imported_Cassie

Primrose gave you some great advice. I just want to add one last item. When doing a recall dont make the mistake of moving toward your dog-or even chasing after your dog when he won't come. In dog language, a direct frontal approach is assertive, even aggressive, and dogs naturally move away from it. It's much more effective to do the exact opposite-run away from your dog! start playing chase/recall games with your dog. Get excited, call your dog and run a short distance away. Let him catch up to you while you are facing away from him, then turn sideways, kneel down (don't bend over him) praise him, feed him a treat or play with a tug toy, and pet him (if he enjoys being petted, not all dogs do). Teach your dog that "Come" means "Chase me and play" keep up the games, manage him so he doesnt get to practice inappropriate predatory behavior, and find acceptable outlets for his natural chase behaviors Good luck to you. :wink:

[quote]Jada, our presa, often raises her hackles when she comes near another dog. Should this be something I should be overly concerned about?[/quote] First off, not all dogs like every dog they meet. Many dogs get into scuffles a few times in their life...its quite normal. What would be considered aggressive would be a dog which starts an unprovoked attack; for instance at the vet clinic I work at we had a Stafforshire terrier sitting nicely beside its owner, another lady came in holding her small breed dog in her arms. The Staff with out being provoked and with out making a sound grabbed the small dog out of the owners arms and tore its legs apart. This is some thing which I would consider an unsafe dog to have in public. This Staff also has its Canine good citizenship cert. and has done all levels of obedience and has all of its titles. It still turned out to be unpredictable. This can usually be seen by owners early on and this can be prevented, if a dog starts eye stalking little dogs...then watch out. I imagine if the owner had been watching her Staff the only indications of an attack would have been a slight lowering of the head and eye stalk. If a dog does get into a fight and it goes beyond a scuffle and it turns out to be a blood bath...then this could be considered a dangerous dog as well...I know a few breeders who had dogs put down due to getting into a scuffle and breaking skin. But, then of course this is also wide open as I have seen some dogs fight, for instance 2 intact males as there was a female close by in heat. ...so even this is pretty conterversial. [quote]The reason why I am asking is because this article mentions a dog raising its hackles as dangerous. I always assumed that some dogs just raise them more often, which is the case with Jada. Alot of the time when she's in the backyard they are partially up, as she is always on guard of our backyard! When she is in a situation that she feels threatened or the need to be protective, she will raise them. [/quote] [quote]A dog which shows aggression warning signs: freezing and giving a hard, direct stare; leaning forward, ears pricked, growling, perhaps with hackles raised; issuing one of more challenging barks; bared teeth, snarling, and or snapping; stiff, rigid appearance and movements. [/quote] In this part of the article they are not referring to dog to dog aggression. They are referring to human to dog aggression. This also does not take into account the dog in your back yard. No one is going to go around doing spot checks in peoples homes to make sure the dog will lick all intruders :wink: In the article it is also not just mentioning the dog only has its hackles raised. It basically glump all of these body language signs into one big "watch out for this dog" type scene. What this article is referring to is free roaming dogs in the neighborhood and signs of the dog being aggressive. If I were walking down the street minding my own business, then come across a dog which is frozen in place staring at me, perhaps growling with ears pricked forward and hackles up...I really am not going to assume this dog is going to lick my hand. This dog is aggressive, it has nothing to protect and it is acting in an offensive manner. It would be the same if I lived beside some one whose dog was acting aggressive towards me every time I am in my own yard. If the dog is properly contained, then no big deal. But, if I am worried about having my jugular rippped out every time I am pruning my trees...then I would consider that dog aggressive and the owners irresponsible. Another thing about raising hackles, fearful dogs, offensive dogs, defensive dogs all will raise their hackles when they are in a situation they are unsure of. They will raise their hackles in an attempt to make them selves look tougher than they are. :lol:

Seizures can be caused by many conditions: Congenital defects Blood glucose levels that are too high (e.g.; diabetes mellitus) or too low (hypoglycemia) Low oxygen levels in the blood that could be caused by anemia, heart problems, or difficulties with breathing Kidney disorders Liver disorders Infections such as canine distemper Tumors Toxins, like antifreeze, lead, or chocolate Fevers and hyperthermia Brain damage resulting from trauma or poor blood flow to the brain Certain medications Low calcium in females that are nursing young (eclampsia) Primary or idiopathic epilepsy Types of seizures Partial seizures affect only a small part or one side of the body. These are often caused by a brain lesion. In order to identify the problem; first, a detailed history is needed. A physical and neurologic exam are performed by your veterinarian, a panel of laboratory tests are run, and sometimes x-rays (radiographs) are taken. If a cause of the seizure can not be identified, the condition is diagnosed as idiopathic or primary epilepsy. There is no test to diagnose epilepsy per se, tests simply rule out other causes of seizures. It is helpful if you, the owner, can give your veterinarian answers to the following questions: What does your pet look like when he is having seizures? What is the duration of each seizure and how often do they occur? Are there signs that only appear on one side of your pet (is one side worse than the other)? Has your pet had a high fever? Has your pet been exposed to any toxins? Has your pet experienced any trauma recently or years ago? Is your pet current on vaccinations? Has your pet been recently boarded or with other dogs? Has your pet had any other signs of illness? Has your pet been running loose in the last several weeks? What and when does your pet eat? Has your pet had any behavior changes? Do the seizures occur in a pattern related to exercise, eating, sleeping, or certain activities? Does your pet show different signs right before or right after the seizures? If it is epilepsy, epilepsy generally starts in animals 6 months to 5 years of age, usually at 2-3 years. Epilepsy occurs in all breeds, including mixed breeds. Epilepsy can be a genetic trait. It can even be familial where the epileptic disorder can pass down through generations within one family. Beagles, German Shepherds, Irish Setters, Poodles, Saint Bernards, Springers, Malamutes and Huskies, Cockers, Collies, Dachshunds, and Golden and Labrador Retrievers are some of the breeds which have a higher tendency to develop epilepsy. Treatment for epilepsy is usually not begun until a seizure is severe or multiple seizures have occurred and a pattern is observed. It is very important to know the pattern of seizures in your pet so your veterinarian can determine if the treatment is helping. TREATMENT IS NEVER CURATIVE.The goal is to decrease the frequency, severity, and duration of the seizures. Medications used to treat epilepsy are given orally. Each animal reacts differently to the medications. Your veterinarian may need to try different types or combinations to find what will be right for your pet. Many pets will become sleepy when they first start medication, but this soon wears off after several weeks. The drug most commonly used to control epilepsy is Phenobarbital. Dilantin and Primidone are other drugs used in veterinary medicine. All are phenobarbital-related drugs. These medications must be given every day. These medications are classified as sedatives in which case the objective is to sedate the neurons of the brain, but not to the point where the patient becomes obviously sedated or "dopey." In the normal patient receiving these drugs, you can seldom detect that the dog is on any medication. These are the same medications used in humans with epilepsy and the goal of treatment is the same. Other medications, such as potassium bromide (KBr), clorazepate, phenytoin and clonazepam, dimethylglycine, and felbamate may be used alone or in combination with phenobarbital, if phenobarbital alone is not effective. Once medication has started it is IMPORTANT to NOT suddenly discontinue or 'skip' a dose of medication. Severe seizures could result. If a patient experiences prolonged seizures referred to as Status, injectable drugs such as valium are administered intravenous for rapid effect. Phenobarbitol and related anti-epileptic drugs can have side effects on the liver, especially if high dosages are required. We usually suggest liver function tests before we adjust dosages upward. Although this is a good practice, it is very rare to see liver damage even at high levels. It is common for one dosage level of medication to work for a period of time, then have the seizures increase in length or frequency. In these cases, the drug dosages may be adjusted. If the treated patient goes months with no seizures, then we may try a lower dosage, which may still control the seizures. We might add here that we have all of our clients keep a calendar or log of the seizures, recording the date and length of time they lasted. This makes it easier for us to determine if adjustments are necessary. Obviously, the owner may miss some episodes, since they can not watch their dog every minute, but the calendar is beneficial.

[quote]What breed would you guys consider is the smartest and easiest to train dog?[/quote] Easiest to train doing what??? :o If I wanted to train a dog to be a pointer, I am not going to get too far with a border collie. Their eye stalk is hard wired to their chase behavior. Does this mean a border collie is not as intelligent as a pointer? If I want a live stock guardian dog and I decide to use a border collie...will the collie have the intelligence not to eye stalk and chase the sheep?? no. does this mean the border collie is not as intelligent as the livestock guardian dog? IMO, each breed is intelligent for the job they were bred for. I have seen dogs from each breed display different levels of intelligence. I have seen some Newfoundland dogs actually blow me away for being able to figure things out (kennel doors etc.). I have been amazed watching GSD's doing schutzhound. It is wonderful watching a team of huskies have the intelligence to work together to pull a sled. So for myself, I think all breeds are very intelligent. I have seen some border collies which the owners cannot seem to train at all...and I have seen some brillant border collies as well as other breeds. So I think intelligence of a dog should be determined. What it was orginally bred for. The owner who trains the dog, and the owner encouraging the dog to succeed. I have seen dogs from every breed display some high levels of intelligence depending on the individual dog. I have met some owners who encourage intelligence, and others who repress intelligence in their dogs.

JaquelineC gave you some good advice. The only other suggestion I will give and I speak from experience having lived with many intact males in the past...and currently owning 2 intact males and one neutered male. My intact boys were all adults and straight from a kennel as well, never had lived in a house. What I did, I used a really good enzyme cleaner on the areas they urinated. I take them for hikes instead of just letting them pee in the yard. My boys started to look forward to their hikes and marking over other dogs urine marks. Its like a ritual now :wink: at first they would come back into the house and mark on their old marks...I really had to clean that up. I also used a water pistol as a remote training tool, I have also heard of some people using a can filled with rocks and shake it to get the dog to stop. It surprised them just a little, just enough time for me to run over and grab them and take them out side...when they went out doors I praised them. I also found my other dogs were great training tools, they enjoy urinating together on their hikes :lol: one will pee, and all the others will pee over top, I allow all my dogs to sniff to their hearts content on other dogs urine marks...it some times takes my males a few minutes to make up their mind if they are going to sarcrifice some of their special scents to this spot. My males also do not just pee once, its not over until they are urinating just drops...males are famous for holding their bladder for that special spot that they may come across :wink: It's not easy, and I will say that nuetering does not "fix" a behavior such as marking. I had a male which was 5 years of age before he was neutered. I adopted him after he had been neutered, he still marked in the house for a couple of days before I had him trained properly. It's mainly getting the dog into a ritual and same routine walks (I take my boys out 3 times a day, then once before bed). Some dogs will hold them selves in order to have some thing to share with the neighborhood. I know you said you take them for walks, but, are they routine walks...does he mark while on the walks? if my males stop to sniff an area I give them time to decide if they are going to go in that spot. Any way, my advice probably won't be much help. It did solve my problems...but, then again every dog is different. :wink: Have you tried crating him while you are out?

We have a gentleman from the Canine unit (police force) who takes his well trained German Shepherd to schools to educate children about dog attacks. He has a very well trained dog which he will demonstrate to the children things that may set a dog off. I also have taught my neices and nephews how to act around strange dogs and they know the difference between an offensive dog, a dog in predatory drift and fearful dogs. They also know that a waggin tail does not always mean the dog is friendly :lol: I think in order to teach such skills to children it would be a really good idea to take an animal behaviorist course. Learn ALOT about predatory drives and breed specific drives. In my area we have a few vets who are also certified behaviorists. I think it would be a great idea Shara for you to teach programs like this to children. Its also nice if you can have videos of each type of aggression and how the dog acts and what to watch for...this would help you to learn the behavior and body posturing of each type of aggression. For example an offensive dog is going to act ALOT differently than a fearful or defensive dog. Good luck

This I found in one of my WDJ magazines. This sounds like the right approach on how I can word my letter to the edition in regards to potential breed bans in my area. I am going to contact the WDJ and ask if I can use this article. [quote]Despite the prevalence of certain breeds of dogs in the headlines, laws addressing specific breeds are far less effective than dangerous dog laws that do not mention breed. Breed-specific legislation applies unfairly to dogs who may be no threat what so ever, and doesnt help a community with dangerous dogs who are mixed-breeds or not of the breed mentioned in the legislation. Dangerous dogs are better identified by their behavior than shape and size. The sort of Canine menace to society we are talking about includes: A dog which shows aggression warning signs: freezing and giving a hard, direct stare; leaning forward, ears pricked, growling, perhaps with hackles raised; issuing one of more challenging barks; bared teeth, snarling, and or snapping; stiff, rigid appearance and movements. A free roaming dog or pack of dogs who have stalked, chased, or threatened neighborhood people and/or animals. A dog on leash who lunges aggressively toward other animals or people, and whose owner appears to be in danger of losing control of the dog. A dog who gets in a fight and punctures or lacerates another dog, or bites a preson who is trying to break up the fight. [b]NOTE[/b]: Many dogs get in scuffles in group interactions. Dogs who have good bite inhibition may be involved in a fight that looks and sounds awful, but leaves no visible traces of injury on the participants. A dangerous dog in the same fight punctures or lacerates her opponents. A dog who bites another person or animal, puncturing or lacerating the skin. What you can do: Take immediate action if you or your dog is seriously frightened or attacked by a dog. File a report with your animal control agency and/or police. If you learn that other neighbors or witnesses have also had bad experiences with the dog, encourage them to file complaints, too. Follow up to make sure police and/ or animal control reports were filed and appropriate action was taken. If your local animal control or police officers appear reluctant to help, make an appointment with your local district attorney; ask him or her for information on applicable state or local statutes and advice on gaining support from local officials. If you have dogs running at large in your neighborhood: Talk to the dogs owner, be friendly, nonthreatening, tactful, and educational. Follow up your first visit quickly with another friendly one. Offer advice to dog owner if needed (confinement problems etc.) Its time to call animal control authorities if the owner was friendly on the second visit but fails to follow through on your suggestions, there's probably no point in a third visit; similarly, there is probably no point in a second visit if the owner was not friendly or receptive the first time. Be prepared to identify yourself; many agencies won't act on anonymous complaints. Be specific in your information. If you have no luck with animal control or with supervisor's its time to step up the ladder. If you reach the top of the animal control administration and still havent gotten resolution. Let administrators know that you're going public with your concerns. Ensure your own safety until you start to see some results. [/quote] [b]Quote from WDJ [/b]

This guy sounds like an accident waiting to happen. :-? Dogs with a high predatory drive should have their drives full filled by sports such as frisbee, ball games, etc. not by allowing the dog to full fill its predatory drive by chasing small animals. Who knows what may cause the dog to go into predatory drift, perhaps a small child next time who is unfortunate enough to run from the dog like a prey object. This I find scary, I would get testamonies from my neighbors and first go to city hall find out about leash laws, then I would contact the local SPCA and advise them of the owner allowing his dog to run free chasing cats. One last thing I will mention. For my cats I have built a nice outdoor run for them. It is attached to my home and they can come and go by way of a cat door. I have trees and ledges built for them and a sand box. My cats love to go into their kennel and enjoy the sun. They are protected from any coyotes and foxes and they are not bothering my neighbors. Plus my cats do not have the opportunity to kill birds...I really wouldn't mind if they had just killed rodents...but, they were killing small birds which I was not happy about. I now have a bird feeder which I keep so I can watch all the wild birds in residence, and I also enjoy a few squirrels which have been living around my home for a few years. I know its hard, but, cats should not be allowed to roam at large. My parents live in an area where there are probably about 20 cats which are allowed to roam. My parents are older and can not enjoy their bird house, they had to take it down as the local cats would hide around it and the birds were easy prey. My parents no longer have a vegetable garden, nothing worse than taking care of your veggies and digging to find cat feces in with your food, especially pototoes. Just my 2 cents worth :wink:

Primrose, Thanks for the information. I am not very good at expressing myself. I will pick up that book, although my intention is not to play any "throw the blame on other breeds" statergy. My boss at the grooming shop and the vets at the clinic are all willing to help put together a thoughtful letter. We are also emphasizing education and making proper breed choices for your living situation. We have an officer from the local Canine unit who is going around to all the schools in our province and discussing with the children dog behavior. He is doing this in a easy to understand language (for children) and he is using his service dog to show examples of how easily an accident can happen. Citizens are really pushing for banning specific breeds...especially Rottweilers, ever since we had a mauling death which involved 3 Rotties and a little boy. I am horrified at what happened to the little boy, and I am horrified at the events which lead to his death. The little boy did not have a stable home and was left unsupervised with the dogs left outside running at large. There are so many things I don't think our public realizes about our furry little friends. Pack mentality, predatory drives, dominance aggression, fear aggression, offensive aggression...etc etc. [quote]I think you should emphasize that enforcement of existing laws is all that is needed to protect the public. Unfortunately, muzzle laws just spread the notion that the affected breeds are evil and they also do nothing to protect the three year old visiting in the home of the muzzled dog when it is unmuzzled. Plus, there is some thought that muzzles can actually affect dog temperament adversely, by making the dog feel vulnerable all the time. [/quote] Primrose This is a very good point. Most dogs attacks do happen in the home, or owners yard. Also alot of dogs do feel vulnerable with a muzzle on, in one of my obedience classes we have a couple of Shepherds and Rotties which the obedience trainer insists have muzzles on during class (possibly due to the dogs looking at the smaller dogs in the class as prey objects) these dogs spend the whole time trying to get the muzzles off....they also jog around the room in a defensive body carraige. My Rottie does not have any problems with her muzzle. I do put her muzzle on when we are going to an area where there may be other dogs (especially small dogs). She has a basket muzzle, we have had people stop and ask if I was trying to make her look like hannibal the cannibal. I don't think the owners of the breeds the public wants to ban will have any problems with forcer laws being imposed. We do have some great dogs laws in place, but, no one enforces them. With the help of the local Vets, animal control, SPCA, etc. we can perhaps have these laws enforced. Thanks Primrose for your insight and keeping me from writing a letter which would have possibly made the situation worse. It probably would have put some people on the defensive. I will take your suggestions. I guess that when you feel as though you are backed into a corner...you can and will strike out with any thing. Written words are impossible to retract.

We have a few very light almost white yellow Lab's which come in for boarding. They are healthy, the breeders where "reputable" breeders...they sold them as normal pet quality as yellow labs. We also have a Golden Retriever which comes in for boarding. He is so light he does look white. I would have to really study him to convince myself he is not white. The funniest thing is , we have a lady who boards her 8 Great Pyrenees. She actually breeds Pyr's and shows them (she had top Pyr in Canada a few years back). Any way, she saw the light Golden Retriever and she mistook him for a Pyr :lol: This Golden does look more like a Pyr than a Golden, he also is a purebred from a reputable breeder. I know that "off" colors happen all the time with every breed. Some times their ancestors come back to haunt you. It takes a great knowledge in breeding to keep recessive colors from popping up. Just like my friend who breeds Newf's...here in Canada Gray Newf's are a big no no...she will not breed to any line which may have had a gray in its line. In the States Gray and cream (or brown) Newf's are recognized...not so in Canada. I also found with the Great Danes, alot of breeders had harlequin bostons showing up in their lines...the way to solve the problem years ago was to euthanize the pups of the wrong color...not so much that they were unhealthy, but, the reputable breeder did not want their kennel being know for having a "wrong" unrecognized color. I guess that some back yard breeders started taking advantage of the unrecognized colors (which happen quite a bit) and started selling the pups as being "rare" due to thier unusal coloring. Reputable breeders were (a while back) not selling the unusal colors as they did not want to tarnish their kennel name in the show circle. There are quite a few reputable breeders now who will sell the unrecognized colors. They sell them as pet quality. Breeders are now starting to recognize some of the unusal colors which do happen. There are a few breeds which the pure white color can be genetically unhealthy, 2 I can think of off the top of my head are white boxers and white Dobies. There are a few breeds that do have white dogs pop up which are not genetically unhealthy...but, are not recognized colors with the AKC or CKC...the ones I can think of right off the top of my head are white Shepherds & American Staffordshire Terriers.

[quote]Yes. It is by far best to stay away from those pesky statistics if you are trying to "prove" that pit bulls and rotties are no more dangerous than, say, west highland white terriers. Don't forget to mention the pomeranian cross that killed a child, too. And just hope nobody mentions the 90 pit bull type dogs that killed people in the same time period. Of course, it might be a better strategy to actually try to change a few things so that pit bulls and rotties don't kill and maim quite so many people. Then you wouldn't have to play fast and loose and try to distract people from statistics. [/quote] Primrose wrote. You know when I really think about it this is not what I wanted to portray...but, it does sound this way. I guess my intention was to outline a few attacks by other breeds, not to take the attention away from the breeds they are specifically planning on banning...but, to open peoples eyes that in the right circumstance etc. that any dog can be dangerous. I am not trying to take peoples attention away from certain breeds. When I think about it it does sound childess and silly...basically trying to point blame in another direction. It wasn't my intent, but, it possibly would have come across that way. I have no problem with our current laws for breed specific dogs requiring muzzles when in public, or by the increase in my insurance. In my mind if you want certain breeds then you should pay for them. I thought it would be a good idea to write a letter to the editor in order to counteract the proposed breed bans. I feel education and stiffer fines would be a more logical route for dog violations. Perhaps with bigger fines they could put the money towards hiring more animal control personal. My thoughts on breed banning are, they don't work. You ban the Rotties, the APBT's the Staff's and then people bring in Fila's, Dogo's,Dougu de bordeaux etc. the list goes on. Some breeds which would make APBT's and Rotties look like pussy cats would then be brought in. Some of these breeds even "look" sweet. I will have to find a better approach to writing my letter to the editor. I think I'll do research instead of cities which do have breed specific bans on dogs are making out with it. The issue which bothers me the most about the whole breed ban is the fact that the only people it will affect are law abiding citizens. It will not affect drug dealers or other criminals. Heck, if they can hide drugs they can certainly hide a dog. Well, back to the drawing board on this idea. Perhaps I'll just keep my pen locked away as I don't seem to possess the right words to express myself and to get across my point that banning breeds will not work.

[quote]"They don't growl,'' says Gamez, who was also part of the team investigating the Shawn Jones mauling case in Richmond. "It usually just comes right after you. These dogs can just go off. And when they do, they cause tremendous damage.'' [/quote] I do agree with this. There is a difference between a defensive, fearful and offensive dog. being defensive or fearful the dog will growl to warn the offending person/dog and the dog hopes the offending person/dog will go away. An offensive dog will basically attack with no indicaton, basically I will get you before you get me. There are many different forms of aggression, I have also witnessed dogs in predatory drift where they will "stalk" the victom (dog, cat...this could be a child or fearful person)...when a dog is in predatory drift they are hunting...they do not want to scare off the prey. I have never been bitten on the job, but, I was attacked by my own Rottie when I first rescued her. She was playing with me and running around the field...when she got quite aways away I started jogging a little bit...this was the first time I had ever seen a dog go into predatory drift. She lowered her head just slightly then came running towards me at a gallop...when she got to me she grabbed onto my arm and vicously started attacking me..she ripped my leather jacket. I was able to grab her and throw her to the ground. I was going to send her off to the local Rottie rescue and let them decide weather she should be PTS when I started talking to my friend who is an animal behaviorist...she explained to me about predatory drift and we discussed it at length. She helped me with training Athena and managing her predatory drive etc. Its now 4 years later and I couldn't imagine life without Athena...she has turned out to be the best friend a girl could have. I never trained her out of her predatory drive, but, I learned to direct it towards more positive things such as fetch etc. I "manage" her predatory drive. So for me, I depend on watching a dogs body language for signs of being untrustworthy...I don't wait for growling or barking etc. :wink: I guess this is why I have been able to work with dogs for over 20 years without being bitten on the job. I have also dealt with dogs which "look" really pleased and happy to see you (this is at the kennel) then you go in their kennel (the dog is simi cornered) and they are still wagging their tail, but, perhaps in a low stance...I have seen a dog go from wagging its tail with tongue lolling to full attack in mere seconds...I watch carefully for position of tail, position of ears etc. In my job I deal with going in & out of dogs kennels constantly....some dogs can feel cornered very easily. Some dogs respond negetively to fearful people as well.

I am not looking for stat's on dog bites or stats on stats on fatal dog attacks. I just basically want to start out my response to a certain letter to the edititor in our paper today with a few fatal dog attacks from breeds other than Rotties, APBT's etc. In his letter written in our local paper he has listed a few fatal attacks in our area , one by 3 Rotties which killed a little boy, and one (not in my area) from a Bull Mastiff which killed a little girl...we don't have alot of APBT's in our area...perhaps a ratio of about 1 in 100...we have perhaps a ratio of 50 to 100 Rotties in my area though. I guess I just wanted to mention that any breed has the potential to attack. I am not fighting this with statistics...especially here in Canada we have the worst stat's for dog bites etc. Thanks for the links I am going to review them now :wink: I just wanted people to know I am just looking for examples not Stat's :wink: for instance, I heard that a West Highland white terrier killed a child, etc. I just want a few facts just to use as examples in my article. I am going to word this article in such a way that it is not placing blame on any breed in particular. I am going to review how important the critical period of socialization is. I am also going to review predatory drives and how normal they are for our dogs. I am also going to discuss how it is not wise to leave any child with any dog. I will discuss over breeding, bad breeding etc. I have alot more which I am going to discuss in my literature and I will post it for every one to critic. I am not aiming to shoot this person down who wrote the letter to the editor wanting to ban breeds. I just want to educate people.

I am just wondering if any one has links or facts about fatal dog attacks involving breeds other than Rotties, APBT's, Mastiffs, Shepherds etc. I am composing a little bit of literature of why Education is better than banning breeds. I thought it would be good to include attacks made by breeds least expected to exhibit aggression. We have had a new law passed in my area which Rotties and APBT's, American Staff"s and Staff's require muzzling when in public and more liability insurance. This I have no qualms with... but, recently we have had a few people who are pushing to have these breeds banned. I just want to make a point of how education is the key, learning is power. I also want to point out that Banning breeds is impossible and by banning such breeds such as Rotties, APBT's and Staff's...whose to say that people won't bring in breeds such as Fila's, Dogo's and other breeds? When you ban a few, you may as well just ban ALL guarding dogs, or perhaps droving breeds etc. Any way, if any one could be of help I would really appreciate it :wink: Thanks.

Poor little Opossum, you are right...you can't punish a dog for what comes natural to it. What a nice gesture to bring food back to you :wink: my Rottie Athena did this to me once...we have alot of people who snare rabbits (I HATE SNARES! :evil: ) she tore the snare from the trees it was attached to and brought the rabbit to me...almost a "look what I got for us later!!!" I made her drop the rabbit, checked to make sure it was dead (with the tip of my boot) and then dug a hole and buried it. We had a horrible disease in my area last winter which was spread by touching wild rabbits...a few men who snare rabbits had contracted it. I can't exactly remember what it was called...but, if I can do I will post it...I "think" it was some sort of fungal or bacterial disease. [quote]Did you check for babies (under the shed or in the pouch)? I have a friend who stops when he sees roadkill possum this time of year and he manages to salvage and foster lots of surviving babies[/quote] That is a good suggestion primrose. Opossums usually carry their babies in their pouch (like a kangaroo) for about 2 months...its kinda neat to think that an entire Opossum litter can fit into teaspoon.

Holy Cow! HF, you have been having far too many problems. You have been getting more than your fair share. :-? I hope every thing is alright with Tucker, and I have been sending positive thoughts for your bunny as well. Keep us updated.

[quote]Ow! I hope you're doing better. My friend had her leg broken when her dog did the same thing[/quote] [quote]quote by Kias_Mommy[/quote] :o ouch! my dog, running Canines can be quite dangerous. :o [quote]I usually automatically turn now to catch her on my hip when I see she has "the look", definitely better than being caught off-guard. [/quote] gooeydog, thats a good suggestion, when you get hit from the front the impact can really send you flying, or make you buckle...it seems you can take more of an impact from the side of your body. Thats a good suggestion. Beau is a lovely, if not cartoonish looking dog...when he gets running hes more like a greyhound than a Dobie...he just doesn't understand that he should go from a gallop to a canter to a trot to walk when coming back from a recall :lol: my other dogs at least know to slow down slightly before getting too close. I also started training Beau the swing command on recalls. This is when they walk around the owner and sit on your left side instead of sitting in front. I am not going to be doing any trials with him :lol: so it won't hurt to get him used to doing this on recalls. I started training him yesterday and he has already caught on. He loves to learn new things, perhaps because I am so overly enthusiatic about it and praise him...possibly too much :oops: [quote]This whole thread made me realize how funny I must look when I'm around my dogs. I've had my legs rammed so many times and been nearly toppled that I keep my knees bent all the time, no matter what I'm doing. I just realized it. Nothing hurts worse, I don't reckon, than having a dog ram into your knees from the front. I suppose that pain is exactly why my knees are always bent. Now I know I'm probably going to be a deformed old lady. [/quote] HF, oh, that is too funny...we are going to be dog poor and cripples by the time we get in our 60's. The worst thing about this whole accident with Beau, was, well, of course the pain he inflicted on me :lol: but, the fact that I was standing there like a smiling idiot watching him do his overly enthusiatic recall. Its weird the last thought that went through my mind as I was landing flat on my back was...wow, what a great recall....He's quite a boy. :lol: Bk,you are right...our big dogs don't seem to realize just how big they are. Its a good thing I have a big lap to handle my big lap dogs. [quote]Freebee and Laurel seem to want to walk on my feet[/quote] :lol: Court, my oldest girl Cassie is like this as well...its almost as if there is an invisable unbilical cord tied from her to me :P when she gets more than 6 ft away from me on a walk she almost seems to get a little panicked and will run back and walk glued to my side. She is my fearful girl and she absorbs security from my leg...I guess. :wink: [quote]Cassie, maybe we need Hockey Goalie uniforms for our walks.... [/quote] Court, that is a good idea! do you think the goalie mask is required though??? I don't know if I like or dislike the idea of children mistaking me for that jason from Friday the 13th...course, that could be fun. :lol:

[quote]Um, if Beau does this frequently, I'd definitely work on teaching him otherwise. A dog that continually body slams a person IMO, is showing a dominance behaviour.[/quote] Carolk9s, I should have explained a little better :wink: Beau is my newest rescue dog, and he is doing wonderful with obedience. Normally when I do a recall with him he will run to me and sit in front of me....that would be his "normal" recall :lol: he is not dominant at all. On the beach when I did my recall he couldn't get stopped in time to sit in front of me, so instead he slammed into my legs :wink: :lol: I guess I was just not in the right frame of mind and didn't realize he couldn't get himself stopped. For being a high strung Dobie mix he is doing wonderful with obedience. When they are at the beach and going full tilt they do get a little full of them selves with excitement. [quote]One thing he does, which actually makes me scared to go outside is he'll run around with a HUUUGE stick in his mouth, I swear it was a whole tree ones, and he'll come running at full speed towards me, then turn to go around me to tease me, and the stick goes THWACK right into my knees [/quote] Hazel, my Rottie Athena does this as well :lol: she will grab the biggest tree stick she can find and then race it over to me and drop it at my feet expecting me to throw it for her :o I can barely pick up half the tree sticks she brings back. A friend of mine learned the hard way to try and avoid Athena when she is running to me with her tree stick...my friend was unfortunate enough not to move out of Athenas path...she got the tree stick in the rear end...I never heard a person yelp like that before! :o :lol: [quote]I would just be proud of Beau. Unless it's a regular thing and he's actually aiming to take you out! Then maybe teach him to sit when he comes to you?[/quote] kendalyn, I am very proud of Beau...he has picked up commands and basic obedience quicker than most of the dogs I have done obedience trials with. He is a quick learner...just a little too excitable, I normally do have all my dogs trained to sit in front of me when they do a recall...its really cool when I do a recall with all 6 of my dogs at the same time...they all run to me and sit in front of me. I have pictures of them doing this...if I could post pictures I would post them. I like the part where you mentioned Beau may be actually aiming to take me out. It gives Hit dog a whole new meaning...makes me wonder if my dogs are into organized obedience crimes... :lol: too funny :lol: He is doing wonderful in all other aspects and I have no complaints about any of my dogs. It was just so funny to think a dog could have such force when they slam into you. I was very surprised, and shocked. I feel much better today, I think I was in so much pain yesterday I thought I must have torn some thing. Nothing torn, and I feel great today. [quote]I think you need padding on your legs [/quote] Good idea mouse :wink: :lol:

When I participate in obedience classes I have met many people looking for other dogs for their dogs to play with. We have set up play dates to meet and let our dogs play. Just keep a few things in mind, its best to meet other pups the same age as your pup...perhaps a little older or a little younger. You can meet plenty of people and pups in puppy beginner classes with your local obedience trainer. Some times an older dog which is stable and well socialized can teach young dogs how to get along but, just make sure the older dog is calm and not too old that the puppies may have it act out in a defensive or offensive manner. You certainly don't want your pup hurt. Size does matter. No matter how sweet and gentle the large dog can be they can inadvertently hurt a smaller dog at play. You also have the risk of predatory drift. Watch your pup and know when its time to leave the play group. I have seen a few dogs ruined by play time gone wrong. Some thing we don't think is a big deal may be a very big deal to your pup. I have seen some dogs become offensive or fearful after having a few bad experiences. Learn to read your pup; is your pup getting too rowdy, is your pup trying to get away from the other pups, perhaps had enough. Is the pup holding his ears back, trying to get away from the other pups (not just playing a game of chase)....watch for signs that your pup may be stressed, or perhaps is stressing other pups...you certainly don't want your pup to become a bully. Have fun, its always a good idea to find a large area for the pups to play in. It would be nice if you could find a fenced in area. With my dogs I usually have people meet me at the beach, or in a nice big field by my house. Its always neutral ground. Its very important that your pup gets socialization. Its great that you are thinking about socializing your pup...what a good mom :wink:

I had my dogs out for their hike. We went for a walk along the ocean, my dogs like to frolick and play and some times Beau and Athena will get quite a ways away. They respond to their recalls very well, so when they got a little too far away I whistled for them to come back. Beau was in a full gallop and heading straight towards me, I was smiling to myself thinking how great his recall is...he kept coming and coming and slammed right into my legs. :o It was like being hit by a car, the impact sent my glasses flying in front of me about 20 feet, and my camera went flying the other way. I landed on my back and had all the wind knocked out. I still can't believe the force of the impact :o I also think I tore a couple of ligaments in my leg as I can't seem to put any pressure on it. Beau is unhurt and doesnt seem fazed at all. My sister was with me on this walk, she did not see the whole accident as she was playing with Dilon/Tori and Cassie (Gil is back at the breeders). She said all she remembers is a pair of glasses flying over her head and Dilon racing to grab them. Dilon has been wanting to get my glasses and run with them for quite some time. My sister just saw the final part of my fall from grace...she said she wished she had had a video camera as the look of horror on my face was priceless...there goes the whole being "cool" thing. :oops: also, I can't say there was alot of sisterly concern at that moment...she kept asking me if I was alright in between bouts of laughing :evil: Any way, I am going to rest tonight and possibly go to the out door tomarrow to make sure he didn't knock my knee cap out of place. My sister had a bad fall from her horse and had her knee cap knocked out of place but put off going to the doctor for weeks as she was sure it was just a sprain. :drinking: Any way, I don't know weather to be proud of Beau, or very concerned about his recall being a little too rambuncious. I am almost having panic attacks thinking about taking him to obedience classes and doing a recall...I'll have to tell the instructor that I have a dangerous recall dog. By classifing Beau as a dangerous dog, but, not with his teeth, does this mean I should instead of muzzling him perhaps I should put shackels on his legs to keep his dangerous stride down so he won't hurt another person :lol: :wink: I guess I am still in shock, and I am really amazed at the impact. It was just like getting hit by a car. :o

The things we do for our dogs...the list is endless 8) I always get my dogs out for 3 hikes a day, no if ands or buts about it. I walk them first thing in the morning around 5am, then I come home on my lunch (I get 2 hours lunches :wink: ) then I take them for their evening stroll. I walk them in the pouring rain, coldest winter day, when I feel like I am going to die from being sick, I still take them for their hikes. They thrive on their hikes and look so forward to it...plus, I have 2 intact males which pee about 50 times a day :roll: I carried my Rottie out of the woods one day when she had had an accident..she was walking along the trail and jumped up onto the deep crusty snow...I yelled for her to come back as I don't let my dogs walk onto of crusty snow...she turned around and started yelling (1st time she ever came this quick on a recall :-? ) one of her front legs went through the snow and her body kept going...I thought she had pulled her leg out of socket :o it was a long hike back to my car...but, I carried her the whole way and she weighs around 120lbs...it was not easy. Its funny though...when you are that concerned about your baby you seem to gain that extra needed strength.

[quote]He would let people IN, but not OUT. Not sure where that came from... [/quote] What a wonderful way to get a new boyfriend :wink: I'll have to get a dog like that, pick up a good looking hitchhiker...and viola!!! I got me a man who is committed to me. :lol: Oh, I had another embarressing moment. I was waiting down at the dock for a friend, we were going to hike around the board walk. A cruise ship had just come in and I was standing there with my Newf's...well, the Newf being a dog breed of my area...people getting off the cruise ship thougt I was a part of tourism with the province waiting to greet them.... :oops: the tourists were lining up getting their pictures taken with my dogs :oops: I was a little over whelmed by it.

When any of my dogs have come down with a limp I have massaged the area then let the dog rest with no exercise except going out for potty breaks. I am not a fan of giving aspirin. If you think Zoey may be limping due to a sprain you can apply a cold pack to the leg to help relieve pain (I have used a frozen bag of veggies for a cold pack :lol: ) What can be really good for an injury is to apply first a warm pack ( I have used one of those gel packs available at pharmacies, but, only microwave till its warm...not hot) put a towel around the leg, then put on the warmed gel pack. Then follow this with the frozen bag of veggies or frozen wetted towel. For some reason the heat followed by cold can relieve an injured muscle. I hope every thing is alright with Zoey. Limping can be simple to serious, ever since my Newf died of bone cancer I get freaked out when ever one of my dogs gets the slightest limp.

[quote]Having just done a thesis on social behaviour of groups of BC's I concluded that it is how the dog is brought up that will determine how it turns out as a working dog. With Breed vs Working, I have to laugh at idiots that go and get a BC for

I never thought to freeze them and then put peanut butter in them after ward. Thanks for that info :wink: Thanks pitbullEmily