Carolk9s

Sounds like a promising situation! How old is BK again? She will probably lay down the law to him. When I decided to bring Brittany home, she was just an 8 month old, if anything I thought Jesse might be rough on her. Ha! She thoroughly whipped his butt for about 4 days, just rough play mind you, he would run to me! I finally got his message and told him it was ok for him to kick her tail now and then. Heck she taught him how to fight dirty and that he'd better keep his legs tucked under him or she'd bite them! Letting the dogs meet at a neutral place is great, if there is a fenced dog park where they can run loose together would be even better. Hope it works out for you and BK and the 'new girl'.

Hm, wondering then about your reaction when she rolls over to pee, thinking perhaps TOTALLY ignoring her behaviour might help? Such as, she runs to you, as soon as she starts to hit the ground, calmly turn on your heel and walk the other way. Do this over and over, perhaps she will start turning the gears in her mind over and think well than WHAT can I do to get her attention! Is she obedience trained? Will she sit on command? Making a quiet, pleasant request for her to sit in front of you and mild praise might help. Basically, choose a behaviour you WANT, teach it, ask for it, praise for it, IGNORE the submissive peeing, no fuss no muss. Just walk away like she is not even there. When she follows you, ask her to sit, if she sits, quiet praise. If she dives to the ground for more belly showing and peeing, walk away. Remove any perceived 'reward' for the behaviour you want to stop. Even if you were to say 'oh too bad you have peed again' in a mild voice that is STILL a response. Again, best of luck!

My aussie mix is terribly frightened of the hose or being in the bathtub but will happily muck through a stinky rank scummy pond. Then acts like I'm murdering her when I rinse her off.

[quote name='Jacsmom']He eats 4 to 4 1/2 cups in the morning and 4 to 4 1/2 cups in the evening!! Yep it is alot!! And it is GONE so quick...You would think he never gets fed....I have tought about adding a cup to that but not sure just yet.... :-?[/quote] I can sympathize Jacsmom, Jesse got 8 cups of kibble a day when he was a youngster plus leftover veggies from our dinner, perhaps a bit of gravy, etc etc. He was rail thin until he was almost 4 years old. I love the photo of Jac and Forrest in the pool! Those boys need their own inground pool. :D

Here's my stab at this issue, from what I have read, this means there is TOO much excitement associated with your comings and goings. If she only pees when you come home, then more so with that. If you are like me, I greet my dogs with pats, hugs, smiles etc when I come home. For your girl, this might be too much until she matures a bit and settles in more. When you come in, be very low key, even to the point of ignoring your dog for the first few minutes. Don't make eye contact, don't say 'yippe mamas home how is my baby I'm so glad to see you!' :D Walk in, go right by the dog, put your stuff down, go into a room she cannot follow, be VERY calm the whole time. Do you have a fenced yard? Can you walk in, ignore her and just open the door for her to go outside? Also, how long is she left alone? If her bladder is full, this will make the problem a bit harder as in addition to her excitement of seeing you, she really has to go! Once you've calmly entered and put your things down, if there is no fenced yard, perhaps having a slip over the head leash to enable you to quickly and smoothly take her out will help. I know when mine are jazzed up, it can be a bit tricky just snapping the leash to the collar as they have trouble sitting still! :D Perhaps other ideas and solutions will come through, best of luck and do keep us informed!

My dogs LOVE carrots, they get them raw for the crunch and cooked for the flavor. They also like cooked green beans. My aussie mix will eat just about everything. I honestly don't know that she has ever refused a food. She will eat lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, you name it. She does not get those foods but very sparingly but will eat them with gusto. She also likes banana, melon & pineapple. I gave her a taste of butternut squash the other night, smacked her lips and asked for more. I had a small amount of a crab cake left, divvy'd it up, Jesse made a face but ate his, Brittany inhaled her little bit, Candy spit it out, ROLLED ON IT!, grabbed it when Brittany looked at it, spit it out again, grabbed it again, spit it out again I said thats enough step aside and let Brittany eat it.

Yes I've seen that food, Duck & Potato. I thought it was odd if dogs cannot digest potato. Probably just raw potato, I read this little tidbit some time ago and cannot remember all the details. Probably the same basis in which dogs cannot derive benefit from raw veggie chunks as their systems cannot break down the cell walls properly.

How about taking some plain boneless skinless chicken breast, boil it in a good amount of plain water. Let cool, shred the chicken, can divvy up in smaller amounts to freeze. Put some of the just barely warm chicken and water mix on top of their food. If boneless skinless chicken is too expensive, I suppose deboning after chicken has cooked and cooled would not be too difficult. I don't like my dogs eating chicken skin but don't know if its bad for them or just my preference. OR if this is just to add flavor and 'excitement' to the food, add some chopped/frozen veggies to the chicken, like carrots and green beans, boil together, mash together, serve over kibble. I don't use most canned veggies as they usually have salt added. Not sure about potatoes, don't think they are any harm but I read somewhere that dogs cannot digest potato? Newfiemom is that true?

How about Moose, or Mousse as in chocolate :D

Referring back to the long haired whippets, if I was ever going to have a whippet, I would want a long haired black. Absolutely stunning! As for the history of the Belgian Sheepdog/Groenendael, I also 'cheated' and am posting some links. This first one, I had not seen before myself and found it to be very interesting. [url]http://www.thetroutbum.com/hundesideHistorikk.htm[/url] [url]http://www.dovetailweb.com/epix/library.htm[/url] Breed Belgian Sheepdog The following excerpts are from The Library at Epix Belgians [b]First recognised as a breed in 1891, the Belgian Shepherd Dog was originally bred to herd sheep The first Belgian Shepherd Dog standard issued recognized three varieties: dogs with long coats, short coats and rough coats Belgian Shepherds were also used as guard dogs and draught dogs (often teamed with the larger Matins and Bouviers), and were the first dogs to be used by Belgian police forces. In March, 1899, the city of Ghent began its police dog service with three Belgian Shepherd Dogs. International police dog trials became very popular in Europe prior to the first World War, and Belgian trainers and their dogs earned a number of prizes at the trials. The Groenendael, Jules du Moulin, and his trainer, M. Tedesco, won the World Champion title at the trials for four consecutive years (1908-11). In October 1911, the first tracking trial was held in Belgium and was won by the Groenendael, Polo. In 1913, the Kennel Club Belge (a rival national kennel club to the Societe Royale Saint-Hubert) began yearly national ring sport trials, followed in 1926 by Saint-Hubert’s national Grand Prix de Belgique yearly ring trials. At the beginning of World War I, many Belgian Shepherd Dogs were requisitioned by the military and served in a number of war capacities: as messenger dogs, Red Cross dogs, ambulance cart dogs and, reportedly, light machine-gun cart dogs.[/b] Country of Origin 19th century Belgium AKC group Herding Function herding, tracking, police, military, search and rescue Life span about 10-14 years Appearance large, muscular, athletic Color Black. May be completely black, or may be black with white, limited as follows: Small to moderate patch or strip on forechest. Between pads of feet. On tips of hind toes. On chin and muzzle (frost may be white or gray). On tips of front toes--allowable, but a fault. Activity level high Watchdog yes, good potential Protection yes Intelligence high Trainability Be persistent, patient, do not push. Good with children? usually good, may not tolerate children's friends, no roughhousing, no chase games Good with other pets? high prey drive, will chase pets, bikers, joggers, cars, etc Good with strangers? suspicious, cautious, reserved, sensitive Character active, watchful, attentive, intelligent, territorial, sensitive Home environment house with a tall fenced yard (These dogs are extremely agile). Best owner active, firm, patient leader with time to train, exercise, and socialize Potential problems Behavioral: over-protective, territorial aggression, chasing, stubborn, nippy, timid, fear biting Potential problems Physical: hip dysplasia (added by me: low thyroid not uncommon, low incidence of seizure disorders-more often in Tervurens) Recommendations: early obedience training and socialization

Yes so much easier and less disgusting when it's poopsicles. I also don't feel sorry for the garbage truck workers, frozen poop/no smell!

Candy turns tight circles before pooping, I keep waiting for her to tip over. Shes practically spinning. In the yard, Jesse will trot in huge circles, first one side of the yard, then the other to find the perfect spot. Brittany just walks along getting loose looking in the hips til she finds a good spot.

Candy will pee then scuff up the ground to distribute her scent more. It's a riot when Candy and my sisters Chi mix are in the same area, Krissy also does the ground scuff thing. So Krissy pees, scuffs the ground, walks away. Candy will go to the same spot, pee, scuff the ground, walk away. Jesse comes along, hikes his leg and pees over both scents, he must be saying these are my females! Its so funny to watch. When Candy scuffs the ground, I swear all 4 feet are in motion.

[quote name='Jeff'] So far the dog has listened to everything I said. My wife says that if we give the dog back or away, it could end up in a really bad home and the dog could turn into a monster. I like the dog and all but I want my family to be safe.[/quote] Oh I tried so hard to be quiet, the overwhelming urge to speak up is getting the better of me so I'll slither back in. Jeff, you AND your wife have NO idea if this dog might turn into a 'monster' in your hands! Lets see, irresponsible breeding of two large, powerful, assertive/aggressive breeds of dog. Irresponsible person then sells/gives dog to people who want an aggressive attack trained dog for protection? Stir in new owners who do not sound as though they know a thimbleful about raising a dog to be a trusted, calm member of a family. Have the lessons of Bane and Hera gone completely over your head? Marjorie Knoller (I believe that is her name) was supposedly aware of her dogs power and was supposedly somewhat experienced, SHE COULD NOT STOP BANE FROM KILLING DIANE WHIPPLE! Not just biting the woman who was NOT in a position to threaten Marjorie, but killing her in the hallway. If, IF this dog is what you are saying he is, neither you nor your wife will be able to physically stop him if he does not want to be stopped when he is full grown. Even as a nine month old, I'm sure he's a powerful force. My belgian's top weight was 74 lbs. When he was younger, if he caught me off guard, he could drag me forward a few feet before I was able to set myself and I'm no lightweight. You say people here are focusing on the negative aspects of your 'story'. Well, that is all your are presenting, negatives and terrible consequences just waiting to happen. The stark reality is that this dog should never have been bred, never have been whelped, never EVER passed on to people without lots of experience and support. This person who knew the male broke his chain to get to the female should have taken her immediately to the vet for a shot to have any pups aborted. I do think you are stringing us all along, if so, yes we are falling for it. If that makes us fools in your eyes, so be it. If your story is true, and I have serious doubts, you and your wife will be in for a very rude awakening in the not too distant future. I hope we don't have to read a terrible story in the paper regarding someones injury or death because of this dog and the people who own him.

I agree with Connie, sounds like you have really done your homework and weighed the pros and cons. I too think rescue is the way to go, getting an adult, settled dog will probably work out MUCH better than a pup who has to go through adolesence along with normal puppy shenanigans. I believe that many large breed dogs that are raised right are calmer and much more laid back than smaller more energetic dogs. Best of luck to you and your family on finding the dog that will be a perfect fit for you, your wife and the kids.

Agility folks frequently teach left and right turns. This method works for agility, it may work for sledding too. Decide on the commands you will use for your turns. Start with the dog walking beside you on or off leash depending on the dog. If your dog is obedience trained, you might want to have the dog in harness to help differentiate between obed work and sled work. While walking, turn sharply right while saying the command for that direction. As the dog turns with you, praise and reward. Clicker training is great for this if your dog does not dislike the sound of the clicker. Jesse BSD hates it while the girls think its wonderful. Teach one direction at a time. Use a lot of body language at first, say if you are turning right and the dog is on your left, lift your left shoulder and kinda roll your body to the right. Work on both sides of your dog, for turning right with the dog on your right, give the command as you drop your right shoulder and turn your body towards the dog. Use the same basics to teach the left turn. Your dog is on your left, you want to turn left, drop your left shoulder and turn into your dog, swing your right hand towards the left. Encourage the dog to walk a bit ahead of you and practice your turns. Is the sled one with runners? Once the dog has the idea, leaning to the right or left will replace the body language.

:D :D When I first saw the subject here, I was ready to wade right in with a resounding YES! OK, then I read Gooeydogs post...SHEESH! What an absolute idiot that meddler is! Wonder if she has kids? Wonder if they have any manners? Doubtful. What people like her just don't get, well trained dogs not only get to go places that untrained dogs cannot, they are WELCOMED and ENJOYED because they have been taught some manners. I must be in the same camp as Gooeydog with the added horrors of 'making' my dogs learn and do agility and flyball. Guess I'm going straight to hell! :Fade-color

I'd like to add to the excellent advice given by Shannon and Guest Pat, I recommend saying a loud OW! whenever she bites at you. Say it like you mean it, bring your voice up from your toes! You dont want her to think you are just playing with her. You don't have to scream at her of course but a nice deep OW each and every time might help. When I say each and every, I mean EACH and EVERY! No play biting is allowed, do not treat her like its funny or ok at all. Even OW NO BITE! and give or show her a toy she can bite on. Best of luck, I know how annoying mouthy dogs can be.

Dwarf Malamute, Malamute/bassett, perhaps Malumute Corgie? :D I don't see any bassett in that adorable short legged dog.

I LOVE this photo! It is one of my alltime favorites!

[quote name='working koolie'] Carol cant believe they tested with a ram . [/quote] After hearing the description of the Merino you were dealing with, I must say the ram amongst the ewes Jesse was chasing around didn't appear enraged or look like he wanted me dead. Maybe he thought I would protect him from the big bad wolf at his heels! I am greener than green at this so it might have even just been me not knowing how to get out of the way. It would have been fun but it was something like 99 degrees and humid too.

Ya know I haven't seen her since! Maybe she's coming around other times. Now that it's dark when I get home I cannot take them during the week. Jesse also has the annoying mount all dogs in sight habit. I do mean all of them too, young old male female whatever. Some days he's good and minds his business, other days he is on a mission to mount! Usually if the object of his intentions snarks at him he'll move on and try someone else, he ends up back on leash by my side when he gets too obnoxious.

Hey I'm a PHD too! [b]P[/b]retty [b]H[/b]elpful [b]D[/b]ame! Or is that [b]P[/b]erfectly [b]H[/b]elpless [b]D[/b]ingbat? I can never keep it straight. :)

I take my dogs to a park area to run with other dogs also. So far (knock on wood!) no real aggression issues dog to dog. I have to add, this is NOT an official dog park, most everyone is very aware that we are all flirting with the law. 99% of us pick up after our dogs, keep a sharp eye on our dogs, etc etc. There was a woman one day with her very large lab/mastiff mix who made my jaw drop. Dogs were playing like normal, around the bend comes a lady with her two kids, one about 12 and a little girl about 6 or so. The little girl, upon seeing the dogs, got excited and was pointing at them while saying something like look mom dogs! She was still holding her moms hand and was not running towards the dogs or anything. The woman with the big mix trots over to the lady and proceeds to tell her that the little girl will have to calm and quiet so her dog does not get overly excited and jump on the kid! When the woman came back my way, I reminded her that WE are the ones who must be on our best behaviour as WE are the ones not 'officially' welcome since our dogs are off leash. I said if your dog cannot be trusted around children who have the absolute RIGHT to be here, then YOUR dog needs to be on a leash. I'm not quite sure if she got it or not but after a few minutes she leashed her dog and left. Candy is excitable and will jump on people, not a mean bone in her but still jumping on people uninvited, especially kids is a no-no in my book. I have to be vigilant with her and grit-my-teeth-smile when people say, 'oh it's ok!' Well, no it's not really ok.

Hey huge congrats to you two! That is super, I have only done the instinct test with Jesse and all I wanted to do was NOT get run over by the ram who seemed intent on doing just that. Did you test on sheep? Cattle? I'd love to read some details when you get a chance. So many little things can go awry in herding, you done good!