courtnek

GREAT Ickle.... Laurel wont sleep on the bed, wont even get up on it and I dont normally allow it anyway. But when I'm watching TV, Freebee jumps up and stays there, altho out of my way. (sometimes she has to be maneuvered out of "my spot") But in the morning, when the alarm goes off, I reset it for 15 minutes of snooze time and fire up the curling iron....Freebee will jump up, curl herself around my legs, and then when the alarm goes off again I have to untangle my legs, my covers and the dog just to get out of bed.... So I can see the humor in that poem.... God...when Laurel gets more confident and jumps up, I may need a bulldozer just to get out of bed.....140 lbs of dogs is probably a little more than a insistent nudge can handle.... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

thanks everyone for your responses. I talked to the woman who worked her when she lived in the kennel, and Cassie and Carol have hit it right on the head. She (and none of the other hounds) are really "socialized" with people when puppies. They are encouraged to bond to the pack, and obey their handlers. That's why they wont adopt them out to homes that dont have at least one other dog. They are more comfortable around animals. She also said that I should not force her. Let her decide when she wants to come out and get to know him and his friends. She has a secure place in my room, where I set up her bed behind the end, and when I'm in there she stays in there with me. When I'm not home, she goes upstairs and sleeps behind the dresser in the hallway, so she has two safe places. She seems ok with that. Kyle tried to bribe her with a french fry today, but while she came into the room, she didnt want the fry. So little by little she is getting more adjusted. They said it could take a month to 6 weeks before she's really comfortable, and feels like this is home. Everytime I look at her, I am more convinced that if I hadnt taken her, she would never have been adopted. I am NOT taking her back, she's mine now, and I will make sure she likes it here....

like I told you in the email. I will gather all the old clothes I have (tons and tons) and ship them to you. I would really like to se pictures of the quilts if possible, and I might buy one or two for my dogs!! thanks

I wouldnt be too concerned. Neutering my female was considered major surgery. her scar is 6 inches long. and she had to be still for a while too, no stairs, no running, etc. The doctor probably just wanted to warn you in advance that the scar is bigger than expected, and the surgery was more extensive then expected. He'll probably be fine. :)

K does...she can tell you VOLUMES about it!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[quote]I wonder what would have been said if had been two goldens, or perhads a couple of labs or poodles. not to pick on any breed because no breed deserves it, but those seem to be americas sweet hearts. but because it was vicious pit bulls the guy gets a slap on the wrist and a fine[/quote] They would have said "in an abnormal scenario, a loving family dog ripped off half of a childs face.." it happened here. IT'S JUST WRONG!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[quote]There really needs to be education on all sides. People who own dogs need to understand the responsibility -- maybe it's dog *owners* who need to be licensed (with appropriate testing), not dogs, and maybe people with dogs that have been involved in unprovoked incidents need to have their license to own dogs lifted. People in general need to understand that you don't approach a dog and try to pet it, or feed it, or whatever without the permission of the owner. Facilities (particularly in places where people are likely to have dogs, such as parks) need to be friendlier toward dogs, so that owners of well-behaved dogs can take them with them rather than tying them up outside.[/quote] AMEN. I think you'll find that everyone here agrees with you. We have pushed education from day one. Dogs are ANIMALS....you cant just tell them "that's not nice, you cant do that..." People need to be responsible for what both their DOGS and Their KIDS do.....

This is a good time to interject his... I think the only reason I have NOT been bitten by a dog was because of the breeder/trainer I worked for. He taught me dog "signals", what to look for, how to determine if the dog was hostile, or just frightened. He taught me the signs you need to read... what to do if you come across a truly "hostile" dog, one ready to bite.... and what to do to get out of being bitten... I personally think these things should be taught to ALL children.. they dont know.....they see a dog, they want to pet it...

When I adopted her, Kyle was living with his dad. He just came back to live with me again....and she is really afradi of him for some reason. He is a teenager, loud, boisterous, and always has at least six kids with him at any one time. But she has taken to hiding in my room, squishing herself into the smallest corner available, and wont come out unless I pull her by her collar (had to do that to get her to go outside this morning) When outside, she hides behind the shed and I have to pull her out of there as well. I am really concerned - Freebee grew up with him and so knows him, but she is really afraid of him...I emailed the foster mom and am waiting for a response..... He is not a bad kid, he would never hurt a dog, they havent really had a chance to meet and get to know one another (since he is out with his friends all the time)...Do you all think I should be worried? I DONT want to have to take her back - no one else will adopt her, I can practically guarantee that.... His coming back was a last minute decision by his dad, who he doesnt get along with. If I could get him to sit still long enough to get to know her, we might be ok..... :cry:

I dont know alot about bulldogs (I have my hands full now with a FOXHOUND of all things....I AM a glutton for punishment, I admit it :lol: ) But I always like to remark on the differences in text betweent the Europeans and the Americans. AM: Apartments EU: Flats AM: Gasoline EU: Petrol AM: Elevators EU: Lifts AM: Tire irons EU: Spanners Also, American "football" is completely different from European "football", and Cricket is just starting to catch on here, soccer has taken hold already. Does Europe have an equivalent to Jai Alai? very popular in Florida, appears to be a Latin people sport, at least here.... :lol: :lol:

I wouldnt say that....I never knew about their tails splitting, until I read it here. I guess I would just keep an eye on her and make sure the tail isnt injured in any way - it's a beautiful tail, by the way...she's a very pretty girl. :)

My foxhounds tail is like that, and when she wags it against the door I sometimes think it HAS to hurt, but it doesnt appear to..... she whimpers if you accidently step on her feet (she's always underfoot it seems) but never whimpers while banging her tail on the door or the wall....

I found an intersting site with good info on biting, and aggression in general. It's too long to post, but if you go to the URL [url]http://drs.yahoo.com/S=2766679/K=dog+biting+statistics/v=2/SID=e/l=WS1/R=6/H=0/*-http://www.samthedogtrainer.com/Articles_Dog%20Bite%20Statistics.htm[/url] and read the article, then click on the links for aggression, and police, he has some good general information on dog characterisitics, including pit bulls and such.

I have never been bitten by a dog. my mom got bit by a pekignese The kid down the street got mauled by a Golden Retriever I got snapped at by a dachsund, but not actually bitten I think the larger dogs get the stats as the most fatal attacks because they are larger.

VERY GOOD!!! You;re still gonna have to watch them y'know, but the inital outlook is very promising!!! :D :D :D :D

rant all you like Abker - we'll listen. You might want to check with the shelter, because I know in rescue societies they pay the costs of fostering the dog. Food and medicine and stuff. They dont give you money, but they supply the food and pay or offer medical help. I am a parent, and am sometimes guilty of "not listening" but at least I try to be reasonable.

I apologize HF - I wasnt trying to imply that all msall dogs are bad, and you're right, it's usually their owners who make them aggressive by teasing. Chihauhau's however, are somewhat natrually aggressive, which can be controlled, as in any other dog. What I find funny about it is that they are so tiny, yet they THINK they are SOOOOOO big.... :D

The vet is the best way to tell, but the teeth can tell you too. Check and see if his back /mature/ molars have come in yet. And look to see if there are still any puppy teeth in there. depending on the dog, by a year there should be no more puppy teeth and the mature molars should be in.

correct me if I'm wrong - but I always thought that the reason tails (originally) were docked and ears were cropped was for guarding type dogs, so give an assailant less to grab onto and hold the dog. Is that then not true?

Because of the way the pack rules work, I think you wil find that your issue disappears once they are all spayed. The dominant female can no longer breed, the secondary female knows that (by scent) and tries to take over. To her surprise, the dominant female fights back. Wouldnt happen in the pack, she would accept demotion, but in the hands of people, the rules change....you cnt change the fact that Free wont give up the dominant female role, but you can sort it all out by making them all equal. We sometimes make a mess of things by interfering, but int his case, it needs to b done for the good of all concerned.

that's how it USED to be...If you shot him "in the doorway" you were supposed to bring him into the house....however, now, forensics can prove you dragged him in, and that wont work. AND they made the laws stricter...You cant shoot him, even fully in your house, unless you can prove he was there against your will, which means video or eyewitnesses....After all, you might have LET him in, even tho he's a criminal, you LET HIM IN. is there not something wrong with this picture??? If you LET HIM IN, he is NOT responsible.... Anyway, if you are stupid enough to let him in, and your dogs attack him, or you shoot him, you are responsble UNLESS you can prove his attack was unprovoked OR he was obviously carrying a weapon. which you also have to prove..... why are we catering to the criminals instead of the victims? I had a guy show up here claiming he was animal control.... the only reason I DIDNT let him in (I have nothing to hide) was because the dogs hated him on sight. AND made a big issue about letting me know it. I;m talking teeth-showing-tails-straight-out-ears-back-DONT YOU COME IN MY HOUSE!!! warning. snarling, not barking or growling...full teeth display. Basically saying "come thru that door and I WILL KILL YOU". I locked the door in his face. It turns out he's a mental patient, they picked him up a few weeks later, but the dogs definitely did NOT like him, so he wasnt coming in. Something a burgler alarm wont tell you...

MALAMUM!! I want to come to Sydney too!! I've always wanted to see Australia, including the bush...(dont like crocs though) and yes, little dogs are sometimes (not always, dont anyone get offended please) the WORST offenders of nastiness....I call it "Little Dog Syndrome", kinda like "Short Man Syndrome" (ooohhhhh.. that's politically INCORRECT) where they know they are small. and have to try to make up for it by being extra tough.... the two Chihauhaus next door are a good example - they take on my dogs through the fence (yea, like they would win against a 73 lb. lab and a 60 lb Foxhound if it came to a fight) and act like they are the Supreme Dogs of the Universe...it's quite funny. In reality. my 18 lb. cat (one cat equals both of their weights) could probably take them on and win.... hell, he takes on MY dogs and wins....I'm sure he could win over them.... Cattitude, that's it! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Water spritzing wont work with Freebee - she's a Lab - she LOVES water in every and all forms. You spritz her, she thinks it's a game and comes back for more.... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

While I understand the frustration that farmers and livestock owners have with dogs wandering onto their property, this particular incident was uncalled for. The livestock owner was DEFINITELY in the wrong. This dog was a puppy, was it not? Not a lot of damage he could do, and the cattle must have seen VERY interesting to him. Big, docile, not pack-like, WHAT ARE THESE THINGS??? My guess is he was only checking them out. PLUS the children were there, trying to recapture the escaped dog, it wasnt like the owner just let it run loose all the time. He has an attitude tha needs adjusting. I think they should take him to court.... There may be training issues with the puppy, he obviously needs better recall training, but there was no reason to shoot him. ESPECIALLY with the kids there, trying to recapture him, they did NOT need to see that. Farmers who raise livestock are more than aware of a baby vs. and adult. Seeing that this was a puppy, he should have let the kids catch him, and I personally would have helped them catch him.... Would he also shoot a kid who wandered onto his property because he/she wanted to "see the cows up close"? same scenario... :evil:

[quote]There IS an exception here though...if my dog attacked a human because it was protecting me from getting murdered, raped, etc. I would not want to put him/her down. I think a dog has the right to protect its owner just like a husband or loved one does, but that's just my opinion. [quote] I agree that is why I used the word unprovoked in my sentance...I believe a dog has the right to do anything necessary to protect the owner and I also believe the dog has the right to defend itself from attack by a human in the only way it can..with teeth!.... [/quote] I agree. An UNPROVOKED attack, I would take the dog to the vet to see if there was somethng neurologically wrong with it. If there was, and it could be treated, I might decide to try to "cure" it using medicine. It NOT, then the dog gets put down. period. An unprovoked attack against another dog? I have serious issues with that. What we consider "unprovoked" and what dogs consider "unprovoked" are often two different things. If he had shown aggression towards other animals before, I would have been demoting him and retraining him immediately. If that didnt work, then yes he would be put down. Other people have the right to feel safe, and have their pets feel safe, around dogs. Th training may have been the issue in the beginning, and the socialization, but if the owner is not aware there is a problem and does nothing to correct it, then the dog needs to be put down. and RNP, VERY good point. If you couldnt prove by video or eyewitness evidence that the burgler was trying to break in, you wouldnt have a case. Your chances would be better if the guy DID break in, and the dog defended his household there. Just FYI, if someone breaks into your house and you shoot him, unless he was carrying a weapon and you have video or eyewitnesses to prove it, YOU are in trouble, I just LOVE the legal system sometimes.... ***major sarcasm spilling over here***** :evil: