Trainers with badly behaved dogs?

[funky_bunny]

Ok, this is sort of a random grievance, and not too remarkable in the grand scheme of things. But what is it about horse trainers having badly behaved dogs? I’ve only met one trainer recently who seemed to have well behaved dogs. And since dogs are arguably a lot easier than horses—not that they’re always quicker to learn, but just being smaller and not having to work in the riding parts—it seems weird, and potentially like a red flag, that a trainer would have maladjusted dogs. What’s the deal with that? Is it that horse and dog training really have such minimal overlap?

It’s not like my own dog is always a model of perfect behavior, but she knows enough to be easy to be around. That isn’t too high a bar for most dogs! But some barn dogs do make it feel that way…

[punchy]

I dunno, there are so many variables, behaving badly how? Trainers with dogs I know…their dogs don’t do anything on command, but they do stay on the farm despite being loose and unsupervised for 12 hours a day and then somehow manage to magically appear when it’s time to go home. That’s more than i can say for my obedience dog lol. Lots of trainers get rescue dogs, so maladjusted is their starting point. Their job might be critter control, not client meeter and greeter. Finally, trainers are super busy and usually don’t have a whole lot of time to spend training their dogs.

Unless you’re talking about Jack Russells, in which case I don’t have an answer for that

[OverandOnward]

Can you describe ‘badly behaved’? Are the dogs a threat to life & limb? Rummaging people’s goods in the tack room? Just don’t come when called? There is a broad spectrum of dog behavior that some people might classify as ‘bad’ behavior, but wouldn’t bother other people. And then of course there are dogs that are a real threat to people, in some way or another.

A trainer may not think her dogs are badly behaved, even if others find them annoying. Or maybe she does, and doesn’t care? Wasn’t clear on that.

My dog is ‘well-behaved’ in that he obeys many commands and is not hard to manage. But sometimes other people find him over-exuberant. He does not jump on people. But he wants their attention and constantly puts himself forward with them. I hold him off them, but not everyone appreciates a large wiggly panting dog fixing his gaze on them.

[mommy_peanut]

As stated above, it depends on what you consider bad behavior
If people only saw my dogs at training & competitions, they’d think they are some of the best behaved dogs ever…. & they can be.
However, if my dogs were only observed at home, people might think they are a bit unschooled & unruly
They have basic house manners at home, but not too many hard & fast “rules”.
When in training/trialing mode, they know they need to obey quickly, completely & without any fuss.
It works for us.

[OnDeck]

Untrained dogs seem to be the norm now unfortunately. I consistently shock people when I call my dog once and she comes immediately. Everyone also seems surprised when I don’t want dogs jumping on me. I think they assume it’s just something that dogs do and I’m ok with it since I’m a dog person?

[Tha_Ridge]

@punchy

I dunno, there are so many variables, behaving badly how? Trainers with dogs I know…their dogs don’t do anything on command, but they do stay on the farm despite being loose and unsupervised for 12 hours a day and then somehow manage to magically appear when it’s time to go home.

Exactly. Our barn manager’s dog is a slightly rambunctious bundle of energy (he likes to jump in people’s cars and occasionally tests his limits by coming into the ring when people are riding), but at the end of the day, he spends 12 hours on his own, doesn’t leave the property, has managed to not get hurt/injured/eat something he shouldn’t and that’s pretty darn impressive. My dog is a little more “civilized” since we live in the city, but I too am amazed that I can take her to the barn, not see her for hours on end, and then there she is, happy and sunning herself on the porch when it’s time to leave. Dogs are amazing creatures.

But… “badly behaved” as far as aggression, chasing horses/cars, etc., not cool. I can’t say I’ve known too many trainers who tolerate that kind of behavior.

[173north]

I find that trainers’ dogs tend to know the drill, stay out of the ring, stay away from the horses, and generally are low-maintenance. They might not have flawless obedience skills but I’ve also known a lot of barn dogs that obey their owner perfectly and practice selective hearing loss with everyone else, haha.

Client dogs, on the other hand… oof.

[Spudsmyguy]

I’m not a trainer but I expect my dog to listen when I tell her to come. What ticks me off is when she approaches people, being Miss Friendly, and they all coo over her and give her pets. I tell her to come and they say “oh it’s alright!” I say no, it’s not alright for my dog to ignore me. The worst badly behaved dog was a Jack Russell who tried to chase my horse while on the lunge line popping out through a hole in the arena wall. I managed to get in a couple of snaps with the whip and he figured out he better stay away.

[candyappy]

I have seen trainers with badly behaved dogs, horses and children. Like anything else it is up to what each individual person ( trainer or not) expects from them.

[OverandOnward]

@Spudsmyguy

I tell her to come and they say “oh it’s alright!” I say no, it’s not alright for my dog to ignore me.

Have run into the same thing. One of my top rank Pet Peeves. Why do people try to interfere with my (kind and non-aggressive) handling of my dog? Why do people think THEY decide what is “alright” for MY dog to do or not do?

It is hard to continue communicating with the dog in the dog moment, and also find a way to politely shush and stop the interference by a random stranger I have never met before.

I’ve also heard people whisper to their companions “Look! Her dog comes when called!” as if this is something they didn’t know was possible. (When called, my dog responds promptly with exuberant enthusiasm. And he’s massively ADD and impulsive. )

[sportyspicepony]

I have definitely experienced trainers with badly behaved dogs… I feel like at least for the people I’ve experienced, their dogs didn’t leave the farm and were borderline “outside dogs” / almost like a guard dog situation. Not neglected or anything but more of an old school approach to dog ownership where they just wander freely and whatever happens happens I also feel like that’s just what some people in the country in the south do in general, not just horse trainers.

I’ve always wondered what the deal is with h/j people and their jack russell terriers… like isn’t there a jack Russell race at some of the FENCE shows (or there used to be?) those dogs were always a trip

[Fiesta01]

The worst I had was when riding one of my OTTBs in the indoor. Barn owner’s medium shepherd mix came running up behind us, jumped and grabbed my horse’s tail and hung on. Extremely exciting ride. That horse hated dogs for many years after that.

[shiloh]

One of the barns I boarded at the owner had these two absolutely crazy Rottweilers. Everyone was terrified of them they were so badly behaved. They were unpredictable at best and had been known to chase people and attack them. Every dog she had was like that - whack jobs, but these two were particularly awful. I came in one day and the Rotties were loose, spotted me, chased me into the feed area and I had to jump up on the feed bins to get away while they tried to climb up so they could tear me apart, barking and snarling the whole time. I yelled at her to get her dogs and she refused, telling me they were “fine.” I finally had to scream at her and she retrieved them then. Hated those dogs. The male once chased a deer and took it down and killed it and the female had ripped many other dogs and cats to pieces. But hey - they were FINE.

[erinmeri]

I’m not sure that this is a “trainer’s dog” issue. My current trainer’s dogs are well behaved and leashed, my last trainer’s dogs also, I have seen more client dogs and tenant dogs and barn owner dogs and fellow competitors’ dogs behave badly than I have trainer’s’ dogs, TBH. Exception being a lesson client currently who is a dog trainer. His dog is crazy obedient. And he wrangles the other dogs too. Maybe this is “most people don’t train their dogs” and “not all dogs are barn friendly” and “generally speaking, dogs at barn need to be leashed”? My English Bulldog was trained up the wazoo. He was a TERRIBLE barn dog, that is why he was always leashed or in a stall. He did not ever understand horses. If he was more of a working breed? Maybe we could have gotten there. Maybe.

[Spudsmyguy]

An old neighbor of mine had an airdale / rotty mix that chased my mare and foal one day. Ever since then that foal and later adult hated dogs and would go after them if they ventured into her area. My husband came close to shooting that dog the 2nd time he chased them.

Shiloh, I would have called animal control and have her dogs confiscated.

[no.stirrups]

I find that trainers dogs tend to be among the best behaved. Maybe a regional thing? The only time I can remember having a problem was a BNT who ignored her dogs all day, I don’t think she ever knew where they were, but where they were was often chasing horses on the longe. Not MY horse, after I got a couple of swipes in with the longe whip…

[Spudsmyguy]

A friend who is a barn owner told me about one trainer they had in who brought her very badly behaved dog. It was running around bothering horses, peeing on equipment, just a total nuisance. He even went to far as to crap in a feed pan that happened to be on the floor and the trainer laughed about it and didn’t even clean it up. She came so close to banning that trainer from returning but I do think she banned the dog.

[Tarlo_Farm]

Spuds and Shiloh, those are horrible stories! Nevermind the dogs, what is wrong with the owners!!! Hmmmmm…I detect a pattern…