A Donkey's Instinct

[JumpinJackFarm]

You guys...Abbie has taken up the hobby of chasing our sweet dog Hope Hope gets so frightened that she lays down in submission and I caught Abbie trying to trample her. Whenever Hope goes out in the pasture Abbie is right there chasing her out...it's a mad dash for Hope to get under a fence in time. All the donkeys I have ever had have NEVER had a problem with our dogs. Abbie has not learned this at all from the Jenny's I have now....so I assume it's instinct. At 6 weeks old...I can't believe she is brave enough and brash enough to do this.

: Will she out grow this....or is this the way she is going to be?

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

:no: :no: :no: I would never think of letting my dogs run loose in the pastures, my donkeys would go right after them and I am sure my dogs would be stomped. My donkeys even chase the barn cats out ..the donkeys will put these noses right to the ground and go after any cat that walks thru....so the cats have learned to not make the pasture a "pit stop" :bgrin I would probably have to say the majority of our friends who have donkeys have the same problem. Some donkeys will protect there pastures with there lives, while others could care less, but I do believe it is in a donkeys instinct to chase and stomp, and you just never know when that instinct is going to kick in ....even on the donkeys who never showed a intrest in dogs before. Its much better to be safe then sorry!

: Hope this helps you. Corinne

 

[HobbsFarm]

[SIZE=12pt]I have always heard that donkeys would protect their pasture and stomp whatever got in the way. Mine, however, are the opposite. One of my dogs is an Australian cattle dog and they shy away from her and her natural instinct to "herd". I guess you could say that they all just tolerate each other.

: They fall into the "could care less" category that Corinne was talking about, but now I know that I shouldn't assume that they will stay like that. Shannon :bgrin [/SIZE]

 

[JumpinJackFarm]

Hmmm...I guess this is going to be the way she is going to be. I am kinda glad though because I do need a donkey that will be more aggressive to the coyotes. I just hope she doesn't think she can accomplish that at this age :no: She is sooo brave...I really need to keep a closer eye on her! Maybe she is practicing on poor Hope. Hope just doesn't understand what she has done wrong?

 

[Chico]

Our little guy puts up with our family dog and cat but I wouldn't leave them alone unsupervised. Recently we had two coyotes show up at our house and our donkey chased them into our neighborhood. (We live on a dead end street and it was very early in the morning. He was safe.)If my husband hadn't stopped him I think he would have tried to kill them. He most certainly wouldn't let them back in our yard. I think chasing coyotes is instinct. P.J. certainly didn't learn this behavior from our family.

Chico

 

[lilfoot]

Our donkeys don't visibly chase or protect that I've seen but...we do have coyotes VERY close.

You will hear the braying occasionally at night so I can only assume something is lurking out there.

I do not let my dogs run loose on the farm but I regularly see the cats out near the donkeys.

Also used to see our friendly fox wander past the donkeys without even a glance! but he is now deceased.

 

[iluvwalkers]

MY GIRLS DON'T MIND BUT WHEN THE DOGS EVEN WALK ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE LINE MY JACK PINS HIS EARS AND RUNS THEM OFF. THEY DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH HIM EVEN THROUGH THE FENCE! :lol: NIKKI

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

our dogs go in the mini pen all the time, and a couple of them are almost as big as the minis! in the summer they use the water trough for a swimming pool and all year round they are snacking on road apples :smileypuke: no matter how many times we tell them :nono: :nono: they wont' stop. they have all learned though to keep one eye on the donks and especially the mini mule. and if anyone has a little foal the mule is especially protective. she once cornered a chicken and stomped it to death. gotta protect that filly!!! she went after one of the dogs too but as i said they pay attention and he got out before she got near him. they ALL know where "out" is, they've been told so often! the spotted gelding donkey we sold recently used to play with our little jack russell, i have the best pictures of them, half the dog is chasing the donkey and the other half the donkey is chasing the dog :lol: but he really was playing, if the dog stopped he would tease him till he would play again.