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Posted: 3/15/2024 1:35:40 PM EDT
Got a nasty letter in our mailbox yesterday from neighbor next to us. We live on 10 acres, but the neighbor is separated from us by only a fence and a small creek. Our LGD is young, will be 2yo in August, we got her as basically a rescue from a family that had her as a pet. We got her in July of last year and got our first livestock (St. Croix sheep) that same month but because our perimter fencing wasn't up to snuff, the dog couldn't go with the sheep to start any kind of training until December when we got our fencing improved. That fencing upgrade set me back $4500 btw.
Anyhow, the dog is a female St. Pyr/Anatolian Shepherd mix and we let her out with the sheep in the morning at morning chores and we bring her in at nigh bc neighbors and all are pretty close. I know, I know- night time is when LGD's are really needed but the dog is still learning. Point being, I just got this note that the neighbors ''can't enjoy their time outside bc of the dog barking''. I haven't ever spoken to these folks other than a passing nod. I don't know if they realize she is a LGD and not a family pet. Their property (~3 acres)i s zoned residential and is part of an HOA/development according to the county website while mine is zoned Suburban Reserve and zoned for farming/agricultural and that's the reason we bought it. Any advice here? On LGD's, training, how to handle this, etc? |
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Charter Member, Knights of Wonder
Norcal LEO callsign: Hold Fast Team Randstad |
Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
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[#1]
Originally Posted By Harmonic_Distortion: Got a nasty letter in our mailbox yesterday from neighbor next to us. We live on 10 acres, but the neighbor is separated from us by only a fence and a small creek. Our LGD is young, will be 2yo in August, we got her as basically a rescue from a family that had her as a pet. We got her in July of last year and got our first livestock (St. Croix sheep) that same month but because our perimter fencing wasn't up to snuff, the dog couldn't go with the sheep to start any kind of training until December when we got our fencing improved. That fencing upgrade set me back $4500 btw. Anyhow, the dog is a female St. Pyr/Anatolian Shepherd mix and we let her out with the sheep in the morning at morning chores and we bring her in at nigh bc neighbors and all are pretty close. I know, I know- night time is when LGD's are really needed but the dog is still learning. Point being, I just got this note that the neighbors ''can't enjoy their time outside bc of the dog barking''. I haven't ever spoken to these folks other than a passing nod. I don't know if they realize she is a LGD and not a family pet. Their property (~3 acres)i s zoned residential and is part of an HOA/development according to the county website while mine is zoned Suburban Reserve and zoned for farming/agricultural and that's the reason we bought it. Any advice here? On LGD's, training, how to handle this, etc? View Quote I think you need to actually figure out whether she is barking at the people, or not. I have called law enforcement on the neighbor's dog before, because we could not sit at the back of our property (they are on one side) at our firepit and enjoy an evening, without a giant dog barking for HOURS 50' away, at the fence. It's miserable, and the neighbor would do nothing. The property behind ours (adjacent to the firepit) on the other hand...if those Great Pyrenees are barking, there's a REASON, and the reason is not us. We never mind that, because it also helps keep predators from coming onto our small property from behind. You're still training her, which is part of the issue of course, but one thing to find out....IS she barking at the neighbors trying to enjoy outdoors in their yard? I don't know how to help with the training ideas for that, except maybe introduction to them and your obvious approval.."these people are allowed." |
Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
[#2]
I had to Google LGD. =Livestock guardian dog
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"Let's go Brandon!"
If somebody tries to kill you... you try to kill them right back! "You can get more done with a kind word and a gun... than with a kind word alone!" Al Capone |
[#3]
Write a polite letter back explaining you are still training the dog. Explain it is a LGD, so some barking is expected, but offer to meet with them to acclimate the dog so it doesn't bark at them so much. Might work, and at least shows you respect their concerns.
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[#4]
I hate neighbors with a passion, its a huge reason I bought acreage in rural OK.
Write them back or go visit in person and say you have a Livestock guardian dog, dogs bark, its what they do. Tell them your land is zoned agriculture and if they don't want to hear your dog, maybe they should move to the city. |
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Traveled the world, currently living in Indian Territory
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[#5]
Originally Posted By USCG_CPO: I hate neighbors with a passion, its a huge reason I bought acreage in rural OK. Write them back or go visit in person and say you have a Livestock guardian dog, dogs bark, its what they do. Tell them your land is zoned agriculture and if they don't want to hear your dog, maybe they should move to the city. View Quote I like your idea. |
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Charter Member, Knights of Wonder
Norcal LEO callsign: Hold Fast Team Randstad |
[#6]
Originally Posted By Harmonic_Distortion: I like your idea. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Harmonic_Distortion: Originally Posted By USCG_CPO: I hate neighbors with a passion, its a huge reason I bought acreage in rural OK. Write them back or go visit in person and say you have a Livestock guardian dog, dogs bark, its what they do. Tell them your land is zoned agriculture and if they don't want to hear your dog, maybe they should move to the city. If your dog is a nuisance to others, then you need to get it under control, or the neighbors might just do it for you. |
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[#7]
Strongly recommend going with cookies or beer to discuss the issue. A very nice letter if a visit is not possible. It's unfortunate that they started with a nasty letter instead of a nice letter or visit, but it may have been a moment of frustration. No harm has been done to you yet, so try for the best relations possible.
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"And I never did get my lawnmower back!" - Bandit 6
"On the bright side, the money we saved by not going to Mars in the 1970s, we spent on welfare and public schools." - @MorlockP |
[#8]
I don't have a good idea of just how much your dog is actually barking. Might be you have whiny neighbors and the dog only barks a few times a day, or might be that your dog is barking regularly throughout the day at anything that moves. In any case it's shitty they didn't speak to you in person first.
BUT, IMO you are raising a dog that doesn't understand what it is supposed to be and do, by treating it like a pet. LGDs shouldn't be staying inside at that age. It might be that you just don't have a dog that can be an effective LGD, and isn't really comfortable out with the livestock on its own. Barking out of anxiety. Barking problems aren't going to get any better if you are able to transition the dog to staying with the herd through the night. And I don't think that will be successful. My gut says that you have a pet, and if you need an LGD you had better start over with a young dog from a working LGD breeder, or luck in to an already trained and working dog. |
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Lit Low Ready, LLC
litlowready.com |
[#9]
Originally Posted By USCG_CPO: I hate neighbors with a passion, its a huge reason I bought acreage in rural OK. Write them back or go visit in person and say you have a Livestock guardian dog, dogs bark, its what they do. Tell them your land is zoned agriculture and if they don't want to hear your dog, maybe they should move to the city. View Quote Not trying to be a dick, but this attitude is what makes the difference between a neighbor simply shooting your dog if it gets in with their calves ('nope, haven't seen him') and a neighbor calling to say 'hey Bob your dog over here, come get it and keep it off my place.' For example. |
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Lit Low Ready, LLC
litlowready.com |
[#10]
Are you sure your dog is barking at all? We moved from a townhome because my neighbor was a junky psycho that was convinced by service dog was barking all the time and she couldn’t sleep. So bad my landlord got involved because he was getting calls from her. I had video proof from cameras that he wasn’t. I ended the stress by just saying we’re gone dogg.
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[#11]
Originally Posted By TexCorriente: Not trying to be a dick, but this attitude is what makes the difference between a neighbor simply shooting your dog if it gets in with their calves ('nope, haven't seen him') and a neighbor calling to say 'hey Bob your dog over here, come get it and keep it off my place.' For example. View Quote I agree. |
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"When you need it and ain't got it, you're singin' a different tune..."
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Born with a low tolerance for bullshit
KY, USA
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[#12]
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Nobody ever wakes me at 2 in the morning telling me that my grass is out on the highway.~~Radiopat
Wine is sunlight held together by water~~Galileo Galilei Well-behaved women rarely make history~~Marilyn Monroe |
[#13]
You really should run a camera while you're away during the day so you can truly know for yourself how much the dog is barking, and hopefully why/at what. I've had difficulties more than once in the past with neighbors whose dogs were well behaved and happy right up until the minute the homeowners left for work, then the dog would bark NONSTOP until they returned home at the end of the day. This is not only a nuisance, but also a sign of a miserable dog, and needs to be fixed.
The worst example was a livestock dog by the way, Australian shepherd or the like. |
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[#14]
Originally Posted By StillGonnaSendIt: Are you sure your dog is barking at all? We moved from a townhome because my neighbor was a junky psycho that was convinced by service dog was barking all the time and she couldn’t sleep. So bad my landlord got involved because he was getting calls from her. I had video proof from cameras that he wasn’t. I ended the stress by just saying we’re gone dogg. View Quote yes, she does bark and anything that moves. |
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Charter Member, Knights of Wonder
Norcal LEO callsign: Hold Fast Team Randstad |
[Last Edit: TexCorriente]
[#15]
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Lit Low Ready, LLC
litlowready.com |
[#16]
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[#17]
My neighbor has a Great Pyrenees and he only barks at actual threats . What are the rules in your county ? Mine has no animal control. Yes zero. I have dogs and cats and coyotes on my game cameras that get addressed as needed. I am on 40 acres. Tiny the GP never barks at me and I give him belly rubs and treats. He is super sweet.
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RIP Jeff Reed. Tennessee Squire, Ga. Carry member, NRA,Non-puking 72 ounce drinker 2 of 6 Norcal call sign, Forgotten.
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