New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Hello I am knew to the forum and I need some help with a stray dog problem.
I have a lot of stray dogs that run loose in my area and am looking for some ideas on how to rid myself of them.
I don't like them crusing the woods and they do come in my yard when my children are playing. I have tried scaring them off but they just come back.
The problem is I am not home all the time to keep a watch, otherwise I would just introduce them to some buck shot.
My wife wants me to put out a present of dog food and antifreze for them. She afraid they might bite one of the kids when they are playing outside. Would leveing the "bad" dog food outside be a problem? I don't want any other animals to get into it and get sick.
Does any body have any other ideas?

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

You might want to make sure that they are all strays (or at least free-ranging nuisance animals). Otherwise, putting out poison might also get rid of the friendly neighbor's dog that occasionally wanders up to say hello. But then again, poison is going to take care of anything that wanders through and has a snack.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

hey 9 piont, welcome to the club.(consider your self addicted from this piont forward.).
About your problem. are they freindly enough you could talk them into petting range? If so you could tie them up and call thew animal control.(obviously be careful not to get bit.).
I remember when i was really young my dad had an arrow with solid rubber blunt tip on it he would shoot at strays. It seemed to work when ever they saw him they would take off tail tucked.
when you see them wondering around see if you can follow,to see if they belong to a neighbor. I hope you find a solution soon. for the saftey sake of you fam.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

The dogs are not freindly enough to get close too.

There is one very large dobermin that makes me very nervous.
If he got a hold of one of the kids it would be bad.

I know a few of the dogs belong to some of the neighbors and we have told them to keep them away but they won't keep them locked up.
We are out in BFE as far as the police or animal control is concerned.
It's hard to get them to come out when you need them.

I do own 2 dogs myself and I would never just let them run loose.

Would a leg trap work on dogs?
I know my wifes father has a few old leg traps in his garage.
The problem is with not being at home during the dayI need something I can set and check once a day.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

long story short...!
Send the wife and kids to the movies get a 22 with a baby nipal with me so far...?
Slit the end of the nipal put it over the end of the barrel head shots only...

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Since you have clarified your circumstances somewhat, I'd say its open season on dogs. As for leghold traps, if you are dealing with Doberman sized dogs, then you probably need at least a #2 coil spring. Then, a .22 bullet to the skull and a shallow grave in the woods and the problem starts to disappear.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Poisoning animals , especially domestic animals , is illegal nearly everywhere . In some states so is shooting them unless you're prepared to show that they are threatening your kids or livestock . If fencing isn't practical I reccomend getting in some target practice followed by a session of SSS .

If the owner is known call the animal control folks if you have them , or the sheriff's dept. if you don't . This happened to me recently , I had a black lab that was running every time I let him out of the pen whether I liked it or not . Several times he went next door and killed chickens . One day when I got home there was a warning citation from the county's brand new animal control officer , in the end it cost me a $4 dog tax license and $15 for a three year rabies shot . The offending dog got taken to the animal shelter the following Monday when he tried to bolt again , they placed him in a new home by the weekend .

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

I agree with kevin1, try all resources first, like calling the police, animal control, or dog catcher. Poisoning wouldn't be my cup of tea, they could get sick and end up in Peta's president's yard and die, then you'd be screwed. If all the proper methods fail, I would have to put down some stray dogs myself, the old fashioned way. Just cover your ass and try to do the right thing first so you don't get in a heap of trouble! Good luck my man, I know I wouldn't take chances with my kids around. Also welcome to the forum!

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

I wouldn't poison them. You might find yourself on the evening News if a neighbor finds out. Just think of the hate mail!

Call animal control. Document times and days you called. Ask them what to do.

I'd keep a record of my calls and if they don't respond break out the .22.

You may need the records of all your phone calls, for you defense, if it goes to court.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Dogs to me are different than stray cats,I would blast a cat without thinking about it...But a dog. especially a dober has to belong to someone in the area...Thats an expensive dog for someone to just turn loose. If itescaped
Iam sure someone would belooking for it...

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Dogs and cats share equal footing when they become nuisance animals , and all states have pet containment laws .

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Just go buy some rubber shells for the old shotgun that you havent seen is a couple of years and put a rubber ball into the dogs if they come back...break out the saboth slugs, and yea, call animal control and see what they do

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Maybe a Red Rider BB gun or paint ball gun would sting them enough to keep them away.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

no red rider...those things are old rusty peices of crap(fun to shoot though)...a frozen paintball should do the trick

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Just to sting them to keep them away.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Ya poisoning isnt the answer, if you do end up having to take manners into your own hands use a gun. that way the dog doesnt suffer.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

I was thinking maybe a paintball gun would do the trick also.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Yeah don't go the poison route. It is nondiscriminatory, anything that a dog would eat, other critters will consume as well, and even if they are pain in the ***--antifreeze is a horrible way to die. Be discrete, know your laws, and if you plan to circumnavigate any of those laws be willing to accept the consequences if you get nailed. Family safety comes first. I'd set traps, on your own property only, and deal with them when trapped. If you can discretely shoot them (trapped or otherwise) it is effective. Get on the trapping forums and read up on the archives on how to go about it. See:http://coyotesrus.proboards35.com/index.cgi?, http://www.trapperman.com, for a start. I've generally made it a point to release a dog on my property from a trap once. If it shows up a second time it is history. If they are in my yard, lead poisoning is a guarantee. No second chances. I live in an area where this is both legal and accepted. You let your dog run in this country and it is a matter of when it is shot, not if.

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Guns, poisons ,and traps.
HCH[/align]

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Being single witho no kids, I used to like the strays when I lived out in the country. They were friends with my dog, so OK by me. When one started trouble, I'd run him off with a BB gun, and if I didn't like him, my dog (German Shepherd) would "guard me" and keep that poor bastard away! Anyway, I don't like the idea of hunting dogs, they do train, and a BB or pellet gun will "train" them away from you, usually. Your family is more important than the dogs are, so if you have to... you gotta do what you gotta do.
Just remember, you and God are going to discuss how well you performed your job as one of Earth's caretakers one day...

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

Beware! Setting traps will catch them, but in my experience as a trappersome dogs will howl and bark untill they can't bark anymore. If you go and shut them up then someone will surely here all of the commotion. I have dealt with stray dogs for years. I lived on a dead end dirt road and people threw their unwanted dogs out there, and I had a nieghbor that left their dogs ruuning loose. So, I spoke to the neighbor after a dogs got into my track can. I saw the same dogs running around in his yard. So,I confronted him about it and he told me that two of the three dogs were strays, and that he would keep his dog from running loose.

So, I called the dog warden and when he went to get the two strays the neighbor told him that his wife wanted to keep them instead. That was wasted time. I saw two of the three dogs chasing a few deer in front of my house a couple weeks later. Again, I confronted my neighbor. Ohhh he said,....... I will keep put them up so they can't run loose.Well to make a long story short the dogs were finally laid to rest. I gave him two chances and he refused to comply. Enough said!

RE: New to Forum: Need Help w/Stray Dogs!
 

If this were me... I would do what is necessary to protect my family. You have already contacted your neighbors... the local dog warden etc. Therefore I would take matters into my own hands... but would use something larger than a .22lr. I would use something that would drop them in their tracks (.223, .22-250 etc.). My only deciding factor to determine if the animal is someones pet or a stray would be it it has a collar... otherwise they are open for extermination.