YO's Dog Jumping Up And Scratching My Car

[3~2~1]

Hi all i'm a newbie looking for a bit of advice, my YO's dog roams around the farm its a big dog which is really lovely, but always a bit too keen to see you, as I pull up outside my stables he runs over jumping up and down the drivers door scratching his claws down the side of the door, now my car is not worth £20K but it is only 3 years old and is worth probably £6K or £7k and before this all started it was pretty immaculate, i've tried mentioning it and saying its upsetting me but they just have a little giggle and tell me how much he loves to see me !! i'm at the end of my tether when today I was mucking out, I looked out the stable door and the dog is jumping up and down the back of my car, there was no-one or nothing in it, PMT kicked in and I lost my rag, yelled at the dog and ran accross the yard and chased it off with a broom, I absolutely love my yard its so small/quiet and is basically a do as you please yard, my horses are happy but this is just so annoying, any advice, maybe from any YO's point of views ? thanks.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

I've had this poblem with my last yard and the farm dogs scratching my car, but don't know how to stop it other than parking outside the farm or keeping a water pistol in your pocket. Its the dogs home, so he can't really be locked away.

 

[Kenzo]

We had this problem, although I wasn't that bothered with my car (OH's car would be a different story however!) but I could understand how other people would be, think it was mentioned then a sign went up saying you park at your own risk, he's a good guard dog and no longer does this with people/cars he knows, (he's got better) but he'd certainly do it with a strangers car (and bite...he once bit my vet ) but I'd rather him be there than not at all if you see what I mean.

It's a tuffy, all you can do is mention it, but like some else said, the dog is on his own land and if it's not specifically run as a livery yard (more like a farm with livery on the side) then if I was the YO then I'd have to say well sorry but that's the way it is, if you have children coming and going and the dog actually was a hazard, jumping up at people and scratching them as well as the cars, then yes the YO should not have it loose.

 

[mcnaughty]

There is a dog "zapper" think you can get - lets of a high pitched scream - dogs hate it - try that when he comes near your car or the water pistol out of the car window might help.

 

[Carefreegirl]

Run it over ? ONLY JOKING !!!!! Water pistol ready loaded as soon as you get to the yard wind your window down and be ready and waiting.

 

[LegOn]

I dont understand how people laugh off things like this when their dogs or animals (or kids for that matter!) do things to damage other peoples property! I dont think its acceptable at all regardless of age or state of your car - if you went past her car with a shavings fork & marked it, I'm sure it would be a different story so why is the dog doing it any different.

I would take them aside (when your calm!) and explain that you love the dog & the yard but you cannot afford to have damage done to your car like that, and just explain rationally that you will discipline the dog how you see fit if they dont. I agree with the water pistol & zapper techiques or else just beep the horn or growl at him - use a deep, mean voice & he will eventually get the message.

 

[Brownmare]

I am a YO with five dogs free range on the farm I do tell them off if I see them jumping up at any car but tbh if I'm not there then I can't do much about it, much as I would like to. If a livery mentioned there was a problem like this I would be happy to provide a small water pistol or pet corrector (compressed air spray) for the liveries to use to deter them. I appreciate it isn't the liveries job to train my dogs but it is the most consistent and therefore quickest way to deter the behaviour.

 

[smiffyimp]

Go to a body shop and get a quote for the respray, then give it to the YO and say they will have to pay it if they are not prepared to stop the dog jumping up at cars! In fairness to the dogs, if people get out of their cars make a good fuss of him he probably thinks he's doing a good thing. If you all start ignoring him until you are away from your cars, he should get the hint. 4 paws on the floor!

 

[3~2~1]

Thanks for all the replies, I do appreciate he is on his own land, and I have tried recently totally and I mean totally ignoring him, he does get bored eventually and wander off but not before he's done several bounces up and down my car. Water pistol is a great idea I will get one off the kids tonight and go armed with it in the morning. Although I don't have young children there is one other livery besides me and she does have little un's, the dog has more than once knocked her kids down, she was furious but won't say anything. He is also a horse chaser so if you ride off of the yard he will chase you up the farm track jumping, and barking, never nasty but just over anxious/excited, its not a puppy btw, its about 5/6 years old, but theyv'e only had it 6 months from a rescue centre. I've found him more than once in my paddock chasing my horses, luckily one of mine is very highly strung and more than gives him a run for his money, she will eventually trample him if he doesn't learn very quickly to get out of her way, again YO just giggles and tells me he loves horses !. Catch 22.......

 

[Spring Feather]

I'm a YO and I have the opposite problem to the OP. My dogs have never jumped up on cars or people. It is not something I allow or have ever allowed however one of my liveries has actively encouraged one of my dogs to jump up on her and her car when she arrives. Every time I've been there I tell the dog to get down which she does immediately, but the livery then says that she likes the dog giving her cuddles, to which I respond that cuddles are fine but on the ground, not on people or their vehicles. It has taken many months to get this through to my livery that I do not want any of my dogs jumping up on anyones car and I had to impress upon her quite strongly to stop asking the dog to do it. Thankfully she has stopped calling the dog up and the dog has gone back to being the good dog she always has been and on all 4 legs all of the time.

If I was in your situation I would shout at and chase the dog every time it went to jump up. That's what I would do with my own dogs and that's what I'd ask my liveries to do if my dogs jumped up on their cars when I wasn't around to reprimand them.

 

[EAST KENT]

You voluntarily park your car in the yard where you know there are problem dogs! Park outside ..or get yourself a banger like mine.
Cannot bear car proud wusses,cars are squares of metal to get from A to B, and that is all they are.

 

[Luci07]

I would tell the YO what you are going to do before you do it... and maybe (though I appreciate its not your job) put some basic training into the dog. Maybe with the other livery? So my dog will jump up at people he knows (not to me!) so I asked other liveries to bring up their knee quickly to stop him and then to turn away. He is much better because he has clicked no one will say hello till all 4 paws are on the floor. Not 100% cos there are still some who call him with open arms.. oh well!. So the ignore till all 4 paws are on the ground and THEN say hello. Horse chasing is a bit more dangerous - to both your horses and to the dog. Tell your YO he very nearly got kicked - but the horse just missed and again see if you can give him some basic training. TBH its been a bit hit and miss when I have had to train mine to avoid the horses and never had the same way of doing it. With one walking and keeping her focused on me and "away" taught my bitch, the dog was bolder but made the mistake of legging it into my geldings stable to nip him - I was lucky with a well aimed dandy brush and he has never gone near my horse again! ( or others!)

 

[Enfys]

Hmmmm, irritating, I do see your point.

As a YO I would be absolutely livid if anyone disciplined my dogs though.

My dogs are watch dogs, they do a job, that's what they are here for, they aren't pat dogs, they guard my property and that means telling me whenever someone comes down the laneway. They bark, but they wouldn't dream of jumping at a vehicle unless there was a dog barking at them from within, if a car gets scratched because of that, well, sorry,but tough, rules are NO visiting dogs, at all, even in vehicles.

However, as Guard dogs, I take responsibility for them and accept that most people find them intimidating, that is the intention, they are not permitted to run loose during the obvious hours when an Owner might be expected to visit their horse, and at any other time between 8pm to 7am, they are only out of their yard if one of us is also outside.

On the other hand, as an Owner, I wouldn't be impressed at all at a dog jumping up at my car, but I would just see it as part and parcel of parking on a public yard where I knew yard dogs were free to do as they pleased.

I think, if I was excessively bothered I would have a word with the YO and ask if there was any specific command she would like me to use to get the dog to back off.

No way would I ever consider asking for money for repairs, that would probably come under the yard disclaimer in the contract, I know it does in mine!

"Stables take, or accept, no responsibility for damage, accident, injury (blah, blah, blah) to Owners, visitors or property....."

 

[3~2~1]

Thanks again for replies, there is no livery contract, it is merely a small(ish) ex farm - it just has a few units on which are rented out to various businesses and then the four stables over in one corner, and the YO's mobile home, I know its a tricky situation and i'm not a "car loving worshiper" my car really is one of the most unimportant things to me BUT I am not made of money and work hard for what i save up for and that's why it does bother me, and to answer the person who said I should buy an old banger, well to be honest I can't afford to tax/mot/insure 2 cars just so I can keep one for best and one for the yard, and the one I do have is what I need for the yard/towing trailer/collecting hay/feed etc, and is also used to ferry me back and forth to the school/work etc.

Think I will have another word with YO tomorrow and see where I go from there, hopefully she will be a little more interested this time I mention it.