ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: Training Dog to Accompany Horse

Re: Training Dog to Accompany Horse

Wendy Milner (wendy@nsmdserv.cnd.hp.com)
Fri, 2 Jun 95 12:45:04 MDT

> I've just started training my 5 yo Samoyed to accompany me while riding
> my green horse (actually, she's *red* ;> ) on the trails. Basically, I
> want him to "come to heel" for safe crossing of streets, to stay within
> about 50 feet while walking the trails, and to not even think (haha, yes
> a Northern breed of dog) of trespassing on private property that the
> trail goes by. And, of course, to stay out from under the horses feet.
> When I call him to come to heel, I do *not* want him to sit, or even be
> closer than 3-5 feet, so that his tail or paws aren't in jeopardy of
> being stepped on by Marisa. I also carry a lead line, so I do in effect
> have a leash with me. I am using a shock collar on the dog, set on the
> lowest setting (it's more of a nudge, not a nip) to reinforce commands. I
> also plan on bringing dog treats and water for longer excursions. And
> when we get to looong rides, like maybe 8 miles and more, I plan on
> bringing a set of dog booties just in case.
>
Debbie,
You don't say how much or what kind of training your dog already has.
If you have already trained the dog to come to heel while you are walking,
I don't think you'll have any problem with having him heel while you
are walking. If he knows that heel means "come to me, and sit in the
heel position," you might try another command such as Beside for your
heel command. I used, "get behind the horse", for my one dog who would
obey well. Nova would run up behind us, keeping away from the feet,
and trail behind till I told her to move on. The only time she got under
the feet was when another dog was chasing her. She came, sat under
the horse, the horse turned carefully to face the on coming dog and
layed her ears back at the strange dog. I yelled till the dog went
away. Nova came out from safety.

What you might want to do (assuming the dog is already basic trained),
is to walk beside the horse, and call the dog to heel. Do this till
the dog will always come beside you. Then mount and call the dog
to heel. The dog will find the right position, and should be about
the right distance from the horse. If you use food for reinforcements,
you can drop a cookie down to the dog when he does come.
Once the dog performs well, start walking the horse, and repeat.

Your leash is pretty useless, unless you have it on the dog prior to
problems. If there is a leash law, the law enforcement person will
still give you a ticket if you only have it with you. And if the
dog gets into trouble, you are too late with the leash. Also, if
you are going to use the leash, you should practice in a controlled
environment first so both dog and horse are alright with the leash.

--
Wendy

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Wendy Milner HPDesk: wendy_milner@hp4000 Training Development Engineer HP-UX: wendy@fc.hp.com Mail Stop 46 Telnet: 229-2182 3404 E. Harmony Rd. AT&T: (970) 229-2182 Fort Collins, CO, 80525 FAX: (970) 229-4292