Things are going at a snails pace down here in Cowtown, so I thought I would open up my latest personal plight to the public.
Eric and I have been dogless ever since I began my month-long hospital stay this summer. Eric's golden retriever went to live with his mother, my pups were adopted by new parents. Long story short, new baby, no dogs.
About three months ago, Eric and I are driving down a back road and we see a dog barely off the shoulder. We think it's been hit, when suddenly we see its eyes glowing from the headlights. We stop and pick up a perfectly healthy female, relatively young, take her home and clean and feed her. Obviously a previous homeless or outside dog, there are potty training issues, but the dog learns very quickly. Anyway, we have to leave for Mexico and ROC and had no one who could watch the dog and were beginning to realize that perhaps we weren't the best to take care of her right then. Eric takes her to the SPCA and she is immediately adopted by a loving family.
Here's the problem: I hate being dogless. Maddie loves dogs, and Dog (that's what we named the stray) was Maddie's from the start and I feel horrible for taking Dog away from her. I've asked Eric for a dog repeatedly (not a puppy, a dog from the pound--that's a whole other topic), but he's right when he says we've got to get the house in order before we get a dog (Fisher Price has INVADED what used to be our living room, dining room, bedroom, etc).
I still really want a dog. Hopefully when he reads this he'll let me go pick up the latest pound puppy I've had my eye on (whose name, like a "sign", is Grace).
Get a PitBull :D
QuoteGet a PitBull :D
::)
Good Luck Tiff.....
... but with traveling and a baby, it's going to be hard.
Dawn ;)
No Pit Bulls--I have a six month old. Don't start in on the "dogs are only mean if they learn meanness", I am not going to even consider a dog with a predisposition to be aggressive.
I find that comment out of line.
Besides, I want to adopt a dog that might not otherwise find a home.
Well Tiff,
I can't speak for Eric, but this 9 week old puppy has turned me into a complete blubbering boob!
My wife thinks I've lost my mind and I suppose I have.
I had a "rescue" dog before this puppy. That was actually a LOT of work. She was a beautiful Irish Setter who had been beaten, abandoned and left for dead by a puppy mill owner for having a mixed litter. As a result of her screwed up puppyhood, she was as dumb as a rock. She was also kinder than most humans and I missed her like crazy during the last 2 years that she's been gone. It took that long for me to even consider getting another.
It's amazing what these four legged things can do to you! Good luck and I hope you get a good one. :)
Having several dogs of various breeds and also being a mother, please allow me to share some insights from my own personal experience.
Adoption along with purchasing a dog from a private party has worked very well for me. The people at the humane society are usually very knowledgeable about the dogs and their backrounds and probably could make a pretty good recommendation.
Having long haired dogs (collies, huskies, chows), are a pain compaired to a short haired dog. Having a new baby.... go with short to medium haired if possible.
Stay away from the high energy dogs with a little one and go for the more mellow breeds. I love our Marty dog (he's a rat terrior), but he would not be a good fit with a little kid. On the other hand, our husky/wolf, Timber, I would trust with any child.
Good luck my dear.
Dawn
I have a trained dog at my parents I think I will just go pick her up; see first post.
I have a 72lb. Pit Bull. I have had her since she was a puppy. She is the nicest dog you'll ever meet. The whole "Pit Bull's are mean, agressive, ect." is complete and total bulls**t. If you do your research, you'll see that PitBull's are no more harmfull than any other dog out there. The only thing is the only dog's you see on the news attacking people are the Pit Bull's, Rot's, ect. They don't show Collie's attacking kids, but it does happen. Also, little dog's like Shitzu's, ect. are meaner than big dogs by nature. All those ankle biters are just as mean as a Pit Bull. It has to do with training and obiedence no matter what kind of dog it is. Blaming a certain breed is plain ignorance.
As far as my dog is concerned, I also have a child, and I had the dog before the child. At this time, my dog has never been aggressive twards anyone without merit. I expect my dog to do 3 things. Listen to me and my wife, protect our family, and our home. She does that with no problem. She knows who the boss is, and loves everyone that we allow in our home. Her tail wagging and hitting you is more of a threat than her biting you. My daughter is now two years old. She has poked the dog in the eye so many times I can't even count, pulled the dog's ears, tail, and feet, and even smacks her and tells her no. The dog has never done anything other than lick the baby. They play together, and the kid even feeds the dog. That doesn't mean that we leave the kid and dog unattended together. It just means that we trust the dog enough where as long as we are close by, there has never been, and probably won't be any problems. But, this is with EVERY dog, not just the "agressive types" that are shown on the news attacking 3rd graders. I wouldn't leave any dog alone with a child, not even a Chiuaha (sp?).
As far as overall agressiveness, my dog is freindly with anyone I allow in the house. If you come in my yard, or in my house, my dog will attack you as she is trained to do. She will not bite you. She will corner you and hold you there until I or my wife tell her it's ok. She did this to the water meter guy. He came in the back yard, and she had him trapped against the fence. When I told her it was fine, she backed off and went along with her business, and the water meter guy laughed it off. She will do the same thing if you enter my house, and I don't open the door for you to come in. But, once she knows you, even if she's only seen you once, she has no problem with you. The only time my dog gets really upset is if anyone messes with the baby. She even gets mad at me, but not the wife. If I'm wrestling with the baby on the floor, the dog doesn't like it, and she watches and growls. I like it that she does that, because that lets me know that is long as she's in the back yard, if the baby is playing out there next summer, or ever, if someone comes and tries to take off with the kid, that will be the last time that person breathes. That is exactly what I want and expect the dog to do. My dog is also trained to attack on command with no question. If I or my wife say go... watch out. She'll let go if I tell her to though. She is very well trained, and very well mannered. She knows what the line is and not to cross it.
My suggestion, regardless of what type of dog you get, go to a professional training school. Not a school at a pet store, a real school where you get trained along with your dog. The one I went to was 2 weeks long, and cost $2,000.00 but it was money well spent. It's your responsibility as the owner to train your dog and make sure your dog is safe, regardless of what breed it is. Pointing fingers at a certain breed is plain ignorance. They are all dangerous.
QuoteI have a 72lb. Pit Bull. I have had her since she was a puppy. She is the nicest dog you'll ever meet. The whole "Pit Bull's are mean, agressive, ect." is complete and total bulls**t. If you do your research, you'll see that PitBull's are no more harmfull than any other dog out there. The only thing is the only dog's you see on the news attacking people are the Pit Bull's, Rot's, ect. They don't show Collie's attacking kids, but it does happen. Also, little dog's like Shitzu's, ect. are meaner than big dogs by nature. All those ankle biters are just as mean as a Pit Bull. It has to do with training and obiedence no matter what kind of dog it is. Blaming a certain breed is plain ignorance.
I used to think that too, until the guy accross the streets dog attacked my BC. No, it wasn't 'trained' but it was a family dog and not taught to be aggressive. Granted, I've seen plenty of pit bulls that were very friendly to 'their' people, but I've seen more that were _very_ aggresive towards other dogs. As evidence to the unpredictability factor, just this past month a 5year old was killed by 3 pitbulls when he went after a ball in a neighbors yard near here. He had played with the dogs on several occasions in the past without incident. As far as I'm concerned, I don't trust _ANY_ pit bull, and if you are basing your trust of your dog on 2 weeks of training, no matter what you paid, you're a FOOL and a public hazard. The BC I spoke of has been trained daily for over 4 years, and still forgets that he's not allowed to bite the sheep from time to time... You can train them not to do something, but you can't train them not to want to.
Dave
PS. Sorry Tiff for hijacking this thread but _some_ people... well you know...
They are big responsibilities and tough when you travel a lot. Dogs can be a source of the greatest joy, and the greatest sadness.
Here's our family: Max, me, Santa, Trixie, my wife Valerie, and our son Drew.
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Max and Trixie are border collies. They love to run, chase each other, and catch frisbees. They are a ton of fun. I love having two, they keep each other entertained.
My wife has wanted a pug for a long time. I finally gave in, and yesterday we came home with this little girl:
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I think my wife has a named picked out but she hasn't liked any of my suggestions. Like Sphynx for example. It's short for Sphyncter because this dog is a butt load of ugly. ;D
Good luck Tiff. Eric is right though, make sure the house is in order. They are a big responsibility and make sure you have plans for when you're both travelling.
Carefull Jack, that little fuzz-ball will start bossing those border collies around soon. ;D
Tiff, pugs are a good dog around little children. Our first pug was so at ease with babies around that he stood there and let them pull his tail, ears paws, poke's in teh eye area, nose and assorted rough housing. He only shown hostility to one kid and we dont know why, so we put him in a room if they ever came over. Even when the kid was older he still didnt like her.
Heres our current pug Phoenix trying to get into trouble.
(//www.rpracing.org/pup/trouble1.jpg)
Want a good recommendation? Get a Jack Russel Terrier! They are extremely intelligent and very loveable animals. They will also spice up the normally dull life one tends to live from time to time...
Get a Husky!! Super friendly, loyal, smart, and if you strap on your rollerblades they can tow you around the racetrack.
http://huskies.webcrush.com/
QuoteGet a Husky!! Super friendly, loyal, smart, and if you strap on your rollerblades they can tow you around the racetrack.
http://huskies.webcrush.com/
LOL!!!
I did that with our pair of huskies and a set of cross country ski's that were too big for me. The dogs had a blast pulling me along the trail even after I did a face plant in the snow. ;D
Dawn
Quote If you come in my yard, or in my house, my dog will attack you as she is trained to do. She will not bite you. She will corner you and hold you there until I or my wife tell her it's ok. She did this to the water meter guy. He came in the back yard, and she had him trapped against the fence.... Pointing fingers at a certain breed is plain ignorance. They are all dangerous.
Why you would ever send any canine to anything other than simple obedience school is beyond me. Would you ever send your 5 year old son to a tactical school where he learns how to fataly assault someone??? The last thing you should EVER do with a canine intended for a family (espescially a Staffdorshire Terrier, American Bull Terrier etc..) is send them to a trainer who teaches them aggression and how to attack.
Sounds as though you might need a low maintenance pet, that will be good with children. Many dogs can be good with kids, I prefer the giant breeds (Mastiff, Irish Wolfhound, Great Dane etc..) However gentle they may be. their sheer size can be rough with a new toddler. I swoosh of a Great Dane's tail can clear a coffee table in 2 seconds, and however beautiful a Mastiff may be, not everyone can handle a 180lb - 220lb dog. PLus the gentle giants need ALOT of attention and they have a short life span, 6-10 years.
Pugs are overly fun anf will play until no end, absolutely excellent pets and whomever said they are ugly, :P ;D... Dachsunds are great travelers and easily maintainable. But if having a purebred pet is not a major issue, then there are over a thousand readily available happy Mutts :) that need a loving home.
Best of luck in your search and bringing another good life into your home :).
Quote(not a puppy, a dog from the pound--that's a whole other topic),
Both my dogs, Rommel and Monty, are pound puppies. Is there any other kind worth having?
I think a greyhound might be a great choice for you, Tiff. While I've never owned one, from what I've seen and been told, they are the most docile, loving, non-agressive dogs in the world. They also sleep about 16 hours a day. There are orgs that rescue racing dogs for adoption.
(Hmmmmm... 16 hours of sleep. Sounds nice!)
(Racing dogs. I can relate....)
QuoteWhy you would ever send any canine to anything other than simple obedience school is beyond me. Would you ever send your 5 year old son to a tactical school where he learns how to fataly assault someone??? The last thing you should EVER do with a canine intended for a family (espescially a Staffdorshire Terrier, American Bull Terrier etc..) is send them to a trainer who teaches them aggression and how to attack.
Sounds as though you might need a low maintenance pet, that will be good with children. Many dogs can be good with kids, I prefer the giant breeds (Mastiff, Irish Wolfhound, Great Dane etc..) However gentle they may be. their sheer size can be rough with a new toddler. I swoosh of a Great Dane's tail can clear a coffee table in 2 seconds, and however beautiful a Mastiff may be, not everyone can handle a 180lb - 220lb dog. PLus the gentle giants need ALOT of attention and they have a short life span, 6-10 years.
Pugs are overly fun anf will play until no end, absolutely excellent pets and whomever said they are ugly, :P ;D... Dachsunds are great travelers and easily maintainable. But if having a purebred pet is not a major issue, then there are over a thousand readily available happy Mutts :) that need a loving home.
Best of luck in your search and bringing another good life into your home :).
Because that's her job. She is a protection dog, but a family dog at the same time. Everyone says a dog can't be both. Well, I'm not the only person that had done this in the past. The trainer's recommendation wasn't to get a Staffshire, he said get a Bull Mastif. In his opinion, Staffshire Terriers aren't as agressive as a Bull Mastif. I bought my dog for $400.00 with AKC papers. The only Bull Mastif I could find that was a pure breed, waa a "Blue Bull" Mastif, and the owner want $4,000.00 per puppy. :o So, I got the Staffshire, which I'm more than happy with as both a family dog, and a protection dog. At the same time, if you think about it, if someone breaks into your home while you and your family are sleeping in the middle of the night, what exactly would you expect your dog to do? Well, I expect my dog to put him down and hold him there until the police come. The dog isn't trained to kill, she's trained to take control of the tresspasser with alot of agression and hold him there until I say it's good to release. If a 72lb Pitt Bulll is snarling at you and snapping at your movements, you'd better do one of two things:
Have a gun.
Sit still and comply with what the dog is forcing you to do.
My dog is going to back you in a corner and not let you move. That's what I expect her to do.
Bullmastiff's were initially bred to be usedas guard dogs. The "Blue Bullmastiff" is actually a Neopolitan Mastiff. Both of which exceed 130lbs and both can fatally wound un unarmed intruder. The reasoning behind never including your companion canine and your canine bred for protection and service is that they cannot readily distinguish tresspapsser from not. They also cannot readily distinguish roughhousing from playing. All in all presents a negative situation when the dog attacks someone. And there are no accidents in the eyes of the law or your dog. If your canine attacks someone, he meant to do it as an either retalitory action or a preventative measure, and the courts have record that you have trained your animal in such a manner as to attack, then you are held liable. Your story woth the meterman only proves that your dog is unable to distinguish the difference between friend and enemy.
Bull Terriers are essentially sweet, loving dogs and with the right training are wonderful companions. However, you can never deny the reasoning for the breeds introduction. Due to puppy mills, inbreeding, and negative training, the breed has been labled negatively.
I'm not criticizing you for having a bull terrier, Dan. However introducing an animal that has been trained to attack humans into a household is never a good idea. Even Police K9 handlers will tell you this. There only lease is that the spend 24/7 with their canines. I respect that you have an animal with a traditionally bad name and given her a loving home, and that is what the breed needs.
QuoteMy dog is going to back you in a corner and not let you move. That's what I expect her to do.
My dogs are going to bark, snarl, and otherwise distract you while alerting me. The next sound you hear will be 00 buck racking into a 12 gauge shotgun.
At this point, you also have two choices. You can die begging for mercy, or you can die quietly. Either way is fine by me, but busting into my house while I'm there carries the death penalty.
QuoteThe reasoning behind never including your companion canine and your canine bred for protection and service is that they cannot readily distinguish tresspapsser from not. They also cannot readily distinguish roughhousing from playing.
Well, I kinda got what I wanted. True, my dog gets upset with me when I'm playing with the babby in what she see's as an agressive state, but she knows not to attack me, not saying that she wouldn't if I became overly agreesive with the child or the wife. For instance, the dog has no problem when I play with the babby, but if the babby starts crying for any reason, the dog stops whatever she's doing and comes to check out the situation. If I'm rough housing with the babby she sits there and watches while growling. Same goes if I wrestle with the wife. It's kinda like she's trying to tell me to take it easy. If I smack the wife on the butt while she walks by, the dog doesn't like it. The weird thing is, is that no matter what the wife or babby do, the dog could care less. The wife can smack me all she wants, and the dog doesn't even flinch. But, if I"m sitting on the couch next to the wife, and the wife says "Ouch," no matter what the dog is doing or where she is, she comes running over growling to see what the problem is. Then, I"ll tease the dog, by touching the wife and the dog goes nuts growling and barking. The funny thing is all I have to say is good girl, and the dog jumps in my lap with her tail wagging and wants to be loved. She's definetly a character. I'm still trying to figure out why the wife can do whatever and the dog doesn't care. But if I do it, oh man. The babby can do whatever. She pokes the dog in the eye, pulls her tail, smacks her, throws toys at her, and all the dog does is lick her, or sit there with her tail wagging. The school taught the dog what kids are. It was pretty neat. A small child is never to be attacked, and the dog knows it. The neighbor kids always come in my yard when the dog is outside and play with her, and the dog has never been agressive twards them. She actually enjoys it. But, when their parents get close to the fence, the dog is ready to fight. That I like. I don't have to lock my garage or worry about someone trying to get in my yard. The dog learned at school what a child is. It was neat because they had "dummies" of different sizes, and the only one the dog would attack was the biggest one that had a beard on it. They even lined up different sized dummies and let the dog choose which one to attack. The dog always went for th biggest one. They also trained the dog never to actually attack, but run up as close as possible in an attack stance with teeth showing being as mean as possible. Then, keep moving forward until the dummy had no where to go, and keep the dummy there until commanded to release. IF the dummy lunged forward, then the dog actually attacks and goes right for the throat. They also tought the dog not to be afraid of loud noises like gunshots. But, they had a fake gun and if the dog see's it, instantly attack and don't release. It's pretty neat. The cool thing was that I was involved with the whole training. The dog learned from me. I was told what to do, and how to treat the dog and react. Each class was 5 hours long, every day, for 2 full weeks.
QuoteMy dogs are going to bark, snarl, and otherwise distract you while alerting me. The next sound you hear will be 00 buck racking into a 12 gauge shotgun.
At this point, you also have two choices. You can die begging for mercy, or you can die quietly. Either way is fine by me, but busting into my house while I'm there carries the death penalty.
100% agreed. Same thing goes here. If your in my house in the middle of the night, or you break into my house, you're a dead man. I don't care what the law says. The dog is going for your throat and in the mean time I'm getting out the .40 cal and calling the cops. If you gotta gun, the dog is going to strangle you and I'm going to put a hot one in your ass. Screw the cops. Response time in Detroit before I moved to the burbs was 45 mintues from the time you call 911 before the cops show up.
Here's a link to pics of my dog by the way:
http://homepage.mac.com/ducelectronics/PhotoAlbum21.html
Her name is Mercedes, also known as Cede's by the baby. :)
She's almost 3 years old. Born in Feb. Weighed in a 72.4 lbs last time we went to the vet about 3 months ago.
QuoteMy dogs are going to bark, snarl, and otherwise distract you while alerting me. The next sound you hear will be 00 buck racking into a 12 gauge shotgun.
At this point, you also have two choices. You can die begging for mercy, or you can die quietly. Either way is fine by me, but busting into my house while I'm there carries the death penalty.
Hehh Hehh Hehh.....
The little Marty dog will let us know someone's here... then....
Well Chris, you've been in our house and you know whats in every room. ;D
Dawn
Our son is a smooth miniature dachshund, but he's built big at 17 lbs.
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He's like a big dog packed in a little body. There isn't much a big dog can do that he can't. He's extremely smart and easily trained if you stick with the training good for the first year. He loves bird hunting (he's a natural with no training), swimming, walking. You've never met such a loyal dog. He loves babies and absoluetly fusses over any that come to visit.
And, for guard purposes, his bark is big, too, but he has never bitten. There's no dog hair or big poop to clean up. He can go with us where ever with out it being a big project. He's the most cuddly dog I've ever met, too. And does he love the toys--just like his father. ;D
The only downfall is he doesn't like two strokes so we had to get rid of one dirt bike.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Heather
I didn't even see him there on the bike ;D I was starting to think, yeah, they finally lost it ;D :P
QuoteWell Chris, you've been in our house and you know whats in every room. ;D
Dawn
Someone busts into your house, it'll be like the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!
I still say the .50 cal Desert Eagle clashes with your bathroom wallpaper!
QuoteSomeone busts into your house, it'll be like the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!
I still say the .50 cal Desert Eagle clashes with your bathroom wallpaper!
LOL!!!
You must mean the .454 Raging Bull. ;)
Nah, we had to take it out of the bathroom because of the humidity and all, but after Paul is done 'reading' in there....
.... no one would survive anyways! ;D
Dawn <just thankful he's still asleep for this post>
As racers ourselves, we have ex-racing dogs. They understand us better. Both are rescued greyhounds:
Corelle is the alpha:
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Bella is the goofball:
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Zac that is what I would love, my uncle used to have them (his father in law used to breed them for racing). They were lots of fun out on the farm where they could run beside the truck and stick a head in the window, lost two that way when they tripped tho :( We have too small a lot for them here. Dogs that that swim are best for us as we live on a lake.
QuoteWe have too small a lot for them here.
Many folks think greys need a ton of room to run. But after they retire from racing, they don't run much. More like sleep all day. Our house (cookie cutter neighborhood) is on a lot a bit smaller than 1/4 an acre. Some greys even live in apartments. As long as they get outside enough to do their business, all they need is a few walks a day for exercise. Even with the backyard available, ours don't run around the entire thing. More like they play with their stuffie toys on the lawn, and that's about it. Then it's back to the couch for 23 hrs of sleep. ;)
Yeah my uncle's slept quite a bit but I figured that was from the running those dogs would greet everyone that drove on the farm and escort them 1/4 mile off it.
Nothing like taking a dog out for a 40mph run ;D
The more I hear about Greyhounds, the more I like 'em (and I'm a cat person!)
Might have to steer John in that direction, when the time comes. He's still pretty sad over losing Trouble... and I don't think we have a very "dog-friendly" lifestyle right now anyway.