Sheep and Responsible Dog Ownership Imagine walking out to the lamb barn early one morning expecting to hear the hungry baaas of your precious show lambs, but instead hearing nothing but the silent scream going off in your head as you find all of your lambs either dead or severely injured. Who would do such a horrible thing? DOGS. Each year hundreds of sheep (and other livestock) are killed by dogs. Dogs that are wild and roaming in packs like savage wolves. Dogs that are so good with kids. Dogs that live down the street. Dogs that sleep under your roof. Dogs that belong to irresponsible owners. Being Responsible Owning a dog is a huge responsibility. Not only to properly care for your dog, but to also care about others and their property as well. Are you a responsible dog owner? Where is your dog right this instant? If you answered that question with "outside somewhere" or "I don't know" you aren't as responsible as you should be. Dogs should NEVER be left alone to roam or wander. The ONLY exception to this is if you own a guard dog that was raised with livestock and trained to stay with them. It is perfectly fine to let your dog run loose at your home as long as he or she is being supervised. Not only could your dog wander away to the neighbor's farm, but he could be hit by a car, stolen, or even poisoned. If you cannot supervise your dog, even for a little while, you need to contain him in some way. Some people believe tying or kenneling a dogs is cruel. This isn't cruel if you still let your dog play outside of its kennel on a regular basis. Just because you should keep your dog contained, doesn't mean it has to stay contained all the time because with your supervision it can be let free. Also be sure that all of your dogs are licensed and wearing identification at all times. If your dog does get out and attack livestock, you should be responsible enough to take action for what your dog has done. Offer to pay to replace the animals and any property that was damaged, send an apology letter in the mail to the owner of the livestock, and be more responsible by not letting your dog run free. What If: I have a dog that's been around sheep its entire life? Unless it's a guard dog with the job of protecting your sheep, this is no excuse to let your dog roam free. I've known farmers who have had dogs that are always "good" with the sheep and go out one day to find their dogs attacking their flock. Dogs are unpredictable. You never know what they'll do when you're not looking. This is the same philosophy as the dog that chews up furniture. Maybe your dog never chews when you're there, but as soon as you leave, it's chow time. Dogs learn that they'll only get in trouble if they get caught. I have a little puppy? Even though your puppy may be small, it will grow. By the time puppies are three months old, their personalities and behaviors have already been shaped into what kind of dog they will be. Maybe it's cute that your puppy playfully chases the sheep or barks at them through the fence, but when that puppy grows up, chasing and barking can lead to chasing down and biting. It's important that you train your puppy at an early age the proper manners when around sheep. You can't do this if your puppy is roaming free. I have an older dog? Even if your dog is so old it can hardly walk, your dog still shouldn't be left unattended. Sometimes, sheep break out of their enclosures and may wander up to an older dog if they aren't afraid of sheep. Older dogs are spooked easier and may bite out of fear. A sheep may even hurt your dog (stepping on them, head butting, etc.) and your dog may bite to protect itself. I have a little dog? Even the littlest dogs can damage a sheep. Maybe a little Chihuahua isn't going to totally rip apart a ewe in seconds like a German Shepherd Dog could, but I guarantee it could scare one into a heart attack or even to death. Little dogs pack mighty little barks. I don't live near any farms? Other than the fact that your dog is still in danger of being ran over or stolen, you should still be responsible enough to keep your dog out of the neighbor's property. Some people may have smaller animals such as rabbits or poultry that can easily be kept off farmland. It doesn't matter where you live, keep your dog contained. See the results of what dogs do to sheep (viewer discrestion advised) |
This page was last updated on: January 7, 2005
Sheep and Responsible Dog Ownership Imagine walking out to the lamb barn early one morning expecting to hear the hungry baaas of your precious show lambs, but instead hearing nothing but the silent scream going off in your head as you find all of your lambs either dead or severely injured. Who would do such a horrible thing? DOGS. Each year hundreds of sheep (and other livestock) are killed by dogs. Dogs that are wild and roaming in packs like savage wolves. Dogs that are so good with kids. Dogs that live down the street. Dogs that sleep under your roof. Dogs that belong to irresponsible owners. Being Responsible Owning a dog is a huge responsibility. Not only to properly care for your dog, but to also care about others and their property as well. Are you a responsible dog owner? Where is your dog right this instant? If you answered that question with "outside somewhere" or "I don't know" you aren't as responsible as you should be. Dogs should NEVER be left alone to roam or wander. The ONLY exception to this is if you own a guard dog that was raised with livestock and trained to stay with them. It is perfectly fine to let your dog run loose at your home as long as he or she is being supervised. Not only could your dog wander away to the neighbor's farm, but he could be hit by a car, stolen, or even poisoned. If you cannot supervise your dog, even for a little while, you need to contain him in some way. Some people believe tying or kenneling a dogs is cruel. This isn't cruel if you still let your dog play outside of its kennel on a regular basis. Just because you should keep your dog contained, doesn't mean it has to stay contained all the time because with your supervision it can be let free. Also be sure that all of your dogs are licensed and wearing identification at all times. If your dog does get out and attack livestock, you should be responsible enough to take action for what your dog has done. Offer to pay to replace the animals and any property that was damaged, send an apology letter in the mail to the owner of the livestock, and be more responsible by not letting your dog run free. What If: I have a dog that's been around sheep its entire life? Unless it's a guard dog with the job of protecting your sheep, this is no excuse to let your dog roam free. I've known farmers who have had dogs that are always "good" with the sheep and go out one day to find their dogs attacking their flock. Dogs are unpredictable. You never know what they'll do when you're not looking. This is the same philosophy as the dog that chews up furniture. Maybe your dog never chews when you're there, but as soon as you leave, it's chow time. Dogs learn that they'll only get in trouble if they get caught. I have a little puppy? Even though your puppy may be small, it will grow. By the time puppies are three months old, their personalities and behaviors have already been shaped into what kind of dog they will be. Maybe it's cute that your puppy playfully chases the sheep or barks at them through the fence, but when that puppy grows up, chasing and barking can lead to chasing down and biting. It's important that you train your puppy at an early age the proper manners when around sheep. You can't do this if your puppy is roaming free. I have an older dog? Even if your dog is so old it can hardly walk, your dog still shouldn't be left unattended. Sometimes, sheep break out of their enclosures and may wander up to an older dog if they aren't afraid of sheep. Older dogs are spooked easier and may bite out of fear. A sheep may even hurt your dog (stepping on them, head butting, etc.) and your dog may bite to protect itself. I have a little dog? Even the littlest dogs can damage a sheep. Maybe a little Chihuahua isn't going to totally rip apart a ewe in seconds like a German Shepherd Dog could, but I guarantee it could scare one into a heart attack or even to death. Little dogs pack mighty little barks. I don't live near any farms? Other than the fact that your dog is still in danger of being ran over or stolen, you should still be responsible enough to keep your dog out of the neighbor's property. Some people may have smaller animals such as rabbits or poultry that can easily be kept off farmland. It doesn't matter where you live, keep your dog contained. See the results of what dogs do to sheep (viewer discrestion advised) |
The Lambinators 4-H Club of Scioto County, Ohio |
