My dog attacks sheep! Please help!

S.T.A.R.S

My great dane came home today with blood all over his head. I thought at first he had been hit by a car but my husband found a dead sheep nearby ripped to shreads. I don't know what to do? Get him neutered? I have small children and I'm worried that he could turn on them. Although we have had him 2 years since he was a baby and he has never shown any signs of aggression. I don't want to get him put down. what can I do?

ISDW

S.T.A.R.S wrote: »

My great dane came home today with blood all over his head. I thought at first he had been hit by a car but my husband found a dead sheep nearby ripped to shreads. I don't know what to do? Get him neutered? I have small children and I'm worried that he could turn on them. Although we have had him 2 years since he was a baby and he has never shown any signs of aggression. I don't want to get him put down. what can I do?

Danes are hunting dogs, so having a high prey drive is not unusual. It certainly does not mean he will start attacking people.

I would suggest that you get a secure run or fencing put up to keep him in. Do not let him roam.

Did you own the sheep that he killed? If not, there could be serious repercussions.

S.T.A.R.S

Thanks for the reply. No I live on a farm and the fields around us are full of sheep. We have loads animals including pigs and he gets on great wth them all.

morganafay

Yeah I agree he's not being aggressive, it's just his nature to kill animals. The same as a smaller dog would kill a mouse or rat, but he's just bigger. The only thing to do is to put up a secure fence.

dlofnep

S.T.A.R.S wrote: »

My great dane came home today with blood all over his head. I thought at first he had been hit by a car but my husband found a dead sheep nearby ripped to shreads. I don't know what to do? Get him neutered? I have small children and I'm worried that he could turn on them. Although we have had him 2 years since he was a baby and he has never shown any signs of aggression. I don't want to get him put down. what can I do?

Why would getting him neutered stop him from attacking sheep?

First thing is perhaps you shouldn't leave your dog roam free like that so he can attack livestock.

doctor evil

If you are not going to be using him for breeding get him neutered and put up high secure fencing. It may be cheaper to build a run.

If it is not your sheep that has been killed find out which farmer it belongs to as it is part of his/her livelyhood and pay for the value of it. He may have killed others or caused them such stress that they can die later on. He may have been seen sheep worrying so don't pretend it didn't happen.

S.T.A.R.S

Im certainly not ignoring the situation at all. I really want to get it sorted.

Acoshla

Our dog is the sweetest girl on this earth, wouldn't hurt anyone, is scared of most people, but has been known to chase sheep and tried to kill a chicken once, it's not their personality it's their instincts, sheep are prey to them, so I wouldn't worry about your dog attacking people based on this.

jap gt

if the sheep arent yours i would go to the owner first and explain what happend, it would be much worse if the farmer comes to you first or catches the dog doing it again he could shoot the dog if its worrying stock

convert

First of all you need to ensure that you have a secure fence and/or run for your dog to ensure that he cannot escape. If you bring him for a walk, especially near animals, you need to keep him on a lead at all times so that he can't stray into a nearby field and chase/attack/kill sheep, cattle, etc. You need to remember that some farmers will shoot a dog on sight if it's seen to be worrying livestock, so in some ways you're lucky that the dog is still alive (and I really don't mean that in a nasty way, so sorry if it reads like that).

As mentioned above, you'll also need to approach the farmer whose sheep he killed and let him know that it happened. Offering to pay for the damage wouldn't go astray, either. Then you also need to re-assure him that it won't happen again and that you're going to ensure that the dog has a secure run from which he won't escape.

Denying that it happened will only cause problems, unfortunately. It may have been the case that someone saw your dog chasing the sheep and have mentioned it to the farmer in question. Be upfront and explain the situation and the measure that you're taking to prevent the situation from re-occuring.

Unfortunately the fact that the dog has done it once will probably mean that, if he finds himself with the opportunity to do it again, he probably will. So you really need to ensure that he's not given the opportunity.

Neutering won't help prevent him from chasing sheep. The only way is to ensure that he is in a secure run at all times, when not out for walks with you.

Sittingpretty

I own a very wolfy looking German Shepherd and where we live we are surrounded by farmland and if our dog was seen roaming or worrying the animals around us she would be shot, without question, and I wouldn't blame the farmer for doing so.

To be honest I can't understand the naivete of your question. Surely the obvious answer is not to let your dog roam? Aren't you worried he might get killed on the roads? be stolen? etc.

crotalus667

slightly off topic but are you sure your dog killed the sheep ? maybe he just found it ? I would say to the the sheep owner "i am really sorry but I THINK my dog killed one of your sheep" then offer to pay for it

Ticktactoe

crotalus667 wrote: »

slightly off topic but are you sure your dog killed the sheep ? maybe he just found it ? I would say to the the sheep owner "i am really sorry but I THINK my dog killed one of your sheep" then offer to pay for it

I was actually thinking this myself. You didn't see your dog chase or attack the sheep. Have you ever seen him after sheep or other animals? The first conclusion that you are coming to here is because there was a dead sheep and your dog was covered in blood and that it is in his instinct/breed to hunt that he did it. Maybe he came across it and had a nose at it.

Anyway the above does not prevent it happening.
I think its pretty much clear cut - If you want to keep the dog you need to know where he is 99% of the time and therefore a fence enclosure seems the best solution for this. Take him for walks then in the evenings or whenever you can.
Otherwise you need to get him put down.

I would suggest giving him to a new home but with what you think he is capable of would you be happy in the knowledge of giving him to someone else?... I wouldn't.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

At first I thought this was a gag. That any Dog owner could be so naive, or reckless, is hard to credit. To let any dog roam where there are sheep - at lambing time too! - is bad enough but to let an animal the size of a Great Dane stray is unimaginable. In fact, I still think this has to be a leg pull! If it's true then you deserve to loose this dog.
What has getting him neutered got to do with it? Although in fairness I'd generally recommend all dogs be neutered if they are just being kept as family pets. Leave the breeding to the experts.
As for the aggression, it's your dog. Nobody better placed to judge than yourselves.

If I were trying to hold on to my dog, and to keep my dog alive, I'd make sure he cannot wander ever again. This dog shouldn't be able to as much as pass the gateway unless on a lead.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Ticktactoe wrote: »

...If you want to keep the dog you need to know where he is 99% of the time...

Well said in that entire piece Tictactoe. All I'd add is that 99% should read 100%

It wasn't me!

For the love of all that is reasonable, stock-break that animal. A properly socialised and stock-broken dog will not attack or worry sheep or domestic animals.

Second, I'd re-iterate the suggestion to go to the farmer and offer to pay for the damages. He'd be within his rights to request the destruction of the dog, so you have to hope he's willing to deal with you. The best way is to come at it completely openly.

And then, though the dog is stock-broken and socialised properly, it still can't be let roam. At all. At this time of year, sheep farmers are not going to be slow to shoot dogs in a lot of cases, because they can't afford to. There's no profit in the job and they're already struggling to keep up with predation without dealing with domestic animals as well. Keep the dog in an enclosure and exercise it regularly, but do not let it roam, or it's going to be killed.

S.T.A.R.S

Thanks everyone for your comments. I should explain better since some of you think I'm a stupid dog owner and pulling your leg. I live on a 5 acre farm that is surrounded by fencing. The sheep in the mountains beside me are wild sheep. They are owned by someone but I've never seen anyone with them. There are a few fields down the road with sheep that have houses on the land. I'm for sure this sheep was one of the wild sheep because it had no markings. That dosen't make it any better, my dog still killed, I think?? an innocent sheep. The day this happened he was let out on my land for 5 minutes before I checked on him. He is never left roaming on his own. I always keep an eye on him and my other dogs. It's just the phone rang and I went to answer it and took my eye off him. I am really upset by this and we buried the sheep. I'm asking for suggestions as to how I can prevent this from happening again. And thanks to some of you who gave really great advice and I'm taking it on board. I just thought if I got him neutered he would loose the puppy, chasing anything that moves trait!

It wasn't me!

It's not a playful trait. Dogs like that are built to take and dispatch game. Things like Great Danes are used for tracking and dispatching wounded deer traditionally, so it's a part of their breed heritage to hunt and to kill. The problem is, you're not using the dog for that, so you need to get it exposed to livestock and broken to it the same way you housebroke it. It needs to learn that there are scents it can follow and scents it shouldn't. Animals it can hunt and animals it can't. This is essential for any dog in the countryside. The foremost thing however is that it needs to be properly enclosed. You might have gotten lucky this time and the animal it killed doesn't belong to anyone and the dog will probably get away with it, but the important thing from here out is to socialise and stock-break the dog properly, then to ensure that it can't get out anyway.

landkeeper

as a sheep farmer and a dog owner take some advice ,1stly there is no such thing as a wild sheep in ireland they belong to someone ,2ndly if he's done it once he'll do it again at 2 he's no puppy ,so i would suggest find out who the owner of the sheep is and square up with them it's their livelihood find a home for your dog where there are no sheep or do the right thing and visit your vet
a dog in a flock of sheep can cause thousands of euro of damage in a very short time and you are liable for the damage inflicted .
Having been on the recieving end of dog 'attention' i can tell you it's cold comfort when a dog owner comes out with he was only playing with them or my fido wouldn't do that

here's something for you to think about as well ,the sheep that you buried may have had a lamb or two most do this time of year that's either running around now motherless and starving or allready dead

ppink

I dont know about the whole thing of getting the dog broken to livestock. If you have him under control then he should never have the opportunity. I know it was just 5 minutes but as you have now seen thats all it takes and in fairness it could have been a lot worse than one sheep. If he had walked out in front of a car adn caused a crash you would also be liable.
I am surrounded by sheep where I live and my dogs are not "livestock broken" but it would be over my dead body that they would ever get an opportunity to cause any grief to human or animal around my area.

I think your biggest crime might be naivity and you have now learned the hard way. All you need to do now is locate the farmer and pay for his sheep.
Your dog should be neutred anyway, at 2 yrs old he is not a puppy.

crotalus667

landkeeper wrote: »

1stly there is no such thing as a wild sheep in ireland they belong to someone

in theory that is true but in reality there are pleanty of sheep roaming the countryside that are off spring of stray sheep

landkeeper

crotalus667 wrote: »

in theory that is true but in reality there are pleanty of sheep roaming the countryside that are off spring of stray sheep

but they still belong to someone stray or not .!!!!and the way ewe/lamb prices are this year there won't be any stray sheep belive me and i'd be interested to see where the OP lives 'wild sheep' on the mountain sounds idyllic but in the real world they are domestic annimals and someones livelihood

caesarthechimp

Take the dog into a sheepfield on a long lead and you will see whether he chases sheep or not. If he does then train him not to. Aversion training with a bamboo stick or electric collar will do it.

gavlaw

Not allowed.

Son Of A Vidic

The worrying part of your post is the start of it, you said ''My Great Dane came home today.'' That indicates to me that he was roaming unsupervised and if so, no dog should be allowed to roam unsupervised no matter what breed it is. I would suggest that you secure the perimeter of your property preventing roaming, this needs to be combined with training. The dog must realise it is not acceptable to leave the property alone. The last option is if you cannot achieve this then you should re-home the dog, because it will remain a danger. Any dog I've owned would never put their paw across the boundary line of the property, this has always been a priority for me. Unfortunately allowing dogs free roaming rights is very prevalent in rural and Urban Ireland.

star-pants

gavlaw wrote: »

a good hard shot between the eyes with a lump hammer will sort it out if you hit it hard enough you wont have to hit it again sort yourself out either build a kennel/dog run or get rid of the thing or let the farmer sort it with a bullet which is what will happen if he sees it near sheep

Take a few days break - we do not advocate violence like that
(this post has been dealt with so I don't want anyone referring to it further thanks)

Neddyusa

landkeeper wrote: »

as a sheep farmer and a dog owner take some advice ,1stly there is no such thing as a wild sheep in ireland they belong to someone ,2ndly if he's done it once he'll do it again at 2 he's no puppy ,so i would suggest find out who the owner of the sheep is and square up with them it's their livelihood find a home for your dog where there are no sheep or do the right thing and visit your vet
a dog in a flock of sheep can cause thousands of euro of damage in a very short time and you are liable for the damage inflicted .
Having been on the recieving end of dog 'attention' i can tell you it's cold comfort when a dog owner comes out with he was only playing with them or my fido wouldn't do that

100% agree - there is no such thing as a second chance for a dog that has killed a sheep - they WILL do it again, so as people have said - either re-home or put down.

And yes the 'wild' sheep do belong to somebody.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

S.T.A.R.S, I really wonder if you should have a Dog at all. A 5 acre farm. Balderdash! That's no farm - it's a large garden. Wild Sheep? Do you know anything about the countryside or about where you live? These are domesticated mountain sheep. They belong to a farmer. Only 5 minutes? How many times have we heard that one before? I'm disgusted at your attitude (if it is for real). You not only need to do something to secure your dog but you need to come into the real world and learn about the world/countryside around you.
If the dog could roam sufficiently to attack sheep, could it have chased a child on a bike (the child cycling not the dog )? The whole scenario seems wrong to me!

I've just realised you are the lady from Petzone that was in Dragons Den recently. I'm now all the more surprised at how naive you seem to be with regard to your Great Dane. You seem to have other dogs - can they get at the sheep as well?

BTW: There is still a typing error on the home page. I'd suggest asking Vet Pete about your dog and your fear about aggression. Would he not have been the logical place to direct your concerns about the dog?

This just doesn't add up.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Enrate wrote: »

Take the dog into a sheepfield on a long lead and you will see whether he chases sheep or not. If he does then train him not to. Aversion training with a bamboo stick or electric collar will do it.

Are you serious? I take it you meant to add that you must have the landowners permission. I assume you don't mean to do it now when Ewes are lambing. I know you also have taken the stress on the sheep into account. :rolleyes:

convert

Wild sheep? 5 acre farm? Seriously?

Regardless of whether or not sheep having markings, they do belong to someone, and you need to find out who so that you can compensate the farmer for his losses.

You also need to bear in mind that because the dog has killed once the chances are he will do it again. So you need to take this into consideration when trying to decide what to do with the dog.

Another thing you don't mention - was the dog on its own when he went at the sheep or was he in the company of other dogs? Either way, you need to sit down and think out your situation very carefully. Can you afford to have this happen again?

caesarthechimp

Stephanie Stale Barley wrote: »

Are you serious? I take it you meant to add that you must have the landowners permission. I assume you don't mean to do it now when Ewes are lambing. I know you also have taken the stress on the sheep into account. :rolleyes:

Yes, I offered a practical solution, not a sanctimonious rant.