Teaching horse sense to a dog?

[LHIS]

Hi everyone,
I have a 6 year old terrier, she is from working stock and is a working ratting breed, though has never worked herself. She is not to be trusted around small furries and birds, though poultry tends to be safe as most chickens are around her height. She is good with cats and usually doesn't chase.
However, she has very little horse sense. I'd like to try and teach her some, though have no idea how to go about it. As mentioned she is 6, turning 7 soon, is teachable, though is very much a terrier when it comes to training.
I currently keep a very close eye on her, or have her on a lead when at the yard, though I would love to be able to trust her to be off the lead and left to to her devices. She is a little weary of the horses, but again is a terrier and can be snappy.
Can anyone share any tips/experiences in how to go about teaching her to give the horses a wide berth?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Hi everyone,
I have a 6 year old terrier, she is from working stock and is a working ratting breed, though has never worked herself. She is not to be trusted around small furries and birds, though poultry tends to be safe as most chickens are around her height. She is good with cats and usually doesn't chase.
However, she has very little horse sense. I'd like to try and teach her some, though have no idea how to go about it. As mentioned she is 6, turning 7 soon, is teachable, though is very much a terrier when it comes to training.
I currently keep a very close eye on her, or have her on a lead when at the yard, though I would love to be able to trust her to be off the lead and left to to her devices. She is a little weary of the horses, but again is a terrier and can be snappy.
Can anyone share any tips/experiences in how to go about teaching her to give the horses a wide berth?

Following with interest!
My little dog comes to work on a yard with me most mornings, as does my Labrador. Labs 18 months and has inbuilt horse sense. He disappears to his bed the second he hears any hoof sound on the yard! Little one on the other hand won't move, lies in their beds and sleeps, walks underneath them. I'm not sure if he just expects me to save him or if he genuinely thinks he's invincible!
Everyone told me when he god stood on or kicked he'd learn but he accidentally had his paw stood on by my own horse who jumped at dogs yelping and landed on him again!..... A few hours later he's back confident as ever!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Incidentally rightly or wrongly when I had a chance a few times I gave him a little kick myself in the hope he'd think it was a horse and learn.
He just jumps up and glares indignantly at the poor horse!

 

[LHIS]

Poiuytrewq - your little dog sounds a bit like mine! I don't want to go down the 'let her get kicked and she'll soon learn' route as she is only a little thing, I don't want her to get flattened or injured, and she would bite in retaliation, and I don't want that happening to any horse in case it gave them a dog complex.
She's intelligent and quick to learn, so there must be a way!

 

[Antw23uk]

How come your only starting this six years on?

I think controlled exposure is the aim of the game. Always set yourself up for success and by that always have control.

Think about scenarios and/ or situations you would be in with her and train around that. So for example coming to call no matter what is a priority for me (I have a ten month old collie type which luckily has inbuilt horse sense!) and knowing the word 'down' so at any given time I can say 'Down' to her and I know she will hit the deck and stay there until she is given another command or I say 'ok' and she knows she can carry on doing what shes doing.

Have someone with you so your not trying to control a horse and the dog. Make clear boundaries of where she can and cant go and this is in and around the yard and also around the horse. Having her on the lead means you can physically control this so if she walks behind or under a horse whilst your grooming (or pretending for training purposes) then you can say a firm 'No' and bring her back to where you want her to be (by your side, laying by the grooming kit box etc)

I don't really have the opportunity to have my dog on the yard (yard dogs would eat her!) but I do plan to ride out round the farm with her tagging along this summer and we've been working on this in stages with my OH coming for walks with me when im riding. Me giving her commands whilst on the horse (sit stay down etc) and then praising accordingly. I'm fortunate that my horse was used as a lead horse hunting so is bomb proof with dogs so think about choosing the right kind of horse to help you with the training? We take her to competitions where she must sit quietly with other spectators always on the lead and being praised accordingly.

To be honest it would be a nice idea to have my dog on the yard with me but realistically I would probably have her in a 'down stay' to one side for the majority of it because I wouldn't want her just casually walking round unsupervised. When im on my own and she is with me she stays in the car until I'm done and then we park up and have a lovely walk.

Good luck

 

[LHIS]

Only just coming to this now as I've got a pony on loan which understandably is taking up a lot of my time, time that would be otherwise spent with the dog. Previously I had been taking riding lessons (therefore wasn't appropriate to bring her with me), and before that had another pony on a share which lived on a yard with other dogs that she wouldn't have got along with (it's probably worth mentioning she is not a dog's dog, but is much happier with human company). She is a rescue and I think she has been around livestock in the past, but this would have been when she was a puppy.

Your Collie sounds very sensible - unfortunately I'm not sure my terrier has the brains of breeds like a Collie - though she will be obedient, I can't see her planting herself somewhere for more than a minute, she is very very inquisitive, nose to the ground following a scent type of dog.

The continued exposure idea sounds sensible, I will keep on bringing her and seeing how she fares. I wouldn't be able to leave her in the car (she would get frustrated and bark herself, and everyone within earshot, deaf) nor can I pop her in an empty stable as again just barks.

I do of course have the option of not bringing her, but just seems a shame because with all the smells and things to explore whilst at the yard, she'd really enjoy it.

 

[Antw23uk]

I would keep her on the lead and just keep doing what your doing. Make sure she knows the word 'no' and make sure you can move her using body language (yes your foot, you don't have to touch her) that would be a good place to start perhaps? Take a pocket full of yummy treats and praise her when you've asked her to do something. Treat every yard visit as a training opportunity and just hope she doesn't get kicked or trod on!

You have just listed a few of the reasons why I 'don't do' terriers, lol ... Give me a collie any day Bella's young, she isn't sensible, she's a puppy whose just been very carefully produced as we say in the horsey world, lol

Good luck

 

[MyBoyChe]

Our little jrt comes out with me on horse and OH on foot. He is really happy trotting along, keeps one eye on the horse and nips out of the way if he thinks a hoof is coming too close. I would love to take him with me when I ride alone but I just dont feel comfortable with it, I couldnt 100% be sure I could control both if anything happened. Equally I never take any of my dogs to the yard with me. I wouldnt trust them not to run off after a rabbit or something and the thought of them getting into neighbouring sheep fields doesnt bear thinking about! Its something Ive always wanted to do but just worry about the consequences if anything went wrong.

 

[Meems]

When my now elderly Yorkie was a puppy she ran right into a field and got underneath a rather highly strung youngster. I screamed at her when I saw her heading towards him but she took not a blind bit of notice.

She then decided to start jumping up and barking at him, all I could see was this horse going absolutely nuts, kicking out and bucking with my dog underneath. It probably only lasted 20 seconds but it was awful I just felt so helpless. Just one kick to her head and she would have been a dead dog. She managed to break free and came tearing out of the field at a speed of knots and jumped into my arms. Her heart was beating so fast, I've never known anything like it.

It obviously scared the hell out of her because she ALWAYS kept a very respectful distance around horses for the next 12 years and she's always spent a lot of time around them, especially when I used to work at a livery yard. She used to come out hacking with me and would always keep a safe distance behind my mare.

As for actively teaching them horse sense I don't know really.

 

[Luci07]

With all of my staffords, I have started from the point that they need to stay away from all horses. They all know what "no" means. With the boy, he got a large dose of the green eyed monster around my horse and would have nipped him but a lucky strike with a dandy brush put paid to that. Training to come out on a hack took a lot longer and "come" and "leave" were my friends, but only no 3 passed the test to be safe to come out. No 4 "might" join now she is older but we will have to go back to bootcamp again!