courtnek

:lol: :lol: :lol: dogs are so funny sometimes.....

ANY dog that proves itself unstable towards people, through THOROUGH personality testing and evaluation, should be put down. Doesnt matter what the breed; I've known of poodles that had to be PTS because they were unstable. Any dog can become unstable..There are stories of Golden Retrievers turning on children, and they are known to be "completely safe around kids". Each dog needs to be evaluated individually, that's one of the things I hate about "Breed Standards" - everyone believes them to be true for every dog. APBT's have a bad name, because of what people have used them for, and if they were fighters the odds are good they may not make good pets. BUT not every APBT in a shelter was a fighter, and they all need to be evaluated without the mindset that "It's a Pit Bull, we cant save it". My neighbors have a APBT and a BC - they get along fine. so they're not all nasty vicious killing machines.... :evil:

Thank you Paddle. You put it much better than I did. They are beautiful animals, I had a friend who had a 1/2 mix, but he was very large and ominous looking, and the wolfdog had the utmost respect for him. He was the one who showed me how to control Jarvis when he started acting up. He ended up moving to Alaska and taking Carlos with him because the vets wouldnt treat him, the neighbors all hated him, the poor dog was ranted against constantly. While it can be done, for the ones someone ireesponsibly bred, I am completely against breeding them. And like I said, it takes a VERY strong hand to handle them. Thanks, Lucky, for asking and for thinking it through.

arebt great Pyrneeses WHITE???

Lucky, I have one more thing to add. Jarvis ended up being a good dog, but only because I had him on the tightest "leash" possible. He followed every wolf pack characteristic, tried to take over more than once, tried to be the Alpha because in his mind, it was his place. I had times when I literally had to risk my own safety to dominate him. Get him down, roll him on his back against his will, and put my hand to his throat (what the Alpha would do, except with teeth) to make him understand that I was the Alpha and HE wasnt. It was an ongoing battle all the years I owned him, and only because I studied wolves in college was I able to make him see me as Pack Lead. They dont kneel under well to females, and perhaps a male would have dominated him better, but I won. As he got older he accepted me as Alpha, but the first 4 years were a constant struggle. The only person he didnt try to dominate was my son, a baby at the time, and he actually saved Kyle's life. A dog with wolf in him needs a strong, capable hand in handling them. If he went into "wild panic" the authorities would put him down, without hesitation. Lucky, there were times when I had to nip him, on the ear, to show him who was boss....The wild in them has a much stronger hold then the domestication we have given dogs. PLEASE dont do this..... I dont want you injured, and I dont want the poor animal to have to be put down because it's natural instincts took hold....

I used your avatar and quote today. One of my sons friends said the neighbors got this HUGE new dog... it's a puupy and almost as big as a full grown mid-size dog. I asked him what type and he said "St. Bernard, I think...." I said, "was it black?" and he said yes, that's why he wasnt sure what it was, but it looked like a Saint. So I pulled up this page and one of your posts, and showed it to him. He says "Yea, that's it!" then I showed him the quote about "NO, they are NOT black St. Bernards...."and he turned all red.... hee hee!! I had this vision of you going :roll: :roll: :D

Lucky, think REAL hard about this..... A wolf/dog crossbreed looks alot like a dog, and in some respects acts alot like them, but it is NOT A DOG.... The wild instincts are still there. They need lots of room and exercise, they need to be under constant control. You will need to thoroughly dominate this animal and NEVER let it take control of the household or yourself. No sleeping on the bed. Absolute obedience at all times. No sleeping at the top of the stairs while you are downstairs. Some people have luck with them when trained from 6 weeks on, but there are no guarantees that something will not make it revert to it's wild instincts. An example I once read about this goes like this: If you put a suitcase in the middle of the kitchen floor, your average dog will either ignore it or investigate it. A wolf mix however could easily feel threatened by it, especially if it's blocking the doorway and panic. A wild animal in panic mode is very dangerous. It can never be allowed to slip into Alpha mode under any circumstances. That's why you need such tight control all the time. All in all, unless you are very accustomed to training and handling an animal like this, it's not a good idea. Also, in some places the vets are not allowed to vaccinate mixes. I had one that was part malamute, part bordie collie and part wolf. I didnt know about the wolf part until the vet examined him and told me. I got him as a puppy, and while he ended being a very good dog there were always dominance issues going on. I had to be the hand of steel to control that dog, and it was not easy. And he wasnt even a half mix. IMO, I would have to honestly say I dont think it's a good idea. Sorry, Lucky..... :(

I would try it - but definitely take the muzzle. just in case. She may become less aggressive as she gets more socialized...as long as you keep her under control she should be ok. Good luck!

definitely - the last one that gets to mark leaves the strongest scent. My female will mark if she feels threatened or another dog bothers her, but other than that she leaves it up to Alex. The really amazing thimg is that another dog could tell ALL FOUR of those scents apart. :o

Alex and Freebee - 90 and 75 lbs. of Lab mix, well, they fit most of the patterns. Alex has the "face"...he'll stare at you soulfully and look so sad you cant ignore him, but he's not really a big cuddler unless I'm sitting on the bed. then he jumps up and literally lays in my lap. Freebee will come up and put her head in my lap, and if I ignore that she starts to wimper, then whine, then jump up tp lick. Alex will put himself between us then cuz he's jealous. It gets quite crowded on my bed at night while I'm watching TV with the two dogs AND the cat all wanting space there. Mine only howl if I start up, or if an Empire Carpet commercial comes on. Something about the theme song sets them off...

I have had one dog that I actually purchased. My firstl a purebred G/R. All the ones since then have been mixes, frm shelters, from give-a-ways, and my newest baby Alex, who is a rescue from a bad home. I agree that anyone who wants a dog should research the dog and decide if that animal will fit their lifestyle. Unfortunately, they dont. As far as pet shops, I go there for food and chewies and that's it. And I try to pass the word along to people looking for dogs to not go there at all, since the puppies tear at your heart so badly. I wish there was a way to educate people in the proper way to get and experoence having a dog. Maybe they should foster one first, to see how they like it....

I'm in agreement with the "High School Sophmore", and I'm 46 years old!!

Mounting is a dominance behavior, somewhat different than marking. At class, he may feel the need to dominate, and you need to watch that. At home, he's secure so he doesnt need to leg lift. But you really do need to watch the mounting behavior...Make sure he knows YOU are the alpha in all respects....

The picture is cool, but, excuse my ignorance, HOW do you PRONOUNCE IT? :D

OK Pitbull..... that was uncalled for...... the term "bitch" as it applies to dogs has been around WAY longer then the term "bitch" as it applies to females in general..... DONT get me started on this..... :evilbat:

OK, I'm going into "evil mode" now.... :evilbat: Crested, ask your mom how SHE would feel if she could NEVER HAVE SEX.....EVER..... It's a trick question, but the results come out the same.... An unneutered dog not allowed to relieve sexual tension becomes a hyper, wandering, ill-adjusted dog. Just like people. We're not all that different when it comes to sexual need. The sexual drive is instinctive in all of us. Even humans. We can change it and make it do what we want, but animals cannot. They have to go with what nature tells them to do. We can choose to ignore our sex drive, they cannot. Good Luck with mom!!

K!!!!!! Look into that VERY CLOSELY!!! Someone got my debit card number and pin (probably watched me at the food store punching it in) and made a duplicate of my debit card. Checks started to bounce, money was missing, all in all I lost almost $2000.00 to the creep, and the bank wont reimburse it because it's a debit card and they cant trace it. Even though I showed and told them that the ATM's the money was withdrawn from were never ones I used, they stil cant prove it so they wont reimburse me. I ended up having to close that account and open a new one at a different bank. I'm a lot more careful now.... I was told by the police that some people have "photographic" memories, they see the card, memorize the number and the pin, and then sell that info to people who make the phony cards.

My dogs are lab mixes, pretty much like everyone, EXCEPT the vet. The male is ok, but he's so laid back he's almost comatose. The female, however, has to have me hold her head when they give her shots or she will show them her teeth. Neither of them could be considered "aggressive" - they just know that going to the vet means shots and prodding by a stranger. Maybe the vet assistant did something that frightened the pups as well. The nurse at my vet once rubbed Freebee "too hard" - (she's touch sensitive) and she backed off and her disposition changed... It's probably nothing, but I would talk to the vet about it.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: OMG that's priceless - that's as good as the 'hands' one...

I'm ok with K's suggestion - I just dont want what happened before. I'll go with what everyon else wants.

The hook and latch would work, but the real question is - WHY is she doing this? Does she need out? Does she just want in? What's causing her behavior? Figure that out, and the solution will be easier. :D

[[quote]Do you think you'd still have hands if she did OMG!! I wished I had used this line a number of times, I just never thought of it!!! :evilbat: [/quote]

definitely rinse him off when he comes out. Salt absorbs water, and when in contact with the skin will make it itchy and uncomfortable. Other than that - HAVE A GREAT TIME!!! :D

Thank you Staffie - that's exactly correct. In situations where cats have been allowed to group together, they do form prides. It deosnt happen in the wild except for lions, but it;s the instinct to survive that decides what they do. Housecats are usually too small, and independent, and unless groups of them live together they dont form "packs" - but they can, when necessary. Like any animal, the adapt to the current circumstances.

My girl was fine afterwards...it takes a day or two for them to adjust, but they are ok with it. It calms them, and eliminates the stress of going into heat and wanting to mate. Sexual stress is bad for a dog who is never allowed to mate. And this decreases the risk of sexual organ cancer. You're going to feel like a heel the day she comes home. She may be lethargic, lazy and confused feeling. But trust me, she'll be fine. And in the long run, it's better for her. She'll be a happier, calmer dog without the stress involved in the mating cycle. And we're here for you!! :D