To have had a go at the woman whose dog killed my chicken today

[IDoAllMyOwnStunts]

SO this is the story, bear with me but I don't want to be accused of drip feeding!

I have 3 free range hens who wander all over my garden and the surrounding area (rural).

My house is adjacent to a v quiet lane, walkers pass by daily, often with dogs and only a couple of times in 3 years have dogs ran into the garden to chase the chickens (the occasions this has happenned before the dogs have always ran back to the owners when called off and chickens have escaped unharmed). Still with me?

So today I'm in the kitchen and see a black streak across the garden and hear the chickens sqwaking. GO outside to see a collie type dog going hell for leather across the garden after a chicken. It runs after it into the field at the bottom of my garden, kills it and then plays with it - owner no where to be seen.

All this time my kids are watching (and me) in horror) completely helpless. I was yelling at dog but it just kept ragging the chicken until it was limp and its wings stopped flapping. Kids v upset (and me).

Dog continues to play with chicken in the field, I go out and see the dog owner, completely pathetically trying to get the dog to drop the chicken. I had a go at her, told her my kids had to watch that and she should control her dog, that it should come back when she called it. Nearly there don't worry..

She retorted by saying as the chickens were free range then I should expect this hazard and there was nothing she could do to stop her dog chasing the chickens - ie it wouldn't come back when called. She said it legged it from her when she was up the road as soon as it got a whiff of the chicekns and then wouldn't come back when called. To me, she should have control of her dog at all times, AIBU to expect this? If she calls it, surely dog should come back? Isn't that basic dog training? (I love dogs and have a collie myself)

She did say sorry and looked mightily upset and embarrased, but I was still peed off at her comment that she a)admitted she couldn't control her dog and b) the chickens were asking for it being free range. DH came home and spent ages in the field trying to convince the dog it needed to let go of the chicken - which it did eventually.

Sorry its a long 'un, AIBU?

PS. The woman only lives half a mile from me, know her by sight - her dog is usually acting like a looney whenever I see it.

Do your worse.

But they can do, though (Uncle lost his geese during a day- hungry foxes will, Vet said)

I do ahve friends who ahve free range chickensbut they are farmers and do accept loss (usually from cars where they are, but even so).

It's a trade off I think. Accept teh risks.

But as I said: she is also BU, and dog should be on a lead. TBH when we had a dog it was always on a lead except in a designated area, because of livestock etc.

The 'taste of blood' thing is a myth. That's not to say it won't kill another chicken,but it won't be because it's tasted blood now.

There are plenty of dogs that are fed on raw meat. They don't go berserk because they've tasted blood.

I think you're both being unreasonable. She didn't have the dog under control,but your chickens should be confined to your garden. Why are they allowed to roam beyond the boundaries of your land?

I realise that the dog came into your garden,but you shouldn't allow them to roam so far.

Werewolves are real. Does this not worry you?

I think the "taste of blood" thing does not refer to the taste of the blood but of the thrill that the animal will feel when chasing and killing. That will be remembered by the dog and has nothing to do with whether or not it actually tasted anything.

Um, I read the OP to mean that the chickens do stay in the garden, and one only ran out when terrified of the dog.

I do accept there is a risk from foxes. Have never seen them around here to be honest - lucky in that respect which is why I have been happy for chooks to free range for years.

I really don't think IABU for having free range hens as one poster has suggested.

This dog is always going bananas. When you walk past this womans house its snarling, barking and she has to hang on to it to stop it charging at anything that moves.

'If you're rural whats the dog going to do come lambing season? Get a whiff of a new born and it may not just kill one but scare the other sheep to death by an attack.'

Our local farmers would shoot a dog chasing sheep.
Dogs will chase, snap and worry if given the provocation. It's the owner's fault for not having her dog under control.

Well she did say this.

'I have 3 free range hens who wander all over my garden and the surrounding area (rural).'

True, I should rephrase... I read it as the chickens were in the garden at the time, then ran out when attacked.

YANBU.

Being free range doesnt excuse this. Cats are free range and I'd bet MN would combust if anyone suggested it was ok for a dog to eat one.

Sheep are also pretty easily accessible. Will this woman allow her dog to attack them too? Will she then mind if a farmer puts a bullet up its backside?

I am a dog lover BTW. I just think ownership comes with responsibilities.

Then this dog is soemwhat out of control; sadly. Unsuual IME for a collie but it happens. Absolutely she ahs a responsibility to deal with that.

but, you need to amke riska ssessments based on the fact that soem dogs are out of control. That doesn't make it OK by any means but it's a predicatble reality and should be factored in overall.

The hens do mainly stay in the garden - but its stone walled (low in places) so they do hop onto the lane - not sure where they were when the chase started.

But isn't the issue that the dog should either a)be on a lead or b)come back when called.

On balance I don't think you are being unreasonable at all. You were understandably upset. I once, years ago, said something extremely cutting and un-publishable on this forum to an overweight woman who said that she had knocked my cat over with her car because 'you had to drive fast on this road because it was a hill and unless you drove at 40 mph you couldn't change into 4th gear' (my cat was lucky and recovered from her injuries and went on to live a normal lifespan). Your poor bird died and in front of your children too - all because the lady did not have her dog on a lead.

I presume you don't live next to a park or open farmland, ergo if the dog was on a public road then the dog should have been on a lead. Dogs are designed to hunt, it doesn't matter how well trained they are, a chicken or a squirrel or even a small child is a provocation to them - that is why they need to be on leads.

I am so sorry for you and your children - forgive yourself for being angry.

I agree that's what happened,which is why I added the post to say that I realised that the dog ran into the OP's garden.

The dog certainly shouldn't be allowed off the leash if the owner is unable to control it when on the leash.

I definitely agree re the responsibilities of being a dog owner,and I too would be pissed at the lack of an apology,and of course over losing one of my hens, when it wouldn't have happened had her dog been under control,as it should have been.

OK, I think I'd probably accept the odd lost hen to fox or RTA as a natural consequence of hem being free-range.

But no, yanbu. Dog owner should be able to control the damn thing.

Well its v rural and there are cows and sheep all within a few minutes walk.

There is a farm up the road and the famer there would definately have shot it, (and not have had any of the crappy feelings I have got for having a go at her I bet)

Exactly - the dog ran into your private garden from a road. It should have been under control - don't feel bad for being angry about this.

Thank you for your kind words people too - we told the kids it would have died instantly from shock - I tried to usher them in the house so they couldn't see the dog playing with it when it was half dead.

Then again I know how you feel - I did feel ashamed of myself for saying what I did to the woman who ran over my cat, although it was partially true. But not for being upset about it.

YANBU. From what you said on the OP the dog came into your garden and chased the chicken out. Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 livestock does include poultry, so technically it could have been shot. It is the owner's responsibility to keep the dog under control and off your land.If the dog is worrying livestock on agricultural land then you can shoot it. Not that I'm recommending that mind you, just pointing out waht the law is.

DEFRA recommend that on a right of way the dog does not have to be on a lead but it does have to be 'under close control'. This phrase is not defined but pretty much means that if you are in or near a field with animals or poultry and your dog will not always come, straight away, when called even when he's chasing things, and then stay there, he could be at risk of being seen to worry animals.

Uncontrolled dogs are a menace in the countryside. I would have given her a mouthful too and made her replace the poultry.

YANBU. Think sometimes people say things in panic though and she'll probably be really sorry when she sees you next.

when you say the dog wouldnt let go of it ,do you mean it wouldnt come near enough to drop it ? because if mine had done this i would of prized its jaws apart ,removed chicken and then beaten it about the bloody head with it . Yanbu ,if you have a dog ,it should come back to you when you call it ,if she only lives half a mile away ,then she must have walked that way before and known you had chooks ,so it should of been on a lead till well past your property .Occasionally with some dogs they go into hunt mode and no end of leaping up and down /shouting will snap them out of it ,until either they catch whatever it is they are chasing or they lose it , you would know if your dog was like this and should act accordingly .