Forumites and their Dogs

[Malto Marko]

So, (you with me wee Marko?) I have a wonderful observation.

I have two dogs. Both are rescued from a shelter. Michigan Humane Society to be exact.

Lola, the SR. lady of the house, was welcomed as a result of Tailgunner continuing to request a dog but Dad was still hurting over having to put down the previous shelter rescue that lived with us for 17 years. She no longer had total control of her bowels and was very ashamed for not going outside when duty calls. The reason was there are two steps to the door and two steps outside, and she really could not negotiate the steps any longer and Dad would carry her out when she was home. She was in constant pain and her tail would wag infrequently, only when laying down and Dad givin her some lovin.

It really bothered me to play God and take her life but, she was not happy and in constant pain due to hip displasia.

Enter Lola. I finally caved to Tailgunner with the understanding it was his dog and his responsibility to take care of (and guess who ended up taking care of her). We toured the shelter to look for a candidate. Dad was not really keen on any of the candidates because a mandate of "No pit Bulls" was laid down my Mrs. Malto. This of course was part of the criteria but Dad was looking for a smart, young, trainable dog that could be happy in most any situation. After the first run through, Tailgunner had his eye on a 2 year old Malmute/Shepard mix but spent some time looking at a blue and brown eyed mixed hound. I told him we need to go home and sleep on it then visit again tomorrow. We did.

We talked about the differences between the dogs and it was decided that we would go back and see the blue eyed hound mix. We asked to have contact with the dog to see her personality. In the room she was very happy to be with humans, was so happy, she peed on my shoes while I was greeting her, and, Tailgunner greeted her first. We finished the greet period and Tailgunner asked, "What do you think?" My response was, that dog (she was 6 months old, and had short hair on the front but, still a long coat on her back end and this was July). My response was, this dog has been neglected or abused she seems to be friendly, and I can help you train her. I believe she is trainable. Lola comes home with us.

It turns out, Lola has separation anxiety which was not a surprise given her story to get to the shelter we are taking her home to. It took Lola a little over a year to realize she was not going to be handed off to somewhere else, she was home. When Lola decieded to sleep in her bed for the major amount of time in the day (except when Dad came home because she was goin for a walk....after 6 years in our house) I decided she needed a buddy to keep her active, but, this one was going to be Dad's dog.

Dad wanted a puppy to train from the get go because, Lola was still standoffish to human training or affection. Make no mistake, she knew what was not acceptable but, she was a loner and sought nothing in terms of play or affection.

I could write another 3 paragraphs on the experience in getting Rosie (the Pup) but, not necessary right now. Upon filling out the paperwork and tending the check for the pup, I am told. "You might want to check your local laws and insurance coverage regarding pit bulls". My response was why? This is a Hound mix. Yup, mixed with pit bull. I said, doesn't matter, it is not the breed, it is how they are treated if they are a danger.

Rosie grows up and Lola tolerates.

I get to witness daily a ballet of two dogs wrestling with each other but neither wanting to hurt the other.

It is a beautiful thing.

[dpatnod]

Picture, or it didn't happen.

j/k. I know how awesome that is. Even in cats. Before Boo passed, he was alpha to Stormy who is 8 years his junior, and at the point when Boo was old and a bit sickly, Stormy outweighed him by at least 3 times. They would wrestle, and the care Stormy took to not hurt 'the old man' was touching.

[-Deborah-]

Very sweet, Mark. How did the training of the second pup go?

We were at a holiday party Saturday and the dog of the house bit one of the guests right in the face. This is not an isolated incident. The owners had invested a lot of money in training the dog after prior incidents and before their baby arrived two months ago. They thought the dog had been "cured" but last night proved otherwise. I fear for the safety of their baby and hope they find a solution that ensures the dog will not have the opportunity to hurt her.

[dpatnod]

That sucks. I had a dog who was iffy once, too. He was awesome, but totally had to be accounted for at all times when strangers were present.

[Marko69]

So, Malto, (did NOT appreciate that!! ) ..... superb regarding Lola and Rosie. They're going to provide many happy years for you guys.

Deborah....... opinion alert....,,, for the sake of the two month old child, I hope the dog is re-homed with an owner/trainer who understands exactly what the dog needs.

Dpat, that is very interesting indeed. We had the complete opposite when our oldest cat, Micio became old and frail. 18 when she eventually passed. At the time of her death, there were three other cats in the house, Jess (female) Millie (female) and my best buddy, Gilmore (male) (RIP Gilly boy)
Jess and Millie would attack Micio at every opportunity. Had to separate them for the last six months of Micio's life. We were told that the two female cats sensed weakness and wanted her gone!
Jess was a pain in the ass and is now one of the wifes friends cat. Gilly boy was hit by a car and we only have Millie now. She's 10 and you can hear that bstd snoring when she's upstairs!

[Panoptes]

dPat,

A lttle behind all over the board. Sorry about the loss of your beloved pet Boo.

[Malto Marko]

Deb, to answer your question.

Rosies training was very easy. They said when we got her she was 8 weeks old but after a few follow ups with the vet, it appears she was closer to 6 weeks. She was so tiny I could hold her in my cupped hands. The first week she was home, she just laid, shivering, in the corner of her training cage and I could not tolerate that so I would sleep on the couch with her on my chest to try to comfort her. This created a bond that will never be replaced.

Rosie has taught Lola how to accept affection from their human roommates and Lola is now at the point where she is almost a regular dog (we have had her for 8 years now). She will ask for affection and when Rosie brings a toy to play with Dad, Lola will jump up and ask to get into the fun. Lola was instrumental in teaching Rosie that when the humans are gone, that does not mean she can go on a chewing spree to satisfy her attention.

Before Rosie was house trained, I crated her and she absolutely hated it. She would tear up the paper we put down to line the cage and defecate in the cage even though we were very careful not to leave her for prolonged periods. Our rule was while she was under 6 months, she was never left alone for more than 2 hours.

It became a pain to clean her cage after every time she was left alone so if Mrs. Malto had errands to run, I would take Rosie to work with me. She was good at work but clearly, she did not like being there so, I started leaving her at home and by this time she knew what "go outside" meant. I would talk to her and accompany her outside to make sure she did her business and praise her when she did so. A couple of pieces of furniture took a bit of a hit from her anxiety from no one being home but when I showed both of the dogs the damage done and let them know this was a NO!, Lola took over and would stop her when she started to get into mischief.

They way these two have taken to each other as sisters is very heartwarming and rewarding. They put a smile on my face every single day.

[Malto Marko]

.......about your friends dog. It seems that doggie is protective of his/her space and if someone encroaches, even if it is to give lovin, she reacts.

I would be very leery about leaving this dog around a child as when the child grows a bit, they are going to prod and pull on the dog and this might not work out well. They need to find another home for this dog.

[Malto Marko]

Another tidbit about Rosie and Lola.

They have started engaging in a game that I have dubbed "Cookie Wars".

Before I leave the house in the morning, each dog is given a "Cookie". It is really a dog biscuit but hey, what do they know.

Neither dog will immediately eat the cookie as they are aware this is a signal I am leaving. They both wait until I get home before they will consume their cookie. However, they spend the day trying to steal the others cookie.

Neither one of them will directly confront the other. What they do is wait until the other leaves their cookie unattended then steal it and stash it where they keep their own. They have even taken it to the level where one will rush to the window barking as if there is a stranger at the door and when the other is consumed with looking for the danger, steal the cookie to stash. It is understood by both that if they are laying next to their cookies that it belongs to them and can not be hijacked.

I sometimes get to witness this comedy for about half an hour after I get home until one or the other decides it is time to eat their cookie then, that marks the end of the game. I also make sure that they both get theirs and the winner of the war does not get the spoils while the other goes without.

[dpatnod]

Dpat, that is very interesting indeed. We had the complete opposite when our oldest cat, Micio became old and frail. 18 when she eventually passed. At the time of her death, there were three other cats in the house, Jess (female) Millie (female) and my best buddy, Gilmore (male) (RIP Gilly boy)
Jess and Millie would attack Micio at every opportunity. Had to separate them for the last six months of Micio's life. We were told that the two female cats sensed weakness and wanted her gone!
Jess was a pain in the ass and is now one of the wifes friends cat. Gilly boy was hit by a car and we only have Millie now. She's 10 and you can hear that bstd snoring when she's upstairs!

Maybe being both male cates makes a difference?

[-Deborah-]

Another tidbit about Rosie and Lola.

They have started engaging in a game that I have dubbed "Cookie Wars".

Before I leave the house in the morning, each dog is given a "Cookie". It is really a dog biscuit but hey, what do they know.

Neither dog will immediately eat the cookie as they are aware this is a signal I am leaving. They both wait until I get home before they will consume their cookie. However, they spend the day trying to steal the others cookie.

Neither one of them will directly confront the other. What they do is wait until the other leaves their cookie unattended then steal it and stash it where they keep their own. They have even taken it to the level where one will rush to the window barking as if there is a stranger at the door and when the other is consumed with looking for the danger, steal the cookie to stash. It is understood by both that if they are laying next to their cookies that it belongs to them and can not be hijacked.

I sometimes get to witness this comedy for about half an hour after I get home until one or the other decides it is time to eat their cookie then, that marks the end of the game. I also make sure that they both get theirs and the winner of the war does not get the spoils while the other goes without.

This is hilarious!! What a cute game.

[-Deborah-]

.......about your friends dog. It seems that doggie is protective of his/her space and if someone encroaches, even if it is to give lovin, she reacts.

I would be very leery about leaving this dog around a child as when the child grows a bit, they are going to prod and pull on the dog and this might not work out well. They need to find another home for this dog.

I so agree but I think they are still in denial about it.

[CGVT]

It has been about 20 years since we have had a dog. We decided that it was well past time to add one to our family.

Meet Boone. He's a 4 month old yellow Lab. The kids are in love already.

[DanO]

[Greg H]

Nice!