would you kill a chicken killing dog? - Page 2

[Mama2Jesse]

Having cleaned up the feet, beks, and feathers of what had, that morning, been a very happy and productive flock that fed my family organic, healthy eggs... yes.
To me, a life is a life. One that goes around destroying dozens of lives, taking food from the human's table... that life needs to stop.

It's heartbreaking, frustrating, and a bit traumatizing. If people kept their dogs contained, it would never happen. The guilt lies totally on the owners.

Nothing like having a neighbor dog terrorize your goat kids, kill your rabbits, chickens and ducks, and trot home. You experience it, then decide.

No, I haven't shot him. I got rid of everyone instead, as my neighbors suck beyond reason. We did shoot OUR dog, when he wiped out the flock and his aggression only progressed from there. Awful.

[Chicky2]

The 3 S's here, too. Have done it, would do it again. People dump dogs out here and they quickly become pests. Our animals feed our family. My neighbor's dogs and stray dogs, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, hawks and owls do not.

As a matter of fact I shot at (and darnit I missed or at least did not kill it) a neighbors dog just last week when it was trying to run my rooster to death. We've told them and told them and even offered to help put up fencing....

[georgia]

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[mommariffic]

Originally Posted by mtn.mama

Well, I guess its okay that people approach the situation from different directions, eh? But now I'm interested.

Mommariffic, you say you would never kill someone's pet for killing birds.
What if the pet were attacking your child? Or what if it were a stray
or wild animal?

If a dog was attacking a child, of course I would do whatever I could to stop it...but I do personally think there's a difference between a chicken and a human being.

Dogs have a prey drive - most of them anyway. I know that my German Shepherd would love to get his hands on a chicken. Whether he was going to kill it, or just play with it and accidentally snap it's neck. I also know that my neighbors dogs wander onto our property and if one of them got in the chicken coop I'd be really upset, but I wouldn't shoot it.

If a wild animal, like a fox or bear got into my chicken coop I would just accept it as a fact of life. I don't know - I think there's a difference between someones pet and a bear, or someones chickens and a kid.

I don't really care what anyone else does, but it does make me sad to think that a dog would get shot before other measures were taken once, or twice. If you can't talk to the people without them doing anything, I'd call animal control. But that's just me!

[Chicky2]

I've called animal control before. We lost 23 chickens and several guineas. I called them and showed them all my dead birds. They said, "I can't tell you to kill the dogs if you get the chance, but I can tell you you wouldn't get in trouble for it." Out in the country looking for a stray is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Oh, and I've called them about a neighbor's dog, too. They said all they can do is issue a warning, even though there is a containment law. They have to catch the dog in the act to do anything else.

[mamadelbosque]

If the dog had previously killed chickens, the neighbors/owners had been informed and failed to keep their dog contained? And it came back and was attacking chickens/livestock again? Yup. We have an LGD to protect our goats, but our chickens run free (except at night when they get locked up to protect them from racooons/fox/opposum) Our 'farm' dog ignores them. To put the life of a dog over that of chickens/livestock doesn't make sense. Yeah, you could just build your chickens a nice, uber safe coop... but why should you do that to protect them from somebody elses' dog? If they care about their dog they should keep it properly contained to *THERE* property. If they can't do that, and it continues to harrass/kill your livestock, you have every right kill it.

[Liquesce]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

but why should you do that to protect them from somebody elses' dog?

In the interests of seeing no animals killed unless proven necessary, for the most part. : Though if I were relying on my birds for a necessary home food source they would have that structure anyway ... but then, I've never had a hand in keeping birds where wild predators were not a realistic and common threat.

[KavaKaya]

As long as the owners were previously warned.
A few years ago my 2 month old puppy got loose (for maybe 2 hours tops) & came whimpering home with a broken arrow through her chest, out near her tail. I was ticked no one confronted me, but understood quickly the tolerance of farmers in my area.

[she]

Certainly a chicken does not equal a child in worth, and nor does a dog. But how many chickens are worth one dog? 5 is my limit FWIW.

Of course dogs have prey drive, but as a pet they are also presumably fed by someone. A predator is at least hunting to survive, a dog is doing nothing but playing. Allowing my livestock to be killed to entertain a dog is not happening. I wouldn't hesitate to kill a fox or coyote that returned to my chickens, why is a dog any different? Especially if the owner was contacted.

[Lillitu]

1. If your neighbors will not keep their dog off your property (where I live, free roaming dogs is illegal!)

and 2. If they will not compensate you for the dead birds

and 3. If you have done all you can to enclose the birds to keep them safe from ANY predator (be it domesticated or wild)

and 4. If you cannot get into legal hot water (check those statutes!)

then yes. Shoot.

[Mama2Jesse]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

Every chicken killing dog I've ever known has been remarkably deterred by a well-secured, well-enclosed chicken coop. Willing to do anything in the name of the hunt does not necessarily also mean able to do anything.

Please tell that to the dog who ripped the door apart to my coop. My solid wood, wire reinforced, hot wire guarded door.

Oh, I was HOT. Dogs are much stronger and more wily than folks give them credit for.

[vbactivist]

[QUOTE=Alyantavid;14054411]If your entire livelihood and the ability to feed your family depended on something not killing your livestock, you would shoot a dog. If you haven't been in that situation, its very easy to say you would never do it.

Chickens, cows, sheep, goats are very vulnerable. They can't escape a dog that's determined to chase or kill them. Have you ever seen a goat that's been mauled by 2 pit bulls? We didn't bother trying to deal with the owners over that, my dh shot and killed both dogs.[/QUOTE

this. my neighbor had the same problem and her husband eventually did shoot the ppit bull who awas responsible. It was hard, because they love dogs, but if the owner is unwilling to take resposibilty and keep the chickens (and the dog) safe, then I really don't see what else can be done.

[Liquesce]

Originally Posted by Mama2Jesse

Please tell that to the dog who ripped the door apart to my coop. My solid wood, wire reinforced, hot wire guarded door.

Oh, I was HOT. Dogs are much stronger and more wily than folks give them credit for.

Like I said, every chicken killing dog I've known. Which, as mentioned in a prior thread, has been quite a few now. There are certainly dogs -- just as there are foxes, etc -- regarding which there are no other options. I just would never take it as a first option. Particularly in the cases where a personal preference for totally free-range birds is as much a factor as a stray predator.

[Shahbazin]

There's different ways of dealing with this; & chickens need to free range if you're not going to be buying every ounce of feed that passes their beaks - it's both a health & economics thing (plus free range chickens scavenge spilled feed, pest bugs, weeds, & etc).

SSS may be an option, or if you have a lot of vulnerable livestock & ongoing problems (& a larger area), livestock guardian dogs (dogs bred to bond with & protect sheep, goats, & poultry - http://www.lgd.org )

And FWIW, I had a young dog with an injured leg that I put in a 9 gauge chain link kennel to recuperate - & he tore apart the steel gate to get out.

[rhiandmoi]

I think #1 you should secure your livestock to protect them from predatory animals. Neighboring dogs aren't the only predators that can and will come after chickens, and your gun only protects them while you are there with it. But in general, I would not choose as a first option shooting my neighbors dog, because without a nuisance animal complaint on file, my neighbor could probably press charges against me.

But when I was little we had a chicken eating dog and then we didn't. I think we just to it to the pound and had it euthanized though.

[MrsSurplus]

We have, and would again, killed dogs for killing (and in some cases, "merely" chasing our livestock). When I was a kid (I grew up in the house I currently live in), everyone out here was "country" - and we all knew what happened to dogs that chased animals - it's the way it has to be when you make your livelihood this way. However, when I was in my teens we started having folks move out here from a.... bordering state that is much looked down upon in our state for bringing in too many monied folks with no common sense... and they had a dog who chased their one and only cow and they thought it was adorable. The neighbors didn't find it adorable when he chased their livestock and it was eventually shot. THAT is what surprises me most about the OP's question. What kind of country neighbor doesn't get that it is BEYOND being a bad neighbor to let your chicken-killing dog wander???

On another note, we have free range chickens (and occasionally free ranging pigs), horses, cows, a cat and 2 dogs. Both dogs would LOVE to chase down a chicken and kill one...but they have been taught not to. It can be done...but only if you're the owner and you are diligent in training them. (As a PP noted you can't train another person's dog...but you can stop it if need be.) Dogs are prey animals and animals of instinct, yes...but they can be trained if you start out when they are young. We would never keep a dog here that couldn't be trusted (after being trained) to not bother our stock...and, in fact, to run off dogs that do.

[annethcz]

It would not be my first response, but I would shoot the dog if it was an ongoing problem. I have lost FAR more chickens to neighbor dogs (12) than I have to racoons or other predators (2). I keep my chickens on my own property, and it's not unreasonable to expect my neighbors to keep their animals on their property.

[grahamsmom98]

We off the neighbor's cats that trespass and kill the wild birds and chipmunks in our yard. Yes, we have spoken to the neighbors time after time about their cats. They choose not to listen. We are no fans of pets allowed to roam, nor of feral domestic animals.

So, I would have no problem with dispatching a dog that continues to kill personal livestock, especially after having spoken with the owners (obviously, to no avail). Several years ago we shot a feral German Shepherd-type dog that was going after deer. NO domestic animal should be allowed to trespass on other's property.

Check your local laws regarding this.

SSS. yup.

[Marsupialmom]

I wouldn't shoot the dog but it would be making a trip to the pound.

If it was a constant problem yes I would.

[calmom]

i'd like to think it would never come to that. i love my chickens as much as my dogs and cats so i would protect them, no matter what it took, but i can't see ever giving dh the ok to shoot a dog.

having said that though, we had a bear that was killing our chickens. it destroyed our coop twice, killed nearly all of our chickens and even had my dh and son cornered one night when they ran down to chase it away. after that, dh did borrow a gun from his uncle and some tranquilizing bullets.