Pick Me Up!

[JayCeeDee]

I’ve had one of those days too – thought it was age related!! :whistle:  🙂

[The Duke]

Mines watching Liverpool related!

[Bob Williams]

I call them GSD’s because the best ones are bred in Germany, or more likely nowadays, from imported German stock, with German papers. This may upset some Kennel Club members, but the fact is that dogs bred from ancestors in the UK, have been subjected to “Show” features for breeding: many have been bred for the pointed muzzle. This is completely and utterly wrong in all respects. It narrows the cranium, shrinks the width of the braincase and often causes jaw and teeth problems. It also leads to problems in the brain, often causing unpredicatable behaviour. A good, true-to- original breed GSD/Alsatian, has a broad head with a distinct double-dome top of the skull. The same thing has happened over time to English Collies (the ‘Lassie’ type, not Border Collies, which are used as sheepdogs.) Some of this was the result of incestuous breeding, taking dogs with narrower and narrower muzzles and breeding from related dogs to force a muzzle shape in descendant dogs. The people who did this were committing a genetic crime, it is akin to the Egyptian Phaeroes who married their sisters for generations and all wound up with serious genetic defects.

The Belgian Shepherd was originally a sheep and cattle-dog in Belgium, the Netherlands and borders. There are actually 4 disinct breeds: Lakenois, which is closest to the ancient stock, Groenendael, Malinois and Tervuren. These breeds were recognised and standardised in the 19th century by the Belgian Shepherd Dog Club. I have a mate who has a dog crossbred from a standard Poodle and a black Groenendael, it is the daftest, most playful animal I have ever seen. Boundless energy, will run all day. All 4 breeds make good pets, if brought up with children they are fine, but if not, do not trust an adult dog which has never known kids. It may be that some of the breed, do not understand what children are if they have not been brought up with them, and confuses them. Confusion can cause a dog to attack.

Steve, you are not alone, most Brits call them Alsatians. They originated in Germany, but the exact area is problematical: Alsace has switched between France and Germany for centuries. The Franco-Prussian war won Alsace-Lorraine for Germany, but WWI made it French again. Many people in the region speak either both languages, or a patois of both. The border has always been blurred by the people intermarrying, or children born from the results of invasion.

I have two local lady neighbours who have Shitzus: one has a lovely little female dog which always makes for men in the Close, very friendly. The other is a male dog and he is stand-offish unless there are biscuits about. I like them both, but fancy a Westie.

John, I have never crated or kenelled my dogs. Personal choice I know, but all the dogs I had could wander through the house at will, after being house-trained. They were all free spirits. Watching the reaction of a “new” dog to a huge open space, was magic. My last was a mutt, a strange looking rescue dog. The first time I took him to a local beach was winter. He gazed all around him, gave a little yelp and looked up at me as if to say “Is this real?” 5 minutes later he was running around in huge circles. He was a great dog, probably about 2 years old, comical looking, big floppy ears, one stuck up, one flopped down, could run like a hound. He loved the grandkids and would let them do anything to him, travelled in the car well, never made a mess without going to grass or soil. Then he started attacking big dogs and I had to take him back: he pulled me into a deep dyke once, trying to kill a Choco Lab. I took him back and the guy would not come out, locked his door. I left him tied to a Land Rover bumper, where he could see him, and drove home filling up. They do get to you.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[JayCeeDee]

A lot of people use them for the first 6 – 9 months and then don’t bother. The “don’t soil where you sleep” bit cuts the house training time in half.

Your last rescue sounds a lot like my first GSD from Battersea. I’ve a feeling he belonged to a guy who thought he owned the area he lived in, and all others, people and dogs, had to clear out of his way. It was like throwing a switch – he’d see another dog and would want to fight. ( even a bitch in season!! )

But he loved people – he even converted my MiL who was scared of big dogs. He would wait for me to go out of the room, start doing little tricks to all and sundry in hope of a treat, but as soon as he heard me coming back, he would scoot off to a corner and lie down looking all innocent – (Who me??!! )

Training was a challenge as I had to overcome and clamp down on his initial instinct to fight anything else in the Church hall, until he accepted other dogs around him. He wasn’t particularly happy, but deferred to my “rules”. We went through life like that, he missed out on so much running free, but I think he would have ended up euthanised had he gone to someone else. I did have a washing line that I had lashed a clasp to one end and a handle at the other. This would have been about 30 yards long, and I would go for a run through the park/woods with him, just on full alert at all times.

The one time he nearly came a cropper, we had a very big bathroom in the flat above a shop, and at the time, I was rebuilding a Royal Enfield 250cc Continental GT engine in there. I had just finished the bottom half and was waiting for the re-bored barrel and oversize piston to be ready. The poor lad got an upset tummy and somehow managed to squirt it all down into the engine, past the con-rod. So another strip down, clean and re-assemble was needed. :negative:  😥 I was not impressed.

[Bob Williams]

Biofuel!?

John, had I been younger and fitter, I would have kept the rescue dog (we called him Charlie) but when we got him I was already in a bad state of health: it was the year before I had my spinal op and I was walking very badly then. I had made a point of asking the guy in charge of the rescue kennels if he was OK with other dogs and he said yes. There were at least 40 animals in that kennels and only the human animal lied. I should have had an inkling when I walked around the kennels, looking for a dog. He tried to give me a sorry-looking little Beagle in a very large kennel, the floor covered in urine and a big bowl of water. Obviously she had Canine Diabetes and I told him that he should get her treatment or do the kindest thing. Charlie actually came up to me through the wire, I opened the door and walked away. He came after me, I turned to face him and I said “Sit,” whereupon he did, looking at me as if to say “OK, now what?”. Oh-ho, I thought, I am his choice, walked away some more, turned and he was still sat there, looking at me, one ear up, the other down, big patch across one eye. What could I do?

I heard that the RSPCA shut him down the following year. I feel bad when I think of what may have happened to Charlie, I could have trained the aggression out of him if I had been fit to manage him, I had done it before with another dog belonging to a mate. my grand kids at the time thought granddad was horrible, they loved Charlie.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

My larger dog (hardly big mind) doesn’t like a create or to be in confined spaces, my small bitch. Love a crate, table , chair and confined space.

I think cos she is being small tiny thing legs, nothing to her when clipped, (boy dog is all muscle when clipped ) , I think she feels safe being protected by a small space. Especially as the house can be hectic with kids .

The guy can always be found halfway up the stairs asleep, the girl will be under the kitchen table, if not with on my lap, (she is there now) , or on the girsls top bunk. She is a needy little ugly thing.

Turning into a dog bore, but here is a couple of pics, they are 6week apart in age. The final 2 pics is the week he had his knackers off. He doesn’t look happy.

https://goo.gl/photos/A6VMBwwSuKLRXQhe9

[JayCeeDee]

The Duke wrote:

The final 2 pics is the week he had his knackers off. He doesn’t look happy. https://goo.gl/photos/A6VMBwwSuKLRXQhe9

Would you!! Let’s be fair now!!:):)

 

[The Duke]

Felt sorry him ever since. Especially as he has grown into a fine specimen of a Shiztu . He has had many owner ask about him ?

He did bang his err sister! Not related but I’m not sure that matters to dogs, before they was whipped. She came into her first season very early, 5months old, and poor bob didn’t quite know what was happening. So I took them both “to be fixed”. Should of just done her.

[JayCeeDee]

He most likely wouldn’t have become the nice lad he sounds. We have a couple of un-neutered dogs that come to us. They both have a tendency to “mark” various items round and about. Mostly outside, but also beds, door-frames etc, I even had one mark another dogs empty dinner bowl!! They just do.

Don’t make the common mistake of putting human behaviour onto dogs. I highly doubt they miss getting laid!! :yahoo:  😉

[Richard]

‘Doing’ a dog can be the best for him unless you want to turn him into a breeding machine and that is almot certainly not the best for any dog or bitch. Dogs can have a range of problems in later life if they are not ‘done’ and we had to get our lab done when he was older as he had health issues.

Do they miss things? Probably not, he still enjoyed playing with my daughter’s dogs both are bitches, though the slightly older Husky has a very haughty air and tended to sit and watch the other two play, only sometimes joining in the mock hunting games. The little dog would always want to run  so our Labrador would go all strategic, look to see which way she ran, work out where she would appear and stand there blocking her path so she had to jump full pelt over him.

It took them 3 months to get over his death when the melanoma finally got him. They knew where he went in his final hours and searched the house and garden for him and especially the smaller one who knew him from being a tiny pup, they still look at his photographs when they come to the house.

Our Labrador did not really appear to know that bitches were not the same as dogs, even when he met them while they were in heat, he just thought of them as playmate dogs. He loved puppies, recognising their unique smell and wanted to teach them to play, moderating his play levels to their maturity and size whenever he got to see any youngsters.

Dogs are all different with their own quirks, the Husky did not have a great start in life and came to my daughter as a sort of rescue dog. She had lived for periods with her original pack family, but did not trust anyone or any dog, except our Lab for a long time. She was nearly impossible to get to eat, though now she eats when the mood takes her and has filled out nicely. She used to shed rather than moult, come the time for a new coat she appeared to loose the old fur in about 4 days and the Husky has a lot of fur. She never went bald, there was always a good covering left, but for the last year or two since she has overcome her food phobia things appear much more regular. On a good day she can be quite affectionate, whereas the little one (I say little one she is heavier then the full Husky though much shorter) whose mother did not get on with her, is needy all the time.

[Ed P]

Richard wrote:

Dogs can have a range of problems in later life if they are not ‘done’

Good job they don’t apply that prophylaxis to humans!

[The Duke]

I know but beimg male it just make me wince.

My dog now doesn’t recognise a dog In heat, my BiL was going to bread his Mental Beagle, (he since changed his mind) but last Easter she was in heat, and we was at a family BBQ, my two dogs with me, all 3 are freinds usally, the Beagle  runs rings around mine, mine fall sleep then the Begal just annoys them , usally.

But this day (both mine beeb done) his bitch Begal , was in season, and wouldn’t stop flirting and trying to “jump”  my Dog, I think she was saying DO THIS TO ME YOU FOOL , anyhow, that day my girl dog, usally playfull, was very stand off with the Beagle, and acted very jealous and about 6 times that day we have to split the two up.

Btw my dogs , especally the bitch , that is the boss of my two, about the ⅓ of the weight of her brother, couldn’t fight her way out of a wet paper bag. Not to mention her underbite that stops her being able to actull bite with any force.

she bullies my boy dog around, in a grumpy way, he is never grumpy to her and always happy when SHE decides is play fight time. Females dominating the men, somethings are just always a constant.

Amazing creatures dogs, for an ex marine, I’m a bit of whimp when it comes to spiders, snakes (especially) , rats, hamspers , rabits etc, but I’ll happily sleep with a dogs head on my pillow.

I’ve always had a knack with dogs, I can usually sus them out in one look, especially bigger dogs. Even the most agresive , will settle fast with a sternt look and voice. Or a kick to the chest that one staff got one year, when it’s youth owner thought it fun to show off to his mates , terrorising the oaps and there small dogs on my local walk.

He sent it my way towards mine. my dogs hid behind me and I wasn’t chancing it, so I hoofed the dog in the chest, (which I felt sorry for), and the owners disapeare as I was telling them what I’d to to them if I seem them again. They haven’t been back.

I love a staff, but I don’t think I could ever trust one. Although I’ve never had one, but they are such a muscle , when one goes mental, the shit hits the fan, but I suppose that can be said for the God too. but if mine went mad, even my 8 yo  old could handle them. the dog she could kick, and bitch that  can’t bite,  you’d probably kill her you kicked her, she is about the weight of an old football, but you could just let her have her moment the worst she could do is scratch you.

I don’t condone hitting dogs, as I’ve mentioned, but my kids know if a dog is going mad, ours or any other, the last resort is boot it like you mean it as you only get one shot.

[Richard]

My daughter’s two are the Husky I said about and the second one which was said at one time to be a cross, true, containing both Husky and Staffie, though it is likely that there is something else in the mix.

After her history the husky was a bit inclined to nip, but rather than do any nothing much if she came to tell me to go away with her teeth I clamped my hand on her mouth, had a quite word with her followed by a fur rub and a cuddle. It might not be what the books suggest , but it did have some effect on her actions and she no longer considers biting to be a great idea. She is not so into licking as her house mate, but she is very much her own dog. I have ended up liking her, but an off lead dog she is not! Neither of them could be trusted that far.

[The Duke]

The sticking your hand in there mouth is actually in “the book”, and but I’d think I’d rather have my kids swing a foot towards their chest, as even if they jump, you get there ribs or balls area. You have to be very confident to jam your hand in an angry dogs mouth.

As a kid, if me an my day play fight the dogs would hate it and come behind us and would bite us gentally, being allies they had big gobs, and would add enough to the pressure to say “stop”, we use to then annoy the dogs by doing what you described Richard in jamming your hand in their gob, thumb and finger each side, and the other hand on their neck and it made them powerless and wriggle.

All playfully fun, but it made me confident as a small boy around large dogs.  Or rather thought me how to read most dogs. I can always tell a bad one.

[JayCeeDee]

More relevant than the “hand in mouth” aspect is if you put your thumb on their tongue and press down. I tend to put my fingers round their lower jaw and press down with the thumb. Although this places your thumb across the line of teeth, they lose the full extent of the clamp. They hate the feel of it and try to spit your hand out more than bite it away.

This is a handy method to use on dogs that hate tablets, and won’t fall for the tablet in one piece of chicken and a second, in front of their nose, to get them to eat the first and then go for the second.

[Bob Williams]

RAVC training to stop a big ferocious dog attack included the two “Last resorts” – you need very good arm strength for this: grab a lower leg in each hand as they come at you, and whip the legs as far apart as you can. Done right, we were told, the dog loses use of its legs and has to be put down. The actual LAST Resort, was to force your whole hand in a fist, down its throat, expecting some damage to your lower arm. Turn sideways with the dog to avoid the claws. Done quickly, you cannot be bitten and the dog chokes. It would require hospital and injections afterwards, we were told. I never had to do this and never heard of it done, and the genius who thought of it probably never did either. Remember, these were trained as attack dogs. They are not used now, which is for me absolutely correct.

I was asked what I would do if a large ferocious dog attacked me. “Do I have a loaded weapon?”  “Assume yes.”  “Then it’s a dead dog before it gets to me.”

The Army has to have a routine for everything, we made our own.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I know in the 90s bob they was still trying attack dogs, they wad like robots, a kick of the fingers and they went from cute playfully house bets, to the bringer of fear and death.

They was trained to go for throats not arms! There is probably good reasons they was outlawed. But on demos that was a terrifying sight.

The problem with making rules for war, if the opposition doesn’t recognise them, your basically fighting with one hand behind your back.

Well with the rules lol engagement, your fighting with one round in your chest, before you can legally  engage!

[Bob Williams]

I didn’t know they were still using attack dogs then Steve. I used a dressed mannequin (well, several!) to train my Blue to go for another target lower down, if you catch my meaning. Happened once, my section surrounded by screaming people. When I got him off, this big guy was rushed to hospital, never heard another word but he would not be a father again I guess. Old .38 Webley discovered sewn into his jacket – ballistics tested, found to have been used in 2 shootings. The rest of them legged it and 2 Para caught some of them a couple of streets away.

What a s***hole that place was.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

My old man was in 2 para, the same time his brother a marine,  he never spoke much of his time served.  I’d imagine he would of but we didn’t really speak, after I joined the marines, (not because I joined the cabbage heads as he kindly referred to them) but because he like to keep his liver in a permanent picked state.

He died at 42 when I was 22. I joined up at 16 left at 20, he had moved to Cardiff in theaters time.  Stanley he met a women and her dad was an ex brigadere that serve the majority of his career in Poole (sbs).

I’d of like to pick his brain on it, giving my love of all things military, he served in the Faulklands and NI. (And I wouldn’t of minded some stories of his new FIL) I don’t think his drinking was related to his service. He didn’t start until he was almost 30, he was a fitness freak before. The drinking come with the devorce. He never accept they wouldn’t get back together! Even the few times I spoke to him when he was with his new girl, all he did was ask about my mother.

Sad but all his own doing. To handy with his fists!

 

[Bob Williams]

2 Para had a hard few tours in NI Steve. I know that 1 Para were involved in Bloody Sunday (reports of which were and are a farrago of lies.) But 2 Para had a lot of bad scenes to deal with, it just happened that they were on the streets where some big ones blew. I know what that’s like from just one experience, your old fella might have seen more. It affected blokes in different ways, took me a while to get over NI as opposed to other places. I think that’s because it was so much like the mainland yet so different, civilian victims looked like your own relatives. Same shops, streets looked the same if you ignored the artwork on the walls. I also know guys who went to the Falklands job and some of them had a hard time. 2 Para of course, had a major situation at Stanley.

Don’t mean to excuse your dad, using your fists on the family is not right, but there are always reasons. The drink was probably for a reason as well. I can relate to the break up myself, after having to leave one family behind and then leaving the Army soon afterwards. I went on a bender for months, until my old man gave me the ultimatum: stop, get your job and mind right, or leave. My dad only ever got serious like that when he meant it. I straightened up and started running for a bit again, got sorted.

I never got violent at home, but had a few scrapes whilst out. I was lucky, met my missus and a new family. Decided I was too old for all that. Then one night my lad decided to become Top House Dog, big mistake, only trouble I ever had with him. You will know what I mean. We get on fine now, have for years since then, I love the lad.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Author]

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