Do you know where your DOG is? [WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES]

_Brian · 12-11-2014 02:50PM

sup_dude wrote: »

I was saying why not allow the dog to be rehomed, to a location without livestock..

Where in Ireland will a dog be re-homed that it won't have access to livestock? Other than in the center of a few major urban areas a dog will make its way to livestock in 20-30 minutes when in the mood to do so.

Dogs worrying or harming livestock have one fate, thankfully the law is constructed in such a manner that farmers can act without permission on this offence.

SeventySix · 12-11-2014 02:51PM

doubter wrote: »

+1. I own 2 sled dogs which WILL go after sheep. They never even get into smelling vicinity of them,. but if they were to get to them and worry them (again that is absolutely impossible in my case) I would fight high and low to pay a fine & and reimburse any and all losses to the farmer (including vet costs etc ) and re-home the dogs to a non livestock environment.

So would you (in your hypothetical scenario you are an irresponsible owner whos dogs killed sheep) get to keep the dogs while you are waiting to find a new home for them? If not where would they go and would you have access? Whats to stop you giving them to a friend for a couple of nights and then taking them back? If they go to the pound, with the stigma that they have killed other animals, who is going to take them? Do you think this would work?

doubter · 12-11-2014 02:57PM

SeventySix wrote: »

So would you (in your hypothetical scenario you are an irresponsible owner whos dogs killed sheep) get to keep the dogs while you are waiting to find a new home for them? If not where would they go and would you have access? Whats to stop you giving them to a friend for a couple of nights and then taking them back? If they go to the pound, with the stigma that they have killed other animals, who is going to take them? Do you think this would work?

Obviously, the dog in question needs to be held in a kennel environment waiting for rehoming. Sign over to a rescue.A judge can make the call.
rescues often enough will not state has killed life stock, but will state ' do not allow near life stock' and will be vigilant not to rehome the animal in question to such an area. With breeds like sled dogs, the fact that they will chase sheep is a given, it's in their nature, more than any other breed. i have a german shepherd as well who runs a mile if she sees a sheep. There are ways to do this without having to resort to more death.
Whilst i totally agree to this particular case that the dog was shot as caught in the act and it was not possible to do anything else ( i am totally in support to any person NOT wanting to approach a large dog on a killing spree) I feel where it's a case that it has already happened and the offending animal is gone, other routes need to be explored.

northdub14 · 12-11-2014 03:02PM

On the few occasions that I had trouble with dogs worrying sheep which thankfully haven't been to serious but could have done without it. 1. neighbours dog mauled a lamb managed to catch the dog, brought it back to the owner told her I was going to get it put down, she asked if she got the dog rehomed to the city would I leave him, I agreed, never seen the dog since. another occasion neighbours dog kept chasing the sheep without biting them but sheep were getting near lambing, warned him ten times to lock up the dog but kept coming back, eleventh time seen the dog after the sheep again in the field, met him coming near the gate with the musket so that ended that.. owner gave me shocking abuse over shooting the dog, some people don't care at all..

doubter · 12-11-2014 03:04PM

northdub14 wrote: »

On the few occasions that I had trouble with dogs worrying sheep which thankfully haven't been to serious but could have done without it. 1. neighbours dog mauled a lamb managed to catch the dog, brought it back to the owner told her I was going to get it put down, she asked if she got the dog rehomed to the city would I leave him, I agreed, never seen the dog since. another occasion neighbours dog kept chasing the sheep without biting them but sheep were getting near lambing, warned him ten times to lock up the dog but kept coming back, eleventh time seen the dog after the sheep again in the field, met him coming near the gate with the musket so that ended that.. owner gave me shocking abuse over shooting the dog, some people don't care at all..

some people....:mad:

Nody · 12-11-2014 03:05PM

Cattlepen wrote: »

What you don't understand is that all dogs have a very primal instinct to hunt prey and especially in a pack. Rehomethe dog and then maybe a child in the city can have its face taken off?? Then where do we rehome this "pet". When they get a taste for the hunt it will never leave them. Putting them down is the humane thing to do

Please stop with the hyperbole. First of all the pack theory has been proven wrong over a decade now and the original professor who created it has said it is incorrect (same goes for Alpha dog theories and punishment used as a training tool (i.e. pushing their nose into their poop, strangle collars, hitting their nose etc.)).

Secondly there's no "taste for the hunt"; all dogs are dogs which means they are bred to hunt as part of their genes. The level of drive varies with the dog and breed (i.e. a Husky is going to have a higher prey drive then a Shih Tzu but they will both hunt if the circumstances are right for it) but it's in all dogs.

Third the number of cases of dogs attacking humans (or babies as you used in this case for additional drama) are in 99.9% of the cases due to poor human awareness. No dog (or other animal) should ever be left alone with a baby/child and if you read up on dog attacks they usually have one thing in common, a child was left alone with one or more dogs. A baby (or child) can't read the dog's stress reactions (and if you're a dog owner you need to learn them and know them) and hence keep on running towards the dog etc. even when it's doing it's best to "warn off" the intruder. This is the point when you'll have a dog snap and possibly bite someone because they been pushed (mentally) into a corner and it lashes out (add in a dose of poor socialization to ensure that the dog is more likely to be stressed in most cases).

So to summarize; there's no issue with allocate a dog that's been chasing to the city if it's done in an appropriate way. This does not mean putting it on a add in the Dublin times but after assessment by an appropriately trained dog therapist that can judge it's temperament and advise the future, experienced, family on what to expect and how to deal with any possible issues (usually lack of socialization as a pup which is the best way to ensure a dog is scarred for life).

DBB · 12-11-2014 03:07PM

SeventySix wrote: »

How does that work? Who keeps the dog while they are waiting to be re-homed? Is anyone going to take a dog from the pound that is there because they killed livestock, a country dog that would probably need extensive retraining? How happy would a dog that had been allowed to roam the countryside be in the city? It just doesn't seem feasible in most cases.

Before I answer this seventysix, can I just address this perception that dogs who kill sheep are now automatically dangerous to humans. There is no link. None whatsoever. The only situations that comes to mind where a dog's aggression towards other animals is linked to the sudden appearance of aggression towards people is where the dog is suffering from a medical condition that has caused a substantial behavioural change.
They may be hunters, but historically any hunting dog that was aggressive to humans was removed from the population, never to spread its seed. I know the horror and devastation caused by dogs to livestock, but let's not lose the run of ourselves altogether!

Now, to address the quoted point.
Dogs that have chased/killed stock and are to be rehomed should not end up in a county pound. End of. They don't have enough control on where the dog ends up. However, rescue groups often take in livestock chasers, and either keep them in kennels, or in foster homes, until they have found a suitable home with people who understand the problem, in the city. The home is also deemed suitable precisely because the new owners are prepared to do any training. Remember that most livestock chasers are pet dogs, and are used to being pet dogs... The retraining/used to roaming argument doesn't apply to any huge extent to them. The dog in this awful case, a Rottweiler or Rottie cross, may have been either a pet or a guard dog, but not a working farm dog.
I got one of my dogs directly from her original owner because the dog had got out and been seen in the same field as sheep... She wasn't chasing them, but was labelled nonetheless. She is, quite frankly, the most beautiful, gentle, fantastic dog I'll ever own. I don't know of any way that a person could provoke her to bite them. She is also afraid of sheep and cattle. But if the option of appropriate rehoming wasn't given, she'd be dead now, and that would be a crying shame.
There are many dogs just like her, rehomed for the same reasons. I know this, because amongst my many doggy activities, I rehome dogs too.
It's no big deal, this process happens to tens of thousands of unwanted dogs every year in Ireland, livestock chasers or not.
I also know several owners whose dogs were blamed for killing stock, and under ferocious pressure had their dogs euthanased, only for it to be proven beyond doubt at a later date that it wasn't their dog at all.
I hope this answers your questions

Genghis Cant · 12-11-2014 03:17PM

Cattlepen wrote: »

What you don't understand is that all dogs have a very primal instinct to hunt prey and especially in a pack.

I've little doubt you're right Cattlepen.

Nody wrote: »

Please stop with the hyperbole. First of all the pack theory has been proven wrong over a decade now and the original professor who created it has said it is incorrect (same goes for Alpha dog theories and punishment used as a training tool (i.e. pushing their nose into their poop, strangle collars, hitting their nose etc.))

Mere mention of the word "pack" does not equal "pack theory".
You're just jumping on the band wagon, hanging around the animals and pets forum doesn't make you an expert. There's one expert over there, and it aint you.

Ave Sodalis · 12-11-2014 03:27PM

Genghis Cant wrote: »

You're just jumping on the band wagon, hanging around the animals and pets forum doesn't make you an expert. There's one expert over there, and it aint you.

Nody · 12-11-2014 03:32PM

Genghis Cant wrote: »

Mere mention of the word "pack" does not equal "pack theory".
You're just jumping on the band wagon, hanging around the animals and pets forum doesn't make you an expert. There's one expert over there, and it aint you.

No, I'm clarifying a post that's making claims with out any base in reality. Said claims also have a very common tendency to come with claims of pack theory to justify the claim and alpha theories and showing the dog who's the boss in how to deal with it...

As for being an expert; feel free to highlight were in the post I made such a claim? All the information I shared is basic common knowledge that in no way require expert knowledge. Now if you asked me to analyze an individual dog's behavior and assign a training plan for it's owner that's approaching expert level of knowledge beyond the basic steps and if you asked me to define the breed standards and suggest a suitable sire and ways to look after the pups you'd be in expert territory with out question.

Ave Sodalis · 12-11-2014 03:49PM

Nody wrote: »

No, I'm clarifying a post that's making claims with out any base in reality. Said claims also have a very common tendency to come with claims of pack theory to justify the claim and alpha theories and showing the dog who's the boss in how to deal with it...

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787810001371
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787807001761
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201007/canine-dominance-is-the-concept-the-alpha-dog-valid
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521112711.htm

greysides · 12-11-2014 03:49PM

This is an emotive topic and it's hard to avoid the gut reaction those pictures elicit but it is also a subject with serious psychological, animal welfare and financial considerations.

It will be a better and more useful discussion if we can ensure all reasonable views can be heard and discussed objectively.

Farmer Pudsey · 12-11-2014 03:53PM

Cons Photos bring home the damage that a dog can do. This was only one dog yet we have four dead sheep and more injured. The loss for the farmer will not stop there. Some of these ewe's will have been in lamb and will abort. They more than likly will survive but it is unlikly they will breed this season.

If it had been after christmas you would have 4-5 the amount maybe killed with stress. This dog may was on his own but had picked up the habit of hunting. Con posted that there was other incidents locally. If this dog had not be caught he would have kept at it and may well have started to bring other dogs with him.

This can lead to incidents where there is massive carnage where multipes of what we see here happen. As well you have the loss to stress and serious abortion rate with in the flock or flocks.

It is this that give sheep farmers a hard edge when dealing with such situtations. Few if any want to go down this road however thsi idea about rehoming while sucessfull in some cases may lead to issue where dogs are still with in access of livestock. Most of these dogs are actuall quite peacful around people. However if they pick up the habbit of chasing it is virtually impossible to stop it.

As another poster stated there are few city's in Ireland that are big enough for dogs not to have access to countryside within a 1-2 mile journey. This is nothing to these dogs. The worst of this is that they may bring 3-4 with them next time.

rangler1 · 12-11-2014 03:55PM

Had a lambing from hell a few years ago, it was down to one dog, had my suspicions but couldn't get him in the act, gave the owner a few warnings, got the old 'my dogs always at the back door' spoof....finally caught him in the act, insisted on the dog being put down and did get some compo.

AntrimGlens · 12-11-2014 04:13PM

Nody wrote: »

Please stop with the hyperbole. First of all the pack theory has been proven wrong over a decade now and the original professor who created it has said it is incorrect

I'll have to interject with this point as someone who has also suffered at the hands of dogs worrying my sheep and also one of my dogs worrying a neighbours sheep. The pack theory is a reality that I have witnessed when my bitch came into heat and took off to visit a neighbours dog for a bit of lovin and ended up with two ewes dead as a result of chasing them round the field and the ewes dying of exhaustion. The same time when my own sheep were worried it was the result of a bitch that was in heat took up with another farmers dog and the pair of them took into a field of sheep - result several dead sheep. These were working collie bitches that would work sheep all day long without as much as a snap at a ewe, but the minute they came into heat and meeting the dog the pack theory very much came into play. The bitch that worried my sheep was neutered and has never had cause to worry sheep since, whether or not it was partly due to hormones or not but I'm afraid the pack theory is real in my eyes.

doubter · 12-11-2014 04:25PM

AntrimGlens wrote: »

I'll have to interject with this point as someone who has also suffered at the hands of dogs worrying my sheep and also one of my dogs worrying a neighbours sheep. The pack theory is a reality that I have witnessed when my bitch came into heat and took off to visit a neighbours dog for a bit of lovin and ended up with two ewes dead as a result of chasing them round the field and the ewes dying of exhaustion. The same time when my own sheep were worried it was the result of a bitch that was in heat took up with another farmers dog and the pair of them took into a field of sheep - result several dead sheep. These were working collie bitches that would work sheep all day long without as much as a snap at a ewe, but the minute they came into heat and meeting the dog the pack theory very much came into play. The bitch that worried my sheep was neutered and has never had cause to worry sheep since, whether or not it was partly due to hormones or not but I'm afraid the pack theory is real in my eyes.

The pack theory- as in dogs will always be bolder in a pack- i agree.It's the same with young humans. A female coming into heat and playing the 'mating game' which is what they were actually doing (playing chase is part of that and the sheep just added value to it) is a totally different ball game. Moral of the story? Spay and neuter your dogs. Sheep safe. Dog save.

Genghis Cant · 12-11-2014 04:41PM

Nody wrote: »

No, I'm clarifying a post that's making claims with out any base in reality. Said claims also have a very common tendency to come with claims of pack theory to justify the claim and alpha theories and showing the dog who's the boss in how to deal with it...

As for being an expert;....

I was being a bit of a smartarse with the expert thing. Don't mind me.

You're still mixing up "pack theory" as we know it, with a couple of dogs in a "pack" chasing sheep.

Tokyo · 12-11-2014 04:42PM

Mod Note:

Guys, I realise that this is an emotive topic, but please, argue the post, not the poster.

DBB · 12-11-2014 04:44PM

Nody wrote: »

First of all the pack theory has been proven wrong over a decade now and the original professor who created it has said it is incorrect (same goes for Alpha dog theories and punishment used as a training tool (i.e. pushing their nose into their poop, strangle collars, hitting their nose etc.)).

Nody wrote: »

Said claims also have a very common tendency to come with claims of pack theory to justify the claim and alpha theories and showing the dog who's the boss in how to deal with it...

sup_dude wrote: »

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787810001371
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787807001761
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201007/canine-dominance-is-the-concept-the-alpha-dog-valid
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521112711.htm

I'll have to interject with this point as someone who has also suffered at the hands of dogs worrying my sheep and also one of my dogs worrying a neighbours sheep. The pack theory is a reality that I have witnessed when my bitch came into heat and took off to visit a neighbours dog for a bit of lovin and ended up with two ewes dead as a result of chasing them round the field and the ewes dying of exhaustion

Lads, if I may interject here because there is HUGE confusion going on due to terms being intermingled.
I'm sorry if this brings the thread off-topic a little but I think it needs to be cleared up.
This whole "pack" debate you're all getting into...
When dogs go hunting, and if they do so in groups of two or more, it is fair and common parlance to call them a "pack". Nothing wrong with that. When a pack of dogs gets together, there is without doubt an influence of one over the other, driving each other on, and two dogs or more can most certainly cause substantially more damage than one.
That said, the stats from the UK indicate that most sheep-worrying/killing incidents are carried out by single dogs, which surprised me, but there you go.
So, that's the context under which I am fully sure that the people on this good forum are referring to dogs, using the word "pack" purely to describe a group of dogs.

Which is nothing to do with "pack theory", an outdated concept that dogs live within a dominance hierarchy with one dog being "pack leader" and all others following his will, humans included

.

In short, someone used the word "pack" to accurately describe a group of dogs around livestock, but it was picked up wrong, interpreted as that poster insinuating that dogs attack sheep because they're adhering to some social hierarchy they (don't) have.

So, on that note, can we put the whole "pack" debate to bed please?! Yiz are arguing about two entirely different things

_Brian · 12-11-2014 04:46PM

I've always been told about dogs and once they taste blood there's no stopping them so Shooting is the only answer. Maybe this is true maybe it's not.

But, farmers shooting dogs is a very strong message to owners to keep control on their pets and I fully support it. It punishes the owners sending a message to the wider dog owning community that zero tolerance will be shown. If only financial loss was what owners faced I doubt it would be as effective. Yes you've had your pet brutally taken from you, shot and killed outright if lucky with the first shot.
But the same owners should think of the traumatised or killed sheep and the death they suffered. And of the farm family who's livelihood has been affected, who was left with the job of clearing up the mess as shown in the photos Con posted. The stress suffered by a farmer having animals butchered.

Shooting dogs may be brutal, but it's effective on many levels.

MayoAreMagic · 12-11-2014 04:50PM

Con, I believe, has offered these photos to educate people what dogs can do. Many dog owners don't believe their dog would do this. This serves to show that they can. They don't kill the animal with a bite to the neck, they tear it to pieces, alive, like a hyena would do. You can see from that photo that it was the same dog, as the attack pattern is the same. In my experience, the dog will go for the same area in each attack. Some go for the nose, others a particular back leg or just inside it.

The reality is dogs that have this trait need to be culled for the good of their breed. You can rehome them yes, but then they are bred again, and their pups head out to the countryside and it follows down the line. In an ideal world they will be rehomed properly and neutered, but let's be honest about it, in reality, most of the time they are sold to the first taker that is out of town. The owner doesn't mention the sheep chasing and manage to get a few pound back on him in the sale.

Not every dog will attack sheep, you cant dismiss it by saying it is just their nature. These are supposed to be pet animals, that is their function, therefore these traits should be bred out of them, not tip-toed around and moved to the city temporarily.

Also, Id like to point out that Im not anti-dog, I have more than on myself. The above are just truths that need to be understood if we want to move forward. We need to learn as much as we can about the situation to understand it better.

nealcassidy · 12-11-2014 04:56PM

is its a rotteweiler.....looks like it from the side

DBB · 12-11-2014 04:57PM

It might be a good time for me to tell ye all, that there is a bit of an effort being made a grass roots level, but a national level all the same, to meaningfully address the problems caused by out-of-control dogs in the countryside.
There's a group called Leave No Trace who are actively researching, with an aim to forming policy on how dog walkers need to behave in terms of their dog's behaviour around livestock, wildlife, other human users of walking areas, and it also includes other dog-related issues like, well, dog sh1t!
They are liaising with the IFA, the county sheep farmers associations, mountaineering clubs, Coillte, dog owners, and dog behaviour people to try to draw everyone's concerns together, and form policy that keeps everyone happy.
That said, this all applies to dogs being walked, with their owners, in public amenity areas, hillwalking areas etc. According to the UK research that I've seen, and assuming their findings would apply here too, the vast majority of sheep attacks don't involve dogs out being walked, but instead involve local dogs that have not been kept securely enclosed on the owner's premises, as is required by law. So, in most cases, there's no owner to be seen, the dog is out alone (or with other dogs) doing his own thing.
Having spoken with some of the sheep farmers involved, they tell me that it is extraordinarily difficult to get compensated, let alone bring owners to court. And to me, this is what needs to change, big time. Owners need to be scared to let their dogs out. and to my mind, this can only be achieved via compulsory microchipping of dogs, AND that the chip is properly registered with the owner's details. This has been done very effectively with livestock, no reason why it can't be done with dogs if the will is there to enforce it. Owners need to be made realistically accountable for their dogs' actions.

Ave Sodalis · 12-11-2014 04:58PM

DBB wrote: »

Lads, if I may interject here because there is HUGE confusion going on due to terms being intermingled.
I'm sorry if this brings the thread off-topic a little but I think it needs to be cleared up.
This whole "pack" debate you're all getting into...
When dogs go hunting, and if they do so in groups of two or more, it is fair and common parlance to call them a "pack". Nothing wrong with that. When a pack of dogs gets together, there is without doubt an influence of one over the other, driving each other on, and two dogs or more can most certainly cause substantially more damage than one.
That said, the stats from the UK indicate that most sheep-worrying/killing incidents are carried out by single dogs, which surprised me, but there you go.
So, that's the context under which I am fully sure that the people on this good forum are referring to dogs, using the word "pack" purely to describe a group of dogs.

Which is nothing to do with "pack theory", an outdated concept that dogs live within a dominance hierarchy with one dog being "pack leader" and all others following his will, humans included .

In short, someone used the word "pack" to accurately describe a group of dogs around livestock, but it was picked up wrong, interpreted as that poster insinuating that dogs attack sheep because they're adhering to some social hierarchy they (don't) have.

So, on that note, can we put the whole "pack" debate to bed please?! Yiz are arguing about two entirely different things

Not to be pernickety, it's just cause you quoted my post in there too. I wasn't really offering an argument, I just don't really like seeing statements without valid backup.

Other than that, I don't think there's much more I can offer to this thread other than the fact that I don't subscribe to the idea that every dog needs to be shot every time and I completely fail to see how rehoming is not a valid alternative, especially when it's stated that the dog is prone to sheep chasing.
As for shooting the dog giving a message to the owners, I can't speak for anyone else but I do know if my dog was just shot, it wouldn't just be a case of sending a message, it would be devestating for my mental health. Luckily, my dog has zero interest in sheep and the only thing he's ever chased was a fox because we told him to. We did have one situation where our dog went to the inside of a fence to pee and the farmer (our neighbour who was renting our field in which the dog peed) seen and threatened to shoot him. That's the only real personal experience I have with the topic, except for second hand information.

nealcassidy · 12-11-2014 04:58PM

i remember alright the neighbour who was a farmer shooting dead a dog attacking sheep. the dog even attacked him before he shot him

kowtow · 12-11-2014 05:00PM

_Brian wrote: »

It punishes the owners sending a message to the wider dog owning community that zero tolerance will be shown.

No question that losses from dogs are heart-rending, for most of us having to shoot, or threaten to shoot, a worrying dog is one of the most unpleasant of all the things we have to do from time to time.

But there is a very clear line - and a legal one - between stopping a dog which is in the act of causing damage and shooting or threatening after the act, or as punishment, recompense, retribution etc.

sending messages to the dog owning community, punishing people for their behaviour, and obtaining recompense for losses are all matters for the courts - whether are not we are happy with the outcomes.

As farmers we ask our neighbours to tolerate a great deal in the course of a farming year, and by and large - in this country anyway - they do so in a cheerful way because we are part of an agricultural community.

If we start killing pets and using guns to teach lessons and enforce discipline amongst our neighbours we will have only ourselves to blame when the traditional indulgence towards the farming industry melts and we find our own livelihoods becoming even more precarious.

_Brian · 12-11-2014 05:09PM

kowtow wrote: »

No question that losses from dogs are heart-rending, for most of us having to shoot, or threaten to shoot, a worrying dog is one of the most unpleasant of all the things we have to do from time to time.

But there is a very clear line - and a legal one - between stopping a dog which is in the act of causing damage and shooting or threatening after the act, or as punishment, recompense, retribution etc.

sending messages to the dog owning community, punishing people for their behaviour, and obtaining recompense for losses are all matters for the courts - whether are not we are happy with the outcomes.

As farmers we ask our neighbours to tolerate a great deal in the course of a farming year, and by and large - in this country anyway - they do so in a cheerful way because we are part of an agricultural community.

If we start killing pets and using guns to teach lessons and enforce discipline amongst our neighbours we will have only ourselves to blame when the traditional indulgence towards the farming industry melts and we find our own livelihoods becoming even more precarious.

I'm not talking about running down the street shooting pets on sight..
Legitimate shooting of dogs caught killing or worrying stock is sufficient to send a message to dog owners.
If a farmer wants to approach a dog owner in the suspicions that their dog is involved, well, locally here the guards are more than happy to go along with the farmer to ensure fair play for all involved..
I see a zero tolerance as the only way forward and talk of re-homing dogs away from livestock in Ireland is just a bizarre notion, next thing it'll be community service for them - I suppose as sheepdogs:rolleyes:

The Anglo Celt went with photos similar to Con posted, last year I think it was, with dead sheep and three dead dogs. I spoke to one farmer and definitely the number of stray dogs went to near zero the following this, people saw their little rex could be shot if it was let out with no control and reacted by being responsible owners.

onyerbikepat · 12-11-2014 05:11PM

sup_dude wrote: »

..... my dog has zero interest in sheep ....

:mad: You can add to that - My dog is very quiet. He's not like that at all.

Ave Sodalis · 12-11-2014 05:12PM

onyerbikepat wrote: »

:mad:

Um... not sure why you have a problem with that statement...?

Connemara Farmer · 12-11-2014 05:13PM

I've had a busy day so I haven't read all the posts fully, just glanced over the pages really.

Some thoughts.

Firstly why is it SO easy to own a dog in this country? We can talk till we're blue in the face about legislation etc but face facts anyone can own a dog, and replace said dog just as quick.

My policy has always been, and today reinforces that policy, see dog, shoot dog. I know people from farmers, townies, machine drivers, builders, etc that don't give a flying **** where their dog is day or night. These people are the problem. The sheep and the dogs ultimately pay the price.

I strongly believe people should have a genuine reason for owning a dog, not simply because they "want to".

I am lucky. My sheep have never been attacked. But I know that day is coming with the way things are going.

I have had reason in the past to have shot a number of dogs, I didn't like shooting any of them, but I liked it a hell of a lot more than finding my animals in the state of those in the photos. I care about my animals, I have put years into looking after them and those that came before them.

My Dad's sheep have been attacked several times in previous years. This year alone I can think of four attacks locally, that dog is guilty in this one and a suspect in two more. Another incident allegedly involved a dog from the same extended family. Last year I know a guy who "stood guard" at that beach with a rifle because of dog attacks. There were attacks in the hill also that year.

Sorry if it bends anyones nose out of joint but there needs to be a major cull on dogs in this country, disenfranchise their owners from owning any more and introduce proper strict controls on dogs in this banana Republic.

I am told the Gardaí are not interested and wouldn't come out to the scene, not the first time I've heard of them letting farmers down locally tbh.

To the poster who is into their hill walking and doesn't bring dogs, I THANK YOU. I've had reason to have that debate within walking circles locally and unfortunately it wasn't a widely held view.

To rehoming dogs, I don't agree with it. If a dog attacks stock then either the end of a firearm or the end of a vets needle, there's no middle ground for me. I won't say we, but there was a rehomed dog taken into this house. A doberman type. All was fine until the dog tried to go for a horse and foal and when herself just about managed to hold her back the dog went for her. Bye bye.

I'm a black and white stubborn kind of a bollix, it either is or it isn't, and dogs attacking stock ISN'T on.

Do you know where your DOG is? [WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES]

Comments