My neighbors dogs

[RedNeckGeek]

I did consult an attorney and the insurance company did not include me in the settlement. Does not matter about the truthfulness of a claim, if it is paid out, it is on your record. I could fill thread or two on this topic but that will need to wait for another day.

Wow! Just Wow!! Sounds like another example of justice going to the highest bidder.

If you do start a thread on the subject I'd sure be interested.

 

[TomSeller]

So if a dog comes onto my property and kills my dear pet chicken, I can sue the owner of the "vicious dog" and win? Interesting. This might come in handy.

 

[Sysop]

Firing a shot in the ground between me and any approaching potentially dangerous animal has always been my "go-to" reaction and it has always worked without delay or fail. I would never waste more than one shot on the ground though. If ever there was delay, the second shot would prevent fail.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Wow, what a different culture.

In Minnesota any dog running game is bad news.

"Dogs caught chasing deer may be killed by a person other than a peace or conservation officer, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)."

I haven't heard of free ranging dogs for decades.

People who cannot control their dogs are ticketed. If a pattern of tickets happens, the dogs are removed and the owners get to explain themselves before a judge.

 

[dave1949]

We have Animal Control officers here. The officer is paid a $2,500 annual stipend. For the past few years the Head Selectman has filled the post. Our Board of Selectmen has three seats held by elected local folks on staggered three year terms. They are the town governing body, set the budget, schedule town meetings, etc. There is no Mayor, Town Manager, or local police in these small towns.

So, for animal issues we would call the Control Officer who enforces any state or local ordinances. Most people here are pretty good about keeping their animals at home. They know that is the law and expectation, plus there is a local dedicated person who will deal with them if necessary usually without involving the County Sheriff Deputies or other police.

 

[95XL883]

95XL883, sorry for hijacking you thread but I thought it would be good to past along something I would never expect to happen in my lifetime.

KT, no apology necessary. I'm glad you posted. A lawsuit from the dogs owners is something I am very concerned about. It is good to have an idea how my insurer might react to that. Assuming no one is bitten, SSS is very attractive if it happens in the woods. That would just be the end of it. It is kind of sad, but the first one to call is generally considered the victim.

 

[95XL883]

So if a dog comes onto my property and kills my dear pet chicken, I can sue the owner of the "vicious dog" and win? Interesting. This might come in handy.

I'm not an attorney but that is my understanding of the way it works in Kansas. It gets even more interesting if the dog kills a cow. I recall something about not only the value of the cow but of any calves it may have had. Same applies to hunters. Accidentally, or otherwise, kill a cow and the hunter has to pay for the cow and maybe any calves it may have had. That is one reason I have taught my boys to choose their shots and shooting lanes very carefully.

 

[Sysop]

I don't see why folk want a dog that can be mean anyway. In many places if a burglar enters your home and your dog attacks, the dog will end up put down. Same scenario and you shoot the intruder, there is no issue.

I prefer a "watch dog" over a "guard dog"... My dog has no fence, has no chain, and doesn't even wear a collar. He is as friendly as the day is long, but alerts me to anything going on that shouldn't be. He never lets me out of his sight and goes everywhere I do. It isn't that he is well trained, it is simply in his nature.

 

[95XL883]

I don't see why folk want a dog that can be mean anyway. In many places if a burglar enters your home and your dog attacks, the dog will end up put down. Same scenario and you shoot the intruder, there is no issue.

I prefer a "watch dog" over a "guard dog"... My dog has no fence, has no chain, and doesn't even wear a collar. He is as friendly as the day is long, but alerts me to anything going on that shouldn't be. He never lets me out of his sight and goes everywhere I do. It isn't that he is well trained, it is simply in his nature.

Maybe I'm reading too literal. I believe any dog can be mean. Some breeds seem to have a tendency to viciousness but most aren't. Sysop, you are obviously a good owner. Your dog has you as its leader and has learned very well. It has learned that the majority of people are good and that friendliness is a good thing. I appreciate and applaud you for that.

I can think of two types of owners that are bad. The first is ones who train their dogs to be mean. The second is less obvious and is the type I am dealing with. He has a dog capable of being vicious and provides it no leadership. He just feeds it. Left to its own, the dog has grown into a pack leader and hunter with vicious tendencies.

I had an interesting discussion with a dog rescue group on Saturday. They class aggression into four levels, totally non-aggressive, aggressive towards other animals, somewhat aggressive to humans and having demonstrated vicious, uncontrollable aggression to humans. In one rescuer's view, once a dog got into the last level, it is almost beyond salvation and can never be trusted. He has one in that category. It will never be adopted out. He carefully controls its access to other animals and people. When he is around it, he always keeps an eye on it. He believes the dog could turn on him or his wife in a second. He just doesn't have the heart to put it down so basically he acts as its jailer. He treats it well but it is always contained. Using their classification, the boxer/pitt I am dealing with is playing with that last level. Since the owner isn't going to do anything to stop it, I am left with no alternative but to put it down if it doesn't flee at the sight of me on my property.

And yes, my wife and I are considering adopting a rescue dog. We have certain requirements first of which is no viciousness towards humans. We would be very concerned about viciousness towards other animals but have seen my son train his rescued rott/beagle to be submissive to their cat. (I thought that would never happen but can now see that his rescue has consistently shown a desire to please its people.) Like Sysop, our dog will almost always be in our company. It will be a cherished family member, not some creature locked outside, thrown food and left to roam.

 

[TomSeller]

. We would be very concerned about viciousness towards other animals but have seen my son train his rescued rott/beagle to be submissive to their cat. (I thought that would never happen but can now see that his rescue has consistently shown a desire to please its people.) Like Sysop, our dog will almost always be in our company. It will be a cherished family member, not some creature locked outside, thrown food and left to roam.

Exactly. Most dogs need a leader of the pack and that is a responsible human. The same dog can be a cherished family member or a neighborhood terror. It depends on the human mostly.

 

[95XL883]

Everyone should own Wheaten Terriers. In my opinion, they're the best dogs in the world. Very independent and very-much are "man's best friend".

Sysop, that tractor is immaculate. And the dog is very well groomed. And the truck is very clean. And the grass is nicely gut. How long did it take you to prep for that picture?

It is very nice picture. Tractor looks good. Looks like a nice dog. Does he run the back hoe? :laughing:

 

[Sysop]

Sysop, that tractor is immaculate. And the dog is very well groomed. And the truck is very clean. And the grass is nicely gut. How long did it take you to prep for that picture?

It is very nice picture. Tractor looks good. Looks like a nice dog. Does he run the back hoe? :laughing:

Thanks, but in that picture; the tractor was new, the grass around the barn gets cut weekly, and the dog gets shaved monthly during hot weather, so everything was as ready as it could be for a picture without any "extra" effort. The truck really wasn't clean, it doesn't set still long enough for me to wash it, it is my work truck and I drive it about 30,000 miles a year on average... It just doesn't get real dirty very often.

As far as the dog running the hoe, if he had thumbs I'd let him try it... He certainly seems smart enough.

He was my youngest boy's girlfriend's dog originally. She wasn't able to keep him and dogsitting for her ended up making him ours. He was about a year old, didn't even know the word "NO", wouldn't come when called, and most times acted deaf when trying to give him commands. I've came to the conclusion the dog is simply so smart and headstrong, he is going to do what he wants to do. That coupled with the fact she had no time to spend with him, he just simply didn't care to listen.

I work from a home office, but do spend much of my time on the road. When we first started dogsitting, she brought him over with a dog crate which we used when nobody was around. With me being around most often, it was generally me that would let him out and tend to him and keep him out of trouble. It wasn't long before all he wanted to do was follow me around. I started taking him places with me, he'd not try to run off. The more time we spent together, the more he figured out the things I was telling him to do.

Now it is to the point he goes everywhere I go, stays in the truck while I'm on service calls (unless it is too hot out). If he needs to do some business I can pull over at any wide spot along the road and let him out, he'll go tend to his business and come right back to the truck. He wants to ride anything I do. He is commonly laying on the floor of the tractor between my feet sleeping while I am working around the farm.

Everything I've learned about the breed suggests all his behaviors are just the nature of his breed, he is one of man's best friends. I know this one is mine.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but Wheatens really are amazing dogs.

 

[95XL883]

Sysop,

That's a great experience. Thank you for sharing. No apology necessary. It does my heart good to hear good stories as really I am heartbroken as I will probably be the one to put the boxer/pitt down. (Maybe I will get lucky and it will stay off my ground. I'm not counting on it.)

Hopefully the GSD we're looking at will turn it as well your WT experience. Sounds like they have similar backgrounds as in the first year of an owner that didn't spend much time with it.

Thanks again for sharing.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Maybe I'm reading too literal. I believe any dog can be mean.

Careful: labradors will love you to death.

L--O--V--E Y--O--U

lol