Dogs

Jazzzoline · January-19th-2005, 09:58 AM

I was too lazy to try to find the thread about dogs, and wanted to talk about my dog's behaviors without spoiling Cookie's thread.

Franki, my dog does exactly the same as your sister's dog: 18h30, he grabs his favorite toy and shakes it in front of us. That means "doesn't one of you dare to come play with me". Then start about 15 minutes of running around the stairs zone with my husband or my son at his tail.
When he is done, he (the dog) comes to sit on my lap for a lil scratch behind his ears. Then I tell him "you're a silly dog" when I reach for the hairbrush for a 15 minutes of untangling session, which he dislikes.

Noj · January-19th-2005, 10:31 AM

My neighbor has a miniature white pomeranian with a "fox cut." Funniest looking dog I ever saw, like a child's stuffed animal--appropriately named "Teddy."

My favorite dogs are Boxers and Mastiffs, but I don't have my own dog.

Dr Dave · January-19th-2005, 10:43 AM

My friends Mango and Bruno own a springer spaniel named "Lucy." The dog is a "rescue" dog, which means she was abused by her previous owner. As spaniels are somewhat high-strung to begin with, Lucy was a real piece of work when she first arrived. She had a fear of abandonment that led her to literally tear doors apart with her teeth. She has also learned how to grasp a doorknob in her jaws, turn it, then fall away so that it opens. Her owners bought an "invisble fence" rig that was supposed to keep her in the yard. No dice. She'd take the shock rather than watch them walk away up the street.

Finally, a vet prescribed doggie Prozac, and she's much, much better.

But I digress.

The point of this story was to say that Bruno taught her to follow the following dinnertime behavior: When it is time to put out the food, Bruno looks at Lucy and commands "Tush on cush!" To which Lucy responds by going out of the kitchen and into the living room, where she has her own doggy cushion. Once the food is in the doggy dish, Bruno hollers "Buono Appetito!" at which command Lucy launches herself from the cushion and races into the kitchen, where she dines greedily on Neurotic Doggy Chow, or whatever it is one feeds to Springer Spaniels.

Enforcer · January-19th-2005, 11:13 AM

I never tire of talking about my dog. I love that little dog. She's a Lhasa Apso and her name is Punkin. She's very possessive of me. If she's in my lap on the couch or I'm sitting with her on the bed, she'll bark and growl at anyone who comes near me, especially the younger kids. She hears noises that either don't exist or I just can't hear and barks vociferously at them. She likes to play, but mostly with me she wants affection. When I come home from work, I have a ritual with her where I pet her and talk to her. Keep in mind that a few short years ago, I ridiculed people who fawned over their pets. Now, I've joined their ranks. She is currently wearing a pink shirt that says HOT STUFF.

I love that little dog.

Jimmy Cantiello · January-19th-2005, 11:17 AM

Our late dog, Holly (aka Brew), a yellow Lab, was one of the nicest people I ever met. I miss her............

RIP, Brewster

Jazzzoline · January-19th-2005, 01:01 PM

... *back from a meeting*
his name is Kenzo ( He already had this name when my hubby got it from his previous family).
As I said in the other thread, he barks and barks. He also had the bad habit of biting blinds ( cut them in pieces) and curtains, and pee on every carpets. I had to throw many in the garbage and didn't install some new ones.

graypencil · January-19th-2005, 02:03 PM

My Avatar Beagle is Sammie ..she has an older sister, Loosie ..

like all Beagles, they live for food ..

Chris D · January-19th-2005, 02:08 PM

Nikita the girl dog is pretty mellow for a border collie mix. The only time she goes crazy --maniacal barking -- is when anyone puts on shoes. Walk time, dammit!

Squaredancecalling Steve · January-19th-2005, 03:20 PM

My last dog was a St. Bernard named Argus, and when he died of old age I didn't want another dog, despite the petitions from my family.

Two or three years ago, almost twenty years after Argus died, my wife started in again with the dog business, and made me get specific about what I didn't like about having a dog. Some time after that she asks me, "Suppose I found a kind of dog that didn't shed, didn't smell, didn't slobber, highly intelligent, affectionate, small, blahblahblah." I said, "Well, maybe I'd consider it, we'll talk about it." She said, "Good, it's gonna be here next week."

You couldn't tear me away from the dog now. A GREAT dog!! He's a Havenese, believed to be a mix between a Bichone Friese and a native Argentinian dog. The main breeders were in Havana, Cuba, and the breed became an unwitting symbol of Batista sympathisers to Fidel & Co., so a bunch of them wound up in the United States in the 60s. Last year it was the fastest rising breed in popularity according the American Kennel Club. They were used in Cuba in show business and to herd poultry. Weigh about 15 pounds.

Ours is called Javier, although he still responds to name I wanted, Wachi Wara. Whenever I play the Cal Tjader record, he ducks under a table the first time the band cries, "Wachi Wara," but then he remembers and nonchalants it the rest of the tune.

He's always up for going for a ride or a walk or a run, and really seems to have an intuitive understanding of what we want.

These are not pix of Javier, don't know how to put them up here, but they are similarly colored Havanese to give you an idea what he looks like. (I'll see if I can my kids to help me put up a real picture of him.)

jesus marion joseph · January-19th-2005, 03:54 PM

I've met Lucy the nuero-Spaniel, and can verify what Dave says.

We don't currently have a dog, but are thinking about getting one because we just moved to a house in the woods. The problem is that we like to go away a lot, and while it's easy to arrange care for our two cats, a dog may be another story. Additionally, we're in major coyote country, and anything small is likely to be eaten (as are the cats, but so far they've remained indoors most of the time, and always at night, when coyotes are active). For this reason, I suggested to my wife that an Akita would be a good dog to have, since it could kill coyotes, thereby protecting itself as well as our cats. Unfortunately, they can also maim humans........

Chris D · January-19th-2005, 04:05 PM

Yeah, jmj, akitas can be touchy. I won't have a dog that is capable of eating a child's face off. I know, I know, violent dogs can be pinned on the trainer-owner, not necessarily the dog. But knownig a breed's temperament is crucial.

jesus marion joseph · January-19th-2005, 04:59 PM

We have some close friends who own an Akita, and they were unaware when they got him that he *should* have been a rescue dog. Fortunately, they took him to obedience school, and once he figured out that they were the alpha dogs, he was totally cool.

Unfortunately, Akitas are a breed that will remain still and quiet until an irritant (such as another dog or a little kid) get within striking range and then *bam*, they make their move. Theirs is not friendly to other dogs. One neighbors' dog got into his run by digging under the fence. Bad mistake; he's in doggy heaven now. Another time he got loose and attacked a neighbors' three-legged dog. They offered to pay the vet bills. He doesn't get loose anymore.

Perhaps the worst incident was when one of their nieces pulled on its tail, and got a bite in the face. The niece is fine, but the dog goes outside in its run whenever kids are around now, and the family was in an uproar for a time over whether the dog should be put down or not. The town dog officer knows them and the dog, and views them as responsible owners, so she didn't condemn the dog (much to my surprise).

The vast majority of the time he's totally fine and very affectionate. He's a "leaner", and loves to be petted. We don't have kids, so I could deal with a dog like him, but they're not for everybody, that's for sure (my wife is against an Akita, BTW).

chuckyd4 · January-19th-2005, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

I never tire of talking about my dog. I love that little dog. She's a Lhasa Apso and her name is Punkin. She's very possessive of me. If she's in my lap on the couch or I'm sitting with her on the bed, she'll bark and growl at anyone who comes near me, especially the younger kids. She hears noises that either don't exist or I just can't hear and barks vociferously at them. She likes to play, but mostly with me she wants affection. When I come home from work, I have a ritual with her where I pet her and talk to her. Keep in mind that a few short years ago, I ridiculed people who fawned over their pets. Now, I've joined their ranks. She is currently wearing a pink shirt that says HOT STUFF.

I love that little dog.

Maybe it's just the Pinot Noir talking... but this is the first post in quite a long time at JazzCorner that has truly made me LOL....

Sand · January-19th-2005, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckyd4

Maybe it's just the Pinot Noir talking...
LOL....

I guess you've had a lot of Pinot Noir today. What about the bouquet?

GoodSpeak · January-19th-2005, 08:46 PM

We are thinking about buying a dog since we recently bought a house with a much larger backyard.

My wife and I like Golden Retrievers or Black Labradors.

Can anyone offer some advice on choosing a dog?

Thanks in advance,

Tim

Jazzzoline · January-19th-2005, 11:18 PM

Kenzo:

steve(thelil) · January-19th-2005, 11:38 PM

I don't think about dogs much, but I am entirely in favor of them and against their enemies.

GoodSpeak · January-20th-2005, 10:59 PM

Hm.

Me too.

Joey X · January-20th-2005, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graypencil

My Avatar Beagle is Sammie ..she has an older sister, Loosie ..

like all Beagles, they live for food ..

Does she bark a lot?
Joey X

Joey X · January-20th-2005, 11:09 PM

I like my dog, and he loves human beings. His name is "Joey," and he's half yellow Lab, half pit bull. A friend of mine is a dog-trainer pro, so Joey has the best of care and training. He's welcomed at the houses of all my friends!
Joey X

frankenmeister7 · January-21st-2005, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzzoline

Kenzo:

Jazzzoline, that's puttney to a "T". i think all bichons have the same temperment no matter who you are, where you live and how you live.

they are so egotistical, stubborn and plain naughty that if you don't love your pet you would take a gun and shoot those little buggers.

my sister puts up with her dog because she finds him soooooo cute. it's a real pain to go over to her house. the relatives make excuses as to why they can't come. i really think that her dog needs to go to boot camp for dogs.

i treat puttney like my own dog of dogs and he listens to me. as for the rest of my sisters family they let the dog go wild. that is the reason he is so bad.

believe me, i have a zoo at my house. does four danes, four doverman(sp) pinchers, four cats, four dogs with mixed breeds and the rest come in sets of two.

my huge blue parrot is a monster in height but he is a lovely bird. he talks and sings.

my animals wouldn't be alive today if i didn't take them paired off to dog camp.

jazz, why don't you try to get your dog over to the boot camp for dogs in your area. you are losing major stuff in your house. its that or you have to get rid of your dog.

just a thought...but my old neighbor in maryland had a dachund(sp) that was full size and when left alone, ate up the house. holes everywhere.

they had the dog fixed and it didn't help. dog howled all night and they didn't know what to do. finally the husband just took it to his friends farm and they have had peace in the house for years.

like i said, look up in the yellow pages for behavioral(sp) schools for dogs and check them out. you have nothing to lose except your piece of mind.

franki

Jazzzoline · January-21st-2005, 11:16 AM

That dog wasn't my choice believe me. I told them: if you have a dog, I'm not going to take care of it. Hah!
Well, I don't give him water or food when the bowls are empty. I have the bath and the combing duties cuz if i don't, nobody does it and the dog becomes all tangled.
The worst is when we travel. I have my in laws coming every day for food, water, pee and poop.
Anyways, he's happy to see me when I come home.

Thinking about it, I'm more of a "bird" person.

jazzfiend · January-21st-2005, 03:21 PM

Goody, here's some stuff about Golden Retrievers (or at least our GR):

Molly is 2-1/2 years old now, weighs around 75 lbs, and sheds like there's no tomorrow. Other than the excessive shedding, she's our Princess. She was very hyper as a pup, but has calmed down somewhat. Very submissive, espec. around other dogs (even little ones), she really thinks she's human and looks down on her own kind. Molly is the most affectionate dog i've known, but she's not the one man type, and seems to love Suzy & I equally. She's also not the brightest dog around, but incredibly sweet, which pretty much compensates for her quite average intelligence. Her favorite thing is playing tug o'war with just about any object, and she loves to go walking or running with us. Loves water & swimming too. At night her fave thing is to sit on the couch between Suzy & I with her head on either of our laps. If the excessive shedding doesn't bother you, go for it!

My bro (who's in Vermont) has a yellow Lab and swears she's the best dog on the planet, in all respects.

Jimmy Cantiello · January-21st-2005, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazzfiend

My bro (who's in Vermont) has a yellow Lab and swears she's the best dog on the planet, in all respects.

Couldn't agree more, Don..................

frank m · January-21st-2005, 04:07 PM

I agree with just about everybody here as to favorite dogs. I've had dogs all my life, generally rescued strays, and all your breed preferences seem valid. We now have a golden retriever who a)sheds,b) Isn't the brightest, c) is the sweetest dog in this corner of the universe. Our last dog was a black lab, who was in every way, a perfect gentleman. Mutts of all kinds were also top ho. We've only had two other purebreds, a beagle who was the dumbest dog we ever had, but sweet, and a bearded collie, who is smart as hell but a royal pain in every other way. IMHO, Goodspeak, you can't go wrong with either of the retrievers you have in mind.

Chris D · January-21st-2005, 04:53 PM

The only advice I'd have, Goody, is to check with your local humane society first.
Save a life! We claimed Nikita three days before her "expiration date."

jesus marion joseph · January-21st-2005, 04:56 PM

Yeah, definitely adopt a dog that might otherwise be put down.

frank m · January-21st-2005, 07:49 PM

I still feel guilty about getting a purebred beardie from a breeder. All our best dogs have been gotten as strays or from shelters.

GoodSpeak · January-21st-2005, 11:25 PM

Excellent advice, Guys/Gals.

I honestly do appreciate it.

My wife and I have always liked the friendliness and loyalty of retievers. I will take into consideration the shedding [we have two cats who shed...massively] and the hyper-activity.

Bottom line? Dogs are way cool.

Enforcer · January-24th-2005, 02:09 PM

We had a real scare with our dog last week. Something happened, not sure what, but she's fine now. We came home to find her trembling uncontrollably and panting. She looked terrified, but of what we had no idea. She was hiding under furniture, acting completely out of character. Nothing we did calmed her down. I was worried that she may have been sick, so I called the vet. The symptoms were vague and could mean a number of things.

To make a long story short, the vet examined her and did some tests and everything came back normal. By last weekend, she was back to normal. The only thing we could imagine causing her enough stress to cause that kind of panic was having a guy come into the house when nobody else was home to work on the furnace. We had never really done that before, leaving her unattended when a stranger came into the house. Combined with the noise he was probably making using tools on the ductwork, it must have really freaked her out.

I was pretty scared. She was inconsolable. It was a relief to see her get over it so quickly. She wouldn't eat, couldn't walk without shaking, it was horrible.