So for the last 1-2 months, we’ve seen this Big stray dog/something. It’s black. We’re right next to some green space and there are coyotes there, but I don’t think this dog is running with them - at least not full time. My daughter went to one of the barns about 1:30 in the middle of the night to just do a night check. About 30 feet away, she saw the dog ran away. Since this we’ve seen it 3-4 times running away. The last time, my husband and our Aussie saw it while driving the Mule. The Aussie got out barking but didn’t fully approach the dog. The dog looked at him and then laid down. We have less than 6 acres and this pen is fairly close to one of the barns. I think the dog has been checking out the stalls at night for any leftover feed. All pens, except one, are somewhat close to the house/barns. I’m not really comfortable with this dog. We have all sorts of wildlife (snakes, possums, raccoons, etc) and I’m not quite sure how the County can catch one dog. I have a good relationship with them, yet I don’t think I want them laying traps on the property. I also don’t want the dog thinking it can claim a piece of our property for himself.
Any suggestions or experience? Definitely need some help.
A trap wouldn’t hurt anything and might work if he is hungry.
Set out a live trap, once you catch him see what you’ve got. He could be pretty much feral or he could be a decent dog with some training and manners.
I vote livetrap!
My local feedstore will rent you a trap.
I had a big yellow cur running loose on my road.
I chased him off a couple times.
Did not want him getting in my pastures, horses are out 24/7 (free access to stalls).
And he’d chase my (then) free-range chickens. 
My Bad as he’d then skedaddle if he saw me.
If I’d been “nicer”, offered treats, I might have been able to catch & take him to AC.
Another neighbor told me she knew who he belonged too, they lived near her & let him run loose.
She lived a couple miles from my farm.
It’s good to trap feral or stray dogs. They could be reservoirs for disease for your animals. It doesn’t mean a death sentence. If you trap the dog, check to see if a female with nursing pups.
What has the dog done that makes you uncomfortable? From your description, it seems it may be looking for food and shelter but is too afraid to approach people. Has it harassed any of your pets or livestock? Is it behaving abnormally as though it may be sick?
If you want to catch the dog you could start bringing him a little food so he learns to trust you. Most dogs respond to food and kindness, although it might take a while. Several months ago there was another thread about a hard to catch stray dog. IIRC, the OP gradually won it’s trust with food, and after it was caught, she found it a new home.
You asked for others’ experience, so here’s my history with stray dogs. I’ve had three, and they’ve all been great dogs. One was a big black dog like the one you described. He was afraid of everyone and always ran away when he saw anyone. I found him hiding in a drainage pipe, terrified. He let me approach him just enough to pick one tick off him, and then I turned and walked away as though he didn’t exist. For whatever reason, he followed me home and, long story short, turned into the best dog I’ve ever had–always polite, always friendly, and always my guardian and companion. It broke my heart when I had him euthanized two years ago.
The dog I have now was also a stray who ran wild around here for 3-4 months. She was also afraid of everyone and always ran away when anyone tried to catch her. She survived by raiding garbage cans and eating cow patties. During all this time when she had to be near starving she never threatened any of my chickens or cats, and she never chased anyone’s livestock. A neighbor finally did catch her and dragged her to my house (we had put out word that we would take her). That was three years ago, and now she thinks everyone is her new best friend.
In a long roundabout way what I’m trying to say is please have some compassion for this dog. I know none of us can take in every stray that comes our way, but I think when we can help, we should. If you can’t give this dog a home, maybe you can help it get to a safe place.
The fact that the black animal laid down when your Aussie barked at it makes it sound like a dog and not an aggressive one. Motion activated lights or a powerful flashlight might make you more comfortable at night. If you can find a big enough trap, that would be a good option.
I’ll look for a live trap. I took in 5 of my sister’s animals when she passed, so I’m booked. Possibly I can find it a good home. About half of our animals come from rescue organizations; I just haven’t adopted any off the street. I’ll see what we can do and hopefully, we can find it a good home. Thanks!
Do you have any rescue groups in your area? Here some of the local rescues will help trap and rehome strays. If you could get a picture maybe you could post on some local groups. Someone may be looking for him. You could also be kind and put out some food and water. Some of the best dogs I’ve owned have “just showed up”.
If you do manage to catch the dog, be sure to check for a microchip. You might get lucky and find he has a home and is just lost.
