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Buster's Fair Leroy and Dogue de Bordeaux, Rex
are at ease with each other in the meadow. |
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Did you ever see a
Dogue de Bordeaux drive a Toyota? Our Rex is actually
from the family of Hooch of the film, 'Turner and
Hooch'! I've been told that Hooch was his
great-grandfather!
One day I went out
riding with Buster to the forest with two dogs going
along with me. I got about all of the village of
Woudenberg's (province Utrecht) police force behind
me! But they didn't get me as I went along a narrow
path where they couldn't get with their cars, and so
I left them behind. Now I was permitted to ride my
horse, at least, but not along the narrow path I
used. Of course I was not permitted to take two dogs
without lead along. Legally it is permitted to take
one dog along with your riding horse, but on the
lead.
Henk and Rex,
Dogue de Bordeaux
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| Now this was long
ago, I had my "crazy mongrel" Brin (from Brindle as
he was) along, my crossbred Boxer with (speculation)
maybe Dutch Shepherd (you know the breed?), and he
could go along free or on the lead very well. Of
course usually he went along free but he was
educated - I also taught him to stand up against my
leg so I could snap the lead line on or off from
horseback. Still this dog was difficult. If he got
the chance and felt that he had to, he would fight
other dogs and even attack bitches, but he had
tremendous stamina, really never got tired on long
rides. |
Young gangly Rex already
guarding Leroy's stable!
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Once I had him
loose along with Buster, riding in the forest when I met
a "Veldwachter" in Dutch - they're not police but
officials keeping an eye on regions like forest. Brin
was just standing there and the man asked me whether
he was my dog. I said yes and was ordered to put his
lead on. Well, the guy was impressed that I had a
lead at all, and more so when I called Brin to stand
up and got him on the lead within seconds. Anyway, I
was permitted to move on with the dog.
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Greyhound, Casper and Dogue de
Bordeaux, Rex.
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That other time in
Woudenberg with the two dogs was of course less easy,
one too much, the other dog being one of a friend of
mine (we used to care for each others dogs and cats on
occasion) of the Saarloos Wolfhond breed. He was a
young, rather shy dog, not harming anyone, with very
good stamina. He went along well but wasn't taught to go
on a lead beside the horse. This dutch breed was bred by
Mr. Saarloos using German Shepherds and Wolves (original
Canis lupus), so not a breed used for hunting wolves,
like the Irish Wolfhound! Hond just means dog (not
hound, neither male dog) in Dutch, it's Hund in German.
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Saarloos Wolfhond Khensu went along
with Brin and Buster in Woudenberg. |
Khensu shows a very easy, ground covering
trot.
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Some time after Brin
died, I met Greyhound Charley on the streets of the city
of Eindhoven - NL, where he was wandering. He had been
used for poaching, most probably and the dog-home people
knew him well. I called the owner who almost immediately
said, "Don't you want him? He's inoculated and all."
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Well, I did keep him,
but did inoculate him again, got rid of his multitude of
fleas and his severe tapeworm infection! But then he
turned out to be a fine dog, first thinking that my cat
was kind of a rabbit, there to catch and kill, but later
becoming real good friends with the cat. Of course
Charley got to know the horses too, and went along as
well, on the lead or free. With the Greyhounds, Charley
and later Casper, I didn't manage to teach them to get
up against my leg to put the lead on, while on the
horse. Ordering a Greyhound around is a difficult thing
anyhow! But still I got quite crazy about Greyhounds,
considering them very fine dogs to accompany me while
riding out. |
Charley is introduced to a horse; he still
doesn't know what to think of Pride's Dutch
Dixie. |
At a horse fair day for families in
Recklinghausen, Germany, improvising a "how
to lead a dog from your horse", with
Greyhound Charley and Lad's Black Buster. |
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| For that,
the Dogue de Bordeaux is quite worthless!
Pulling like mad on the lead, in any
direction (many!) where his nose or other
senses lead him, with very little attention
for his handler (you'll have to activate his
attention for you quite constantly, and
insist on it), mostly following his own
mind. Be assured, his normal life is not on
the lead, usually he's roaming free at the
farm, e.g. making an inspection tour on his
own along the fences of the meadow - we do
have to watch him though that he's not
straying. |
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Henk's favorite dog
breed is the Rottweiler. We tried to get a young
Rottweiler from the dog-home years ago, but Casper
didn't accept him. Then we went for a puppy, that was
Rex and Casper kind of adopted him straight away.
They always got along well afterwards, but Casper is the
boss! |
Buster and Brin, running together in the
fresh snow. |
Greyhound Charley
and my cat Bop
became good friends |
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We don't want to breed
or sell any dogs but write about our horses being raised
with and used to dogs. Also some (veterinary) advice for
training a suitable dog to go along when horse-riding.
And a big praise to our guard dog, the Dogue de
Bordeaux, for being the best "Foal Alert" watch dog you
can have. He was with me in the stable, waiting for
Spirit's foal to be born, and he barked the alarm when
the mare laid down to give birth! Not for a horse laying
down to sleep, just this mare. |
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