Horses attacking dogs

[Marsha Cassada]

I have a horse that won't tolerate a dog. Even my own dog is wary around him and I have to get on to Dusty for chasing him. Today my neighbor came over and his yellow lab went to cool off in the pond. Dusty chased him till he crawled under the low brances of a juniper. I could hear the dog barking occassionally, but my neighbor and husband thought it was funny that Dusty had the dog "treed". He is a very mellow, gentle dog. Finally I went out to rescue the dog. He kept trying to slink a few steps and Dusty herded him like a cow, threatening him if he put a paw wrong. I had to hold Dusty, then the lab made a run for the fence. Later I found out the dog even growled at Dusty, trying to warn him off. But Dusty kept shoving him.

So my concern is, what if Dusty tries to harrass a dog that is NOT gentle? Would he attempt to bully a mean dog? If this lab had decided to snap, it would have been a grim scenario.

I can't always have him on a halter and control the situation.

I like the idea that he would run off possible predators, but if a dog turned on him, would he have the sense to recognize a true predator?

I'd be interested in the experiences of folks who have dog chasers.

 

[Sue_C.]

Now that is a good question. But you can help him overcome his distrust of dogs, because actually, his aggressiveness most likely stems from fear.

I bought a mare several years ago, that had been basically born and brought up "wild". The area she was from is terribly bad for coyotes, and the breeder even told me he lost several foals a year to them. This mare, who was almost six, and never handled, was death on dogs when she first came here...and who could blame her. She had very likely fought couyotes away from her own foals, as well as the rest of the herd her entire life. It took her a long time, but after she learned to trust me, she came around with my coaching, and showing her the dog(s) wouldn't harm her.

 

[Candice]

Years ago my full sized gelding (he's a rig) would do this. He wasn't even reliable with human strangers on the property when he was loose. With age (he's now 25) he's much more mellow and tolerant. We believed it was a territory issue. My mini stallion is very intollerant of any animal that doesn't belong on our property. When he first arrived he didn't realize or didn't care that our dog belonged here and he attacked her. She's an 86 lb boxer who loves the minis dearly and he picked her up and threw her. It took her over a year to get over that one and she is still afraid of him. He, however is great with her now. After a few months here he just mellowed out (Thank God, because I was ready to kill him myself). What I have learned even with my mares is that they know who belongs and who doesn't. I've watched my mares band together with the foals inbetween them all and "move" a neighbors dog off the property. They're not dumb, they know.

If that dog growled at your guy and he didn't back down, chances are he won't. He is perceiving this dog as a threat. With horses its "fight or flight".

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Have you always had this horse since he was a baby? Do you know his past history with dogs?

One of my frind's horses was getting chased nightly by our neighbors dogs. She was scared and then ran. We put her with a couple older experienced gelding and they would run but would also try to run the dogs off. We noticed she would start to do it too.

I brought my big 80# aussie over for the day and he does chase horses but we had him on lead but you could see he would try to go and chase him. Without even thinking about it he got loose and started chasing them and it was in this horses pen, she would chase him and charge at him, protecting the herd. He was scared after that and ran right towards me accross the field.

Honestly I couldn't blame her, she has been chased by dogs before now she is tired of it. I think she would run with a very mean dog but hopefully not run herself to death. If your horse was chased before maybe thats why. Or some just naturally hate dogs. But I think they are smart enough to know the difference.

 

[SampleMM]

I wish my horses would chase the dogs away. Would you believe that mine are afraid of toy chihuahuas

It's unbelievable! Seriously though, I understand how this could be a problem and I am deathly afraid that my corgis will chase the horses and end up hurting one of the horses or getting hurt themselves. So, even though it's a pain in the butt, I never let me dogs run free because I can't take that chance. I wish you luck with your situation.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Thanks, everyone.

I have only had Dusty for a year, so I can't say if he was chased by dogs before, though knowing his former home I doubt it. I don't think his dog agression is fear, but it may be territorial. He appears to enjoy chasing dogs. He will come running lickety split across the pasture if someone shows up with a dog. Maybe he will mellow as he matures.

In fact, now that I think about the territorial thing, the dog thing really only started about 6 months ago. I've had him a year; maybe he is recognizing this as his territory now.

 

[Joanne]

I am going to bring you a different perspective.

As someone that lost a horse to an attack by two pit bulls, I am glad when my horses are afraid or try to stand their ground.

We have a 95# German Shepherd and they see him daily and the horses had never had to view dogs with anything else besides curiosity.

Until the attack.

Teaching your horses to ignore their instinct that dogs are descendent's from wolves may not be in your best interest.

Follow your gut that this neighbors dog may be a problem for your horses and make sure your horses are either safe away, or your neighbors dog is on a leash. Make sure that all visitors to your property keep their dogs under control.

Otherwise the outcome could prove to be fatal to your horse.

 

[Sue_C.]

Joanne, how horific!!!

I don't think a charging mini would scare off an aggressive dog bent on distruction...especially in the case of two or more dogs. Wild dogs, coyotes, and wolves are used to their prey trying to fight back, it doesn't scare them off, just makes them more wary.

My dogs are never allowed in with the horses, but they do not fear them, and will not run from them, but of course they would run from anything if they sensed danger.

 

[penny]

Our horse doesn't mind the dog, but he sure will chase a cat out of the pen!

Penny

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Teaching your horses to ignore their instinct that dogs are descendent's from wolves may not be in your best interest.

100% agree. I WANT my horse to harrass any dogs that get into their paddock! They have a right to defend themselves and with all the dog attacks we hear about on here, I want the mini to charge first and ask questions later.

What I will do is teach the horse a command that means "That animal is okay, break off and focus on me." My horses do not get to be nasty to dogs when they are under tack (halter and lead or in harness) as that is MY time, MY judgement, and MY job to defend them when they're under my control. I teach them to trust that I will keep them safe. In the process of establishing that trust they learn to look to me for instructions on how to handle the dog and I'll ask them to restrain themselves. If I don't give that guidance, however, the ears go back and they'll stomp at any dog who is being "rude." There was one effusive yellow lab at a place we camped who simply WOULD NOT get out of Kody's space and kept licking at his flanks as he was walking. I knew he was only being overly-friendly but it made both of us nervous and I gave Kody a loose lead and told him to go ahead. After a moment of jigging along with pinned ears he gave a warning kick with one hind leg and when the dog came right back he finally turned his butt and kicked at him with both barrels. He wasn't aiming to hurt him, only scare him, but it did the job and I worried a lot less about the horse's safety in camp as the correction had come from him and not me. If I'd been the one scaring the dog off he would have come right back as soon as I wasn't around.

I don't think a charging mini would scare off an aggressive dog bent on distruction...especially in the case of two or more dogs. Wild dogs, coyotes, and wolves are used to their prey trying to fight back, it doesn't scare them off, just makes them more wary.

Agreed, especially in the case of a pack, but at the very least it buys time for help to get there! I'm going to hear a fight a lot sooner than I'll hear little mini hooves running in the grass.

A big horse I will not allow to be dog-aggressive in any context as the dogs don't pose much threat to them and they are quite capable of seriously injuring Man's Best Friend, but a mini is a different story.

Leia

 

[Minimor]

sorry, no help here on getting horses to not chase dogs. Most of our horses don't bother, but a couple of the ponies will go after a dog that goes out into the pasture & gets too near to them--our own dogs included. That's okay--our dogs soon learn to keep an eye out & stay out of the horses' way. If someone else's dog goes into the pasture, the horses are quite welcome to chase it. Neighbor's dogs are NOT allowed on the property, and one that ends up out in the pasture with the horses--regardless if the dog's owner is or isn't near at hand--will get yelled at. If the horses don't chase it out, I will! I do worry about the cats around these particular ponies, but fact is in most cases the cats don't go out around the horses unless I am out there too, then the cats tend to follow me, so I just have to keep an eye on them when we're out there. In most cases the cats also know which ponies to avoid. If a pony does show an interest in chasing a cat I'll give a shout--partly to distract the horse and partly to warn the cat--and that pretty much tells the pony to never mind & leave the cat alone, plus gives the cat time to run.

I hope that if an aggressive dog did come into the pasture that a couple of these dog-chasing ponies would go for it & trample it--probably wouldn't, but I don't believe the ponies would be any worse off if they tried to be aggressive than if they retreated from an aggressive dog. I don't want them putting their nose down to check out an aggressive dog, but that isn't the way these ponies approach a dog anyway--they go full tilt after the dog, striking at it, and even kicking if it veers off & they run past it.

 

[Peggy Hogan]

<-----tends to think I'd rather have a self protective horse/mini. A really tough situation all around though.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Carlos, my younger stallion (now six) will not tolerate dogs of any kind, or foxes, in his field. I am more than happy with this and if he actually caught a dog I have no doubt he would hurt it, I had to chase him off this morning so my Dobes could get through !!!!

He uses his teeth and everything, too.

I have always actively encouraged him as there is a footpath right by his field.

A dog attacking he could cope with easily. Two dogs attacking, no, not sure he could, but the resultant noise and activity would be very likely to attract help for him.

I would never discourage a dog unfriendly horse!