hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
I too have some grandfurkids buried in my garden... and with little engraved plaques
Dog tales -- and how do you feel about dogs?
- Thread starter packleader
- Start date
Teacher Terry
Well-known Member
jimintoronto
Well-known Member
I prefer "working dogs " that are trained to perform specific tasks. During the years that I was working in the security industry, I went through a couple of canine training programs so I could have a 4 legged partner with me on patrol at night. These dogs were either GSD or Malinois (The Belgian Shepard ). All business, until you gave them the verbal command......Go Play. Then they knew it was break time, so they could relax and run around for a few minutes to release any built up tension. Then it was " lets go to work " again.
All of those dogs were provided by a canine security company, and they worked with either verbal commands or hand signs. Both breeds were trained to ONLY react to verbal commands in German language. Why ? Most bad guys in North America don't speak German. Each dog also had a specific word command that put them into strict attention. It could be any ordinary word, like Mustard. But if I used that word in the middle of a dark factory area at 4 am, the dog was ready to go . Most people think that security dogs are dangerous. They are not dangerous, they ARE well trained and under control when on patrol.
JimB.
All of those dogs were provided by a canine security company, and they worked with either verbal commands or hand signs. Both breeds were trained to ONLY react to verbal commands in German language. Why ? Most bad guys in North America don't speak German. Each dog also had a specific word command that put them into strict attention. It could be any ordinary word, like Mustard. But if I used that word in the middle of a dark factory area at 4 am, the dog was ready to go . Most people think that security dogs are dangerous. They are not dangerous, they ARE well trained and under control when on patrol.
JimB.
hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
we had 3 security Dogs in the family the Belgian Malinois, the German Shepherd and the Doberman... as you say when not working they are very much like any other dog , ...well maybe the Dobie was a little aloof...well he was..lol... but they were family dogs as much as working dogs...
I grew up with a German shepherd, he was a natural family protector he didn't even need to be trained...
Here are ours...being trained.. with their owner my DD's dog trainer partner and his assistant...
I grew up with a German shepherd, he was a natural family protector he didn't even need to be trained...
Here are ours...being trained.. with their owner my DD's dog trainer partner and his assistant...
hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
.. and standing down...
officerripley
Well-known Member
- Location
- Porlock, Calif
we had 3 security Dogs in the family the Belgian Malinois, the German Shepherd and the Doberman... as you say when not working they are very much like any other dog , ...well maybe the Dobie was a little aloof...well he was..lol... but they were family dogs as much as working dogs...
I grew up with a German shepherd, he was a natural family protector he didn't even need to be trained...
Here are ours...being trained.. with their owner my DD's dog trainer partner and his assistant...
What beautiful, beautiful dogs!.. and standing down...
I agree. A gorgeous Doberman like that always takes my breath away.What beautiful, beautiful dogs!
MarkD
Keeper of the Hounds & Garden
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
I have the same lifelong relationships with dogs, currently on #8 my 2 year old McNab, Ember. The first four were kept singly. But after we inherited Fletcher the Aussie, Iāve always kept two, a master and an apprentice. When Smokey passed too soon earlier this year I didnāt look to get Ember a partner as she wasnāt mature enough to be a master and would more likely be a distraction. Maybe weāll be an only dog household from now on.
I forget who was writing about lick-y dogs but Fletcher gave the best foot bath/massage ever. When he decided he needed to show how he felt about you and your feet were bare, heād clamp a forepaw on a foot and do a thorough, transporting job. That boy was a giver. But if no foot was bare any bare skin would do..
Our newest is something like that though without as much talent or enthusiasm. When she was a young puppy I thought she might think I was her personal salt lick.
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bowmore
Senior Member
We love dogs, but are not able to have one now. There are any number of dogs in our complex, and I always have dog treats with me to say hello to them.
I used to fly for Pilots n' Paws to take dogs to new forever homes.
The first picture is a Belgian Malinois rescued from Tijuana. The second is a Brittany Spaniel at its new forever home.
I used to fly for Pilots n' Paws to take dogs to new forever homes.
The first picture is a Belgian Malinois rescued from Tijuana. The second is a Brittany Spaniel at its new forever home.
officerripley
Well-known Member
- Location
- Porlock, Calif
Our dog was rescued from Mexicali, Mexico.
oldaunt
professional hermit
My old "master" is 15 next month, a Chow and cat protector, going deaf and blind a bit, but sweet and wonderful as ever. The young one is a Boston, Rat terrier mix 3 years old. He likes to annoy the old gal, but she is as patient as she can be, until she isn't, then snaps at him. At least he has the sense to back off then. He is also a foot licker if its bare.
hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
this was Minky... the staffordshire Bull terrier..she was exactly the same about licking legs..oooh she drove us mad with it....but despite her very serious look, she was a sweetheart... and preferred the company of humans any day over dogs..
We love dogs. We had two mini dachshunds. They were funny, tricky, and very affectionate. Both were very good hunters. We had them since they were pups. They both died of old age. We were devastated when it happened.
We decided to no longer have animals, as we age until we could not say "no" to Elsa. A small little black kitten (My present avatar!) Then we could not say "no" to Elliot. A small little cat! They are both rescues. We are very attached to them. They are very good cats. We are limited to two animals in our community. We get to pet and enjoy our neighbors' dogs now. Our community is very dog friendly. Quite a few people enjoy volunteering at the local animal shelter and/or foster dogs and cats.
We decided to no longer have animals, as we age until we could not say "no" to Elsa. A small little black kitten (My present avatar!) Then we could not say "no" to Elliot. A small little cat! They are both rescues. We are very attached to them. They are very good cats. We are limited to two animals in our community. We get to pet and enjoy our neighbors' dogs now. Our community is very dog friendly. Quite a few people enjoy volunteering at the local animal shelter and/or foster dogs and cats.
Lewkat
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey, USA
Wayne
Senior Member
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MarkD
Keeper of the Hounds & Garden
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
Do they at least let you have the foot of the bed?
Wayne
Senior Member
That is one of my best memories of them sadly all have passed on 2 in 3 weeks time I have 100's of pictures of them. A cold winter night getting warmer, click on image to enlarge it. MIca, Fran, Taschi & Lynch. Mica up ate her breakfast and ready to go to work with me.
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They are beautiful. I love the photo
MarkD
Keeper of the Hounds & Garden
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
Oh how we would love to feel them crowding us on the bed when they are gone. My two year old sleeps in a crate just inside the side door downstairs but I'm an early riser. I cover with dog blankets before I go down and if I have time to, I sometimes catch some more sleep with her.
Tommy
Senior Member
- Location
- New Hampshire
We've always had large dogs ranging from 90 to 150 pounds. Our current one - a lean, muscular 100 pounder - has a particular talent for sprawling out on the floor in the very best location to be under foot. 
packleader
Member
- Location
- Southern California
More dog tales.
Our first dog was Doberman āGinger,ā and he was quite a character. For example, we had a pond with a Koi fish. One day the fish lay half eaten in front of our entrance door. Thank you, Ginger, for being so thoughtful and sharing your meal with me.
One day the kids had the gate left open, and two large dogs came in. There was no fight, but the tension ripped a tendon on Gingerās foot. The Vet repaired it, but afterwards she was only half the dog she used to be.
I scolded my seven year old daughter. After it got dark, she still was in the garden and I searched for her. Finally I heard some noise in the dog house. OK, I heard my daughter complaining to Ginger that dad was so mean. Children get attached to dogs, and itās good for them to have these different relationships.
Ginger chewed on everything. In those days, I didnāt see leather bones that would have solved the problem. Nowadays, my 95 pound Boxer āRossā chewed up one leather bone a day in his younger days.
When we went on vacation, Ginger always knew three days in advance that we would leave, and she became sad. A neighbor took care of her, but that was no substitute for her family. When Ginger was 10 years old, we left for another skiing vacation. I gave her a hug but she growled at me the first time ever. When we came back, Ginger had starved herself to death. Ever since, we had at least two dogs to keep each other company.
We got our German Shepherd āRockyā as a little puppy. When we went for a walk, I inadvertently kicked him time after time because he was glued on to my heel. As an adult, he was strong enough to stand up while I was sitting on him.
When we were gone, rain or shine, Rocky waited 24/7 at the gate for us. When I took him on a hike up a mountain, then Rocky was the only dog I ever had who looked and looked at the beautiful scenery below us.
My daughter wanted a horse but found it too āboringā to learn with our neighbors how to take care of a large animal. So, I bought her a Great Dane as a horse substitute. It became her great love. When āSir Mordredā died, she had him cremated and placed the ashes in a beautiful, treasured redwood box.
Anyway, Mordred was the most human-like dog we ever had. For example, when we walked three days one way, but on the fourth day I wanted to take to different trail, then he started pulling me with his 125 pounds in the direction we had gone previously. He was the only dog who ever argued with me. And his tail was a weapon that could inflict pain.
Boxer Maxi was my most expensive dog. He jumped on my desk and chewed up my hearing aids, glasses, and you name it. On the other hand, he enforced law and order when my two female Boxers Roxy and Heidi squabbled. Since Roxy was the stronger one, Maxi usually helped Heidi.
Why do dogs like to rest in the middle of the doorway so you have to climb over them? Why do they always follow you to the bathroom and investigate what you are doing? And why do they remove a blanket that covers them at night, and roll it up to lie on it?
90% of the time my dogs sleep in a manner that they can watch me at night by just opening an eye. Some of our dogs love to swim in our pond on hot summer days, but not all. Trying to introduce a new boy too quickly to the pack caused a dog fight that sent me to a hospital ER to get two dozen stitches on my arm. I made mistakes and learnt from them.
When my daughter worked on a school project, I came up with the idea of building four insulated dog houses. One out of plywood with protected Styrofoam, two with left-over carpet pieces over a wooden frame, and one with a two inch thick sturdy insulation that dogs repeatedly chewed on. At our SoCal light frost at nights, the dogs were perfectly warm.
My wife and I had different work schedules (and I snore.) So, after our children left the nest, I moved into one of their rooms and started having my dogs sleeping with me in my new bedroom. I love it, but itās a poor substitute for not having my wife next to me.
And we had other pets.
A rooster discovered that in our covered breeze walk between the house and the garage his crowing was three times louder than anywhere else. Luckily, our bedrooms were at the opposite end of the house.
And one time the rooster didnāt come home when it got dark. Eventually I found him lying like dead in front of a raccoon that was just about to have a nice meal. I retrieved my rooster, but it took three days before it recovered from its shock and started moving again.
Our chicken coop is visited by squirrels that dig tunnels into the coop to steal chicken food and scare our chickens.
And we had Mallards and Perl hens. But when raccoons took them one by one, then I set free the remaining ones at the Riverside National Cemetery where they integrated with flocks of water fowl on a lake, and happily lived ever after.
A friend gave us four geese for our pond. But at night they sought the security of our house, sleeping in our breeze walk. Well, they converted our tiles into a slippery nightmare, and eventually I brought them also to the Riverside National Cemetery Lake.
We had an avery with two dozen parakeets. We all loved the soothing and gentle entertainment. We also had breeding boxes, and the parakeets multiplied so much that we gave babies birds away to our neighbors. The avery was eventually destroyed by termites, and I didnāt rebuilt it.
Cats are the favored food for coyotes. We have given up having them. You just canāt keep cats securely inside the fence like dogs.
also posted at For The Love Of Dogs
Pictures below: (a) my current Boxer pack; (b+c) our Great Dane is the only dog not laid to rest at our pet cemetery but has his own resting place; (d) the Motel 6 chain permits two dogs per room; and (e) my wife's pets are two chickens.
Our first dog was Doberman āGinger,ā and he was quite a character. For example, we had a pond with a Koi fish. One day the fish lay half eaten in front of our entrance door. Thank you, Ginger, for being so thoughtful and sharing your meal with me.
One day the kids had the gate left open, and two large dogs came in. There was no fight, but the tension ripped a tendon on Gingerās foot. The Vet repaired it, but afterwards she was only half the dog she used to be.
I scolded my seven year old daughter. After it got dark, she still was in the garden and I searched for her. Finally I heard some noise in the dog house. OK, I heard my daughter complaining to Ginger that dad was so mean. Children get attached to dogs, and itās good for them to have these different relationships.
Ginger chewed on everything. In those days, I didnāt see leather bones that would have solved the problem. Nowadays, my 95 pound Boxer āRossā chewed up one leather bone a day in his younger days.
When we went on vacation, Ginger always knew three days in advance that we would leave, and she became sad. A neighbor took care of her, but that was no substitute for her family. When Ginger was 10 years old, we left for another skiing vacation. I gave her a hug but she growled at me the first time ever. When we came back, Ginger had starved herself to death. Ever since, we had at least two dogs to keep each other company.
We got our German Shepherd āRockyā as a little puppy. When we went for a walk, I inadvertently kicked him time after time because he was glued on to my heel. As an adult, he was strong enough to stand up while I was sitting on him.
When we were gone, rain or shine, Rocky waited 24/7 at the gate for us. When I took him on a hike up a mountain, then Rocky was the only dog I ever had who looked and looked at the beautiful scenery below us.
My daughter wanted a horse but found it too āboringā to learn with our neighbors how to take care of a large animal. So, I bought her a Great Dane as a horse substitute. It became her great love. When āSir Mordredā died, she had him cremated and placed the ashes in a beautiful, treasured redwood box.
Anyway, Mordred was the most human-like dog we ever had. For example, when we walked three days one way, but on the fourth day I wanted to take to different trail, then he started pulling me with his 125 pounds in the direction we had gone previously. He was the only dog who ever argued with me. And his tail was a weapon that could inflict pain.
Boxer Maxi was my most expensive dog. He jumped on my desk and chewed up my hearing aids, glasses, and you name it. On the other hand, he enforced law and order when my two female Boxers Roxy and Heidi squabbled. Since Roxy was the stronger one, Maxi usually helped Heidi.
Why do dogs like to rest in the middle of the doorway so you have to climb over them? Why do they always follow you to the bathroom and investigate what you are doing? And why do they remove a blanket that covers them at night, and roll it up to lie on it?
90% of the time my dogs sleep in a manner that they can watch me at night by just opening an eye. Some of our dogs love to swim in our pond on hot summer days, but not all. Trying to introduce a new boy too quickly to the pack caused a dog fight that sent me to a hospital ER to get two dozen stitches on my arm. I made mistakes and learnt from them.
When my daughter worked on a school project, I came up with the idea of building four insulated dog houses. One out of plywood with protected Styrofoam, two with left-over carpet pieces over a wooden frame, and one with a two inch thick sturdy insulation that dogs repeatedly chewed on. At our SoCal light frost at nights, the dogs were perfectly warm.
My wife and I had different work schedules (and I snore.) So, after our children left the nest, I moved into one of their rooms and started having my dogs sleeping with me in my new bedroom. I love it, but itās a poor substitute for not having my wife next to me.
And we had other pets.
A rooster discovered that in our covered breeze walk between the house and the garage his crowing was three times louder than anywhere else. Luckily, our bedrooms were at the opposite end of the house.
And one time the rooster didnāt come home when it got dark. Eventually I found him lying like dead in front of a raccoon that was just about to have a nice meal. I retrieved my rooster, but it took three days before it recovered from its shock and started moving again.
Our chicken coop is visited by squirrels that dig tunnels into the coop to steal chicken food and scare our chickens.
And we had Mallards and Perl hens. But when raccoons took them one by one, then I set free the remaining ones at the Riverside National Cemetery where they integrated with flocks of water fowl on a lake, and happily lived ever after.
A friend gave us four geese for our pond. But at night they sought the security of our house, sleeping in our breeze walk. Well, they converted our tiles into a slippery nightmare, and eventually I brought them also to the Riverside National Cemetery Lake.
We had an avery with two dozen parakeets. We all loved the soothing and gentle entertainment. We also had breeding boxes, and the parakeets multiplied so much that we gave babies birds away to our neighbors. The avery was eventually destroyed by termites, and I didnāt rebuilt it.
Cats are the favored food for coyotes. We have given up having them. You just canāt keep cats securely inside the fence like dogs.
also posted at For The Love Of Dogs
Pictures below: (a) my current Boxer pack; (b+c) our Great Dane is the only dog not laid to rest at our pet cemetery but has his own resting place; (d) the Motel 6 chain permits two dogs per room; and (e) my wife's pets are two chickens.
