Irresponsible dog owner quote of the week

Pearlsasinger

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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.


What do you do if you meet other dogs while you are hacking? I don't see how you can 'pop her on a lead' then but don't see the difference from meeting other dogs when you are on foot.
 

rascal

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Dog owners who can not be bothered to train their dogs drive me nuts. We have had so many jumping around our horses, and if you say anything to the owners, mostly you get a mouthful.
Our dogs have good recall, and are used to horses, but we still put them on a lead when we meet horses.
Once they were in Sutton Park where the herd of Exmoors graze, the entire herd galloped across the track in front of them, but were told to stay and they did, not that any of them would have chased.
 

Karran

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What do you do if you meet other dogs while you are hacking? I don't see how you can 'pop her on a lead' then but don't see the difference from meeting other dogs when you are on foot.

Mrs Spaniel is one of life's introverts. I have had her four years and she always has had absolutely no interest in any other dog, if another dog approaches her that she doesn't already know, there is a pretty much the same expression of horror you get when meeting a work colleague in the road and finding out you are going in the same direction after saying goodbye and she closes her eyes and ears to anything else and hopes it goes away, if she ignores it.
Dogs that she does know - like her flyball team, or the yard dogs get greeted politely and then again ignored while she carries on having a sniff or following me in the hope a tennis ball magically appears from a pocket.

All horses apart from the part loan must be given a wide berth in case they also sneeze on her which would be equivalent to the end of the world and a huge disaster!
 

Winters100

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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 :)
Totally agree. I adore all of my dogs, but my big guy is not reliable (comes eventually rather than immediately and unpredictable around horses). He is therefore always on a leash in public places. Takes nothing from his quality of life as he can run and play on our own property. He is safe, others are safe, and really how much effort is it to hold a leash?
 
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Im always amazes at how ignorant townie dog owners are. They drive their dogs out to the country to let them run around in green fields. The number of times I have stopped to tell people to stop running their dogs out amongst newly growing crops is unreal! Not everything that is green is grass! Plus its not their land. They bring up the adage of - there is no such thing as trespassing in Scotland but they scamper off and aren't seen in that spot again.
 

Gloi

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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.
Not necessarily. Some people are terrified of dogs. Others could be like my late sister who had a medical condition causing her skin to be very fragile. She became very afraid of loose dogs because of the damage they could do her. One jumped up at her and the claws ripped her skin in such a way that she needed weeks going to the hospital wound clinic treating the damage.
 

Gloi

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I'm afraid to admit that on my old pony I used to ride down a bridlepath that was popular with dog walkers. If one came at me aggressively I would spin the pony round and ride towards it at speed. Never met one that didn't scarper back to its owner.
As a teenager I was riding with a friend and a german shepherd came at my friend's cob who kicked it and killed it. This was back in the 70s when people let their dogs run loose all day while they were at work. Nobody about and no collar so never knew whose it was.
 

fankino04

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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:.
To be honest I'm always more concerned by an off lead jrt than an off lead gsd, my personal experience has taught me several times that my dogs will be attacked by terriers way more often than big dogs, sadly the last time this happened it led to Ash turning sharply to see what was snarling at him and re injured his back which led to pts, the owner didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with her small dog approaching my large on lead dog and snapping and snarling at him because obviously the size difference means that my dog would be OK 😠
 

ester

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It’s strange how hopeless members of the public are with their dogs and total lack of control or care that they are terrorising horse folk wherever they go .....by contrast members of this forum are faultless in their dog control !

Not given by the posts on this thread they aren't.
 

scruffyponies

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It’s strange how hopeless members of the public are with their dogs and total lack of control or care that they are terrorising horse folk wherever they go .....by contrast members of this forum are faultless in their dog control !

I think it is a difference in perception. A person who is scared of dogs (or who is mounted, and therefore afraid) sees an unpredictable loose dog. The owner is walking down the path, same as every morning, and has no reason to expect the dog to cause a problem, perhaps because they know their dog, and perhaps because they just weren't expecting anything new.

Bottom line is that if owners of dogs and horses spent more time desensitising their animals to make them safe, and less time criticising each other, we'd all be much happier.
 

Karran

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I think it is a difference in perception. A person who is scared of dogs (or who is mounted, and therefore afraid) sees an unpredictable loose dog. The owner is walking down the path, same as every morning, and has no reason to expect the dog to cause a problem, perhaps because they know their dog, and perhaps because they just weren't expecting anything new.

This is why I always clip Mrs Spaniel on a lead if I can. I know 99.999% of the time she will not want to go anywhere near a strange horse, but she is a dog and sometimes recall goes out the window if we spot a squirrel or rabbit and her suddenly taking off across a path to chase it wouldn't go down well.

I've also been the hacker suddenly filled with fear as an off lead dog approaches, hacking can be scary enough as it is. Why should I add to that? If I can't recall her as the horses are too close to me, I always call out to let them know she's nearby but that she's been around them the majority of her life and won't approach, so they are at least forewarned. The new collie is not yet safe around horses and recall is work in progress, so she is always on a longline if I am in an area where I know people hack out.
 

JFTDWS

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I'd settle for people abiding by the law. If you have a dog and you take it out anywhere, it should be under close control, which is defined as on a leash or coming at first call. If you have a horse, you should be in control of that too. I don't want my horses "desensitised" to other people's dogs when they're invading their fields, or nipping around their feet - I want my horses to defend themselves (despite that fact they all hack with my dog happily). I don't want my dog desensitised to other horses - I want him listening to me at all times so I can prevent him from engaging in a potentially dangerous interaction.

To be fair, the majority of the dog owners I meet are on the spectrum of fine and great. There's a few in the are who are stupid, and those are the ones mentioned in this thread because... well they're more relevant than the sensible ones!
 

SEL

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I think it is a difference in perception. A person who is scared of dogs (or who is mounted, and therefore afraid) sees an unpredictable loose dog. The owner is walking down the path, same as every morning, and has no reason to expect the dog to cause a problem, perhaps because they know their dog, and perhaps because they just weren't expecting anything new.

Bottom line is that if owners of dogs and horses spent more time desensitising their animals to make them safe, and less time criticising each other, we'd all be much happier.

I don't think 'being scared' is the point at all really. Dog owners - by law - must have their dogs under control. If it disappears under my horse's legs and they can't call it back then it isn't under control. If it comes into my field and rolls around in horse / fox poo and they can't call it back then again it isn't under control.

Both my horses are 100% fine with the two setters, the JRT puppy and the boisterous labrador x spaniel that inhabit our yard. I've even seen my arthritic boy balance and hop on 3 legs to avoid putting his foot down on the puppy when it wanted a bit of hoof trimming. If we're out though and a strange dog approaches their back legs then I would expect them to react. Dogs will bite at the legs of horses and horses will kick out to prevent that or if they feel really under threat then engage flight mode.
 

pansymouse

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Although I've had my fair share of bad dog owner experience I've also had many good ones and always take my time to compliment the owner on how beautifully behaved/trained their dog/s are. I'm also happy to stand my mare quietly whilst people with young or nervous of horses dogs get to know her. I want to make a positive contribution to creating good citizen dogs and owners.
 

ester

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As we are near a popular dog walking spot (wide, flat, stone path field with full fencing...) we do a fair amount of dog training assistance.
Frank is a bit Jekyll and hyde when it comes to dogs, the majority of the time fine but there have been occasions where he isn't. He got chased by a newfoundland once and been funny about large black dogs (inc labradors) since. - and I know it's not me as he did it with my sharer who told me because his behaviour was so unlike him and she knew nothing of the previous incident. Obviously I can read him pretty well. He absolutely loved the yard JRT from a puppy and she loved him!
 

SEL

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As we are near a popular dog walking spot (wide, flat, stone path field with full fencing...) we do a fair amount of dog training assistance.

With a footpath down my field so do I. Electric fence stops the horses going on it but dogs can easily come under the fence. The vast majority are either on leads or seem under control. There is one terrier though that has a good disappearing act and I find the owner yelling across the field for it.

I was hoping the fox poo incident might have taught its human a lesson but it helped poo pick the other night - by eating it.
 

Izzwall

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I had an incident a few years ago now where I was bringing my spooky welsh back into work. We were happily walking on Dartmoor when I spotted a dog walker in the distance. I was kitted out in hi viz and it would of been impossible not to see us. As we got about 10 meters away from them (could not avoid them) their dog (which looked very young) decided to run at us, I stopped my mare expecting him to call his dog back and the bloody idiot decided instead of calling his dog back he would throw a ball with one of those sticks right next to us!! Obviously poor mare spun around and took off in the opposite direction with the dog in hot pursuit, I came off which was enough to distract the dog to stop chasing my horse. Thankfully my lovely mare stopped and walked back to me shaking and I let rip at the owner saying how his stupidity almost harmed me and my horse. He shrugged his shoulders and said 'you got up ok' and then walked off! I was so speechless I didn't know what to say back, since then I'm very weary of loose dogs especially as dartmoor seems to attract the biggest self entitled idiots!
The biggest muppet I've ever met up there was a guy with one of those big remote controlled planes, I had to go past him to get home and as I got a few meters from him he picked up his plane, looked at me, then threw it in the air!! Poor mare took off across the moor with the utter ***** flying his plane after us!!
 

AlinFaolan

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I used to ride in two country's parks, separated by a duel carriageway, both very popular with both riders and dog walkers, so over their years had a few situations with dogs the only time I hit the deck was due to the owner not the dog. I was out with an other horse and slightly behind them, the dog, a collie ran at us barking, my lad just ignored it, the owner ran at the dog I assumed to grab it, Oh no a few feet in front of us she used a correction spray can at the dog, horrendous noise, my lad span on the spot and I saw his shoulder on the way down. I'm afraid I was rather rude to her, my friend was rather more polite, but I don't think she'll do it again.....
 

scruffyponies

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Sudden spray noises do seem to be universally hated, don't they? Mine don't flinch at dogs, crow scarers, guns, or much else, but a man once opened a ring-pull can on the pavement right by us (not meaning any harm - just an idiot), and it was all I could do to stay on my side of the road :D
 

Keith_Beef

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OH and I went out for a walk this afternoon.

We were about 50 metres from the house, next to a patch of land with as mix of small oak and robinia trees and grass. The was a young woman on a horse with another walking alongside on the road.

A dog, a youngish viszla, came bounding along the grass verge from a perpendicular road.

The horse was startled, started doing a little dance and it's hooves were skating on the tarmac.

The dog didn't bark or run any closer to the horse, but team into the trees to sniff around, then came bounding back and off along another road, in the direction that OH and I were going.

And then along came a girl of about 13 or 14 on an electric scooter, calling out in an American accent "yellow, come back here".

I said to the girl "you know, it's not a great idea to have your dog running around free like that; he just scared that horse and could have caused the rider to fall".

The girl's reply was "I didn't think there'd be that many people out".

OH was very much against me calling to the dog or getting closer to it, or else I would have clipped a lead rope to the dog's collar (I always have one in a jacket pocket for incidents like this) and would have gone to see the girl's parents.
 

lynz88

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The biggest muppet I've ever met up there was a guy with one of those big remote controlled planes, I had to go past him to get home and as I got a few meters from him he picked up his plane, looked at me, then threw it in the air!! Poor mare took off across the moor with the utter ***** flying his plane after us!!

I hate those plane or even drone flyers!!! There was a drone person years ago the scared the effing crap out of my horse to the point that if he hears any drones, he loses his marbles. Poor dude (horse) doesn't understand that not all drones will follow/"chase" him
 

Fieldlife

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What I find so amazing is that when I rode my horse in Hyde Park or Hampstead Heath in London I never had any issues with dogs. Yet in the countryside there are loads of loose and uncontrollable dogs. Why do dog owners not train their dogs or just keep them on a lead?

I guess in London the risk of loose dogs with no recall being run over is higher.
 

fidleyspromise

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It's sad the amount of issues people on this thread alone have had with GSDs.
I hack out with my GSD. She goes on lead and is by my side. I let her off lead on quiet tracks where we're not likely to meet others but if I do she jumps up so her front paws are on my legs and I clip her lead on.
We meet lots of people who are happy to see us but both horse and dog are calm and well behaved.

My horse tolerates my dog but will chase any others out of her field. A dog from a nearby house was loose and she penned it in the corner of her field. No idea how long for as I got to field and she came for her food. Dog ran and jumped the wall.

She ignores dogs out on hacks and I've had all sorts - small and large - run at us, between her legs, chase us.
She will listen to me, stop, turn and chase it back.
I've had a couple dogs that were put on lead and owners let them off once they were out of sight and a good bit away from us. The dogs have flown back to us. One just wanted our company. Poor owner was very apologetic as the little dog didn't want to leave us.

A couple months ago the riding school had just exited the beach and I was just behind them when a Greyhound type raced over, barking, running circles around my horse and leaping about. My horse stayed calm, turning to constantly face the dog.

The ones that really annoy me are the owners paying no attention to their dog. Dogs that appear to be by themselves as the owner is a good bit behind them. I've had a couple of these dogs make a nuisance of themselves to my horse and seen them pester owners walking their dogs.

I have however had lots of positive experiences with well behaved dogs and responsible owners. Any with young dogs or not seen a horse before I offer to let meet my horse so they can see she's nothing to be scared of/give them a good horse experience. (There are times where I don't offer this as my horse has been fresh/energetic).
 
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