Mowing Dogs and Rotary Mowers

[Stubee]

I took my black lab with me once to a hunting camp where I was pulling a heavy cultipacker with an ATV (don't ask why that combo). She ran alongside me for awhile but finally got tired of the noise (really loud) and the heat & lay down in the shade to watch me the next hour or so.

My spaniel/retriever mix now is pretty excitable and I keep her inside when mowing with my lawn tractor so I don't have to keep an eye on her. She wants to be with me & I don't want her close.

A friend backed his lawn tractor over a new lab puppy years ago with blades running. I always kinda figured he was very careless, and it was undoubtedly his fault, but I don't want anything else to watch out for when mowing.

When & where I bush hog there's nothing around except deer, wolves, bear, other critters that keep well clear.

 

[Rford]

I love my dog and would feel terrible if she was injured by the mower. I keep her safely confined while mowing.

I once had a hunting dog almost get sucked into a corn picker while chasing a rabbit....

 

[Garandman]

Anyone have a good way to make the dog scared of the tractor? He doesn't chase cars and doesn't go near the mower, but he runs around the tractor a lot, including running behind it when we are backing up, etc.

 

[ovrszd]

My dog's favorite activity is hunting rabbits while I brush cut. In my experience, house dogs tend to be low on common sense. They probably do need to be asleep on the sofa while mowing is going on.

 

[Threepoint]

Anyone have a good way to make the dog scared of the tractor? He doesn't chase cars and doesn't go near the mower, but he runs around the tractor a lot, including running behind it when we are backing up, etc.

Since you want to discourage a fairly specific behavior, the most effective way would be with one of these: Delta XC | Garmin Have to use it the right way, of course. The correction can be applied remotely, from out of nowhere as far as the dog is aware, and only when he runs up close and around the tractor when it's operating. It may only take one, maybe two training sessions. You don't want to make him scared of the tractor any other time.

 

[Garandman]

He didn't need any training to stay away from Moose.....

 

[Threepoint]

He didn't need any training to stay away from Moose.....

No, but were you riding the moose?

 

[ovrszd]

Apply discipline.

 

[Cougsfan]

The neighbors cows all come up to the fence when I mow. Do you think I should contact him and see about putting them in the barn when I mow?

Depends on what you are mowing. If there are rocks, it could be a problem. I was mowing a pasture that was going to seed once with my cows in the same pasture. I hit and launched a rock about the size of a tennis ball. It hit a cow in the front shoulder and put a very nasty welt on her. I have always moved the animals out since then if there is any possibility of launching a flying object. Other times I have hit bones, deer antlers, and such. They can really be more deadly than rocks!

 

[cqaigy2]

Man you guys make lawn mowing sound like a really dangerous activity. I must be going too slow. I have never had an issue with my dogs coming anywhere close to the mower so I always leave them out while mowing.

Do you lock your dogs up when driving around in the yard with other 4 wheeled pieces of equipment (tractor, 4 wheeler, UTV, etc)?

It seems like it would be just as easy to run into/under a moving 4 wheeler as it would be to run into/under a moving lawn tractor. I'm sure someone has hurt their dog with a 4 wheeler which means it should be outlawed. Probably best to lock up the dogs in the house all the time so they don't get hurt. I men between running under lawn mowers and getting hurt by falling leaves/branches it's practically a war zone for those poor animals who are risking thier life just to go outside.

And since somewhere a dog has been kicked by a horse you should probably never have dogs near horses as one could get hurt. Doge get hurt riding in the back of trucks as well so that should be outlawed.

Reading these threads sure makes it easy to see who lives in the city and who lives in the country.

Hmm, getting run over by 4 wheeler vs getting run over by mower. I'll pick the 4 wheeler.

 

[Garandman]

Apply discipline.

OK, explain how I "apply discipline" when I am on a tractor and the dog runs up?

 

[nybirdman]

OK, explain how I "apply discipline" when I am on a tractor and the dog runs up?

E-collar was mentioned.

 

[ovrszd]

OK, explain how I "apply discipline" when I am on a tractor and the dog runs up?

Talk to your dog. Reward when they listen. Punish when they don't. It's not rocket science.

My dog is currently learning sign language, as in I have hand/arm signals that I use for basic commands. He learns it faster than words.

 

[jaydee325]

I apologize for going off topic a bit, but I wanted to share.

Years ago we were traveling out west in our RV. We were at a campground in South Dakota and noticed that our nieghbors had some dogs. Later in the day, I notice him take the 3 dogs out on leashes to a very large meadow the campground was next to.

He took them off the leash and gave them some commands with a whistle and voice. The dogs began circling the meadow in a very coordinated manner. It was a very impressive display.

Later we approached him and asked about his dogs. He was there to compete in a completion. This was in the late 90's and he did say he used training collars, but did not need them to practice with them at that point. His commands were whistle, voice and hand signals. It was very impressive.

 

[ovrszd]

Yep, friend of mine competes nationally.

Here's my opinion. Commanding a dog is not what's important. Teaching it right from wrong is. Hmmmm, kinda like raising kids. If my dog or my kids carelessly ran up to a running tractor there would be dire punishment administered. Neither the dog or the kid want to fail. All they need taught is the difference.