First, dog stays IN MY DAMN TRAILER with her personal fan.
Dog is NOT reactive, snippy, quick, bitey, barky, growly - she’s a coward, without a bite - period. Dog does NOT go to barns. Dog is NOT tied in aisles. Dog is NOT left in a stall. Dog does NOT go to bleachers. Dog does NOT go to show office. Dog does NOT go to any area where she interacts with strangers. The closest she gets to any of that is a couple cross country walks.
Again, dog stays IN MY DAMN TRAILER with her personal fan. If someone walks in my trailer and is offended about the hackles, that’s fine because my question is why were you in my trailer?
I manage my dog in a way that there is zero, read that, zero chance she will get into trouble. She’s in a collar she can not slip (2" martingale), on a leash she can not chew (cable). I can whoa down her from a dead run 100 yards out with 100% proof, with skid marks she hits the ground so fast. She’s managed in a way that is 100% unobtrusive to every other competitor. I’d guess 99 out of 100 don’t even know I have a dog there with me. I’m not taking Hackles into the barns and bleachers with me, because I’m not dumb.
You don’t want her there? Change the rules. Till then, she’s coming with me, like the 15+ other shows she’s already been at (and caused zero trouble).
Yall need to hang around better dog people if you have a laundry list of bad stuff that’s happened to you or your immediate friends. That’s ridiculous, and there’s no excuse for it.
For the last 24 years (from the time I got my first dog to the time I retired), I went home Every Day at Lunch. I was lucky, as I live(d) only 10 minutes from where I work(ed). The idea of leaving my dogs alone for 10 hours, without an opportunity to “use the bathroom” makes me very uncomfortable–there’s no way I could “hold it” for that amount of time.
I did have neighbors who, because of where they worked, didn’t see their dogs for about 10 hours. I DO know that they hired someone to come in every day to let their dogs out and to spend some time with them. I don’t know how much that that cost them, but I’m sure it wasn’t cheap.
I have a backyard, yes, but I have six cats, also. I DO NOT want them wandering through the doggy door to go outside. My backyard has an alley running behind it. I installed a stockade fence when I caught kids teasing my dogs through the old fence. Even with the stockade fence, I have found broken glass and recently, a partially eaten chocolate bar, in my backyard, near that alley. And the alley is, also, used by teenagers as a way to go to and from the high school that is practically next door to me.
And some years ago, a neighbor told me she caught someone leaning over her (low) fence in an attempt to snatch her Pomeranian. MAYBE that person wanted her Tiger for a pet OR maybe to use as a “bait dog.” It’s not unknown here, and if I came home to find a dog missing and later found to have been used in dog fighting, I would be devastated and downright murderous. There is NO WAY that I would permit my dogs outside unsupervised.
I had a professional dog sitter years ago. She had One Very Simple But Particular Instruction, other than let the dogs out and feed the dogs. I came home to find that that One Very Simple But Particular Instruction had Not Been Done, and one of my dogs had suffered for it. I, also, had a good friend watch my cats for a long weekend (the dogs were with me). I came home to find one of my cats locked in a closet and from the smell, it hadn’t been just for a few hours. For that reason, I am extremely reluctant to leave my animals in the care of others.
There is so much more I want to say, but if show management won’t deal with one individual with a dog out of control, what’s to keep that individual from blowing off a ‘ban on dogs at shows’ and still bring that dog to shows? Or any other BNT/BNR with the same kind(s) of dogs?
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And yet, millions of people find a way to make it so their pets can be comfortable and at home for 10 hours alone. Doggy doors with collar locks and high fences work well. Or, a large dog kennel/run.
And if if you can’t find some sort of arrangement for your dog while at a show, then maybe you should stay home too instead of burdening everyone else with the dog.
In reading many of these responses, it makes it clear how entitled people have become in this country. These individuals want it all, to the point where everyone and everything must accommodate their particular needs, even if that puts someone else or someone’s pet (or even their pet) in harm’s way.
Maybe people need to consider that life isn’t always about everything we want. Maybe, if (g) you can’t afford to find good care for your dog while you are away, you don’t go to a horse show. Or, if you work 10 hours a day and don’t think anyone can take care of your dog as well as you do, (g) you don’t have a dog.
Because, ultimately, this “want” attitude is incredibly selfish. So (g) you want to have a dog, but (g) you leave it locked in a stall or trailer all day, or in the house all day, by itself. That’s not a great life for a dog, no matter what you say. But, hey, it’s what (g) you want, so the dog sits alone. There are a million variations on this theme, but it all boils down to situations where one person’s wants trump the safety and welfare of their own pets, as well as other people and animals.
It really is about time for people to realize that doing what’s best for their pets and doing what they want (or even, in the case of work, need) don’t always co-exist. Responsible pet and horse people know this and make decisions accordingly; the rest make excuses about why their situation or pet is unique and, therefore, the rest of the world must accommodate them.
As a dog owner, I have never taken my dog to a horse show. Everyone has survived just fine and I know my dog is happier being home and having our pet sitter come over to entertain her. If I couldn’t afford the pet sitter, I wouldn’t be horse showing or I wouldn’t have a dog. I’m okay with giving something up to do right by my pet.
I will not risk my dogs being poisoned, hurt, or stolen if I am not home. I COULD build/put up three kennel/runs, but if you saw the size of my backyard, it would be essentially eliminating it altogether for the dogs.
I DON’T burden anyone with my dogs. I quit showing/attending horse shows around 15 years BEFORE I got my first dog. I AM considering going to some Very Special Horse Shows and to that end, I have been looking at motorhomes and camper vans for sale. These shows are quite far away from where I live, and although I am not generally paranoid, I know that having my three Dobermans with me make me feel more comfortable. (I have eliminated the idea of staying at motels/hotels because of the number of dogs I have and for the comfort of other motel/hotel stayers.) And when there is no SO, no friend interested in ‘horsey stuff’, there is something about having all that ‘unconditional love’ around and near you.
The motorhome/camper van would be mostly for the comfort of my dogs. If I took one of the dogs with me (say, at the Kentucky 3-Day cross country day), the other two could stay in the air conditioning and safety of my vehicle. IF any of my dogs were rowdy vocally (they are NEVER aggressive while on leash), it would be put back in my vehicle. I can’t imagine being ringside with my dog(s) during dressage and the show jumping.
I understand, since I have 6 cats which I would NOT take with me, that I might have to find a petsitter sometime in the future. But the idea of being without my dogs, where they are ALLOWED, makes the idea of going anywhere without them much less appealing.
My Dobermans have earned several obedience titles (multiple CDs, CDXs, and 1 Utiltiy leg) from 4 different national kennel clubs. Two of my three have Canine Good Citizen titles. (The third will go to classes for that this spring, after I have done some pre-work with her. Her previous owner wasn’t interested in leash-training a 3 1/2 legged dog.) When I go to the local dog park, dog beach, and a couple of (unused) baseball fields, I clean up ANY dog poop AND human trash that I find there. When I did show my dogs, I cleaned up after the (usually) conformation dogs that their handlers/owners couldn’t be bothered with doing.
Banning dogs because of one Very Bad Incident or several loose, out-of-control dogs set me off. It reminds me too much of the cities/municipalities that ban breeds SIMPLY based on an appearance of ‘being dangerous’–Pitbulls, German Shepherd Dogs, Chow Chows, Akitas, Shar Peis, and, of course, Doberman Pinschers. The fact that I have a neighbor across the street whose Pitbull is NEVER loose, nor the Pitbull a block away who is terrified of other dogs and always backs away wouldn’t get a break. My dogs, who bark fiercely at people/dogs passing by, but who when taken out of the house or someone is allowed in, become instant BFFs with whomever they meet.
When the older woman’s Miniature Schnauzer coming into class attacked my Doberman while he was sitting quietly, and I was talking to someone, I quickly snatched my dog away. I instantly corrected and scolded my dog for ‘mouthing back’ at the attacking dog and explained to the person I was talking to that I did so, because ‘if a dog was hurt, MY dog, being a DOBERMAN, would ALWAYS be blamed.’
I understand the irritation/annoyance/frustration/anger from vicious dogs, dogs who pee, poop, steal, and chew on other people’s property. I remember the Jack Russell Terrier who chased a horse during its hunter round so long ago when I was showing. But I believe that show management could do a lot by talking to (and maybe banning) the violators of the “no dogs off leash” rule. If someone was seen beating with a crop/whip, spurring until blood came, yanking on his/her horse’s mouth, should crops, spurs, and certain types of bits be banned, too?
And, as someone always says, “Do we bring horses to dog shows?”, I say “Do we bring horses to children pageants?” If we ban well-controlled dogs based on “others’ not-so”, can we ban ALL children based on others’ not so well-behaved children?
Sorry to be so long-winded here. There are certain topics and reasonings (however justified) that set me off.
Oh, Hell-to-the-No. Not drinking the Kool-Aid about me being in the wrong if a loose dog runs towards me with its hackles up. That is a problem that someone will handle. You don’t want it to be me.
That last paragraph is so poignant and right! I don’t think the insecure dog is having a good time at the party, either. We should take our animals’ state of mind into account, first and last.
The fact that so many people can leave their dogs at home without them dying in droves should tell you that maybe you are overly worried about things that ‘could happen’.
You chose to buy your dogs. You chose to live in a house that doesn’t have a big yard. You chose your lifestyle. The rest of us didn’t choose any of that for you.
No matter how well behaved your dogs are, if you bring one to a horse show, you are a nuisance. If it’s by the rings, I now have to avoid you and your leash. If it’s by my horses, I now have to make sure my horse doesn’t get attacked by your dog, or my horse doesn’t step on your dog. There is no flashing billboard above your dogs’ head saying which one is ‘safe’ and which one might attack me, my horses, children around me.
I don’t care if you own a chihuahua or a pit bull, it can still spook my horse, it can still bite me, and it is still a nuisance.
If you want to take your dog somewhere, take it to the dog park. Horse shows are not a doggie meet and greet. Leave your dogs at home.
And I have never had a rogue child bite me or my horse. Or chase me around a riding arena. Your dog is not a child. It’s a dog.
Yup. People need to stop whining about their own specific situations. First of all, the dogsitting industry is so huge right now that as long as you’re willing to pay, you don’t have to “burden” friends/family with caring for your pets in order for your pet to get top notch care; second, life isn’t fair. Deal with it. The world doesn’t owe anyone anything, and we are turning into a society that feels entitled to have it all and have it now. The complainers deserve to know that they just look like juvenile entitled whiners to the rest of us.
I am a huge dog lover - but there’s a time and a place. I don’t need my recognized/rated/sanctioned show to be disrupted by your dog sitting in your empty trailer and won’t shut up for hours as I’m trying to get my horse ready and memorize my courses…let alone the one who gets loose or is aggressive.
@endlessclimb , you say “yall need to hang around better dog people…” ?
People have no choice about which “dog people” they “hang around” when people bring dogs (including those that bite children and kill puppies) to horse shows. That is the problem.
Well, to be technically correct, I only bought one of my current Dobes, Darcy, from an animal shelter, which rescued her. Dickens was free, re-homed because his elderly owner passed away. I drove across the state to get him. Brooklyn, the 3 1/2 legged female, was another re-homing situation. Her owner’s husband walked out on her, the owner had 2 twin babies, and the owner moved in with her mother who already had 4 dogs. Someone was coming to get her 4-legged sister. I looked at the Blue, Undersized, “handicapped” female and said to myself that the only person who would want this dog was someone who would use her for breeding (as apparently she had already been). Yeah, and she needed shots and was heartworm positive.
I will take what appears to be the second and third paragraphs addressed to a ‘general “you”’, as I have already stated how very careful I am with my own dogs.
I HAVE had “rogue children” chase one of my dogs. I had a 4 month old female puppy at a park. Children came by, asking if they could pet my dog. I said sure, but stand still, don’t chase her (as I had purchased her from a backyard breeder, and she was rather unsocialized at the time). They ignored me and chased her around the (fenced-in) park until I was able to catch her myself and rescue her from those children. From that time on, she was leery of children around that age/size. Toddlers, she loved; teenagers were fine. But children around the age of 8-11 made her very nervous.
Oh, and the “three rogue children/girls” who saw me walking two of my (later) Dobermans and asked to pet them. At first, they had pretended to be afraid, then asked to pet them, which I granted. These girls extended their hands to my dogs, then jerked their hands back as the dogs sniffed, extended their hands again, jerked them back again as the dogs tried to sniff. Again and again. Laughing All The Time As They Did So. I finally told them I was leaving with my dogs, as I didn’t allow my dogs to be teased like that.
I didn’t exactly choose a house with a not-so-big-yard. At the time, I didn’t have ANY dogs, but I DID have a REQUIREMENT for my job to live WITHIN the city limits. Although I had seen a home with a barn and acreage outside the city limits (but actually quite close to my job), and our realtor knew of a (rural) mobile home where I could have horses, I would have been RISKING my job and employment by buying either. And jobs were REALLY scarce around her at that time, especially jobs with benefits. We (my husband and I) bought the best we could at the time, being especially frugal. Which was very wise, as when he walked out on me a year later, I was on the (financial) verge of losing my home for the next two years.
Neither my dogs nor I am that special. I do hope you are complaining to all of those show management people about each and every off-leash and/or out-of-control dogs you see at your shows. And I expect that you are going up to the owners of those dogs and telling them off, too. Because it’s so easy to complain to/about people who actually are responsible and considerate with their dogs, isn’t it?
People are taking this way to personally. Not everyone like dogs. Not everyone is going to like your dog. Get over it. If dogs get banned from horse shows because of bad owners get over it. I highly doubt the people here bitching because they take their dogs to shows actually file complaints with management when they see bad things happening.
I have my dog care figured out to the tune of dog care for me being away for NINE months at a time. I had my dog way before taking this job but I figured it out. Why people freak out over having to figure out a weekend is beyond me.
Well, so long as I’m allowed I’ll keep bringing my puppy to horse shows and events because we both enjoy it, he is well-socialized around horses, people, children, and other dogs (and pigs, too!), and finally, I’m not stupid or careless, so I know how to keep my leashed dog away from the horses, people/kids and other dogs who don’t want to interact. He doesn’t ever bark, whine, or carry on while he’s hanging out at my trailer, and it’s always fun having him with me.
I grew up in the H/J world and dogs have always been a part of horse shows. I’ve never even thought that this would be a serious issue, but maybe this is another change that has occurred in our area of the sport? I am at a loss to understand why eventers can do so many things better than we can- not only do they have times for their classes (so jealous), but at every event I have gone to, from unrecognized to FEI, they manage to have lots of dogs, tied at the trailers or leashed, as well as horses tied to the trailers…and it’s all fine. The contrast with H/J shows is remarkable.
Sidebar, just because now I’m feeling ranty: On Saturday I tied my jumper to the trailer while I tacked him up because I didn’t have a helper. And then I left him while I went to get dressed and I thought the people next to me were going to have aneurysms. They kept talking loudly about how unsafe it was to tie horses. I mean…really? My guy grew up in Argentina and, when he was still ungelded, was hitched to a rail along with a row of other stallions/colts and even mares at all of the shows he went to there. It’s the norm EVERYWHERE except here, and again, eventers do it all the time and everyone lives. Sheesh. I love the jumper world- it’s my world, too, but it’s a little uptight.
Eventers are still trained to be self sufficient. My coach will warm me up but most likely won’t see any of my rounds. A long time ago that was a thing in H/J land too. That’s the difference.
I love the discipline, I don’t love needing a trainer to hold my hand every step of the way and unfortunately that’s how it goes these days.
The biggest problem (IMO) is that people are unwilling to enforce rules.
It’s easier to just ban dogs altogether than actually enforce rules that might offend people. Like trainers whose patronage is needed for shows.
I was spectating at the Vermont Summer festival this weekend, and saw a LARGE sign that claimed that unleashed dogs would be fined $100.
I saw at least 3 unleashed dogs. I was only there for about 3 hours. Two appeared lost to me, until finally their owners walked up. Granted, they were smaller dogs, but then why have the rule? Small dogs can cause chaos, too.
I don’t care how big or small, sweet, young or old the dog is. It’s ridiculous to have the rule and not even bother to enforce it.
A child chasing your dog at the dog park is no where in the same ballpark as a dog chasing a horse. To compare it is ridiculous. A dog getting chased is irritating, a horse/rider being chased is dangerous and potentially deadly.
And it is directed at you, and any other dog owner. I don’t care how wonderful you dog is. It doesn’t belong at a horse show. Saying ‘yeah, but if kids can go than my fur child should be able to come too’ is not an excuse or a valid reason.
You made the choice to buy/adopt/whatever dogs. You made the choice of where you live. I do not need to deal with the concequences of your choices.
I honestly don’t get what is so hard about finding dog sitting. Generally mine stay with a friend for free but if she is unavailable they have a dogsitter who comes to the house and if she is unavailable there are several other friends I could call and if no one is available there is Rover. Life being life I have on one occasion had to make emergency arrangements from an airport in a different city and as long as your vaccination records are in dropbox and can be emailed from your phone, they will take you.
Keep the kids UTD on their shots and know how to work a smart phone. Ta da.
