Also in NL - Dogs barking at horses... bear with me it's a long one...

[sandi_84]

Ok so my boy and my mum's girl are used to dogs running around and barking etc but they are used to the barking from a distance.

A friend of mine's dog goes right up to her horses and barks constantly at them, I actually thought the dog had bit the horse at one point till I realised that he's got his face so close to the horse that when he barks its puffing the horses hair away. Bless her horses they aren't bothered by this at all but when my friend comes to my horses with me (relient on her atm due to back injury) her dog is constantly barking at my two and they are getting quite p****d off with it. I'm worried that it'll put my two right off dogs in general and that her dog is going to get a kick in the face.
The other problem is that I'm currently trying to get my dog used to the horses as she's quite afraid of them. She's not a barker, she just runs out of the field if they get too close but she's getting better and she came within 2 feet of my laid back lad yesterday (massive achievement!) so I'm worrying that if they start to get agressive with my friend's dog they might end up being frightened of dogs in general and might end up hurting my dog and any others we come across
I know I need to say something but I'm rubbish at this sort of thing and I need someone to script me something polite to say to her as I really don't want to put her back up because she's a lovely person and she's been really good to me. Help?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Taser? Sorry

Could you feign a headache? IE ask politely if they can be put in the car/crate/stable to give your head peace?
Suggest a really good dog trainer or dog training book that you saw and thought of her?
Buy her a book as a way of saying thank you?

 

[sandi_84]

Ha ha! love it apart from the barking at the horses he's a sweetie but this behaviour is a bit disturbing for me as I wouldn't put up with it from mine.

Can't get her to put him in a crate or stable as there isn't one and her mum takes the car while we're at the horses so can't leave him in the car. She takes the dog everywhere she goes which is lovely but I just don't know what to say without sounding like a complete a*****e as I have a habit of sticking my foot in my mouth

 

[Pix]

Maybe along the lines of "Careful with him barking at Xhorse like that. He goes from 'tolerant' to 'had enough' in a split second and I'd be heartbroken if Ydog took a hoof to the head".

That's the best I can come up with. I'm grumpy and would just tell her to control her effing dog around larger, more dangerous animals before it had its head kicked in. Not massively helpful when you want to hold onto friends I admit!

 

[galaxy]

Tell her dogs aren't allowed off lead at your place (say yard rules or insurance) so she has to keep hold or tie him up. It is reasonable, plenty of yards if they allow dogs say they have to be on leads