The New Offical Mutts of the House thread

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A howler yikes....one thing about a dog for me is it has to be quiet unless someone's on the porch at the door, then they should be alarming.
 
Well said!
Not to mention the Otis's.
Look at that happy face. He knows he's won the lottery:)
 
yep, think we both won on this deal:)

He's doing well, I think, for being in the shelter the amount of time he was. He has a bit of an issue with freedom and big spaces (daring about one new room per day in the house), but is doing well outside on the leash.

He's getting "come' and 'Sit" pretty well. He's very quiet and hasn't barked yet...grunting & such are more his thing.

Did pretty good at the pet store, dealing with automatic doors, slippery floor, other dogs, people passing by and squeaking the toys on the shelves.

Had a guest over to play music last night...did great...just laid or sat there and listened.

He seems to be more attention than food oriented for rewarding...he'd rather get petted and praised then get a treat...first time I've seen that, but fine by me. Completely disinterested when I am eating, even if he's laying next to me.
 
There's an old saying that you get out of a dog, what you put into a dog.

Certainly true in both senses!

My all time favorite was a pure bred German Shepard, father pure black straight from Germany, mother a large American line shepards, outweighing the father by 30 lbs. Their son Strider was bought by me at 6 weeks, for home protection, shortly after my first child's birth. Took him through general obedience classes, hand signal commands, the whole nine yards, and what a guard dog, great with kids n seniors, but a nose for trouble makers with ill intent.

Hated staying home and doing what I bought him for!

But loved going to work with me n guardin my truck!

125 lbs, just as big as mom, and nowhere near as vicious as his pure black father, an 85 hellion, and natnl shutzin champ or something. Strider died young though, like a lotta good things do, of pancreatic cancer, probably from breathin too much carbon monoxide riding in the back of my worktruck!
 

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cool. Did you have an actual puzzle made or is that an overlay on the picture?

looks like a puzzle to me...
 
Otis was probably starved for attention for a long time, which is why he favors that over food.
That is a good thing, since it'll make him a lot easier to train.
I've had the same thing with an old dog, I got by marrying the owner.
Her first husband had died from losing a long, drawn out battle with leukemia, so the dog had pretty much been neglected for a couple of years.
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but that 9 year old Alsatian mix, sure was easy to train.
He just wanted to please me so much, so I'd keep on doing stuff with him.
 
cool. Did you have an actual puzzle made or is that an overlay on the picture?

looks like a puzzle to me...

That was my wife's handiwork, the puzzle picture of Strider was made to console my heartbroken daughter upon Strider's passing at 7 years old. Pets and their passings teach children about the grimmer realities of this world.
 

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Jomo, your wife sounds like a pretty smart person...great idea.

Stig, I figure the same with Otis...he loves attention and approval, so I'm using that to our advantage. With me having time off for the Winter, it probably was the right time to get him...spending lots of time together (he's sleeping at my feet as I type), is going to hasten the bonding and training that needs to take place. I've been having a new person pet/pay attention him each day under my supervision to socialise him a bit better, as he spent so much time in a cage recently that he's a touch skittish, but is doing very well so far, for only a few days, I think.
 
She was Fid!

She balanced my evil n stupidness quite effectively.

Explains why I'm such a jerk now!
 

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Scares n consoles me to the very core of my being, that she still lives on so vividly in my dreams.

Wakes me up all agitated with my heart poundin...

Jomo
 
Stig, any recommended reading on dog training? I am going to get a Alsatian cross at some point and I'd like to do some homework first.
 
I think the same thing happens to my Father In Law Jomo. Hope I dont have to go through that someday.

I read somewhere that women deal with the loss better than the men.

First thing you have to do is learn how to swear in Danish, Peter.
 
Peter, I'll ask my buddy who trains dogs.
He lent me an interesting book about how the look at how the alpha male role should be filled has changed recently.
Can't remember if it is in English though.
 
Congratulations Dave! Great looking dog. I'm sure you two have many good times to come. They're very personable dogs!
 
Stig, any recommended reading on dog training? I am going to get a Alsatian cross at some point and I'd like to do some homework first.

Peter, I called my friend, and of course the book is in Swedish!
Best way in my experience is to beforehand decide what you want the dog to be able to do, then concentrate solely on that, instead of wasting time on a bunch of unnecessary exercises..

My dogs can only do maybe 6 things but they can do them 110% every time.
 
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