Hi

[twibstix]

Hi guys, welcome to this section, very chuffed that Jon and Kirsty liked my idea.

A bit about me. I own 6 dogs (or do they own me, never sure on that - as I type 2 are laid next to me fast asleep, one with her head in the crook of my elbow (her head is bobbing up and down as I type) and the "baby" is fast asleep with her head on my shoulder)

The dogs are Daisy, a 10 year old little Lurcher who still competes (and wins) at agility and flyball. Wilbur is a 9 year old Norwich x Westie with a typical Westie temper (if he dont want, he aint going to do), Zak and Evie are my Jacks (5 years old on 21 December), Rupert is 3.5 - he is a lemon and white Cocker Spaniel who has decided to live with his nanny Dragon (dont think he likes the plebs (the terrierists). Lastly (for now) is the baby. Purdey Blue is 8 months old (just) and is the most divine black Cocker Spaniel girl you would ever wish to meet (she is also a cow bag of the Royal Order on occassion).

I take my responsibility as a dog owner very seriously and train obedience classes (we play games a lot, people and dogs learn faster when they are having fun) on Monday evenings. In addition, my dogs do flyball and 4 of them compete in agility (Blue will when she is old enough). In addition, Daisy and Rupert have also worked on shoots and Daisy has won countless "Scurries" - she is the most fantastic dog I will ever know. I also train and run my own agility competitions each year and judge at agility shows too. You can see, dogs are my passion.

Any advice I will give on here will be based on common sense/what I have done with my dogs or seen others do with there's and I look forward to getting to know a few more doggy folk.

Laters x

[Rotherhamer]

Iv got a hyper active Border collie with adhd...train that bugger

[twibstix]

Dec 11, 2010 13:31:03 GMT Rotherhamer said:

Iv got a hyper active Border collie with adhd...train that bugger

Sadly in order for that to happen, you, as the owner have to do the work. Collies are very active minded dogs, not always suited to a pet home.

Sad story - last year I had a 14 year old lad who recognised that the family collie was not getting what she needed so started to bring her to my obedience classes, with the intention of getting her to behave well enough to start agility classes which she would have loved. The dog however, after 5 years of being able to do what she wanted (whilst she was shut in the bathroom/cupboard under the stairs to keep her away from the baby) decided the more he tried to do with her the more she would play up. To the extent that he put her in a Baskerville (basket) muzzle as she had started to bite (I saw the result of her pinning him up against a wall during one of the walks he took her on).

One night she had behaved impeccably - she had not growled at or even looked at another dog in an "off" way and she had been happy to let people fuss her (another one of her idiosycrasities - one moment she would be fine with folk and dogs, the next wanting to kill).

The lad was so happy I cant even begin to describe his face here, and he went to pat the dog, his body language open, his face relaxed and smiling, he did not back the dog into a corner, she did not have to defend herself against any dogs etc. All of a suddden the dog changed, really changed and she went for him. Without properly thinking (but also at the same time subconciously thinking the dog could not get me as she had a muzzle on) I dived on the dog to stop her getting the lad. At which point she promptly "got" me. I have been left permanently scarred on both forearms. The police would not do anything - she bit me on private land.

It was never his fault, the family should never have bought a dog, any dog, that they were not prepared to train. She is a very very intelligent dog, and intelligent dogs, if not properly stimulated will use that intelligence against you - sometimes in horrific ways.

The father rang me (at home, don't know how he got the number as I am ex directory but that's another story) to spologise and to tell me that they had decided that the dog had to go and that she was going to a rescue that Friday.

My belief is that this dog is/was beyond help and should have, for the sake of any kids, not least the one she had already scarred, and any people that she could come into contact with in a situation that would upset her (which were many and varied) that she needed to be pts (not something I say easily at all as a dog lover and trainer).

However, I contacted the rescue and explained what had happened. The woman at the rescue said that they had not told her of this (what a suprise there then), but had said that they were getting rid (their words) as the dog was too hyper round the kids. She further went on to say that they had, 2 years previously made arrangements for the same dog to go into rescue for the same reason, but had changed their minds and gone and collected her the next day. Personally I believe that, at 3 the dog may still have had a chance and, if I had taken a dog in from someone then they would not be getting it back.

Needless to say the dog did not go into rescue but instead spent the next 6 months back in the cupboard under the stairs/bathroom. She was eventually rehomed to a family who let the first family keep in touch, where she promptly savaged another child. She has now been pts.

Postscript - said family now have a German Shepherd, which has been bought to "toughen up to be a guard dog".

I realise your post was slightly tongue in cheek but your dog, your responsibility.

[Rotherhamer]

He,s my babby really ;D