What would you do?

[gallantwarrior]

So, it's Spring and my pens are full of nursing moms and their babies. When I went out this morning to feed them, I hear LOTS of barking. It turns out it's my dog, but there's another dog in the pens. The stranger comes from next door. The guy there raises sled dogs and hunting hounds, there's about 30 dogs over there. The dog harassing my livestock looks like a hunter of some kind. Judging by the tracks, he's been over quite a bit lately.
Now, I've talked to the owner of these dogs before about keeping them off my property and away from the livestock. He's not very responsive, as a matter-of-fact, they don't even live on their place currently. Animal control told me to take any action needed to protect my animals on my property.

So, what would any of you do? The options I'm looking at include:
1) ignore the situation until the dog savages and kills some of the moms or babies. Then call the law.
2) put out poisoned bait and let Nature take its course.
3) just outright shoot the thing and have it over with quickly.

Any other suggestions?

 

[koshergrl]

Shoot it if you see it.

Set traps along your fenceline and keep your dogs up. Tell your neighbor you're setting traps, and you are going to kill anything you catch.

Been here done this. The dogs that were harassing our animals ended up getting destroyed...one was a rottie and bit a little girl walking home from school in the face, one was a shepherd and got busted killing sheep, the other, I don't remember...it was the biggest of the three, a mastiff or something...I can't remember what happened to him but they had to put him down too.

 

[Mr. H.]

I believe that you can legally shoot that dog.
Best check with the Sheriff's dep't first.

 

[gallantwarrior]

According to Animal Control, shooting is OK, as long as it is on my property, threatening my animals. I'm actually considering using archery tackle so the noise won't bother the neighbors. Subsonic .22s are also effective on dogs at close range...

Poison is not really a good option because ravens, magpies and feral cats would all be endangered.

 

[laughinReaper]

How about catching the dog and dropping it off far away in an urban area with no collar (and hope it has no chip), from your house. It will eventually get taken to the pound and maybe adopted by a family that actually wants the responsibility. You can also try to friend the dog and feed it, maybe if he's around your farm he'll get used to your animals and be a friend to your other dog but leave the livestock alone.

That said your animals have a right to live unharassed and safe so i'd say shoot it and make it as painless for the dog as possible.You may be saving many lives by taking the one. Just seems a shame because it's the owners fault for not taking proper care, not the dogs. Dogs just being what he is naturally and trained to do. Your neighbor is an asshole.

 

[Douger]

So, it's Spring and my pens are full of nursing moms and their babies. When I went out this morning to feed them, I hear LOTS of barking. It turns out it's my dog, but there's another dog in the pens. The stranger comes from next door. The guy there raises sled dogs and hunting hounds, there's about 30 dogs over there. The dog harassing my livestock looks like a hunter of some kind. Judging by the tracks, he's been over quite a bit lately.
Now, I've talked to the owner of these dogs before about keeping them off my property and away from the livestock. He's not very responsive, as a matter-of-fact, they don't even live on their place currently. Animal control told me to take any action needed to protect my animals on my property.

So, what would any of you do? The options I'm looking at include:
1) ignore the situation until the dog savages and kills some of the moms or babies. Then call the law.
2) put out poisoned bait and let Nature take its course.
3) just outright shoot the thing and have it over with quickly.

Any other suggestions?

Not much of a warrior are ye ? Shoot the piece of shit and if the dumb redneck doesn't like it, shoot him too. ( make sure you have a drop gun)

 

[gallantwarrior]

How about catching the dog and dropping it off far away in an urban area with no collar (and hope it has no chip), from your house. It will eventually get taken to the pound and maybe adopted by a family that actually wants the responsibility. You can also try to friend the dog and feed it, maybe if he's around your farm he'll get used to your animals and be a friend to your other dog but leave the livestock alone.

That said your animals have a right to live unharassed and safe so i'd say shoot it and make it as painless for the dog as possible.You may be saving many lives by taking the one. Just seems a shame because it's the owners fault for not taking proper care, not the dogs. Dogs just being what he is naturally and trained to do. Your neighbor is an asshole.

I've been trying to catch it to take it back to the owner. I've done this in the past. This dog won't let me get near enough to put a rope on it.
As far as "friending" the animal...I do not want to take the risk that it will not kill the babies (or their moms). The dog I have is a livestock guardian dog (LGD), an animal of a specific bred for generations to take care of small animals like sheep, fowl, and goats. She's not allowed to have doggie playmates, forms bad habits...

 

[Sherry]

What about using a pellet gun to deter it from coming around??

 

[gallantwarrior]

What about using a pellet gun to deter it from coming around??

That's my next option. I have to pick up some "ammo" on the way home. Pellet rifles can sometimes mean a pretty slow death, though. Round BBs are a little less lethal and they sting nicely.

 

[koshergrl]

I wouldn't try to catch a dog that is chasing cows. I've had dogs move aggressively towards me when I approached them when they had a cow cornered.

I've also never heard of a dog dying from a pellet gun wound. I guess it could happen, but I"ve shot dogs and used pellet guns, and had dogs all my life, and have yet to see a fatal pellet wound.

Not saying it has never happened...but I wouldn't think twice about using a pellet gun. If you can actually hit them with it, they're jim dandy and not likely to hurt your livestock if you hit them instead.

Can't say the same thing about a 30/30, which is my dog shooter of choice.

 

[Big Black Dog]

I would catch the dog and take it to a local animal shelter. Call it a stray.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I wouldn't try to catch a dog that is chasing cows. I've had dogs move aggressively towards me when I approached them when they had a cow cornered.

I've also never heard of a dog dying from a pellet gun wound. I guess it could happen, but I"ve shot dogs and used pellet guns, and had dogs all my life, and have yet to see a fatal pellet wound.

Not saying it has never happened...but I wouldn't think twice about using a pellet gun. If you can actually hit them with it, they're jim dandy and not likely to hurt your livestock if you hit them instead.

Can't say the same thing about a 30/30, which is my dog shooter of choice.

I like your dog shooter of choice.
Some of the pellet rifles available now can toss a pellet out with some force. If you manage to put one between the ribs, or through the gut, dog will die. If you can hit it in the arse, that makes a good non-lethal impression. There's enough light in the evening now, I think I'll take a beverage out to my overlook and hang out with the pellet rifle this evening. I'll kill it if I have to, but I'd like to exhaust all options first. Maybe my LGD will save me the effort. She's got about 80 lbs on the hound, and a dogfight would be a losing prospect if the other dog cannot get a grip through that 10 inch long, winter thick hair.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I would catch the dog and take it to a local animal shelter. Call it a stray.

Catching it has not been a successful strategy thus far. It's too big for conventional live traps. I could rig an old trappers set, but those are not intended for live catch. Any trap would have to be on my property and would also pose a danger to my critters.

 

[AmericanFirst]

So, it's Spring and my pens are full of nursing moms and their babies. When I went out this morning to feed them, I hear LOTS of barking. It turns out it's my dog, but there's another dog in the pens. The stranger comes from next door. The guy there raises sled dogs and hunting hounds, there's about 30 dogs over there. The dog harassing my livestock looks like a hunter of some kind. Judging by the tracks, he's been over quite a bit lately.
Now, I've talked to the owner of these dogs before about keeping them off my property and away from the livestock. He's not very responsive, as a matter-of-fact, they don't even live on their place currently. Animal control told me to take any action needed to protect my animals on my property.

So, what would any of you do? The options I'm looking at include:
1) ignore the situation until the dog savages and kills some of the moms or babies. Then call the law.
2) put out poisoned bait and let Nature take its course.
3) just outright shoot the thing and have it over with quickly.

Any other suggestions?

Obviously number 3). Poisoning might accidently poison something or someone else. You can not ignore it, you have already talked to the dogs owner and got advice from animal control, only thing is I would get it in writing from animal control, they can deny it and you could be in trouble.

 

[laughinReaper]

What about using a pellet gun to deter it from coming around??

That's my next option. I have to pick up some "ammo" on the way home. Pellet rifles can sometimes mean a pretty slow death, though. Round BBs are a little less lethal and they sting nicely.

How about a paint ball gun. They hurt but don't kill.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I got some BBs and stung him with a couple of those. He hasn't been back since then. I'm still watching. I still may end up shooting the dog, but for now, the alternate method has worked.
Thanks for all the suggestions!