Meanwhile, my neighbor kicked my dog, threatened to shoot my other dog, and then came onto my property and threatened to hurt me in front of my kids. To this day, he's confused about why I don't want to be his friend or talk to him.
....all because my little dog smelled his chicken, which he didn't even have enclosed, which is the law
That may be true, but unleashed dogs and loose chickens do not permit someone to trespass and threaten, especially when you are supervising children. (Implication being if you are the supervisor/parent, and harmed, the children are left vulnerable with the aggressor.)
Their yard wasn't enclosed, so our dog got into his yard to smell his chickens. We were told our dog needed to be leashed or in a fenced-in yard. Meanwhile, they apparently didn't have to.
Sounds like his animals were staying on his property and yours were not. You were in the wrong. He overreacted but don't let your pets wander on other people's property.
Legally, he's supposed to have his chickens fenced in. Just like we are supposed to have a fenced in yard, actually. So we're both actually "wrong". Barging into my property threatening to hurt me in front of my kids isn't simply an "overreaction" either.
He was drunk. His yard was legally supposed to be enclosed, just like mine. My dogs used to go to his house all the time and play (he would intentionally let them come to his house and play with his dogs and vice versa)Yes, even with his chickens out, which my dogs peacefully interacted with numerous times.
A lot of people seem to be invested in this and need context. This happened a couple of years ago. He and I always had open door policies because our dogs were playmates. My dogs were used to going over there regularly, and they always played and were gentle with his chickens. My smaller dog went over there, just like he was so used to doing, smelled my neighbors chicken for about 2 seconds, then went to find his dog friend. My neighbor was very drunk, and kicked my small dog and tried saying he was going to "kill" his chickens, but we all watched as he just smelled his chicken, like he always did, and moved on. Then he threatened to shoot my husky, who wasn't actually on their property, but outside of it, along with one of his chickens, which also wasn't on his property. My husky sniffed the chicken and then ignored it. As he said that he was actively hopping the fence and on MY property. Then he got in my face and threatened to hurt me, all while my kids watched, simply because I told him his behavior was bullshit since all our animals were playmates, that they always came into his property and vice versa, and that hes even encouraged it, and gave them treats, just like we did with his dogs, and that his chickens are supposed to be enclosed and not wandering around (since it was now an issue for him). This was after we initially tried apologizing in a civil manner. He still did this. We called the cops, and they lied through their teeth (he and his wife) and said both my dogs attacked his chickens and drew blood (which 100% did NOT happen). Cops said we were in the wrong because our dogs need to be leashed, but again, we looked into it, and yes, even though we were lead to believe that our dogs were allowed over their anytime, our dogs cannot wander into someone else's property, otherwise they have a right to shoot them I guess. But he was also in the wrong, because his animals weren't in an enclosed area either. My partner refused to press charges because she said "he was just drunk" but I called bullshit and very much wanted to press charges.
I thought he and I were cool before this. I let him hunt on my property, he would give us some of the things he's grown, etc. Now I just ignore him and keep our animals leashed on our property. He keeps trying to be my friend. One day I had to tell him to leave me alone please, and he and his friend tried to threaten me again.