Neighbor's dobermans on my land, protecting "their" property ...??

[Milton Burro]

Still seems to me that lots of you are pretty darn trigger happy and that you shoot first and ask questions later. Dogs get out, dogs roam, dig up gardens and can be pests but dogs are also valued pets. To shoot one just because you have the right to, when your life and limb are not in danger, seems cruel, unneighborly and down right stupid.

If anyone ever took an unwarranted shot (life or limb issue excepted) at a family pet of mine that "neighbor" would lose virtually all good will. If I saw smoke coming from his house I'd go get the marshmellows, chocolate and graham crackers rather than lift a finger to help.

My dog problem lasted 18 months before I pulled the trigger, literally. I had talked to the owner twice, and after that, called the sheriff on two different occasions to talk with him. The first thing the sheriff told me over the phone was to "just shoot it.". That's what the responding officer said as well,, both times. I was not trigger happy. However, I am now, as the dog abuser has acquired a new pit bull pup, and I saw it in the back two days ago. When I catch it harassing my animals, I've done all the talking I am going to do. I carry a 9mm on the tractor, but I'm going to install a rifle mount because I do not want to take a chance on the poor dog suffering. 30-06 will kill quick, and I am more apt to make a good shot with a rifle than a pistol. Just because I am in no personal danger, I feel a responsibility to protect the animals I own. So if the stupid bastard refuses to take care of his animals, doesn't mean I have to follow suit.

 

[beppington]

I have a very simple rule about dogs, he/she bites me, I shoot them.

I don't plan to wait until after a bite to take some defensive action, whether spray or shot.

I checked out the Halt! Dog Repellent at Amazon (Amazon.com: Halt! Dog Repellent, 1.5 Oz 118464: Sports & Outdoors). Of 48 reviews, there are thirty 5-star reviews, eight 1-star reviews, & ten 2- to 4-star reviews. Sounds like it's very good, but not a sure thing, according to the eight 1-star reviewers.

Maybe wasp spray is better. That stuff shoots a long way & seems pretty nasty. Hopefully it wouldn't actually harm a dog.

 

[Western]

I agree also with the other posters about speaking to your neighbor. I think personally, I would avoid bringing up the dogs until you get a "feel" of the guy. If you are forced to deal with the dogs later, you have put "cross hairs" on your back so to speak.

You may find out he knows your property better than you do! Nothing worse than a adjoining land owner getting miffed because he can't run "your" property too. There are several threads on TBN over the years, where guy's had to deal with their neighbors inability to understand property lines.

Old farmers called it SSS....

I would speak to him the first time on a "recon" mission.

I have spoke to all my neighbors, straight forward and to the point, about their dogs, but not on the 1st contact, All have been pretty good for the most part but one, he now is short 8 Pitt crosses (raised for hogs). After they killed my 18 year old Horse and tore the legs on my Doc Bar filly, chased me 3 times, I had enough and from now on will SSS. By the way, Sheriff got 4.

 

[RobertBrown]

Although I will try to talk to him first ... Just occurred to me:

I might take my pistol & do some target practice shooting on my property. Set up in a place where the dog owner can hear it but not actually see me. There are plenty of tall weeds where I can set up this way. And, rather than controlled, thoughtful, rhythmic shooting, shoot randomly & some high-speed pow-pow-pow-pow-pow bursts ... all just to give them that, "Hmm, my dogs could end up dead over there" thought.

If the guy is a lawyer, he's got to know that if is dog bites you on your property..... he is toast.
Is it possible that when you went past him (hands on his hips) he did not know that you were the property owner, his neighbor.
Is there any way you could consider his dogs on your property an asset? Perhaps an extension of his "security system" watching your property...say against illegal dumping.
Is it possible that there is a piece missing here that you don't know about, and a little chat with your neighbor might explain things? Maybe there is someone else visitng your property or trespassing that has him on edge. Maybe he was vandalized or robbed and he thinks the problem lies over your way.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't overthink this as it may never happen again. Please don't act on any of these assumptions. That dog may have gotten to you and rolled over on his back.
Maybe he is a great big A-h0 (neighbor, after all he is a lawyer). Maybe you should keep a softball bat or a short 11/2" diameter piece of wax myrtle about 28" long ( you can beat the snot out of something with a piece of wax myrtle, I keep a 2" piece with a slight bend) on your tractor next time you go out there. Next time you go out there, stop at his house first, you have good reason now. See how he greets you, then you'll really know if you have something to sweat.
Afterthought!
My girlfriend has this little battery operated device with a button she take with her when she goes for a run or walk. You push the button and the dog will stop. some kind of high frequency phreme-a-stat.
I hit it in the house once and all three dogs were looking for a hole in the floor.

 

[Transit]

That sums it up for me. I've got a loose Rotty in the house behind me that is one step from dog heaven.

Yes, there was a time that I would meet the sweetest Rotty most mornings going to the bus stop, as sweet as shoe fly pie. The dog was very friendly and one morning saved my bacon from a stray dog.

 

[2manyrocks]

If you're in a small town with only one vet, maybe your vet knows the dogs and their owner and could give you some suggestions.

If you have a lawyer, he probably knows the guy and could give you some ideas as well.

Better be careful because if he might know some law you don't that would cost you if you go about it the "wrong" way.

Now if you import some skunks and they spray those dogs before they go home to their owner......

 

[Transit]

If you're in a small town with only one vet, maybe your vet knows the dogs and their owner and could give you some suggestions.

If you have a lawyer, he probably knows the guy and could give you some ideas as well.

Better be careful because if he might know some law you don't that would cost you if you go about it the "wrong" way.

Now if you import some skunks and they spray those dogs before they go home to their owner......

You can check the law in your state.

DOG BITE LAW - Legal Rights of Dog Bite Victims in the USA

 

[Milton Burro]

There was a time when shooting dogs was acceptable. We raised sheep when I was a kid and packs of dogs would run the sheep to death. We would shoot the dogs to protect the sheep. Dogs are kept for a different reason these days. To protect home and family in a lot of cases. We have them. All our neighbors have them. This isn't the result of bad dog owners or bad dogs. It is just the way things are these days. Still there is a responsibility of large dog owners to control their dogs. There are too many people with large dogs these days that simply should not have them. The ride the shirt tails of responsible owners and make it bad for all of us that own large dogs.

Shooting dogs is advised here, by law enforcement. If you want to let your dog run loose in this county, you will run the risk of having it shot, large dog or small dog, it makes no difference when it comes to damage to others property. It's just the way things are these days. Your animal, be responsible for it, I don't care if it's a itsy bitsy cutesy lap dog or a behemoth. Don't place the unpleasant chore in your neighbors hands.
What did they have dogs in the old days for? Killing and maiming sheep? Guess what, dogs haven't changed.

 

[Milton Burro]

I disagree with giving treats to the dogs when they are not on their own property. That will just encourage the behavior or get them hit in the road.

Great idea! Putting dog treats in the road! BRILLANT!

 

[sandman2234]

After reading all ten pages, I have come to the conclusion that there are some crazy people on this board. Having lived next door to two (?) Women with a dobbie and a great dane, that would keep my wife from exiting her car in our driveway, where she would have to sit until I got home two hours later (and hoping for dinner being ready). Finding out what sort of deep trouble I would be in IF anything happened to the dogs, and then them tearing into our screened in porch and destroying some packages delivered while we were gone. Coming home and catching them in the act was almost their end, but they were lucky. Owner wrote a check for the damaged packages, and went the next morning and stopped payment. Small claims court faired even worse, because I took the "wrong one" to court. She said the dogs belonged to the" other one". From that day on, every move I made on my property cause the police to be called, till one Officer almost killed himself and passenger due to me threatening them. I was standing in the street shooting the bull with two other neighbors when we heard the sirens coming. After checking in with the calling neighbor, they questioned us about weapons and then went back to the callers house. Returning, they asked me what type of weapon I had in the back of my p/u truck which was sitting 250 feet down my driveway. I told the Officer "none" and of course he wanted to see, so off we went walking that direction. He told me that they said I kept walking over there and pointing a gun in their direction. I figured it out at that point, and rounded the corner of the truck, picked up my thermos and poured another cup of coffee while asking the Officer if I could interest him in a cup of coffee. The Officer went back over there and we could hear his loud voice but unable to make out the words. They never called the sheriff again, that got a responce, and we got a great deal on a house back in town, so we moved after living in paradise for three years.
The dogs lived, dispite me having a bullet with their name it, and the pair of women sold out and moved back to town six months later. Should have moved back but the magic was gone. Too many bad memories, on that great piece of property.
Anyway, I can relate.
How many of you who condem the trigger happy have walked in their boots?
What happens when a young child nears the dogs extended domain and isn't old enough to have been instucted in the fine art of wasp spray or pepper spray Will a dog that will scare a full grown man on a tractor even consider a kid on a bicycle as much more than an appetizer? We all have our ideas on the best way to approach the neighbor, but the bottom line is, SOMETHING should be done and soon. Hopefully the dogs have been contained, and this point is mute.

David from jax