Posted on 04/17/2010 10:38:08 AM PDT by JoeProBono
I have read that with dogs and bloat its usually because of the way they gobble down their food....better to give multiple small feeding....but with dogs, its what I have heard and not from experience...
I know that any dog can be vicious. But my American Cocker Spaniel was a prince among dogs IMHO.
He would guard my nephew when the infant was put down for a nap. He was always nearby later to play with the boy or cuddle stray kittens I would rescue. He really, really liked cats, which was great as we had nine of them!
At no time did we treat this dog other than as a major member of the family (pack). He was dearly loved and the hardest thing I’ve ever done was to euthanize him at 17-years of age.
There have been lots of threads about dog attacks but not all of them are driven by viciousness.
I want to remind folks that dogs are pack animals and will squabble among themselves for places in the pack. A family dog sees its family as a pack. Some will, I believe, attack family children who are seen as a threat to their place in the pack’s heirarchy. What seems like a vicious attack may in fact be something quite different but still unacceptable. None of us wants to see our children mauled.
I know of an infant killed when a German Shepherd bitch attempted to move a newborn baby exactly like she would a puppy, and accidentally punctured the newborn’s skull with her teeth. This was later determined not to be an attack but an accident. She was a really nice dog, but the family couldn’t tolerate having her in their home after that incident. She was given to a couple without children.
"Our 2 3/4 yr. old son has just started hitting our puppy and chasing and harrassing our cats (immitating the worst behaviours of the puppy). He is on his own initiative making the big change from diapers to potty, and I heard that some regression is to be expected due to that. I mentioned the hitting this morning to our daycare provider, and she said he and his 3 y.r old best friend (also a boy) have started hitting each other and her dog, as well as poking each other and the dog with sticks (yuck). Our son also recently went through a phase of calling us names like stupid and jerk. I personally find it easier to handle (ignore) the verbal assaults. I would really appreciate reading about how other parents have dealt with these problems.
We certainly do spend lots of time explaining to our son that the puppy (who weighs more than our son already) is our responsibility, that pets are to be taken care of and loved. We always stop him from hitting the pup and chasing the cats. We sometimes put him on timeout for his actions, and never hit him to discipline him. I am weary of having explained what is acceptable over and over without seeing any change in his behaviour. On name calling: we were told by other parents that using swearwords is mostly done to get a reaction, and so we handled the name calling in the way that was recommended for swearing. We told him that what he said was mean and could hurt peoples' feelings and then we let it go. "
Laurie
Please, beckysue, read my post at #42.
There is no reason your grandbaby should become a statistic when just a little research on your part could prevent it.
There are books on dog behavior which will help you on this issue and I heartily recommend reading a few of them.
“Smile of the day” post.
Woof
SO this jerk cuts off the dog’s ears and then literally whips it into a frenzy? is this supposed to be a representative of your fine upstanding pit bull owner?
RDO Woof
I have an American Mastiff, they are 7/8 English Mastiff and 1/8 Anatolian Mastiff. There are rules for owning any mastiff or large dog that I recommend following:
Unless you are a breeder, have all animals neutered before 6 months. And think very carefully about breeding. My dog is so large that many people wanted to breed their dogs with him—what kind of puppies would result, with that kind of irresponsibility? My breeder required, by contract, that all her dogs be neutered before 6 months.
Never ever allow the puppy to put his teeth on human skin. Never. Anything the puppy does, the grown dog will do.
Do not roughhouse with a puppy or ever play tug of war with a dog that will outweigh you. The first time it wins, it becomes the alpha in the household. I am a small woman, and I own a 213 pound dog. He is gentle, but we don’t play except for “fetch” and practicing sit, roll over, lay down, speak, etc. No roughhousing, ever. Do not tease a dog, it makes them mean. Dogs understand revenge.
Be sure the dog is healthy. A sick dog can be cranky; preventive care is crucial. Big dogs cost more at the vet, so don’t get one if you can’t afford to take care of it.
Don’t yell at or hit a puppy whose only desire is to please you. It isn’t necessary. A stern “Shame!” is all that is required. Take a class if you need to, don’t be ignorant about training. Big dogs have looooooong memories.
Remember that you own a dog. YOU own a DOG. They have emotions, they are intelligent, but they are NOT HUMAN. Any dog with a shy, aggressive, sneaky, or incurably dominant temperament is going to bite sooner or later, a human or another animal, or both. There are some dogs that should not live, and dog temperaments are inherited to a large degree. My breeder guaranteed her dogs’ temperaments for life.
Know the dog breed, and know the breeder. Many mutts or crosses will net you a great, healthy, intelligent dog, so if you know what you’re doing, fine. Careful breeding lets you know what to expect from your dog, historically. Pet stores have the worst of the worst breeders supplying them. Any decent dog from a pet store is an accident.
Control your dog at all times. Control your dog at all times.
Love your dog, in an appropriate way. They are loyal, friendly, human-centered creatures for the most part, and will please and surprise you with their desire to do whatever you want. They are not your children, they are not your best friend, and they are utterly dependent on you for their quality of life. Groom your dog, give him/her treats, provide a bed, good food, water, rewards for doing what you want, medical care, and discipline. Enjoy your dog, talk to him/her, keep him/her with you whenever possible, train your dog, cherish the touch of your dog, and remember that if you loved God half as faithfully as your dog loves you, you would be a saint.
Thanks for the ping. My friend in H.S. had a 180 pound bull mastiff and a 160 lb female. The big fella was trying to get into the mud room and she asked me to hold him out (I was in, the dog was trying to get in). I tried to push his head, but I don’t think there’s a man in the world that could have stopped him.
Eventually she saved me by yelling at him and taking food out, but I was seriously humbled with reference to dogs that day. I cannot imagine the horror for this father.
Oh, man - that sounds like a bad situation waiting to get worse. I’d suggest protecting the puppy, otherwise that pup is going to grow up hating children and will eventually decide it has suffered enough abuse and tear into your son. The cats need a way to escape from the abuse, too.
Our cocker spaniel was 10-years old when my nephew was born. This dog’s personality was already set and his behavior mature, so he knew when to hunker down and take it, and he knew when to run away. We taught the boy how to care for and treat dogs and cats.
Your puppy, which is a baby, is at the mercy of your son. I suggest you talk to someone at the local Humane Society for guidance on dogs, cats, and how little kids can relate to them. When you call them, explain what kind of help you need; it benfits them to help you rather than have your dog later end up in a shelter because of its behavior.
Also, there are books that help you this issue, but I’d give the folks at the local animal shelter a call and ask if they can help you right away
The Great Pyrenees was originally bred as a protector for flocks of sheep and goat....They spend their puppyhood living with one or two of these animals and bond to them thinking they are pack members....Since they are white, they blend in with a flock and will take on a wolf or bear if the flock is threatened....One of the best protectors of sheep and goat....Named after the mountains they were bred in....
I would say that is a case of the dog thinking she was above the wife in the pack pecking order. The alpha female of a pack will steal the pups of lesser females. Or sometimes kill them.
yes with dogs it caused by the dog eating then running..what happens is as they run the stomach actually flips and cause a knot at both ends very little time to get the animal to the vet....though this is common with big chested dogs it is not with smaller ones
But I think bloat is different in cud chewing animals and horses also...Daughters horse got the bloat once and it meant a vet visit..
With animals as soon as the gas is released, they are OK. No surgery's needed that I know of, but could be wrong on the surgery aspect with some animals. Just never heard of surgery needed with animals.
Cud chewers have more than one chamber to the stomach..they eat the grass and it goes into one chamber, when they bring it up to chew the cud, it then goes into a different chamber of the stomach...gas can block one of the chambers and it just needs to be released...Horses and dogs aren't cud chewers so for them the bloat is a little different.
My first kidding season on the farm I lost 3 kids to bloat cause I didn't know what they had. The 4th I was able to save...(I wasn't too smart on animals when I started with my flock of goats) You learn fast or everything dies on you :O)
One of my favorite bantys got eye worms. Never heard of that either, I had to finally do a mercy killing on him...1/2 of his head was twice as large as the other half. Found out later what caused it...
My English Mastiff is 250lb, and doesn’t notice anything except strange dogs coming through.
I envy you on the American: the reason for the Anatolian cut is to take out the slobbering.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.