Why do people leave their dogs loose???

[kajira]

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.

This, I agree with. My dogs stay on my property, or near enough it to not bug my neighbors. (we have a small dog that gets out, but she just goes across the street to see the horses and comes back.)

She came with our house, and as such, she was already "trained" when we got her to see the animals across the street.

There's a little dog down the road that comes to visit us, which is fine since he doesn't pester live stock, but my kids adore him and he growls/nips at my kids if they try to touch him. I've taken him back home a few times.... but they don't bother to keep him confined to his property.

If he didn't growl at my kids, I wouldn't mind his visiting.

 

[kajira]

My daughter just asked me when she grows up, if she could marry a stick bug... then goes... well, I guess I really wouldn't want to marry one, they can't do the dishes.

 

[Howard E]

There is an old farm saying......"good fences make for good neighbors". The point is a person's property rights begin and end at the fence line. Once that line is crossed is when the trouble begins. A dog, a chicken and most other livestock don't know that. So they stray. Some neighbors are jerks and don't respect the rights of others, so they allow them to stray. The bigger the property, the less likely it is that a dog will stray into an area where it can do damage. As things start to pack together......city life being a good example....... fences and leashes are required to maintain order. Then somewhere in between are the smaller acreages........large enough a person might think their dog and pets can run loose, but realistically, not so big that they will not stray onto someones else's property. It happens. I'm on 10 acres, as is everyone else out here, and it happens. It is the nature of the beast.

I have concluded the best solution to protect the birds is to confine them behind an electric fence. It protects against most all ground based predators, including stray dogs. A neighbor's curious dog got ONE good lesson in that and has not been back. He won't go near that fence.

Ultimately, that is the best thing to do with neighbor's dogs. No shooting, no yelling, no confrontations. The dog gets the beejeezers zapped out of it and never comes back. Go ahead dog.......I dare you.

The size of fence and type of fence depends on how big of an area you want to allow them to use, but do fence them in. Electric fence, that is.

So bomb proof Fort Knox of a coop that nothing but you can get in at ground zero, and an electric fence to establish a wider perimeter barrier that sends intruders packing and most likely the birds will be left alone and all will be well.

 

[speckledhen]

This, I agree with. My dogs stay on my property, or near enough it to not bug my neighbors. (we have a small dog that gets out, but she just goes across the street to see the horses and comes back.)

She came with our house, and as such, she was already "trained" when we got her to see the animals across the street.

There's a little dog down the road that comes to visit us, which is fine since he doesn't pester live stock, but my kids adore him and he growls/nips at my kids if they try to touch him. I've taken him back home a few times.... but they don't bother to keep him confined to his property.

If he didn't growl at my kids, I wouldn't mind his visiting.

Any dog that comes onto my property and growls at me is toast. My friend in Kentucky has one of those barns that both ends are open, one into the pasture and one facing the house and driveway. They have a hide tanning business and blacksmithing shop in the barn. One neighbor has gotten one after the other grown Rottie and has let every one roam free. Guess what happened to 3-4 of them? Lead sleeping pill. One came into one end of the barn, lowered his head and was threatening her husband. Her husband is always armed. Dog had it birth certificate revoked on the spot.

One of the Rotties was killed by a deputy sheriff visiting her when it got into her coop and was trying to slaughter all her birds. Seven roosters and some tough hens all fought together but when it ran out with one of the young cockerels in its mouth, it was dropped by the deputy after he asked it that dog was hers. All she had to say was, "NO! DROP IT!" He did. And the owner of the dog had the nerve to blame her for his dog being dead right to the deputy's face as he delivered the dog's body to him. And you know what? They got another one. Lost that one. Got another one and so on. That same neighbor lets out his beagles to run the properties around them and bay all night still, even after losing all those dogs. Now, my friend is dealing with a roaming pitbull. One of her roosters got between her to face down the snarling dog before the husband came running and shot at it. Sadly, he missed it because of his angle and it keeps coming back.

All this, plus my own experience with the neighbor's dog, has made me just decide on a no-tolerance policy. They get into the perimeter fence, they'll most likely not make it out.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/385404/trapped-a-neighbors-dog-on-my-deck-got-an-earful

 

[Lil Jon s mama]

Ac

Have you considered getting a dog that can be trained to protect your flock, yard and property? That might be enough to deter unwanted dogs.

Sheep dogs, Great Pyr's, and some others, can be trained to protect your birds.  it might be cheaper than thousands in fencing.

Actually my husband said we should get a Rottweiler. I told him I would LOVE one but he really needs to think long and hard before that commitment. If I spoil my chickens as much as he knows I do what does he think I'm going to be like with a dog. And I get to name it Dingo and dress it any way I want. So I won't be getting a puppy.

That looks like a solid custom built tractor.  Did you or your husband build it?
To me, the tractor definitely looks good enough, the run needs some work as you already know.

You said that was your [COLOR=333333]original run, what does it look like now?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]The [/COLOR]easiest and cheapest thing you could do is put a skirt around the run.
Personally, I'd make the run using 2x2 to frame it and have it detachable so the tractor can easily be moved still.
Use 1/4" hardware cloth for the top and sides and 2" welded wire for the bottom and also use that same welded wire to make a skirt.
The dogs won't beable to dig through the welded wire and by the off chance it digs further back, it'l be met with the welded wire bottom.
The reason I'd use the 2" for the bottom instead of the 1/4" is so the chicken(s) would still have access to the grass.
Since the run is so small, it wouldn't cost much to make it.
2x2s are cheap, hardware cloth and welded wire is cheap if you only need small amounts.

Here is the new run on homemade tractor. I still want to make run more raccoon proof but not harassing my husband anymore this weekend. I'll grab supplies tomorrow. I lock chickens in at night but I guess you never know if ones is going to be out during the day. I'm pretty sure it's dog proof though. Still didn't get electric fence moved but its going to happen.

And despite things I posted earlier, I still will try to find dog owners. I would feel awful if someone's dog died even if it was to protect my babies and I don't want it to come to that. There has been no sign of any dogs since second day of shooting. I really hope the dogs are smarter than their owners. I'll see what dog warden says tomorrow maybe I can still get a paint gun.

 

[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.

 

[DancingWthDucks]

Ac
Here is the new run on homemade tractor. I still want to make run more raccoon proof but not harassing my husband anymore this weekend. I'll grab supplies tomorrow. I lock chickens in at night but I guess you never know if ones is going to be out during the day. I'm pretty sure it's dog proof though. Still didn't get electric fence moved but its going to happen.

And despite things I posted earlier, I still will try to find dog owners. I would feel awful if someone's dog died even if it was to protect my babies and I don't want it to come to that. There has been no sign of any dogs since second day of shooting. I really hope the dogs are smarter than their owners. I'll see what dog warden says tomorrow maybe I can still get a paint gun.

Great run! Is it dug in or does it have a mesh skirting to stop the dogs digging in?

 

[lbenedict15]

Sorry that you went through thos as well. I just had a similar experience. The predator number at my house is low, so my run is just a cheap, deer fence netting. This was fine until recently. My neighbors have three dogs; one that is always in my yard and doesn't bother the chickens (still don't like it), one that is contained by an electric fence, and one that is tied out back. These people don't care for their animals, at all. The only attention they get is "shut the **** up" when they bark (two are hounds, what do you expect?) And firecrakers to scare them (which fails because it gets my dog going). The other morning, I went to check on my rabbits that are living in my chicken coop, and there was a dog instead of a rabbit. I was just going to grab him and bring him back across the street. But no...this dog attacked me...well tried to. He got a mouthful of steel toe boots. Luckily, none of the animals were harmed, just severly spooked. 40' of fence is desroyed. Thinking of getting the electric fence, and keeping the shotgun handy if it happens again. Good luck with your chickens and new run! I can't stand how people let their dogs run loose. My dog sneaks out sometimes, and it makes me so mad. Not only for her safety, but that I was not responsible enough to contain my dog.

 

[Lil Jon s mama]

Just want to thank everyone for sympathy I really appreciate it.

So sorry so many have had to go through similar situations.

And a note on the new run: its hard to see in picture but fencing completely surrounds it all the way around including the bottom. Only opening is for the door to tractor. And one panel flips up but it has a lock on it (I use locks to coon proof)

 

[PingoBags]

Looks solid to me. He did a good job. Couldn't have done it better myself.