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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / February 2005OT A Dog's Life
A couple of weeks ago, as I passed a business near my house, I noticed a splendid big dog tied outside. He was a German shepherd type-dog, very heavy-boned-- but on closer examination, I saw that he was very young-- hardly more than a big puppy. He had bright, curious eyes, a doggy smile, and a big, fluffy, waggy tail. I went to take a closer look at him, and heard yelling from the open door. "No! No! Get away!" I stopped and looked at the men who had come outside. "He bites?" I said dubiously. This dog stood up, and was now looking expectantly at me with friendly eyes, and a still-wagging tail. I've certainly made mistakes about dogs before. But there was no sign of aggression, fear, or defensiveness with this dog. "Yes, he bites," they said, and I walked away, perplexed. Something not right there. A few days later, I was walking by, and the big waif had obviously worked his charms on another passerby. A young woman was petting him on the nose, which he was obviously enjoying. Again there was yelling from inside the door, and the lady was chased away. All of a sudden it hit me. That dog certainly is friendly! They don't *want* him to be friendly. My heart sank. Of course, the dog is enormous-- he's going to be a guard dog. These guys didn't get a huge dog just to eat a ton of food a day and be a pal. Later the same day, when I came home, the dog was being walked by a young man. Busybody that I am, I approached them, and told the young man what a beautiful dog it was. The dog's eyes lit up just as before, and his big fluffy tail started wagging. The young man, who didn't speak English well, just said "Don't touch." I said "He bites?" The boy said "I don't know. He might." This sounded pretty weaselly to me, and I said, "You don't want him to be nice. You want him to be mean." The boy said "He's a guard dog." I went away, my heart sinking more. There's really nothing I can do about this, unless they *really* mistreat him. But I can't imagine a very nice life for him. Even if they don't beat him, or tease him, or starve him, even if they take the modicum of humane care of him, this lovely dog will not have a happy life. There is nothing that makes me madder than the idea of taking an animal who so clearly has an open, friendly, trusting nature, and messing with that, and ruining it. I can't get him out of my mind. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > A couple of weeks ago, as I passed a business near my house, I noticed > a splendid big dog tied outside. He was a German shepherd type-dog, [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > Theresa I don't suppose unless you have evidence of mistreatment there is anything you can do. (sigh) But the poor dog obviously wants human affection and attention and they are denying him that. If they want a guard dog they should get a dog already trained for that, not try to force the role on a big pup who wants to play with people... grrrrr, some folks seriously tick me off. Oh, and why would you have a "guard dog" sitting outside your business in the first place? What, you don't want people to come into your place of business? Utterly ridiculous. Maybe you could call the Humane Society and ask for their opinion. They'll probably tell you next to nothing, but you never know... Jill Might want to contact a local german shepherd group. They are a popular dog so it's not unlikely there is one around. My concern, though, is that they would just go out and find themselves a new dog and do the same darn thing! PatM >Might want to contact a local german shepherd group. They are a >popular dog so it's not unlikely there is one around. My concern, >though, is that they would just go out and find themselves a new dog >and do the same darn thing! PatM Yeah, the same thing occured to me, too. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > A couple of weeks ago, as I passed a business near my house, I noticed > a splendid big dog tied outside. He was a German shepherd type-dog, [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > an open, friendly, trusting nature, and messing with that, and ruining > it. I can't get him out of my mind. And it's so unneccessary! Even a dog that is allowed to be friendly to strangers, is showered with love and affection, and is a big love bug, will defend his territory and his "pack" against aggressive strangers. You don't need an "attack" dog to defend yourself or your property. Even a tiny dog is good protection because most burglars will not take the chance that a barking dog will alert someone to their presence and will look for another target. Hugs, CatNipped > Theresa > Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh > My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > And it's so unneccessary! Even a dog that is allowed to be friendly to > strangers, is showered with love and affection, and is a big love bug, will [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > barking dog will alert someone to their presence and will look for another > target. This reminds me of a family friend and his dog. He had two German Shepherds in succession, Shaika and Shaika II. The original Shaika was trained as a guard dog. He loved her dearly, but made it very clear to me that she was extremely protective and wasn't the kind of dog you could just run up to and play with. Shaika the second was a fun, playful pup. Totally different personalities. Anyway, what I'm thinking is, these people don't seem to have any idea of what it takes to train a guard dog. They're just trying to raise a mean dog. That's bound to backfire, and when the dog eventually bites someone, it will be euthanized for the owner's ignorance. Very sad. And then there will be yet another data point "proving" that German Shepherds are vicious, when many of them are just big lovebugs. *sigh*  Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> And it's so unneccessary! Even a dog that is allowed to be friendly to >> strangers, is showered with love and affection, and is a big love bug, will [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >Anyway, what I'm thinking is, these people don't seem to have any idea of what >it takes to train a guard dog. They're just trying to raise a mean dog. Exactly. These aren't what you would call sophisticated people. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com >>A couple of weeks ago, as I passed a business near my house, I noticed >>a splendid big dog tied outside. He was a German shepherd type-dog, [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] >>Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh >>My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com This is soo sad. In my opinion the best way to create a guard dog is to treat it wonderfully so that it sees you as its family and wants to protect you, no training to be a guard dog is then needed. Our old dog was wonderful, even slept on the beds with us, shared our dinner, let me do anything with her but if someone knocked on the door, well that was a different matter! Sounds like they are teasing this dog to turn it bad, he can see all these lovely people who put their hands out to give him a lovely stoke then someone shouts from behind him and that lovely hand is taken away, this will only create a sad, sour dog who will be too much for the owners, very, very sad. SignatureBadger Badger Badger (snip) >This is soo sad. In my opinion the best way to create a guard dog is to >treat it wonderfully so that it sees you as its family and wants to [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >hand is taken away, this will only create a sad, sour dog who will be >too much for the owners, very, very sad. I hate to pass this kind of judgment on anyone, and in addition, I feel a kind of liberal guilt, since these people are immigrants. I hate uninformed knee-jerk prejudice against immigrants, because everybody's family came from somewhere else at some time-- and at some point in history, I'm sure somebody thought *my* ancestors were scum. But these are stupid, ignorant people, and IMO, perhaps dangerous-- I suspect the dog was obtained to protect something illegal-- and I'm a bit afraid of them myself. Interestingly enough I saw this this morning: http://www.slate.com/id/2113564/ I'm going to keep it in mind. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > (snip) >> This is soo sad. In my opinion the best way to create a guard dog [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Theresa I thought I posted something about this yesterday but I don't see it. I'd be tempted to find a "dog napper" if possible. That poor animal is just going to be miserable and possibly mean, but not a guard dog. Jill > I thought I posted something about this yesterday but I don't see it. I'd > be tempted to find a "dog napper" if possible. That poor animal is just > going to be miserable and possibly mean, but not a guard dog. I'm wondering if it would be possible to find some appropriate pamphlets and put them in their mailbox. I dunno, maybe I'm just a pollyanna, but I'd hope they could be shown the error of their ways. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> I thought I posted something about this yesterday but I don't see it. I'd >> be tempted to find a "dog napper" if possible. That poor animal is just [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >put them in their mailbox. I dunno, maybe I'm just a pollyanna, but I'd hope >they could be shown the error of their ways. I don't have the time to go into any big history here, but I just doubt it. These aren't what I'd call big readers. English is not their first language, either. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > I hate to pass this kind of judgment on anyone, and in addition, I > feel a kind of liberal guilt, since these people are immigrants. I People in most countries in the world treat their animals in horrible, horrible ways. I have absolutely no shame in passing judgement on those practices. SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com > Interestingly enough I saw this this morning: > http://www.slate.com/id/2113564/ I'm going to keep it in mind. I'm not sure what to think of this. On one hand, Fly was clearly being mistreated, and the authorities weren't about to do anything. On the other hand, vigilante activities are a slippery slope ... and how are we to readily distinguish them from the thieves who steal pets for lab work? Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> Interestingly enough I saw this this morning: >> http://www.slate.com/id/2113564/ I'm going to keep it in mind. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >hand, vigilante activities are a slippery slope ... and how are we to readily >distinguish them from the thieves who steal pets for lab work? Personally, I don't believe in most slippery slope arguments-- but that's just me. My lawyer friend tells me that they don't often stand up in court, either. I realize that there is no *legal* distinction, from the point of view that animals are property, and that the legal aspect here is certainly a deterrent to me taking any action. But IMO, thieves who steal pets for labs are ethically closer to the people who exploit their dog, because their behavior is based on the presumption that the animal is property and nothing more. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com >>> Interestingly enough I saw this this morning: >>> http://www.slate.com/id/2113564/ I'm going to keep it in mind. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > just me. My lawyer friend tells me that they don't often stand up in court, > either. Hrm, I think I meant this differently. I guess my issue is, who gets to decide what's abusive? Okay, so someone decided Fly was being neglected and saves him. That sounds plausible. But when my dog was jumping over or digging under the fence every day, we had him on a leash for a while as we were figuring things out. What if someone decided *that* was abuse? (It didn't work, anyway, as he chewed through the leash.) In general, I doubt this would happen, but I can imagine situations where overzealous "rescuers" could cause more harm than good. > I realize that there is no *legal* distinction, from the point of view that > animals are property, and that the legal aspect here is certainly a > deterrent to me taking any action. Well, it's also hard for a law enforcement official to guess at whether this particular van surreptitiously moving animals is a rescuer or a lab worker. It could muddy the waters and make it harder to find the really nasty guys. > But IMO, thieves who steal pets for labs are ethically closer to the people > who exploit their dog, because their behavior is based on the presumption > that the animal is property and nothing more. Agreed. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca Purrs on the way that the owners understand, ASAP, that they don't have to make the dog anti-social or mean in order for him to be a good guard dog. Either that, or that this dog gets turned into a PET (either theirs or for someone they give him to) and that they go get a pre-trained guard dog, if that's what they really want a dog for. Donna, Captain, and Stanley > A couple of weeks ago, as I passed a business near my house, I noticed > a splendid big dog tied outside. <snip sad story> Oh good grief! I cannot get it out fo my mind , either. What a pathetic life that dog will have. :*( -L. Thats so sad, that dog needs a loving family to return his obvious love of people,anyway how long do they keep him chained up that can be considered cruelty, which it is, maybe you could put a report in about that, I once saw a big dog no particular breed tied up outside a pub, I went to pet it and realised,it couldn't sit down properly, I think it was athritus in its back legs.I did my shopping and the poor thing was still there, and it was a very hot day, so I marched into the puband asked the barmaid if she knew who the dog belonged to , she wasn't sure she said but she thought he usually sat over there with those other men, pointing, I crossed to the table and asked who the owner of the dog was, they asked why so I told them one of them said he wasn't there at the moment, but it was none of my buisness. So I said no?well I'm making it my Buisness and I'll be reporting it, the dog hasn't even got a blanket to sit on and its been in that hot sun or at least an hour now and if I see it out there again or tied up outside *any* pub, I'll keep on reporting it, and cause a lot of trouble, you can tell that to 'him who isn't here, looking directly at the man who'd spoken as I was sure it was him I'm glad to say I never did see the dog there again,I just hope he didn't find another pub somewhere. Jean.P. > A couple of weeks ago, as I passed a business near my house, I noticed > a splendid big dog tied outside. He was a German shepherd type-dog, [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh > My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com "I crossed to the table and asked who the owner of the dog was, they asked why so I told them one of them said he wasn't there at the moment, but it was none of my buisness. So I said no?well I'm making it my Buisness and I'll be reporting it, the dog hasn't even got a blanket to sit on and its been in that hot sun or at least an hour" My Grandmother takes my dog Bonnie shopping with her. Bonnie wears normal engraved ID tags and a tag that says she is microchipped, as well as Cardiff City Council "Home again" registration tags. There is NO WAY she doesn't look like she belongs to someone who cares. Gran often ties her up outside the store when she shops, and Bonnie plays it for all she is worth, generally looking lost, abandoned and pathetic, as she has worked out that this is the quickest way to get the most pets and scritches. One day, a call came over the store intercom asking for the owner of "Bonnie" to report to the customer service desk. Apparently another customer had become concerned over the fact that Bonnie looked "Lost, abandoned and pathetic" outside the store. (bearing in mind she has 3 types of ID tags so definitely belonged to someone). As I pointed out to my Gran, who was upset at being accused of dog abadonment, better the other customer reported Bonnie to the store so that the store could address the issue of an possibly abandoned dog, than just ignore her and leave her to potentially heavens knows what. Whilst I was a little suprised that the customer reported Bonnie, it at least showed she cared. Sometimes, you DO have to interfere. Just my 0.02c Helen m I dont normally interfere, and I have left my dog tied up to go into shops, and petted dogs wating for their owners, but this dog was definately uncomfortable with his legs, and kept trying to sit while I petted and talked to him and couldn't, also the rotten bloke wasn't doing a bit of needed shopping, but sitting in comfort in a nice cool pub drinking cold beer with his cronies, while the dog suffered outside in the boiling sun,no water no mat for his weary bones, I couldn't help myself, I had to interfere. I still often think about that poor dog even though he's probably dead by now as he wasn't a young dog, and its about 8 yrs ago now,I'm sure your mother was surprised but she wasn't being cruel,also one dog i saw tied up near coogee beach had been lost I enquired at the chemist after I had again shopped,she said it had been there so long so I gave her my address and took the dog home, fed and watered it {i had a dog of my own} and then found a disc with its phone no; on I rang it and a child answered I told him I had his dog, he was so exci, ted and yelled out ' mam they've found thedog' can't remember his name {the dog,} but 'mam' came and collected him and brought me a bottle of champagne, I was just glad he got home, but why didn't the chemist staff check him and ring his family. Jean.P. > "I crossed to the table and asked > who the owner of the dog was, they asked why so I told them one of them [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > Helen m Last summer my girlfriend and I went to a big bi-annual garage sale the university here holds in underground parking. We parked by a car noticing that it had a dog in it. When we came back we saw the dog was still there and it was MUCH hotter out. We couldn't wait and there was no public announcement system so we got tarps and blankets out of her van and made this elaborate tent over the car (it was locked, darn it) and left a "note". I wished I could have been there when they returned. PatM Last summer my girlfriend and I went to a big bi-annual garage sale the university here holds in underground parking. We parked by a car noticing that it had a dog in it. When we came back we saw the dog was still there and it was MUCH hotter out. We couldn't wait and there was no public announcement system so we got tarps and blankets out of her van and made this elaborate tent over the car (it was locked, darn it) and left a "note". I wished I could have been there when they returned. PatM Last summer my girlfriend and I went to a big bi-annual garage sale the university here holds in underground parking. We parked by a car noticing that it had a dog in it. When we came back we saw the dog was still there and it was MUCH hotter out. We couldn't wait and there was no public announcement system so we got tarps and blankets out of her van and made this elaborate tent over the car (it was locked, darn it) and left a "note". I wished I could have been there when they returned. PatM |
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