Dogs at Barn are Ruining my Zen

[AAHunterGal]

Hey all! So I’ve recently moved to a new area and found a great trainer through word of mouth. The place is nice, care is great, so far training seems pretty solid.

But (why is there always a but?)…

The owner/trainer who also lives on the property has several dogs, one of whom is newer/bigger/younger, and they bark. A LOT. The newer one also chases and barks at the horses, though they’re trying to train that away. The dog listens to the trainer, but nobody else, so when I go out to catch my horse the dog sometimes barks and chases as I walk her in. She’s a level headed 4yo but still a baby in a new place. The newer dog has also suddenly chased/barked at one of the horses I was on in a lesson, who thankfully was an older guy who didn’t care.

Then there is the near constant yelling at the dogs to come here/stop barking/settle down/etc. Then there are times when other clients bring THEIR young dogs and you are literally in danger of getting knocked over/knocked down in the crossties and aisle because of the dogs playing and not paying attention to anything around them.

I really want to be at the barn to RELAX and have some quiet peaceful time with my girl. But these dogs are cramping my style in a serious way.

Added on top of that, the commute is about 35/40 minutes one way, which is hard to fit into the workday.

On the flip side - this is the best program I’ve been able to find anywhere in my area (at least that has space). The trainer knows what she’s doing and has had a lot of success in the areas I want to concentrate in. She’s very easy going overall and has been great to work with. I also feel that maybe it’s too soon in the process to really tell how big of an issue these dogs are going to be, as nobody else there seems to care about it.

WWYD? Stay and see what happens? Explore other options before you get too invested there? Of course biggest thing would be to talk to her about the dogs, but as nobody else seems to care and this is clearly the way it’s always been, I don’t see that option working out.

[Jealoushe]

Do you have dogs?

I think it’s a great way to desensitize your horse, but if you can’t relax or be happy you may need a new barn. I don’t know if moving in and asking them to change the way they let the dogs run around would work.

Can they be locked in a stall or tack room while you grab your horse?

[AAHunterGal]

I’ve had dogs in the past, but not currently. I totally agree about desensitizing, and to be fair this is bothering me MUCH more than my mare who has always been around dogs, lol.

That’s not a bad idea about simply putting one of them in a free stall while I grab her and then letting it out again when I’m back.

[trubandloki]

@Jealoushe

I think it’s a great way to desensitize your horse, but if you can’t relax or be happy you may need a new barn. I don’t know if moving in and asking them to change the way they let the dogs run around would work.

I agree with this. I would say asking them to change how they deal with their dogs would be a sure fire way to be asked to leave.

I do think it is fair to ask if you are allowed to toss New Young Dog into a stall when you go out and get Maresy, stating that dogs are new to Maresy and it is making it hard for you to bring her in. Be sure to include that you will let New Young Dog out as soon as you have Maresy safely in the barn.

[Texarkana]

I have been there so many times.

For the life of me, I will never understand horse people who own dogs who are ill mannered around horses yet insist on letting them loose around horses!!!

People love their dogs and want them around. I get it. But if a dog is constantly chasing the horses, it needs to be confined away from horses for the safety of everyone, most of all the dog. Do you know how many times I’ve had to rush to the vet with a friend or employer’s dog who was kicked in the head because the dog wouldn’t stop chasing a horse???

However, I don’t know if the trainer will see it that way. If you feel like you can diplomatically have a conversation about this, I think that is the best solution. But people get really touchy about this topic and personally, I have found it easiest to bite my tongue or remove myself from the situation if it’s too frustrating for me.

[beowulf]

@AAHunterGal

Hey all! So I’ve recently moved to a new area and found a great trainer through word of mouth. The place is nice, care is great, so far training seems pretty solid.

But (why is there always a but?)…

The owner/trainer who also lives on the property has several dogs, one of whom is newer/bigger/younger, and they bark. A LOT. The newer one also chases and barks at the horses, though they’re trying to train that away. The dog listens to the trainer, but nobody else, so when I go out to catch my horse the dog sometimes barks and chases as I walk her in. She’s a level headed 4yo but still a baby in a new place. The newer dog has also suddenly chased/barked at one of the horses I was on in a lesson, who thankfully was an older guy who didn’t care.

Then there is the near constant yelling at the dogs to come here/stop barking/settle down/etc. Then there are times when other clients bring THEIR young dogs and you are literally in danger of getting knocked over/knocked down in the crossties and aisle because of the dogs playing and not paying attention to anything around them.

I really want to be at the barn to RELAX and have some quiet peaceful time with my girl. But these dogs are cramping my style in a serious way.

Added on top of that, the commute is about 35/40 minutes one way, which is hard to fit into the workday.

On the flip side - this is the best program I’ve been able to find anywhere in my area (at least that has space). The trainer knows what she’s doing and has had a lot of success in the areas I want to concentrate in. She’s very easy going overall and has been great to work with. I also feel that maybe it’s too soon in the process to really tell how big of an issue these dogs are going to be, as nobody else there seems to care about it.

WWYD? Stay and see what happens? Explore other options before you get too invested there? Of course biggest thing would be to talk to her about the dogs, but as nobody else seems to care and this is clearly the way it’s always been, I don’t see that option working out.

I feel your frustration. Poorly trained dogs ruin my zen too. I love dogs but I cannot stand them at the barn.

I would give yourself a month or two to settle in, see how or if it changes. You and your filly are still fairly new to the program: the dogs probably think you’re a novelty as well. I would be hesitant to approach the trainer about this: at the end of the day, people always pick their poorly trained dogs over their clients.

If you really like the barn, it might be a good time to work on ground tying with your mare… Bonus: she gets a brilliant new skill, and you get to pick anywhere on the farm away from the dogs to tack up/groom.

[cayuse]

I left a barn because of dogs. Well, not the dogs but the owner’s complete lack of control of them. If the dogs annoy you now, they’ll be sure to annoy you even more later. I personally would be looking to leave, but my dog tolerance level has been forever lowered since my boarding experience.

[Equestrian24]

Totally agree with this! I’ve always found it to be a huge safety issue when dogs are running out of control at a barn, but it seems to be treated so nonchalantly most of the time. I’ve seen people fall and horses get injured because of dogs chasing and nipping horses’ heels, horses bite and kick dogs, etc. The owners almost never see it as a problem, and it drives me insane!

[PonyPenny]

After getting bit by a trainers dog at a former boarding stable, my tolerance for loose dogs, is very low. It used to be a problem at my current barn, until the owner’s insurance agent put the liability fear into her. Now all dogs are on leashes or in kennels. No exceptions.

[Bearx2]

I am going to disagree with the above posters and say that you should consider moving . You need to carefully consider your liability if your horse does injure one of the dogs on the property. I have seen situations where the owner says it okay if your horse kicks/ bites by dog, it how the dog will learn, only to have the dog owner get very angry when it actually happens.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

I hear ya. I’ve been at barns with quiet, sweet small dogs that I loved to snuggle, but I was at one barn where the owner had a highly reactive dog. I never complained, but the dog actually cornered me in my car a few times, and would freak out for unpredictable reasons (like the fact I was carrying a crinkly shopping bag). The dog was much more stressful than the horse I was riding, and I guess the one upside to the experience was I felt safe from the dog on the horse. The owner noticed this (I never complained) and blamed me for “showing fear.” She even limited the hours I could come to the barn because she said her dog didn’t like me, but would still often let the dog out then, anyway.

If the owner lives on-property, TBH, I doubt she’ll be sympathetic to containing the dogs at all, no matter how badly behaved they are. She doesn’t want them tearing apart her living quarters, and if the other people aren’t complaining (and take advantage of the situation by bringing their own unruly dogs, which also seems not to bother her), there truthfully isn’t much you can do.

If you bring up the dogs, it will have to be in a very diplomatic way. Something along the lines of “ha, the dogs seem to get so excited, and my mare is very young, what can I do to get them to chill out.” But be prepared she might just shrug it off.

Even just walking a dog, I’m baffled by how owners with very unhappy, lunging, barking, and nipping dogs will walk over, insisting the dog wants to make friends, and not take “no” for an answer if you don’t want to engage.

I’ve known some great barn dogs, but all of them quickly understood who “belonged” and did not “belong” to the barn. Other dogs are very territorial and treat everyone who isn’t the owner as an interloper, and the owner doesn’t see this because they’re used to the dog’s (better) behavior with the owner.

[lenapesadie]

If it was me, which it isn’t, I would be seriously shopping for another barn. Particularly since it sounds like this is a problem with multiple dogs. It takes one time for a horse to panic bc it’s being harassed by unruly dog(s) and potentially, seriously hurt a human (me). That’s a hard pass for me. I expect good behavior from my horses, but I can hardly blame a horse for trying to defend itself from aggressive dogs or spooking bc a pack of dogs slams into him in the cross ties etc.

My training goals are gonna be seriously pushed back if me or my horse is injured due to a dog incident.

[Pokerface]

While I agree with desensitizing a young horse to dogs, I also have a young horse who is not great with dogs or other smaller animals. When I moved my young horse to the farm we are at now, I had been a client of theirs for years, and so we had an established relationship. I let them know that my horse was very young and green. I told them that he was mostly good to handle, but he did have his quirks that we were working through, and that one of them is that he has, at times, gone after dogs and other small animals. In fact, when he was 3, my father watched him stomp a little baby fawn who was laying in the grass waiting for its momma. It was horrible. He has never been attacked that i know of (I bought him before he was weaned, I know his entire life history), but it’s just a thing he does that we were working on. I stressed that he should NOT be trusted around dogs, even though he is deceptively sweet with people, and LOVES children. This has been an on-going conversation to keep him, the dogs, and people safe.

I never told the trainers or barn owners that they shouldn’t have their dogs loose around my horse (heck, i bring my own dog occasionally), but I constantly stressed that he should not be trusted. It wasn’t until he had been there for a number of months that they finally saw what i was talking about. But they took it seriously either way because he’s huge and very green.

I would start the dialog now and keep it open. Dogs should not be running and barking in the paddocks either way, so this might be a push that they need to be more diligent.

I do hope you can work it out, a good trainer is hard to find when it comes to young horses!

[Arlomine]

There is a huge variation and tolerance for dogs in professional training stables. Some people think it’s a wonderful way to desensitize, which of course it is… Until you get dumped because someone’s idiot dog runs in the ring right under your horses feet.

I own a barn. There is a no visiting dogs rule. Not even on leash unless it’s OK by me and they don’t cause a ruckus with my dogs…Who have a “dog turnout” next to the arena, and a dog zone like a giant kennel Adjacent to the arena, where I teach. This includes a heater and a couch we share

So, I think you need to either accept this or move. It might be worth having one very diplomatic conversation about a compromise, but do not expect any change. And be aware that if there is an accident involving your horse or a dog, expect no sympathy or culpability. At all.

[TheDBYC]

I love dogs, but the kind of situation you’re describing drives me crazy. It also makes no sense to me from a business owner/risk mitigation perspective. Trainers not only need to consider the dog + horse issue, but also the fact that many humans are (with good reason) afraid of dogs due to a traumatic incident at an earlier point in their lives. Clients who are comfortable on the premises are going to spend more time and money. If that isn’t motivation enough, well, as much as I hate to boil everything down to liability and money, it’s kind of my job. And I feel like many trainers sincerely don’t realize how hot a fire they’re playing with in this kind of situation:

The payout average for dog-related claims rose to $50K in 2020. Dog incidents are the 3rd most common claim against HO or renters policies. You can guess what happens when insurers recognize a source of common, expensive exposure that is also easily selected out of. Insurance companies are increasingly imposing strict limitations or outright declining to write HO and renters policies for dog owners. Most jurisdictions hold the business owner liable for dog-related injuries and damages that occur on the premises, regardless of the dog’s ownership (i.e., the business owner is liable if a customer’s dog injures another customer.) Equine Trainer’s professional liability insurance generally will not cover bodily injury or property damage caused by dogs.

Living on the premises this trainer could have a doubly nasty situation on their hands if there’s an incident — is it covered under their business policy or their HO policy? These insurers are not going to graciously line up to pay. They’re both going to play the legal version of “Tag, NOT IT!!” And then you get: 1) one or the other paying out and one or both insurers promptly dropping coverage after. 2) Neither having to pay out to cover the damages. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know very many trainers sitting on the funds to pay $50k+ in damages out of pocket.

[2DogsFarm]

OP:
Move.
Dog problem is not going to be solved.
Not by you locking Pookie in a stall, even if you release ASAP, that act alone may put dogowners’ nose out of joint.
Conversely, Pookie may learn your intent & become uncatchable or even nippy.

I rode at a barn where a boarder let her JRT in the ring while she and others were riding.
Dog not only chased horses, but nipped at them.
I told her if my horse kicked her dog, her Bad.
Same boarder (at a different barn) had a younger JRT’s leg broken by a horse in crossties, because loose dog ran by the horse, who scrambled & in doing so connected with puny dog leg.
2 animals traumatized for the price of one thoughtless dogowner

[Tee]

This is one of (the many) reasons I left my previous barn. Dogs running all over, running after and injuring horses and the barn owner didn’t care. It wasn’t horrible with just one dog, but then another, and another, it just got to be too much.,

Current barn does not allow dogs at all. Apparently before I moved in, a dog chased one of the horses thru a fence and I’m sure holy hell was raised. It’s been soooo nice. That, and not having to worry about one of mine going after the dogs (he REALLY doesn’t like dogs).

[BrookdaleBay]

My barn allows dogs. The manager has a very laid back Lab who is either sleeping in the tack room, or wandering around saying hello to people, siting and staring at you until you give him a carrot, or just laying in the aisle or outside. Another boarder owns his full brother and is at the barn nearly every day, and while the two do play, they settle quickly. Another boarder brings his poodle, who is high energy, but she just runs around outside and never tries to go into the paddocks.

The owners daughter lives on-site and has two dogs, one of which is well behaved, and the other is a young and stupid Retriever. If she comes down to the barn, staff are quick to take her into the tack room and lock her in the crate until her owner comes down to get her (a text is sent). She once went into a paddock with two mini donkeys and was promptly charged at and nearly run over… unfortunately this didn’t stop her and she tried again with the same result, hence the prompt kenneling.

I realize my situation is very unique, and all the horses are used to the dogs being around.

[PonyPenny]

A lawsuit will definitely assign culpability whether the owner of said dog owns up or not. In my case my medical insurance went after the stable owner and trainer along with a citation from animal control.

[scislandsprite]

Honestly I would probably move to a place nearby and ask the trainer to come work with you if possible. Have had way too many issues with barn dogs that are normally well behaved because it really only takes a second for everything to turn into chaos