Malamum

[quote]But what if her dad let's her dog fo things that he shouldn't? A week is a long time for a smart dog to figure out new things he shouldn't be doing.[/quote] Are you saying that no one who has a dog can never go on holiday and leave their dog with someone else? Whenever you do eave your dog with someone else their routine for that time is never going to be identical to what it would be if they were at home with you. I seriously can't see any behavioral changes occurring.

Sounds like you've given your Dad all the right reasons for not getting a B.C. Since he is not really taking it in why don't you go on a little holiday and have your Dad mind your dog while you are away. Make a list of all the daily things you do with your dog and tell your Dad he has to do each and every one. After having your dog for a week or so he may realise how much work it really is and reconsider.

K - you crack me up :lol: :lol: :lol: Julie I hope you prove everyone wrong too... however if it does end up going the other way the consequences can just be too dire. I personally don't think it's worth the risk not to take adequate precautions. No one is saying lock your dog away and treat it like a monster - just use a bit of common sense and be that extra bit vigilant when he is around other dogs.

[quote]Aggression mmmm well i not worried about it. Some dont like the breed i gess u are one of them. I am proud to say I LOVE MY PIT BULL'S. [/quote] Just because a person believes that the APBT is more prone to dog aggression than some other breeds it does not necessarily mean that they don't like or are against the breed. Most of the people here who own an APBT believe in the potential for dog aggression and are prepared for it. They love their dogs as much as the next person but are just prepared for what could happen and go with a "better safe than sorry" philosophy.

Mydogroxy, I agree. Having a dog that is dog agressive does not meen you are a bad owner or that the dog has something wrong with it. Some people tend to just freak out at the word aggression regardless of what context it is used in. I tend to say my dog doesn't play nice with others :wink:

[quote]A privet fence will not hold a Pit..and should not be used to..[/quote] K, I think Julie meant a private or privacy fence - not privet as in the hedge :wink:

Poor Meg :( I agree with the others, you didn't panic and did absolutley the right thing.

:lol: :lol: :lol: That's too funny

[url]http://www.kennelsafety.com/[/url] For those that use crates for their dogs for long periods of time please have a look at the above link. It shows a crate to be wary of.

:lol: :lol: That is too cute. Indy licks the dishes in the diswasher if I'm not quick enough to close the door but I'm glad he never thought to climb in.

I would suggest that you follow the following Alpha Training rules. The idea behind these is to teach the dog that you are alpha and leader of the pack. ALPHA TRAINING You can start with one or two and work your way up as they become routine. The main thing is consistency! If you make a rule, you have to enforce it every time. Alpha training works so beautifully with young pups. They never get the control and thus don't fight it. 1. Alpha always eats first. Either change the dog's feeding time or grab a little bite of something before feeding your dog.(We make added advantages for the whole family by letting the dog have the last bite of whatever we are eating. He has to wait patiently. This way even my kids get Alpha! We also feed our cat first.) 2. Alphas always go through doorways first. This includes all doorways INSIDE the house. Either call the dog back to you or take her back and make her wait. 3. NO FREE LUNCH This means the dog has to do something for everything it gets. Most people have the dog sit, but you can also use down or come. This should include meals, treats, walks, pets, and anytime the dog wants out. 4. Alphas always have the highest position. This means don't let the dog on the furniture, especially the bed. While training, don't lay on the floor and DON"T ever let the dog stand over or on you. Don't let the dog put it's paws on your lap and stand with it's head higher. 5. Alphas always have clear passage. This means you teach the dog to move out of your way instead of walking around. Depending on temperament, you can walk up about a foot from the dog and say move and then keep walking. The dog should get out of the way. If this doesn't work at first, try luring with a treat or toy until she learns the command. 6. Alphas make the rules. This is probably the hardest! You have to show the dog that you decide when to play or pet her. Our rule was for every 3 times Kodiak asked to play or be petted, the 4th time we said no. You need to also stop a game before she is ready every few times. Don't wait for the dog to walk off and leave you 7 No rough play-At least until the dog is 12 to 18 mos and KNOWS it's place in the pack, you should avoid tug of war and wrestling. In dog terms (especially for young dogs), this is a way to test the other members of the pack to see who is vulnerable. In trying to let the dog have fun, we end up sending the wrong message with these games. 8 Alphas decide where and when to go. Use the tether(umbilical) system for bonding and Alpha training. When you are home, put a 6 ft leash on the dog and hook it to you. I used a leather belt and put the loop of the leash through it and buckled it around my waist even if I didn't have belt loops. To begin with, tell the dog when you are going to move. This teaches the dog to pay attention to you, that you are in control, and to wait patiently by your side. It helps a lot to talk to them and BE HAPPY! Make her feel she is helping by coming along. This worked great with Kodiak and now I can tie him to me anytime my hands are full and he follows right along. 9 Insist the dog obey first time, every time! This is probably one of the most important for independent breeds. Do not repeat yourself! Do not assume the dog did not hear you(they have excellent hearing for the things they are interested in!). Give a command, wait a few seconds, then put the dog in position or make him do what you said. If a pup is never allowed to ignore you, it will make training SO much easier and faster.

Nice to hear from you again crested. The pics are very cute as usual. :D

Zoe, I am so so sorry. I am sitting here at my desk in tears and in utter shock. I noticed you mentioned Rio's memorial in another thread and my heart lept straight into my throat having not seen this thread yet, I did a frantic search and my fears were confirmed.. :cry: again I am so sorry Lots of hugs to you.

Very very smart girl :D

Indy does exactly the same thing. We took him to the vet and there was no physical reason for him to be doing so - we put it down to him trying to get attention. The vet gave us a bittering agent to spray on the area to stop him putting his mouth there. It's works as long as I put a little spray there each day. Hopefully it will break the habit soon and then we can stop using the spray.

That is one very expensive chew toy - that's all it would end up being if I got if for Indy. :-?

Jerk!!

Maybe it's just me but I would personally prefer to receive a call directly from the person who found my dog rather than him even having to make it as far as the shelter. And remember we are all doggy people so of course we would all do what ever it takes to make sure a dog is safe - however for a non doggy person getting a large dog like mine into their car to take to a shelter or to a vets office might be a bit much. If they can just use their cell phone there and then to call me then it's much easier.

Aroura, I know it's tough for you now but you are doing what is best for both Montie and Lily. The three of you will be together again soon.

Daisysmom, how scary for you. I am so glad they both ended up ok. It does make you think. When it comes to collars I guess people have to decide what is the lesser of the two evils or which is more or least likely to occur

19/25 - one of the ones I got wrong was because I didn't read all the answers properly. However quite a few of the ones I got right were guesses.

Indy has access to our yard all day while we are at work. However we do have a secure 6ft wooden fence and the gates are padlocked.

Cool :thumbs:

Last night we had quite a storm and I was silly enough to think I could get Indy out for a quick walk before the rain started. There were constant claps of thunder happening and lightning kept lighting up the sky and as we reached the highway I saw a GSD on the other side of the road running flat chat along the verge. It had obviously freaked out at all the thunder and escaped from it's home and was now running scared. Unfortunately there was nothing I could do while I had Indy with me. I only had the leash that I was walking Indy on and he doesn't do that well with other dogs as it is, let alone one that is totally freaked out. I took Indy home as quick as I could and by this time it was absolutely pouring and we were soaked through, then to top it off just as I got home the power went out. I jumped in the car and went back to where I last saw the GSD to see if it was still there. However by this time it was raining so hard and there were no streetlights on so I couldn't see a thing. It was dangerous for me to be out driving and I think the dog was long gone so I went back home. I worried about it all night. I really hope it's owners found it ok. :(

:o Nutters for sure :-?