gooeydog

APBTs... [quote]The AST is bigger than the true APBT as with most things americans have started the bigger is better philosophy. its not uncommon to see AST of 70 - 80 lbs on average with some individuals being well over 100 lbs. The look of the two is decievingly similar and the only way to tell the AST from an APBT is to walk down its pedigree. There are many APBT people that have crossed in AST to get the size and colorations. [/quote] Most AmStaffs are in about the same size range as show APBTs.... 60-80 lbs fat (some people might say show) weight. Those 60-80 lb dogs would be under 60 lbs if they were in better shape. And most of the 100+ lb dogs are APBT mixes (APBTxDDBx or AB are fairly common), not AmStaff mixes. There's also no need to cross AmStaff into an APBT line when the APBT already carries all the colors, sizes, etc that the AmStaff does. Also (not related to any of the above) about the APBT/AmStaff, the original Petey was one of the first dogs to be dual registered with the UKC as an APBT, and AKC as an AmStaff. APBTs can be any color, but the UKC prefers that they not be over 80% white (due to problems with lack of pigment), and the AKC does not allow red (dudley) noses in conformation shows. The APBT is a dog who can go out and work all day, then come home and sleep with the family kids at night. They're a study of opposites, strong yet gentle; intense yet fun loving. Cocker Spaniels... They're supposed to be a good hunter, and good with kids, though due to overbreeding, many have temperament/health problems. That's all I can think of about them right now :-? Chihuahuas... Somebody already did them, but one other thing some of them show... Napolean complex :lol: Dachshunds... Originally used to go to ground and hunt badgers... they're tough little dogs, though many of them have been turned into couch decorations by people breeding away from the original temperament. They can be hard to housebreak, and some are very active. It's said that they can run as fast backwards as they can forwards because of how they had to be able to move faster than their quarry as they drew them out of the tunnels. Back problems are very common in poorly bred dachsies, and rather than work to breed out the poor structure (and high probability of back problems) most breeders/owners choose instead to just limit their dogs' activity so as to not chance their ever developing back problems (even then, many still do).

Above post was me :oops:

I must've missed this while my computer was broken, but here's my thoughts... [quote]New breeds of dogs are real[/quote] Not until they're breeding true to type. Which we all know isn't happening in 99% of these "designer breeds", as the only thing being seen is the F1 crosses irresponsible breeders like to charge overly inflated prices for. Until then, they're just another expensive mutt. When these "breeders" can show that their dogs are producing uniformly in temperament and physical characteristics, and have been for several generations, THEN they'll have a "breed". [quote]puggle sto get rid of the pugs breathing problems and a beagles hip problems.[/quote] Or make a dog who inherits the pug's breathing problems and the beagle's bad hips... a dog who can't walk OR breathe. Genetics are rough sometimes. [quote]It has been said that the AST is non to little dog aggressive, as it was never designed to be a fighting dog. For structure purposes the AST is shorter and stockier. [/quote] [quote]The AmStaff was made to be a heavier and more musclular dog [/quote] The AmStaff WAS at one time a fighting dog. That was before it was known as the AmStaff, but the breed is still not that far removed from it's fighting dog history. There are plenty of dog aggressive AmStaffs out there, not as many as APBTs, and many are not as reactive as some APBTs, but dog aggression is still there. The standard for the AmStaff is almost identical to the one for the UKC APBT, it's breeders who breed for stockyness, etc. There are some breeders who are still producing AmStaffs that are not to extreme in type, AmStaffs the way they should be. Staffy bulls are short and stocky... the ideal AmStaff is similar in proportion/size to the ideal APBT. [quote]the APBT was always a small dog usually 30 to 50 lbs max and 50 was considered big[/quote] That's going by "fit" (conditioned) weights.... not "show", "couch", or "chain" weights. A dog at fit weight would be "trimmed" down to the lightest weight possible, in order to keep all the dog's strength and ability. They would have very little or no fat, water weight, etc, yet be extremely muscular and fit. The difference between a dog at catch weight and that same dog at "show" weight can easily be 10-20 lbs. Colby's Pinscher was a pretty big APBT for the time, at about 75 lbs chain weight, but I remember reading that he was under 60 lbs when conditioned (56 or 58, I think). To give a more current example, Goo weighed just under 60 lbs at one point when I weighed her over the winter, yet didn't look fat (normally she bounces around between 56 and 58 lbs)... I've had her down below 52 lbs (you could see some ribs, but no hips or backbone, and she looked healthy at that weight, not starved) , and if I had gotten her REALLY conditioned, she would have probably ended up at about 48 lbs by the time all was said and done. With how fat a lot of dogs are kept today, I can see how even "80 lb APBTs" would be feasible. [quote]But now the AmStaffs are being crossed with the APBT and the dogs are just getting bigger, its not uncommon to see 80, 90, or even 100+ lbs APBTS and AmStaffs.[/quote] The huge sized APBTs aren't caused by mixing in AmStaffs, they're caused by mixing in Dogue De Bourdeaux, Presa, AB, and other "mastiffy" breeds. [quote]the AmStaff is a medium dog there are way more likely to bite a person[/quote] Not much more likely than an APBT from show lines, or one who's scatterbred (all different lines). If you want to use the argument that they're too far removed from the fighting pit to be as safe around people as the APBT, then take a look at Staffy bulls... they've been "not-pit dogs" for longer than AmStaffs, yet somehow have kept a good enough temperament to have earned the title "nanny dog".

Even a shelter will likely do a spay on her, as part of thei low cost clinic. If you decide to let her have the pups, you better find some other source of money though, as c-sections and the hospital care required before/afterwards can easily run up into the thousands.

Rosebud, I thought demodectic mange was the non-human contagious type.... at least that's what I've always been told. We've had several dogs come through here with it, and neither us people nor our dogs have ever had any problems.

My opinion may be a bit biased, since in my favorite breed, working ability (and temperament) [i]should[/i] be far more important than being exactly tailored to the breed standard, but here it is anyway :lol: . If your dog is physically sound, has the basic physical characteristics of its breed, and has great working ability; then I feel that dog could be an asset in a working dog breeding program. Up until this century, very little emphasis was placed on the APBT's conformation, at least not in the terminology used today. They [i]had[/i] to be conformationally sound, because of the work they were required to do in their everyday lives. If a dog didn't have a good bite, or was weak in the rear, or too turned out in the front, it would have a harder time keeping up with the dogs of good working ability who had exceptional physical traits, and would usually end up not being bred. If you look at a typical conformation winning AmStaff (the foundation stock for the AmStaff breed was dogs of the APBT breed, but the two breeds took "different roads" afterwards, one towards being "conformationally correct", one towards being able to work), while it's standing next to an APBT out of working stock, you would easily be able to tell which was closer to the actual working dog the breeds used to be, and which had turned "pretty" in the name of "good conformation". So, I guess what I'm getting at is that if you want working dogs, find dogs that can work, and don't worry so much about them being "correct" according to the standard. Look towards other breeds (or "old" versions of your breed) that still CAN work (and do similar work to that of your breed), and try to see what makes them able to excell at that, then look for dogs in your breed that have those traits as well. I'm not saying to completely go against the standard, just that if you want a real working dog (one that could handle the original work of huntng for hours a day or whatever), you may have to breed dogs that are not quite "up to standard", but have the traits needed to actually do the work. For working purposes, I'd take a dog with superior working ability, and numerous minor faults (that wouldn't affect their ability to work/live/be happy) over a dog with little working ability, and "perfect" conformation (according to standard) anyday. Also, I'd be wary of people who try to pass off agility, obedience, etc as "working titles", as they reflect more on the owner's dedication and (less, but still) the dog's trainability, than on the dog's actaul working instincts. I don't know much about poodles, but they were originally water retrieval dogs, right? So field trials, hunting titles, etc would have more weight than obedience, agility, etc. Not that those type of things aren't good, too; and are still much better than a dog titled strictly in conformation :lol: Mary's mama has a good idea about the breed clubs, too. Usually they offer more activities individualized for their particular breed.

Labs are a shedding breed, and in unspayed females, they will blow their coats several times a year, leaving your house full of fur (altered dogs still blow their coats, but not usually as bad as unaltered dogs). I used both the shedding blade and slicker brush on the lab x I used to walk. I'd go over her when she was dry with the shedding blade, then wet her down, and shampoo her. After that, I'd start brushing, while holding the hose/shower head just up her body from where I was brushing, to help push the fur out (if you don't have the water on it, the brush can pull their hair, which will make them not like being bathed/brushed). Brush in quick strokes, flinging the hair out at the end of each stroke. Start at the top of the neck, and work your way back and down, going with the grain of the hair. Afterwards, when she's dry, you should be able to see any leftover undercoat (usually in dark colored dogs, it shows up as tufts of lighter fur under the dark fur), and can pull it out by hand if you want. It also wouldn't hurt to have her professionally groomed, as they have more powerful dryers, which will blow out a lot of undercoat.

Pit bulls are usually high energy dogs, and I can tell you that one walk (didn't matter if it was 1/2 mile or two) wasn't anywhere near enough to tire my dog out until she was getting into old age. Even now at 10 years old, a walk alone isn't enough to make her really [i]tired[/i], which is what you need to keep dogs from being destructive. Unless she's tired enough when she gets home that she goes off and finds someplace to sleep for a few hours, she needs more exercise.

I've been bathing at the local vets (I do 3 days a week, my mom does the other 3) for the past month or so, and I've been around there for a few years. The way they normally do things is they don't put water in the crates because the dogs normally either ignore it or spill it all over. If they notice that a dog is panting, or seems thirsty, or if it has any other reason that might make it need a drink (old age, or a disease; most owners will make sure that it's noted on their card if they need to have access to water), someone will give them water, then take it up when they're done, and offer more later if necessary. I've also noticed that most of the dogs there don't drink even if offered water, they're just too nervous/upset by the strange surroundings. There's nothing worse than going to all the trouble of getting a dog clipped, clean, and dry, then having them pee on themselves or spill their water; and having to do it all over again (at least the clean and dry part :lol: ). Rowie, be careful to not let them clip her too short, as the fur does protect them from the sun, and it's not uncommon for a dog that's been shaved down to end up getting sunburned.

They all know the basic things, then some will do other things. Joey can "dance". Haley will do "foot" (put her front foot up on something so you can pet her), and we're working on "untie" (she always unties peoples' shoes when they come in the house or stop to pet her, so we might as well put it to use :lol: ). Casey gives paws, and will sometimes "talk" when you talk to her, but I haven't been able to get her to do it everytime yet. Annie will "keep it" (point at one of the other dogs, a toy, or the cat, and she'll go over there and keep them from going anywhere, barking at them and hopping in their way if they try to leave) and does a pretty snappy water retrieve (ok, so her swimming style could use work, but still :lol: ). Goo will "climb" (up a ladder, or anything with rungs or slats like a ladder). She also does "five", "paw", "Hi" (waves), "raise your hand", "crawl around" (crawls on the ground), "roll" (roll over), "get that" (point at soemthing and she'll bring it), "huggies" (drops her head down and peeks up at you for a hug), and "crash" (taken from her "hard hitting" retrieval style, she thinks the best way to give you the toy back is to ram it right into you :lol: ).

Teach her to sit every time you open the door, or everytime before she goes out the door. Either one will stop the bolting, because she can't bolt and sit at the same time. To teach her to sit when the door opens, just keep a leash on her, then open the door and tell her to sit. Make her sit every time the door opens, and eventually she'll be doing it every time without being told. To teach her to wait before going out the open door, open the door a crack, and when she goes to bolt, close it and say "sit". When she does, open it a little again. If she bolts, say "AH!" and close the door again. Kepp doing this, opening the door a little wider everytime she stays, until she stays with the door wide open. Then say "go ahead" or "go out" or whatever you want to use, and walk outside with her. Keep working with her until she understands that she NEVER gets outside without sitting first. Also work on her recall, the advice courtnek gave is good.

If she's over a year old, then take her out for a run before you leave for school/work. Make sure she's tired, and that she has fresh (but not really cold) water before you leave. I'd also put her in a room or crate, so that she can't get out and demolish the entire house while you're goneand end up with a blockage from eating something. Like abker said, make sure she has toys/bones/things to keep her busy while you're gone. If she's under a year, find something else to do with her to tire her out in the morning, as it's not good for joints to be running around on concrete or for long distances. Ball playing is good, as is frisbee, but you also don't want them jumping up too high, as the landing isn't good for them either. Tug is another thing that would work, or a variation of that, like a springpole (tug attached to something sturdy, so the dog can tug without you) or flirtpole (tug attached to a pole, so you can tease the dog with it, and make them run all around before finally getting the tug). Be careful though, because in some places, springpoles/flirtpoles are considered dog fighting supplies and are grounds for confiscating your dog. Another option would be to take her to a fenced in yard/field in before you leave, and let her run off all her energy there. Also, obedience or other "mental work" will tire her out a lot faster than just physical work, so you might want to work some of that in as well.

[quote name='Hollywood']So what some of you are saying is that every single Pitbull out there will eventually turn into an aggressive animal. [/quote] If by "aggressive animal", you mean a dog that can't go to an off-leash park with a dozen or so other dogs running around them, some of them either attacking or humping said dog, then absolutely; I'd bet that there are far more pit bulls that are (or turn into) "aggressive animals" than there are that are not. [quote]There is no way in h*** that anyone could ever expect their AmStaff to be a properly behaved dog. [/quote] Never said that. An AmStaff isn't the same as an APBT anyway, but there are thousands of titled, well behaved dog pit bulls that are also dog aggressive, to varying degrees. I've also gotten comments as to how well behaved my dog is. A dog can be trained to control it's natural urges, sure, it does take a lot more work than just having a dog without those urges (in the APBT's case, the urge to fight), but the results are often even more rewarding. Of course, I don't consider running around peacefully with other dogs to be a sign of being "well behaved", so maybe my answer isn't what you were looking for. [quote]So these dogs called American Pitbull Terriers are pre-genetically disposed to dog fighting[/quote] Yes, they are genetically predisposed to fight with other dogs/animals. [quote]and there is absolutely no Owners out there with a well behaved APBT. [/quote] Wrong. But those owners out there with their "not-well-behaved" (otherwise known as dog aggressive) APBTs cause a lot less trouble for the breed than those out there who choose to IGNORE their chosen breed's natural temperament characteristics. [quote]It's as though these loving companions are savage animals taken from the wild forests of a foreign country by mankind to domesticate, but these Pits can never ever be truly domesticated.[/quote] More that man has screwed around with them so much that they've created a "freak" of the dog world.... they don't "pack" well with other dogs, but they will bond much more closely to humans than many other breeds. [quote]That's a real shame that these affectionate dogs are looked down on by most people in general, but what is worst is there are dog owners, even APBT/AMSTAFF owners who think just the same.[/quote] I would NEVER look down on this breed, but I do understand that by selective breeding, they have been made to have certain traits that others may find undesireable. It could be though that I don't feel dog aggression is a big problem, in exchange for all the wonderful things the breed has to offer. [quote]What a crime.[/quote] The real crime lies in people who are pushing the bull breeds closer to extinction by refusing to admit/believe the breeds' natural tendencies.

Umm, I was going to see about getting Haley her CGC through petsmart (can't find anyplace else nearby that tests them), but the trainer there said he'd have to eliminate her because he wouldn't be able to pick up "each front foot" :-? :roll: Have you thought about having him temperment tested instead, kiger? The TT is based more on natural instincts (that's why you're not allowed to talk to them), and what's "normal" for the breed. [url]http://atts.org[/url]

I've said before that it's great that your dogs are still not dog aggressive, but they're only babies, sheesh, at 14 months old, they're just becoming adolescents. This is the time when they might start to realize that they are pit bulls, and that they actually enjoy going at it with another dog, maybe even their own brother :roll: . Lots of pit bulls like to "have fun" with other dogs, but at some point, their definition of "fun" may change drastically, and by the time you realize it, you'll be scraping up pieces of their "play buddy" and explaining to their owner that your stubborness caused their dog's death. NO amount of training will change what's been bred into a dog for generations.

Rosebud, I didn't mean that the dogs don't follow pack order, but rather that we (at least my family) don't follow it very much. I take dogs out in whatever order I feel like, feed them whenever and in whatever order I like, pet whomever I want whenever I want (if any of them have a problem with it, I make them go lay down, I don't care what rank they are), etc. We have a very loose version of order around here, and even the dogs seem to follow that path, as they rarely get caught up in rank issues, even when one is breaking a "rule" of pack behavior.

I really hope this doesn't offend anyone, but if you find that she's carrying really big pups, it may be better for both her and the possible pups to have her spayed and terminate the pregnancy. With the pups being so big (if that's what it is and if they are huge), she'll have a much harder time whelping, and there could be other complications for both her and any pups in there. If you decide to let her continue on, you better have at least one vet on-call for the last couple weeks of her pregnancy, in case she has any problems.

I agree that in some cases, dogs need to be taught to "pack" with other dogs.... Goo has never really liked other dogs, she'll tolerate them (if introduced properly), but it's obvious that she doesn't really care for their company and couldn't really care less if they're around or not. She doesn't like them touching her, or laying near her, or doing a lot of other things "normal" dogs do, but usually won't do anything but get up and go into my room where they can't get to her. She also doesn't play much with them, and if they try to play with her, she'll usually either leave and try to initiate play with me, or just ignore their attempts and stay where she is. She's been around Casey the longest, then Annie, Joey, and Haley. Out of all of them, the only one she ever seems to actually "like" is Annie. Annie is allowed at certain times to lay beside her (once in a while, even curled up on her back), and to interrupt Goo's playtime without being warned off (sometimes Goo will actually play with her :roll: ), among other things that Goo doesn't normally allow (by not allowing, she usually just gives a grunt, and leaves, or gives me the "get them awwaaay from me..." look and I shoo them off). She doesn't really seem to care much about enforcing "the rules", but yet ALL the dogs respect her, and there is no question that THEY think Goo is in charge. I don't think though that the desire to form a pack outweighs the desire to survive, and that's why I don't like the idea of assuming a dog has dominance problems before fixing any problems they have that stem from their instinct to survive (ie: food guarding, defensive reactions when backed into a corner, ect). And I agree that it can actually make the dog worse, because it's only reinforcing in their minds that there is a NEED to continue that behavior in order to survive.

HF, you explained some of what I meant a lot better than I did. Even when I was trying to help Haley's old owner's parents with their overly dominant lab x, I never even considered "forcing" him into a lower rank than me. It took forever, but with some of the NFL (no free lunch) things, and just basically letting him know that I wasn't giving in to his attitude like everyone else did (probably still does), we eventually got to the point where we had something resembling a "working relationship"... he respected me, and I respected him. He knew what I'd allow, and knew that that I wouldn't give an inch over what was allowed. He tried to bite me once, and we did have one incident in which he got my finger along with some food (my fault), which caused some problems for both of us, both incidents early on in the time that I was around him, and I just handled the situations and went on afterwards like nothing had happened. After he learned that I wasn't fazed by his "temper tantrums", he started actually looking to please me, in order to get what he wanted. It took a lot longer, and he still wasn't what I would call trustworthy, but I think he made it a lot further than he would have if I would have tried to "prove" to him that I was above him in rank. (Not to mention that I would probably have lost my face if I had tried to physically dominate him, as he outweighed me by about 20 lbs. :lol: )

Growling and snapping are just warnings leading up to the actual bite... if you choose to "not allow" those behaviors, you're basically forcing the dog to skip them the next time they feel threatened and bite without warning. My mom's Chi does the same "steal & guard" thing, and Haley's done it a few times, too (hasn't done it recently, and never to the extent that Joey does). In both of our dogs' cases, it's NOT an alpha problem, they're reacting out of fear. Both have been punished for stealing things in the past, so they know (or rather, [i]think[/i] they know) that a person walking up to them after they've snatched something means that they're going to be punished. I'm not saying that this is what his problems stem from, but since you said he was nervous and scared, it seems like a possibility. By confronting him over the toy (after he stole it, it was his toy), you're only reinforcing his thought that he [i]needs[/i] to be defensive, and scare you off by growling, snapping, and if neither of them works, biting. You only raised the intensity of the conflict (and aggression) by coming back at him with aggression yourself. Instead of having to fight with him everytime he steals something, you need to always keep a leash on him, and get him to the point where he is consistent on his basic commands. The commands we use most often around here are down, bring, come, and stay. A down is one of the more submissive positions that dogs can be placed in, and it seems harder for most dogs to break a down than it is for them to break a sit. If you can get him to "bring" consistently, you won't have to worry about getting the stolen items back, just have him bring them over to you. A good recall can be used in any situation, and should be second nature to the dog. Stay will let you call the dog over to someplace, put him in a down/stay, and walk over to pick the toy up. Demand that he follows every command precisively. Sit is also important, and can be used in most of the same places as a down, but all of our dogs will automatically sit if told to stay someplace, and I like downs better. The "heel" can also be used in place of "come" as when the dog is called to heel, it should automatically come around to your left side and sit. Anytime he starts to get out of hand, remove him from the situation and run him through some obedience.

[quote]alot of the pits in the paper are to expensive for me and alot of people i know[/quote] It's too expensive for you to buy a dog from a fellow BYB listed in the paper, but you can afford to breed. Lucky for your dog that she didn't have any problems delivering the pups, as that alone could have been tenfold of what you would pay for a pup from the paper.

As long as your dog is proportionate (as much as a dachsie can be proportionate anyway :lol: ) in weight vs size of their frame, I wouldn't worry about their weight. Some minis are smaller than others, so there's no real "set" weight to go off of. Ours (5 yr old min smooth) is around 10 lbs, and is in good shape. Like alicat said, you want to be able to at least feel ribs (Annie's are visible most of the time, but she's very active). There should also be a "tuck up" between the back legs and chest (the waist). It sounds like she's in good shape, so try to keep her that way :wink: Annie usually gets a 1-2 mile walk, and an hr of catch or playing with her "cat toy" everyday, sometimes more if I feel like it. Before we had 10,000 dogs (only five, but still :lol: ) I used to take her running some days, she could easily go 8 miles (with a few breaks for water). Here are a couple pictures that show what I mean (I don't have any from the past month or so, but she was still in decent shape in these) [img]http://seemesmile.com/photos4/2411683a.jpg[/img] [img]http://seemesmile.com/photos4/2490667a.jpg[/img]

I'm a little late on all this stuff, but just have to add a few things... [quote]where i come from it is very hard to come by pits[/quote] That's a little hard to believe considering that you live in the same state as one of the largest (it may be THE largest, I'm not sure) independent pit bull rescue groups in the entire US. I also know of several reputable breeders in Texas, and judging by the number of pit bulls listed on numerous rescue sites, there is no lack of pit bulls where you live. [quote] for everyone's information, both my male and female were checked out by my vet before we bred them.[/quote] That's great, but unfortunately doesn't mean sh*t as to whether your dog is carrying/has an inherited disease. I know a dog who was checked numerous times by a vet when she was between 8 months and 12 months old.... everything looked great. At 15 months old, she was diagnosed with diabetes... a disease that can be (and in her case it seems it likely was, as there were no other apparent catalysts) inherited. A few months after that, she began to show signs of allergies... another inherited health problem. She was probably from the same type of breeder (like it or not, that's what you are) as you, the type who thought it would be great to breed their dog, have some "cute" pups, and make a little cash off the deal. The issues of "trading" and of selling underage pups have already been discussed, so I don't have much to say about that. I would like to add though that the person who had the dog mentioned above was a friend of our family, and that we ended up getting the dog because she was neglected almost to the point of death.

This may not be the case in your situation, but are you SURE that Chelsea is the "alpha"? I'm just asking because in general, the top ranking dog in a group rarely will show "aggression" (I know that's not what you called it, but just as in growling, snapping, etc), and many won't even express their dominance because they KNOW they are the top rank, and they don't need to prove it. In our house, Goo is #1, Annie is #2, Casey & Joey switch back and forth in #3 and #4 spots. Goo NEVER gets involved in the other dogs' little squabbles, but sometimes will actually get between them during rough play and stand as if she's trying to seperate them. Occasionally Casey or Joey (who I think would try to move up in rank if they thought they could) will go after her for something or other, and she'll just spin around to evade them, then go back to whatever else she was doing. It takes a LOT to get her to react with any sort of "aggression". Annie has little interest in starting conflicts, either, but she's a little quicker to fire than Goo, and if they push her, she'll come right back at them. Casey and Joey are the two who most often try to start fights, or harrass the other dogs. With Chelsea being so young, it's possible that maybe Daisy is still higher up in rank than she is, but Chelsea is trying to move up above her. What was their "structure" like when you still had Trixie? If she was higher than Chelsea, then maybe Chelsea thinks this is an invitation to climb right up the "ladder". Not saying this is what's happening, but it's something to consider at least. Do you do anything (like agility or flyball, or even obedience) with them, something that could let Chelsea let off some energy and have some sort of "job"?

Make your you double check your collar and leash the night before, I know you probably check them regularly anyway, but it's better to be SURE than to have something scare him (her?), and him break his collar and run into the street. Also, if it's going to be hot, you can take a sponge, then wet it and use it to wet down his belly, neck, and the insides of his legs (basically anywhere he has little/no hair, or anywhere the hair is thinner, those areas are where the most heat leaves the body. Some people think that by wetting down the whole dog, you're actually keeping the heat in by "insulating" them, not sure if that's true or not, but doing should help keep him from getting you and others wet.