BB/Pellet Gun for Dog Control

[Kestrel]

(I'm not sure where to post this...)

Sorry for the long story...

I'm having some problems with dogs in the neighborhood. They're coming into my yard and leaving their "handywork"... they're digging up areas... my dog sees them through a window and starts barking and it wakes up the baby...

There are leash laws in my town, but these dogs are continually getting loose from their yards, etc. Don't get me wrong - I love dogs - I have one. But - he doesn't roam the neighborhood. Some of these are large dogs and I'm also concerned about my wife and child being outside when I'm not around. Actually, none of these are small dogs - there is a

- A German Shepard (friendly, but jumps on you with muddy paws)

- A cross-eyed, bow-legged boxer (friendly, but jumps on you with muddy paws and will bark at visitors to our home when he's in the yard)

- A chow mix (that shows aggression to other dogs and will stalk you when you walk in the neighborhood)

- A poorly bred black lab (with an unpleasant disposition), a poorly bred golden retriever (with an unpleasant disposition)

- A mangy looking border collie (unfriendly)

- A strange looking HUGE yellow lab that has a chest like a lion and very narrow hips, that watches you without making a sound

-An old german shepard mix that will come in the yard and bark at you.

After typing this, it sounds like I'm living in Sanford & Son's neighborhood, but it's actually a nice neighborhood and I see a lot of nice dogs on leashes - it seems it's only these half-breed/trainwrecks that are out loose. (No, I'm not a breed snob.) The number of dogs has gradually increased over the last year.

I'm planning to have another talk with animal control about all this, but I also need to do more. (Animal control doesn't always catch the dogs out loose.) When I was a kid, when loose dogs came into our yard, causing trouble, either my father or I would shoot them with a BB gun (the pump-up kind). They would run off and problem solved - temporarily. After a few encounters, they were trained... When the dogs just heard the sound of that rifle being cocked, they would take off like somebody had stuck them with a nail...

The only "air" rifle I have now, is an RMS pellet rifle that is kind of loud, is slow to load (one pellet at a time) and could possibly kill the dog. I won't want to kill them - just "discipline" them. I don't care if they limp for a while, I just want them out of my yard.

What is a good BB/pellet gun for this? I would also consider an air pistol, since it would be easier to wield without being noticed, but I'm guessing they would be lacking in power.

I know the story's long, but I would appreciate any tips on some air guns to consider. Longest range would only be approximately 100 feet.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Cosmoline]

I know some pellet guns can break the skin, causing infection, vet bills and opening you up for a possible suit or complaint. I'd suggest using paintballs instead, which will both get the dog running AND mark it for ID purposes. You can then be the one to call animal control and tell them to find the dog with the orange paint on its behind.

 

[Psssniper]

I second the paintball idea. I tried it and had a lot of fun to boot.
I put a flourescent orange splat on Fido's rib cage, he got the message and his owners got the message, have not seen him since. Now if I see a cat with no collar, thats when it's pellet gun time, crows get it too.

 

[Hawken50]

HUGE yellow lab that has a chest like a lion and very narrow hips, that watches you without making a sound

i have one of those, 125lbs and a head like a cinderblock. but instead of stalking you he knocks you over trying to get you to pet him.

anyhow, if your worried about perminatly injuring the dogs (thumbs up on your restraint, it's not the dogs fault there owners won't keep track of them) get one of those 10 pump pellet guns at walmart and only pump it 5 times.

i think the paintball idea is better though, alot less likely to injure, and one problem i have when i use my bb gun for animal control is half the time the dog has no idea what it was that got him. (may it thinks it's a bee sting or something??) just kinda looks around and trots off. i think with a paintball a dog would realize where it came from and stay away.

edit- i bet those O.C. paint balls would be super effective. i also bet civies can't get thier hands on em.

 

[g56]

If someone saw you shoot a dog with a pellet gun, you could easily be arrested for cruelty to animals, which can be a felony in many jurisdictions.

Paintballs...hard to say what they (authorities) might think of it, their reaction could range from cruelty to "who cares", it's a crap shoot on possible consequences or civil liability you could be subject to.

You might talk to animal control about live traps.

 

[JohnKSa]

Shooting them with a pellet gun is a bad idea , IMO. It could be called animal cruelty which could get you jail time.

My guess is that you might actually be better off from a legal standpoint shooting them with a firearm than with an airgun. Just thinking out loud, not making a recommendation.

I think the paintball gun is a better approach. You're obviously not trying to injure the animal, and the paint spot may give the owner a message.

 

[chris in va]

If it were me, I would try and contact the owner if known FIRST before taking any sort of action. Then I would contact animal control if the rest are strays.

After that get a marker, crank it up to 320fps and fire at will.

Oh...and make sure you can legally fire a 'weapon' in your city. We have a law here that you can't use any 'firearm' (pellet gun, slingshot, paintball marker etc) within city limits, and you have to be on 5 acres or greater to do so.

 

[Kestrel]

Thanks for the replies. The paintball idea is interesting - I never thought about that. I've never had a paintball gun (they came out after my time...). Any particular make and model suggested?

None of these dogs are strays - I know where most of them live. The thing is, if I ran into them when I was alone, I'd pet some of them - the others are kind of nervous and stand-offish. The problem is what they leave in my yard, what they do to my yard, the safety of my dog when I'm outside with him on a leash and my wife and baby's safety.

I think I'll talk to animal control and ask about shooting them with the paintballs. I guess that would make it easier for them to identify, later.

Felonies, lawsuits, cruelty - good grief. When I was growning up, we didn't even try to hide it when we were shooting at dogs (with BB guns) and running them off. And nobody ever thought anything of it.

I remember a story my Dad told me of dispatching five pitbulls for the owner of a local hardware store in his town, when he was growning up. (I think this happened when he was an early teen.) These dogs had been causing trouble in town and the owner of the hardware store told my Dad he wished someone would get rid of those dogs. My Dad told him if he would supply a box of bullets, he would take care of them. (He had a .22 rifle that he had LOTS of practice with.) He said the guy gave him a box of .22 ammo and my Dad found all the dogs on a dirt road and took care of all of them. I expressed surprise that a .22 would kill them, but he said they didn't know he was there, so they were kind of relaxed when he started shooting. He thought it was easier since they weren't keyed-up and excited. Of course, this was in the rural South and a lot of people were more sane then.

 

[Cosmoline]

People were better shots back then, too. I recently saw a dog at the vet with two .22 caliber holes in his chest. Not remotely fatal, but both the vet and the owner were preparing to support charges and a hefty lawsuit. If you've got to kill a dog, use plenty of firepower so it dies quickly and drops as close to the spot it was on as possible. The main issue (at least up here) is whether it was on your property or not. If you shoot a dog that dies a mile away in the middle of the road, you could be looking at serious jail time. Especially if you don't report it but the owner does. You are not allowed to drive around capping off animals on the roadways even up here in the wilds. It's both a criminal violation and a F&G violation.

 

[Ol` Joe]

Do you have a garage? If so try luring them in with a bit of food, ect, and shut the door. Call animal control and tell them the dog(s) ran you in your garage and is still in there. Tell them they can take their time if they can`t respond right away, you won`t open the door with a dog that chased you in there with out someone to help protect you. Tell them the dog will still be there next month if they need that long to respond you`re afraid for yourself and family. The owners will get the idea after paying to retrieve the dog from the pound a time or two.

 

[Sindawe]

The paintball idea is a good one, combine pain compliance for the animals tresspassing on YOUR territory w/ minimal risk of permanent harm as well as identification for the owners that their pet is being a hassle.

As for markers. PMI makes a nice pump action marker for less than $100, or go to Wal-Mart and pick up a Stingray semi-auto for about $60. Keep a backup armed with more leathal response in case things go pear shaped on ya, or at least a good caliber handgun at the ready if by yourself.

>- A German Shepard (friendly, but jumps on you with muddy paws)

Pain/pepper spray when in your yard.

>- A cross-eyed, bow-legged boxer (friendly, but jumps on you with muddy >paws and will bark at visitors to our home when he's in the yard)

Pain/pepper spray when in your yard

>- A chow mix (that shows aggression to other dogs and will stalk you when >you walk in the neighborhood)

Terminate when in your yard

>- A poorly bred black lab (with an unpleasant disposition), a poorly bred >golden retriever (with an unpleasant disposition)

Terminate when in your yard

>- A mangy looking border collie (unfriendly)

Terminate

>- A strange looking HUGE yellow lab that has a chest like a lion and very >narrow hips, that watches you without making a sound

Pain/pepper unless further challenged, them terminate.

>-An old german shepard mix that will come in the yard and bark at you.

Pain/pepper unless it further challenges, in which case terminate.

The crux of the matter here is that the dogs are in YOUR territory, and you need to make that quite clear to them in no uncertain terms. Think like a canine here. If after the first couple of warnings they respect you when on your turf and stay off, you can be friendly when off such. If not, they want to Alpha and need to be dispatched ASAP.

 

[hcker2000]

One word. Airsoft.

I have used this on cats and it works wonders. It stings like crap. They go full auto and will realy kick out the bb's. Plus they are replica guns so you can get just about any kind imaginable (I own an mp5k and an g3-sg1).

 

[Chawbaccer]

I'd be a bit confrontational about it if I knew where the dogs home is, just go knock on the door and tell the owner to go get the dog sh1t out of your yard NOW, and make sure the dog is never there again. Next time I'd catch the dog and take it to the pound a couple counties over so that the owner wouldn't be able to bail it out.

 

[Peet]

P-i-55

Back in the mid-seventies, I rented a house with a bunch of folks: The house
had been tied up in probate for years so it was unoccupied. When we moved
in the St. Bernard next door had been in the habit of crapping on the lawn
because the place was empty. Believe me, you don't want to hit a St. Bernard
pile with a lawn mower.

So, after a few months of this, I came home after work (2nd shift) one night
and urinated on the property line where I'd seen the St. Bernard crossing into
our yard.

S'prised hell out of me - it worked on the first try. YMMV

/Peet

 

[Battlespace]

I have a Beagle who is the ultimate escape artist. She will scale a fence if given half a chance. Last summer she was shot with a BB gun and still carries the BB in her side. I knew who it was and reported it to the local PD. I explained that yes, we need to keep the blasted Beagle in the yard, but the houses in our enighborhood are close together and with kids playing around them using a BB gun with power enough to penertrate the skin of a dog would do the same to a kid. They, the PD, agreed and had a talk with the guy. So far so good, the Beagle has escaped two or three times this spring and no shots fired. I would hate to see him pointing/aiming a rifle at my yard with me in it, I might construe that as a direct threat to me and . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

[TC66]

Go with the Stingray from Walmart. Not a lot of money invested and semi auto. Not bad accuracy. I am sure they will learn after a paintball or two hits them.

 

[rust collector]

Kill someone over a dog?

It's a dog. Dog owners are absolutely liable for their pets. Humans are obligated to treat animals humanely, not punish them for their owners' negligence.

Start with pleasant, non-confrontational request to owner. Then proceed to animal control. Then, if that doesn't work, camera and city attorney. If no joy there, markers may be warranted but carry a risk of injury to the animal and violation of city ordinance.

 

[thebaldguy]

I had a similar situation with my neighbor. He's a nice guy, but he lets his dog run loose in the neighborhood leaving large lineman sized deposits. I would never use any sort of BB gun on the dog per the reasons stated above. My girlfriend and I now use a shovel and throw the piles back into his yard. I think he finally got the message, as I now see him searching my front yard for his dog droppings. As for the loose dogs, let animal control take care of it. He would let his dog run loose in our area, and people know to call animal control to take care of it. That's why you pay taxes. After a few hefty fines for letting his dog run loose, I think he's finally getting the message...

 

[stevelyn]

I kill problem dogs coming onto my property. Pet owners are responsible for their animals. If their problem dog gets whacked because the owner dosen't have enough sense or responsibility to control it, they have no room to b1tch about it.
If you live someplace that may have a problem with you firing on your property and you can't find a quiet enough way to shoot, d-con spiked food works rather well. The beauty of it is they die someplace else and the carcass becomes someone elses problem.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The paintball idea is a good one, combine pain compliance for the animals tresspassing on YOUR territory w/ minimal risk of permanent harm as well as identification for the owners that their pet is being a hassle.

"Hello? 911? There's a HUGE dog running loose on our street! It threatened our children! I barely got them to safety in the house! My husband marked it with a paintgun so you can identify it when you come. Be careful! It's dangerous!"

 

[30 cal slob]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but you can buy felt/cloth pellets for your pellet gun. They are intended for pesky critters like cats and dogs. I don't know how well they work, though.

If a dog is tickin me off, I'll leave it french fries drenched in tabasco or green habanero sauce (yum). It doesn't harm the dogs, but dogs do get agitated after awhile and leave (to get a drink of water).

 

[erik the bold]

[unclejimbomodeon] "It's comin' right for us!!" [unclejimbomodeoff]

 

[g56]

The airsoft idea has merit, it would sting the dog but wouldn't cause any permanent injury. It's probably illegal to discharge a firearm, and most cities have ordinances against using a BB or pellet gun, but I bet they don't have anything on paint ball guns or airsoft.

 

[DarkKnight01]

I say go with the BB gun idea... look into local BS laws on shooting dog with BB gun first... altho if they were in my yard with my children around being agressive id terminate them on the spot...

The BB gun in the butt idea works great though... had many dogs that used to come into my yard and eat my dogs food... a pellet in the posterior and none ever returned... there may have been some kinda law on it dont really know and I dont really care, No one saw and problem solved

 

[trickyasafox]

firearm laws are moot concerning paintball. in NY state it has to propel an object over 500fps to be considered a firearm. paintball markers, when functioning under normal circumstances with normal paint, cannot reach that velocity though i've seen some try (i was a ref in high school for 2 different fields) animal cruelty is a real concern, i would call the police and report some aggressive behavior by the dogs, that way, god forbid you do shoot them and they are hurt, you at least have a defense saying you reported the dogs for agressive and violent behavior adn you were just watching out for your wife and young family. im lucky that im rural enough not to have to worry about the dogs of others cause it seems you got a very potentially nasty situation on your hand.