Dog Raiding Bird Feeder

[Owly055]

Just to put things in to context, I live in a "town" with 9 people and 7 dogs, 4 households. The nearest "real" town is 20 miles away (about 2K people), and the entire county has about 3500 residents. The nearest thing resembling a "city" is 100 miles away (pop about 60K).

"Animal Control" is something we understand as being done with a rifle or shotgun. The dog owner is a friend of many years.... I've known him nearly all his life, but he is not someone who you can approach about something like this without a conflict resulting.

The dog involved is totally obnoxious.....the ONLY dog in the neighborhood I dislike, and one of the few I've disliked intensely from the moment I first made his acquaintance. (With the exception of pit bulls which fortunately nobody around here sees any value in).

I'm not interested in making an enemy of either the dog or it's owner, however I don't feel I should have to accommodate the dog's habit of foraging around my house by putting everything out of it's reach. Two other dogs are frequently ranging freely, but cause no problems for anybody.

My objective is to teach the dog a lesson, preferably a painful one. The owner will not train or control the dog, so It's up to me. I'm looking for a way to do this without too much effort on my part. Electricity is a very effective tool, and simple to use. I did figure out where I can get my hands on a very powerful electric fencer today........... One that actually belongs to me but has been in the hands of a friend for a number of years. I've been shocked by 120 quite a few times over the years, and I can say that this fencer is far more painful.

There have been quite a few good suggestions here, many however in the context of urban life, which obviously do not apply to my situation.

I do not intend to move my bird feeder as it is in exactly the location I want, right outside to the window where I work. Crows and Magpies are the "birds of interest", not sparrows and such. Raising or moving it negates the purpose of having it there.

The suggestion of hot pepper "dog treats" intrigues me more than most, and I'm tempted to make up some deep fried habenero stuffed "dog treats", having read up on dogs and hot peppers, and having determined that dogs are NOT harmed by hot peppers. The owner may wonder why the dog is dragging it's ass through the grass, and it might take a few applications for the dog to figure out the cause (it is a stupid dog).

I'll try a few things, and if I'm not successful, there are more permanent solutions.


H.W.

 

[Homercidal]

If you can wire up a shock device, you can wire up a switch and alarm. When the dog steps on the switch to get at the food, the very loud alarm goes off and scares the crap out of him. Make sure you record it.

Or you could set up a dogapult. Kind of like a catapult, but for dogs.

 

[PlexVector]

Give your neighbor a bird feeder for Christmas.

 

[GHBWNY]

Just to put things in to context, I live in a "town" with 9 people and 7 dogs, 4 households. The nearest "real" town is 20 miles away (about 2K people), and the entire county has about 3500 residents. The nearest thing resembling a "city" is 100 miles away (pop about 60K).

"Animal Control" is something we understand as being done with a rifle or shotgun. The dog owner is a friend of many years.... I've known him nearly all his life, but he is not someone who you can approach about something like this without a conflict resulting.

The dog involved is totally obnoxious.....the ONLY dog in the neighborhood I dislike, and one of the few I've disliked intensely from the moment I first made his acquaintance. (With the exception of pit bulls which fortunately nobody around here sees any value in).

I'm not interested in making an enemy of either the dog or it's owner, however I don't feel I should have to accommodate the dog's habit of foraging around my house by putting everything out of it's reach. Two other dogs are frequently ranging freely, but cause no problems for anybody.

My objective is to teach the dog a lesson, preferably a painful one. The owner will not train or control the dog, so It's up to me. I'm looking for a way to do this without too much effort on my part. Electricity is a very effective tool, and simple to use. I did figure out where I can get my hands on a very powerful electric fencer today........... One that actually belongs to me but has been in the hands of a friend for a number of years. I've been shocked by 120 quite a few times over the years, and I can say that this fencer is far more painful.

There have been quite a few good suggestions here, many however in the context of urban life, which obviously do not apply to my situation.

I do not intend to move my bird feeder as it is in exactly the location I want, right outside to the window where I work. Crows and Magpies are the "birds of interest", not sparrows and such. Raising or moving it negates the purpose of having it there.

The suggestion of hot pepper "dog treats" intrigues me more than most, and I'm tempted to make up some deep fried habenero stuffed "dog treats", having read up on dogs and hot peppers, and having determined that dogs are NOT harmed by hot peppers. The owner may wonder why the dog is dragging it's ass through the grass, and it might take a few applications for the dog to figure out the cause (it is a stupid dog).

I'll try a few things, and if I'm not successful, there are more permanent solutions.


H.W.

I see. So the dog is technically yours to do with what you want. The electric fence seems to be your best option at this point. The "treats", although temporarily effective, aren't a viable long-term solution. Believe, me, anything a dog can ingest, regardless of the short-term discomfort it causes, will bring them back again and again. Unless it is simply entertainment or revenge you seek, I wouldn't waste your time making up "dog treats". Or doing anything that makes loud noise. Or ultimately having to deal with a dead dog carcass. Although that is a fairly permanent solution.

Once it is set up, electric is no-maintenance, quiet, effective and painful --- pretty much what dumb animals understand best. Not that I am a dumb animal, but it took catching my back on an electric fence around an orchard to realize that trying to steal apples wasn't worth it. Actually, I tried it twice unsuccessfully, so maybe I wasn't as smart as I thought... :smack:

I am presuming that rather than hanging high enough for the dog not to reach, your feeder is mounted on a pole within reach from the ground for the dog to help himself? If the pole is metal, can you electrify it? Or if it's wood, could you wrap the pole with metal duct work and electrify that? Maybe just encircling the feeder with a length of electric wire is the answer. Cows eventually learn to stay away from an electric fence, and they are pretty dumb.

Anyway, good luck. Sorry about your not-so-good neighbor.

 

[GHBWNY]

Give your neighbor a bird feeder for Christmas.

With a gift box of habanero dog treats. For him, not the dog.

 

[Rhumbline]

Hey, I'm thinking if you're putting out a plate of bacon wrapped jalapenos you're likely to look out your window and see me picking through you bird feeder, with a beer in my hand!

I'll run that dog off for you.

 

[Owly055]

Hey, I'm thinking if you're putting out a plate of bacon wrapped jalapenos you're likely to look out your window and see me picking through you bird feeder, with a beer in my hand!

I'll run that dog off for you.

Habaneros are a bit stronger than jalapenos....... Have you ever eaten them?

 

[PlexVector]

...I've been shocked by 120 quite a few times over the years, and I can say that this fencer is far more painful...

I'll second that...I grew up on a tobacco farm and learned early on to never pee on a weedy fence line.

 

[Rhumbline]

Habaneros are a bit stronger than jalapenos....... Have you ever eaten them?

I use them in cooking all the time but I'll admit I don't eat them by themselves.

Maybe you could whip up a nice cheddar filling?

 

[passedpawn]

I use them in cooking all the time but I'll admit I don't eat them by themselves.

Maybe you could whip up a nice cheddar filling?

I've eaten them straight, homegrown ones anyway (I'm growing them right now). I think they are much more citrusy than chilis or jalapenos. Seeds are killers.

Eating them raw isn't too bad, but the results gave me an idea for the next time I need to prep for a colonoscopy.

 

[philipCT]

FWIW loud sounds are a primary and well-accepted training technique for dogs. I used this to crate train my Jack Russell terrier to stop barking while in the crate and that dog was nobody's fool.

Wiring up a horn next to the feeder along with proximity switch would probably be the best technique for training the dog not to go near the feeder (as long as that's your objective and you can walk away from the revenge thing). Also likely not to be any more expensive than wiring up a shock pad with a manual switch.

Also has significantly less risk associated with it since it's actually humane. Here's a link to that story about the lovely woman who duck taped her dogs muzzle.

 

[Owly055]

I've eaten them straight, homegrown ones anyway (I'm growing them right now). I think they are much more citrusy than chilis or jalapenos. Seeds are killers.

Eating them raw isn't too bad, but the results gave me an idea for the next time I need to prep for a colonoscopy.

They do have great flavor raw, but it's difficult to enjoy unless they are in a suitable medium. Probably the best flavor to my taste of any chili......... if you could crank the heat down a bit. I'd love to have habaneros that were no hotter than the typical jalapeno.

H.W.

 

[passedpawn]

They do have great flavor raw, but it's difficult to enjoy unless they are in a suitable medium. Probably the best flavor to my taste of any chili......... if you could crank the heat down a bit. I'd love to have habaneros that were no hotter than the typical jalapeno.

H.W.

I suspect the homegrown ones aren't has hot as the onces grown by the pros.

 

[ChefRex]

Or you could set up a dogapult. Kind of like a catapult, but for dogs.

Supersize this

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINmQ633tQ4[/ame]

 

[Owly055]

Supersize this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINmQ633tQ4

Great idea!! but I'm not interested in doing anything that dramatic.

I think I solved the problem........The last I saw of the dog he was kiyi-ing down the street for home I suspect he won't be back soon. Hardware cloth on the porch for him to stand on, was the ground, and a metal dish, hooked to an Australian electric fencer, the kind that leaves your arm numb for the rest of the day......I was a little surprised that he wasn't stunned, as he took it in the mouth which has to be about like peeing on a fence.

It remains to be seen if he will be back for more.......Not a very bright dog. It definitely got his attention! I hadn't even finished the installation before he was raiding again, so I quickly hooked the wires to the fencer and plugged it in. It definitely knocked the bejezus out of him!

H.W.

 

[Homercidal]

And you didn't film it?

 

[beernbourbon]

seriously.....pics or it didn't happen.....

 

[passedpawn]

Supersize this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINmQ633tQ4

Rocky! Anybody remember Rocky & Bullwinkle? That squirrel made like an arrow midflight. Might be related to Rocket J Squirrel.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I've eaten them straight, homegrown ones anyway (I'm growing them right now). I think they are much more citrusy than chilis or jalapenos. Seeds are killers.

Eating them raw isn't too bad, but the results gave me an idea for the next time I need to prep for a colonoscopy.

you are a horribly devious man.

 

[Mismost]

I suspect the homegrown ones aren't has hot as the onces grown by the pros.

You sir, would be wrong! Two years ago we had one habenaro plant in the garden, very fruitful. That year the japs were just almost to hot to eat...even the bell peppers were smaller and pretty hot too. I think the hab crossed with them. I ate part of a habenaro and spent the next two hours searching for a way to cut off my head....and I'm a Texan who LIKES hot peppers.

They should be banned!

 

[Billy-Klubb]

You sir, would be wrong! Two years ago we had one habenaro plant in the garden, very fruitful. That year the japs were just almost to hot to eat...even the bell peppers were smaller and pretty hot too. I think the hab crossed with them. I ate part of a habenaro and spent the next two hours searching for a way to cut off my head....and I'm a Texan who LIKES hot peppers.

They should be banned!

reported for racism. and possibly cannibalism.ipe:

 

[Psylocide]

You guys hear about that dang ol' newfangled bird feeder?

 

[Owly055]

And you didn't film it?

"CALIFORNIA RULES" .......... If it isn't on film it didn't happen!! Has that spread to Minnesota and Ohio?

Seriously, I do regret that I didn't get it on film, but it wouldn't have been easy to do under the circumstances. I was too busy getting the final connections made, and didn't have a location to shoot from without being seen..... or is that spelled scene?

H.W.

 

[Owly055]

To set the record straight, as some folks seem to think I am feeding bird seed, Magpies are my main "bird friends", and they would never eat seeds. The feed is dry dog food. The small birds like it too. These are wild birds of course and I do not attempt to make pets out of them. They will interact with humans to a limited degree within their comfort zone (as wild birds). The corvids, a family of birds that includes magpies, crows, ravens, and jays are incredibly intelligent and interesting. I feed them mostly on my roof, and only the bold ones come down in front of the window. Unlike some other birds, they don't crap where they eat, and never leave a mess on my car, etc. I walk a mile every day through the willow brush, cottonwood trees, and hay field, and I've had ravens follow me all the way, talking to me (I of course talk back). They often will fly within a few feet of me, or land a short distance away where they feel safe, and walk alongside me for a short distance. They know me. They see me every day, and they aren't afraid of me really.........but they are wild.


H.W.

 

[passedpawn]

To set the record straight, as some folks seem to think I am feeding bird seed, Magpies are my main "bird friends", and they would never eat seeds. The feed is dry dog food. The small birds like it too. These are wild birds of course and I do not attempt to make pets out of them. They will interact with humans to a limited degree within their comfort zone (as wild birds). The corvids, a family of birds that includes magpies, crows, ravens, and jays are incredibly intelligent and interesting. I feed them mostly on my roof, and only the bold ones come down in front of the window. Unlike some other birds, they don't crap where they eat, and never leave a mess on my car, etc. I walk a mile every day through the willow brush, cottonwood trees, and hay field, and I've had ravens follow me all the way, talking to me (I of course talk back). They often will fly within a few feet of me, or land a short distance away where they feel safe, and walk alongside me for a short distance. They know me. They see me every day, and they aren't afraid of me really.........but they are wild.


H.W.

That was wonderful, and made a world of difference.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

so you're feeding birds dog food and you're upset that a neighbors dog can reach the dog food you're leaving outside? and you walk through the woods talking to wild birds? sounds kind of "pathetic" to me.

 

[MaxStout]

Of course, the dog is going to want to help himself. It's dog food. After munching down all your delicious kibbles & bits, he's probably wondering why nobody bothered to offer him a toothpick.

Seriously, rub some hot peppers around the edge of the tray of food. You don't even have to mix it in. Dogs (and most mammals) are sensitive to capsaicin, birds are not. The dog will get a whiff and move on.

 

[Singletrack]

Just enjoy watching the dog eat. Can't be worse than watching crows, magpies, and vampires.

 

[ChefRex]

Personally I hope someone sticks that fencer on you nutsack.

 

[Zuljin]

Personally I hope someone sticks that fencer on you nutsack.

There's money to be made on that idea.