Snow

Condone does not mean actively support. So you have misunderstood. It is very obvious that the majority of people here do not support pit breeding or fighting. I never suggested otherwise. "Condone" means to overlook and disregard without protest or censure. To turn the other way. To ignore. It is an act of omission, not commission which amounts to a tacit acceptance. You would not permit a person to speak here casually of his underground actions of raping children or murdering people under the guise of free speech. Would you? The sport or game or whatever you want to call it of dog fighting is no less illegal or deplorable. If you agree with this premise, why then are people permitted to speak casually of the atrocity of breeding and fighting and rolling (I do not know what rolling is) pits that they are actually committing "underground", under the guise of free speech. This is not just an intellectual discussion. These acts are being committed by the speaker. I respect your right to engage in the free exchange of ideas if that is how you view this, which is why I simply chose to leave. I for one cannot condone it. I cannot ignore it. I cannot look the other way. And we don't teach others by allowing a wrongdoer to brag of his accomplishments while engaging in the illegal act. There is only social benefit when the wrongdoer speaks of his actions remorsefully, which usually only happens after he/she is imprisioned. Does this make sense to you now.

That is so sad. :( Bless you for what you are doing.

Well Kendalyn, Based upon my reading of a few articles, I am a big enough person to admit that while I wasn't totally off the page, you were more right than I was. Have a nice day. :D

Here is a pretty good article on the subject. [url]http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/schoolage/schoolagequicktips/death.html[/url] We were all on the right path. Both honesty and religion are discussed. Except it does suggest that you not rush a replacement. The child should be given an opportunity to mourn.

[quote name='kendalyn']I just think that it is WAY too abstract an idea for a 6 year old. It would be better to have him remember the dog when he used to run and play and be fond of those memories.[/quote] No more abstract than the concept of death, Santa Clause, the tooth fairy, the easter bunny, heaven or hell... And the bridge it is multi denominational. If your objection to telling a child that the dog goes to heaven is because of your religious convictions and for no other reason, the original poster should know this. If your objection is because the concept of heaven or the bridge is too abstract, I disagree. What is your experience with this issue? I am very interested. Do you have children? Do you know what the child psychologists have to say about it?

No offense taken at all. But I think knowing that the dog has died and is gone and won't be back is pain enough for the tiny shoulders of a six year old. We speak of the bridge all of the time. Why? For one reason only. To ease our excruciating pain and fantasize that the dog is in a better place, pain free and frolicking. I guess I just think a six year old is entitled to the same compassion. I haven't read Dr. Spock's recent addition so I will admit that I don't really know what is appropriate to tell. I am just speaking from my heart.

I don't have any two legged children, but wouldn't it be appropriate to explain to the child that the dog has died and it is now up in heaven playing with lots of treats and bones. That is what we tell children happens to people after they die, right? Or am I out of touch? So that the lasting image of the dogs death in the childs mind isn't a mangled dog who got hit by a car. And they can have a short little ceremony out in the yard and plant a tree or flowers with a bone or the dogs favorite toy and tell happy stories of the dog.

I agree with GSD for all of the reasons she stated. Several years ago a very dear friend of mine adopted two female sisters hound/boxer mixes. The dogs loved each other as pups so much so that they would not tolerate any seperation. If she walked one, the other would literally flip out. They bonded so closely that they were not interested in playing with her, only with each other. They didn't listen to her when they were together. At age two one came an inch from killing the other. There was a rank battle brewing and my friend who was not so dog savvy did not see the signs. Anyway, to make a long story short, one dog had to be rehomed. They hated each other. I am not suggesting that it can't work. I am sure many people have positive experiences. But you need to know that it can also be a very bad and heartbreaking experience.

I am Saint Bernard. 8)

Yes I agree it sounds like stress. And that is a huge distraction for the dog. When you say hyper, does she continuously walk around and sniff the ground when he is home? I am curious because sniffing the ground is one of many calming signals that dogs use to diffuse what they consider to be a stressful situation. Do you ever notice that when you get frustrated during training a dog will sniff the ground. You think the dog is ignoring you but in actuality the dog knows you are upset and is trying to calm things. Other dogs understand this body language but not many humans do. I wish you the best of luck in making whatever decision is best for your family and your beautiful pooch.

They sell a product called "Sticky Paws". It is sheets of double sided transparent sticky tape used to deter animals from going on furniture or into unwanted areas. Animals do not like the sticky feeling on their pads. You could put it right on carpet..it is transparent so not unsightly...or put it on cardboard pieces around the tree extending out far enough to prevent access without the animal stepping on the tape. It isn't painful, it is just sticky. I personally wouldn't use it if I had a very tiny kitten because it may get stuck on it. It is very sticky. But with larger animals that is not a problem.

Courtnek, that is really, really great. I volunteer at a shelter in my town and I have seen fearful dogs so I know what you are saying. An approach without a tail tuck is the happiest day on earth. You have every right to be happy and proud and you never have to qualify your happiness. People that don't understand... well... they just don't understand. Congratulations. :D 8) :D 8)

Hello. It is me again...the one who walks 4 miles a day. :D With respect to the potty problem, your pup probably has not generalized the behavior outside of his home. People incorrectly assume that just because a dog understands a behavior in their home that the dog also understands the behavior elsewhere. A dog must be taught a behavior in several different places before it will generalize the command to every place. For example, your dog might know how to sit in your living room. But if you take him to a shopping mall he won't necessarily understand. You have to teach the command at home, in the yard, down the block, with every type of distraction starting from scratch and then the dog will generalize the command to everywhere. So my guess is that your dog doesn't understand that he can't potty inside ANYBODY's house. Right now he only knows that he can't potty inside his house. So you have to teach him. That means watching him every second while visiting so that you can catch him, say NO and rush him outside. At this point since he is already housbroken in your house, he should learn and generalize quickly. And while we are on the subject of visiting, you have to exercise the dog before you bring him to someone's house. With all of the excitement you can't expect a 8 mo old pup to be calm. Make sure he is tired. As for your children being frustrated, speak to them in a foreign language and then yell at them for not doing what you are telling them. Then they will understand what the dog feels like. He is not listening to them because he doesn't understand the command they are giving or he doesn't respect their authority or perhaps there are too many distractions. You should work with them and only have them give a command that the dog already knows under every circumstance including under distractions. Lastly, you don't have to walk 4 miles. I told you what I did to point out that in rain, sun, snow or sleet, a dog has to have daily exercise. You can walk 1 mile once or twice a day assuming your asthma is not affected. That is really not very far. A tired dog is a happy and good dog.

It sounds to me like your dog just needs more structured daily exercise and training sessions. You said that you walked her some when the weather was nice which leads me to assume that you are not walking her now that the weather is cooler. She is probably hyper because she has so much pent up energy. If I miss one day of exercise with my dog he will drive me crazy. I walk at least 4 miles briskly every day even in weather that is so cold my nose hairs freeze. Then we play and later we bike ride. Exercise is a huge part of the responsibility of dog ownership. Otherwise the dog is going to amuse itself and get into trouble as you are witnessing first hand. You should also do daily obedience sessions, even if for just 15 minutes. This is great for mental stimulation and it will get the dogs house manners under control. In the meantime, puppy proof your house so that the pup can't can into things he shouldn't. A fenced yard is not going to make alot of difference. I have one and unless I am out there throwing a ball, the dog does not exercise himself. I think you would see a remarkable difference if you made sure the dog was walked every day with some play time and obedience. Maybe you can convince your husband to alternate days with you to exercise the dog. I hope you can work it out.

Not too long ago I read an article on a related topic and I wonder if there is a correlation to this topic. The author of the article stated that dogs tuck their tails between their legs when they are fearful to prevent the dissemination of the scent of the anal glands. The anal gland fluid contains information on the dogs rank, temperment etc. (which is why the first things dogs do is sniff butts) and the dog wants to prevent the object of his fear from getting this information. A reason wasn't given but I assume that typically a fearful dog has a relatively low rank. On the other hand, a dog that is confident will walk with his tail held high so the world will know of his elevated rank. I wonder if the tail tucking is an automatic response to prevent the sacs from emptying under stressful or fearful circumstances. This occurred to me particularly because of Cassies post. For the glands to have blown in your face :o :o the tail musn't have been tucked at the time. Sorry that this is a bit off topic, but I just thought that it was interesting.