Are we dog people ?

[Freds]

I know it's been Portugese Water Dog for a while, one of my old neighbors used to have one, but didn't it used to be PW Spaniel? For some reason spaniel always comes to mind when thinking of these dogs /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Cliff_Johns]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I know it's been Portugese Water Dog for a while, one of my old neighbors used to have one, but didn't it used to be PW Spaniel? For some reason spaniel always comes to mind when thinking of these dogs /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif )</font>

I would note that brittany spaniels became just britanys a while back too. I guess they decided they are not REALLY spaniels. If you call them britany spaniels, the owners get offended and are usually quick to correct you.

Cliff

 

[Farmwithjunk]

We are dog people!

Here's Nikki. She's been with us 2 weeks now. She's 10 weeks old. Her ears are just now starting to stand up. She's a wild one! Remember the movie Gremlins? Remember Gizmo? This little ball of fur has a growl that'll send chills up and down your spine. All at 4-1/2 pounds. (Papillon)

 

[greatrandini]

I do not know about the spaniel but I do know that Portugese Water Dogs are extremely close relatives of Standard Poodles. Some people consider them the same but AKC reconizes them as seperate breeds (as they should). Poodles are French and years ago people from Portugal dicovered they were great water retrievers. I know some think of Standard Poodles as sissy city dogs but I have never met one that I did not like. They are amazing dogs. Next best thing to a GSD if you ask me. Maybe better because they don't shed. I have never met a PWD that I did not like either. Very smart kind dogs.

 

[lovethesticks]

I have to agree with Gary. I do not think you are dog people!

Any breed can turn nasty or be trained that way, and pitbulls have a bad rap, much as dobies and roties used to. We have had labs for years, but after the last one died, we ended up with a 7 week old pit. I had reservations, never having been around one, but they can be great dogs. Yes, ours is very protective of me, and of the grandkids. But so was our lab. (sidebar: When my brother was in Viet Nam, he told me that the army had trained a black lab as a "search and destroy" dog. I had a hard time believing it, but he had no reason to make it up.)

I have learned two things about pits. First, my son is Lunchbox' primary person. I had to do the "alpha domination" move fairly frequently to convince Lunchie that I, too, was a boss! Second, he is a lover. And needs lots of love. Belly rubs are required when we return home. He doesn't sit next to you, he lurches sidewise so he is firmly pressed against you.

As far as care, he is never out unless he is tied, and never out unless we are home. He was house-trained in three days, has only had three accidents in three years, and does not chew up anything but his "babies" (stuffed gingerbread men with squeakers, and only chewed up after the squeaker quits). He is mellow, seldom digs, and rarely does not like someone. Also, our vets loves him to death because of his sweet personality! He is about the most popular dog at the vet's office when we visit. Sorry to be so long with the pit plug, but you know how it goes with us "reformed" people. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I think they have robot dogs now, you might want to try that! Chris

 

[lovethesticks]

I would really like to apologise to everyone following this thread that read my previous post. I was tired, cranky, nuts, temporarly berserk...you fill it in.
I don't know that you aren't dog people. I do know that in my 53 years, I have only been without a dog about 3 of them. I can't fathom not having a dog around, even though I say "No more! Never Again!" every time we lose one.

I also want to apologise for going off on people that are afraid of pits, either through experience or just news. I am very leary of shepherds (yup, german shepherd dogs). Why? Because our neighbor always had them, and they were always mean. So was/is he, so it does follow. But knowing this as an adult doesn't mean that I have ever gotten over my childhood fear of this breed, and I would not want one.

So if your family wants a dog, get a pup, or an older dog that isn't a bully breed (pits, bulldogs, bull terriers, etc.) They take a ton of time and attention. Read up on breeds, find out what traits they have, and then (my own suggestion), spend a Saturday morning at a vet's office watching the various dogs. Ask people questions about how their dog relates to cats, kids, etc. It is a good way to learn quite a bit. And don't expect the cats to adjust. Cats don't believe in that!

Again, sorry to all. Didn't mean to blow off (up?). Chris

 

[Bird]

A couple of days ago the local TV news ran a story of a blind man and his guide dog being attacked by a pit bull; not a pretty story, but they didn't get into the details of why the pit bull was out.

As for German Shepherds, yes, they can be quite dangerous also. Many years ago a brother-in-law brought us a German Shepherd puppy over my objections. Our daughters were 4 and 7 and the puppy grew up with them, and with a kitten in the house. She was the best dog I ever had, but after a few years I gave her away because I was afraid she was going to hurt someone. It was heartbreaking to do that, for both me and the kids. At that time, we had the largest back yard in the neighborhood, surrounded by a 4' chain link fence. Lots of kids came and went through the gate, and that dog thought all kids belonged to her. I was very much afraid that an adult/parent might come in the yard after one of the kids and there was no way the dog would have allowed that. My wife loved the dog, but even she was afraid to scold our own kids if the dog was present. And of course the dog could have jumped the fence easily. She never did, but we had an idiot neighbor who came home drunk one night when she was just a pup, he didn't see her at the fence until she barked and startled him, so he responded by yelling and cursing at her. So from then on, if she was outside and he was outside, she'd bark, I'd go out there and she'd look at me and you knew she was just begging for permission to hop over the fence and have a piece of him. And when the neighbor on the other side of us would come home, she'd bark at him also, but even if I was in the house, you could tell the difference in the bark. She was just making sure he knew she was outside because he'd come reach over the fence and pet her.

 

[vmarc]

A dog is a pack animal . He wants and needs to be with his family to be happy and well adjusted.The quickest way to make a dog aggressive is to isolate him and let him be his own pack leader.Better to let him be with the family and learn his place.Any dog in the hands of a person who doesn't understand this can become a time bomb.A dog bred to kill, doubly so.I will never understand why a person gets a dog to tie to a tree or rot in a kennel.They are social animals and should be handled as such.If you don't know what you're doing, pass on this dog.Just my 2 cents.Maybe that's all it's worth..........Vince

 

[Sigarms]

Very well said and simply put.

 

[Mrwurm]

No problem, we're all friends here.