Ideas for dealing with dogs ?!?

Just started losing sheep. Think it is someone's dog, not feral or stray but one with a home as it is killing (at night) but not eating--purely sport. I don't think traps will work if it isn't hungry. Short of buying night vision and going full Rambo on it, do you have any ideas?

Fence is 4-rail with electric between the rails or 7-wire barbed wire with bottom and 3 from bottom being electric. Pretty sure it is not going under the fence (traps set anywhere it is possible or there was sign) but over/through. No chance of upgrading it at this point.

Sheep are fairly wild and have been completely hands-off for over a year. No chance of herding/gathering them into a shelter at night (tried).

Traps will work for pets if the bait is right. One potent bait that works for pets, strays, and most ferals is anal gland material. You can buy it via trapping supply places, or you can collect it yourself from dogs. Better yet, if you have a dog groomer or veterinarian in your area, tell them you'd like to buy some. Many groomers express the anal glands on the dogs that they groom. Vets do it all the time. So both would be a source. Just make sure the container you supply them has a real tight lid. The stuff stinks to high heaven.

Of course they are going to think you're stark raving mad, so you'll need to explain that you need it as bait to attract a loose dog humanely into a trap.

Alternately you could put up notices around the neighborhood that a dog is killing your sheep. Post a reward for the dog, dead. That should attract the attention of the owner.

Long term solution is to have a flock guardian, but that idea won't help immediately.

...Su Ba
www.kaufarmer.blogspot.com

I've never tried this with dogs, but have had luck with deer and goats this way, so you might try playing with the idea of baited electric fence before going to a more expensive/dramatic solution. Hang a single wire at nose height of suspected problem critter. Attach tags of aluminum foil to the wire every few feet. Smear the tags, facing outward, with bait substance. (Something meaty and smelly in the case of a dog I'd guess. Peanut butter works great for deer). The critter will lick the tag and get a REALLY good shock. Deer won't be back for months. Good luck!