When I was just a little guy we had a Chi Hoo Hoo/Pom cross and lord... that thing was distilled hate and rage and hell on wheels. Anything under 1200 lbs was fair game. He went after big dogs, big kids, and even horses. He went after me and even after I fed, walked, and picked up after him. He liked mom but the rest of us were chew toys. One day the little bastard got too close and bit me on the face and that was that for that. I went downstairs, got my hockey gloves and a stick ... and I cornered the little bastard and systematically beat him half to death. Anything less and he would just shrug it off. He was a tough little dog and no bones about it. I told mom if that little chainsaw EVER went after me again I was going to kill it. Preferably with a blow torch. I was serious too.
Fortunately the little shit learned something from his beating and whenever we crossed paths he pinned his ears back and growled at me... but he never attacked after that. He bit everyone else and once he got grandma so bad - he took her thumbnail right off. Mom just laughed and said "I TOLD you not to pet him!!!!" Those two kooks hated each other so the dog got a pass. My rule now is that my dawgs will bite only once - that is a capital offence and dogs that bite can't be around people. It's as simple as that.
Yesterday the wife came back from a week of herding and wrangling kids at the bible camp. I was sound asleep in my chair with the TV blaring and Hannah was zonked out beside me. The wife came in, shouted greetings up the stairs but we were both right out of it. She came up the stairs wanting to let us know she was home... and thought Hannah had croaked! The Niglet ALWAYS sounds the alarm when strangers are near... and I guess she didn't even appear to be breathing. The wife frantically gave the sleeping dog a gentle shake... and the Niglet freaked and bit her. I shat my pants as I awoke to pandemonium and the wife spanking the crap out of my dawg, cursing and my pup whining. This is NOT cool.
Hannah is my heart and my light... but if she EVER bites like that little shit I grew up with... she goes down and gets the $1.00 green needle - end of story. But...there are extenuating circumstances here. The pup was sound asleep, and she loves her mom and was deeply ashamed of herself afterward.
If this happens again... I have some super heavy leather blacksmiths gloves. I don't have a hockey stick... but I am sure something from the lumber pile can be made to work. I think it all was just an accident... but if it becomes a behaviour pattern... I WILL deal with it. There's kids running around in the park across the street all the time, there are old folks over once in awhile, and you can't let your dog be a loose cannon in the city.
Supersoaker on full auto works!
ReplyDeleteChutes Magoo
The dog woke up, held firmly and being shaken.
ReplyDeleteIf I got woken up like that I'd be doing something, anything,, because getting killed is a real potential outcome if that is what the beginning is. That bite? Never happened. It wouldn't go on my dogs scorecard. And they do have a scorecard.
Niglet gets a pass.
ReplyDeleteGrab me when I am sound asleep, I better get a pass too.
In the future turn down the volume on your idiot box, you sound like your mother.
Fitty
Well stated above, gets a pass. She immediately expressed regret. Likely, the immediate reaction from respected, loved Mom was MORE than an adequate lesson.
ReplyDeleteThere is NEVER a situation/reason to hit your dog. EVER. Aggressive dogs have always been beaten at some point in their life. Dogs react defensively when surprised; it's normal. So beating the dog for reacting the way it was supposed to has probably done irreparable damage. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteThe monks of New Skete have written about raising the perfect puppy, and they have been raising Shepherds for decades. They have an old book out there called "the art of raising a puppy" which I would encourage you to buy and read so that you can avoid treating your animals like an idiot in the future.There are many other sources out there which I would encourage you to find and learn from as well. Avoid the grifting morons on yewtube.
It has been my experience that people who dogmatically proclaim things using "NEVER" and "EVER" with a generous topping of wet-streets-cause-rain logic who are the real grifters.
DeleteFuck off.
DeleteIt was your wife's fault, not the pup's. Hasn't she ever heard of the saying, "Let sleeping dogs lie"? There's a reason for that truism and she failed to heed it.
ReplyDeletePoor Hannah. She was just startled. Probably in a deep sleep and your wife scared her. Unfortunate that was your wife's response to the situation.
ReplyDeleteThe little pup just caught us by surprise. She is a great dog and flies almost hands off. I will spank my dogs and if I still had them I’d spank my kid too. Some people can’t tell the difference between a spanking and a beating I guess… but if the situation warrants it, they get the spanking and get sent to their crate to think about their sins just as a child. It works, and Hannah is a better dog for it.
ReplyDeleteMy Hannah is actually a good little dog. She gets bratty and pushy like young dawgs do and usually gets by with a half assed punt or a swat. Usually an angry tone will do the trick too.
I think she was having a bad dream. I will pull her tail or give her a playful boot when she’s sleeping and she doesn’t care because she loves to play.