Pups and Dogs

Blue Dog

Terrible idea!! What dog is next? If you have seen any of my pits, you would take back your statement. I think you should ban the people that make the dogs mean.

I have guns too and have never shot anyone. I guess you should take my guns too?

Your opinion I guess. I cannot argue with you because you obviously have something against the breed without knowing the facts. Pitbulls are the most loyal and people loving dogs alive.

Dirtbags like Michael Vick give the dogs their bad name. If all pits were wiped from the planet tomorrow, these scumbags would use another breed to do the same thing.

A lot of breeds bite people a lot more often than pits. Yes, these dogs when mistreated and made to be vicious are bad. They get the media attention.

MnMom--- I know i get reprimanded everytime we go to the vet about my dogs weight."your'e killing them with kindness "is what I'm told but hey, they are hungery.I've bought diet food but they don't really like it.

Puma - I'm sorry to hear about Alex. My Condolences.

wvmtner - Bowser was a pitbull friend of ours. He knew nothing but kindness and love and those qualities were reflected in him.

Just about any dog can be raised wrong and turn out bad. Just like people.

bluedog

I can see you do not know that much about dogs and in particular pits bulls

Thanks to all for the condolences on the loss of one of my oldest friends! My son got Alex for his second birthday. Today my son helped me pick out a beautiful year old Miniature Australian Shepherd. I get him next week.
My sister is a pit bull fanatic and rescuer. SHe has had her boy pit for about 10 years. She has a female that is a few years younger that she has raised since she was a baby. A few months ago, for no reason, the female attacked the male. They grew up together as best friends. The vet had no explanation. Then she turned on their 3 year old daughter. Luckily the dog was on a leash and my sisiter was able to hold her back. Made me change my mind about pits.

"Pit bull" is actually a generic term for several distinct breeds of dogs that have been misused as fighting dogs - hence the "pit". When handled properly, they are gentle, loyal and extremely friendly. Unfortunately, they are also extremely powerful and frequently abused and mis-handled - a dangerous combination for any dog.

If you examine the statistics you'll find that "pit bulls" have indeed killed humans... but so have German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Huskies, Labradors and mixed breed dogs. Should we ban them all? The fact is, any dog is capable of attacking and even killing a human being (many of those killed are small children, and obviously many dogs are larger and stronger than a child) - they are all animals first and foremost.

This thread started off as a tribute to the dogs we love who love us back - some of us love certain breeds and others don't. That's why there are so many breeds and types - they all have their purpose and place in the lives of those who love them.

We happen to be a multi-dog family. Two are oversized and eat us out of house and home, the third is pint-sized and runs the whole show. Two are purebred and one is of questionable heritage, but we love him anyway.

We had a fourth that had to be put down three years ago... the saddest day in the life of anyone who loves a dog. (Oh, and she was of a breed that was much maligned as well... never met a gentler pup). I can still make any member of our family cry when I tell the story of her last day.

Haven't seen Marley and Me, but I read the book and laughed through most and wept at the end. There is no truer friend than a dog. Loves you no matter what, always ready for a long walk or a heart to heart talk, never too busy to just hang out and do nothing.

We really aren't crazy dog people... these furry creatures just keep finding their way into our home and our hearts! We'll always have a dog... or two!

I remember back in the mid to late 80's in So Cal. Every day, you heard about a "pit bull" or "pit bull" mix attacking someone. It was such a joke because they showed these dogs on the news and they were just muts. They were not pit bulls or any mixture of pitbull.

The meanest dog my family ever owned is a poodle. My sister has a scar on her face to prove it.

Yes, without a doubt, pitbulls have killed people. As stated above, so has a lot of other breeds. People kill people too.

I suggest we ban and do away with a breed of humans that have committed an unproportionate amount of violent crime and death in this country.
puma1 Your story has been repeated over and over among many breeds. Again, "pitbulls" are the ones who get singled out. Back in the 70's, all you heard about were dobermans.

Punish the deed/ not the breed. All of my Pits have been great, loyal, loving family dogs that you could not make bite you.

I'm done with this subject. I love my dogs, that's what this thread is about.

quote:

The meanest dog my family ever owned is a poodle. My sister has a scar on her face to prove it.

I can vouch for that as I was a long time paper boy. Whenever I was invited into the home to collect, I often left with bloody ankles as the sweet, cuddly poodles loved to bite Some people had evil names for their dogs as well. One dark German Shepard was named Satan and barked like a hound from hell. I was afraid of that dog and hated to deliver the newspaper to that house

puma - sorry about your loss

The argument by wvmtner and blue dog is an unwinnable one imho. The people who love those dogs will never convince those who do not. There was a famous dog mauling case in San Francisco where two vicious dogs owned by a couple of lawyers killed an apartment dweller. One of the owners went to prison having been convicted of second degree murder.

mythreesons knows exactly what they are talking about:

quote:

The fact is, any dog is capable of attacking and even killing a human being (many of those killed are small children, and obviously many dogs are larger and stronger than a child) - they are all animals first and foremost.

The one inescapable fact is that they are all animals first and foremost and thus are not 100% predictable. If you own one of these breeds that have a reputation such as a pit bull or doberman, and someone is accidentally harmed, the owner may wind up in prison regardless of how well they raised them.

People need to be especially careful when young children are around dogs. Sometimes a child will do something like put their finger in their eye or improperly touch them and the dog will react. Never, never leave a dog and a young child alone and unsupervised.

Let's not ruin a great topic.
Bottom line is that dogs are animals, and IMO you never trust an animal 100%, don't care how loving they are. Dogs are as good or well behaved as the people who own them. They are a product of their environment.
All dogs have unique gene characteristics to their breed. Some animals go haywire due to breeding. You don't own a purebred animal unless someone gives you a certificate he is a purebred. Even then, not sure if that makes the dog a good pet.
When my kids were younger we rescued a dog (poodle/cocker mix) who appeared very loving. He obviously had issues. He attacked my daughter one day for no reason, which required stitches by a plastic surgeon as he latched onto her face. He had once before that gone after my husband for no reason. We had to put him down that day. Looking back we made the mistake, we should have taken him to a shelter, where it would have been determined that he would not in the future make a good pet for anyone. Growing up we had a pure bred fox terrior that tortured us to death by biting our ankles every chance she got.

I guess I was late, others brought up same points as I did.

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quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
Let's not ruin a great topic.

I'll do my best to not ruin a great topic.

My best dog ever...






...of course good ol' Stewdee ran a close second, a very close second. Not a pedigree, but a solid V-8 in him!

The dog breed that bites most often is the beautiful Labs.
The most vicious dog I ever owner was my show Afghan Hound. At 5 he was unable to be trusted and I had to put him down. They are killers and were imported into the US to hunt and kill mountain lions. That dog was raised around people and never mistreated. He went everywhere with me. He started snapping at kids when they ran by. snapped at a guy who pulled him by the jowls breaking his glasses and cutting his face for 5 stitches. He grabbed my neighbor by the butt as he walked by with a wheel barrow on my property even after he gave him a steak bone. The last straw was when in the Early spring I put him on a leash and warned our baby sitter not to go near him. Her husband came to pick the baby sitter up and saw the dog. She warned him not to go near him. He ignored her and cautiously petted the dog on his head at the end of the leash. He knelled down and the dog grabbed him around the neck and pulled him in. He had 50 stitches in his head, a chunk taken out of his chest and several stitches in his hand. It happened in seconds.
Any breed can be come nasty and it isn't always the fault of the owner.
I also love Pits and Rotties and especially Shepherds but they all can turn under the right circumstances. The ban on the Pits was fiercely fought but it went ahead and it has cut down on attacks. I also wonder what is next. I know I had to put my AH down even though she was a great friend to me. I would prefer mandatory muzzles.

okay-gotwood4sale-that was funny!!

Great article in Sports Illustrated about Vicks dogs and Pitbulls in general.

Yes, the topic eroded, but what else is new in the world of internet Forums.

As a follow up, yesterday we had to put to rest our 13 year old Golden Retriever Jake. He was dealing with some kidney issues, and strange that after Lucy, our Pug passed from the seizures at age 3 a couple weeks ago, he took a turn for the worse and his other organs started shutting down.

Lucy used to bark at Jake whenever he made any strange noises, kind of like a concerned call to him. We feel Lucy kept Jake going. He just lost his zest after she was gone.

I guess when you add in the Goldfish first who lasted over 4 years, all 3 pets passed in a very short time and it has been difficult on the younger kids as well as us.

Others posting about their disdain for certain breeds. Simple advice. Don't get one!

Michael Vick and his posse of thugs need no mentioning. The Company you keep!!

Maybe you need to read the events leading up to it. As I said, the thread lost its purpose. There is another thread where you can post about Vick if you choose. Go lookin for it!

Better yet, knock yourself out.

http://hsbaseballweb.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6616002781/...501017642#9501017642

Oh! I'm so sorry to hear about your Jake!!

**hugs to you and your family**

"Michael Vick and his posse of thugs need no mentioning. The Company you keep"

OS-Sports Illustrated don't talk about Vick in the article, they talk about his dogs and how well they are doing. Very good article to read if you love any animals

My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who has lost a family pet. We lost our male beagle Bugsy over a year ago and it still hurts. Anyone who's ever hunted with beagles will understand the special bond an owner shares with his dog. Aside from being a great family pet this dog was the most courageous, loyal, smart, friendly being I or my family has ever come across. He was a week apart in age from my oldest son and filled our lives with almost 15 of the best years he could give.The unconditional love that pours out from these pets is something I wish sometimes myself and others could learn a lot more from. I tried to prepare my boys as well as myself and my wife for the inevitable day that he would pass, but all that preparation seemed in vain.Even as he lay in arms as he passed he had this look about him as if to say don't grieve for me but celebrate my life and our time together! I could go on for days about this best friend of mine , but even as I type this it's hard to fight back the tears. We miss him terribly, our other beagle a female who'll turn 10 this year misses him too! Thanks for starting this thread whomever did, it helps to talk about it.

We have 4 dogs ----3 that live at home and one that works for us guarding our business at night.
Gunther is an American Bulldog--extremely bright and sensitive.He loves to swim in our pool, but when not allowed he will go get the garden hose and sits by his baby pool with it in his mouth until someone turns the faucet on for him and then he places it in the pool until he feels it is full enough...which then he precedes to bring it to the back door as a hint for us to shut it off. One day my mother-in-law had the back door open and he brought it all the way into the kitchen, laid it down with all the water pouring all over the place. as if to say"PAY ATTENTION HUMANS" shut it off!
We also have a Schnocker(part schnauzer part cocker) who is 18 years old. She is the Queen of the pack...
even at her age she rules the roost. Then there is Micky (named after Mantle) of course. She was picked up at a local shelter by a very homesick college kid....then when Spring came and baseball travel started she came home to us...never to return..That brings us to Shiloh Joliee Pit"bull" named after the Bradjoleena Hollywood couple's daughter..she keeps our business from being robbed at night---and does a very good job of it.She is as sweet as pie but sounds mean from the other side of the door! They are all very special to us and are a very important part of our family

While I mourn the loss of my golden, I brought home today the coolest little fellow who is sleeping at my feet. He is a year old miniature australian shepherd. He is so beautiful and sweet. I think he will make a great new addition to my family

quote:

As a follow up, yesterday we had to put to rest our 13 year old Golden Retriever Jake

I'm so sorry to hear you have lost both of your dogs in such a short time. After your first post I wondered how your golden would do without his buddy. Losing one is hard enough, but two...Our first golden retriever was a female named Brandy. She was our first "child" but happily accepted each of our sons when they were born. She was a wonderful, loving dog and was even great with the two guinea pigs when they became members of our family! She was 15 years old when we had to make that awful decision. I tear up even now when I recall that final drive to the vet. Although we thought we would wait awhile before getting another, we soon realized how much we missed not having that happy face to greet us. So a couple of months later we brought home an 8-week old golden retriever puppy and we named him Travis (after Travis Fryman, who was the Indians 3rd baseman at the time). He and ours boys have grown up together and share a special relationship. But even though you know that inevitable day will come, you would not give up all those wonderful memories and unconditional love. I have to say I'm guilty of not always greeting my husband the way Travis does!

I have always had a dog. My aunt always said that any dog that lived with me was certainly lucky. When my husband & I got married & moved in together, we each had male dogs - an English Setter (mine - spoiled rotten that slept in the bed) and he had a 100 lb. black lab. That was a real adventure keeping the peace. They finally learned to co-exist. They both died within a couple of months of each other which was really hard. We now have a heinz 57 named Abby that we all adore. She is all black with a bassett build but hair like a golden. We got her when she was 4 months old and had spent her life in a cage at the humane society. I swear she is part human because she understands what you say. She has been through some hard times. I ran over her one morning as she slept under my car - she had never done that before and needless to say she hasn't done it since. She had hip surgery which was a genetic thing from being part Bassett. Now she gets these big fatty cysts that have to be surgically removed. She spent the last Super Bowl with us at a party after she had surgery and her whole midsection was covered in ace bandages of different colors basking in all the attention she got from everyone. She had little "love notes" written on her from the vets and techs from the vet. It was so cute & she was such a trooper. We all adore her & dread the day she is no longer here. I held my last dog as he was put down & don't think I can do that again.....

One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was leave three pets (a dog and two cats) when my job moved me overseas. Our 'sponsor' abroad told us that pets weren't allowed where we were going. We had ten days to find homes for these pets - the dog for about 4 years, one cat "Newman" for six years, and "Sophie", a cat we'd had for 12 years. All had been saved from shelters, which is how we always get our pets. We were not able to find homes for any of them, so here we were - animals lovers to the core, who always take animals from the shelter - taking our pets to the Pittsburg Animal Shelter on the day before we were to fly. It's the hardest I'd ever cried in my life and I don't think I've ever been the same. Having to do this just killed a part of my heart.......mainly because I know it was absolutely devastating to my kids. 13 years later, the kids will sometimes still ask what we think happened to Cajun, Newman, and Sophie.

This photo is of my middle son who absolutely adored Cajun (or "cay-jo" as he called him). Taken just a few days before we had to take him to the shelter.

And when we arrived in Korea and saw that many, many families had brought their pets with them abroad, and that pets were allowed.......it was crushing, and it's a good thing our 'sponsor' was in D.C. and not here.....she would have been 'put down'!

well we only have 3. golden retriever, german shephard and a poodle. the poodle is the first dog i have ever had under 50 pounds. he thinks he is a 90 pound rotweiller. with the shephard i compete shutzhund. i have always and always will have a dog or two

We have had dogs and all sorts of pets in our family from my early youth days

When I met my wife 12 or so years ago I had a retired seeing eye dog, a 150 lb Black lab and she had a Westhighland terrier. They were the funniest thing to see when we walked them---the big guy protected the Little Lady like I have never seen before---after she did her business he would squeeze out whatever he could to cover her scent and they each left food in their bowls for each other

Both have passed and now we have a 4 year old Westhighland terrier that is my partner---we got her 2 days after the last one passed--this little girl took to my dad in last days when we visited---walking with him around the house like a guide dog --and he with his late stage alzheimers knew she was there

Now this little Lady of years old watches after me since I am home and disabled---I cannot go anywhere in the house without her trailing me and watchinmg me closely
---she even sense when I am having a mini stroke and stays with me thru it

Dogs are our best friends


FOOTNOTE: baseball connection--my Lab I knew as a pup because the people training it for the first year where in our town LL and I saw the pup every week at the field

TRhit,
Isnt it amazing how they sense when somethng is wrong with us. I have a 6 year old german shepherd who is no w the baby since our son moved out. But she has watched over me since my parents died and for a long time slept in my bed.
THrit, I hope you dont have many mini strokes and Ihope you are ok.

Well, I no longer have two dogs as I shared about earlier. Our Magic died today. I am so very grateful that it was a gradual and peaceful process where he wasn't in pain nor any distress. I feel blessed to have had this dog in my life. Now his buddy Pepper appears a bit loss. She is wondering around the house tonight looking at me as if searching for some explanation.

It is odd how different the house feels without the presence of one of your pets. Magic will be missed by us all.

Lafmom, I'm sorry for your loss of Magic.
It's never easy losing a pet.
Here's a video of the snowdog, It makes me laugh.
I hope it cheers you up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sUL0KCIc48

EH

lafmom,

I'm so sorry for your loss of Magic! I know there are a lot of human tragedies these days too, but your post made me cry. I'm thinking of you and your family...

Julie

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We're sorry to hear of your loss lafmom...pets are very much loved...and missed.

Cherish your memories of Magic...and give a hug to Pepper.

Lafmom, So sorry to hear about Magic. Dogs are so loyal and accepting and fill our house with energy and love. They are true family members and I know you will remember him fondly forever.

fan

Thanx for your thoughts

I cannot do anything about them and I take care regarding them-- don't drive--make sure I am not alone or at least close enough to get assitance--after all the years I know the signs ahead of time---you may see signs in my postings when letters are juxtaposed at times--that is an initial sign to--Once again thanx

quote:

Originally posted by lafmom:

It is odd how different the house feels without the presence of one of your pets. Magic will be missed by us all.

Sorry lafmom.

Lucy playin in the snow.
(June 2005 to December 20, 2008)

What a Pup

We have two, Koal, an outdoor black lab and an indoor "legal" (lab-beagle combination-souns better than "blagel") named Bailey, a/k/a Bailey the Wonder Dog. (It's a wonder he knows he's a dog)

My wife would boot me way before Bailey. He has the run of the house, takes over my pillow after I get up in the morning. Spoiled rotten. Both greatly loved.

Hokieone,
We have a 1 year old beagle-lab mix as you do only we call him a "begador". His name is Buck.

After 17 yr. old collie-lab mix "Malachi" passed away 3 years ago and our 16 1/2 lab-boxer mix "Bo" passed away a little over a year ago just before Thanksgiving, I said I wouldn't get another dog. After a while, I found myself going to pet stores to look at the shelter dogs and than last Febuary this sad eyed puppy looked up at me. This time we have house rules, no dog on the chairs or sofa, dog stays in the garage and so on. So right now Buck and my wife are asleep on the sofa. that rule lasted about an hour.
Dogs are always so happy to see you, even if your just comming back in from getting the paper.

Hey 'TheEH' - great video! Can you send some of that snow our way? We're just getting ice and rain right now and my Corgi Bear would love some of that! Of course what you have he'd get totally lost in.

And oldslugger8 - great pic of your pug - she's adorable. Wish I could put a pic of Bear on here but I'm not that computer literate!

I'm really enjoying this thread - pets are so great!

EH - Thanks for that video! That is amazing!!!!

We have 2 dogs. A 10 year old Boxer (Max). A 2 year old Lab mix (Sasha). The Boxer has grown up with my son and gave him his first scar when he was 4. They were running wild in a big field and began to circle each other and they met head first at one point and busted my son's lip wide open. Max is still healthy and a real family member.