Neighbors sheep threaten my dogs.

[Grassman]

Seems you both need to look at the fencing between your properties.

 

[matthew]

I read it that valley divides the properties.
So are they adjacent or not?

 

[CopperBeech]

Why would you have sheep chasing dogs, living in sheep country?

 

[Bones]

The op would need to take a bit of time and train the dogs not to Chase sheep, get a friend with sheep in a small pen(,add dogs and a big stick).this should give you a bit of peace of mind.

 

[Alicecow]

Sounds like the dogs are reliable about staying at home, but neighbour is an a/hole who thinks it's ok for his sheep to graze land which he does not own, rent, or have any right to be on, and thinks it's ok to bully and threaten anyone who stands up for themselves.
Why has this happened a second time?
Why did the sheep owner not collect his stock immediately?
Why does he think it's ok to TELL, not ask, the land owner to keep his sheep there until tomorrow (or whenever he feels lke collecting them) and TELL, not ask, him to keep his dogs in.

Send him a bill for the grazing.

 

[Coximus]

It depends...... The op said he was having work done (the neighbour) what work? If that's the case of them escaping it's reasonable to assume he's fixing the issues. I've rented a block of land where 100m of fencing went down in one night when w tree hit some ht fencing and the posts were all rotten, the whole run went down. My sheep were next door and nothing could get them back for 48 hours with such a huge hole, and a 120acre moor block on the other side! Took a day to clear the mess and a day to get new fence up and that was lucky because the estate that owned the land had their own fencing equipment. Had the neighbours dog harmed my sheep while they were trespassing - so be it.
Had it come onto my grazing, I would of dispatched it.

If the sheep getting out is a new problem and is being fixed and as the neighbour has said they are coming to collect (it's not always possible to collect straight away - daylight / family etc) I'd say they're not being unreasonable and just blunt. Given you haven't met the guy before either , I'd day it's just a blunt reminder that escaped sheep are a civil matter. A dog chasing sheep is criminal.

 

[Lovegoodstock]

Why would your dogs be roaming around your property unsupervised to the extent that they run off the property onto your neighbours? If that isn't the case and you are with your dogs then surely you need to train a recall or lie down in order to stop them running off chasing sheep? Whats to stop your dogs in a bored moment remembering where your neighbour's sheep live next door and wandering off to chase them some more? Yes your neighbour doesn't sound the the nicest but to me it seems like 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

Have a large garden that neighbours my cousins sheep. I see your point but my pet jack russel with no malicious bone in her body does not cross the boundary normally, high winds few weeks back brought a tree down on fence and few hoggets in garden, which I didn't see at about 4am, she barked and chased and followed onto his field, no issue at all but had this been op case at 4pm dog could have been shot completely unnecessarily, defending its territory, and can you expect it to stop at boundary fence? If don't happen to be overlooking at the time. Im fed up of dogs and footpaths but sounds to me straying sheep are the instigators which is a different kettle of fish to me

 

[Dr. Alkathene]

Fence your dogs in and his sheep out. Simple?

 

[Henarar]

Fence your dogs in and his sheep out. Simple?

yep some folk love you to do their fencing for them

 

[Dry Rot]

Have a large garden that neighbours my cousins sheep. I see your point but my pet jack russel with no malicious bone in her body does not cross the boundary normally, high winds few weeks back brought a tree down on fence and few hoggets in garden, which I didn't see at about 4am, she barked and chased and followed onto his field, no issue at all but had this been op case at 4pm dog could have been shot completely unnecessarily, defending its territory, and can you expect it to stop at boundary fence? If don't happen to be overlooking at the time. Im fed up of dogs and footpaths but sounds to me straying sheep are the instigators which is a different kettle of fish to me

"If a person trespasses on to land over which an animal (e.g. dog) has jurisdiction (i.e the dog is kept/owned by the owner/keeper of the land), and the animal mauls the person, then the owner of the animal is not liable in most circumstances. Similarly, if livestock stray onto land upon which such an animal has jurisdiction, and the animal kills the livestock, the owner shall not be liable".

Source: http://adlib.everysite.co.uk/adlib/defra/content.aspx?id=000IL3890W.184SYOXKMTW3K3

 

[Henarar]

I have lived happily on my small holding for nearly 12 years with my dogs having run of the farm without any problems, but recently the neighboring farm, which is across a valley from me, has been having work done on their field and sheep have been escaping and crossing over to my farm.

What has the neighbour been having done ? @SmallHolder1

 

[Longlowdog]

Tell your neighbour you are M.V acc' and you'll shoot his sheep if they get on to your land, and that you'll bill him for your subsequent testing and sue for any failures, sue for loss of future income and emotional distress. I HATE folk who believe their interests outweigh anybody else's. Big flock, small flock it makes no odds, if your sheep wander and create one ounce of inconvenience to another person you should bow your head in shame, remedy the problem five minutes ago or sooner and bring a bottle of decent malt as an apology. This country is lacking the testicular fortitude to admit ones mistakes and make good our failings.
I'll sort it tomorrow, in my own time, while my sheep graze your land, spreading parasites/diseases is not acceptable to anyone with a sense of decency.

 

[Coximus]

Tell your neighbour you are M.V acc' and you'll shoot his sheep if they get on to your land, and that you'll bill him for your subsequent testing and sue for any failures, sue for loss of future income and emotional distress. I HATE folk who believe their interests outweigh anybody else's. Big flock, small flock it makes no odds, if your sheep wander and create one ounce of inconvenience to another person you should bow your head in shame, remedy the problem five minutes ago or sooner and bring a bottle of decent malt as an apology. This country is lacking the testicular fortitude to admit ones mistakes and make good our failings.
I'll sort it tomorrow, in my own time, while my sheep graze your land, spreading parasites/diseases is not acceptable to anyone with a sense of decency.

Too an extent true but circumstance is everything - what if the breech is on rented land and caused by a landlord having work done? Car crashed a wall down, dog walkers leaving fates open? Theirs always 2 sides to everything and as someone who's been on both sides of the escaped sheep story, it's rarely ever straightforward! The fact the op neighbour said was coming next day to me is sorting it, you can't round up aheep on strange ground in the dark!

 

[unlacedgecko]

, you can't round up aheep on strange ground in the dark!

You can!

 

[unlacedgecko]

"If a person trespasses on to land over which an animal (e.g. dog) has jurisdiction (i.e the dog is kept/owned by the owner/keeper of the land), and the animal mauls the person, then the owner of the animal is not liable in most circumstances. Similarly, if livestock stray onto land upon which such an animal has jurisdiction, and the animal kills the livestock, the owner shall not be liable".

Source: http://adlib.everysite.co.uk/adlib/defra/content.aspx?id=000IL3890W.184SYOXKMTW3K3

Changes to the dangerous dogs act make it an offence for a dog to harm humans or animals in a public place (dangerously out of control). Private property where the dog resides is still a public place.

 

[Coximus]

You can!

I was thinking 120 acres of pitch black moor on foot in my case! Did try but only found 12 little begged!

 

[unlacedgecko]

I was thinking 120 acres of pitch black moor on foot in my case! Did try but only found 12 little begged!

Quad and collie make it a bit easier.

 

[Dry Rot]

Changes to the dangerous dogs act make it an offence for a dog to harm humans or animals in a public place (dangerously out of control). Private property where the dog resides is still a public place.

Not doubting what you say but can you give me a reference for that? I've done a quick Google and can't see anything.

What you appear to be saying is that if a burglar attacks me in my own home, my dog cannot defend me and, frankly, that does not make sense.

I was under the impression that your dog can chase strays off your own property and that is legal so long as you do nothing to encourage the dog. What happens when dog and sheep leave your property is another matter and something I don't know about.

I sold a dog (English setter) to a man on Orkney. The family went out for the evening and came home to find a very relieved burglar lying on the kitchen floor. The burglar explained that every time he went to get up, the dog bit him, so he stayed down! Are you going to tell me the dog's owner should have been prosecuted?

 

[multi power]

Tell your neighbour you are M.V acc' and you'll shoot his sheep if they get on to your land, and that you'll bill him for your subsequent testing and sue for any failures, sue for loss of future income and emotional distress. I HATE folk who believe their interests outweigh anybody else's. Big flock, small flock it makes no odds, if your sheep wander and create one ounce of inconvenience to another person you should bow your head in shame, remedy the problem five minutes ago or sooner and bring a bottle of decent malt as an apology. This country is lacking the testicular fortitude to admit ones mistakes and make good our failings.
I'll sort it tomorrow, in my own time, while my sheep graze your land, spreading parasites/diseases is not acceptable to anyone with a sense of decency.

And while anybody's stock can escape 9 times out of 10 it's the same neighbour who's stock are out

 

[SmallHolder1]

The farm with sheep is some distance away, there is a valley and a stream inbetween, the sheep have traveled some way to get to my property. My farm is surrounded on most sides by two conjoining valleys and a housing estate on the other side.
The problem dog really is my brothers dog who is new, unlike my other dogs which are all disabled and never leave the farm, this relatively new addition is quick and agile and can easily clear sheep fencing, but this hasnt been a problem until these sheep showed up.
The farmer still hasnt picked up the sheep, tempted to stock up on lamb.