Mounted search and rescue

[Karen Nesbitt <spanishequines@yahoo.com>]

RESPONDING TO:
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:40:39 +0000
From: finspectordj@gmail.com
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Georgia USA
To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID:
    <469808311-1266864017-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1466398503-@bda453.bisx.prod.on.blackberry>
   
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Can anyone give advice on how to control aggressive stray dogs approaching horses-mace doesn't seem to help?
Thank you
Dj

 

----------->>>>>

 

Dj,

 

In my opinion, controlling a stray dog should begin with its owner but as you know that is not always the case!  Many strays do not have owners and many owners are out of control.

 

I am not sure what animal welfare laws apply in your state,  BUT perhaps you can google them on your state to find out more about what would apply by putting in the name of your state and the words animal laws.   Since I am from Illinois, in Illinois if you go here, these laws would apply:

http://www.agr.state.il.us/AnimalHW/awflaws.html

 

There is supposed to be coming a new website that will be posting all the animal laws by state in the future, I beleive it is incomplete at this time.  You will have to watch the yahoo or google search engines for more information on that.

 

You can also try searching specifics like -  dogs attacking LE horses,  nuisance dogs laws, barking dog laws,  vicious dog laws by state or just animal welfare laws by state or specific other animal laws if you are aware of them. 

 

I beleive some states require that a vicious dog permit may be required if you own say a guard dog and dogs of that type are just as jursdictated as if these folks were owning a furry gun.  Many areas require a sign be posted to warn of these dogs presence on the premise, where others areas may not. 

 

I find when confronted by one dog or a pack while on horseback, always keep the head of the horse to the meanest one, BUT move slow and back your animal cautiously to exit the area where the dogs are.  Any fast movements on your part can prompt an attack and depending on the breed of dog, its feralness - many dogs will back off and leave if you move slow.  The majority of dogs however will chase upon fast movement, but most will leave the head of a horse alone.  Dogs in the chase are after heels.   Heel and leg punture wounds to a horse are nasty to clean up however a good horse with a timely swift kick is worth its weight in gold!  If you are able to control rear your horse, dogs are often intimitated by the levade in size but think about your defense before rearing and striking and where you will come down.  Dogs will think twice there.

 

I do not recommend spraying the dog with anything especially while mounted.  And I do not recommend anyone get off their horse if mounted.  Wind is always a factor and should your horse spook, you may get whatever in their or your own eyes.  Or the chemical on your hands and to your eyes when you least expect that. Fumbling around for spray may also cause an attack so play defense.  Keeping mace is a cold weather problem as well.  The sprays will often malfunction.

 

If you are confronted alone on foot do not approach the dog, walk slowly, calmly and cautiously, if you are carrying something, keep that item ready between you and the dog but to not antagonize the animal and only use it in protection of yourself should the dog attack.  DO NOT RUN.  Keep your hands to your side or better still folded to your chest incase you have to block your face and throat should the dog jump you and do not offer anything.  Delivery carriers especially mailmen are always in danger of housedogs and housedogs have been known to break windows or go through screens just to have a nip. Sometimes talking to the dog will calm it, sometimes not.  Sometimes a scent on you, such as that of a  perfume or a cigarette can provoke an attack.

 

If you are confronted on foot and leading your horse, keep the horse between you and carefully mount up if possible to avoid getting bite.  You may want to practice mounting your horse and moving your horse in a small circle with one leg in the stirrup to act as if you are staying away from a dog.  Keeping the off shoulder of the horse to your opponent.

Practice getting that leg over while in motion and do it slow.

 

Age of the dog can be irrelavant.  I have in my day seen some nasty nasty nasty puppies.  And a bitch with puppies can be something to reckon with.  If there are pups, can the bitch be to far away?

 

If you are more experienced with your horse and depending on its experience with dogs, sometimes it is possible to work the horse to "cow" the dogs off.  Or if you have a horse that knows how and when to kick or strike, it is possible to back the dogs off with a threat from the horses rear or a front hit..  Just depends on the circumstances of the day. It is unfathomable to me why anyone would want to train a dog to attack a horse, but crazier people do abound. And people do use dogs to work livestock and stock dogs can be rather tenacious.  And giving a command to a stray dog is often fruitless as many a stray guard dog is taught in a foreign language so it is just better to say nothing.

 

Depending on how the dog perceives you and your horse will depend on how or if it will attack or run off.

 

Most feral dogs will not approach a horse at any close distance.  If it does it is possible the dog is sickly and may have distemper or be rabid.  DO NOT CONFRONT ANY STRAY DOG THAT APPEARS ILL.  Signs of illness can be frothing at the mouth, slobbergrowling, whimpering, lameness, staggering, shivering, mangy appearances and not necessarily all of these and some dogs may have no signs.  You might want to apply this to wild animals on the trail such as coons, skunks and other mammals.

 

Coyotes and wolves are generally nocturnal, but sightings of them during the day are not uncommon as often they do hunt days as well or move from one territory to the next.  They usually do not approach any horse or human. 

 

Coyotes and wolves hunt to survive, where feral dogs, stray dogs and dogs that may be crossferals or what we call a coy-dog often hunt for sport and waste their prey. The coys are a ranchers nightmare as those type of dogs do not know whether they are wild or domestic and act both ways.  And I have personally seen bird dogs and poodles to toys try mess with livestock.

 

I do recommend reporting the stray dogs to the animal control authority in your area to hopefully have the dog/s picked up or at least put on report they are at large.  Owners of such stray dogs should be fined since leash laws are popular in most areas.  Vicious dogs are governed by a set of rules in our state and owners are responsible for those animals actions and damages.  Most states require leashes or adequate confinement, or muzzles to be in certain areas.

 

If you do not know how to capture a stray, dont even try.  But if you do ALWAYS turn the strays in to an animal Control officer.  If you release to an alleged owner, you may never know if the dog has attacked someone else and where someone else may be hurting.  If the dog has attacked someone or not, that owner should be fined and the dog dealt with accordingly.  If someone or something such as another animal has been hurt by the stray dog, at least those claiming the dog would be found then to have to take care of any injury or damages.  Even if the dog has tags, the fact the dog has tags does not mean it never bite anyone or damaged something of someone elses.  The tags will only serve the Animal Control officer in how he should deal with the stray and hence the strays owner.  And you still have to get up close and personally with the dog to read tags and just that in itself may provke a bite.  A stray is any animal running at large and onto someone elses or onto public property..

 

In some states it is still legal to shoot a dog if it found harassing livestock.  Caution is advised in doing so.  There are other vicious animal laws and those will vary from state to state.

As said, the website stated above is for Illinois only.  It has several links to animal welfare including the  PROPER disposal of dead animals, animal welfare, owning a vicious animal and many other points of interest along with including of that of feeding garbage to animals  etc.  I find it irreprehensible that animal owners do not research the laws governing owning animals BEFORE they get them and how abusive to the law and how abusive and cruel to the animal they can be.  People who have no clue should not own animals.  It is also equally poor when those in LE do not know the laws too so that they can effectively enforce them.  Owning an animal means RESPECT and RESPONSIBILITY.

 

Seems so many in todays age though have a habit of being irresponsible, disrespectful and todays humane societies over flow with a population of unwanted animals that could be likened to a pandemic.

 

Good luck with your issues when you are next approached by a stray dog!  May you have a safe ride.

        Karen

 

PS - Una I wanted to send this to the  Illinois MSAR, but am not sure if I posted the correct MSAR addie, if you would be so kind as to correct me if it is wrong, I would be grateful and will forward email if need be.