Zombie Dog

[Safira]

I took my Australian Shephard with me to the barn. It was the first time I rode with her there, she did very very well. She also had a lot of fun in the creek running through the pasture on an unusually warm march day.

This was her after getting coated with mud and trying to rub it off on the ground.

Holly and her stink eye! My sister said she looked like a zombie.

 

[Wulfgeist]

Yikes! She sort of does! Hide the brains!

She's still adorable, though

 

[Rio Mom]

Oh my gosh! She does look like a zombie dog! LOL But a cute zombie dog!

 

[Remy]

LOL Cutest zombie ever!

 

[roxynoodle]

That is a funny picture! Very cute dog!

 

[Safira]

Well she blew it today! She totally lost the priveledge of being off leash while I am riding, her herding instinct came out big time today and she kept trying to bite my horse's heels. He was not amused, and now I have to start all over again desensitizing him to dogs.

 

[roxynoodle]

This reminds me of the turkey. My trainer's place was next door to a woman who had turkeys. My horse Malone kept spooking every time we rode past one. Right when I finally convinced him turkeys don't eat horses, wouldn't you know it ran behind us and started nipping his heels?

A couple of weeks later, one flew up right as we started to go over a jump. That horse manged to turn himself completely upside down and dumped me on top of the jump.

 

[merlinsmom13]

Aussies are bad for that, but they are so smart. You'll be able to get him to stop. He does look like a zombie btw. lol

 

[Safira]

Poor Roxy! She spooked my horse, but he's still a bit green and Holly does -not- like it when the horse is made to circle. She kept trying to get at him.

She's super smart, but has a killer prey drive. There are sheep at the farm I board at, she wants to kill the lambs. Not herd them, kill them. And forget about cats, she's after them in a heartbeat.

 

[roxynoodle]

My Dalmatians had that prey drive as well. If they got a hold of it, they killed it.

My horse was not green, lol! He was my eventing horse and is trained to 3rd level dressage. He's just a very weeny Thoroughbred.

 

[gmkielbasa]

We just lost my Australian Shepard due to old age.. He was 15. He was not with me when he did, he is now, or was my dad's dog and companion. My dad buried him and made a tulip garden over him .

He was Quite the handsome dude. a Blue Merle.. We used to ride through the fields together RIP Bailey.

 

[luvmytooo]

Ummm....herding instinct and killer instict , big difference between the two , lol.

Safira , you mentioned you have sheep at your boarding barn , do you know someone who knows how to work a young dog on sheep ?
You cant take the instinct out of them , but you can channel it and control it.
Once the dog learns it's boundaries and limitations , you may be able to control him more around your horse. Seems like he needs to know what is OK to do and what is not. The herding breeds need a outlet for their energy and mind and if they dont get it , they will resort to "other ways" to work it off , lol.
Believe me , I know , I have 6 Border Collies , and if they dont get proper exercise everyday, it's like a NASCAR race right in my house ,lolol.