A family down the road has a pit bull, probably 9-10 months old. He's a
great dog - people-friendly, not dog aggressive (or maybe not yet). They
bicycle down the road, and the dog follows them. Gets to our place, the dog
makes a turn and harasses my purebred chickens. They're penned, but not
against the determined attentions of a 65-lb dog.

I've given them a couple leashes and first requested, then demanded that
they CONTROL THEIR DOG. Patiently explained, even in the country it's the
law to keep their animal under control, their dog can legally be shot if it
enters private property containing livestock.

It happened yet again today. My dogs barking, chickens shrieking, I ran out
of the house with the gun, then saw it was that pit bull. Went out the
gate, called him, he came away from the chickens. He's a Real Good Dog.
Leashed him, put him in the truck, drove him back to his house. Chickens
were all okay; he'd just been running around the pens.

Folks, if you move to the country, control your dogs. Please. Just because
there's no leash law doesn't mean you can let 'em run everywhere.

flick 100785

On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 21:48:19 -0500, "flick" wrote:

A family down the road has a pit bull, probably 9-10 months old. He's a
great dog - people-friendly, not dog aggressive (or maybe not yet). They
bicycle down the road, and the dog follows them. Gets to our place, the dog
makes a turn and harasses my purebred chickens. They're penned, but not
against the determined attentions of a 65-lb dog...

I raised Rhode Island Reds, as a boy in 4-H. I wouldn't have stood for
such harassment. Because laws differ greatly, there's no telling what
your options are, but I'm certain you have the right to protect what's
yours.

Considering your description of this dog, I hope you can avoid harming
him. Here, you could capture the dog and have animal control pick it up
or take it to the animal shelter, yourself. Without video, or an animal
control officer seeing the dog harassing the chickens, you won't have a
case, in court.

In my opinion, it is already time for you to get serious about this
problem. Make sure of your rights, regarding capturing this dog--on your
property--and let animal control handle it from there.

NOTE: some shelters *Never* make pit bulls available for adoption,
regardless of how nice they are. If that's the case where you live,
please, don't let the dog go there. Gather your video/photographic
evidence and get animal control to cite them into court. You will have
to appear with animal control.

Another approach: after the family has gone just out of sight, fire one
or two shots into the ground. Then run to the road and ask if the dog is
hurt bad. They probably won't know what you're talking about; so, you
have to tell them that you took a couple of shots at their dog; and
because he yelped, you thought he might be dead. (Do not take your gun
to the road.) If the care about the dog any at all, that ought to shake
them up!


___________________
A dog's life is too short; their only fault really.

Flick,
I am sorry about your problem with your chickens being harrassed by
the neighbor's Pit Bull. It is so nice of you to acknowledge that he is
a nice dog despite the fact that his owner's aren't responsible.
My sister has chickens and they are always being terrorized by
something, wild dog packs, foxes, Bob cat (she trapped him) hawks.
I have 2 Pit Bulls that I have rescued. One I am keeping, the other I
am trying to re-locate. The reason I didn't turn him in is because
where I live they do not allow them a chance to find a home regardless
of their temperament. It may not be that way where you live.
I don't know if this Pit Bull "visits" other homes with livestock, but
if he does and is successful at getting at chickens or some other small
animal his desire to get at yours may very well escalate.
I think "guardian" has a great idea about the pretend attempt at
shooting at him. However, I don't know your gun laws, so that could end
in trouble. Something tells me the neighbors aren't gonna care anyway.
I don't pretend to be a Pit Bull expert but I can say this from my 14
months of owning one. Their behavior can change/escalate with age.
I wish I had a great answer for you. I wish you the best of luck and
hope that your chickens stay safe.
Too bad you can't find a new home for the Pit Bull, after a heart to
heart with the neighbors I think I would take the dog for a ride one
night to his new house where he would be cared for and kept
contained...Finding a home for a Pit Bull where I live is nigh on to
impossible.
I am sure you would have been within your rights to kill him, but I am
glad you didn't.
I wish you and the chicks the very best of luck....Be sure to let us
know the outcome.
Judy

Be Free,
Judy

"Michael A. Ball" wrote in message
...

I raised Rhode Island Reds, as a boy in 4-H. I wouldn't have stood for
such harassment. Because laws differ greatly, there's no telling what
your options are, but I'm certain you have the right to protect what's
yours.

Considering your description of this dog, I hope you can avoid harming
him. Here, you could capture the dog and have animal control pick it up
or take it to the animal shelter, yourself. Without video, or an animal
control officer seeing the dog harassing the chickens, you won't have a
case, in court.

That is my fervent hope, that I can avoid harming this dog. He's a Good Dog
with clueless owners.

Where we live, I'm allowed to shoot him. Had I not known this dog, I
probably would have, bec. I don't wanna get hurt pulling a strange dog away
from its prey.

In my opinion, it is already time for you to get serious about this
problem. Make sure of your rights, regarding capturing this dog--on your
property--and let animal control handle it from there.

Unfortunately, there is no animal control here, and no shelter, so it's up
to me to do something. It didn't do any good to talk to the owners :-/.
Maybe local law enforcement would have a chat with them.

It still astounds me, that these people don't see the wisdom and necessity
of A LEASH.

NOTE: some shelters *Never* make pit bulls available for adoption,
regardless of how nice they are. If that's the case where you live,
please, don't let the dog go there. Gather your video/photographic
evidence and get animal control to cite them into court. You will have
to appear with animal control.

Another approach: after the family has gone just out of sight, fire one
or two shots into the ground. Then run to the road and ask if the dog is
hurt bad. They probably won't know what you're talking about; so, you
have to tell them that you took a couple of shots at their dog; and
because he yelped, you thought he might be dead. (Do not take your gun
to the road.) If the care about the dog any at all, that ought to shake
them up!

That isn't a bad idea. Thanks!

I've now talked this over with a couple Real Life friends, and one loaned me
a livestock fence charger. I'll put a couple hotwires around the area where
the chickens are. Hopefully if he comes back, he'll get zapped and forego
his "detour" in future.

flick 100785

"Judith Althouse" wrote in message
...
Flick,
I am sorry about your problem with your chickens being harrassed by
the neighbor's Pit Bull. It is so nice of you to acknowledge that he is
a nice dog despite the fact that his owner's aren't responsible.
My sister has chickens and they are always being terrorized by
something, wild dog packs, foxes, Bob cat (she trapped him) hawks.
I have 2 Pit Bulls that I have rescued. One I am keeping, the other I
am trying to re-locate. The reason I didn't turn him in is because
where I live they do not allow them a chance to find a home regardless
of their temperament. It may not be that way where you live.
I don't know if this Pit Bull "visits" other homes with livestock, but
if he does and is successful at getting at chickens or some other small
animal his desire to get at yours may very well escalate.
I think "guardian" has a great idea about the pretend attempt at
shooting at him. However, I don't know your gun laws, so that could end
in trouble. Something tells me the neighbors aren't gonna care anyway.
I don't pretend to be a Pit Bull expert but I can say this from my 14
months of owning one. Their behavior can change/escalate with age.
I wish I had a great answer for you. I wish you the best of luck and
hope that your chickens stay safe.
Too bad you can't find a new home for the Pit Bull, after a heart to
heart with the neighbors I think I would take the dog for a ride one
night to his new house where he would be cared for and kept
contained...Finding a home for a Pit Bull where I live is nigh on to
impossible.
I am sure you would have been within your rights to kill him, but I am
glad you didn't.
I wish you and the chicks the very best of luck....Be sure to let us
know the outcome.

Thank you, Judy :-).

I'd be tempted to keep him myself, but we can't afford another dog, plus
segregating him would be quite difficult.

I'm hoping if he comes back, he'll get zapped with the hotwire(s) and decide
chasing chickens isn't fun. It's highly unlikely that I'd get in trouble
for shooting him, but I'll avoid that if at all possible.

I'll also try to locate a potential home for him, to be prepared if it comes
to that.

flick 100785

"flick" wrote:

It still astounds me, that these people don't see the wisdom and
necessity of A LEASH.

The problem is overall lack of training and supervision, not lack of a
leash. Even if your eejit neighbors HAD a leash, and walked the dog on it,
I'm betting they wouldn't be able to control him; odds are good he'd be
yanking the leash away and taking off.

OTOH, I know dozens of dogs (including mine) who could unleashed in the
vicinity of your chickens, and your chickens would perfectly safe - because
the dogs are A. TRAINED and B. would be UNDER SUPERVISION.

In article , Sionnach wrote:
The problem is overall lack of training and supervision, not lack of a
leash.

Nah. It's common for people in rural areas think it's okay
to let their dogs run. If they didn't think it was okay
they might be motivated to do something about. Lack of
training (which is an open question, BTW) would be a
symptom, not a root cause.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Bad policies lead to bad results.

Melinda Shore wrote:

Nah. It's common for people in rural areas think it's okay
to let their dogs run. If they didn't think it was okay
they might be motivated to do something about. Lack of
training (which is an open question, BTW) would be a
symptom, not a root cause.

Amen. I'm currently (again!) having to deal with my neighbor's
loose dogs, this time in the form of a very intact Redbone who, it
seems, lives to saturate my car and trash cans with pee. Drives
Harriet batshit crazy, to the point of foaming at the mouth. She's
not keen on interlopers, but this boy is apparently beyond the pale.

The owner is a state trooper, of all things. Ya'd think he'd have a
friggin' clue.

The dog is, thankfully, thoroughly nice, in a bumpass hound sorta way.

--
Shelly (Warning: see label for details)
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

On Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:07:45 -0400, "Sionnach" wrote:

Newsflash: Lack of SUPERVISON=letting dog run loose.

I don't know about the OP, but in my situation, the dogs that are
running loose *are* often being supervised. The owners are there with
the dogs, and they don't care, because they don't believe there is a
problem even after being told their animals are a giant pain in my ass.
In fact, the standard response around here seems to be, "You should let
your dog run loose, too, then it wouldn't be a problem." *boggle*
Specifically, the Redbone's owner wants me to have my dog run his off.
If I'm not willing to let my dog fight his, and chase him off, then the
owner concludes that there must not actually be a problem.

The mind wobbles.

--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

Whose pig is this?
-- Eddie Izzard

"Shelly" wrote in message
...

I don't know about the OP, but in my situation, the dogs that are
running loose *are* often being supervised. The owners are there with
the dogs, and they don't care, because they don't believe there is a
problem even after being told their animals are a giant pain in my ass.
In fact, the standard response around here seems to be, "You should let
your dog run loose, too, then it wouldn't be a problem." *boggle*

Heh. I kinda doubt the pit's owners would be thrilled if I let my Saint run
him off.

Specifically, the Redbone's owner wants me to have my dog run his off.
If I'm not willing to let my dog fight his, and chase him off, then the
owner concludes that there must not actually be a problem.

The mind wobbles.

Yes. You probably don't leave your door wide open, for anyone in the area
to use your house as though it's theirs. Why would you want their dogs on
your property uninvited?

flick 100785


--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

Whose pig is this?
-- Eddie Izzard