.
Some people would just shrug it off and do nothing.

How did it get in to the quarantine pen if you don't mind me asking?


When I built my coop and run, I used information gathered from reading stories like this to help prevent it.
I don't have to deal with dogs but instead, raccoons.
No coop and run is 100% secure, we can only do our best to protect them.

Good luck