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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / April 2006Responsible Dog Owner (TW)
I was just watching a re-run of the show 'Cops' (it's the wee hours of the morning). No idea where it was taped but this appeared to be a very nice, middle-class neighborhood. Two pit bulls broke out through a loose board in their wooden fence and killed a man's cat that was lounging on the other side of the fence. Then the dogs broke out of *that* fence (looked like a temporary patch job with some chicken wire) into another yard and killed yet another neighbors cat. It took the police and animal control a bit to chase the dogs down but the dogs didn't appear at all hostile to the people. The owner of the dogs arrived home right about that time. The situation was explained to the owner and lo! and behold! she agreed it was best to have the dogs put down so they wouldn't be able to pull an escape again and kill any other neighborhood pets. Sad for the dogs and the owner (and of course for the owners of the poor cats). But at least she wasn't one of the typical, "Oh, my dogs wouldn't hurt anything, not even a cat!" folks. More people should be as responsible as this woman was. Jill On Judge Judy the other day, a woman was suing her neighbor for shooting (wounding) her dog. She wanted to be reimbursed for vet bills. The neighbor said she was afraid of the dog and had warned the owner several times to keep it away from her property. The owner did not do that. Judge Judy said the dog owner was at fault and dismissed the case. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') I saw that episode the woman was an idiot and thought she was not at fault after I forgot what 2 years of receiving citations. People court the other day had a man miniature poodle ripped apart by to rottweiliers and the woman's defense was animals will be animals. I like to take these pet owners and just slap them silly until they beg for mercy something their animal can't do. Sometimes people make me so sick On Judge Judy the other day, a woman was suing her neighbor for shooting (wounding) her dog. She wanted to be reimbursed for vet bills. The neighbor said she was afraid of the dog and had warned the owner several times to keep it away from her property. The owner did not do that. Judge Judy said the dog owner was at fault and dismissed the case. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') > I saw that episode the woman was an idiot and thought she was not at fault > after I forgot what 2 years of receiving citations. People court the other > day had a man miniature poodle ripped apart by to rottweiliers and the > woman's defense was animals will be animals. I like to take these pet > owners and just slap them silly until they beg for mercy something their > animal can't do. Sometimes people make me so sick I am always cautious when I hear these kinds of stories, though. I have had loose dogs run up into the face of my dogs while I have them on leash, my dogs ripped the sh.t out of the dog and the people get all indignant about it because their dog is smaller (Um, hello - ever hear of prey drive and protective instinct?). My dog(s) will/would protect me from a bear if we were approached by one. They love people but other dogs are usually a threat. On the flip side, I have to keep my Basenji mix on a leash at all times because she wants to hunt and sees anything small and especially white (and yappy) as prey. Shitzus (sp?) and Poodles are especially exciting to her. The neighbors cats have been lucky they can jump the fence so far. I hate dogs off-leash in public any place except approved dog parks. My kid is a *freak* about dogs (LOVES them!) and I have to keep him from running to any dog he sees - when they are off leash, it just makes me extremely nervous. No dog can be controlled by voice 100% of the time. -L. > I hate dogs off-leash in public any place except approved dog parks. > My kid is a *freak* about dogs (LOVES them!) and I have to keep him > from running to any dog he sees - when they are off leash, it just > makes me extremely nervous. No dog can be controlled by voice 100% > of the time. I was just talking to my massage therapist about the importance of teaching kids not to just run up to strange dogs. It's amazing how many parents just watch their kids run up to an unfamiliar pet with no warning. Not that she's one of those parents; we were sharing dogwalking stories. Not that it's easy to teach a kid to be cautious around animals if they're not instinctively so, but at least you can try to repeat it till you're blue in the face. I was also a childhood freak about dogs. Even now I will embarrass DH on a regular basis (although I really don't know why this is embarrassing, anyway) by asking strangers if I can pet their dogs. Especially the squirmy wiggly puppies, but any will do. I get my fixes where I can, since I really don't have the schedule to have a dog right now. My next door neighbors have a tiny dog. Some people -- adults even! -- walk in the door and immediately try to pick her up. Poor dog! She's been known to pee on them out of excitement and fear. The neighbors figure it's the person's own fault for being stupid enough to pick up an unfamiliar dog. I pick up the dog all the time without incident -- because I wait until she comes to me, jumping and begging to be picked up (takes about 5 milliseconds from when I walk in the door).  Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> I hate dogs off-leash in public any place except approved dog parks. >> My kid is a *freak* about dogs (LOVES them!) and I have to keep him [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > they're not instinctively so, but at least you can try to repeat it > till you're blue in the face. I was gifted with my first and only dog by my now ex-husband. Sampson was a tiny little mutt; as an adult he weighed less than Persia does. But he did not like strangers and he did not like children (they moved and darted around too fast). When he became a little old dog and I was walking him around my former apartment complex, kids would always yell "A puppy!" and run up towards him. No matter how much I cautioned them he was not a puppy but rather a cranky old dog, some of them just *insisted* on trying to pet him. By this time Sampson was cranky enough to bite me (and also suffered from " "doggie demensia", for which he was on a medication called Anypryl). He was on a leash so I have no idea who would have been held responsible if one of these kids had been bitten. It was within my rights to walk him ON a leash in the grassy areas by the parking lot. But I couldn't control some of those kids so I resorted to raising my voice and getting rather rude when they wouldn't listen. I didn't want to find myself on one of those Judge shows because I did warn the kids but they refused to believe Sammy wasn't a "puppy". Jill > I was gifted with my first and only dog by my now ex-husband. Sampson was a > tiny little mutt; as an adult he weighed less than Persia does. But he did [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Jill I have done the exact same thing, not because my dog will bite but because I want to teach the kid and the parents a lesson. I *hate* it when kids approach me without asking first. I expect fully to teach DS not to approach strange dogs without asking, but at this stage, there's no such thing as control over him verbally when we are outdoors (except "STOP!" which he will do if running) and so all the control I have to exert is physical and/or avoidance. I am hoping another 6 months will improve things drastically. (He's 2.25 right now). At least he has his own "dog-dog" whom he loves, although she's not really a people dog. He is a freak about the cats, too and they tolerate him pretty well. -L. >> He was on a leash so I have no idea who would have been held >> responsible if one of these kids had been bitten. It was within my [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > because I want to teach the kid and the parents a lesson. I *hate* it > when kids approach me without asking first. From what I understand, your DS is what, 2 or maybe 3 years old? These were kids of about 7 or 8 who should have known to listen when I said he's not a puppy and he will bite. Heck, even puppies will bite! These were just unruly children who didn't listen to or believe me. Latchkey kids, I gathered. All too often I had to grab up Sampson and take him upstairs before he was ready... often to the chagrine of Sampson who hadn't finished doing his business yet. Better that that get into a lawsuit, I suppose. The neighbors were the litigious sort, from what I could tell. I'd let him poop on the balcony and then clean it up, but it wasn't something I encouraged. (sigh) Jill > From what I understand, your DS is what, 2 or maybe 3 years old? These were > kids of about 7 or 8 who should have known to listen when I said he's not a [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Jill That's the problem - you end up avoiding places you know you will encounter the kids because you don't want to be held liable. When I lived in San Jose I quit going to one set of parks because the soccer kids inevitably would run over to my dogs. I'd never in a million years think they'd bite, but they have scratched me with sharp claws and a kid isn't beyond not knowing the difference - and parents are freakish about those sorts of "accidents". -L. ~Latchkey kids, I gathered.~ Now who needs a leash? ::grin:: (Here's me starting a war!) Cheers, Azy! "After a long day spent warming myself on a sun-roasted eiderdown, I've decided that writer's block is nature's punishment for being too comfortable for too long." ~Mr. Fleez www.housecatwisdom.blogspot.com > I was just talking to my massage therapist about the importance of > teaching kids not to just run up to strange dogs. It's amazing how [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > they're not instinctively so, but at least you can try to repeat it > till you're blue in the face. LOL...that's 99% of parenting. I wish I had a dime for every time I said "Stay out of the refridgerator" each day... > I was also a childhood freak about dogs. Even now I will embarrass DH > on a regular basis (although I really don't know why this is [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > to be picked up (takes about 5 milliseconds from when I walk in the > door). Ohhh...the litle one are the ones you have to look out for - they will nail ya without warning. Big dogs are much more likely to snap without connecting...the little ones bite forst and ask questions later... -L. >> I was just talking to my massage therapist about the importance of >> teaching kids not to just run up to strange dogs. (snippage) > Ohhh...the litle one are the ones you have to look out for - they will > nail ya without warning. Big dogs are much more likely to snap > without connecting...the little ones bite forst and ask questions > later... -L. One thing about my tiny dog (maybe 12 lbs in his heyday) Sampson. He didn't yip or yap like a small dog. He had a deep WOOF! and anyone who knocked on the door was greeted to the sound of a dog going WOOF! GRRRRRRR! Teeth bared, and trust me, with his teeth he could have hurt someone who wasn't wearing socks if I'd told him to! LOL No need for an alarm with this little guy. He sounded like I had a Rottie in the apartment :) I was told over and over "I thought you had a big dog in there" I still miss Sammy. But he lived to the ripe old age of 18 (sans a couple of months) and he was my one and only dog baby. Persia is now the keeper of the house. She hears someone at the door, she practically goes on point. She runs towards the door when the UPS guy knocks. Sits there and makes sure I'm okay (although I close the door so she won't run outside. I figure, Persia will call 911 if I don't come back inside LOL She's very, very bright. I just wish she would stop tapping me on the nose to wake me up! It makes me giggle, having a soft paw tapping me gently on the nose or laid gently on my cheek and just staying there. I suspect that's why she does it. LOL Jill ~I just wish she would stop tapping me on the nose to wake me up!~ OH JILL! Be ever so careful what you wish for! I only Mr. Fleez were that polite! If I'm not up on time he starts running around the place like a freaked out maniac, jumping on my bladder, running over my head, pulling the blankets off the bed, trying to smother me, and if all that fails, he'll start playing with matches! You just be grateful you have a polite feline. At least you wake up giggling instead of blindly watering down the room with a squirt bottle in hopes of hitting a streak of cat lightning! Cheers, Azy! "After a long day spent warming myself on a sun-roasted eiderdown, I've decided that writer's block is nature's punishment for being too comfortable for too long." ~Mr. Fleez www.housecatwisdom.blogspot.com > ~I just wish she would stop tapping me on the nose to wake me up!~ > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > giggling instead of blindly watering down the room with a squirt > bottle in hopes of hitting a streak of cat lightning! Oscar drove me nuts last night. Starting at about 5am she was making a point of waking me up. I tried to grab her to put her in the basement, but she thought it was a game and stayed out of reach. Tonight the little creature goes in the basement *before* we go to sleep. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> I hate dogs off-leash in public any place except approved dog parks. >> My kid is a *freak* about dogs (LOVES them!) and I have to keep him [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > to be picked up (takes about 5 milliseconds from when I walk in the > door). The german shepherd we had when I was a kid was very good, fortunately, one day when we were out for a walk a toddler about 18 months old, suddenly dashed over and grabbed his tail with both hands, the dog just looked at the kid and did nothing. The child's mother just froze in panic and went white as a sheet. It's amazing how quickly litle children can move, there was no way the mother could have stopped it. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk >>> I hate dogs off-leash in public any place except approved dog parks. >>> My kid is a *freak* about dogs (LOVES them!) and I have to keep him [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > how quickly litle children can move, there was no way the mother > could have stopped it. Then again, I *vividly* remember when I was 6 years old and had my tonsils taken out the little girl in the next bed at the Naval hospital at Lakehurst (she was probably 3 or 4) crying all night long, keeping me awake. Her head was swathed in bandages and I was told a German Shepherd had taken her face in its mouth and bit down from the top of her head to the jaw. Poor girl. I wonder whatever happened to her. Oh sure, she survived. But I'll bet she's terrified of dogs to this day. Wouldn't blame her. Jill >>>> I hate dogs off-leash in public any place except approved dog >>>> parks. [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Jill Maybe I'm lucky, but I've never met a truly vicious dog and I've met *lots* of dogs during my lifetime. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) Cats leave pawprints on your heart. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk I can't imagine why people leave their dogs, pit bull or otherwise, outside without anyone even at home. That blows my mind! I owned a pit; she was the best dog I've ever owned. She was awesome with people but hated anything with fur on it. If it came in our yard, it was fair game, and the other animals knew it. They stayed away. Outside of our yard, however, she was the model citizen. A cat could walk past her giving her the finger and she'd have taken it laying down. She was extremely well trained. Nevertheless, I wouldn't have dreamt of leaving her outside while I wasn't home. I'll never forget the time the police knocked on the door and told me that she had escaped and was laying in a bed of flowers along the neighbours fence. I was furious with her (as was the neighbour because she'd all but flattened the flower bed,) but she was just laying there sniffing the flowers like there was nothing wrong. I put her back in the yard and threatened to put her on stake-and-chain probation if she did it again. The next time, about twenty minutes later, I was watching. Caught her in the act, I did. We're talking an 88 pound pit bull hauling her rump up over a 6 foot fence. It was pretty hilarious to watch, but she got the stake and chain from that point on. I never wanted to be faced with such a horrible decision, and in my mind an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Cheers, Azy! "After a long day spent warming myself on a sun-roasted eiderdown, I've decided that writer's block is nature's punishment for being too comfortable for too long." ~Mr. Fleez www.housecatwisdom.blogspot.com > I can't imagine why people leave their dogs, pit bull or otherwise, > outside without anyone even at home. That blows my mind! I don't know. My dog Puma stayed in the yard a lot of the time when we weren't home. Mom had a part time job, and I was in school, so he wasn't home alone all the time, but certainly a fair amount. He eventually got the taste for jumping the fence. After all sorts of hare-brained schemes, we finally got an invisible fence, which worked surprisingly well. So I guess that -- the jumping habit -- shows we shouldn't have left him home alone. But he liked it so much ... compare it to the indoor/outdoor discussion here. I'm just glad we found a way to keep him in, finally. Everybody loved him. Kids were always giving him frisbees and tennis balls; I had to stop the mail lady from giving him several large pieces of chocolate cake! He was a sweetheart. We used to often take him on walks to our friends' house, and tie his leash around the tree in the front yard. When he escaped, we always knew we could find him (after he got bored) sitting at the tree, waiting for his limousine service. After they put a flowerbed around the tree ... well, we found him in the flowers. Old habits are hard to break. I think our friends were pretty relieved when we finally got the invisible fence. > I'll never forget the time the police knocked on the door and told > me that she had escaped and was laying in a bed of flowers along the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > horrible decision, and in my mind an ounce of prevention is worth a > pound of cure. My dad tells the story of one of his dachshunds. Kept getting out of their chain link fence; no one could figure out how. Their next door neighbor, who was always in his cups, told them the dog had climbed the fence! Well, who's going to believe a drunk? But then my dad and my brother watched and waited ... sure enough, the little bugger stuck his paws into the links one at a time, managed to climb the fence, and flipped his body to make it over. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > I'll never forget the time the police knocked on the door and told me > that she had escaped and was laying in a bed of flowers along the [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Cheers, > Azy! See? You were a responsible pet owner. Those stake things that twist into the ground and a lead long enough to let the dog wander around *your* fenced yard - no harm done. I doubt if your dog had managed to somehow pull up the stake and get loose you'd have been blamed for anything. You took every precaution and I applaud you for it! Jill Boots was a good dog. I miss her. :( If I were ever to own another dog, it would be a Colby Pit Bull. Cheers, Azy! "After a long day spent warming myself on a sun-roasted eiderdown, I've decided that writer's block is nature's punishment for being too comfortable for too long." ~Mr. Fleez www.housecatwisdom.blogspot.com > See? You were a responsible pet owner. Those stake things that twist > into [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > precaution and I applaud you for it! > Jill You mentioned your childhood hospital roommate w/surgery for dog attack and your curiosity re her present attitude toward dogs....I've already posted re my flight as a toddler into parent's farmer friend's barbed-wire fence running from friend's Spitz (who was just chasing me, never attacked anyone, including me, but they weren't watching us for a moment). To this day I am not terrified of any dogs, having many friends w/different breeds that have different temperaments but my now RB Akita was the only dog (and he came to me because someone didn't want him; he had the "bad hip thing" common to Akita breeders) I ever had any emotional attachment to. I realize dogs think differently than cats do (don't we all realize that?) but I really don't like them at all. Got a story re the "stake-in-ground" thing; I had my Akita on one of these years ago in front yard of my FL house (huge yard, I'd move the stake every day)....up came this neighbor woman who was always drunk and walked her medium-sized very fuzzy chow-type through *all her neighbors front AND back yards, letting her dog poop wherever he wanted to (I think his name was "Fluffy"; for a chow he was a wimp) and they both traipsed through my backyard up to the front....I was on front porch and headed for my Akita to get ahold of him as I smelled trouble possibility....Akita ripped that stake right outa the yard and in a heartbeat had drunk chick pinned down with her left knee in his jaws, w/o even breaking her skin nor ripping any holes in her pants! My dog thought they were a threat to ME, as he didn't know them; that's the kinda dog Akitas are. I did have homeowners' insurance for stuff like that but after her DH came and dragged her and Fluffy back home (I had removed my Akita from her knee by then, no leg injuries) nothing ever happened except she never, ever walked Fluffy through either front nor back yards of my house. My gay neighbors next door to me, w/whom I was far friendlier, were in stitches (they themselves owned the occasionally-escaping Rotties that I would lead back to their house; they knew me well) and said she got what she deserved. They were quite anal about their beautiful yard which was protected from Fluffy & co. by extensive wrought-iron fencing; as for mine, I didn't care as my yard-care dude was a good pal of Fluffy's owners, LOL, and he had to deal w/Fluffy's gifts. At that point in his life, my Akita weighed 135#. Moral: if you stake 'em out, make sure they aren't strong enough to uproot that stake if P.O.'d by anything! Akitas are big, strong dogs. My father's akita would probably tear anything other than a concreted pilon out of the ground. She could also, in her younger days, easily jump 2 metres (6 ft) from a standing start, which made fencing her into any yard a difficult thing. She used to, as a party trick, jump *over* the head of my step-sister, who is about 5'10". Tish >You mentioned your childhood hospital roommate w/surgery for dog attack and >your curiosity re her present attitude toward dogs....I've already posted re [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] >his life, my Akita weighed 135#. Moral: if you stake 'em out, make sure >they aren't strong enough to uproot that stake if P.O.'d by anything! |
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