Poultry / Livestock Guardians Conflicting with Neighbor Dogs Through Fence

[centrarchid]

I have gone through a lot of effort to prevent losses of chickens and now livestock to neighbors' dogs. Most recent change has been to install a fence. When neighbors' dogs start barking, especially at my livestock, my dogs are prone to run over as a pack where a lot of barking ensues. This stressful for all parties involved. I want to use entire property as pasture so keeping livestock, poultry and my dogs away from area of conflict is not first choice as that limits how I can use my property.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I am in precisely this same situation. I didn't even know that there is a term for what is going on between my dog's and the neighbor's dogs, my friend (who is ALSO in our situation,) said it is called "fence fighting." So my only first point here is you are not alone. And I definitely don't have all of the answers yet but I'm certainly in the mode of trying to implement something to stop it. First off, my "pack," is 2 Leonberger's, 1 golden retriever. And my neighbor's LOOSE dog's fighting at my fence, Australian shephard and lol chihuahua. My friend has Leonbergers and a Pyrenes and I'm not even sure what breeds they are "fence fighting" with. It's just safe to say it's not dog breed specific. SO. I just moved some chain link fence panels from my chicken run to make a dog kennel farther back on my property for when I'm not here. This will hopefully work for when I'm not here but I have to much property for the dogs to stay confined when I am here and that would not work for the protection that they provide to my whole set up. So what about landscaping? I have to drive through my fence so I can't block that part with trees but I am definitely thinking about a thick row of arborvitae and laurel for the rest of the fence.

 

[centrarchid]

My neighbors dogs are loose. A couple pit bulls, couple huskies and a Rottweiler cross. Mine are four English shepherds, a German pointer and a Great Pyrenees x Australian shepherd.

Fence fighting

 

[texsuze]

I once bought one of those ultrasonic anti-bark devices to place near a common fenceline to deter neighbor's GP and GR mongrels from their 24/7 barking, but alas, never ended up installing it. I was planning on pointing it in the neighbor dogs' direction. Might be something to consider, although reviews on their effectiveness are very mixed.

Would you be able to plant some fast-growing shrubs along your fence in the general vicinity of action, to (eventually) keep the dogs from seeing each other and getting close to the fence? In the meantime, what about windrows of brush piles along the section of fence, or, some type of visual barrier? Too bad they don't make a sound-activated lemon spray device to shower the neighbor mongrels with....

 

[SandyRiverChick]

plant some fast-growing shrubs along your fence in the general vicinity of action, to (eventually) keep the dogs from seeing each other and getting close to the fence? In the meantime, what about windrows of brush piles along the section of fence, or, some type of visual barrier? Too bad they don't make a sound-activated lemon spray device to shower the neighbor mongrels with....

Great ideas! I keep waiting for spray scent to be available via computer.....

 

[Acre4Me]

Barberry bushes on outside of fence? Nice thorns on those.

 

[Folly's place]

Rugosa roses are good too, and hawthorns. Fence fighting is a pain! Also injuries can happen if the dogs can contact each other through the fence. More electric fencing, maybe?
Mary