[chowder]

Why would there be a difference between a horse and a donkey to a dog?

Rocky has been around a lot of horses and usually he just sniffs noses with the friendly ones and then walks away, totally bored. One of the horse farms near us just got a mama and baby donkey. Both of them are really friendly and love to be petted. They also seem to love Rocky and he goes CRAZY over them. He'll shove his nose in the mama donkeys ear, lick her muzzle and her eyes, do a play bow and whimper at her, and dance and lunge at his leash (she stands there and lets him do all of this). He'll actually try and crawl under the bottom fence rail to get to the them and totally ignore the sweet horse that is standing right next to them.

Why is Rocky so crazy about the donkeys when he totally ignores the horses? Do they smell so much different? I assume he is being friendly and doesn't want to eat them! This is a dog that is usually very timid around new animals and had to be bribed to get close to his first horse.

I am also assuming it is a donkey and not a mule since I have no idea how to tell the difference.

 

[Unosmom]

Thats interesting, I dont really know, though maybe the donkeys exude calmer energy then horses and arent as fearful of dogs which in return makes the dogs more comfortable? but thats just a speculation.

Uno has a weird love/hate relationship with horses as well, there are couple families that own horses (seperate areas), theres a yonger frisky horse that starts bucking and running around when he sees me and Uno, so now Uno always tries to lunge at him.
Another horse is 23 years old and is very chilled out, Uno will get into his paddock and try to eat the poo, completely ignoring the horse in the process. I wonder if he just associted the horse with good things to come..lol

 

[danesandhorses]

I have horses, have never had a mule, donkey or burro. Don't know much about them. Occasionaly when any of my horses have come across one they freak out. My horses can deffinitely tell the difference.

 

[dobesgalore]

What is strange to me I guess, is that the donkeys arn't going after the dogs to try to kill them? Thats natural for donkeys to kill dogs. A lot of cattle owners will put a donkey in with the cows to keep coyotes away from killing calves.

 

[meggels]

What is strange to me I guess, is that the donkeys arn't going after the dogs to try to kill them? Thats natural for donkeys to kill dogs. A lot of cattle owners will put a donkey in with the cows to keep coyotes away from killing calves.

Yup. My neighbors have a donkey in with their sheep & lambs to help protect them.

I'm guessing maybe it's the closeness in size makes him less afraid? My boxer has met all the horses, donkeys and mini horses up at the farm. He'll sniff a horse but back off ASAP, where as with the donkey, they actually "played". Well, it was more like the donkey was chasing him trying to give him the hint to leave him alone, but Cooper thought it was a game of course...