A tactic that I think just WORKED re: loose dogs ...

We've had ongoing problems with the neighbors dogs for a few years. Today as I was driving out the driveway, I spot the neighbor's two dogs in our orchard. I had my sister with me and we turned the car around and returned home to get my .22. She walked down through the orchard to locate them and I took off a different direction. No dogs; they had run back under the fence before we could get to that area. So, instead of an enjoyable visit with my sister, we were out hunting down some dang dogs that had attacked my dog last year. Oh, I've got my .22 ready now. I'm gonna get the little one; she's the mean one.

I was out chasing a stay dog the other day. My chickens had been disappearing in broad daylight and I didn't know what was getting them. There would only be feathers left....the bird would just be gone.

I finally saw this dog...or coydog...in my yard. By the time I got my rifle he was halfway down my driveway. I let him go....the next day he was back and this time I had my rifle ready, but he took off into the woods. I shot several times in the air to scare him off. I haven't seen him since, but if I do that dog is history.

You might want to add holding them responsible for the value of the goats. Even if they don't care if you shoot the dogs they might feel differently about shelling out a few hundred dollars.

the new young couple ( mid 20's) that just moved in across the road seem to be 'city folks' but very nice people. We live in the country on a dead end private road. They have a bull dog mutt (female) that is very submissive and also a new stray border collie type mix (neuterd male) that they have adopted in the last 2 weeks.
The couple put in one of those invisable fences and the bull dog seems to be scared of it! But the B/collie saw one of my horses getting wound up today when we took two of the horses to a near by pasture to graze,, that dog shot like a bullet past the shock fence and started biting at Stars feet and hooves,, Star kicked and ran, ran and kicked!
Our DD 9 y/o screamed for me to make Star to stop, I said that dog will learn a lesson the hard way!
The lady came out and asked what had her dog done, I told her and she was so sorry and went off yelling at the dog. I told her that I am not too worried about our horse he can hold his own,, but I hope that the dog stays up there and does not bother our chickens. I have let her know in a round about way that 'I do take care of unwanted animals around our livestock'. A couple of days ago she told me that if her bull dog acts crazy on our property to 'go ahead and shoot it'.
I really like these folks and they remind me of DW and me/I 10 years ago. So I am going to give the dog a 'Pass' for now, but sometimes you have to do things you don't like too!
I wish I had some pictures of our chickens that got ripped apart by dogs or by other critters! I have carried eggs over to them and they know that our kids 'raise and show' their chickens,, I don't think we will have any more trouble.
Good luck to you, I think you did it the right way!

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Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15.
Ronald Reagan
We are never defeated unless we give up on God.
Ronald Reagan

Cygnet, I think you going back and showing the pictures, explaining the situation and letting them see your animals was a great way of getting your point across.

(You have to remember that if you just show up and someone's house -that you may or may not know - ranting and raving about their dog(s) getting after your livestock, you will come across to them more of a nut than anything. Taking the time to show them what you have experienced, explaining everything, etc (all while remaining calm) shows them that you aren't a "nut" and gives them more "buy in" that you have animals, you care for them just like they do their dog, etc.)

However, if you do live in a dog-prone area, instead of wasting your time explaining your story time and time again, I'd think you would be better off getting a livestock guardian dog. Train it correctly to stay on your property and your problem should be over. (And if someone's dog get's hurt by your dog and they want vet money, you can explain your dog is a livestock guardian dog and defends it's property, but doesn't leave your property line, so there dog had to be on your property to begin with.)

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Michael W. Smith in North-West Pennsylvania

"Everything happens for a reason."

I have another neighbor with at last count thirteen badly supervised children -- three sets of cousins -- a number of which are diaper-sized. They HAVE tresspassed on my property before, by throwing a mattress over my electric fence and then opening a gate and letting my goats and my dogs out.

(It's these kids that the neighbor with the loose dogs was thinking about when she commented about her dogs potentially attacking a kid, I think.)

I am VERY wary of getting an aggressive, bite-prone dog because of the children. Every LGD I've ever known has been ready and willing to kill anything that tresspasses on its property and could very well view a small child in the same light as a strange dog. Chomp.

(And yes, CPS has been called on these people a few times, from what I understand.)

I *have* two heeler mixes who won't bite kids but are game for a fight with a strange dog. Unfortunately, they're seriously outclassed in a fight with a pit. I'm looking for more dogs with the same sort of temperment, possibly bigger, but well socialized to children.

-- Leva

From experience the only sure thing that works is SSS. Now if someone else harms those dogs the owner with fault you! Retaliation will be the reward for your attempting to be a good neighbor. Unfortunately that is the way things ultimately pan out. I wish you were my neighbor however.

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Agmantoo
If they can do it,
you know you can!

OH! I guess I forgot your problem with the two legged pests.

I have a Great Pyr and she is the nicest dog - actually somewhat skittish of strangers although one time when I was getting some goats loaded up, the helper got nipped in the rear by her (she was trying to protect her goats).

Now, fur covered animals that decide to ignore the fence into the goat pen meets a quick demise. I've found ground hogs and possums that ignored the fence and didn't live to get back out. My Pyr is also unfriendly with any dog that comes around - even my own dogs. She just doesn't tolerate other dogs in "her" area.

I've seen very few Great Pyrs around here, but all that I've come across (and heard about) are very laid back.

Perhaps you need a low voltage electric fence that will help deter any pests (whether 4 legged or 2)!!!!!!!!!

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Michael W. Smith in North-West Pennsylvania

"Everything happens for a reason."

It may just be the breeders out here, but there are a fair number of pyranees in the area. Every. Single. One. that I've seen has been frothing-at-the-mouth aggressive towards strangers, and the owners generally have to physically drag them off. They have little control over them obedience-wise. They do not appear to be easily trainable, either -- very independent-minded dogs, and not real eager to please.

Pyrs in other areas may be different, I just haven't been impressed by the ones here from a safety aspect. I'd much rather lose livestock than have some neighbor's kid end up dog chow.

There's quite a few ranchers and homesteaders out here who swear by a pack of heelers and/or australian shepherds for livestock protection. The issue I have is that individually they lose to the inevitable pits and chows, but if you have several, they do back each other up. Aussies were created out here in Arizona and heelers are widely kept as well and there are some very, very nice working dogs -- I'm sorta keeping my eyes open for a few more, possibly rejects from pet homes, which is how I got the two I have now.

(I like heelers and aussies and crosses thereof. They'll fight to the death if it comes to that, to defend you, they're smart enough to only get bit by a rattlesnake once, they deal with the heat well, and -- with appropriate determination from the owner -- they can be trained to a high degree. Also, they get a second shipment of brains at around four years of age and pet owners tend to give up on 'em long before that, so if you watch, you can find some very nice dogs that just need a few years to grow out of being stupid.)

-- Leva

Yeppers, SSS works for me.

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Please Put Your Location In Your Profile ... TY

I just have to say that my Great Pyrenees are very loving and easy going toward people, especially children. Predators are another proposition altogether.

Those must be some poorly bred Pyrenees out where you are. A good breeder never keeps a poor temperamented Pyrenees, and certainly never breeds one. But many people just breed indiscriminately and that is what they end up with. Plus, many Pyrs are actually crosses with something else, but still look just like a Pyr.

Hope your situation gets better.

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Camille
Copper Penny Ranch
Copper Penny Boer Goats (home of 4 National Champions, 4 Reserve Champions)
Copper Penny Pyrenees
Whey-to-Go Saanens


www.copper-penny-ranch.com

Cyn,
check out this post
http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=275374
Bandit does double duty protecting the chickens/rabbits and the children. I can and do take him anywhere you can take a dog and he is great with children. Now adults/teens are a different matter.......at home. He does protect his territory. No one comes in without him letting me know. That said he will let people in once I let him know they're ok. The ONLY time he has ever growled at someone we had here was when they stupidly tried to bother him while he was eating. We have "cream of the crop" neighbors too......a halfway house for sex offenders and trust me between the dog snarling and slobbering at them and knowing that I'm "that crazy woman with a gun" they don't think about messing around here.

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Ginnie..
http://ginniequilts.blogspot.com/
You can say what you want about the South,
But you never hear of anyone retiring and moving North.

Strange.

My Pyr and the neighbor's Pyr are buddies- together they patrol both farms- I haven't seen a coyote or stray dog in ages. And they both absolutely adore small children (as does every other Pyr I've known). The only problem is that the little one will grab the dog's faces, and the dogs walk forward and the kid gets (gently) knocked down. When the neighbor's kids are outside, my dog is almost always at their house. They think she's great! One day the littlest one (3yo maybe) somehow escaped supervision and wandered (across the road!) to our hay barn where DH was doing something. He glanced up to say hello to the dogs and noticed there was a small child between them! They were apparently protecting the little bugger.

My Pyr is friendly with strangers as long as we're home. When we're not, I've been told she stares at the vehicle daring someone to get out- she doesn't bark or growl, she just has a look that says "you're not welcome". But I honestly don't think she'd ever hurt someone unless they tried to hurt one of us or the horses or Corgis.

The other Pyrs I've known are wary of strangers, but don't threaten like, say, a Doberman or other guard dog might. They more or less just stand back and watch, sometimes barking.

I don't think Pyrs are very trainable or eager to please in the traditional sense. They have been bred to think for themselves. They don't try to round anything up (like heelers and aussies), they don't bother fowl, and they like cats. They just patrol. They're sweet and cute and cuddly but they're working dogs that like to have a job. Mine is spayed and I try to discourage anyone that wants one just as a pet.

I got my Pyr as a 6 mo pup after my bestest-farm-dog-ever passed away unexpectedly. We had her maybe a week- she was still adjusting to farm life after being a house dog- when she earned her keep for the rest of her life. DH was walking to the hay barn with the Corgi herd when a pair of aggressive pit bulls came out of nowhere and had their sights on DH's favorite Corgi. He hollered and ran towards his dog when the Pyr intercepted and killed the lead dog with one shake; the other ran off. Then she went back to being her sweet silly self- no residual aggression at all. She did what she had to do and that was that.

I'm guessing you have a bunch of poorly bred Pyrs in your area. What a shame.

I have 3 german sheperds and a half german/australian sheperd and they run loose here on the property. Raccoons don't bother the chickens, possums don't have a chance and stray dogs are scared to death to even come around. Deer don't eat the trees and coyotes pass through at night but never stop. One sheperd as a pup was killing chickens but after I caught him red handed and literally beat him UFC style not once but twice I think he has figured out what I expect of him. Hasn't bothered one for months. Maybe it's bcuz he has figured out a game that is alot more fun than them lazy old chickens. RABBITS! I really enjoy watching the chase and knowing a rabbit's circuit and these dogs figuring it out ever so slowly.

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We have now officially entered the twilight zone.

My dog, Jack, is a mutt with some pitbull. He is an instigator. A female pit wandered up, so they had fun killing rabbits. We shot the stray in front of Jack. Jack did not bother rabbits on his own. My neighbors who are also family have a lovely dog. She is a black mouth curr. They have had her 4 months, she is a year old. Jack loves to go into their fenced yard to play. Problem.. if they get out of the yard, they maul ducks and chickens. Two nights ago, they killed a rabbit, they jumped on the cage until the door opened. My uncle is attached to the dog and doesn't want to get rid of her. He also woudn't bury the dead rabbit, my DH had to and he HATES to do this. Our solution is muzzles. We will see if this works. Electric collars didn't. I have let it be known that if my baby goats are harmed, I will choke the life out of the perps.

I doubt it's an "if" so much as a "when". BTDT... it isn't fun. I was always too worried to muzzle mine when I couldn't be around, what if one of those wanderers isn't friendly to other dogs? Mine wound up shot when he killed one of our other dogs.
Sigh... I do hope you find a solution, without losing goat kids.

The fist line of defence here includes a "boat horn" a can of air witha horn on top push the button and it is loud . Point and shoot dogs foxes and skunks seem to fear it greatly deer just look at you after the first 4or5 times.

I love this subject. If I could have a dollar for every stray dog and cat I've shot, I could ---- near retire. SSS, no negociations with the neighbor, no bad feelings, no anger, no fear of retaliation or lawsuits. Just a missing dog.