Irresponsible dog owner quote of the week

bonny

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You probably met me on my horse. We live on a farm with several footpaths. I regularly come across dog walkers on our land far away from the footpath and will tell them to go back to it as they have no permission to be where they are, and as it is our farm I can ride where I choose.
I have also been attacked by dogs both whilst riding and unmounted and have absolutely no tolerance for out of control dogs. (Out of control being lack of recall or obedience in any form, not just aggression) My horses dont kick but I have no problem using a dressage whip on a dog that wont leave my horse alone and the owner will get a mouthful from me.
I own a large GSD and several collies so its not like I dont like dogs, they are lovely. BUT I absolutely HATE other people thinking it is acceptable to allow their animals to disturb/upset/attack/approach other people without permisson, whether that animal is 'friendly' or not.. you dont know if that person has fear of dogs, allergies, etc and its your responsibility to manage your animal in a way that doesnt upset others. If you cant control it KEEP IT ON A LEAD!! (and stick to the footpath!)

Rant over :)
You sound lovely .....
 

ILuvCowparsely

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Amber was walking up a dead end lane with the yard at the end of it. It's popular with dog walkers as there are fields either side. Large dog bounded over to her. She ignored him and continued walking. I call to owner 'please call your dog off'. Owner ignored me. Dog then starts snapping at Amber's heels and she kicked out. I shout 'if you don't get your dog under control he will be kicked or killed'. His reply: "Well how do I do that then.... He's not remote controlled!" Said in a tone suggesting I was the idiot in this encounter!!!

What on earth do you say to that! I shouted well tell that to the farmer when your dog gets shot. Arrrgggghhhh, Poor bloody dog is all I can say.
My late mare kicked 2 dogs years back, both made no attempt to put their dogs on lead.

I will never ever tell my horses off for kicking dogs, if they get kicked its the owners fault, I warn them, some try to put dogs on lead some don't. My livery was out hacking a few months, her mare lashed out at something, she thought squirrels as mare hates them, she looked down and there was a sausage dog passing close to he feet. The owner you may ask had jogged on a few seconds before with a head set on paying no mind to where her dog was.
 

Errin Paddywack

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My tolerance for irresponsible people is zero. If you can't control your dog keep it on a lead. I do with one of mine when anywhere except on my own land. My two work my sheep and are 100% around stock but the young one will run off to talk to other dogs and people, hence the lead.
 

GSD Woman

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Emmy Lou, I think you are lovely for taking care of your horse. Don't you wish you could whack the owners with a dressage whip? I have an ancient C.W. Anderson book where he suggests carrying a hunting whip with you and cracking it at a charging dog. I love dogs and live with 3. One of my GSDs broke her training and didn't come back when called once. She no longer has off lead privileges anywhere that but fenced areas and my neighbors large lot. We have permission to run on his lot.
 

Pearlsasinger

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I am on both sides with this one. Dog came over barking aggressively, with walker saying she was just walking the dog for the owner and he doesn’t listen to her! On the other hand, I have been out walking my dogs around farmer fields that are not a bridleway. One dog went over to horse, doing nothing aggressive, with me running after him to move him out of kicking distance. Horse rider shouting at me that this wasn’t a footpath and I must stick to that. I just get tired of aggressive people...


If it was neither a bridleway nor a footpath, why were you there?
 

irishdraft

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I met a delightful dog owner only a couple of days ago . I was riding my horse on a farm that I have permission to ride on when I go round the corner to be confronted with a barking lungeing German Shepherd. My horse is extremely good with dogs but obviously spooked and leaped sideways owner appears get hold of dog and glares at me . No apology so I said no footpath here his answer everyone walks their dogs here if you don't like it bog off to your own land. I was actually speechless and rode off . Since discovered doesn't even live in the village but drives dog to the farm . No common courtesy these days .
 

Landcruiser

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I had a nightmare experience when my horse was chased downhill towards a wire fence by a lurcher - I didn't even see the damn thing until I managed to swing him round before the fence - I'd passed it going the other way up on the Ridgeway a minute before, off lead, with a group of walkers. Next thing I know, I'm going from calm trot to full on downhill bolt... Dog lost interest as we came round to face it, and trotted back up the hill. I was too shaken to do anything but want to go home, I've always regretted not going after the blasted walkers and telling them they could have got us both killed.
 

NLPM

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His reply: "Well how do I do that then.... He's not remote controlled!" Said in a tone suggesting I was the idiot in this encounter!!!

That's shocking! I'd have been speechless, I think.

One dog went over to horse, doing nothing aggressive, with me running after him

Green Bean, I don't consider myself aggressive, but I have to say that if a loose dog approached my horse with an owner running after it, I'd immediately be quite concerned. I would have expected the person to simply call their dog. Running after it suggests it's not under control and that the owner expects something to happen, so I'd assume things were about to escalate even if the dog didn't appear to be aggressive. Dogs don't have to approach aggressively to suddenly become scared and snap - it's not always easy to predict their reaction (or the horse's). And I probably would say something to the owner.

I have to say I'm lucky round here - everyone seems very sensible and horse/dog aware (most people do have both). Our dog is overly friendly and likes to run up to people (and usually greet them with a bark, and a good sniff of their pockets for food). I'm aware that can be annoying or even intimidating to some people, so he stays on the lead at all times. He has improved rapidly with a few months' of consistent handling and training.
 

Tiddlypom

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Tiddlypom, yes, the dog warden is your first port of call
Thanks.
Unfortunately not all areas have dog wardens anymore, I was quite surprised to discover we don't.
Dog wardens offer a valuable service, it will be a false economy to have let them go.

Thankfully we do appear to still have a dog warden service, but it seems to be more concerned about noise nuisance and stray dogs. For dogs having a go at horseriders, it seems to be a police 101 job. A dog snapping at a horse’s heels causing it to spook on the road is attacking it, isn’t it?

‘Dangerous dogs
Cheshire Police deal with dog attacks on people and on other animals. They can be contacted on 101.’

ETA I’ve been sending my long suffering accompanying ninja cyclist in to distract the damn JRT while I’ve been concentrating on the horse, but the dog goes for cyclists too!
 
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scruffyponies

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On the other side of the dog ownership thing, I had a woman a year or so ago have a complete hysterical (as in needed sedation!) fit at me because my dog was off-lead. We were walking along a very very narrow footpath, popular with dog walkers. Dog was at most 6 ft in front of me, walking the path, and politely walked around the lady, didn't try to approach or touch her in any way; didn't even look up at her. If it had been on a lead it would have still had to pass her just as closely as the path was only 4" wide. Some people are just nuts.
 

Roasted Chestnuts

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I used to deliberately let Kia follow his instinct and stomp on them, if they didn’t turn tail and run like stink before he did. Most of the time turning the horse to face the dog and walking towards it makes it lose its bottle. The ones that didn’t I loosed the reins and let him do what he needed to do. He hated dogs. He’s let them close enough to kick. Hardly ever missed. I never got after him for it except for once at a hunt meet when he started aiming. He learned those dogs were to be tolerated.
 

ycbm

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On the other side of the dog ownership thing, I had a woman a year or so ago have a complete hysterical (as in needed sedation!) fit at me because my dog was off-lead. We were walking along a very very narrow footpath, popular with dog walkers. Dog was at most 6 ft in front of me, walking the path, and politely walked around the lady, didn't try to approach or touch her in any way; didn't even look up at her. If it had been on a lead it would have still had to pass her just as closely as the path was only 4" wide. Some people are just nuts.


I was passed on a similar path in a similar situation when I was recovering from an eye operation four years ago and about 80% blind. I was petrified that the dog would trip me up, I couldn't see it to be sure that it wouldn't.


.
 

scruffyponies

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Scruffieponies, some people are genuinely terrified of dogs. Why didn’t you just pop your dog on the lead when you saw how distressed she was? She had just as much right to be there as you did.

There really wasn't time or space to 'do' anything. Dog in question has 100% recall, and would walk to heel in a heartbeat, but it was a narrow path with bushes either side, so single file for everyone and limited forward visibility. Even if I had seen her coming I couldn't have put the dog on a lead without making it more difficult to get past TBH. Her reaction was so OTT I'm not joking when I presume mental illness. Path in question is a bridlepath, so I can only speculate at how she would have reacted if I'd been heading towards her on a horse... she'd have had to back up, stand aside in the bushes and we'd have had to pass close. Somehow I don't think it would have been to her liking.

I do understand that some people are frightened of dogs, but a dog walking calmly down a path is not 'out of control' - a woman shrieking and swearing in front of children and threatening violence is.
 

JillA

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Sorry haven't got time to read all the responses but you might point out that it is an offence to have a dog not under control in a public place. I think the legislation was intended to protect people from attack or RTA's caused by a loose dog but it still applies for horses and riders.
Not sure who enforces it but a call to the police might give you that information. Tell the dog owner/handler and have your phone in your hand - that might concentrate their mind.
 
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PapaverFollis

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My dogs are very often off lead (I take them places where they can be) but as soon as we meet anyone at all they are called back and sit at the side of the path while the other person passes. Unless that person also has an off lead dog that they don't call back in which case I might release mine so they can avoid it if they want.

It saves a lot of worry. And because they get a biscuit when this happens they now generally bring themselves back if they see anyone coming! People say how well trained they are. I do point out that it's pure bribery but it works. 😂

I just think it's polite though as some people are frightened and my spaniel is often so disgustingly sodden with bog water that actually even just letting him run past someone is a bit rude!

I've been fortunate so far regarding meeting dogs out hacking. The only out of control dog we met was a collie that rushed up and circled us. Owner was too busy yelling at us about leaving horse poo to bother controlling his dog... I'm pretty sure The Beast would happily stomp an annoying dog. Not something I would actively encourage her to do but it is my fall back plan if we get in a pickle.
 

Tiddlypom

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Having GSDs I understand that many people are afraid of them. When I come across people when we're walking I step off the path with them and have them do a sit stay. It can be annoying at times but other people have access to the places where I walk.
I keep an eye out for fellow walkers’ body language, and put the JRT on a very short lead if they look at all worried when they see him. He’s fine with people, and loves children, but not everyone is comfortable around dogs.

Dog lovers are maybe at least as likely to be wary of a JRT as of a GSD :oops:.
 

Ambers Echo

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I've treated dog phobics, initially using PAT dogs in the hospital and as people have improved, out and about. I never take people to dog walking places till they are ready for it. But the reactions for untreated dog phobia can be extreme. People literally run in front of cars to get away from them. However if you are that severely phobic that you lose control at small triggers - ie just the sight of a calm and well behaved dog - you need to get help! It is not responsible adulting to lose it in front of people and threaten violence to innocent passers by.
 

Karran

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Mrs Spaniel hacks out with me and takes possibly a few liberties around my part loan. She is wary of horses after being sneezed on as a pup(!) And keeps about 15/20ft from the other horses at the yard.
If we're out walking, I obviously pop her on a lead if we meet horses and I see them coming. Sometimes we dont have warning and meet horses head on in the path while shes ferreting around in bushes so recall vanishes as she doesnt want to get close to the strange horses but she will sit and wait for them to pass so I always warn the riders that even if they cant see her, she is there but wont approach.
Miss Collie has only been with me 5 weeks and is learning recall and to respect horses and so if I'm walking on a known area for hacking she stays onlead and we use the opportunity to practice sit-stays.
 

pansymouse

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I've lots of bad dog experiences out hacking over the years including:

- being chased on a fairly regular basis by a huge Irish Wolf Hound and lurcher type out with their owners who were also hacking; no recall ever attempted. The owners are the entitled landed gentry types who are too grand to consider anyone else

- being told that my wearing hi vis was the reason a dog was barking at me unrestrained by it's owner

- being frequently told that dogs rushing up to us are "used to horses", well my mare is not used to dogs rushing up to her and she is doesn't like it

- being repeated circled by a high speed greyhound totally out of controlled whilst cantering in open country

- having my horse bitten by a dog which was being fed on a bridle path running next to it's owners house (did report that to the Police)
 

tamsinkb

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Dogs not under control is a pet peeve of mine....I have 3 spaniels all of whom spend the majority of time off lead, however if we are out walking and see someone either on foot or horseback ( or cycling) they have been taught to come straight back to us without even being called - even our 5 month old puppy does it, having learnt from the older dogs. It allows us to put them on leads is necessary, or move them off the path if that's a better option. I no longer ride out with the dogs, but used to with my oldest - he was taught to come back to the horse and wait for a command whenever he saw someone else - though he's now partly blind and selectively deaf so he doesn't always realise that others are around until I have shouted at him!
 

SEL

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I used to ride a friend's welshie. Bombproof but very defensive around dogs - assume something had happened in the past to justify that behaviour. I knew if he'd clocked one because his back would go up and if they came close he would turn his back end towards them and hated being pushed on. We had a few 'its only playing' and 'it won't hurt your horse' moments and one where he decided the terrier snapping at his heels deserved a wiggle of a back leg. Then the out of control weimaraner who chased us got both barrels and I was nearly unseated - the owner arrived 5 minutes later and got both barrels from me as well. I knew we'd made contact with the dog but really didn't want to hear 'that'll teach him'.

So I started to get apprehensive about dogs being out of control and came across 5 mad spaniels not long after. The owner saw me and with one whistle all 5 dogs returned to him and sat down neatly in a line. One was put on a lead and the others just sat motionless until we'd gone past. Obviously I thanked the owner, but honestly I could have hugged him that day. I still hate riding around off lead dogs.
 

scats

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Girl who used to be on our yard ended up coming off on the beach due to a dog. Dog then chased horse and it ended up running the mile home along the main road in absolute terror. The horse arrived back at the yard in a right state. Poor girl was then really wary of riding around dogs after that.
 

ester

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I've treated dog phobics, initially using PAT dogs in the hospital and as people have improved, out and about. I never take people to dog walking places till they are ready for it. But the reactions for untreated dog phobia can be extreme. People literally run in front of cars to get away from them. However if you are that severely phobic that you lose control at small triggers - ie just the sight of a calm and well behaved dog - you need to get help! It is not responsible adulting to lose it in front of people and threaten violence to innocent passers by.

But we do all know that requests for help don't mean any is actually granted.
 
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