The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-03-06
Remedy for Dogs that Kill Sheep.

DOGS kill sheep by tearing open the
large veins of the neck and sucking the
blood. When once they taste the blood
they never can be broken of this trick.
A single dog will sometimes kill sheep,
but generally there are two-often o
large and small dog. A sheep-kill-
ing dog will teach others. The first
time a dog kills sheep he will suck
the blood, and then eat some and be
satisfied. He will soon learn to kill
several, sucking the blood until he is
full, eating no flesh the first night.
Living on 4 good-sized farm close to
large German settlement, where they
kept more dogs than sheep, generally
having two or three hundred sheep on
my farm, l was much exposed. For
the first twenty years l suffered severe
ly-there was scarcely year that l
had not more or less sheep killed; some
years the damage was over one hum
bred dollars. Rising one morning
about three o'clock, the moon shining
brightly, l saw dog worrying a sheep.
l called up hand to shoot the dog; he
shot and missed. l went over quickly
to my neighbor, who owned the dog,
called him up and told him his dog had
been killing my sheep. Of course l
heard the same old story-his dog
never killed sheep. told him had
good witness, and wanted his dog
killed, and when l came home from
market would come over and settle the
matter. The man was as ugly as the
devil is wicked, and without property.
came home from market, took a
loaded gun and two men, went over
and talked pleasantly with the man,
but he was mad. Finally he consented
to have the dog killed. Another dog
jumped from under the house and bit
me severely in the leg, then ran out
among the children. Without reflec-
ton l turned and shot the dog dead
without injuring the children; the first
and only dog 1 ever shot. told him l
would kill all his dogs. l went into
the house, caught up u good-sized pup
ply and knocked his brains out against
the door castings. This finished his
dogs, except one puppy the children
hid in the bed. We now put on three
good-sized bells to the one hundred
sheep. Small bells will not answer.
When sheep are killed by dogs, say
nothing. Skin them and let them lay
in the same place. The first night
after killing the dogs will not come,
but the second night they will be on
hand. Cut four or five gashes in the
shoulder of the dead sheep, put a
small amount of tirst-class strychnine
in the gashes, and next morning you
will be sure to have them. Sometimes
l have killed four dogs in one night.
1t is well to keep the mouth shut.
Any dog that will chase sheep when
out alone will sooner or later kill them.
A green dog will sometimes kill a sheep
in the daytime, but this seldom hap
pens. Nearly all the sheep killing by
dogs is done in the night; they are very
cunning about it. often going long dis
tances from home when there are
plenty of sheep close by. Caution
must be used. One morning l found a
small yearling killed, with q small
round hole eaten out of his fore-shoul-
der. It puzzled me. / knew it was
not common dog. l told my neigh
bors to shut up their dogs. The sec
ond night after killing l put in the
strychnine, and the next morning 1 had
the largest red fox / ever saw.-C0r.
Practical Farmer.