It may seem idyllic to have your dog accompany you to the barn when you make visits to ride your horse. But although many barns allow dogs, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your dog should go along with you. In order for a dog, the horses, and the riders to be safe together, your dog needs to be well-trained and have some specific characteristics.

Well-Trained

A strong training foundation is essential to keep everyone safe when a dog is present at a barn. Your dog will need to respond to vocal commands so that you can direct him even when you’re not right alongside him. For his own safety he will need to be attentive to you, especially when working around horses.

Your dog should have a thorough understanding of basic commands such as sit, stay, come, lie down, and heel. It can also be helpful to teach him a command such as “hurry,” which you can use to quickly move him into or out of an area.

Obedient

Although your dog may be trained to do things like sit and stay, is he obedient enough so that you can count on him to do them in different situations? Many dogs can be easily distracted, and the chaos of a busy barn may overwhelm your dog. If things get out of hand, you need to know that your dog will still follow your directions. Practice working with your dog in different busy situations, and see how he responds to your commands when he is also surrounded by new smells and lots of commotion.

Calm

Even if your dog is well-trained and obedient to your commands, his basic character may restrict how well he fares in a barn situation. Overly excitable dogs, or dogs who bark frequently, are not generally good matches for busy barns.

High-energy dogs who like to chase or herd may be popular on ranches, but you should be sure that your dog can control his behavior before you bring him to a horse barn. The last thing that you or your dog needs is for him to chase after a horse; injuries to both the dog and the horse could easily result.

You’ll also want to be sure that your dog will not jump up on people, especially if there are kids present at the barn. If your dog likes to jump, spend some time working on breaking this habit before you start to accustom him to the barn.

If you think that your dog might be barn-ready, proceed by slowly and carefully introducing him to the barn and your horse. For tips on dealing with encountering strange dogs on the trail, check out our blog post.


Image Source: geograph.org.uk/photo/1493115 © Copyright Evelyn Simak and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Original Source: http://blog.classic-equine.com/2014/06/is-your-dog-barn-safe/



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