Man's Best Friend

MossRoad · Jul 24, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

Hope you bought him or her a beer! 
 but it was 10:30 in the morning 

Scotch?

(from the movie Mr. Mom)

TimSullivan · Jul 25, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

( Yeah, they're more than just pets, they are full fledged members of the family - and in our case probably the best behaved family members. Our dog died a month ago at age 15 1/2 and I still get tears in my eyes walking past the grave /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I sure loved that dog.
)

I sure know the feeling. When we moved to the new property a year ago, we moved the grave of the sweetest dog we ever had. She now has a new spot to share with us and even though we lost her ten years ago there are a tear or two shed.

In the old house we had just bought a new electric self cleaning stove. The wife started the cleaning cycle and went into the basement to do the wash. Tess came down to let her know there was something wrong. The house was full of smoke and the stove was melting itself. The fire department said that a few more minutes and the cabinets would have caught on fire.

Bob_In_MN · Jul 25, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

Last year I was putting some new sod down with the help of my wife's cousin. He brought along his two daughters--both old enough to walk, but not by much.

The neighbor's dog came over to visit our dogs and decided to stick around and watch us work. The older of the two kids started to walk down the driveway. The dog went down the driveway and started gently nudging her in order to make her come back to where we were working. She was never out of our site, but she was obviously far enough away that the dog decided she needed to come back. It was a facinating thing to see.

Bob

PondKeeper · Jul 25, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

Sure glad that worked out well. I have had the moments when one of the gang were missing, minutes seem like hours when searching.

Mike

Boondox · Jul 28, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

( Sure glad that worked out well. I have had the moments when one of the gang were missing, minutes seem like hours when searching.

Mike )

One winter, in the middle of a blizzard, we took in a 12 year old golden named Amber. Gawd did that dog wander! We actually changed her name to Ambler! But the very next morning, with about four feet of soft snow on the ground and the temperature dropping into the single digits, she turned up missing yet again!

The wind was blowing wicked hard that morning, not only giving us a nasty wind chill, but obliterating all tracks. So Tam and I donned our foul weather gear and snowshoes, locked all the dogs in the house, and set off in search of that old girl. Must have been out there three hours calling and searching, before we finally decided to go home and warm up before round two.

And there she was! That fat old girl had gotten herself stuck under the guest bed and was woofing for us to come free her! Sure didn't stop her from wandering, though...

Pete

Currmudgeon · Jul 28, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

( And some people call them "pets" derisively, like they were some sort of messy hobby!)

I breed championship German Shepherd Dogs. AFAIC, being a pet is about the highest calling a dog can aspire to.

Yeah, they're incredible.

Currmudgeon · Jul 28, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

( The dog went down the driveway and started gently nudging her in order to make her come back to where we were working. She was never out of our site, but she was obviously far enough away that the dog decided she needed to come back. It was a facinating thing to see.)

Our German Shepherds will herd kids. They're naturals. And the kids never know they're being herded.

Now watching them try to herd cats, that's funny.

Hondo · Aug 1, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

Well, my goofy cattledog has been known to herd crickets. It's quite a sight! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Taylortractornut · Aug 2, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

My first male white German Shepard didnt like anyone but me, i used to take hime to work with me and hed ride the TD15 Dresser, sit on the cranes catwalk pouring concrete or ride in the excavator bucket. Plus i felt really safe when i had to fire the occasional laborer for any reason . I had one pull out a knife and threaten to cut my throat. I had a pink slip in his paycheck and he opened it before he left. My superintendant had told me that day to run the 580 Case hoe and spread gravel and dig a few trenches for he utility folks. About 45 minutes into spreading i saw the laborer comming up o the machine. I stopped and tried to explain that he had a weeks probation and the fella went nuts. He pulled out his knife and the big 90 pound dog came off the machine and did his best to maul him. I got him off the fella and he tried it again and i had the chunk the dog with a dirt clod to get him to let go. The laborer was then fired permanant. Later on my supervisor had told me the man had severely stabbed another fella a few years earlier. It made me think about how lucky i was to have this dog. The same dog also snapped at me one night i was walking down to the pond i tried to shove him out of the way he snapped again and turnd sideways and walked me backwards. then he turned back to the trial adn started pawing. i got the light out and it was a big cotton mouth right where i was gonna step next. He passed away later that year but i now have his son and grandaughter.
I do alot of trading and work in my home shop and if someone comes by and the dog doesnt like them or acts funny around them I will not do any further business with them. THe last few months my new dog goes nuts when a certain person rides the garbage truck. In the past i though i heard the fella barking at Champ. Well the otherday mom called me at work and told me that the garbage man was barking at the dog and throwin rocks at him. This is a dead end road and on the way back the idiot was hangin a steel pole off the truck with a rag on it poking at the dog. I saw this recently and reported it but nothing has happened. Ive been thinking of my about my cousin puting the hornets nest in the garbage cans for a little getting even thing. It bothers me how some folks get off on tormenting an animal.
I had a friend that told his wife you can talk abou me my car, my kids but youd better not say aword about my dog lol.

5030 · Aug 2, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

The ONLY THING our cat does is stink up the litter pan that's under the computer desk, especially when I am sitting at the computer, like RIGHT NOW!!!!!

5030 · Aug 2, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

Time to sign off before I pas out!!

GreenMtnMan · Aug 4, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

This Cat link is hilarious - I hope it doesn't offend anyone. Turn your speakers on to hear it.

http://users.abcs.com/townsend/cat-kettle.htm

5030 · Aug 4, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

GreenMtnMan:

I can't get it to play. If I can, maybe my wife shouldn't hear it?

PondKeeper · Aug 4, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

Had a good laugh with this one /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

GreenMtnMan · Aug 5, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

Daryl, sorry, I'm not sure why it doesn't work for you. Maybe it requires flash or something. If you can get it working your wife would probably laugh too - it's not anti-cat or anything.

Boondox · Aug 5, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

I also hate people who torment dogs for sport. But dogs have ways of getting even...

Years ago we allowed a ski trail to pass thru our property in winter. Most of the cross-country skiers were wonderful folks, and many of them would stop to pet our 12 year old golden retriever, Mercedes, as she woofed from the driveway. But one big fellow left the trail and stabbed her with the tip of his ski pole before turning back to the trail. I chased him down the hill on foot and restrained him (thank you, Marine Corps training!) for the police. He was charged with cruelty to animals and criminal trespass (for leaving the groomed trail to stab my dog).

But every morning thereafter Mercedes used to amble down the trail to a hard curve on a double fall-line and do her thing right there on the freshly groomed snow...then back off and watch the skiers try to negotiate that difficult curve while avoiding her landmine! It was hysterical watching the skiers try to get around it, jump over it, or straddle it while that dog woofed happily by the garage! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif My favorite was a fellow wearing a bright yellow windbreaker who fell backwards as he tried to bunnyhop over it. When he stood up looking around to see if he'd missed the turd you could see a big brown stripe down his back!

I miss that old dog. She was as devious as Wily E Coyote! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Pete

yellowdog99502 · Aug 5, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

( She was as devious as Wily E Coyote! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

Aren't they though! I am convinced that both our lab and golden lay awake at night trying come come up with new ways to get in trouble, amuse us or just plain baffle me.

Just the other day the golden girl grabbed a spud from the drawer and hid it in her mouth, next thing I know the two of them are outside playing 'catch' with this soggy mass of starch. I swear one would 'throw' the thing and the other would either catch it or chase it down and 'throw' it for the other. Now these dogs have plenty of toys but I guess they just wouldn't do. This puppy action comes from 8 & 9 year old dogs. Who says old dogs just sit on the porch!

They have been my constant companions and friends since they walked into my life, the wife gets a tad jealous once in a while. It has been said that every man has one "heart-dog" in his life, a dog that is so close to him that they know each others hearts inside and out. I have been lucky enough to had these two. Ain't nuthin' better than curling up with a dog and a book in front of the fire on a rainy day!

Best wishes to all you K-9 types out there. Give them an extra scratch behind the ear tonight, or better yet, one of those belly rubs they love so much!

Don

Currmudgeon · Aug 5, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

( But every morning thereafter Mercedes used to amble down the trail to a hard curve on a double fall-line and do her thing right there on the freshly groomed snow...)

<ROFLMAO>

Every now and then I read another article by animal psychologists, trying to decide if dogs can reason. It's obvious they don't own dogs. They wouldn't get into so much mischief if they couldn't reason.

Taylortractornut · Aug 9, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

The garbage man is lining up for his downfall as we speak. Im trying to figure out the best way to get the hornets nest out of my friends hay barn, into a plastic sealable garbage can like we have to do every year. Usually we just nuke the can and all in a brush fire but since the garbage man is having fun at others torment it should go both ways.
We did this one year to a fella that as stealing garbage bins a few years ago. Cut the nest down at night with a machete or pole saw with a bud holding th can and lid. when you catch your Pi$$ed off little friends seal them in a rubbermade garbage can, then ice pick little air and moisture holes in it. when he jerks the lid off its the calculated time delay the air conditioned driver has when his buddy is in need of quick escape that does the trick. Our trash barrel crook hasnt been back since so this may work. I got 1 of 2 nests lined up for the trick.

Soundguy · Aug 18, 2003

Re: Man\'s Best Friend

If you've got a videocam, try setting it up a few mornings and recording him taunting your dog.... then sue the company for all you can milk them for... ( the..ahem.. american way.. )