Barking dog

[strawberrymoon]

Just looking for opinions really. I have a greyhound, very soppy and not aggressive. We live rurally and I’m surrounded all sides by fields. I have my own horses at home in these fields.

The greyhound gets run of the garden, not constantly but a fair bit during the warmer months. He’s mostly quiet, but he barks at passers by, cyclists, horses etc. I can understand that others not knowing him might think this is aggressive. Although it’s a proper bark, not a growl. I can understand people walking past might jump.

I’ve signs up saying “close gate dog” and warning dog signs on the field with the horses, even though he doesn’t go in there. More as security for the horses to be honest.

When he’s around my horses he’s fine. Doesn’t make a sound.

Today a neighbour has complained and says their horse spooked and fell over walking past the gate because the dog barked. I was then told others in the livery down the road also had found their horses spook coming past the house if he’s there and barks.

Obviously I don’t want anyone to be hurt. I have horses too. I know a dog can be scary especially when not expected. But he’s behind a fence and gate and he can’t get out. I do call him back if I see him bark at someone but I don’t always see as the garden is large. I’m feeling pretty bad about it because I don’t want horses falling over of course, but I’m not sure what I can do. He’s desensitised when actually next to a horse, it seems to be something he only does to “guard his territory” while in the garden, so I’m not sure being around horses more would help either I guess.

What’s reasonable in this situation? I’ve said I can keep him inside if they can tell me when they are riding past, but I can’t do this for everyone in livery at the yard. Is she right to complain about him? Am I unreasonable here? Would you expect the owner of house and dog to do something?

Barking sounds don’t impact any neighbours (in other ways) by the way, there are no houses nearby.

 

[AmyMay]

Dogs bark. He’s securely contained. People will just have to get on with it.

 

[splashgirl45]

They need to ride their horses strongly past your gate. It’s not as if it’s a surprise, horses will come across much worse

 

[SadKen]

I’ve ridden past barking dogs lots of times and that is not the dog owner’s problem. The only one that worried me was the Mali easily springing up past the height of the 6 ft fence and barking savagely at the same time. But the issue was the potential for escape and chase, not barking.

You could put up a sign saying CAUTION I BARK or something, then the horses can spook at the sign as a warmup?

 

[CorvusCorax]

When I rode we knew what houses had problematic dogs (fence runners and occasional driveway-shooters-outers-of) and rode accordingly or just avoided those routes with stressier horses. One time a GSD ran right out onto the road and under the horse I was on, she started going up, the owners were on the porch chatting while I shouted 'HI CAN YOU CALL YOUR DOG PLEASE'.

The yard terrier often used to accompany us.

Anyhoo, you/your dog isn't really in the wrong IMO. Leg on, etc etc!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Im with @Amymay . I pass a german shepherd called Ellie every day and every day she barks so what, she is not viscous at all but she is behind a hedge. When she isnt behind the hedge and can see BB she just wants to play BB got a fright the first couple of times and I used to hear the owners say ssssshhhhh to her. So I shout over now, Hi Lisa.. Hi Ellie and all is well

 

[Goldenstar]

Barking hedges are something horses have to accept .

 

[SilverLinings]

Unless the dog is in danger of getting out and chasing the horses, or if you have immediate neighbours and the barking is disturbing them in their houses then it really isn't your problem to fix, the horse riders will have to accept it or take another route. It can be annoying when you're riding if a dog surprises you (e.g. on a new route), but you are prepared next time and as the livery yard is down the road and you have 'dog' signs on your gate they will most likely all be aware the dog is there and may bark.

Dogs are often encouraged to (or not discouraged from) bark at passers by on rural properties as a sort of informal guard dog, as well as some farms having actual guard dogs; IMO this is acceptable thing for the property owner to do to feel safe, the people who have complained to you are effectively saying you can't have a guard dog as it doesn't suit them when carrying out their hobby.

A very popular annual fun ride in my area goes past a farm with 6ft wire fencing next to the road and three aggressive and loud guard dogs who throw themselves at it when you pass, but the riders have to accept they go past or don't come on the ride again. At least the horses can see the dogs as they approach, TBH I feel more sorry for the dogs who feel their property is threatened. The ride is organised by a local hunt and they see no need to warn riders that this is on the route, and I've never heard anyone complain about it. There are a lot of yappy, over-stimulated and under-exercised dogs in residential areas now so it is good training for the horses!

 

[Rokele55]

A previous neighbour had pigs. They weren't even beside the road but 20 metres in. The road was steep on a hair pin bend. It certainly sorted out who could ride! There was the odd ambulance though.

Your dog is contained so those riding past need to learn how to deal with it. Put a few pigs beside the road to distract them or keep some pheasants in the hedge ;-)

 

[gallopingby]

Ah pigs, either you can pig proof your horse or you can’t! Might be fun to acquire a few friendly piggies to test their equine skills

 

[Red-1]

I always reckon, when riding, that as long as the dogs are contained, then it is my issue to be in control of my horse when out riding on the road. I don't tolerate dogs running at/under my horse when not under control/behind a fence.

I do feel sorry when people walk past and my dogs bark, but not sorry enough to leave my dogs imprisoned inside all summer! They can't get out so they are under control.

I actually feel more sorry when BH is on his all weather turnout and he whinnies and trots over to 'welcome' passing horses, particularly as it is on a junction. However, he too is contained behind a verge, ditch, hedge, 4ft buffer zone and 5ft post and rail, so under control!

 

[asmp]

I always reckon, when riding, that as long as the dogs are contained, then it is my issue to be in control of my horse when out riding on the road. I don't tolerate dogs running at/under my horse when not under control/behind a fence.

This is how I feel.

 

[meleeka]

A previous neighbour had pigs. They weren't even beside the road but 20 metres in. The road was steep on a hair pin bend. It certainly sorted out who could ride! There was the odd ambulance though.

Your dog is contained so those riding past need to learn how to deal with it. Put a few pigs beside the road to distract them or keep some pheasants in the hedge ;-)

This. I bet they’d stop complaining about the dog then!

This reminds me of when I once rode round a sharp bend and there were cows in a shed that they weren’t usually in, right next to the road! The teleporting wouldn’t have been so bad if there hadn’t been a pond next to the road, on the other side. It was only the thought of ending up in that pond that kept me on my pony .

OP as you are so rural, I wouldn’t do anything. It might be seen as antisocial if you were in a built up area, but it doesn’t sound like he barks often. If he’s jumping at the fence I might put a secondary fence up, but if it’s just barking, I don’t see a problem.

 

[Marnie]

As others have said, I always took dogs barking in gardens as pretty much expected when I was riding - we knew where the ones that were likely to be more of a problem (e.g. the collie who always ran into the road and literally underfoot and the large dog who used to push through the shrubbery and appear randomly along the fence line) and made sure we were sitting tight!

 

[Jenko109]

Tell them to behave. Your dog can run along the fence line and gob off all he wants. It's his home!

It's part and parcel of hacking out to accept that you will need to push your horse on past things he finds scary.

 

[some show]

He's just a slightly smaller horse saying hello to his mates, that's all!

 

[strawberrymoon]

Thanks all, you've made me feel a bit better about it... I was quite upset at the idea I was/dog was somehow responsible for the horse falling over.

She just kept saying she needed to tell me because I could be responsible for an accident, and I wasn't sure if she was suggesting "legally responsible" which worried me too.

I will keep doing what I'm doing and call him back if I see him barking at anyone, but accept on the most part that if he barks he barks!

 

[Love]

There is a sign outside a house that we hack past saying along the lines of "Caution untrained horses - our dogs may bark". Useful for riders that may be new to the area or unaware so they can prepare for it. Luckily ours aren't bothered and on the times we have seen the dogs they have pretty much ignored us. But its the only sign like that I have ever seen and I thought it was a sensible solution for all involved

Edited to add: There are many other houses we pass with barking dogs and we just accept it and sit tight if needed

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My dog barks at our gates as well if I'm out there and hear horses coming along the road I will call her so she doesn't bark, but I'm not always out there so not much I can do about it then, I think people just have to deal with it when your riding past houses it is just one of those things.

 

[Clodagh]

It’s very much a nothing is ‘your’ fault anymore isn’t it.
If you don’t sweep up the leaves and one scares a horse… if a pigeon in your hedge scares a horse… if you are gardening and scare the horse.
Surely if you are out riding you are assuming your horse might deviate from a straight route without warning?

 

[Widgeon]

There is a sign outside a house that we hack past saying along the lines of "Caution untrained horses - our dogs may bark". Useful for riders that may be new to the area or unaware so they can prepare for it.

I'd do that I think. If all he's doing is barking (not throwing himself at the fence or trying to jump out) then giving people a bit of warning that there may be a dog there is probably all you can reasonably do.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

We used to ride past a cottage with a 6' wall round the garden. Their Great Dane thought it was funny to put his front feet on top of it and peer over at us. The ponies soon got used to it.

 

[strawberrymoon]

The sign is a good idea thank you. I will see if I can find one!

 

[paddy555]

Thanks all, you've made me feel a bit better about it... I was quite upset at the idea I was/dog was somehow responsible for the horse falling over.

She just kept saying she needed to tell me because I could be responsible for an accident, and I wasn't sure if she was suggesting "legally responsible" which worried me too.

I will keep doing what I'm doing and call him back if I see him barking at anyone, but accept on the most part that if he barks he barks!

If it happens again I would explain to her that as riders we need to make sure our horses are trained and spook proof. That is trained to barking dogs, cows or horses may run down to the fence, one may encounter large vehicles, chainsaws, diggers, bikes, plastic and any number of obstacles out riding. Pigs of course and several riders had to push on past my donkey when he was next to the road fence. If she is having a problem with her horse and barking dogs then perhaps she could consider a trainer to help in this area.
Horses do need to be well trained to potential spooks, the rest of the world cannot come to a halt because riders don't train their horses.