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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

My dog has just done the worst thing

711 replies

93sdb · 09/02/2021 15:53

Hes just chased a sheep into a pond in the snow. Im heartbroken.

When he was younger he chased sheep before and he has ALWAYS been on a lead since then. Sheep or not.

We were walking down a field a walk through daily that has never had sheep in in the 20 years I've lived here. He was on his extendable lead and it was on loose but he was right next to me. I opened the gate to go through and felt him pull on the lead. Saw the sheep and put the clip on so he couldn't get any closer and the lead snapped. He chased the sheep and would not come back. One jumped into a pond and I finally got him back.

Another girl from the house nearby helped me get the sheep out but it went into shock but was still breathing. I put my coat around it and sat with her whilst she called the farmer and another lad came over and said the farmer was going to be furious as this had happened earlier this morning. I gave them my number said I would pay any vet bills etc and left it with my coat wrapped around it.

The farmer has just called and spoken to my dad as I was too upset. He's shouted at my dad (understandably) and is threatening to get the police involved and wants immediate compensation and threatened to come and shoot my dog. The sheep is alive and is warming back up in this man's house and is expected to make a full recovery and I am going to walk up there later (WITHOUT THE DOG) to check on it.

I just wanted somewhere to write and be devestated. Im upset how the farmer spoke to my dad as it was a complete and utter accident but I understand his frustration. I wouldn't of even walked in the field with my dog if I had any clue there was going to be sheep in there. He hasn't got excited around them since the first time but I would never risk it.

OP posts:
Ballstothis148 · 09/02/2021 22:31

OP I do feel bad for your shock :( and it’ll be comforting to the farmer if you apologise sincerely Flowers

Frazzled2207 · 09/02/2021 22:31

It would appear the sheep is ok which is the main thing.

This sounds dreadfully upsetting. I remember extremely well when my own dog attacked another dog once.

Perhaps technically you were at fault but it was an accident and you did everything you could to resolve the situation.
I wouldn't be going anywhere near the farmer until he has calmed down considerably.
And obviously, don't go anywhere near that farm with the dog again.
Hope you're ok.

nocoolnamesleft · 09/02/2021 22:33

Actually, now it is obvious that your dog will chase sheep, don't take your dog on farmland again.

EYProvider · 09/02/2021 22:38

Sorry, what? The farmer threatened to shoot your dog?

Anyone who threatened to shoot my dog would have to shoot me first.

I wouldn’t go near that farmer if I were you. And I wouldn’t let my dog out either, not even in the garden unless I was there.

I hate farmers. Always at the front of every queue with their hands held out, and now it’s supposed to be acceptable for them to go around shooting people’s dogs? This is why I could never live in the country. I thought we’d left all that Wild West stuff behind but obviously not.

myfriendsgivebadadvice · 09/02/2021 22:38

Gindrinker43

Bit harsh. She wasn't trespassing and could hardly predict her lead would snap.

myfriendsgivebadadvice · 09/02/2021 22:39

I hate farmers. Always at the front of every queue with their hands held out, and now it’s supposed to be acceptable for them to go around shooting people’s dogs? This is why I could never live in the country. I thought we’d left all that Wild West stuff behind but obviously not.

This is utterly hilarious, thank you so much for posting this.

I hope you don't rely on farm produce much.

myfriendsgivebadadvice · 09/02/2021 22:42

derxa

Yes, I would have been less surprised by a lamb! But this ewe had been worried by a dog and needed care.

CaraDuneRedux · 09/02/2021 22:43

But extendable leads are notorious for (a) not giving you any real control over your dog and (b) breaking really easily.

It's not rocket science to know it's not the most secure device to take your dog - which has previously chased sheep - into the countryside where there may well be fields of sheep (even if you don't know which fields contain them - it's a fair bet there will be some).

I mean, I get that mistakes happen. My dog wriggled out of her harness the other day while I was distracted by poop-scooping. God knows how. On a busy road. Fortunately her highly developed prey instinct sent her straight to the nearby 7-11 in search of sausage rolls, rather than into the road, and I managed to grab her by the scruff of the neck before she actually got into the shop.

But if you know your dog is a sheep-worrier, and you're going into the countryside, you need to be ultra-careful. And an extendible lead is not "ultra-careful."

Yohoheaveho · 09/02/2021 22:43

Some people are talking as if a dog can only be destroyed if it is caught in the act however It is routine for a dog which has attacked to be destroyed after the incident

myfriendsgivebadadvice · 09/02/2021 22:45

cara

Well, now she knows. She didn't. Presumably you thought your harness was 100% on a busy road. It's possible not to know the limitations of your equipment.

Ballstothis148 · 09/02/2021 22:45

Yohoheaveho yup that’s what our vet does often... he blames the owners not the dogs :(

Yohoheaveho · 09/02/2021 22:46

If you keep livestock and your livestock are attacked and destroyed by a Predator of course you are going to destroy the Predator

TwelvePaws · 09/02/2021 22:48

Some people are talking as if a dog can only be destroyed if it is caught in the act however It is routine for a dog which has attacked to be destroyed after the incident

The farmer can not threaten to find OPs house and shoot her dog. If you think he can then you’re fucking crazy. 🤣

Rupertbeartrousers · 09/02/2021 22:50

@dublingirl66

Sending you lots of love

Sorry these things happen

You did very well considering

Lesson learned
Apologies
Keep dog on lead

Poor sheep and poor you
I bet that's the last thing you needed 😢😢😢

This Flowers
Ballstothis148 · 09/02/2021 22:50

Yeah but he can find out who she is and have her dog put down, not much difference. (And make her pay for the vet bill of destroying her own dog)

Hugoslavia · 09/02/2021 22:50

Tbh, even without your dog chasing the sheep, I would be concerned about a sheep falling into the pond. It seems like the wrong location for them.

Ballstothis148 · 09/02/2021 22:51

And OP I don’t think he will! He’ll almost be shocked you took responsibility - 99% do not

Fieldofyellowflowers · 09/02/2021 22:54

@Yohoheaveho

You sound like you want the dog to be put down. Pathetic.

The dog does not need to be put down in this situation. The fact that you are even suggesting that this should happen makes you sound very cruel. In an instance like this, the police would probably only issue a fine and make OP pay the farmer for any losses. The dog being destroyed is overkill in this instance and a completely unnecessary thing to say. If it were to happen repeatedly the punishments would probably get more severe each time. But OP has already said that she is going to take steps to ensure that their isn't a repeat performance.

Scrowy · 09/02/2021 22:57

I hate farmers. Always at the front of every queue with their hands held out

You hate all farmers? Well I sincerely hope you put your money where your mouth is and don't eat any food containing anything produced by a farmer.

Would that queue be the one where the government pays farmers the difference between what it actually costs to produce food and what the public will willingly pay for it? Hungry citizens don't make biddable voters.

The arrogance of people in the UK who don't realise how privileged they are to have easy access to cheap, high quality food, with no care for how fragile that continued access is never ceases to astound and frighten me.

TwelvePaws · 09/02/2021 22:57

Yeah but he can find out who she is and have her dog put down, not much difference. (And make her pay for the vet bill of destroying her own dog)

He could try but he would be very unlikely to succeed in these the circumstances. Violent thugs who can’t control their temper shouldn’t have access to guns though.

Heyta · 09/02/2021 22:58

This thread has taken a strange turn. OP made a mistake, she is human. We all know what happened is unacceptable and many are offering advice to help her learn from this mistake as best she can.

Some people, however, are responding as if the dog has ripped a child’s face off and she’s proposing walking it past the school gates every day.

I hope you never make a mistake in life.

Yohoheaveho · 09/02/2021 23:00

If it were to happen repeatedly the punishments would probably get more severe each time
several posters on the thread speak as if they have inside knowledge...perhaps someone can tell us what happens when a dog-owner is a repeat offender wrt worrying livestock?

IrishCharm · 09/02/2021 23:00

@bitheby

Well if it happened twice in one day, arguably the farmer should learn from this that putting sheep in a field that had never had sheep in it before requires signage up to warn unsuspecting dog owners.

You did everything you could. He is understandably upset but the sheep didn't die; you didn't leave it to die and you could've done. Hopefully he'll learn from this too.

Seriously? So a farmer can't use his own field without putting signage up to warn dog walkers? If that farmer had been in the field when this happened he would have been within his rights to shoot the dog there and then! Ridiculous!!
DevonTF · 09/02/2021 23:02

TheChip. I am not doubting she feels awful. Whenever these type of events happen, it is awful. I am sad that is has happened again, and that it focuses on how she feels, the excuses that she hadn’t seen sheep there before, and that she thinks the farmer was wrong for being angry. It keeps happening. It is soul destroying. An animal was in distress and pain. This is about the event and the outcome. Just sick of the excuses. Time and time again.

RunningFromInsanity · 09/02/2021 23:03

@Heyta

This thread has taken a strange turn. OP made a mistake, she is human. We all know what happened is unacceptable and many are offering advice to help her learn from this mistake as best she can.

Some people, however, are responding as if the dog has ripped a child’s face off and she’s proposing walking it past the school gates every day.

I hope you never make a mistake in life.

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