I am fairly calm now...but I am really really sad. my business partner, who is also a lifelong friend has two dogs. She enjoys traveling for business much more than I and she only has the two to take care of so she is out of town A LOT and I watch her dogs for her. One of her dogs is a hound named Ralph. Ralph has become a killer. He has killed ten or more of my guineas and he has killed many pigeons on the porch at work. This morning he killed my kitten Radar.

I have a kennel that I put him in when I am gone. I have a fenced yard and I keep him in the yard when the rest of the dogs can go out and run around by the livestock and all while I take care of the animals....That's when he killed the kitten.

If he were my dog I would put a bullet in him. I really love dogs and have never done such a thing, but I know I could do that with this one. He had the same bird deterrent as the other dogs and it didn't take with him. He barks and whines when he is in the kennel.I am afraid that he might just decide to kill my other cats and they serve a function here... I didn't shoot him this morning because I love my friend, but I hate this dog and do not want him on my place anymore even in a kennel, because sometimes things break. This is a dicey situation and I don't know what to do here. I told my friend that I really don't want to chance losing a cat to him again as I would not hesitate to kill him if he did that. She is upset too and doesn't know what to do with him. I really don't want him here, but my business partner has to go out of town a TON.

What would you do?

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), June 22, 2001

Answers

Put him down humanley .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), June 22, 2001.

Tell your friend to board Ralph.

-- Terri Perry (teperry@stargate.net), June 22, 2001.

I am so sorry, Doreen. This must be so hard for you to deal with. This is something that is common with hound dogs, it's just their nature.

Just tell your friend that Ralph can't come to your farm anymore, it's just too traumatic to lose so many animals.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), June 22, 2001.

Ditto the boarding suggestion. Failing that, perhaps there is a dog- walking/sitting service in the area? Either way: It needs to be her call, it IS her animal.

-- StevenB (thicketyrowfarm@aol.com), June 22, 2001.

Thanks all. I found out that the vet boards animals so I took Ralph there today and he will stay there until she's back in town. I also spoke with her and told her that he just wasn't allowed at my place anymore...at all. It's really a bummer, as I don't want to put a strain on our friendship, but I suspected this might just be a hound type thing to do. I won't ever have a hound. He'd probably be a great bird dog, but he can't stay at my place.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), June 22, 2001.

I am sorry about your losses but the dog is doing what is natural to him. You just provided a good enviornment.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), June 29, 2001.

I am sorry to hear about your kitten,I have the same problem,my dog has killed two of our kittens.I dont know what to do either.Do you have any advice for me?

-- Tracy (goforth@bootheel.net), June 26, 2003.

I have a dog that killed one of our kittens a few years ago.Since then she has lived in a 10x10 kennel we bought. Even when our cats walk across the yard,she has a growling fit if she sees them! I love her,but think she would do it again,and just can't have that.She's a brittany mix of some sort,but looks more like golden retriever. Don't think it's her breed so much,but I wonder if they just tend to do it again regardless,once they have tasted blood. Glad you were able to board your friends dog. I think you have the right to refuse to take on anyone else's animals if they show the least bit of aggression! We have ticked off a couple of our friends who got in the habit of bringing their rottweiler here and letting it run while they visited...stupid dog kept chasing our cats and I couldn't relax...didn't know what it would do altho they seemed to think it wouldn't hurt the cats (I didn't think our Sasha would have either,until she killed our kitten)...I got out our dogchain the next time they showed up and handed it to them and asked where they would like to chain her at until they leave! They did chain her,and after that happening twice they have FINALLY been leaving her home when they come!!!

-- Lisa in Mich (funnyfarm1995@hotmail.com), March 02, 2004.