My Dog and her Gifts

[Druidus]

Every day, when I come home, my dog runs to the door, after frantically looking for something to bring to me. Usually a sock, a mitt, a shirt, or something else along that line. I think she brings them as a greeting gift.

On one particular day, I was at school, and had called a taxi to get home (it was snowing pretty bad). Halfway there, I searched my pocket, and realized that I had lost my ten dollar bill! I tried not to let on to the cab driver, because I didn't know if he would put me out. We finally reached my house, and I told him I'd be right out with the money. I ran inside, thinking I'd be desperately searching for money, but, as my dog ran up to me, I noticed something... She had a ten dollar bill in her mouth! :woohoo:

I grabbed it, ran out and payed the cabbie, and went back inside. I greeted Shadow extra long that day! I pray she'll give me that "gift" more often.

 

[kreeden]

That is cool Druidus . But I wouldn't rely on her giving you $10 everyday .

Speaking of gifts . One of my Ravens { Toes } gave me a pigeon wing last week . Which I thought was pretty cool too .

 

[michel]

I love our 'Jessie'. I'm told to ignore her for the first few minutes when we come home. ie We, as the alpha Male and Female, will get around to the 'beta' female in our own time. A dog should come to you when invited, not when she chooses- I hate those rules.

Jessie is only content when the whole pack is there, i.e Marie, me, our two sons (Though that is disappearing now because they have virtually left home). I one of us is upstairs, and the other downstairs, she sits at the top of the stairs to keep an eye on both of us. There is nothing comparable to the unconditional love of a pet - even when told to stop doing something she should'nt, she walks away wagging her tail. I wish I could have such an accepting point of view!!

 

[Scuba Pete]

I miss my poodle Sassy. She would lick my back and it was as good a massage as you could ever hope for. She wouldn't lick my wife's back or at least not very long, but she would lick mine for 30 minutes or longer.

 

[Valjean]

Silly me. From the title of your thread I was thinking of an entirely different sort of "gift."

Says a lot about the mutts I had in my youth...

 

[Mister Emu]

LOL seyorni I did as well.

Says alot about the dogs I own now.

 

[Pah]

I miss my poodle Sassy. She would lick my back and it was as good a massage as you could ever hope for. She wouldn't lick my wife's back or at least not very long, but she would lick mine for 30 minutes or longer.

You old salt, you

 

[Scuba Pete]

Don't sweat it! She was an old pup when she perspired.

 

[Prima]

*groan* all the laughing at NetDoc has made me dog-tired. But I needed it, since I'm still sick as a dog.

You know, neither of those phrases ever made sense to me. My dog never gets tired. And I'm sick more than he is.

Druidus, what kind of dog is she?

Michel, I ignore rules like that. My dog listens fine (he immediately stops chasing cats when we tell him to, which is great!) and we don't use those rules. *shrug*

My dog always seems to know when I'm upset...he comes and cuddles with me

 

[Druidus]

Shadow is one quarter german shepherd, one quarter husky, one quarter rottweiller, and one quarter wolf. With all the agressive breeds, you'd think she would be agressive, but not really, only against other female dogs.

 

[Master Vigil]

My cats just love stealing things, and I love watching them walk with something half their size in their mouths.

I don't believe there are any "aggressive breeds" of dogs though. It is how they are raised. Pittbulls, dobermans, and even wolves are only aggressive if they are made aggressive. Wolves are wild though, not aggressive, which is why in america they are illegal to own as a pet if they are over (I think) 75% wolf.

 

[martha]

The sweetest thing my big dog Hunter does is, kiss my tears away. If ever I get upset enough, perhaps by a movie or something sad, he comes up and puts his ears back and licks my tears away. It is so sweet 'cause he tries to get so close to me to make me feel better, and it always does. Good boy. He also has to find something to greet me with. He runs to get a ball, bone or inevitably my left shoe. Always the left shoe. Then he puts his ears back and tail down and goes back and forth in front of me, with that puppy look on his face, even though he is six years old.

On the other hand, it is no picnic when this 70 pounder comes running at me with that amorous look in his eye and proceedes to jump my leg! " Get down you great hairy bugger" I say to him, "Get off! Mommy is not your mate!" I mean he is good looking but.....not my cup of tea. He just doesn't seem to understand that we are not the same species. What's up with that? If I were a dog, he would be mine, but as it stands, not bloody likely!!!!:biglaugh: :tsk: Bad boy.

 

[Druidus]

Lol-Martha

Vigil, don't you think that some breeds are more aggressive due to their genes? Certain breeds were brought up to be aggressive, for hunting, warfare, defense, and general aggression. Aren't these more likely to be aggressive?

 

[Master Vigil]

I have seen terriers who have been abused and so aggressive they couldn't be put up for adoption. And I have seen pitbulls and dobermans that were raised normally in a loving family who were the nicest animals you'd ever meet. I don't believe in "aggressive breeds." Only aggressive owners.

 

[Druidus]

I believe that certain breeds are more prone to be aggressive, but not that they necessarily will be. Genetics plays a role, but, then, environment plays one too, perhaps a larger one.

 

[Master Vigil]

Any dog will become aggressive if you make it. Not just certain breeds. The reason certain breeds are sought for fighting, guarding, etc... Is because of their physical strength, stature, endurance, etc... Not because they are more aggressive. A german shepherds bite is something like 1000 lbs per sq in. Which is much more than a chihuaha, but that doesn't mean the shephered is more aggressive than the chihuaha.

 

[Master Vigil]

It's like saying "whites are more prone to aggressiveness than asians are." It's just not the case.

 

[Snowbear]

I love my dogs....

One is a dalmatian. "Taz" is an 8yo "puppy mill" product who turned out pretty good. He was supposed to be given away in a drawing when the 101 Dalmatians Disney remake came out. Of course, the dog people threw a fit about it, since dals are supposed to be temperamental and have close to the worst reputation for biting. So the advertising company gave in and decided to make the drawing for a gift certificate and give the puppy to a firefighter to preserve the "promotion" part. I volunteered and was picked as the recipient

This pooch earned his name in the truck on the way home.... He was a total spaz. As a "responsible" pet owner, I took him to obedience training with someone I've known for years as an insightful and caring dog trainer. She helped a lot. Though dals have a reputation for being "dumb," turns out Taz is actually pretty smart and easily bored. After the designated class time was up, she offered to let anyone who was interested keep coming in every week to keep working with the dogs. She helped me figure out that Taz was being stubborn when he was bored rather than because he didn't "get" something. Before I just got to busy to keep going, we started doing some of the agility stuff (like jumping the hurdles, going over the teetertooters, etc..). When he started getting "stubborn," I would do something fun with him like jump the hurdles or the hoop and he would get back in his game and do the boring "sit-stay" crap he really wasn't interested in.

It's pretty funny to watch how he manipulates the other dog (a truly dumb ol' lab) into giving up his chewy bone in trade for a plane ol' squeeky toy

 

[Druidus]

I understand what you are saying, Vigil. It's the old arguement of blank slate or environment. When we are born, are we a blank slate, ready to learn anything taught to us, or are we pre-programmed to be a certain way? I fall in the middle of both arguements. I believe that genetics can make it easier to be a certain way, but environment will play a role as well. For instance, genetics makes up the most part of human intelligence, at 80-90%, but environment plays a role too, at 10-20%.

I agree, there are no "aggressive" dogs, by nature (and I do not agree with killing the dog after it shows aggression. There are rehabilitation means, and the owner is always mostly at fault). However, I do believe that pitt bulls, which were bred to be aggressive, and to be winners in the ring, are more likely to be aggressive. Probably not, in a good environment, with a loving home, but, if left alone, or with an abusive family, the chance is higher.

I agree that all dogs can be aggressive, but I do think that because of genetics, some dogs are more likely to be aggressive, if they get a nudge by environment.

It's like saying "whites are more prone to aggressiveness than asians are." It's just not the case.

Neither of those races were bred to be aggressive, unlike pitt bulls, who, over generations, were bred to be aggressive to other dogs, a value in the fighting ring. It is our fault they are that way, and our responsibility to help them to not be that way.

 

[Master Vigil]

Pitbulls were not bred to be aggressive. They were bred to have strength, good fighting stature, and good face proportion for fighting. You can't breed aggressiveness. You teach aggressiveness.