Sick to death of irresponsible dog owners

[CobsGalore]

I've literally had enough.

Yet again today, I was happily trotting along a bridle path when my horse spooked. Turned around to see an enormous dog chasing us, barking and growling.

I've had a few bad experiences in the past, so cue emergency dismount, and I stood between the dog and my horse waving my whip at it to stop it attacking us.

absolutely no owners to be seen anywhere.

Finally owners wandered round the corner, shouting at dog, who took absolutely no notice and carried on barking and jumping up at my horse.

They reassured me that he was friendly and just playing, which I explained that's not how my horse sees it. No apology, nothing. They didn't even put it on a lead after this.

I am sick to death if this happening. It seems to be a regular occurrence and the owners seem to have no clue they have done anything wrong?

It makes me nervous about hacking out, which is sad, because I love hacking.

Rant over, sorry.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I've literally had enough.

Yet again today, I was happily trotting along a bridle path when my horse spooked. Turned around to see an enormous dog chasing us, barking and growling.

I've had a few bad experiences in the past, so cue emergency dismount, and I stood between the dog and my horse waving my whip at it to stop it attacking us.

absolutely no owners to be seen anywhere.

Finally owners wandered round the corner, shouting at dog, who took absolutely no notice and carried on barking and jumping up at my horse.

They reassured me that he was friendly and just playing, which I explained that's not how my horse sees it. No apology, nothing. They didn't even put it on a lead after this.

I am sick to death if this happening. It seems to be a regular occurrence and the owners seem to have no clue they have done anything wrong?

It makes me nervous about hacking out, which is sad, because I love hacking.

Rant over, sorry.

That's crap...I'm having dog problems at the moment only slightly different, a. Dog keeps act taking my dog and it's only finally got sorted.


Where abouts in bucks are you? My horses are in bucks (near Bletchley)

 

[Hexx]

Speak to the local dog warden - they may be able to help. If you are using well known bridlepaths, they may be able to put a notice up about keeping dogs under control.

I feel your pain - my horse is OK with dogs as long as they are not coming up close and barking - he will kick out, and has made contact in the past with a dog's head!

It just makes me cross, I always am respectful of horses and my dogs go on the lead the minute I see a horse near, in fact, they see a horse and come back to me themselves.

Keep your chin up, carry sausages and chuck it at the dog, sausages are much more fun than barking at horses!

 

[CobsGalore]

Thanks. My horse is fine with dogs too, but understandably it scares him when they come chasing up behind. And I don't particularly like being barked at either, I find it intimidating.

How do I find out who my local dog warden is? That's a good idea, thank you.

Love the sausage idea too!

 

[Mithras]

I'm sick of them too - I got bitten really badly by a dog off the lead when I was out running/exploring new hacking routes, and ended up in hospital. Still glad it wasn't my horse's tendon that was bitten through.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Hunting whip with electric fence wire on the end of a good long thong.

 

[CobsGalore]

I'm sick of them too - I got bitten really badly by a dog off the lead when I was out running/exploring new hacking routes, and ended up in hospital. Still glad it wasn't my horse's tendon that was bitten through.

Oh no I hope you're ok now.

Something needs to be done. People need to be educated, dogs need to be trained and not let off the lead until they are.

 

[Hexx]

Look on the local council website - there should be a section on dogs and the warden's details should be listed.

 

[CobsGalore]

Look on the local council website - there should be a section on dogs and the warden's details should be listed.

Thank you

 

[Annette4]

I now won't walk my dogs down 'popular routes as I either get abuse for simply owning my dog or they get attacked.

We stick to known quiet spots of the roads. We are lucky that we are on the edge of the peaks so can easily find and get to quiet spots.

 

[ladyt25]

I have never been in the situation where this happens and the owners aren't mortified and apologise profusely for their dog's behaviour. However, not all dog owners are like that and not all understand at all that this behaviour isn't acceptable and that horses can react unpredictably to this sort of thing.

I do think though as horse riders we need to be in control and the horse should be taught to do as you (as it's rider) asks. I have also found the best thing to do when a dog is doing this is to revert to dog commands that it might actually understand - ie "Leave it", "Bad Dog", "No", "Away" etc. I rode through a farm the other day and they have always had farm collies. The one there at the time decided he was going to have a pop at my horse and (as per usual) came up to his heels as we passed through and threatened to nip as collies do. I growled at it to "leave it" and the collie skulked off. I wouldn't really be tempted to get off unless I really felt the horse, or dog was totally out of control and I felt dismounting was safer.

 

[CobsGalore]

I know not all dog owners are like that, but it seems that I am increasingly meeting badly behaved dogs while hacking out.

Like I said, I had a very bad experience with a dog before so it makes me very nervous. It was my first solo hack out with my youngster since moving to a new yard, so I made the decision to get off - I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

I was completely in control of my horse, in fact, I think I was more worried about it than he was. I don't like big dogs that I don't know, especially when they are running at me barking.

 

[Dubsie]

Daughter's taken to riding the NF towards the barking dog, his sheer size sends them scurrying - he used to be a wimp and run. Now he's learned not to be scared, really galloped after one that came in the field the other week. Round here they've no idea, just let them run along the road, no lead, not trained to recall, and tell the dog off when it comes back (so no wonder they ignore the owner). Perils of living on the edge of suburbia, really looking forward to the 600 houses going up diagonally opposite us.

 

[AnotherNewbie]

Keep your chin up, carry sausages and chuck it at the dog, sausages are much more fun than barking at horses!

Please don't do this as you will be rewarding the dog for chasing the horse, and the dog will learn to chase every horse looking for sausages!

 

[maisie06]

I'm afriad it would have got a few lashes with my whip....

 

[lamlyn2012]

Enter it as an incident on the BHS website.

 

[touchstone]

Some good advice here:- http://www.haflingerhavenfarm.com/blog/blog/what-to-do-when-you-and-your-horse-are-chased-by-a-dog

I'd also contact the dog warden, they can keep an eye out and have a word with the owners.

 

[webble]

It amazes me how many dogs are out of control and how many owners dont realise its a problem

 

[Sprout]

I share your frustration - when riding I have dogs racing up barking, nipping heels, jumping up etc, and the owners either don't care or have no control. Being told you should have full control of your horse is ridiculous, hoses are flight animals and even the most well trained, well behaved horse can be spooked at times.
I also have problems when I walk my dog - she is constantly being attacked by loose dogs, whose owners again have not even basic control over them. If a dog will not come back when called it should not be let off lead until owner and dog have worked on it!

 

[bearTessy]

Having witnessed Tess being attacked by an out of control dog, despite being 1000% with dogs, doesn't bat an eyelid at friendly ones but when a Rottweiler is charging at you with the intent to attack its another matter. I think it as much the dog owners responsibility to ensure if their dog is off the lead it is friendly and has good enough recall to return to the owner when needed ! Only last weekend when with my boyfriend on the tractor we watched a women straying from a public footpath and her dog running out of control at other walkers and three fields away onto private farm land towards where the old sheep shed was.

 

[asommerville]

I have seen someone in here in the past mention an alarm you can buy from amazon that sends off a sounds that only the dogs can hear and shuts them up and puts them off apparently, can't remember the name though sorry but you can keep it in your pocket!

 

[webble]

I have seen someone in here in the past mention an alarm you can buy from amazon that sends off a sounds that only the dogs can hear and shuts them up and puts them off apparently, can't remember the name though sorry but you can keep it in your pocket!

Would horses hear it aswell though?

 

[CobsGalore]

I share your frustration - when riding I have dogs racing up barking, nipping heels, jumping up etc, and the owners either don't care or have no control. Being told you should have full control of your horse is ridiculous, hoses are flight animals and even the most well trained, well behaved horse can be spooked at times.
I also have problems when I walk my dog - she is constantly being attacked by loose dogs, whose owners again have not even basic control over them. If a dog will not come back when called it should not be let off lead until owner and dog have worked on it!

Agree 100%

I just don't understand why you would let a dog off the lead if you haven't taught it to come back to you.

Even forgetting about horses, what if it ran onto the road, started barking at a child, bit another dog....

Some people just should not have animals.

 

[shannonandtay]

This is happening more and more now. My daughter and her friend were chased across a field by a large dog while its owner just turned his back and walked off in the other direction, I reported it to the forest rangers but never heard anything back. I also have the same problem walking my dog, unfortunately there seems to be so many people who think they have the right to walk their dogs off lead even around the roads where we live and my dog has been attacked twice now.

 

[CobsGalore]

I have reported it via the BHS website.

Something needs to be done. I've never had such a problem with loose/badly behaved dogs, literally in the last few years it has got beyond a joke.

 

[NoCollection]

If it happens again and you have time, whip your phone out and take a photo of the dog and the owner. Nothing illegal in that, but it tends to make dog-owners behave a bit better. Same with cars that misbehave - a photo is fabulous! It just makes people think twice.

 

[samlf]

I think horses should be used to having dogs running around them. Both mine are.
However, that is a completely different kettle of fish to a dog aggressively running AT them, most horses faced with a strange dog behaving like that would be unsettled to say the least.

I have given up hacking around my local woods because there are so many dog walkers who have no idea how to control or train their dogs. I also don't walk my dogs around that wood for the same reason.

I do, however, walk my dogs on many local bridleways and make sure I listen out for any signs of horses. Even though both my dogs are very well trained I would always put them on a lead to keep them out of the way of the horses.

I don't think this is a problem that will ever be solved because there are so many people who choose to have dogs and are completely ignorant to dogs' body language and how to train them. All you can do is deal with each individual situation, and if needs be report to dog warden.

 

[california dreaming]

It is very frustrating when you meet some one who has a dog that is out of control and they are too ill mannered to A) try to control it and B apologise for its/their incompetent behaviour. I am a dog groomer and I truly believe that most pet dog owners are totally convinced that their dog is a little person in a fur coat with the same rights as humans. And I know that they are also terrified to hurt the dogs feelings in case said dog will not love them any more.

 

[StormyGale]

I completely agree. . Only this weekend I was out riding alone as usual, my horse is fine with dogs very laid back, I pulled into a layby to let a horse lorry past and a lady came along behind me with a boxer dog, I have nothing against dogs I love them and have two myself, she asked if she could walk past before I walked out as her dog was excitable and she couldn't really hold her when 'she goes' so I waited patiently as she walked past me dog on its back legs the whole time leaping around just as she got past me dog pulled away from her lead trailing behind and just went straight for my horses leg no warning no barking just straight at my poor horse. He kicked out understandably and made contact with the dog which yelped and ran off up the road, Luckily my horse had tendon boots on which are now sporting rather large indentations where said dogs teeth went - so glad he had them on! But the lady turned to me and said your horse is a liability and you will owe me a vets bill if shes injured! I told her very calmly that if there is so much as a mark on my horse she will be recieving the vet bill and I will be reporting her for having a dog that she can't control on a public road. I was fuming but just goes to show even when their on the lead if the owners have no clue or no sense of responsibility theres not a lot you can do - sorry rant over

 

[pip6]

I've been attacked twice whilst riding. The ones that say'he wont hurt, he's only playing' get the response of if my horse kicks him in the head with her steel shoes on he'll be dead, but my horse will only be playing' normally sends them scurring after dog (which of course never comes to recall).