Dealing with neighborhood bully

like most of the advice ... I agree... forget the owners, that path leads to problems .... probably real problems ... call animal control

even if there aren't any leash laws in your area the fact that you feel threatened is all it should take to get some action

I am one of those animal lovers but if a dog threatens one of my family on my property, it will be one dead dog.

My .02c

aussiesmg wrote: I am one of those animal lovers but if a dog threatens one of my family on my property, it will be one dead dog. My .02c

This. As much as I hate the thought of shooting a dog, if I feel threatened, or worry of my family's safety, I will end that dog.

Double tap.

next time you see any of those dogs anywhere near your place, call animal control and tell them of the menacing behavior. do not, and let me say again DO NOT, go through the neighborhood knocking on doors. best to be as anonymous as the animal control process will let you be.

.22 bird shot. Will not kill a dog, especially the size of a Lab. Light his ass up a few times and the berkeleyer WILL remember that your yard is a place of pain.

Appleseed wrote: .22 bird shot. Will not kill a dog, especially the size of a Lab. Light his ass up a few times and the berkeleyer WILL remember that your yard is a place of pain.

Problematic: You can then be charged with animal cruelty.

Animal Control. Period.

Killing or harming the animal is the LAST resort in this sort of situation. Animal Control is the first resort. If they fail, then you have a documented case that can stand up against Bubba and his hellhounds in court, should you be forced to Euthanize with Prejudice.

Grizz wrote: Shoot him. Your families safety > someones dog.

Seriously? There are HUNDREDS of solutions that do not involve the death of a thus-far innocent dog.

If you happen across a situation where you feel threatened, you likely won't have a gun with you. And if you do have a gun with you, I would argue that you had intended to kill the dog from the outset. Not cool.

While I agree with your second point, I completely disagree with your first.

If you have the opportunity, photograph the dog running loose before you call animal control.

I say this because we had problems up until recently with a neighbor's two pitbulls running loose. The owner was finally fined (multiple times) and has finally started keeping them under lock and key. It was a very long process, though, with several neighbors calling each time, the owner being dragged into court several times, getting off scott free once or twice("you can't prove those were my dogs"), and finally costing him money.

this is how animal control works:
no response: One person calls, "there is a big dog running loose..."
instant responds: five calls from different neighbors saying, "the pit bulls from 305 5th street are running loose again. They are barking in a really threatening manner. I have a gun and I will......."

Animal control. Be clear that you feel the dogs are a threat to you and your children.

Approaching the owners or shooting the dogs is just asking for a confrontation that will not help anything.

I'd call the authorities, then anytime I'm in the garage there'd be an open pan with coolant in it, "because I'm servicing my coolant system". When the dog comes by I'd simply leave to go to a safe place. If the dog drinks the anti-freeze after chasing my out of my garage then.....
I'm a dog lover, but in a situation like this, I'm going to kill the dog before it hurts someone. This way is less likely to get you in hot water then shooting it.

If you have ever seen an animal die a slow and horrible death from antifreeze poisoning, you would not do that. It is a truly horrible way to go and doesn't change the problem causer - the irresponsible dog owner.

I want to clarify what I said about a camera.

Working with animal control and the courts is a long process. It took longer with our situation because the owner would not admit that that dogs running loose were his pits. (he had been warned multiple times, and knew he would be fined if they were running loose.) When he caught them before animal control got there, he would deny that they had been out.

The dogs got loose often enough that he was eventually fined twice. The animal control officer said that they were trying to start the process of declaring the larger one to be a Dangerous Animal. (Probably more red tape and fees to keep one in the city.) This would have happened faster if we had photographic evidence that all the calls were about HIS dogs

I like the photographic evidence idea. I will shoot some video of the next encounter. Too bad our snow mostly melted yesterday as the hundreds of footprints on my back patio from two dogs who ran from 200 yards away to bark at my wife who had the gall to leave our house and stand on our deck. Since those are pretty much melted I will wait and gather some evidence and then call next time there is anything to report.

I figured there would be a different set of answers here, that would tell me to calm down and just make friends with Fido. I'll take the advice given, other than shooting the things.

Water hose ,paint ball gun and fire crackers get mace for emergencies , bring the fight to them .

Video camera (even cellphone video) for next incident then call animal control. In the short run, get one of those small air horns from Wally World and keep it on your person. Dog growls at you in your yard, you give him a short blast. The dog is probably used to being yelled at and it doesn't really faze him/her, a loud and abnormal type noise will startle them and they will take off. That's a non-injurious way of getting them to back off.

Step on is animal control. Step two is a BB gun, one pump to start. He'll figure out stepping in your yard equals a stinging side. If it ever attacks, shoot it with a real gun.

Call animal control or the cops. If they bark at you, they will bark at the authorities affirming your case..

I had two little dogs, beagle size running around my yard, crapping in the tulips and generally being a PITA. I got hold of one and tied a note to his collar, then tied him to the other dog with 6" between. I assume they went home tied together.

The note said, "If you dogs crap on my lawn again, run through the garden or chase my cat, they disappear".

Never saw them again.

Dan

Animal control. If unsatisfactory response... Make it quick and painless.

914Driver wrote: I had two little dogs, beagle size running around my yard, crapping in the tulips and generally being a PITA. I got hold of one and tied a note to his collar, then tied him to the other dog with 6" between. I assume they went home tied together. The note said, "If you dogs crap on my lawn again, run through the garden or chase my cat, they disappear". Never saw them again. Dan

I like this as as a first, humane gesture. I would like not to have to put them down if I could avoid it. Not only that but it is hilarious.

If I could get a hold of one I would. They have collars and tags, but these are not beagles and do not seem all that cooperative to having me take a look at their tags.

Build or rent one of those dog noose things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqhhihuLeZY&feature=related

big live trap/cage?

Agree with the others. Call animal control first! My sister had a neighbor who let their dogs run loose like this and tried handling it by talking to the neighbor first. The neighbor blew them off and the neighbor's dog ended up going into my sisters backyard and killing their dog.

Tom Suddard wrote: I'll throw in another vote for "call animal control, then shoot them if you feel threatened." The dogs, that is... Not the neighbors.

I'd rather shoot the neighbors.

Maroon92 wrote:

Grizz wrote: Shoot him. Your families safety > someones dog.

Seriously? There are HUNDREDS of solutions that do not involve the death of a thus-far innocent dog. If you happen across a situation where you feel threatened, you likely won't have a gun with you. And if you do have a gun with you, I would argue that you had intended to kill the dog from the outset. Not cool. While I agree with your second point, I completely disagree with your first.

It's not all roses and sunshine out there.

Name one better solution if that large ferocious dog has your pet, spouse or child cornered on your property.

Calling animal control whilst my child becomes lunch is not the option I would take.

I carry a firearm all the time, legally, so I most definitely would be prepared to protect my family on my property.

It is the owners fault that these dogs are like this but, if the situation is as dire as quoted here and then escalates just a fraction more, that dog would be toast. The owner would then be sued as a move to protect myself from civil action.

The dog ran 200 yards to bail his wife up in her own backyard, what if she was further from the house when this happened.

Remember I have 3 dogs and they are all rescues but you can't save them all.

That said, video of the dogs on your property would be a huge help when Mr Scumbucket tries to sue you for acting in defense of your family.