jultaylor1972 2 Posted September 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 Thanks so much for that advice!! Ive copied and pasted what you wrote and sent it as an email to my mate Its very much appreciated Ditchy. And thanks Simoman, Ive offered my mate my spare cage to put the bed in, at the moment he has got his own space but I believe its just in his kitchen - I really think a cage will give the dog the privacy it deserves. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,173 Posted September 28, 2007 Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 Ditch: just brilliant as always. A little tale to illustrate how some dogs are with bones: I took on a 6 year old Irish Wolfhound bitch many years ago. I KNOW that this bitch had been very badly treated at some time in her life: she was very frightened/agressive when she saw men wearing long dark coats, hats and carrying either a chain or a stick: says it all doesn't it! She also had a twisted front leg as a result of a break which hadn't been set properly and had healed wrong. She was absolutely fine with me, my friends and around food: but give her a bone and she changed into this horrible, eye rolling, snarling fiend: scary to see. She had to be lured away from a bone with food treats. Did I get her put down? No way: she was a fantastic guard dog, a wonderful companion and protector and at the time I was living in a remote farmhouse in the French mountains looking after a herd of milking goats. This bitch took it upon herself to guard the goats, which she had never seen before we went there, but within hours had realised they were an important part of our lives: by the way, I'd had her about 2 months when we went out there and I'd already sorted the bone problem by never giving her a large bone that she couldn't finish in a short time. When I gave her breast of lamb for example I simply took her to her kennel, which she was never in apart from to give her a bone, and left her there whilst she ate it. Once she'd finished, I let her out again and there was NEVER ANY PROBLEM with any other type of food or anything. OK, I didn't have little kids running around, only the goat variety, and they used to climb on her back and shelter under her when it rained if we were up the mountain. I kept her for the rest of her natural life, which sadly wasn't to be that long as she developed a lung problem when she was 8 years old. I only tell this tale to illustrate that I worked round the bone problem and it was ONLY bones that created a problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bill88 6 Posted September 28, 2007 Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 He'd had a two year old dog for two weeks?Surely the dog needs time to get to know its new environment.As already said,bone's seem to bring out the worst in dogs.when my dogs are eating they keep there distance from each other,should one of them stray,all f*****g hell breaks loose.I certainly wouldn't have put the dog in that position,especially if he has young kids.It takes time to get to know the dog(more so with it being an adult dog) and time for the dog to get to know you.Bringing an adult dog straight into your house,is a recipe for disaster. jmo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hairybull 3 Posted September 28, 2007 Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 Tell him to persevere, everything DS said, let the dog learn to trust and find its place in the 'new' pack, everything is earnt, make it sit or drop or whatever before food or attention, get it thinking and obeying. All my dogs get the "me taking their bones" lesson from pups!! A stag/bull, an American Bulldog and 2 kangaroo dogs all eat bones happily together, I can take them and swap them. They regularly swap and change, leave them for a while, then go back for a chew a bit later. I can happily throw a whole roo or whatever on the back lawn and let them share it- usually just quarter it for them. Good luck, reckon it'll be right with a bit of 'thinking' !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jultaylor1972 2 Posted September 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 He'd had a two year old dog for two weeks?Surely the dog needs time to get to know its new environment.As already said,bone's seem to bring out the worst in dogs.when my dogs are eating they keep there distance from each other,should one of them stray,all f*****g hell breaks loose.I certainly wouldn't have put the dog in that position,especially if he has young kids.It takes time to get to know the dog(more so with it being an adult dog) and time for the dog to get to know you.Bringing an adult dog straight into your house,is a recipe for disaster. jmo I agree completely, he's been having the dog over for the last two months a few times a week so that he gets used to his new environment. The woman he got her off was unable to look after him anymore due to health reasons and he tried his best to do everything right for the dog, yes, giving him a bone clearly wasn't the best idea in the world but he's going to change a few things so that the same situation can be avoided in future. He's going to give the dog another chance and follow Ditch Shitters advice. One of my dogs is a nightmare with a bone but I can take it off her without getting bitten, now though, she doesnt get the opportunity to be put in that position. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jigsaw 11,863 Posted September 28, 2007 Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 Ditch great read,if you were in the Mafia you'd be shot for sure cause you know too much,your a font of knowledge,an inspiration to us all Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phil Lloyd 10,738 Posted September 28, 2007 Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 (edited) Ditch great read,if you were in the Mafia you'd be shot for sure cause you know too much,your a font of knowledge,an inspiration to us all Ain't ya seen the film,Goodfellahs jigsaw Ditch cannot be harmed,...he comes from the 'Land of the Flint',...and as such,.he is a MADE MAN... Anyone touching him,..'Sleeps wid da Fishes'..... All the best,.Don Chalkwarren Corleone... Edited September 28, 2007 by CHALKWARREN Quote Link to post Share on other sites
witton 6 Posted September 28, 2007 Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 I don't care if it means i'm not a real dog man, if it was me and i had kids that dog would have a bullet in between its eyes. My kids wellbeing and lives would allways come first. Where there are kids and dogs there must be control, if the dog is unpredictable then i wouldn't take the risk. Your not allways going to be there. witton Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest jbswildlife Posted September 28, 2007 Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 Dogs are pack animals they carry out there instinct towards pack. the dog in question has not been part of a pack or was left to be the alpha dog even over the owner (some people do not understand dogs) if you give your dog a bone make sure you and the dog knows whos the boss joe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tonymac 0 Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 Ditch,I have to agree with you wholeheartedly!!!!!!!Just because a Man has a Dog,does not make him a Dog Man. Firstly who knows but this Dog might have had to fight for his Tucker at his last residence, or he could have just been showing normal pack behaviour.One Dog keeping his Bone safe from the rest of the Pack. Dogs of course are a pack Animal and bring Pack dynamics to the relationship with Humans.I would be having a look at your management and Leadership of this Dog.You need to bring change in the Pack order so the Dog knows the Son has a higher place. I would not let your Son out unsupervised with the Dog at least till there is more stability. You can try a couple of things.Firstly check Leadership.Secondly put him in a run by himself and leave him with his Bone in peace.Thirdly will he take a Bone from the Hand if offered to him?If he will take a bone from the hand then try this.set yourself up with two Bones about the same size.Put a collar and lead on the Dog.Give him one Bone.Wait a minute and get his attention with the second bone.Call him and give a tug on the Lead.Offer him the second Bone.Most Dogs will drop the First Bone to take the Second Bone.Pick up the Bone he has dropped and repeat the exercise.Your teaching him if he gives up a Bone,it does not mean a loss for him.Keep this up and with a bit of time you will be able to easily take a bone off him. As a PS.I cannot believe some said put this Dog to sleep!!!I would hate to see some with a real rank Dog!!! Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 6,173 Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 Years ago I spoke to certain dog trainers, if you can call them that, who said that the only way to treat a dog was to dominate it with violence, and their 'training' included taking bones and food off the dog and kicking sh*t out of it if it dared to defend it's grub! Thankfully most people now realise that this sort of thing is the fast road to nowhere in getting a good relationship with the dog, but I do think that equally as many current dog owners allow their dogs to become leader in the human pack through ignorance of how dogs think and behave. I agree with Tonymac's advice 100%: but I'd still be very careful in taking on an adult dog that has been given the wrong status in the pack. Some will never knuckle down to second or third place: had a terrier once that had been spoilt rotten, and despite trying everything over a period of months that little sod never would accept authority in any shape or form: I'm afraid that after having been bitten once too often the only way left was 6 foot under. He would have been far to dangerous to rehome. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ozzydogman 9 Posted October 1, 2007 Report Share Posted October 1, 2007 I find this whole topic very interesting. While I will NOT tolerate aggression in any way,shape or form from a dog, the fact that the dog is new, and was given a bone, was not a good idea. I do agree that a persons safety is most important. Breed is un-important. I dont care if its chihuahua or a great dane, growling/biting is NOT allowed. I have always disagreed with the "no dog is 100% safe" comment. If i have a dog that growls at me over a bone/food, it will be brought into line. After 10-15 minutes of pats and "good dogs", i will again do what ever I did to make it growl. If it growls a second time, PTS. 99% safe is not good enough. Being "brought into line" does not mean kicking the shit out of the dog. If its a new dog, it will get a few months to settle in, with me teaching it to sit before being fed on command. The above comments are what I do (rightly or wrongly by those who are reading this), and they work for me. I can take a bone out of my dogs mouths, and i can also take food from their mouths while they are eating (all of my dogs - terriers, a beagle, a greyhound, a kelpieXm, and a pitty). They are not scared or fearful of me, nor I of them. They simply know that I am TOP DOG. Cheers, Ozzy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MOLLY Posted October 1, 2007 Report Share Posted October 1, 2007 I completely agree Ozzy, and have the same relationship with my dogs. MOLL. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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