Best dog breeds for horses. Today’s article will give you advice on the best dog breeds for horse owners. If you are looking for a new friend for yourself and your horse, a dog is certainly a good choice. Let’s find out about dog breeds for horse owners, their characteristics, and how to choose a dog that suits your needs.
Contents
10 Dog Breeds for Horses Owners
Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers are popular not only with horse owners but also with everyone. These medium-sized dogs are known for their kind, friendly, and gentle behavior. That’s why they are perfect for playing with you, your kid, and especially your horses. Golden Retrievers are also really intelligent.
They can be trained and will easily adapt to your place. Their medium size is also another advantage. Though they are not small enough to get underfoot, they are big enough to fight against the larger animals. Like any other dog breed, Golden Retrievers will have some health problems as they get older, such as hip dysplasia or patella luxation.
Welsh Corgi
This might be a surprise when Corgis, a small dog breed, are one of the best dogs for horse owners. Despite their small size, Corgis are born to work with livestock. So they are not being threatened by other larger animals, importantly, horses. There are two types of Corgis, Pembroke Welsh Corgis and Cardigan Welsh Corgis.
Both of them are light-footed, outgoing, and dynamic. They are willing to please, behave well with kids, and love to hear. They will be a perfect partner when playing around with you and your horses. Welsh Corgis’ average lifespan is about 11 to 13 years. In their last years, they have had some health issues such as intervertebral disc disease and canine hip dysplasia.
Australian Shepherd
Australian Shepherds are extremely active. This is the thing that many equestrians worry about when they want to choose these dogs. But for the same reason, Australian Shepherds are so suitable to the horses, who are also extremely active. They are surely the best dogs for a riding companion.
One important thing that you need to pay attention to when having an Australian Shepherd is to make sure they have enough physical health training. These dogs, bred with their intelligence and energy, are much more energetic than others, and are not likely to sit still. Australian Shepherds stand out for their eye colors, and it is related to their health ,like dermatitis, hip dysplasia, and epilepsy.
Jack Russell Terrier
Another small dog breed on this list is the Jack Russell Terrier. And like other dogs in this list, they are mischievous and full of energy. They are also really smart and will be able to adapt to a home. Having a smaller size than other dog breeds means they need less exercise.
However, they still need a significant amount of exercise to maintain their health and prevent them from some health issues. So that they can have that energy to play, run, or train with horses and riders. Jack Russell Terriers have a long average life expectancy, but they can still get some health problems like bone growth, deafness, and eye diseases.
Border Collie
Unlike those listed above, which are known for their energy, Border Collies are known for their wisdom and concentration. They are also obedient and willing to please their owners. That makes them easy to train. These loyal four-legged friends will be great partners and a great guard for both you and your horses.
Energy is a must-have part of dog breeds for horse owners. And Border Collies do have a huge amount of energy. And so on, they need many active opportunities to exercise their health both physically and mentally. It is never a problem to find these opportunities when you already have a horse.
Australian Cattle Dog
People sometimes mistake Australian Cattle Dogs with Australian Shepherds. But in fact, they are truly different. Unlike Australian Shepherds and other dogs in this list, Australian Cattle Dogs are short and burly. They also scarcely bark; this makes them perfectly suited with horses, which are easily frightened.
The similarity between Australian Cattle Dogs and the other dog breeds in this list is their energy. They are active and need healthy exercise every day. Australian Cattle Dogs are developed to survive harsh conditions. They will rarely get any health problems unless they don’t have proper care and exercise. Some health problems that they can get consist of deafness, hip dysplasia, and arthritis.
Dalmatian
Source: YouTube
If you have ever watched 101 Dalmatians (1996), there is a part where a dog communicates with a horse and asks for help. And in reality, this breed of dog is being used for their ability to communicate with horses. Dalmatians are also called “fireman’s dogs” because of their ability to interact with the horses that pulled the fire truck in the past.
Dalmatians can be good friends of your horses as well as reliable guards. However, many equestrians hesitate to adopt one of them. Dalmatians do need a lot of care and attention in their early years so that they can be trained properly. They also have a wide array of health conditions, such as hip dysplasia, deafness, and many other conditions.
German Shepherd
This breed of dog is much more aggressive than the others on this list. Many horse owners don’t choose them for this reason. However, they are energetic and dynamic, and if you can train them properly, they will always be ready to fight against any threat to protect their owners. That makes them become perfectly reliable protectors.
If you want to have a German Shepherd, you must spend time preparing equipment to train the dog. This breed needs a large amount of positive reinforcement training and socialization so that you can keep them with your horses.
Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retrievers are often mated with many other breeds, whereby they have diverse characteristics and personalities. And almost all of them get along with people, horses, and other animals. They are friendly and outgoing, which makes them perfect to keep in your place.
They also have good endurance. A Labrador Retriever can easily keep up with you on a long walk while the others will find it difficult with this. If you need a new dog but have a lack of time to spend training them, a Labrador Retriever will be a good choice. These dogs are so loyal and obedient that you can train them in a short time.
Great Pyrenees
Great Pyrenees are fluffy, large-sized dogs. They are friendly and gentle with people and things that are familiar to them. This dog breed has a great source of energy; they will need a lot of entertaining activities. And that is perfectly suitable to let them play with your horses.
One thing to be considered before having a Great Pyrenees is that they are not easy to train. You will need to spend time and effort on them. Because the Great Pyrenees are naturally guard dogs, they do bark a lot. This will not be an advantage if your horses are afraid of loud noise or if you want to go on a trip with them.
A dog breed that may not get along with horses
Although there are many dog breeds suitable for horses, there are also some that will not be a good decision to keep near the horses. When you first bring a new dog home, you should spend time observing their behavior while playing with your horses. If you see them try to run away from the horses, or they don’t wag their tail, or they put their ears back, maybe your dog is being scared by the horses.
Some dogs can also be aggressive when they feel threatened. In that situation, they can bark or bite your horses. It will cause danger for both the horses and the dogs. Similar dangerous situations can happen if your dogs get too excited. They can run and jump at the horses and scare them.
On the other hand, if your dogs are doing well, they don’t fear or get too excited, the problem can come from the horses. Some horses are not likely to get along with dogs. They will become aggressive and start to attack the dogs. A horse’s kick can result in serious injury for your dog or worse, killing them. It would be bad if either of these two situations, or both of them happened. Let them get to know each other slowly under your close observation.
What to consider when choosing the best dogs for your horses.
To prevent some bad situations from happening, when choosing a dog, there are some things you need to consider:
Size
It is not suitable to keep the toy breeds around your horses. These tiny and vulnerable dogs can be out of sight of the horses, and they can be stepped on or kicked. Having a small size also means they can be attacked by other bigger animals on the farm, but they can fight back.
Easy grooming
Imagine your dog will spend his whole day playing on the farm, and at the end of the day, he is covered with mud and dirt. Now, brushing their hair will be a huge challenge for you. Dog breeds with short or slick hair, which are easy to brush and clean, are better choices for you.
Friendliness
What would happen if an aggressive dog always barks and attacks your horses and other animals on the farm? Pitbulls and Rottweilers are breeds that may not be friendly enough to keep with other pets. And they may make you pay more for your homeowners or commercial liability insurance.
Barking
Last but not least, things to be considered. Some dog breeds bark a lot. This can be frustrating for not only your horses but also yourself. Loud noise can scare the horses and cause them to panic.
A dog that looks like a horse
Irish wolfhound
This is an enormous-sized dog breed. They are known as one of the biggest and tallest dog. Their enormous msize ay make you mistake them for a young horse.
Irish Wolfhounds have a wide sight, high speed and durability, and great power. So in the past, they were used as houseguards and hunted other animals, especially wolves. Nowadays, this breed is much more gentle. They can be very friendly with children and other dog breeds. People usually keep them in the house with their family as guard dogs.
Chinese Crested Dog
This breed is divided into two types, the power puff and the hairless. The one that looks like a horse is the hairless. They truly look like a horse of small size. Though their name is hairless, they have long hair on their head, neck, tail, and the lower part of their legs.
FAQs
Do dogs get along with horses?
Yes, they do. However, this also depends on the dog breeds and your horses. But most of the time, both of them get along with each other. They are both friendly and outgoing animals. As long as their partner behaves well and doesn’t panic, they will be a perfect match for each other.
Which is faster: a horse or a dog?
The answer is horses are faster. You may have heard about a Greyhound, which can run faster than a horse. But for long-distance runs, after about 30 meters, the horses will catch up and take over it. This result is in general. If you consider both weight and breed, then it may be changed.
Which is smarter: a horse or a dog?
It is not easy to measure the intelligence of anything. Dogs and horses have different complex actions and thoughts. A dog can be trained to smell illness and to fight and defend people. A horse can recognize emotions; they can detect and avoid the hunters. So, in conclusion, we shouldn’t compare them.
Conclusion
Now that you know the important things to look out for when choosing a dog for you and your horses. We also listed the best dog for horse owners. Before making your decision, don’t forget to ask your horses who they like, too. We hope you can choose the right one and have fun with your pet. Visit our homepage to see more: FOR DOGS REVIEWS
Related articles: