behle

Wow! Ben is very calm, but you've raised a lot of practical issues to think about. I do know that he will let anybody and everybody hang all over him. Just before Christmas we went to our district's outdoor education center with my students plus about 120 more he had never met before. The group (about 16) that went on the hike and walked him through the snow were typical 5th graders; not the quietest bunch on the planet. He had 2 hanging on his collar, and two 2 holding his lead! And the rest were all clumped around him. What a guy, he was a real good boy. The issue you gave me pause to think about was being around strange equipment, very loud noises, etc. He's real calm when he's walking, but I would want to make sure he could handle things in real close quarters because of his SIZE. Thanks for your comments and the link. :lol:

Thanks for the info and the link! :)

Hi, I'm new to the board and have been enjoying your posts. I have a question that I'll bet you have the answer to. I am curious about how a dog and owner earns the right to the title of "therapy dog". I have a wonderfully personable Saint whose hobby is visiting my school, but lately I have been thinking of actually getting some training for Ben and myself so we could take a more active role in our community. People respond so well to him and he enjoys visits and riding in the car. What are the resonsibilities, liabilities, and requirements of training your dog for service to nursing homes, hospitals, etc.? Any information you could give me would be appreciated. :)

Got home and read the board; wanted to reply to the statement that there is no difference between debarking and spaying or neutering dogs. since they both prevent unwanted behaviors. Every dog I have had has not been spayed or neutered to [u]prevent behaviors[/u], but instead[i] to prevent an increase in the canine overpopulation problem in this country[/i]. As a regular dog owner (not a breeder, etc.) my perspective may be different from others. :o In addition, how does anyone [i]really[/i] know whether or not the debarked dogs care whether they can bark? After all, amputees still "feel" their missing limb. My husband and I had a lengthy conversation about this on the way home from work today! :roll:

Debarking is a cruel practice. Under no circumstances would I put a dog through the procedure to rob them of their voice. Lots of folks like to say their dogs are just like their children, but don't seem to make decisions concerning them as if they were. Would any parent do this procedure on one of their noisy children? I think not. I agree training is the best solution! Better yet, as I have read on this board under other topics, owners should research the breeds IN ADVANCE of acquiring a new companion so see which are most likely to vocalize to an excess. In this case, "an ounce of prevention is more than worth a pound of cure"!

Hello! I am new to Dogomania. I have been reading the messages for a couple of days and I answered a poll question, but have not posted a message until now. To answer your questions: I live in the countryside close to a small village called Dowling in Michigan, USA in an old farmhouse with 17 wooded acres. Since we have so many cool places for our boys to explore, they are never allowed outside without supervision. We live with two great boys who have been perfect gentlemen from the very first moment we met them as rescue dogs. Ben, our St. Bernard is truly a gentle giant, visiting the school where I teach several times each year. Max, our Rottie with a great big "ROO"!, is friendly, well-mannered, and loves company to visit. We needed to do very little training since both of our boys were adopted when they were each about one year old (though at different times, not together). When we do want to reinforce a skill, we use praise and an occasional small treat. Our boys have both been neutered and microchipped. I would recommend microchipping to any dog owner! It saved Ben for us when, shortly after we moved here, he spotted a deer and took off running with my husband running after. The terrain here is very hilly and full of trees and brush during the summer, so Ben was out of sight before my husband could get through the tension wire fence at the back of the property. Several hours of searching ensued, full of worry, but then we got a call from the recovery service letting us know that Ben had been found! Without his yellow tag i.d. number and phone number of the service to call, [u]we surely would have lost him![/u] Luckily, we were able to go pick him up about 4 miles from home at a very kind lady's house. The boys go out EARLY in the morning before their breakfast and before we head off to work, then again just when we arrive home. After their dinner they enjoy an outing, and finally one last late break before hitting the sack. Both are totally inside companion dogs which mean I do lots of cleaning and have no fancy furniture! I'm looking forward to conversing with other dog fans. :D

I have two great big lovable dogs in my home; couldn't have [i]just[/i] one! :D