packleader
Member
- Location
- Southern California
When I pet my pups, they press their heads into my hand. I love it. When I sit down with them, then a dog blanket covers me. But every pup shows its affection in a different way.
My big boy Ross rarely gives me more than one or two licks, but he always wants to be close to me. Actually, he is my rug. When I go outside and come back in, then he is standing behind the door. He always has to know where I am. Ross growls at strangers when they come too close to me. He is my shadow and alter ego. From time to time he barks at the window without any reason, just to convince me that he watches out for me.
My girl (Heidi #2) is an eternal licker. I am surprised that she hasn't succeeded yet in licking off my skin. At night she wakes me up licking anything not covered by the blanket. When my wife gives me kitchen left-over for the pups, I divide them equally. But if she has only one treat, then the girl gets it because I avoid rivalry and jealousy between the boys. The girl being the smallest is by now convinced that she, getting the most treats, has a special status within the pack.
My smaller and more recent boy tries to convince me that he loves me more than my big guy. No way, Ross will always be my number one. Otto always encroached upon the dog bed of the big guy, and time after time I had to discipline him. It took a year before Otto finally accepted his fate of being number two in the pack. Actually, Ross is very gentle and lets me, the pack leader, settle disputes.
My dogs are fairly quiet, but Otto warns me of anything out of routine. After one year, he still barks at my wife when she come home and opens the door. And after a year, he finally copied Ross in mounting Heidi; and now he does it almost daily, even on our walks. No, no! When we walk, then we walk. On the other hand, he sometimes gets into a licking frenzy and almost suffocates me.
When a new adult dog eventually rolls on his back and exposes its belly to you, then it means he has accepted you as the pack leader. In dog terms, he now swears unconditional loyalty to you. Bitches don't seem to do this.
Dogs learn from each other. I used to have two girls and one boy. Eventually, the boy started squatting like a girl when peeing. Now I have two boys and one girl. Guess what. Now the girl has started lifting her hind leg at telephone poles like a boy.
Years ago, we used to have a Great Dane and a German Shepherd. One day I heard a racket in the garden. They both held a coyote on opposite ends. I ran back to get a camera, but by the time I returned, they had the coyote let go never to be seen again.
Years ago, we had a Doberman Pinscher "Betsy." When we drove in a car, her being in the back seat, then she always laid her head on my shoulder. How sweet. When we went hiking, Betsy was the leader and my Boxer Heidi #1 behind me. Then suddenly Heidi behind me was gone. Doberman Betsy understood exactly what had happened and started leading me back from where we had come. Suddenly she turned left into some bushes, and on and on. Finally I saw Boxer Heidi in the distance. What a relief. On my own, I never would have found Boxer Heidi.
Another time I adjusted Doberman Betsy's collar when she slipped away and started chasing a coyote I had not noticed (Doberman Betsy 75 pounds and a coyote about 40 pounds.) I run after her and searched for hours. In a distance I saw crows circling and feared the worst, but nada. In tears I finally went back to my car, and there she was sitting in front of the car seemingly asking me, "Where have you been all the time?"
And one time I hiked with Doberman Betsy and Boxer Heidi #1 a nearby mountain. Suddenly they saw a deer and gave chase. Hopeless. I searched every trail to no avail. Just before dusk, I went up the mountain trail one more time, and halfway up they came down, totally exhausted and thirsty.
Oh yes, one time Boxer Heidi #1 disappeared on a hike in the coyote country. I called my wife and kids, and we all searched all over without success. When it got dark and we went back to the cars, Heidi was lying under my daughter's car (my daughter had owned her previously.)
On a mountain hike, my daughter's Pit Bull attacked a rattle snake. At the animal hospital I got upset when they didn't do anything but let the head of the Pit Bull swell larger and larger. Eventually, I had to pay $1,800 that included two anti-venom injections, each $700, but my daughter's Pit Bull survived. OK, they knew what they were doing.
One time I came home with my dogs not knowing that my daughter had brought over her Pit Bull “Bella.”. I barely had opened the car door when the Pit Bull attacked my Doberman Betsy, both being about the same weight, but the Pit Bull being much more aggressive. What I never understood was that Heidi, being the buddy-buddy of Betsy, joined Pit Bull Bella in trying the kill Betsy. I still don’t know how I was able to separate them. Betsy needed several surgeries.
On the other hand, Pit Bull Bella was the only dog I know who had human sympathy. When we hiked and I fell, then Balla spun around and licked and licked me till I got up again. I suppose Pit Bulls either lick you to death or kill you to death.
Our children grew up with Doberman Ginger. When my wife called them and they didn't listen, then Ginger pulled the kids by their panties to my waiting wife.
Well, above are just some excerpts of what life is with dogs. The kids grew up with dogs, now they have their own dogs, and even the grandchildren have their own dogs by now.
PS, My Boxers on the first picture, left to right: Ross from the Los Angeles Boxer Rescue in Sept. 2017, 7 yo 95 lbs; Heidi from the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter in Nov. 2021, 3 yo 65 lbs., and Otto from the Riverside Animal Shelter in June 2022, 5 yo 85 lbs. Being 87 years old they are, aside from my family, my 24/7 companions and protection. Every morning and every evening I am walking with them for one hour. When we are walking abreast, people get out of our way.
Heidi had been mistreated as a stray. I had her now for 1 1/2 years, but she is still afraid of people and especially of children although she is slowly losing her paranoia. Ross likes to jump up on people and washes their faces, but not everyone appreciates it. Otto is my watchdog always barking whenever there is a reason to bark.
PPS, I just noticed on the bottom center picture that each Boxer is looking in a different direction. Isn't that a natural instinct and shared work to cover all sides from possible danger?
also posted at For The Love Of Dogs
My big boy Ross rarely gives me more than one or two licks, but he always wants to be close to me. Actually, he is my rug. When I go outside and come back in, then he is standing behind the door. He always has to know where I am. Ross growls at strangers when they come too close to me. He is my shadow and alter ego. From time to time he barks at the window without any reason, just to convince me that he watches out for me.
My girl (Heidi #2) is an eternal licker. I am surprised that she hasn't succeeded yet in licking off my skin. At night she wakes me up licking anything not covered by the blanket. When my wife gives me kitchen left-over for the pups, I divide them equally. But if she has only one treat, then the girl gets it because I avoid rivalry and jealousy between the boys. The girl being the smallest is by now convinced that she, getting the most treats, has a special status within the pack.
My smaller and more recent boy tries to convince me that he loves me more than my big guy. No way, Ross will always be my number one. Otto always encroached upon the dog bed of the big guy, and time after time I had to discipline him. It took a year before Otto finally accepted his fate of being number two in the pack. Actually, Ross is very gentle and lets me, the pack leader, settle disputes.
My dogs are fairly quiet, but Otto warns me of anything out of routine. After one year, he still barks at my wife when she come home and opens the door. And after a year, he finally copied Ross in mounting Heidi; and now he does it almost daily, even on our walks. No, no! When we walk, then we walk. On the other hand, he sometimes gets into a licking frenzy and almost suffocates me.
When a new adult dog eventually rolls on his back and exposes its belly to you, then it means he has accepted you as the pack leader. In dog terms, he now swears unconditional loyalty to you. Bitches don't seem to do this.
Dogs learn from each other. I used to have two girls and one boy. Eventually, the boy started squatting like a girl when peeing. Now I have two boys and one girl. Guess what. Now the girl has started lifting her hind leg at telephone poles like a boy.
Years ago, we used to have a Great Dane and a German Shepherd. One day I heard a racket in the garden. They both held a coyote on opposite ends. I ran back to get a camera, but by the time I returned, they had the coyote let go never to be seen again.
Years ago, we had a Doberman Pinscher "Betsy." When we drove in a car, her being in the back seat, then she always laid her head on my shoulder. How sweet. When we went hiking, Betsy was the leader and my Boxer Heidi #1 behind me. Then suddenly Heidi behind me was gone. Doberman Betsy understood exactly what had happened and started leading me back from where we had come. Suddenly she turned left into some bushes, and on and on. Finally I saw Boxer Heidi in the distance. What a relief. On my own, I never would have found Boxer Heidi.
Another time I adjusted Doberman Betsy's collar when she slipped away and started chasing a coyote I had not noticed (Doberman Betsy 75 pounds and a coyote about 40 pounds.) I run after her and searched for hours. In a distance I saw crows circling and feared the worst, but nada. In tears I finally went back to my car, and there she was sitting in front of the car seemingly asking me, "Where have you been all the time?"
And one time I hiked with Doberman Betsy and Boxer Heidi #1 a nearby mountain. Suddenly they saw a deer and gave chase. Hopeless. I searched every trail to no avail. Just before dusk, I went up the mountain trail one more time, and halfway up they came down, totally exhausted and thirsty.
Oh yes, one time Boxer Heidi #1 disappeared on a hike in the coyote country. I called my wife and kids, and we all searched all over without success. When it got dark and we went back to the cars, Heidi was lying under my daughter's car (my daughter had owned her previously.)
On a mountain hike, my daughter's Pit Bull attacked a rattle snake. At the animal hospital I got upset when they didn't do anything but let the head of the Pit Bull swell larger and larger. Eventually, I had to pay $1,800 that included two anti-venom injections, each $700, but my daughter's Pit Bull survived. OK, they knew what they were doing.
One time I came home with my dogs not knowing that my daughter had brought over her Pit Bull “Bella.”. I barely had opened the car door when the Pit Bull attacked my Doberman Betsy, both being about the same weight, but the Pit Bull being much more aggressive. What I never understood was that Heidi, being the buddy-buddy of Betsy, joined Pit Bull Bella in trying the kill Betsy. I still don’t know how I was able to separate them. Betsy needed several surgeries.
On the other hand, Pit Bull Bella was the only dog I know who had human sympathy. When we hiked and I fell, then Balla spun around and licked and licked me till I got up again. I suppose Pit Bulls either lick you to death or kill you to death.
Our children grew up with Doberman Ginger. When my wife called them and they didn't listen, then Ginger pulled the kids by their panties to my waiting wife.
Well, above are just some excerpts of what life is with dogs. The kids grew up with dogs, now they have their own dogs, and even the grandchildren have their own dogs by now.
PS, My Boxers on the first picture, left to right: Ross from the Los Angeles Boxer Rescue in Sept. 2017, 7 yo 95 lbs; Heidi from the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter in Nov. 2021, 3 yo 65 lbs., and Otto from the Riverside Animal Shelter in June 2022, 5 yo 85 lbs. Being 87 years old they are, aside from my family, my 24/7 companions and protection. Every morning and every evening I am walking with them for one hour. When we are walking abreast, people get out of our way.
Heidi had been mistreated as a stray. I had her now for 1 1/2 years, but she is still afraid of people and especially of children although she is slowly losing her paranoia. Ross likes to jump up on people and washes their faces, but not everyone appreciates it. Otto is my watchdog always barking whenever there is a reason to bark.
PPS, I just noticed on the bottom center picture that each Boxer is looking in a different direction. Isn't that a natural instinct and shared work to cover all sides from possible danger?
also posted at For The Love Of Dogs
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