Dealing with Dogs

[Shes My Style]

I'm on a dead-end road and so can only head one way down the road. Heading out of our area we have to pass a house with 2 dogs (the house is 2 houses over from ours) and I know one further down that has 3 dogs. They are allowed to run loose.

Well now that I'm trying to ground drive Scribbles down the road I am finding the 2 dogs are charging us - hackles raised and relentless. This of course is spooking Scribbles quite thoroughly. She is used to dogs, but its different when they are charging.

Now the owners of these dogs have been asked to contain them before as other neighbors have also had problems with the dogs. They claim they are strays, but then when you suggest taking them to the shelter or finding homes - they become their 'beloved pets". And I really think after a year of feeding them they are no longer strays. For a while they did find one a home, and the one left was well behaved. But now they brought in a 2nd one again and they are again terrors.

Well last night I didn't see them so started driving Scribbles down the road, they charge, and I'm keeping them back (barking, hackles raised) with the driving whip, while trying to sooth Scribbles and untangle her from the lines as she had spun around, backed up, etc. I'm struggling for quite a while before the neighbor finally comes out and asks "oh, are they bothering you?" Really? After she finally came to collect her dogs I asked if there was anyway she could keep them contained (they have a chain link kennel out back) - even if just in the evenings while I'm working with my horse. She said "No, we tried, but they kept getting out so we just let them run."

So now what? Am I never going to be able to drive my horse down the road? How do you deal with loose aggressive dogs? We have other loose dogs up near us but they don't pay any mind to the horses.

 

[Sandi J.]

we have leash laws where I live...can you get any authorities involved...maybe suggest or buy them a trolley system to secure the dogs so they can't get off them....

Good luck, that is no fun...you're alot more polite than I'd be...I went after my neighbors dog with my whip and told her that behavior is NOT acceptable and they better not let the dog off leash when I'm around again (of course the dog got hit by a car & killed a few weeks later since they were so irresponsible...felt SO bad for the dog)...

Sandi

 

[Shes My Style]

Unfortunately we do not have leash laws. We do have a dog catcher but he will only come out to get strays and the last time we had a dog issue he said in our state if a dog harasses livestock you can shoot them. Not quite the answer I was looking for. I'll try suggesting the trolley system. I have suggested a strand of hot wire along the top of the kennel or a top on it to keep them in (as going over seems to be what they are doing) and those got turned down as options.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

If you live in a place like I do, the sheriff expects rural folk to deal with their own problems. We have a neighbor whose doberman chased our horses in the pasture. My husband went out with a deer rifle and laid in wait for her. The neighbor quickly saw that we meant business and put a shock collar on the dog. We have no more trouble with that dog. She was not a bad dog, but just didn't know the rules.

We have a new problem with another neighbor dog now. I haven't been down the road with my horse, but I've walked that way with my dog. The new dog communicated to my dog that he could not go down that road. I ended up going another way because I was not prepared to deal with it at the time. But next time I go down that road, I will be ready.

Do call the sheriff; it's possible he will support you. Otherwise, you will have to be prepared to deal with it drastically yourself. People who take in stray dogs don't really care if you do away with them. I have a neighbor like that. They think giving asylum to a stray is the limit of their responsibility. NOT.

The ultimate stinker is the person who dumped the stray, but they never seem to pay.

I feel for you. Good luck finding a solution. I'm sorry your poor horse has to be terrorized.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

If the dog is inclined to get very close I'd be packing bear spray (of course you'll want to be sure not to use it if there is a wind blowing toward you...) It may only take one experience with the bear spray (which is extremely unpleasant but not life threatening) to convince the dog to stay well away from you and your horse but it depends on the situation whether or not the bear spray is a viable option for you. Good luck.

 

[Riverrose28]

Go to Walmart or a toy store and buy one of those high powered water rifles that kids play with in the pool. Fill it with water and vinager to spray in the dogs face. Ask someone to lead your horse with a strong lead so it doesn't break, when the dogs charge at the horse tell them to let the horse face the dogs, while you spray the little beggers in the face or at least as close to the face as possable. This probem needs to be stopped or your horse will freak everytime they hear a dog bark, especially with blinkers on, it could be dangerous.

 

[Shes My Style]

Love the water gun idea! My husband was suggesting getting a air-powered bb gun as well. Someone at work here suggested paintball guns - it will sting and then when they go home looking neon green or pink the owners might get a clue.

The bear spray - is that like mace? My concern with that is I am sensitive to pepper type products and puts me into a coughing fit. If there was any lingering in the air I might be effected as much as the dogs.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I'm not sure what 'bear spray' is exactly but I'm pretty sure its a form of pepper spray so if you are sensitive it would not be a great choice for you. I agree with Riverrose28, get a second person to act as a header for the next while and then you can concentrate on teaching the dog manners while your header helps to keep your horse calm. A paint gun or air powered bb gun is a good idea too but be aware that they do not discharge silently (there is likely to be a psst or popping sound from the pressurized air being released) so you might want to practice with them a bit so your horse is accustomed to to sound before you go out. I don't have any experience with the water/vinegar mix, for some dogs it might work great tho, worth a try and inexpensive as well.

 

[diamond c]

I like the water gun idea. You might try some cinimon extract in it as well as vinager.

 

[candycar]

I would suggest, you ground drive your horse, have Hubby along as backup with pepper spray. I think it would make a more lasting impression than vinegar, or ammonia, which has been used before to deter dogs. It can be hard to control your horse and spray the dogs at the same time, hence the need for backup. It should only take one time for the dogs or their "owners" to get the message.

In my part of KY, you can call animal control if dogs are harassing livestock. Strays should be picked up. Owners are responsible to control their dogs. They can't have it both ways.

I HATE loose uncontrolled dogs and their owners! I've lost too much to them.

My DH got me some "long reach" pepper spray to carry when my neighbors dogs are out. I've only had to use it once.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I have no idea if horses can hear the freqency, but those ultrasonic dog repeller hand held thingys are effective on correcting a barking charging dog. Blasts with high frequency. Something like the "dazer" or something similar can be carried with you. Point at the dog and blast away. Might be a good idea to see if horses can hear that frequency before you use it in the cart. Easy to hold and point and "shoot". You hear nothing, but dogs react quickly..

Loose dogs can be very dangerous and can cause a bad wreck. Hope you figure out a solution to the problem.

 

[Shes My Style]

Thanks for all of the ideas so far!

Thankfully I don't have to worry about the cart at this stage since we are just at the ground driving stage, but I want this taken care of before we get to that point!

 

[shorthorsemom]

My boy had a runaway situation followed by a wreck with his former owner over a dog attacking him in harness. He drives open bridle now and many years later he still remembers it, doesn't like critters around his feet.

I hate when owners let their dogs run at large. They make a cattle hot shot shocker with a long wand and it comes with a holster. LOL

 

[izmepeggy]

Wasp and Hornet spray..It shoots up to 20 feet..And it's cheap.I would make sure there is no leash law..I had a neighbor with a rottweiler that would like to try to charge me..The neighbor thought it was funny till one day the dog started coming at me and he saw the gun in my hand..LOL..Needless to say he called the dog back on his property and he started keeping him up..Wasn't the dogs fault..It's just that some IDIOTS have dogs.

 

[MiniNHF]

if the dogs are running off their property and out into the road the owner of the dogs can get in serious trouble. But I would call like a local SPCA/animal control and report the dogs/owner and they will go out there. If ther problem still persists I have seen where they take the dogs from the owners because its considered a risk because the dogs are running off their property and being aggressive.

We had to do it once when I was younger to a person who lived down the road. We would just be walking in the neighbor hood and their black dog would come bursting out of the back yard and into the road and would try to go after me. My dad let our dog loose on theirs one time so that he could protect me (I was sitting on a skate board being pulled by my parents) and when the authorities were called the owner of the other dog got fined big time and was given a warning that if the dog came off the property again then it would be taken away by animal control.

 

[romewhip]

I'd be carrying pepper spray. Sadly this is far too common, and nothing gets done until there is a serious injury. Even if the horse isn't injured the fear gets into their mind and becomes a habit that is nearly impossible to break.

 

[Shes My Style]

if the dogs are running off their property and out into the road the owner of the dogs can get in serious trouble. But I would call like a local SPCA/animal control and report the dogs/owner and they will go out there. If ther problem still persists I have seen where they take the dogs from the owners because its considered a risk because the dogs are running off their property and being aggressive.

I wish it was like that around here. We don't have animal control. We have a sheriff and a dog catcher. See we went through a dog problem with the house right next door to us. They had a huge white boxer that would come and terrorize my animals (especially my ducks) and even get a bit aggressive towards people - trapped me on my porch once until I whacked him over the head with the broom I had in my hand to make him back off. The folks across the road had the same issues with him. We were always told "he's sweet, would never hurt a fly, he is just deaf and can't listen to commands, etc."

We called and called - and that is when I was told that we could shoot if the dog was harassing livestock. They did nothing but ask the owners to please put the animal up. He was out again within hours. No fines or anything ever.

It took 5 years but he is was euthanized last spring because he bit the teenage girl across the road.

So I'm quite sure the authorities will do nothing about the loose dogs and I need to come up with my own solution.

Wasp spray - how does that work? Is the shooting stream just to scare them off or are you trying to get it in their eyes or something? don't like the smell?

 

[romewhip]

I had a situation like the one above- Rottweiler was menacing everyone including my show dogs. I asked my vet what I could do that wouldn't kill him. His suggestion was rock salt. I filled the shotgun shells with it, and shot the dog with rock salt. Got him in the butt, and the guy started locking the dog up after that. I didn't want to kill the dog, and wish I hadn't had to shoot it, but he was dangerous.

 

[shorthorsemom]

It is a shame to have to punish the dog when the owner is the one that should be punished.

Dogs don't know any better and manybreeds will not back off even when corrected strongly because the stimulus of the horse sends the dog into prey drive and that will often over ride any memory of previous correction. Often even well trained obedience dogs when allowed to run free will ignore the commands of the owner and rush toward this type of stimulus. The only way to prevent this from happening is to have the dogs under direct control, but that needs cooperation from the dogs owner and so many people just don't care.

For training or shocking or educating the dogs...I have seen border collies rushing electric fence barking at sheep and shock themselves until they yelp and it doesn't stop them from going back and doing the same thing day after day. The shock was keeping the border collie from reaching the sheep, but not from doing the same act over and over again day in and day out. The only thing that works is to lock up the dog or put a leash on the dog... and you can't convince most folks to do this, (you can't fix stupid).

I have well trained dogs. If my dog is out loose, it is not on purpose and somebody better come and see if I am ok. I have enjoyed walking multiple dogs at the same time and remember how frustrating it was to have somebodys loose dog rush us in the street and try to attack my dogs. I once had a min pin exercising on a long line at a school yard and had a loose GSD rush us and grab my minpin in his mouth and take off. Luckily my dog was on a long line and I was able to save her. She was badly damaged but survived. I never knew who owned that dog, he took off.

I would walk the same path you do with your horse and see if you can figure out which houses have the offending dogs and see if you can talk to the owners and see if there is any way they would consider giving you a phone number so you could call them and request the dogs be locked up before you drive. If not, I would find someplace else to drive if you feel your horse is in danger.

Babbling.. but in my opinion it is the owners fault, not the dog and correcting the dog to injure it just reinforces the dogs thought processes that the horse is a bad thing and could actually make the problem worse.

sorry, don't fry me guys... I just feel sorry for the dogs because their owners are stupid. PS, I carried shock devices after my dog was attacked in case I ever needed it to get the dog to open its mouth to let go of my dog. Shock or ultrasonic shock noise is corrective and might buy you some time. Spraying anything I would probably end up wearing it myself or squirting my horse.

I saw a woman riding a horse once and she opened up a soda that had been in her saddlebag bouncing all day. The soda exploded and shot past the horses ear. The explosion from the horse resulting was incredible. I never saw a horse back up that fast or so far before. He ran backwards for quite some time while the owner tried to get control. Would be worse in a cart.

Just word of thought. I have 220 acres here and have 7 dogs and all my dogs are leashed or in a fenced in yard. Neighbors allow their dogs to run at large and they run on our property and folks driving around here think they are my dogs. sheesh.

 

[Shes My Style]

Thanks for the long post. I agree that its the owner's fault - not so much the dogs, but I still need to do what I need to do to protect my horse.

I want to touch on a couple points you brought up. 1 - driving somewhere else. As I mentioned earlier, I am at the end of a dead-end road. I only have one way to go. I either have to figure out a way to get this dog situation under control or I won't be able to drive. Period.

2. figuring out who the dog's owners are and talking to them. I know exactly who the dog's owners are and I have their phone number. I've even specifically asked her if she could kennel them while I try to ground drive in the evenings. She said NO. They have a chain-linked kennel out back but claims they won't stay in and won't spend money trying to fix the problem.

As to dogs & horses - I know very well dogs can be trained to get along with horses. I currently have a rottie and she is great with them. I've even had herding breeds the aussie shephards - again, just fine. It takes training and a willingness to work with the animal on the owner's part.

I'm wondering if a simple dog whistle would be a deterrent at all? And has anyone tried that Halt spray? I am thinking I might use a dog whistle or ultrasonic (if it doesn't effect my horse) and then use the Halt spray as a back-up?