pei obssessed Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Now I know some of you have horses... and dogs, so maybe you'll be able to help me. Let me tell you the story first... Two days ago we were walking on the dog paths (off-leash paths in the park), and when we got close to dog hill (a hill where lazy people can drive their dogs and sit there and watch them playing), my Hippo took off running as fast as she could toward a small road and on the other side of it. I could tell that she picked up a smell from the way her nose was in the air, and I was calling and calling her hoping she'll stop and look back at me... nothing! I got the fright of my life because she is usually very good with her recall and to see her running as fast as she could in the opposite direction was frightening. I did get her and I was sooo mad at her... I passed through the dog hill area on the way home and found out that there have been some policemen on horses just a while ago--and that definitely explains it. Hippo gets very excited by the smell of horses. Well, today I found out that the assholes on horses on Sunday were quite a few (4 or 5) and came right near dog hill where, because it was on the weekend, there probably were around 25-30 dogs. Some dogs went cray when they smelled and saw the horses and there were about 15 of them who ended up chasing the horses all through the park with the dog owners running behind them trying to get them back :evil: This whole thing ended up with one dog biting one horse, the owner getting a ticket and now policemen on horses patroling the park very often, trying to get people. I have a problem with the idiots who are just trying to get the dogs going to be able to give people tickets (I mean, yeah, you're supposed to have control over your dog when you're in the off-leash area, but bringing the horses so close is just pushing it). And I also have the problem of Hippo getting so excited---and the thing is she can smell the horses and take off before I could see them and leash her. So my question is: is there any way to desensitize her to horses? I guess it's a pretty dumb question considering I have no access to horses that I could introduce her to... I do take her to a small zoo in our park and she has learned not to bark or whine at the buffalos, but she still gets excited, I mean, she's a dog, for god's sake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke_3 Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 JERKS!!!!!!!! They sooooooo should not be able to do that!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouseatthebusstop Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 is there another dog park you can go to? Thats what I would do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holz_Boomer Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 [color=violet]yeah mouse your absolutely right hmm i do not know the answer to your question :oops: but i think its wierd..Holly and Boomer have never chased or had a problem with horses..i dont think it has anything to do with the fact that Holly has been living with them all her life..but the horses are there 24/7 and the dogs dont care..and well the horses just came home (we had been boarding them at a riding school where my sister rides, down the road) and so tat was the first time Boomer had ever really seen a horse and he never reacted...hmm..im sorry i dont know the answer to your question but Mouse is right..try another lovely park! :D Good Luck[/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Chaos Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 If she learned not to bark at buffalo's, horses should be a breeze! I've been though that little "zoo" and my dogs go nuts so we usually avoid it. Did you know about the stables not too far from the park? I think the're called Sunnybrook stables, but can't remember for sure. Its a bit of a walk, but if you went there pretty often and just walked around with her on leash I'm sure she would eventually get used to the smell of the horses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Can you just keep taking her to that park but maybe on a leash to help her get used to the horses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mutts4Me Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Just on the subject of desensitizing Hippo to the smell of horses - buy a used horse blanket? I have no idea if that'd work, lol. But if Hippo's chasing the horse smell simply because it's unique and intriguing, maybe using a horse blanket for her bedding will make the smell less novel. It may also make your shouse smell like horses. Is that a problem? :lol: Just an offhand idea :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pei obssessed Posted January 13, 2004 Author Share Posted January 13, 2004 [quote name='Mutts4Me']buy a used horse blanket? It may also make your house smell like horses. Is that a problem? :lol: [/quote] oh no, no problem, I love stinky smells :lol: [quote name='kendalyn']Can you just keep taking her to that park but maybe on a leash to help her get used to the horses?[/quote] the horses just pass by, there is no way of telling when they'll be around... [quote name='mouse']is there another dog park you can go to? Thats what I would do[/quote] but this park is right across the street from us, and sooooo big and oficially off-leash and her friends go there too... there is one park relatively close, but I don't drive and we couldn't go there twice a day. Luckychaos, I had no idea about the stables--I'll definitely look into that, thanks. Holz, that's so cool that your dogs like the horses... but these dogs at our park are very urbanized--the only smell they're familiar with is that of car exhaust :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 Write your city office and complain that the horses are disruptive to the dog park, request that they patrol without the horses. Explain clearly the benefit of the dog park and the extra stress the horses induce. You might not be able to stop private citizens from riding horses near there, although you'd think they would not want to given the dogs, but you may be able to get rid of the police on horseback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pei obssessed Posted January 14, 2004 Author Share Posted January 14, 2004 [quote name='DogPaddle']You might not be able to stop private citizens from riding horses near there[/quote] Private citizens riding horses in downtown Toronto? :shocked!: :shocked!: :shocked!: Thanks for the suggestion--I was actually thinking about that, but I have to figure now who to write to :stupid: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 [quote]Private citizens riding horses in downtown Toronto?[/quote] :oops: I seem to have misunderstood. Good luck on the letter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Chaos Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 [quote name='pei obssessed'][quote name='DogPaddle']You might not be able to stop private citizens from riding horses near there[/quote] Private citizens riding horses in downtown Toronto? :shocked!: :shocked!: :shocked!: [/quote] Heh, I've actually seen private citizens with their horses ride down to the park along the road, probably not in the winter though. Its a different sight to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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