help with dogs

[AshleyNicole]

[SIZE=12pt]Hi everyone, I joined not too long ago, just haven't posted until now. I have two minis, and am about to get one or two more. My problem is that there has been a problem around the neighborhood with stray dogs. Our next door neighbor had about 10 goats that where about the size of our minis that where killed by strays recently. Yesterday we found a dog that had somehow gotten inside our fence and was growling at our filly. We do have a dog that is used to the horses who is there to kind of protect them, but he was in another fence at the time. I was wondering if anyone has had a problem with strays and what you have done about it. I really need to do something before something horrible happens. Thanks everyone.[/SIZE]

oh btw, the neighbor next door had 2 lamas but that didn't seem to help him, we also do have a barn to put them in they where just grazing at the time.

 

[Kawgirl]

Get a good gun and learn how to use it!!

 

[LittleRibbie]

Hi Ashley and welcome !! O.K. Im going to sound really harsh but...YOU are responsible for your horses and you should not even be thinking of getting any more horses untill you have secure fencing for the 2 you have. There is no way to always know that another animal/dog cant get into your pasture and sometimes as much as you try things happen. But YOU know that a stray has gotten into your pasture and will very possiblly return. Im very happy to hear that you were there and no one got hurt...it could have esculated to something horrible. Keep in mind just because you put a dog in the pasture or a llama it doesnt mean your minis will not get attacked.

Do you have field fence?? Electric? How about running a strand of hot wire around the out side just a few inches off the ground. How tall is your fence??

Im sorry I dont remember the persons name but someone on here as a very elaborate multi wire Fort Knox fence and maybe they will step in...you may not have to go that far. I would really consider keeping your horse stalled when ever you are not home. The dog may return now that he knows how close he got the first time.

Tell us what you have for a fence now as that might help too.

 

[h2t99]

I would also suggest a standard donkey, they will attack dogs that do not belong, you do have to watch out for your own dogs at first also, until they get to know them!!

Also not to sound harsh or cruel, if you cannot shoot them, trap them and I would also call the police and animal control!! Personally if they are growling at my horses then I have no problem shooting!! Especially if they have killed goats close by. Also, and flame suit on, I know people that have taken care of their stray problem by baiting them with laced hotdogs, not sure what they lace them with but it kills them within 50 feet!!

Honestly after what happened to that poor couple in Georgia you have to take care of yourself and your property!!

Good Luck and I hope all works out!!

 

[Robin1]

You have to be careful with Donkeys too. I have a friend who's husband put out his donkeys with one of her mares (nothing new there) what he didn't know was that the mare had foaled during the night and the donkeys killed the foal before he could get back through the gate.

Robin

 

[rcfarm]

I would put electric fence where I could. Anything to keep them safe. Also agree to put in stalls when your not home. I have a hog wire fence around the permiter of our property, it helps keep unwanted things out. I have 3 dogs outside , they seem to keep away other dogs so far. If you have pack running around already killing livestock you need to report or get a gun. Protect what is yours! Good Luck

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I feel your frustration and worries, believe me!

A couple of years ago, I posted this same topic on this forum, and I got a lot of replies. I thought maybe one of them could maybe help you.

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.ph...&hl=pitbull

A person on the next street over from me, has a normal sized horse that was just attacked by two pitbull type dogs on Tuesday. Thankfully, they got the dogs who did it, but I never heard what the outcome of the horse was. It's scary!

 

[Marty]

What kind of fence do you have?

I use field fence, economic and works. I back it up inside and out with hot wire. Set the outside wire low enough where it will clobber a dog. No problems.

 

[MindyLee]

I personally would/have SHOOT SHOVEL AND SHUT UP.

What ever your desision is good luck!

 

[AshleyNicole]

You're not being at all harsh little ribbie, if I don't feel like it's safe for them before I planned to go and get them I'm going to put off getting them. We do have a field fence up. I really thought we were ok because the dog we have in their barks at everything. I think the dog I saw is owned by someone around here but if I see him again I'm taking him to a shelter, maybe one far away so that they can't get him back. Really if they can't keep him in his yard and he is going after other people's animals then I'm sorry but I feel like they are asking for it. For whatever reason people just let their dogs roam around out here. The dog got over the fence before I got to him this last time. I don't think he is the one that killed the goats next door; I would think that it would have had to be a pack of dogs to kill so many goats. Thanks so much for your suggestions, I think we have a weekend project

I think I'll look into getting hotwire, one of our fences looks as if it had that at one time. The donkey idea is also a good one, one of the mares I was going to get is in foal so I would keep her in the barn mostly (and away from the donkey) anyway.

 

[h2t99]

I have heard of some donkeys killing babies, but it has always been jacks or geldings that I have heard. All of ours run together and my jennys love the foals!! But if you are careful about which one you get then a gelding is a great choice!! Good Luck!!

 

[rosaroca]

I LOVE my standard jenny, but there are some problems with her. She's great with her own herd and with their foals, even newborns, but she won't tolerate any new horses coming in. I have to pen them next to her where she can see, sniff, and get to know them for up to a month before introducing them into her herd. Even then, she'll usually chase them for a few days. But once they become one of "her horses," they're hers for life. Even if they go away for awhile to my training stable or somewhere, when they come back she's SO excited to see them again.

While I was gone to a horse show this summer, a stallion got out (who had been in a pen adjoining hers) and got into her mare herd. She chased him so hard that he ended up getting through a fence and into the gelding group. He beat the crap out of a couple of my geldings before friends caught him and put him back where he belonged.

But no dog would dare come near my donkey. I've even seen her chase squirrels and rabbits out of her area. She chases the little one like that gently, though, with her ears back and nose to the ground, just following along behind them until they're out of her pen. LOL

Before I got her I lost one tiny gelding and nearly lost a future show mare (who couldn't be shown afterwards because of her terrible scars) to the neighbors 2 black labs and their dalmation.

Oh, and her name? Xena, The Warrior She-A**.

 

[LindaL]

About 5 yrs ago, the next door neighbor's dogs got out of their yard (kids left gate open) and they got into "pack mode" for whatever reason that day and attacked 2 of my horses (a weanling and my little 28" gelding) who were being kept separate from everyone else...can't remember why now. Luckily the neighbors were home and heard the commotion and came racing over before they were killed. While fencing "may" deter dogs, you just never know when dogs you know or don't may decide to attack. I "thought" my horses were safe...

I am not a "gun advocate" and do not own one, BUT.....had I been there I would have had no problem "taking care" of those dogs somehow. They were lucky that day that their owners caught them and not me.

Hot wire "may" help...but of course they would have to touch it first...and you would have to have it everywhere.

 

[Miniv]

Lots of great advice......

Bringing them in at night is obviously the first thing. Have your barn well lit. However, not everyone can stall ALL their horses. (We can't.)

Good fencing, backed up with at least one strand of electric down low.......about 4 to 6 inches off the ground. Dogs (and coyotes) like to dig under first.

Have to admit that we have some questionable fencing of our own, which came with the place, and we are slowly replacing it as we can afford it. Trust me, Vinyl fencing may be pretty, but it's stupid, IMO.

I love animals. I love dogs. But there are certain situations when the "SSS" method is necessary. Believe it or not, I've had some local authorities recommend it!

Guard animals are great. We personally have llamas......(having pairs are good, and females are even better.) But I believe in using a combination of many of the different things listed above as being your best defense.

 

[JWC sr.]

Ditto on the jenny advice, we have 5 and they do a great job. Be sure to follow the advice of slow introduction till they understand what belongs there and what does not.

Any kind of fence you put up will not be a guarantee that you will keep out vermin and strays. To understand how bad this can get query Little America's incidents with stray and wandering dogs here on the forum. They really got to Tony G. several times before he could get the problem dealt with.

We also own and use our guns when required to protect and guarantee the safety of all of our livestock. To our mind that is our responsibility to our animals.

Good Luck,

 

[mizbeth]

Yes, John and others are correct, this is a serious matter. Electric wire fence DOES work to keep them out and is inexpensive to put up. Bringing them in at night to an enclosed area at the very least will also help as well-lighted is good too, but dogs will run your horses any time of the day/night. Mostly very early morning is when the do that, BUT.

There are many things you can do, but whatever you do must be done quickly. Unfortunately whether you are in the right/wrong, shooting dogs can have its reprocussions. You must be prepared to handle that. Yes, the shoot/shovel works too, but you cannot shoot your horses by mistake and the dogs will be on them before you know it and your only shot will be in the direction of the horses. It will be too late then. Best to be preventative.

Good luck, I hope you resolve this matter quickly. We have not had a dog attack or horses but did have dogs run of my horses and one of the little mares into a fence, where she was twisted all day before we realized she did not come with the others a night. We thought she would lose her hoof, her leg, tendons was so badly damaged and we did not know how long the blood supply had been cut off to her hoof. She did in fact recover and is doing well today. WE WERE LUCKY, Tony and others were not.

Again, this is serious and you must act quickly.

 

[~Lisa~]

before you go shooting a gun and killing the dog, make sure you check the laws in your county it is not legal everywhere to shoot an animal simply cause your livestock is in danger- many places it depends on where you live, how far you live from other houses ect... research first before you act on anything

 

[christina_ski]

As someone who has delt with neighbors/stray dogs, PLEASE, do something about this now! I was lucky and had no serious injuries and the dogs where delt with, but it went on for months before the neighbors did anything. I follow the rule now of shoot now ask questions later. I am about ready to set out poison as they just had a new litter of pups that are giving me nightmares of the ones who use to chase the horses (these pups would be full siblings to those)

Luckily I have 3 horses who will chase dogs out of their pens on sight, and I am sure my gelding would kill any he gets ahold of, but 1 on 1 they win. Them versus a pack no way.

 

[Joanne]

We have caught a number of stray dogs on our property over the many years we have had animals. The rottweillers have been the worst.

In our area there are livestock laws and we are completely justified to shoot them. However that is not my interest and we have captured and turned them over to animal control and filed complaints. In our area the owners have to spay/neuter the animal and pay a fine before they are released back to the owners. If the livestock has been injured or killed they must also pay those fees to the owners of the livestock.

We used to try and find the owners of the dogs. Big mistake. The owners were never happy if you drove into their yard with their dog in your truck and even less happy to hear what their dog had done. Often the dogs travel in packs and have multiple owners.

I agree with Beth that you cannot depend that they will only attack at night. One Super Bowl Sunday I spent many hours trying to find the owners of two dogs that had cornered several of my horses. The owners were watching the game and had no idea the dogs were gone. That was the last time I went looking for the owners.

We follow the "dog in the hand" rule here. Though we have a German Shepherd that will happily run any stray off, I prefer to capture them and turn them over to Animal Control and let them deal with it.

What I do know is that these dogs WILL COME BACK. Every property is different as to what you need to protect your horses. A solid fence is a great start.

 

[~Dan]

I would keep the minis inside at night, if you have the resources, I would change the fence, if its not solid, such as elctric, I would change it to something more substantial, such as field fence, goat fence, cattle panels, or horse fence. Good Luck.

Dan