My dog has started attacking the horses...

[NewToMini's]

My Jack Russell has recently started to attack the horses. I have had the Minis for a year, and the larger one since October. A month or so ago, he attacked the larger one and left a bleeding gash on her lip (because he was sniffing/digging at wood, and she came over to see what he was doing). A couple weeks later, he attacked her again, this time because he was eating spilled cat food and she came over to investigate. This time she wasn't hurt, but she did get mad and go after him for revenge.

And then this morning, he attacked the Mini mare while she was eating her grain. He got too close to her, so she pinned her ears at him and took a step toward him to make him go away (like she has done every day for the past year without any issues), and he attacked her. I don't think she was hurt, but he did get a mouthful of hair.

How can I make him stop? I have been punishing him for it (this time more than the other times, because I had to make him get away from her and then he turned on me). Does he need more discipline and leadership from me (he's only been getting love and cuddles except when he's bad, does he need to be reminded of his training more often, or get exercise?), or has he just decided that he doesn't like the horses?

If it's possible, I really would like to fix the problem instead of just keeping him out of the pasture.

 

[chandab]

Definitely more training and structure needed. Keep him out of the pasture til you have him trained to leave or drop it on command, regardless of what is going on, and to come on command regardless of what's going on. He needs to listen to you.

I don't allow my dogs in the horse corrals, but they do go out in the pasture. I only have an issue with the donkey, as she thinks it's her job to keep all dogs out of her paddock.

 

[NewToMini's]

That's the thing, though, he usually listens really well unless he's fighting or digging.

I could work more on those commands, giving him a really good treat when he listens, but getting him to listen no matter what will only work if I work with him on it in the field, because that's the only place he finds anything 'important' enough to not listen to me.

 

[Strangeaddiction]

I have always created a barrier with all my dogs. They are NOT allowed in horse pastures, EVER! It is too dangerous for the dog and the horse. At times I have allowed them to come in if I need their help or if I am just crossing the pasture but only when they understand that barrier.

I would work on barrier training with your dog, you can start in the house, don't let him in the kitchen until you say ok, or into a room, make him sit or lay down and wait until you say its ok (or not ok). Then do the same with the pasture. The fence/gate is a barrier that he isn't allowed to cross. It always makes me nervous when people allow their dogs to run around in pastures with horses. They could be "playing" even and the horse could buck and kill the dog, or the dog could feel threatened and attack a horse (especially with mini's the dog could kill the horse).

If he's great in the house with barriers than work on it outside, but I would start somewhere where you both are comfortable first.

 

[Jill]

You've got to keep the dog away from the horses. My riding horse, who is boarded, killed a corgi who harassed him perpetually. We have wire on the yard side of our fencing because our shih-tzu dogs are no match for even a mini horse. I don't think the dogs would pester them, but still a huge size difference.

Wishing the best and hoping the dog and horses can be just through the fence friends.

 

[NewToMini's]

I hate to have to keep him out of the field, but I understand that it would be for his safety

He already understands boundary lines. I can tell him "out", and if we're in the field, it means to leave the field (though sometimes I'll have to tell him a few times, because he'll run away and then kinda ask if he's gone far enough). I'll just have to make him understand that he's not allowed past the fence.

 

[bullockcorner]

Wait a minute!!!!! Did you say in your post the dog turned on YOU?!! As in aggressive to you? If so, THAT is TOTALLY unacceptable!

If I read that correctly, you have more problems with him than aggressive towards the horses.

Sorry to be so blunt, but that's not good.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I would try putting him on a leash when you go out. Use a choke collar. If the simple choke collar doesn't work, get the one with teeth. He must stay at your side and if he lunges, he gets a good jerk. This should make a gentleman out of him.

When I was training my rat terrier to leave the chickens alone, this worked for me. If I had to leave him while working outside, I tied him up.

For my terrier, praise works better than punishment. No speaking to him if he is bad, just snap on the leash and put him in his crate or tie him. When he is good, praise and party.

My terrier is great with the hens now. I've even forgotten and shut him in the pen with them before and they all stand at the gate together looking out.

Good luck.

 

[NewToMini's]

He didn't bite me, he just growled and sounded like he wanted to bite me.

Putting him on a leash sounds like a good idea. Mostly, the problem is that I'm not paying attention to him in the pasture, because I'm busy with the horses, and then he absorbes himself into something he's not supposed to do and that's when the problems happen. I think this morning he was really interested in a specific chunk of dirt when the horse told him to move, so that could be why he attacked her.

If he's on a leash, I will have to pay more attention and prevent it.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

He didn't bite me, he just growled and sounded like he wanted to bite me.

Putting him on a leash sounds like a good idea. Mostly, the problem is that I'm not paying attention to him in the pasture, because I'm busy with the horses, and then he absorbes himself into something he's not supposed to do and that's when the problems happen. I think this morning he was really interested in a specific chunk of dirt when the horse told him to move, so that could be why he attacked her.

If he's on a leash, I will have to pay more attention and prevent it.

Attach the leash to you somehow so your hands are free. Be sure to praise when he approaches the horses nicely. Don't speak to him if he is bad, just use the leash and maybe a sharp "no!" He is smart; he will figure out what's going on pretty quickly. He needs to develop a new habit. Old habit gets leash and "no". New habit gets "good dog!" and scratches.

My chickens and garden are in my pasture. No way can I make my dog stay out. He has to learn to leave our animals alone. He was chewing on a bone once and the chickens came up to take it away. I ran outside thinking there would be trouble, but he picked up his bone and took it somewhere else!

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

When you say "punish" what exactly do you mean?

 

[Jean_B]

Sounds like you have an out-of-control dog in pretty much all situations. Might want to sign up for some dog obedience classes because you need as much training on how to make him listen as he does....before someone (including you) gets hurt.

 

[NewToMini's]

Normally I give him a smack on the butt if he even needs a smack (usually a look is all it takes). Today I had to kick him because he was under the horse's back legs as she was bucking and stomping and I had to kick him away, then he growled at me so I kicked him (I don't kick him hard) until he stopped growling at me. I only punish him as roughly as he needs.

He usually listens really well. I can walk him in the woods without a leash and keep him close (but I do usually have him on a leash in the woods, for his safety). I can have him 'heel' without a leash, and he will listen to me when he starts to chase a squirrel. The only time he doesn't listen is when I'm not paying close enough attention to him.

I think I just need to have him on a leash in the field, and start back up on formal training with him. I haven't done any training with him for a while (I've had him for 5 years, and it's probably been about 3 years since I've done obedience training with him) so he's getting a little rusty on his commands.

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

Well that's your first problem. Smacking or kicking a dog is not in any way an incentive for it to behave - and is more likely to cause it to turn on you.

Please get a trainer local to you who uses a reward based training method.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

He really snapped at you and growled? Sorry, but I'd be digging a hole if one of mine did that. He needs discipline and structure asap.

A jack Russell is a high energy dog. How much structured exercise does he get? Walks? Runs? Etc, not just mad field dashes.

I have a lassie collie that is trained on cattle. He can take down a 1 ton bull. But he leaves the horses alone, because I say no and he knows he would probably die if he grabbed a horse by the nose like he does a cow. He respects me and listens.

I would start training your dog, and disciplining quickly and sternly. I use the discipline when needed, and only moderate rewards. On a high energy dog, too much of a reward can wind them up to the point where they need discipline and they get confused. Just a simple 'good dog' is all they need. I have my 'approving tone of voice' I use when all are good, and they know to listen for it. It's NOT a high pitched or excited one either. Watch the top top trainers, none of them use it.

An e collar is a great resource for off leash training. I have many. All my dogs wear it when on cattle for safety. If they are about to do something stupid I can fry them and save them from a far worse fate. It's a reward (one tone) a warning (a second tone) and a punishment (a snap.) all in one!

And as crude as it may sound, let him have it once from a horse. Best way they can learn if they get really pushy,

Best of luck, but it sounds like it's time for a trainer.

 

[NewToMini's]

He doesn't get as much exercise as he needs. I walk him a mile or 2 a couple times a week.

He is also very sensitive and exciteable. If he's punished too harshly, he shuts down, and if people get too excited around him he jumps all over the place and pees himself (when I come home, I have to ignore him until he goes out to pee, then calmly let him next to me or on my lap, petting him or holding him is too much until he's calmed down). An ecollar would be great. I wanted one when he was a puppy, but I didn't have a job and my parents wouldn't get one. Now I have a job, but I forgot I wanted one XD

I'd rather not purposely let him get hurt by a horse... The filly has run over him (she used to chase him) before, and it clearly didn't make him respect horses. The bigger horse could kill him.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I would not keep a dog any size that was aggressive towards my horses, my horses are way more valuable then any dog that could possible cause injury or death to the horses. Sounds harsh I know, but to me it just isn't worth the risk. And IF my dog growled at me for any reason it would get a one way ticket to the vet. Again, sounds harsh and uncaring, however, what about your responsibility to ensure the safety and well being of the other animals or even people. Isn't allowing a dog to continue harrassing horses just as cruel and inhumane to the horses?

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

This threads making me want to pull out my hair. I'm sorry but this is not the dogs fault. They will be what they are made to be. You can not hit, kick, electrically shock an animal and expect it to suddenly be a well behaved happy animal!

I'm out of this thread now cause I'll get very upset.

Good luck to your dog.

 

[NewToMini's]

I'm not allowing him to continue to harrass them. I'm trying to find a way to keep him from it, without having to keep him from them. Though if keeping him out of the pasture is the only way to do it, then that's what I'll do. Right now, I'll see how keeping him on a leash for the morning feed works.

And I'm no longer letting him in the field in the evenings when I groom and work with the horses.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

I would strongly encourage you (and every other pet owner on the planet!) to read temple grandins 'Animals Make Us Human.' It is about how to meet the needs of each commonly kept species - horses and dogs included.

That being said, most pet people don't like her. She's not 'animals are lovey nice and treats and praise is always the answer.' She's 'meet your dogs needs and get your crap together, nature is cruel.' 'Animals In Translation' is another good one, but the first one is more direct.

And yes, sometimes an extreme case does need a new well timed, justified shock, a kick or a well placed smack. No, it's not a cure all, and not something that should be done a lot; but if my safety is a jeopardy because of an animals uncalled for behavior, I'm darned well returning the favor to them.

My hound dog is a placenta hound. He was disgusting with the afterbirth from the cows. No shock, smack, yelling etc would stop him for more than a second or 2. But he's a hound - it's only illegal if you get caught! Until he got tossed By a mad momma cow that had only warned him to knock it off about 17,000 times. She didn't want to kill him, she just made her point. He now has a whole new level of respect (not fear!) of cattle. They say stop, he stops.

Same idiot hound also would only pester my mini when he was eating. Never nasty, but just bothersome. The shock did work but one day after a few months he went at it again (collar wasn't on). Cloudy warned him again plenty of times, before he finally charged him off. Hasn't ever thought about it since.

Dogs need to learn how to behave around horses - no, it's not HIS fault he is spoiled, by it is his problem to deal with now because of lack of discipline and structure. It will be much harder to deal with and will take much more extreme measures because it has been allowed to escalate to this point. A lifestyle change (more exercise, obedience training, structure, discipline) is what he needs - not just a new one command!