wildbunch

Welcome to the forum GDL, I have a 5 month old Merle dane. She's such a dream. Hopefully will work my way up to 9 as you have. It'll be awhile though. Sorry I'm so late, unfortunately I have to work so sometimes miss the action.

Don't worry Kiger, it'll be over soon. Kimba just got through shedding her puppy teeth. Thank Dog! Don't know how much longer I could take those sharp puppy teeth. Did you get to keep any? We only got two!

Unfortunately I went to work crying today. My husband was watching CNN before I left and all of sudden the story was on. They showed the footage and I am now haunted by the images. I can tell you now that I will never forget that poor dog. He had no chance. The owners did cry out several times to close the car doors. The dog did not show sign of aggression towards ANY officer. He never had a chance, it looked like he was trying to go to mom who was yelling for him to stay away from the highway. The officer just blatantly shot the dog several times. Could the officer not have shot the dog in the leg if he felt threatened? He was shooting first and asking questions later. NOTE TO ALL MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT SEEN THE FOOTAGE: Do not watch the footage! Please for your sakes. My husband and I both are now haunted by the images. If it comes on the t.v. turn it off. I am very serious. I am now home and my husband and I both cried again over the cruelty.

I can't bear to watch the video I'd be hysterical for days. I think I'll leave it to my imagination. (Which is plenty right now!) I have voted "NO:. Those poor people and the poor dog. I can't stop thinking about this.

Welcome to the board and can't wait to meet the new adoptee.

Gigi, I am a Libra. I can tell you that next time we go on a vacation all three of my dogs will have the car harnesses on. I am seriously sobbing here how could he. WHY COULDN'T THEY CLOSE THE DOORS? This is incredibly heart breaking! I sincerely hope the cop gets it where it hurts the most. Can't say anymore, that poor dog :cry:

Poofy has your shelter ever considered starting a no bark training program. If your shelter has such a problem with it then help the owners find a resolution. Spay/Neuter at 7 to 16 weeks! Now I can honestly say I WOULD NEVER do this. The dog doesn't have a chance to develop mentally or physically. I am a firm believer in the 5-6 month timeline. [quote]And to the person who said, they would NEVER debark their dog for any reason... Never say never. [/quote] Um I'm with Gigi here, I will [b][u]NEVER [/u][/b]debark a dog I own. We put our dogs first, if they are unhappy or a neighbor is unhappy we will move. Simple as that. As I said before, we strive to live in doggy neighborhoods (EVERY) neighbor has a dog. Dog parties, group dog walks. It's great fun. We don't care about how far we have to drive to work, if there is a nice, safe place for us to walk our dogs and they have room to play then we are happy. They currently have a one acre completely fenced back yard and BLM right next door where we can run them off leash. A dog that is cooped up all day is going to be very unhappy, lonely and IS going to bark. Figure out why the dog is barking before you try to resolve a problem. I am going to stick by my comment. Dogs are smarter than people think, any dog can be trained to not bark. Please anyone reading this do your research. If you have a dog that barks alot hire a trainer or speak to a trainer to discuss the problem. Hey you can even just call up your vet for some ideas. Got to the library and check out some books (FREE) on behaviour problems and how to solve them. If you have internet access (which you do if you're reading this) just do a search on "problem barking" you'll come up with stuff to keep you busy for quite a long time. DO NOT debark your dog because of the convienience. This must be a last chance kind of procedure. I would much prefer to listen to a dog bark then that shriek they can emit after the debarking procedure. One more thing: About the people turning over the LGD. I also have worked in shelters and have seen what people mark. Have you ever sat down with these people and actually tried to get the truth from them. Most people will not admit that they just don't like the dog, or it's too big (people don't like to look stupid) so they lie. I would say that out of 100 people who turn their dogs over because of barking, 80 of those dogs are just not fitting in or got to big after puppy stages. The ego plays a big thing here and most people aren't going to admit they made a mistake and the dog got bigger than they thought. Barking is a great excuse and you don't look like the bad guy. Be sensible do your homework before resorting to a surgical procedure to be the cure all. [quote]A breed of dog, not known for barking, but for some reason has adopted the habbit and is driving the owners crazy. Correction has not worked, and has only been affective when the dog is on leash. They live with it for a few years...then a baby is born, the dog's barking wakes up the baby on a regular basis, no one is getting any sleep. A: Get rid of the Dog? Or B: Get rid of the bark? [/quote] Before baby this dog is frustrated about something hum what could it be? Watch the dog, what makes it happy, when does it bark the most, when does it not bark. After baby this dog needs attention. He is lonely, bored and feeling left out. Often after the new baby arrives the dog gets put on the back burner. I certainly don't blame him for acting out. He needs a PROFESSIONAL trainer. Someone who can explain to the humans why he is the way he is. (Gigi love the peanut butter idea, yummy and keeps them quiet.) Peanut butter in a kong is a good boredom reliever and hey they can't bark. You can also use yogurt. Just poor it into the kong and freeze it. I don't know of any dog that will turn these down. If my dogs are barking (and I have a hound who is prone to barking and baying) all I have to do is walk outside say "hush" and walla, yeah no more barking. I would say this probably took me a week to accomplish. I don't want to fight but I don't want users who are looking for advice to look at this post and think it is the cure for barking. First time dog owners are on here for research and they want to be better parents. Let's give them the right advice, please do your research read about the barking behaviour and try to figure out why your dog is barking. If you are here considering a breed to buy, go to breeders, owners, shows and learn, learn, learn about the breed. The shelters are over populated have you thought of rescuing a dog in need. Be realistic large puppies do get big and some breeds like to bark more than others. Enough said. :oops:

Poofy, Anesthesia is very dangerous for all living things, even in small doses. I almost lost my malamute because he is so sensitive to it. Quick thinking on my vets part saved him. I had all three of my dogs tested so that if an emergency arises I can give the emergency clinic a form with the proper doses on it. If your clinic offers it I highly suggest having it done before it's too late. Yes, I believe all pets should be spayed/neutered. It IS absolutely necessary in order to control the dog population. There is a risk involved which is why you sign a waiver when taking your dog in. I don't understand what you mean by a dog that won't accept human control. Any dog can learn. They do have intelligence. I train mine with vocalization and hand and body signals. I always take my dogs to obedience classes as this aids with socialization and a better understanding of the individual dogs working mind. Emotion Vocalization: well if dogs don't vocalize their emotions then my dogs are way off kilter. All three of them vocalize concern, regret, happiness, etc.. Our dane is 5 months old and recognizes the speak and No Bark or Hush commands. As I said before, we are all entitled to our opinions and I for one do not care for debarking a dog! My dogs will never see that procedure. There we're done, enough said. P.S. If a person moved into our neighborhood who didn't care for dogs or their barking they would have to deal with about 50 homeowners. That's quite a battle.

HF, What you said makes sense and yes in dire straights I can see how it could be a good thing. I hate the electric bark collars as they can be activated by a vibration, whine, yelp, etc. A friend of ours in Wyoming put one on his dog, unfortunately every time a snowmobile came by it would set off the collar. We had a very hard time retraining him to ride a snowmobile. I just strongly believe that debarking a dog should be a last resort absolutely nothing is working, will have to get rid of the dog, kind of situation. I wish we lived in a better world but wishing won't get us anywhere. I just hope we can try to convince some readers that there are other alternatives. I guess I'm wierd and I live in a wierd neighborhood because all the dogs bark at some point(every person in our neighborhood has a dog). Does anybody really care, No! Dogs will be dogs. I guess I really don't have room to say who should move where, I have three very large dogs and I rent. I am very picky about my homes and where they are located. I choose locations easier on the dogs, not easier on the gas mileage. There is no way I could ever live in an apartment so I can't say what that lifestyle is like. (No apartment complex would have me :lol: ) We always put our dogs needs before our own. Okay I'm not gonna say anymore cause I'll just get myself in hot water so let's just leave it at -everyone has a right to their own opinion!

Okay so you believe everything else is cruel, don't you think forcing a dog to go under the knife is cruel. Every time you put a dog under you are taking the chance of not getting the dog back. You have to take this seriously. Here's a solution; a humane muzzle. With the humane muzzle the dog can pant, eat, drink, etc. but cannot bark or bite (can nip). I agree Hobbit, you should NEVER let anyone make your decisions for you. I refuse to move anywhere that is not dog friendly. All of my neighbors have dogs and I will always live in areas where dogs are an accepted part of every day life. Also when you purchase/adopt a dog aren't you accepting the responsibility and expecting to have to make some sacrifices. Dogs are for life, not a fleeting fancy. Neuter/Spay is for population control ONLY. No one should use these surgeries to control certain behaviours, many dogs have the same behaviours after the surgery. If you have a problem with something your dog does, GO TO A TRAINER. Read, study, educate yourself. Understand your dog. Why is your dog exhibiting this behaviour? Correct the behaviour, don't expect surgery to be your answer. Hobbit, :wink: my husband and I and our three dogs have singing lessons almost every day. The dogs think it is so much fun. Our dane is trying to learn to howl now, funniest thing I've ever seen (heard). My mals voice is the most beautiful thing and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I would definately jump in to save any of my dogs. Of course I would look around for tools first, 2x4's, sticks anything to help me get back out. But I'm absolutely not going to sit there and sob and just watch my dog drown. I'm so glad the dog made it.

Sounds like he just wanted to give it a spin. See what this driving fuss is all about. Poor kid! :lol:

I do not agree with debarking a dog. Dogs bark because of emotion, expression and communication. We may not understand it, but they are always telling us or other dogs what is going on. Come on people, research your breeds. Also moving is not an excuse. Before you move into a new home check out your neighborhood. Are there other happy, healthy dogs around? If so chances are some barking won't be annoying. Keep your dog inside at night so it won't bark all night. Work with your dog, teach your dog the "no bark" signal. It's just repitition. If my dog isn't paying attention to me I give a loud whoop and clap my hands really loud. It startles them enough them they lose concentration on what they were barking at. We have to stop making decisions based on our lives becoming easier. Just because you won't spend 20 minutes a day working with your dog and actually looking into what makes him/her bark doesn't mean your dog's life should be put at stake under the knife. Try a water pistol! Please do as the other members have suggested, research the breed you're interested in. Find a breeder, go to a show, find someone who has that breed and spend some time with them. Most good people will be honest about the breeds faults. If you can't find anyone, find a breed specific forum and ask them. I probably should have kept my mouth shut on this topic but I feel strongly about this. I personally love to hear a dog sing (howl) and to deprive them of this is just cruel. It's an expression and one of the most beautiful in the world.

Hello & Welcome, Currently Residing in Central Oregon, USA. We have 3 dogs. Our house has a one acre fenced back yard so they get as much free play time as they want. We try to go walkies at least once a day. We train with patience, love and LOTS of yummy cookies (biscuits). So I assume that's what you would consider "soft" training. We train for basic obedience but we are hoping to enroll Kimba (Great Dane) in some agility courses once basic obedience has been completed. We are also looking into obtaining Canine Good Citizen Certification for all three. All of our dogs sleep indoors. Our hound generally sleeps on one of the sofas. Our Malamute sleeps in one of the doggy beds (choice of 4, we like to let our dogs have a variety)or one of the sofas. The Great Dane sleeps on our bed or in her crate (she loves that thing). Our dogs only sleep outdoors if they choose to, they have the option via doggy door. How about you KochA?

So glad I could help. :lol: I've been laughing non stop since I read your reply. What an image! :oops: Thanks for releasing me from the doghouse, was getting a little chilly. Let's just leave it at I owe you one. How's that sound?

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: Um, let's just say brain is fried. I'm so, so sorry. LOL. It does make a great conversation topic though doesn't it. :o I thought Mcobbin was a great name, but Wanker works too :wink: I'm glad you had a good laugh, it does a soul good. Again, I'm sorry! You'll have to forgive my lack of a brain. Let's see if I can make up some great excuses, well um, let's see now: Dog was peeing on the carpet! The Microwave exploded! My computer went hay wire and put Mcobbin in where I had actually put Wanker! I swear it all really happened. :roll: LOL. Don't worry I'm putting myself in the doghouse now. The dogs are under strict orders not to let me out until my brain has returned. Feel free to name some punishments. I deserve it. Again Congratulations and give kisses to "Wanker" from the Wildbunch.

P.S. What a beautiful dog. Look at that adoring look. Such a cutie wish I could bring him home.

Thank Dog it's been shut down. Last week someone tried to sell Great Dane pups under Dog Equipment and Supplies. Some dane forums found out through the grape vine and e-bay was notified promptly. They removed it. Come on people act like freaking grown ups. Humans need to divert their attention from the mighty dollar and take a little responsibility for their live companions. Sheesh. It's no wonder I would rather spend my time with my dogs instead of the supposedly "superior" race of 2 legged beings on this planet. :oops: Okay done ranting now.

Hey Mcobbin, Wish I had a scanner. :( Shiloh was our flower girl and Willow was our ring bearer. It was so cute. During very excitable, stressful times where my dogs need a little calming I use Pet Sedate. It comes in tablet form and my vet highly recommended it. It's too hard on the animal to use tranquilizers. What I did was buy the Pet Sedate and tried it out on them so that I would know how much to give when the time came. Boy I'll tell you it came in really handy when Willow BIT a porcupine. Had to shove it down past the quills but it calmed him down. We were living a heart wrenching 1 hour from the vets. Vet also said Pet Calm would work. You can get either at Omaha Vaccine: [url]http://www.omahavaccine.com/store/medications_stimulants.html[/url] or Pet-Co if you don't like to mail order. Both are all natural and the Pet Sedate has L-Tryptophan which is a natural calming agent found in turkeys. Your wedding sounds like its going to be absolutely gorgeous, can't wait to see pictures. How many people do you have attending? I assume Mcobbin will be getting a thorough bathing before the big time. Can just picture a crazy dog running down the aisle towards the Maid of Honor, only to toss her down and put two beautiful, big muddy footprints on her. :wink: Makes you grin just thinking of it. LOL. I really hope you find something that works or Mcobbin will choose that day to be the most well behaved gentleman you've ever seen. Does future hubby have any fur-kids? Where's the honeymoon? I certainly hope you booked a suite for Mcobbin. You know, maybe he could get in a little sun tanning, water skiing, jacuzzi time, etc.... :lol: Congratulations!

Yeah, not a soul has bid. Thank god! But they now have a 7 week old Rottie pup and Sharpei pups. :evil: I just don't understand what breeder in their right mind would want their pups on an auction. K how's the undercover investigation going?

I got the dreaded x as well. Is it just me or is this happening alot lately. Don't worry Egg I can't post photos either. Duck is a cutie. What brand of dogfood do you feed? How much is she eating a day? Remember slow growth is a good thing, the slower a large breed dog grows the healthier the joints will be when older. Our great dane pup is smaller than she should be at almost 5 months and everyone thinks shes younger. I have decided to take this as a good sign and am nothered by it. The skinny thing could be a growth spurt there have been times that Kimba looks like a barrell with four legs :oops: but a week later looks underfed. How long has she looked skinny? If you start getting really concered visit the vet and see what they have to say about her.

Welcome back Rowie. Sounds like you had quite a vacation. Where'd you go? Glad you're feeling better, moms do usually know best. Pictures of Rowie please.

I have to agree with Hobbit. I have never had a problem with neighbors as my dogs are not vocal. Now their dogs are another story. I think in our neighborhood basically everyone understands that dogs will be dogs. Dogs bark! Life is just too short for petty differences, give this guy what he deserves Corgi. He deserves a good, swift kick in the a**. I usually don't like to be involved in arguments either Corgi, but when it comes to my dogs I'm a different person. You've tried being nice and you've tried to cater to his concerns. Obviously he's the kind of person that will keep at you. Please let us know how it's going.

:-? Give me a break! P.S. Roo, I love your new signature! Too cute.

You need to enlist the assistance of a vet and trainer and work through the problem. I mean a dog doesn't just suddenly become vicious. There has to be a reason. Keep him away from all people until you figure out what is going on. There are other people on the forum who can answer this question better than I can. K has Saint Bernards, hopefully they'll see your post.