Not real patient with other people's dogs on my property

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, I was thinking that very same thing.

[shankyknitter]

I prefer big dogs over little dogs. I had a little terrier dog almost rip my bottom lip off when I was 7 or 8. I admit I was being stupid and petting it while it was sleeping, but I needed reconstructive surgery to have a functioning bottom lip again. Now you can barely see the scar unless I point it out.

But a friend of mine used to have this mastiff named Osborn. Osborn was the sweetest, doppiest dog ever. He was just one giant slobber puppy. But apparently when he was younger in order to get him like that my friend needed to prove his dominance in...interesting...ways. Like throwing the 90 pound puppy in the bathtub and peeing on him. It worked. But I wouldn't suggest this as a method to prove who's boss.

[blas]

Bear has never shown any sort of pack mentality or ever crossed a line as far as who is the boss.

In fact, she acts more human, like a child. Mostly because my brother and I joke that she is like the youngest child in the family, the way my parents have always spoiled and babied her.

She can be a real brat, even in her old and somewhat meek stages as of late. If she doesn't get what she wants, she pouts and whines. Well, it's more of a loud sigh. It can be frustrating, it can also be entertaining. But she never over-steps the bounds of dog vs owner. More of bratty child vs parent.

Baby the cat, on the other hand...she may as well have been born a rabid wolf. If you even look at her the wrong way, no, I mean just look at her period, she's on you. I know the reason we always hide her away at night is because we're worried she'll kill us all. And my parents didn't buy her a collar with a bell on it because it was cute and for her going outside, it was so we always know where she is so she can't attack. But that little bitch already has learned how to move without making it jingle.

[Andara Bledin]

Baby the cat, on the other hand...she may as well have been born a rabid wolf.

Is your cat actually named Baby?

And what type is she?

My aunt had a Siamese that was a rescue cat that had been named Missy and was a royal pissy bitch of a feline. She got renamed to something a little more respectable and calmed down a lot. Of course, she was also given some proper boundaries, so that may have had a lot to do with it, too.

^-.-^

[Becks]

Corrected for a Sandlot reference.

My aunt had a Siamese that was a rescue cat that had been named Missy and was a royal pissy bitch of a feline. She got renamed to something a little more respectable and calmed down a lot.

Ah, yes. Pet names.

That's why it took me from two days after Thanksgiving until Christmas to name my cats.

[LillFilly]

My mother is scared of dogs off leash. She freaked when we were camping and walking to the comfort station in the dark and someone's dog came trotting out to investigate (the dog didn't look friendly, it was probably scared because it was somewhere new). And when I say freaked: I never knew she was a tenor before.

Had a nosy busy-body lady living in our condo that had it out for a young mother with a golden retriever. The young woman only had to appear 50 feet down the sidewalk with her dog (always on a leash) and the lady would start SCREAMING about how the dog was lunging at her, go into hysterics, and complain about the lady to the condo president (lucky it was my dad, and we knew the young woman ). That dog was a real sweetie and I think the lady's fit scared the dog more!

[Geek King]

That is so true. My dog used to periodically try to renegotiate the terms of the relationship, which would require me to give him a refresher course on who was boss.

This frequently ended with him manhandled onto his back with my hand clamped firmly (but not tightly or painfully) over his throat. Worked like a charm.

I did this with my parent's Chow. I'm not fond of dogs in general, but Bo (Short for Mo Shu Hai Bo Gau. Supposedly translates to Magical Little Black Bear. My sister picked it ) was particularly dumb. I ended up taking care of him a lot because both mom and dad worked quite a bit, and I was just working a bit before going to college.

Since I was home, I got wrangled into trying to train him. I found he was quite responsive to treat-training, and had him sitting and sort-of heeling (he came, but circled your feet instead of just standing there. Oh well.) on command. One day, Bo decided he was going to bare his teeth at me and growl, so I took him down just like Kinkoid describes. I was his best buddy after that. The parents never understood why he always acted better around me when I would visit from college.

[zombiequeen]

(snipped) I'm betting he used to be a police dog because with that attitude he couldn't cut it.
Also, for what it's worth, dogs who chase and kill cats don't necessarily do the same to any small creature such as a human child.

He had been shot over in Germany and was thus retired to stud. I think it drove him crazy being in a 8'x8' kennel and only let out to breed or whenever he got out. He wouldn't chase kids but he would growl at them if they tried to pet him. I had to hold his leash once while the neighbor raked out his kennel, she gave me the hose and I just ran water into his mouth while she raked. He seemed to like biting the water.
I think the reason they got rid of him was because they started breeding chihuahuas. He didn't much like them, because they were small and annoying and looked like cats.

I got swarmed by their chihuahuas once. They weren't trying to annoy me to death, they were definitely biting me. I was all bundled up for winter though so no skin was broken.

[Eisa]

I'm remembering something my dog did before...it was the middle of winter. I was like...7, I think? I was crawling around in the backyard making paths through the snow when I came face-to-face with our German Shepherd. I have no idea why he did this, but he lunged forward and bit my face. So my cheeks and forehead were bleeding--thankfully not a lot. I ended up being fine and he got in a TON of trouble for biting my face. That was scary, though.

[Mouse]

wait, he wasn't put down? if that'd been our dog it would have been shot. the only reason my mom didn't shoot the dog that did bite me across the face was we were on base and that would have gotten mom in trouble. the owners own father ended up doing the dead a few years later after he nipped the owners son.

[Eisa]

wait, he wasn't put down? if that'd been our dog it would have been shot. the only reason my mom didn't shoot the dog that did bite me across the face was we were on base and that would have gotten mom in trouble. the owners own father ended up doing the dead a few years later after he nipped the owners son.

Nope. He scared me more than hurt me...I think my parents figured that it must have been something to do with me crawling at his level or something. I'm glad he wasn't put down, he didn't really ever misbehave...didn't bite people...and he was a puppy at the time.

[Hyndis]

That is so true. My dog used to periodically try to renegotiate the terms of the relationship, which would require me to give him a refresher course on who was boss.

This frequently ended with him manhandled onto his back with my hand clamped firmly (but not tightly or painfully) over his throat. Worked like a charm.

He was willfull and very alpha, so I had to do this about every three months or so until he quit trying to be pack leader. Once he got the message, it was done.

I had to be very careful about what kind of signals I was sending him. Often, I could not indulge him the way I would have liked to, because to do so would have sent him a message that I was being subservient to him, which you cannot do, especially with an alpha personality dog.

Cats are much the same way actually. When I first got one of my cats he kept trying to be the alpha. I had to put him in his place more than a few times, and I didn't hold back. However I only did so when he was challenging me, and so he didn't see me as a threat or enemy, just the dominant.




In other news, a supersoaker filled with ice cold water is highly effective against a cat!

They also learn shockingly fast once such weaponry is employed.

[Mouse]

Nope. He scared me more than hurt me...I think my parents figured that it must have been something to do with me crawling at his level or something. I'm glad he wasn't put down, he didn't really ever misbehave...didn't bite people...and he was a puppy at the time.

Ah, i was thinking he was grown, puppies are a little bit different

[Red_Dazes]

...It's amazing how well some well aimed bird shot in the butt does for big dogs....*cough cough* We used to have a neighbor who let his dogs run loose. They were not the kind of dogs my father felt comfortable being around little 6 year old me... so he warned our neighbor...and the next time the dogs came up to our house he shot them in the butts with bird shot.

...our neighbors were much better about keeping them in the yard after that....

[CatsLairArchives]

However, when I am scared, I don't tend to retreat, I tend to attack.

You aren't at least partly German, by any chance?
Because every German I have ever met (including myself and 2 of my friends) tend to lunge to the attack when scared or intimidated.