BUFFALOTONE Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I agree to a point. Breeds do have different natures. If you trained a sheltie like you train a GSD the sheltie would wilt. I certainly used vastly different methods on my 6 year old sheltie (treats and lots of praise) than I did on my golden. I used a GSD training book called Toward the PhD for Dogs. I've watched goldens and GSD owners try the treat methods, but they just aren't as successful... Agree. I got my English Bulldog when he was just over a year. The owner did not train him in the least and the tug was abused. Every time I would pet his face he would cower. It took months to break that and for him to earn my trust. He has turned into a great dog but is verrrrry stubborn, loves attention and to chew. They say the breed is not that bright but man they couldn't be more off, lazy yes but he is very smart. I rescued a mutt from the shelter and she is the sweetest dog you could ever imagine. She was abused as well but has the best temperament and is wonderful around kids. My bully is very rough he just lumbers at you, not in a mean way its like he does not realize his size and strength. We have a kid on the way and I am a little worried about him. He is almost 5 yrs old and the breed tends to slow down severely around this age. I see some sign of it but for the most part he is pretty active. Great with other dogs, except boxers. Weirdest thing i have ever seen. He will play with any dog at the park, once the boxer shows up it's on, without fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Agree. I got my English Bulldog when he was just over a year. The owner did not train him in the least and the tug was abused. Every time I would pet his face he would cower. It took months to break that and for him to earn my trust. He has turned into a great dog but is verrrrry stubborn, loves attention and to chew. They say the breed is not that bright but man they couldn't be more off, lazy yes but he is very smart. I rescued a mutt from the shelter and she is the sweetest dog you could ever imagine. She was abused as well but has the best temperament and is wonderful around kids. My bully is very rough he just lumbers at you, not in a mean way its like he does not realize his size and strength. We have a kid on the way and I am a little worried about him. He is almost 5 yrs old and the breed tends to slow down severely around this age. I see some sign of it but for the most part he is pretty active. Great with other dogs, except boxers. Weirdest thing i have ever seen. He will play with any dog at the park, once the boxer shows up it's on, without fail. It's inconceivable to me how anyone can abuse an animal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUFFALOTONE Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 It's inconceivable to me how anyone can abuse an animal. It happens and it is disgusting. As I am walking my dogs yesterday i see these 2 beautiful weimeraners (sp) this couple were walking them on a very short leash and yanking it up on the dog every 5 seconds. and then yelling at it. This poor dog probably has no idea what he or she is doing wrong because the women is just yelling and yoking the choke chain. Owners are more detrimental than the dogs breed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 It happens and it is disgusting. As I am walking my dogs yesterday i see these 2 beautiful weimeraners (sp) this couple were walking them on a very short leash and yanking it up on the dog every 5 seconds. and then yelling at it. This poor dog probably has no idea what he or she is doing wrong because the women is just yelling and yoking the choke chain. Owners are more detrimental than the dogs breed. Yup, many dog owners are truly clueless. They think they are disciplining, but really they're just confusing the hell out of these poor dogs. By the way weimaraners (I had to look up the spelling) are as beautiful as any breed of dog. I had one when I was a kid. They can be a challenge because of their very high energy, but they are gorgeous dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 It happens and it is disgusting. Yup. Neglect...abuse. It is far too prevalent. Seeing the malnourished and abused dogs come into the shelter is heartbreaking. My GSD was abused by the breeder. The breeder regularly beat him. He liked his brother better. Sounds like a good excuse, right? As I am walking my dogs yesterday i see these 2 beautiful weimeraners (sp) this couple were walking them on a very short leash and yanking it up on the dog every 5 seconds. and then yelling at it. This poor dog probably has no idea what he or she is doing wrong because the women is just yelling and yoking the choke chain. Owners are more detrimental than the dogs breed. It's sad whenever you see stuff like that. Those same owners will then complain that their dog has "behavioral issues" and they can no longer deal with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Yup. Neglect...abuse. It is far too prevalent. Seeing the malnourished and abused dogs come into the shelter is heartbreaking. My GSD was abused by the breeder. The breeder regularly beat him. He liked his brother better. Sounds like a good excuse, right? It's sad whenever you see stuff like that. Those same owners will then complain that their dog has "behavioral issues" and they can no longer deal with it. People should be heavily pushed to taking their dogs to a good obedience trainer. Then stuff like BUFFALOTONE saw wouldn't happen, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 People should be heavily pushed to taking their dogs to a good obedience trainer off a cliff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HereComesTheReignAgain Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 It's sad whenever you see stuff like that. Those same owners will then complain that their dog has "behavioral issues" and they can no longer deal with it. I think many first time dog owners don't have any idea the commitment and $ it takes to own a well behaved, healthy dog. They see some dog show on tv and have to have the flavor of the month dog that may not fit their lifestyle. I certainly got a wake up call going from Cockers as our family dogs growing up to a high energy German Shorthair! It worked out well because he is an incredible dog, but it took some adjustment. He now has addisons disease and I have to take him for a $100 shot every month! (Well worth it to have him healthy and happy) He is also on steroids that make him drink alot and of course pee a lot. Luckily I have people that can let him out when I'm at work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I think many first time dog owners don't have any idea the commitment and $ it takes to own a well behaved, healthy dog. They see some dog show on tv and have to have the flavor of the month dog that may not fit their lifestyle. You are correct. They see the cute little puppy and fall in love with the dog and take him/her home. Then, reality sets in. We have had several GSD's come into the shelter because the owners "didn't realize that he would be a big dog." I certainly got a wake up call going from Cockers as our family dogs growing up to a high energy German Shorthair! It worked out well because he is an incredible dog, but it took some adjustment. He now has addisons disease and I have to take him for a $100 shot every month! (Well worth it to have him healthy and happy) He is also on steroids that make him drink alot and of course pee a lot. Luckily I have people that can let him out when I'm at work. I am sorry to hear about your pooch. He is fortunate to be living in such a good home!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Golden Retrievers and Shepherds are both very nice dogs. One of my favorite dogs of all time was an older Shepherd. He was close to the perfect dog. I really like Golden Retrievers, too. Just be aware that as good-natured as they are, they also seem to knock stuff over, when they get excited (happy). While I think they are smart dogs, it doesn't always seem that way. How about a Basset Hound? They are great dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightRider Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 To a degree, you are correct. But, you will also see a substantial difference in natures within the breed. Hell, within the same litter, you will see drastically different natures. Meeting the mom is a good thing when evaluating a dog, but it is only a small part. You can have pups from the same litter experiencing vastly different personalities. You can't just pick any dog from the litter an expect them all to be similar in nature. I with you on with that. I put my previous post that the minimum you will see at a breeder is the mother. Ideally, you should get the pick of the litter (after being coached on what to look for), and have a chance to see the parents and other non-litter-mate siblings the breeder kept... That still won't guarantee the dog won't have trouble, but if as an owner, you really plan getting the pup, chances are good you have a good owner and a good dog... My current dog's father is the reason I was went with a sheltie. He is a very confident, friendly dog, especially with stangers. She doesn't quite have his confidence with strangers, but she isn't wilt, either. The thing that really makes me shudder is the parents that pick up that Rottie with blue eyes that their 15 year old daughter really wants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUFFALOTONE Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Yup. Neglect...abuse. It is far too prevalent. Seeing the malnourished and abused dogs come into the shelter is heartbreaking. My GSD was abused by the breeder. The breeder regularly beat him. He liked his brother better. Sounds like a good excuse, right? It's sad whenever you see stuff like that. Those same owners will then complain that their dog has "behavioral issues" and they can no longer deal with it. My mother in law (god bless her) rescued a chocolate lab named NEMO after her yellow lab of 14 years had to be put down. NEMO's previous owner had the dog chained to a tree and left him outside. He is practically blind and has diabetes. He requires a shot twice a day. When she first got him he was scared of everything. Now he is the happiest dog in the world. An absolute sweetheart. Runs, plays does everything. He did a complete 180 after 3 months. I am not sure what happened to the owner but I would love nothing more than 10 minutes alone to talk it over. POS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 All this dog defense and yet we think nothing of eating a cow or pig. It's an odd thing that my conscience struggles with. It's completely arbitrary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUFFALOTONE Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 All this dog defense and yet we think nothing of eating a cow or pig. It's an odd thing that my conscience struggles with. It's completely arbitrary. Well I think the dog or cat becomes a companion because it lives with you. After a while a dog can sense when its owner is sad or happy. You dictate their reactions. That and bacon cheeseburgers are delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 Well I think the dog or cat becomes a companion because it lives with you. After a while a dog can sense when its owner is sad or happy. You dictate their reactions. That and bacon cheeseburgers are delicious. No different from a cow or pig and in fact, pigs are probably smarter and more affectionate. I'm just saying it's odd. My wife is a vegetarian. I am in a constant state of failure following her lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I heard some folks talking about getting two dogs in this post...... Just a word of warning.....while I love my german shepards they are extremely alpha male dogs. If you have another dog make sure that you are training them properly so that the GS understand s YOU are the alpha male of the pack and not him. That way they aren't trying to establish dominance over the other dog.....I had to work with my GS as I also have a Akita and in the beginning we had some fighting going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 I heard some folks talking about getting two dogs in this post...... Just a word of warning.....while I love my german shepards they are extremely alpha male dogs. If you have another dog make sure that you are training them properly so that the GS understand s YOU are the alpha male of the pack and not him. That way they aren't trying to establish dominance over the other dog.....I had to work with my GS as I also have a Akita and in the beginning we had some fighting going on. It is extremely critical that you examine the family dynamic before introducing another dog. If the dogs lived together for a while, then you can introduce two at once. If you have an existing dog, you can't just pick any dog to enter the house or you will have a problem. You can get a submissive GSD to work with the alpha, but if you have two alphas, you are going to have more of a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted June 26, 2009 Share Posted June 26, 2009 My mother in law (god bless her) rescued a chocolate lab named NEMO after her yellow lab of 14 years had to be put down. NEMO's previous owner had the dog chained to a tree and left him outside. He is practically blind and has diabetes. He requires a shot twice a day. When she first got him he was scared of everything. Now he is the happiest dog in the world. An absolute sweetheart. Runs, plays does everything. He did a complete 180 after 3 months. I am not sure what happened to the owner but I would love nothing more than 10 minutes alone to talk it over. POS. With proper care, dogs can undergo an amazing transformation. Good for your MIL for rescuing that dog and giving NEMO a wonderful home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 It is extremely critical that you examine the family dynamic before introducing another dog. If the dogs lived together for a while, then you can introduce two at once. If you have an existing dog, you can't just pick any dog to enter the house or you will have a problem. You can get a submissive GSD to work with the alpha, but if you have two alphas, you are going to have more of a problem. I had an older GS who lived for a long time with the Akita....but the older (Samson) was getting up in age when I brought the akita in......Samson passed and I brought in a GS puppy.......as soon as the GS started getting older he started trying to establish dominance (my Akita has pretty much always been a passive dog) I seem to have it all worked out......it took a while though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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