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

[beppington]

I have lost track on this thread it has lasted so long. Do I understand it correctly that the dogs have only been seen on the OP's property one time by him almost a year ago?

Correct. But don't forget the obvious belly-drag marks on the ground where the dogs obviously come under sometimes & I just don't see them. They're property line is around the corner from my normal view, blocked by a very dense wall of ~10' swamp weeds ... & I've never gone near there during the week.

They ran to their fence barking once or twice since then?

Yes (twice).

The owners kept control of them both times?

Just in the nick of time, but yes. Sorta like Russian Roulette.

Guess I don't get the aggressive suggestions being made. Dogs are part of country living. If you hate dogs maybe the country isn't the place for you.

That's the "Golly gee, what's the big deal" attitude the owners would like me to take. Apparently you're losing something in the translation I'm trying to convey. If not for the owners calling the dogs back in the nick of time, I have no doubt they would've attacked me. I'm no dog expert, but I recognize a dog on a bee-line to defend "its" territory. And there are obvious wear marks on the ground where they come under the fence, & I witnessed it once myself. I guess I should just not be concerned about this? I also don't want to be forced to have to kill someone else's dog(s). I guess I should also change that stance? Doesn't it seem reasonable that the better solution would be for them to either keep their dangerous dogs in a pen or install a better fence to actually contain them.

 

[DennisArrow]

Why don't you finally take LOTS of folk's advice on this thread and let these people know what is going on and how you feel. It's way past time of taking care of it with a shot and a shovel for you obviously will never do that........But then....if you took care of the situation how would you keep this thread going???????...........Surely does to this ol observer that this is what is going on......NO solution or resolution, just keep stirrin the pot........God bless........Dennis

 

[hizoot]

Bep, your neighbors are darn fortunate to have you as a neighbor.:thumbsup: I wish you could say the same about them.

 

[beppington]

Why don't you finally take LOTS of folk's advice on this thread and let these people know what is going on and how you feel. It's way past time of taking care of it with a shot and a shovel for you obviously will never do that........But then....if you took care of the situation how would you keep this thread going???????...........Surely does to this ol observer that this is what is going on......NO solution or resolution, just keep stirrin the pot........God bless........Dennis

Maybe this thread should be in the Front Porch section if it bothers you being in the Rural Living section. Sure, it's a long story, or maybe it's one that keeps getting re-hashed ... just like conversations & ol' tales on a Front Porch. Maybe it's not worthy of that, but you can always go to your front porch instead. Or other sections.

This will get solved one way or another in due time. I'm not one to freak out & make a rash move. I'm not one to make enemies of my neighbors until its proven totally unavoidable. I said it before, I'm much more Andy Griffith than Dirty Harry, although maybe Andy wouldn't have discussed a problem this much. I won't spend a lot of time near the dog corner until this is solved, & the children will be guarded from going near there, too. It will all work out in the end. By posting this, I hoped to get some good opinions & detail an interesting problem. That's all.

 

[beppington]

Bep, your neighbors are darn fortunate to have you as a neighbor.:thumbsup: I wish you could say the same about them.

Why that's very kind of you ... I don't think Dennis agrees!

 

[radioman]

I dont understand. Why didn't you invite the police over to your place and take him for a walk to the fence where belly rubs were found for his opinion? it appears there is a frequent intruder. Since you know the dobermans will keep trying to bark and be menacing everytime you go out there, you have the lawman on your side and if the law officer feels threatened - well, I dont have to tell you the rest of the story when the dogs go after him when you hide behind him. It's the leo's job to protect you and there is no telling if leo will draw his gun or not, BUT as least he will see the "attacking dogs". You were only there with leo to show evidence and get advice.:thumbsup:

You mentioned earlier about having bad neighbors if the law were involved - they are already behaving that way.

 

[beppington]

I dont understand. Why didn't you invite the police over to your place and take him for a walk to the fence where belly rubs were found for his opinion? it appears there is a frequent intruder. Since you know the dobermans will keep trying to bark and be menacing everytime you go out there, you have the lawman on your side and if the law officer feels threatened - well, I dont have to tell you the rest of the story when the dogs go after him when you hide behind him. It's the leo's job to protect you and there is no telling if leo will draw his gun or not, BUT as least he will see the "attacking dogs". You were only there with leo to show evidence and get advice.:thumbsup:

You mentioned earlier about having bad neighbors if the law were involved - they are already behaving that way.

If I can finesse them into securing/ containing the dogs all on their own, we remain on good terms.

If they look out their back window & see me standing there with a cop, we switch to bad terms in an instant.

 

[patrick_g]

Come on Pat,

You own property. Do you shoot every dog you see?

MarkV

I explained that at length in a previous post in this thread. I am the most lenient cattle producer I know regarding roaming dogs. I try to give 'em a break if they move on, don't take an unhealthy interest in my Angus, or try to take up residence.

Last year I watched a matched pair of black lab pups (I guessed 6-8 months old) roaming my back yard. They ran up to the margin of one of the three ponds in our back yard, looked at each other, and dove in swimming the full width, hopping out and running off the property. They were just some careless persons pets, not harming anything so they got safe conduct. If they chased a calf or cow their carcasses would have rotted in a gully. I like dogs and have had several but have none now.

Many people just don't get it. Nice friendly pets will pack up and revert to wolf instincts. They will chase cows. Does chasing hurt anything, does the cow have fun? I try to keep my cows pregnant as much as possible. I don't want then chased into my 5 wire (4 point barbed wire) fences and injured or caused to miscarry. Once in a pack with wolf instincts aroused the nice friendly pets constitute a clear and present danger to people, especially kids due to their size.

Nothing bad happens to pets that are kept home or at least out of pastures being grazed by beef herds. I know of no instances of dog poisoning or trapping around here. One neighbor shot 3 stray dogs eating his ripe cantaloupe. Unfortunate event but justifiable. Way too many idiots in cities dump their unwanted pets out in the country. Seems we get way more than our share in this area as we are 25 miles in 5 directions from towns of several thousand but nearest towns are under 500 population so we are THE COUNTRY for lots of dingbats, probably the same ones sneaking around hunting deer without permission.

The OP would be justified in shooting any dog on his property. To be neighborly, warning (not threatening) the neighbor of your intentions would be the honorable thing to do if there are no other reasonable means of solving the problem. To me phone calls are totally unreasonable and fraught with potential disaster.

If it were me I'd make sure the dog owner understood my position that I don't care how he keeps his dog off my place, just that he does. I'd offer to lend a hand if he wanted to do some fencing but don't think that is mandatory. I personally have all the tools and experience to make a dog proof fence of nearly any construction type and would help if the other guy was civil. Otherwise, he should keep his dogs home or their rotting carcasses will be in a gully or buried if no gully available.

I'd rather he was unhappy with me than sending his heartfelt condolences re an attacked grandchild or... I carry and would never tolerate a dog baring his teeth at me on my property.

I could be the guy's new best friend if he shows some initiative and takes responsibility for his problems. Keeping his dog off my place is totally HIS problem, not mine. Allowing his dog to run free and make me or mine feel threatened is his failure to deal with HIS problem, making it mine and I handle my problems. When the dog gets ugly with me then it is my problem and I will take care of my problems. I'd never shoot the dog while it is home, just if it came onto my property with a bad attitude.

This issue has probably been "over discussed" with the neighbor and not broken down into the simple bare facts. Solve your problem. Don't make it my problem unless you don't mind losing dogs. Not a complicated concept.

Patrick

 

[Obed]

If I can finesse them into securing/ containing the dogs all on their own, we remain on good terms.

If they look out their back window & see me standing there with a cop, we switch to bad terms in an instant.

You are absolutely correct. You are the one who is going to have live beside those people, not us.

If it were me personally, I would try to get to know the neighbors first and establish a raporre with them before forcing the dog issue. I would also try to get to know the dogs even though, like you, I'm not a dog person. If you got to know the dogs, you could take care of the threat to yourself and wouldn't need a gun or pepper spray (or a shovel) while you work out there.

It sounds like having small kids around doesn't happen that much at the present time so that issue can be addressed when the timing is right. If the dogs really concerned me, I would probably offer to help them build a cheap woven wire fence enclosure on their property and pay for half of it myself. Then the neighbors might view me as part of the solution, not just an outsider trying to tell them how to run their lives.

Obed

 

[riptides]

.... Dogs are part of country living. If you hate dogs maybe the country isn't the place for you....

MarkV

Ahh, part of a prevailing attitude a lot of people have bubbles up....

"it's the country, get use to it" as stated in my earlier thread.

The country living absolves a lot of people from being responsible and accountable.