courtnek

I believe they "think" a whole lot more than they get credit for. Freebee "rats" on Alex all the time, everytime he steals something.... then he looks all guilty and apologetic, but as soon as I leave the room I can hear him growling under his breath at her.... :D

:D You're preaching to the choir, Rott....LOL My post was aimed at people who truly want to believe that you can train a dog out of it's instinctive and breed characterisitics. A dog should and MUST be trained to obey - I believe that's a given. Once that has been accomplished the dog is less likely to end up in the Petsmart siutation. My only point was that the instsinct and breed characteristics never go away - not really - as my college Prof used to say (specifically about people wanting to own wolves) "You can take an animal out of the wild - you cannot take the wild out of the animal" - I believe this applies to breed specifics as well. That does not by any means imply that Pits are bad dogs - I like them alot. And I respect that fact thta you took the time to learn about yours. I hate to see all the bad press about Pits, and Rotts, and all the laws preventing people from having them, etc....Alot of this could have been avoided with both proper public awareness, and MUCH STRICTER laws applying to anyone who gets caught dog-fighting. With ANY kind of dog, or cocks, or anything else.

As was stated earlier, most dogs can be trained to behave and be socialized with love and training, BUT - you can never really remove the instincts that they were bred for. My dogs are lab mixes.... They run - they chew - they eat anything that's not nailed down.... Because of their breeding APBT's need to be handled a certain way and recognized that there is the potential for animal aggression. No amount of training will ever completely remove that. Just like no amount of training will ever stop my labs from needing to chew.....

:D I KNEW this was going to happen - it was meant to be Lucky.... I like Ike....

Alex was already named when I got him. Freebee came about because the lady was trying to sell the puppies as "purebred GSD" (she's a lab mix) and when I pointed it out to her she gave me the dog for free. Turned out she wasnt able to sell any of them, and half of them ended up at the shelter..... :evil:

Love it!! That makes a great visual - the dobie in a dark corner just watching, and waiting...... :lol:

:o Good Question!! I dont know - I never really thought about it.... Now I have to find out!! LOL

Stewart Madison..... Mine dont have middle names, but so many nicknames I'm surprised they know who they are half the time. Alex - Alex-dog - Biggie Dawg - Biggie Freebee - Freebee-girl - Freebee-Babe - Baby and my son calls PushyCat "Woos"....

Thanks Yellow - I had forgotten to mention that. Ticksadhere themselves by inserting "suckers" into the skin. By twisting them off counterclockwise you also get the suckers to come out. If you pull them out straight sometimes the suckers stay in. Kinda like a bee sting....

Sulfur is a non-metallic element consisting mostly of proteins. It has been used in the past to treat certain kinds of skin ailments. She may have added it to Daisy's diet because it will make her stools firmer.

Thank you very much Roo.... I have read this before, but today I REALLY needed to see it again.... My son was in an accident and has broken his left leg badly enough to need metal bars permanently installed. I was beginning to think the whole world was out to get me..... so again, thanks. Timing is everything..... :D

Unfortunately Beagle, it is the law in Michigan. All Pit Bulls that are rescued are PTS - no exceptions. Even that sweet little girl in the doghouse - yea, I watched it too.....I think it's wrong, especially if the dog has never been fought, but stupid laws are not uncommon. What they should do is require potential adopters to learn about Pits and the possibility towards animal aggression. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say....

Every dog is different - chokes and prongs dont work on mine because they pull excessively, and just strangle themselves. The head collars work for me, but wont work for all dogs. Mine dont lunge, so the head collars work ok. As mentioned beofre, use whatever you pick only when training. Don ever leave a choke or a slip collar on when the dog is unsupervised, They can literally strangle themselves if it gets caught on something. Good luck! :D

Good Idea K - Alex and Freebee both got out the other day (some kid left the gate open!! :evil: ) and I called the police. They sent animal control out to look for Alex....Freebee came back when I called her. The animal control lady found him a few blocks away, communing with the neighbors.... *sigh* who musta heard me calling him.....he has a name tag on..... anyway, yes, Lucky, call the police too. That might help alot.

who does he think he is?? My male lab mix rescue, Alex, is acting like he owns the place! UNTIL Freebee PUT him in his place.... He's laying on the bed (I let them watch TV with me) and he's all lounged out, SNORING!! when Freebee hears a noise outside...she jumps to action, runs to the back door, and HE LAYS THERE!! She comes in, SNAPS at him (get your lazy arse UP dog....) and makes him go look too. It was just hysterical!! She is looking ALL PO'd because he wasnt moving fast enough for her, although there was no real threat, and he probably knew it, but SHE had to investigate and so HE had to go with her!! In HER opinion, at least... God, I am STILL cracking up....It's almost like a husband and wife thing - "I heard a noise!! Go Look!!" :roll:

Never had a hairless dog, but inside the range have gone from hairFULL (Golden Retriever and Malamute) to hairSHORT (lab mixes) and I prefer the hairSHORT.....baths, housekeeping, it's all easier.....yes, they shed, but at least the hair isnt two feet long, like my Golden - LOL :D

A dog that is not sick does not need to be fasted - certain illnesses of the stomach could require non-feeding, or light feeding, like after surgery, but fasting a dog once a week is a myth. It will not improve their health, and in fact, like was mentioned, will lower blood sugar and cause headaches, stomach cramps and general irritability. Now, I am a diabetic, and know ALOT about low blood sugar and how it feels.... People say that wild dogs and wolves "fast" for days at a time...not exactly true. "Fasting" is the deliberate attempt to not eat. Wild animals eat whenever they can - and they eat ALOT. They gorge themselves on whatever they can, and then hunt again when they have to. They are not "fasting" - they know their own body rythyms and hunt when the last kill has been digested and is no longer sustaining them. We dont need to do that with our dogs. We dont "gorge" them, they eat pretty much the same amount every day. There is no carry-over. I believe fasting is not right for a housepet.

Keep trying Lucky, but, and I'm sorry to say this, he may have been abandoned. People drop dogs off in parks all the time when they dont want them or cant keep them....it's so stupid, but they dont want to be thought of as "bad pet owners" so they drop them off where no one will know. You can call the local county or precinct that issues the rabies tags - here in the states they are issued by County. But someone has the records of the number on the rabies tag. so it can be traced. Good luck! I hope this is just another "Alex" (the King of Escapism....) and that they really want him back.

Many HUNDREDS of thousands, actually. After the intensive care and therapy medical costs, the victim can also sue for loss of wages, disfigurement, emotional instability, loss of "rights"...the list is extensive.... It boils down to lawyers rule the world..... :evil: :evil:

Technically, if the dog bites someone on your property, traditionally your homeowners insurance would cover it. Same as if someone fell on the ice on your porch. But the insurance companies have opted out of this coverage because someone who is mauled by a dog usually requires intensive care and therapy. But any dog can maul a person; I dont think it's fair to classify all Pits and Rotts as "uninsurable"... Bottom line, insurance companies are in the business of making money.... :evil:

I had Alex neutered at 2 years ( he's a rescue) and other than take away some of his determination to run off (not ALL of it, by any means) his personality remains pretty much the same as it was before I got him. (according to my son, who used to play with him while he was left tied up outside all day) He is not an aggressive dog to begin with, so his personality didnt get "tougher" or "weaker" - he pretty much remained the same. My female is more aggressive than my male; but both still mount when they are trying to be dominant - Neither is less playful or has less "spark".... It costs less to neuter a male because it is not extensive surgery. Spaying can be quite costly. And both will still guard the house and bark at strangers, etc. Nothing really changed, except now neither of them have an unfullfilled sexual urge. So I vote yes! Just do it!

It's cool. I had my lab mix rescue neutered at two years. It made a great improvement in his behavior...

hee hee! I wonder if anyone else has a dog named "Freebee"? All of my dogs, except Alex, have had unusual names (I didnt name Alex...) Taurus (GR, named for his birthday) Rasillon (called Raz, irish wolfhound mix, name came from Dr. Who) Jarvis (border collie/Malamute mix - named because his black and white coat was so laid out that he looked like a butler) Freebee (so named because they were trying to sell her as a "purebred" German Shepherd, she's a lab mix, and when I pointed that out they let me take her for free) Alex - I didnt name him and (the cat) Saavik (from Star Trek. Turned out he was a male. The poeple I got him from didnt know that apparently and told me he was a she. However, he will only answer to "Pushy" or "Pushycat"....he too, was a rescue. I "named" him before I got him as a kitten)

Thank you for that story. I have a 16 year old son who aggravates the **** out of me day after day. Last Tuesday he was in a horrible dirt bike accident, has spent the last 4 days in the hospital, and is finally home with a broken leg that has had metal bars and pins inserted to hold it together. The whole time he was in surgery, I kept thinking "Why didnt I tell him everyday how much I love him?" Since he has been home - I have been telling him, every day. The usual response is "Mom, you're a wimp..." but I dont care. I will continue to tell him anyway!! THIS STORY HELPED DRIVE IT ALL HOME. Thank you.

:oops: I just realized "he's" a "she" - sorry Same rules apply though..... :D