Ideal dogs for around horses?

FlyingCircus

FlyingCircus

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Starting to do some research into what dogs might be appropriate for mine/my bf's lifestyle and wondered at what dog breeds you typically find well suited to horsey life!

- Dog would be alone during the working day, so preferably one that wouldn't be destructive!
- Taken to yard in the AM, field is 15 mins away so atleast half an hour walk but takes an hour or so for me to do yard jobs in morning
- At yard again in the PM, would ideally like a breed that can accompany me on hacks around the estate (land, not housing development) and occasionally to the New Forest. I spend a good 2 - 3 hours at the yard in the evenings. Lots of other dogs to play with and allowed to be loose as long as they don't get in the way/cause problems
- Access to garden
- Would be nice if it could go for run with my bf at weekends


So what do you think would be ideal/what do you have? :)
I was thinking a collie of some type, maybe
 
FlyingCircus said:
Dog would be alone during the working day, so preferably one that wouldn't be destructive!

I was thinking a collie of some type, maybe
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Although a collie sounds like a reasonable fit for the rest of your requirements, I'm not sure buying such a high energy dog and leaving it alone during the working day would be a very good idea - especially if you don't want it to be destructive!
 
My last three dogs over a period of 35 + years have been collies and I would not change now, except possibly for a lurcher. All three have accompanied me out riding, both in new Forest and in Devon. They really do need to be well exercised to keep them sane and happy and the miles covered accompanying a rider nearly equates to the work that they might be doing with sheep. The other advantage with a collie is that they will stick with you and not disappear off hunting, if you do loose your collie you must look for it as it may be in trouble, caught up behind fencing or worse. Do NOT get a Basset hound!!! (detailed info supplied if required!!)
 
Second the don't get a basset hound!! We have 2 and they are the opposite of what you want.

Labrador? You can get the worker type that look fitter/leaner
 
I would have thought a rescue greyhound/lurcher would be well suited to being left alone during the day, all the ones I have known have been quite happy to sleep on the sofa. A lot of horsey people do seem to have a lurcher in tow, only thing that would worry me would be whether it would stick with you out hacking, although to be honest that surely must come down to training. All dogs, to some degree, will head off after something if they fine it more interesting than you. Ive always wanted to have a dog I could take hacking with me but have come to the conclusion that I cant control 2 animals at once, especially when they both have different agendas. We have a jrt now who comes out with me but only when my OH comes along as well!
 
dalmatians were apparently originally bred to trot alongside horse carriages! so could be good on a hack!
although collies are high energy, if they have had 1.5 hours in the morning they may be alright left for the day. the issue can be that they need mentally occupying so may not just want to bumble around the yard. but as others have said, they focus on a job, so with training are likely to follow you well on a hack.

I have a German Shepherd. he is very good around the horses- big enough they see him and good at keeping out of their way. he loves coming to the yard with me am & pm, running in the field and barn. however, got him as a 2yo rescue and he is reactive to strange dogs so cant hack in public areas. but around private farm land he is quite good as joining us. except occasionally running ahead to chase squirrels. he is good at heeling next to my wheel barrow and if he had training younger he may of been better at heeling on a hack.

i also liked the idea of hacking with dog but actually it is more stressful as you have to keep an eye on the dog, however well behaved they are. mostly due to other dogs and hazards when out.
 
My honest opinion as a dog trainer, behaviourist and person who uses dogs professionally every day for work, is none.

No dog is "ideal" around horses because horses and dogs are not ideal companions.

Any well trained dog and well trained horse might be ok but what happens if you fall off and are injured. I can think of a million boring scenarios where having a dog in tow would be a right pain in the ass and I am saying this as someone who has professionally trained dogs with excellent temperaments and manners as you are likely to find anywhere!

I could easily take my dogs out hacking with me, but they are worth more to me than that and so is my horse who is also very well behaved and nice tempered. I honestly think keeping the two mostly separate is the safest and most enjoyable life style!

Call me boring but I've been there and done it and seen it when it comes to dogs and horses and that is my conclusion.
 
My Australian cattle dog loved the horsey life, if exercised enough coped well with being left during the day, but she did need a lot of exercise -regular 3 hour rides & running with husband.
 
I personally wouldn't have a dog if I had to leave it at home all day. How would you like being stuck in a room for 8 hours with little other to do than lie down or chew something, lack of mental stimulation is cruel for any animal IMO. Each to their own though.

If you are going to though I would say get a smaller athletic dog, so you can at least have two of them
 
I have a cardigan corgi she follows me everywhere and comes out with the horse for miles. She was a very naughty pup though and extremely destructive. Took a lot of training!
 
Thanks everyone :) Do like Labs! So may look more into these.

Would be prepared to pay someone to walk dog during day/play with it for a few hours so it's not left alone.
But as I said, it's just an idea :) I thought a nice active (and horsey) life might be better for a dog than potentially very sedentary life with someone not as active, but I suppose having horses with dogs doesn't come without its issues.

Should mention, I've had dogs all my life and have a Springer Spaniel (although currently lives with my parents, and will probably continue to do so), so know what high energy dogs can be like!
 
I personally wouldn't have a dog if it was going to be left alone all day, certainly not a collie type as they can be high energy, much like my springer. I can't begin to imagine the destruction she would cause if I left her alone all day. She is incredibly active but I work from home and have my ponies at home so there is always something to occupy her. I also have 2 small terriers, a jrt and a jrt cross. They might be more suited to your lifestyle but I would still be looking a getting a dog walker or something to break up the day for them.
 
My retired beagle is doing pretty well at most of those things :)

She rides out on the New Forest with me, and at a previous yard she used to happily humble round with me. Current yard she isn't allowed in, so waits in the car having a nap until I'm tacked up and I pick her up on the way. She can quite happily do a 5k run with me and go for a long walk, or she will sleep all day... as long as she gets fed she's very happy whether she's in the house sleeping all day, or out and about all day - she even comes on trios away on the boat :)
 
I have a fell terrier who is very indolent and doesn't really do much all day (I know because he comes to work with me). He does come to my yard morning and evening and either props himself against a wall and supervises, or else gets very busy "doing jobs" - checking for rats under the hen house, checking out the muck heap getting underfoot when mucking out etc. Very occasionally he comes for a ride with me but truthfully he is a PITA as his idea of a perfect walk is being left to furtle about in the base of a bush/down a hole for an hour or so whilst you walk on, turn round and then retrieve him on the way back! He is perfectly capable of keeping up and running for miles but he would rather not & my horse finds it irksome to keep having to stop & wait.
 
I would not have a collie for the reason it would be alone during the day. I would also rule out a lurcher as anything with sighthound is going to be a natural hunter and you just can't train it out of them completely. Not in a humane way anyway. One of mine is a saluki and although she has been trained not to chase sheep, has a good recall (especially for a saluki!) and is actually very loyal, I would never risk it out on horseback with no way of stopping her from taking off after something should she want to.
Never had one but was going to suggest a lab maybe. Although 2 local ones have been pts due to killing sheep - both were trained by the local gundog trainer as well but I guess the owners didn't reinforce their training.
Fwiw, I wouldn't take my dogs out while riding unless I lived in the Aussie outback, or the wilds of Canada or somewhere. Even up here on the edge of a National Park, there are just too many potential risks and temptations. That's just my view though!
 
I leave my labrador for some days at home for 6 hours he's fine(although not a regular thing), he is also great around the horse and comes with on the New Forest for hack 2-3 times a week. I think the best thing about a lab is that he's happy to do the long rides and go all day, but equally happy with a sofa day!
 
FfionWinnie said:
No dog is "ideal" around horses because horses and dogs are not ideal companions.
I honestly think keeping the two mostly separate is the safest and most enjoyable life style!

Call me boring but I've been there and done it and seen it when it comes to dogs and horses and that is my conclusion.
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agree with this. I have horses and dogs at home and although both dogs are very good, I don't have a horse I absolutely trust with them (and one of those I really don't at all!). They come hacking when OH comes with me. Seen a lot of dogs on yards, seen a fair few accidents-both involving horses and dogs, riders and dogs and dogs wandering off because they've been left by themselves by busy owners.
 
I have a whippet, a saluki and a whippet x staffy.

All three come out with the horse. I've never lost them. We do see deer, rabbits etc and although they will chase initially, they absolutely do stop and come back. With sufficient training they are fantastic.

I would go with a whippet. A decent walk in the morning and they will sleep through the day. That said I think leaving any dog alone all day is unfair so I would only recommend if your intending to have a dog walker come in during the day. I would certainly rule out a collie.
 
Have those recommending dog walkers seen many dog walkers in action "walking" 12 out of control dogs in public areas with a pack mentality. It is the absolute last thing I would do to my dogs!
 
I have a collie, he's great around the horses but he's so fed up if he doesn't get walked enough, whenever we come back from a walk he's waiting to go again. He'd walk all day but he's happy if he gets 2 or 3 2hour walks a day (obviously not doable) when you've got other things to be doing like work and horses. ...
 
I have a staffie who would fit that type of lifestyle well. She's good when she comes to the yard, is good with livestock, people and other dogs, will accompany me on rides and never runs off. She's happy to be left at home for a few hours. I got her from a rescue centre!
 
LCH611 said:
I have a fell terrier who is very indolent and doesn't really do much all day (I know because he comes to work with me). He does come to my yard morning and evening and either props himself against a wall and supervises, or else gets very busy "doing jobs" - checking for rats under the hen house, checking out the muck heap getting underfoot when mucking out etc. Very occasionally he comes for a ride with me but truthfully he is a PITA as his idea of a perfect walk is being left to furtle about in the base of a bush/down a hole for an hour or so whilst you walk on, turn round and then retrieve him on the way back! He is perfectly capable of keeping up and running for miles but he would rather not & my horse finds it irksome to keep having to stop & wait.
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Sounds very like my patterdale. He's extremely lazy unless he fancies going for a run. Basically he's only ever interested if it's his idea, and he mainly thinks my ideas are rubbish and boring.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Have those recommending dog walkers seen many dog walkers in action "walking" 12 out of control dogs in public areas with a pack mentality. It is the absolute last thing I would do to my dogs!
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Not all dog walkers are like that. My dog walker that does holiday cover for me only walks my dogs. No other dogs at the same time.
 
Would you consider a crossbreed? We got ours when she was just under a year as a rescue dog and she is a springer/border cross. She is happy coming to yard in morning, helping poo pick and roam around and is then walked for 45 mins -1hr, she is then dropped at home and left for 4-5hours at the most depending on mine/oh's shifts, then picked up when I finish work and does the same. I would never take her out riding with me as I would hate anything to happen and wouldn't 100% trust her/horse but I don't think it comes down to a certain type. She is 10 now and has started to slow down a bit but even when younger she was perfectly happy to stay at home for this amount of time as long as she gets hers walks. People would say out of the two breeds she is crossed with she would be the worst type of dog to do this but honestly I think she likes her sofa and watching the world go by with her cat friends and is never really that bothered when we get home!
 
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I have a Springer Spaniel. He goes to doggy day care 2 days a week and is home the other 3 and i come home at lunchtime to let him out and feed him. He was born on my yard and grew up around the horses. He never leaves my side down the yard because he's be trained to stay close.
He hacks out with me and again has been trained to stay close. The horse used to not like him running up behind him but luckily he is pretty sensible and soon got used to it.
My dog is never destructive because i keep his mind busy. Too many people think its all about physical exercise. Its not and the fitter you make a dog the harder your life will be as you have to maintain those high expectations. My dog gets a 30 minute training walk in the mornings he is not at day care and then runs around on the yard in the evenings.
To see him on the yard he looks like the perfect dog to have around horses but thats because ive spent hours making him so.
Fyi if you get a puppy he will be to young to hack till hes nearly a year
 
I would suggest a lurcher. A collie would be a big no no. As per other posters though I wouldn't want to take a dog out hacking with me.

If desperate to take dog out, I'd look into the Dalmation option. I don't know enough to about the breed to know if they are likely to be any good or not
 
i have a cocker and a sprocker spaniel which hack out with me, (3 hours + some days) but are actually with someone during the day, both are exceptionally fit dogs who always get compliments from the vet about how well they're looking, just to add i trained mine to do specific things on foot which especially helped loads when actually on horse, it also saved me getting off if they happen to get stuck on the wrong side of a fence i.e. left, right, under, jump and not chase after rabbits ect!
 
Whatever dog you have it will largely be the training that determines whether or not it becomes the dog you hope for but you need to start with the right type in the first place.
The easiest type of dog for your situation is one that is bred to work in partnership with you - such as labs/retrievers/shepherds/collies/spaniels.

Labs and retrievers are probably best option for you as they are generally happy to be couch potatoes when there is nothing exciting going on - the others are higher energy types. If you go for either of those then a working bred one will be far more athletic and suitable - particularly golden retrievers where the working bred version is almost a different breed (lighter build, beautiful deep orange gold colouring and same fabulous temperament) and this would be probably be my first choice for your situation.

Hound & terrier types are far more independent and therefore harder to train in the way you need. I would also absolutely avoid Dalmations. There are of course exceptions but they are generally hard work to train and I have seen very few that are easy off lead dogs.

Happy dogging ;)
 
Not a staffy for separation anxiety/ destruction - they don't like being alone!
Lab probably your best bet- or lab collie cross - normally plenty of these in rescue - I'd get ap uppy for your set up tho to get it used to your lifestyle rather than an adult used to running off
 
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