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

[lmalcomb]

My neighbors' had a dog that supposedly was responsible for bitting a kid out of sight off their property. Their insurance company paid the kids family $10,000 plus medical expenses. They had to have the dog put down or the insurance company was going to drop them.

I have found a paint ball gun to work well, the dogs I have painted haven't returned. Killing a dog should only be done as a LAST RESORT. I am sure there are times it would be unavoidable.

 

[LMTC]

Statistics are useful for generalized discussion. My statistics are that I have personally been run into a building (by all appearances a pit bull or similar), and up a tree stand that was close (3 pack, alpha was a pit or similar). My brother, who lived about 1/4 mile away at the time, was run up a tree by a pack (GS and GS mixes) one winter while breaking ice in the creek so his stock could drink. My wife had her pants leg torn by a pair of Rottweilers as she rode her bicycle on the road; fortunately she stayed on the bike and they did not pursue her very far. A man (unknown to me) riding a bicycle was attacked 1/4 mile down the road by a pit bull (or similar) 2 years ago. That dog disappeared into the woods when a deputy responded. I spotted it a few months later, called the warden, and that evening a deputy shot it nearby as it went after someone else on the road. Of course I cannot say with 100% certainty that any of these incidents would have resulted in a death if we hadn't been able to get away. I can say the dog(s) in each situation were acting in an aggressive manner, some quite ferociously. I'm not willing to give your large dog a chance to bite me. Keep your large dog on your property and there will be no problem. That seems pretty simple to me. Do you honestly expect someone to ignore an aggressive dog on their property?

And no, we don't shoot everything that comes along. One nearby neighbor has had major trouble trying to keep a male Border Collie in. I am not concerned because I know the dog and am convinced he would not bite under virtually any circumstance. I call them and they get him. Actually, he's an enjoyable dog to have around. He's been here probably a half dozen times, but the key is that I see him as not a danger. Most everyone I know out here is in general agreement that when someone else's dog is on your property, it's your call as to whether the situation is safe or not.

 

[merrickvilleguy]

Does anyone on this forum ever think of being "neighborly" and sharing rather than paranoid and selfish?

You country folk like to rag on city/suburban dwellers but frankly the urban envirnoment sounds like heaven compared to the mean spirited attitudes expressed by some of our country bred members here.

Where I live we don't shoot neighborhood dogs, we don't have that many fences and the ones we have are to keep kids from getting into the street. We share community tasks and generally aim to bend over backwards to help each other. I though that was the sort of life people in the country were proud of but what I see posted here is nothing more than paranoid isolationist mumblings accompanied by gun toting trash talk.

Frankly, I'm surprised as my bias (and experience) has always been that people in the country were more conscious of and involved with their neighbors at least partially because you depend on each other more. I guess not.

The prob is that city people drop their dogs out here because they are too cheap to pay the vet bills to have them taken off their hands. So we end up with dogs in who knows what diseased condition, in who knows what temperament wandering around in our property. I am personally not going to risk going out there to catch them, to then have to pay the fees myself. I handle them like any other pest animal.

As for neighbours dogs, sometimes the neighbour just could care less about handling his animals, and they are often no better off than the ones dumped here. My parents back in the city have similar problems on their 0.05 acres with people letting their dogs wander all the way over their yard with those extendible leashes to leave a big pile in the yard to clean up. And you see the same people walk multiple times a day just so they don't have the dog doing its business in their own yard.

The difference is, in the city all you can do is piss and moan, here we can sort it out ourselves.

 

[IslandTractor]

+2

So when I moved in I went about introducing ourselves. I even make a habit to invite the "locals" to our festivals. Unfortunate things got ugly between one "local" and myself one day. They basically said my questions were unwarrented, and that quote "this is the country, git use to it."

The questions were not unwarrented and I think I'll start a separate posting on my topic.

So, IslandTractor, I like your thoughts, but in some cases it is the "local", "country" folk who are backwards, selfish, arrogant and paranoid. It really goes both ways.

To the OP, I repeat drawn the line in the sand. Hard and fast.

To think that in New England we used to think that anyone not well grounded or a bit screwy always ended up migrating to California. I guess a good proportion just stop and set up shop whenever they reach a patch of country where they don't see any neighbors.

OK, that was my last jab at country folk. :laughing: Apologies to all the neighborly country folk just trying to get along.

 

[ultrarunner]

To think that in New England we used to think that anyone not well grounded or a bit screwy always ended up migrating to California. I guess a good proportion just stop and set up shop whenever they reach a patch of country where they don't see any neighbors.

OK, that was my last jab at country folk. :laughing: Apologies to all the neighborly country folk just trying to get along.

Some truth to that I guess... speaking as a Californian.

People kept moving West till they reached the Pacific Ocean... no where else to go... Land of Fruits and Nuts as we say tongue and cheek.

 

[LMTC]

Ahhh, when reasoned argument fails, resort to personal attacks. "Not well grounded", eh? OK, the conversation is apparently over.

 

[Milton Burro]

Does anyone on this forum ever think of being "neighborly" and sharing rather than paranoid and selfish?

You country folk like to rag on city/suburban dwellers but frankly the urban envirnoment sounds like heaven compared to the mean spirited attitudes expressed by some of our country bred members here.

Where I live we don't shoot neighborhood dogs, we don't have that many fences and the ones we have are to keep kids from getting into the street. We share community tasks and generally aim to bend over backwards to help each other. I though that was the sort of life people in the country were proud of but what I see posted here is nothing more than paranoid isolationist mumblings accompanied by gun toting trash talk.

Frankly, I'm surprised as my bias (and experience) has always been that people in the country were more conscious of and involved with their neighbors at least partially because you depend on each other more. I guess not.

Where you live, do the dogs pack up and kill livestock? They do here. When you get two or more dogs roaming together, they are like teenagers, together, they do things they normally wouldn't alone. If one starts in on aggressive behavior, the others join in and they can bring a calf down pretty quick. While a lone dog roaming may not not attack livestock, their mentality changes in groups. Once they get a taste of the thrill, they continue, ya can't break 'em. I let many lone dogs pass through as long as that's what they're doing, but once they begin to chase livestock, they become targets.
Most folks around here understand that. It's their lively hood.
If there were any aggressive behavior towards me from a roaming animal, he's dead.

 

[MarkV]

Milton in the case you describe where livestock is being attacked then shoot them. I would do the same. If you have packs of feral dogs running your area attacking people, well, shoot them. I would do the same.

I find that to be much different than the OP's original meeting with the dogs in question. The dogs barked because there was something different their area. My dogs bark when the UPS guy comes. I expect them to. I never read anything that said the OP was attacked. Yet it prompted many responses that suggested kill them, spray them or arrest them. Seems to me the big issue is the dogs crossed some line they can't relate to. If they barked from the other side of the fence this would not be a discussion.

MarkV

 

[johnk]

When you own property you have a right to protect it and what is on it. He made it clear about the dogs and yet they are just some ignorant people that think they have the right to do anything they want wherever and whenever they want. If Beps don't want the dogs on his property that is his right and has the right to protect himself from dogbites or what have you. If you are the type that doesn't mind the neighbors growling dogs on your property so be it. You would propbably be the first one to get a lawyer and sue. After telling my neighbor No dogs on my property if he can't respect that he is going to be down a couple dogs...Why should I get bit because some a##hole thinks his dogs are people..

 

[Drunes]

So for full disclosure, I live in the country raise and train hunting dogs specifically German Shorthair Pointers. Do not believe in shooting a dog unless neccesary.

I live in cattle country and if a dog is worring cattle once will be the last time and my neighbors have heard it from me 100 times. Mine are raised around cattle and horses so I have never had an issue and as pups if they get a little out of hand my mare has a tendency to keep them in line.

I do not have a problem with my neighbors dogs crossing the property. But they are Assies, Brittney's and a Blue Heeler. Dobermans in the country can be trouble as can Pits left to their own devices.

I would talk to the neighbor get to know the dogs if you can and move on. If they come across and I felt at risk or felt a family member was at risk including one of my dogs. I would take the shot.

Around here a dog that bites tends to have a shortened life span.

Barking mine had better bark when someone comes on the property. To a point made earlier we never let ours roam the entire property alone or in pairs for a number of reasons.

Hope it works out.