It's a Dog's Life

[Badstench]

Pets. Discussions on owning a pet(s) has been talked about in this forum already.

I don't own an animal. My neighbors have two cats. One is a Tom who treats me with total ambivalence, the other is a young female that has decided my apartment is part of its territory and wanders through at whim.

I don't offer them any food or comforting strokes in case they think I accept their presence unreservedly. Fact is, I do have reservations, and I constantly watch in case either of them think it would be a good exercise to sharpen their claws against my leather sofa.

My brother has a dog. It is called Civic. It's about the stupidest animal I've ever come across, and I just recently stayed on a farm with five bovines, three sheep and a goat. These domesticated creatures made Civic look like an idiot.

I'm a firm believer in training for dogs; 1) so they won't bite, and 2) so they will come when called. It's all good and well being able to command a dog by voice, but this animal has translated "Sit", "Stay" and "Get the Hell off Me" to mean, "Let's play!"

My brother lives on the beach front in Napier, a small city in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. The beach is a 'dog-leash' free area, meaning the animal can run where-ever it likes. I deceided to take it for a walk/ run while staying at their house, and let it off the leash.

Bad mistake!

The dog looked at me, realised it was no longer attached, and promptly ran away. I excused the dog for not coming back because it didn't know my voice when I called it. I spent 2 hours tracking the damned thing down, and now it's tethered on the front lawn while I sit on the back porch (in the sun with a glass of wine) waiting for my brother to get home from work.

The reason I'm relating this story is twofold.

1) I have decided I don't like dogs.

and 2) I have become an advocate for dog-training to anyone who would aspire to own a dog.

I now have an appreciation for people who have trained their dogs to "Sit", "Stay" and "Get the Hell off Me". But it ain't this dog.

Also, there has been a general call to ban dogs in New Zealand that are agressive by nature, and in particular, American Pit Bull Terriers. Attacks on humans have been increasing of late (or have been reported in the news more often).

Civic is not a Pit Bull, but his actions can scare the bejabbers out of people. He doesn't differentiate threatening behaviour with running full tilt at someone with the idea of playing, which can be very worrying for the person involved.

So? How does this relate to Sryth, you might ask? To which I can only shrug.

"It's a Dog's Life."

[Lightwielder]

I actually have a natural fear of dogs. Even dogs I know are friendly can still take some getting used to. If any dog jumps out at me suddenly, I instantly get defensive. Fortunately, I also know how to scare stray dogs off. No matter how excited(or aggressive) they are, if I present myself as hostile and threatening(and bigger than they are), they will want to avoid me. I have never had to actually harm a dog, but fear and adrenaline well up within me when I am confronted with a dog of whose intentions are unclear, so I naturally get defensive when approached by strays. I heard that they can smell fear, so I turn it into aggression to scare them off.

Dogs...I don't know why. I have no reason to be afraid of them more than any other animal, but I am.

[Doolipalally]

I'm the same, Lightwielder, though over the years I've got better at dealing with it. My mother's not keen on dogs, so I probably picked it up from her when I was small. I also did get knocked over by an Alsatian when I was six, though I think it just wanted to play.

I spent my gap year abroad in a slightly burglar-paranoid area and did some house-sitting for some people who owned a manic Staffordshire terrier. Their house was set on a hillside above road level, and the driveway was quite steep. Every evening when I got back from work I'd stand outside the gate bracing myself, because I knew that as soon as I started to open it I'd hear the patter of paws and rapid panting, and a wiry black shape, propelled by insanity and gravity, would come hurtling down the drive and start leaping at me, barking furiously. I had to cope, so I did. This consisted of grabbing its collar and hauling it back up the drive, all the while swearing and muttering "you stupid animal, if you rip my throat out who the hell do you think is going to feed you?"

I did have a better experience later that year, which evened the score a bit for the canines. I lived in a 'granny flat' attached to the house of some very nice people who had an old, rather lethargic dog (and a yapping chihuahua, but I prefer to forget that one). The non-yapper was a large amiable cross-breed who felt that exertion was over-rated and spent most of his time lying around the garden watching the world through one half-open eye. He did like company, though, so if I was lounging about he'd come and lounge near me. I found him restful: he didn't seem to expect anything from me, he never made loud noises, and jumping up at people was clearly something he considered a waste of energy. His name was Spikes. Dunno why.

Then one night I was coming back from town very late. This involved walking past the neighbour's un-gated driveway, which was best done on the other side of the road, as their two small yappy dogs obviously considered anyone moving around after dark to be a threat and would come racing out onto the pavement and growl menacingly. It was never my favourite part of the evening, but on this occasion I was puzzled, as I came down the road, to see them run out onto the pavement ready to do their stuff at me, then look round sharply and race back inside their garden, where they started barking at the fence that separated their house from the one where I was living. When I got inside our garden, I saw Spikes mooching up and down the fence, being barked at and occasionally uttering a half-hearted 'wuff' in return. As soon as I'd closed the gate he looked round, came over to me, and proceeded to escort me indoors, casting what I'll swear was a contemptuous look at the yappers next door. From then on he did this every time I came back late. I kind of got the point about dogs after that.

I still own a dog zapper (http://www.amazon.co.uk/PestBye-Advanced-Portable-Sonic-Repeller/dp/B001VMF2H2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1307515534&sr=8-3), though.

[Oldschool]

Nice story Dooli and more "separated by a common" language it seems.

Had to look up Alsatian. Seems there are two versions - one is a breed bred to resemble a Dire Wolf (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Alsatian) which would "translate" the same I'm guessing. The other is what we in the US call a German Shepherd (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Shepherd_Dog#Name). Seems they changed the name in the UK because of possible anti German sentiment after WW I. I'm guessing you're referring to the latter. After I looked it up I seem to recall "hearing" that before - I think. :rolleyes:

[Doolipalally]

Yes, sorry - German Shepherd, and you're right about why the name was changed.

Of course given I was only six you could replace the name with "big scary thing with teeth" and you'd get the point. :)

[Tetracapillactomist]

Been bitten, slightly mauled, scratched, clawed, tripped while running, chased while pedalling, jumped and tipped over ever since a six-year old, maybe earlier, ... in the legs, arms, shoulder, 'twixt neck and shoulder, hand (several times - the hand seems a good natural defence tool for me, and it can also grab a dog's lower jaw with the thumb pressing down under the dog's tongue, which instantly stops it dead in its tracks and opens wide - trick is to get the dog into a safe place and then removing your hand without losing your thumb... :) still have both my thumbs intact; thank you :)).

Been also pulled down from a bicycle while taking a close friend's Giant Schnauzer for a run - inadvertently, mind you. :D It wasn't altogether pleasant, as we both ended up splat-flat on the ground, practically nose-to-nose, both of us rather obviously surprised by the experience, and then apparently both becoming aware of the comical effect, because as I started to laugh, I could swear the dog was grinning!... :D

No, not afraid of dogs - although I don't go petting pit bulls indiscriminately, don't rush suddenly towards a Rottweiler, Komondor, Doberman, Kuvasz, or... yes... maybe we could settle on calling them Bavarian Shepherd dogs?...

In any case, insignificant injuries aside, I get along with the vast majority of them. You do need to be able to read their reactions a bit, and their intent. Aggressive behaviour is more often due to the dog perceiving threatening behaviour in the human - generally: do not fear them, but do not threaten them either.

Clearly, if they already feel threatened by your presence, do not 'corner' them, unless you're ready for their desperate counter-attack (by 'cornered' I mean a situation where there are obstacles behind them, which make nervous dogs doubly so, as they worry about their escape route being barred - you can sometimes tell this worry of theirs, as the dog will nervously and quickly try to glance behind, one way and the other, repeatedly, while also doing its best to keep an eye on you, the perceived threat).

Mostly just ignore them with your indifference made obvious, unless they get too close, at which point facing them sternly and yelling at them brusquely to "get away!" (any short, determined bark-like command will do, if uttered with conviction, as if saying "I don't have time for this foolishness, and I'm not in a good mood for it"), without moving towards or away from them, and standing your ground until they move away (first sign for that happening is a noticeable hesitation in their demeanour, then a slight but quick lowering of the head, then a shifting of the weight onto their back paws, which is either followed by the front paws being shuffled with uncertainty (at which point they look almost embarrassed :)), or actually sitting down and looking casually disinterested (almost like feigning nonchalance, as when men get embarrassed in the presence of others, and pretend not to care, and whatever it was, it did not affect them :)).

If they seem stressed, nervous in your presence, don't look directly at them, in their eyes, unless you want to heighten their tension and alertness to you as a potential threat. If you act calmly and leave them alone, they are too glad and relieved, and will leave you alone as well. Dogs aren't exactly man-eating lions and tigers, by and large. :) Nor even human-hunters (unless so trained by sociopathic humans).

Still, when all else fails... well, you do what you must - Dooli's 'near-ultrasound' zapper (or a dog whistle - same principle) is among the most humane and trouble-free solutions in a pinch.

Well, was just passing by - sorry to intrude with my long-winded ramble. Afraid it might look like some know-it-all boasting - if so, sorry 'bout that as well. Mostly it's due to my attention being split several ways, I think - no time to proofread either, so be kind. ;)
I'll just trot along presently. :)

[thingirl]

Ha! I wish I had head this before I went to Mexico!!!!

OK, so all of us stayed in one house because the owners were on furlough. And they had to leave their dog. It wasn't a mean dog, i was just extremely excited.. ."ohohohohohoohohohoh people people people *excited pant*" and jumped all over any of us who went out on the (flat) roof to take pictures.... It was awesome! Except for the controlling him part....

[Tetracapillactomist]

never mind - see the rep. :)

[thingirl]

HAHAHA!!!!!!!! Stuff like that is what fuels my relationship with spellcheck! For anybody wondering why I was being crazy.... I meant it (the dog) was :)

[Tetracapillactomist]

Heh.. It's not a bad relationship at that, since spellcheck has its own brand of humour... :)

[Oldschool]

http://pics.blameitonthevoices.com/032009/identity_crisis.jpg

[Tetracapillactomist]

Photopup? :)

Didn't ever see that one! Not sure what I prefer: the image, the title... I'll go with the caption. :)