D_mentias Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Today I had a visit from a very angry farmer, who came into my yard asking me where my dogs were...to his surprise they were all here. My assistance dog had been in with me and my Murray and Flattie were in the yard...they didn't take kindly to the intrusion. On the back of his ute he had two dead lambs and two dogs he had just shot in broad daylight feasting on the poor lambs. He also had a little red kelpie who was shaking and distressed. One of the dead dogs actually had a council tag and flea collar...obviously a pet but one out of control of its owner. I do my best at all times to keep my dogs on my property and get really cranky if anyone leaves a gate open. But then at Full moon the assistance girl does like to go out and roll in dung...she won't be this month. I am distressed having seen this and understand that my dogs must be sound around stock. My assistance girl however has not left my side all day..somehow she knew. Please if you live in a rural area keep your dogs safe..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Yep a good reminder to people to keep your dogs home and not to let them roam. Yes terrible to see but what the farmer did was warrented. I am glad your assistance girl was a confort for you, they are very good at knowing when we need them. My neighbour has had 6 lambs taken by a dog, not eaten, just killed. As much as I love dogs if I found a dog/s killing my lambscalves etc they would not be going home. Past experience has taught me that it will happen again as people quite often don't believe you or get slack after a while, or the odd few just don't care. RIP doggies you died because your owner let you down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I'm glad at least the farmer was asking people... a lot just shoot the dogs and dump the bodies .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I'm glad at least the farmer was asking people... a lot just shoot the dogs and dump the bodies .... Yes, at least it will be a warning to others. He might also be after compensation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 He might also be after compensation. Oh - I didn't think of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I do my best at all times to keep my dogs on my property and get really cranky if anyone leaves a gate open. But then at Full moon the assistance girl does like to go out and roll in dung...she won't be this month. . I sincerely hope you were not in the habit of letting your dog out at night to wander, which is how I read your above comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 RIP doggies you died because your owner let you down. It might not have been silly owners. Someone else may have left a gate open, a tree could have squashed a fence etc etc. I came home here once to my gate open and my mud room door open and finger prints on my window sill. Luckily the dogs were sitting in the gate way and no one has stock around here. I put a lock on the gate which then caused problems with the electricity reader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillybob Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 (edited) The law of the land is' if your dog strays on to someone elses land they WILL be shot". Just because its a full moon and your dogs wants to roll in something smelly, wont save it. If a dog strays or takes or endangers stock people have a right to do what they want when its on their land. Keep you dogs at home ALL of the time. Dogs cant help it so its up to owners to stop it. Its amazeing how far dogs can travel in one night. Edited to say we lost so many calves and mothers to a pair of German Shephards that lived fourty k's away from the farm!!!! Edited August 11, 2011 by gillybob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbyne Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Don't get me started the neighbours beagle killed 3 of our lambs last year. We came home to finding him about to chase down a 4th lucky for him we don't have a gun. When we cought him and took him home with blood all over him the bloody neighbour says "oh i guess thats what dogs so" My husband was furious and told him to keep him locked up. I understand that sometimes they get out by accident but when you have no fences its no accident. I have to admit my dog on 2 occasions has escaped -gate accidently left open and i was stressing what might happen thankfully she returned home and i assume no damage done as i had already called all our neighbours hoping they had seen her. can't blame the farmer and the poor little lambs the mothers would be devestated ours were walking around calling their lambs for about 2 days. Don't under estimate the affection a ewe shows to their babies they are far from dumb animals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I *think* my neighbors have finally built a yard for their dog. It got run over as a puppy and they thought that would stop it from leaving the garden, interesting training idea. I rescued it from the road a couple of weeks ago. I so don't want to drive home and find it squashed. I think I can see a new fence now. When I complained to them about the last dog they said they couldn't keep it off my land as they didn't want to build a fence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 to be honest MOST farmers if they see a dog for the first time do not shoot it they try hard to return it as accidents happen. However a dog mauling stock that lives in the are is very likely to do it again as humans are ...welll humans! The dog may have been let out by accident, but from previous experience they ususlly just chase them around the first time they get out, it can take a little practice for them to be able to kill them (and not from just running them into the ground)and multiples. I have returned a few dogs but non have been harassing my livestock or causing any dramas apart from being on my property. One was a very scared old girl who had tried to follw her owners sons ute out of town and had made it 15kms before crawling into our she exhausted. The door got shut and locked, she got fed and had a drink and I managed to see a sheep tag she had and tracked her owner from that. I would never shoot a dog under those circumstances ever. In with my stock, dead stock different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 We came home to finding him about to chase down a 4th lucky for him we don't have a gun. When we cought him and took him home with blood all over him the bloody neighbour says "oh i guess thats what dogs so" If that was me I would have said oh and it is just farmers to protect their stock. The next time the dog came over it wouldn't go home alive. The owner is an idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panto Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 He might also be after compensation. Oh - I didn't think of that. city slicker question... (in this context) what is a lamb worth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merijigs Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Recently, prices have been very good. A 6 month old well grown lamb can bring up to $130 and the average price would be about $100 atm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkySoaringMagpie Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 The open gates thing worries me. They've been doing some surveying in our front paddock for some upgrades to the electricity supply. Yesterday morning I looked out the window to see that the gate was open by about a foot, with our IW in the yard. I called him and put him in the house and then went and shut it, but there are a hundred ways that could have gone wrong had I not looked up from my desk and seen the gate. And unfortunately, we also have problems with gas delivery and meter readers needing to be able to get in, otherwise I would lock the gates. If I know someone is definitely going to be on the property the dogs are put away, but they arrived while I was in the shower so I had no idea. Anyone got any suggestions? OH is saying some kind of sign on the gate that says to shut it might be a start. I'm thinking "shut the bloody gate" might convey my feelings accurately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozzie Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Our meter reader left a padlock and two keys which is padlocked on one end of the gate chain and our padlock . He can get in and we don't have to be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_mentias Posted August 11, 2011 Author Share Posted August 11, 2011 I sincerely hope you were not in the habit of letting your dog out at night to wander, which is how I read your above comment. I do not let my dogs wander at any time and particularly at night. My assistance girl however becomes a houdini at full moon. She trys to dig under, she will jump...extra barbed wire has been out on, chicken wire lines the bottom, she knows it is naughty and if ever caught trying to escape comes straight back there is just something in her nature that compels her to try at full moon only...short of not letting her out to relieve herself near full moon at night I have never came up with the solution. I know what happens to dogs caught out around here. Yesterday however she too became distressed when she saw the dead lambs and dogs..too much for her 'mummy' nature. Dogs know. As for the gate, well I have a chain on the driveway gate and the small gate is wired shut, I now know to check the gate should anybody come in or leave. My tenant had more than once left it open but after yesterdays episode I doubt he will again, he is out today checking for possible breaches in the fence to keep the pups safe. Please please keep your dogs safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I sincerely hope you were not in the habit of letting your dog out at night to wander, which is how I read your above comment. I do not let my dogs wander at any time and particularly at night. My assistance girl however becomes a houdini at full moon. She trys to dig under, she will jump...extra barbed wire has been out on, chicken wire lines the bottom, she knows it is naughty and if ever caught trying to escape comes straight back there is just something in her nature that compels her to try at full moon only...short of not letting her out to relieve herself near full moon at night I have never came up with the solution. I know what happens to dogs caught out around here. Yesterday however she too became distressed when she saw the dead lambs and dogs..too much for her 'mummy' nature. Dogs know. easy, keep her in the house and toilet her on a long line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 We live on a farm but our dogs only get freedom when we are with them. We have a house yard fully fenced & divided in two...the dogs have the back part & the front is for my garden & electricity readers etc. There is never any need for anyone to come into their yard. Around the top of the fence is a hot wire connected up to the electric fence, so they only try once to climb or jump over. They could dig their way out if they wanted too, but if they tried that, then we would hot wire around the bottom of the fence as well. We have quite a few stray & wild dog/dingo x's around here so it's for the safety of our dogs as well. Around this way, you don't usually warn your neighbours about their dog, cause if something does happen to it then you are the first they blame & some guys can get really wild. We wont tolerate any chasing of livestock & usually fire a shot over the dogs head & they don't normally come back after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 ...short of not letting her out to relieve herself near full moon at night I have never came up with the solution. Leash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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