Re: Australian Cattledog & horses

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/11/99 8:47:35 AM Pacific Standard Time, kwendt@ados.com
writes:

<< She's not aggressive with us or our other dogs but she does like to "play"
and I'm wondering if that's what she's attempting to do when she jumps up at
the horses nose?
 Anyone else have a problem with behavior in their heeler toward horses?
  >>

She's attempting to drive the horses ... somewhere, who knows?  She just knows
she's supposed to drive them somewhere.  The instinct is SO strong.  Our
Border Collie stalks ours with his hypnotic eye; our Aussie just likes to
chase so there is lot's of excitement going on.  I made a fatal error when he
was a pup, asking him to drive some cattle out of our yard.  Now, every time
he sees the cattle, he makes a wild run at them and chases, even though they
may be out in pasture.  We've resorted to a shock collar to try to re-train
him.  Punishment if he chases without command.  He chases horses, too.  He
gets immediate reprimand if he enters the paddock where the horses are kept.
Of course, the horses bait him sometimes.  It's hard to resist.  Their
greatest delight is going on long rides with me.  Then they don't chase, but
they DO jump down off banks right behind the horses. They also rustle around
in the forest, finding scent of wild pigs, deer, etc.   Hard on the untempered
dispositions of young, green horses.  But there isn't a breed of dog that
doesn't have its own agenda, and the herding dogs fit our personality the
best.

Barbara