lefty's random dog thread.

[videocrew]

I think mine might be a lab/whippet mix, she's unbelievably fast and regularly leaps things a couple times her height. She's scrappy as hell at the dog park though.

dcg- which Nashville park is that? This was taken at Centennial. I've seen people with pits at the park who don't get any trouble except for the same old women who whine about everything else there (I once heard one complain that the place was "too dirty." There's not a hint of trash anywhere, she was just concerned about the amount of dirt on the ground.)

 

[dcg]

Originally Posted by videocrew

I think mine might be a lab/whippet mix, she's unbelievably fast and regularly leaps things a couple times her height. She's scrappy as hell at the dog park though.

dcg- which Nashville park is that? This was taken at Centennial.
Mine as well...I thought the background looked familiar. Are you still in the area? Maybe I'll see you there. edit - yeah, the place could definitely use some grass seed.

 

[lefty]

Golden Retriever saves kid from cougar.

Dog partied later with some friends.

lefty

 

[kever]

Lefty/Jan,
I went to see a SBT breeder a few weeks ago (the one we had discussed over PM's), and I was pretty surprised at their size. Based on pictures I was expecting them to be bigger. It wasn't a bad thing at all, I was just expecting a taller, bigger dog. They were quite solid, but pretty short.
They were really affectionate towards people, but the breeder said that they are a bit of a dog/animal aggressive breed, and thats not something that they try to breed out of their dogs. They can trace thier dogs lineage back to about 1920, and some as far back as the 1890's. I'm not sure if that's important for any reason, but I found it interesting. They had mentioned that they come with a lifetime guarantee from genetic problems as well.

My question to you two (and any other dog experts), is should I be at all worried about the dog aggression? I knew this about the breed going in, but I'd like to know more info about it. The breeder had 6 dogs living there, and they seemed to do alright together (only one was a male). I won't be taking it to dog parks, and it will probably only interact with my girlfriends parents 2 dogs (from about 8 weeks of age it would meet them and get used to interacting with them). I'd be doing obedience classes as well. Would I have to worry about it snapping and attacking other dogs? Or is it just more of a "keep an eye on it while it's playing" kind of thing? I have no experience with this, so I'm curious what you guys have to say...

Thanks.

 

[lefty]

I wouldn't sweat dog aggression in a Staffy as it's a breed trait and should be present. It was/is acceptable for a show judge to ask that two terriers be sparred in a ring. The dogs are brought together and faced off while on lead. They damn well better posture up on the other dog or they could and should be dismissed for lacking character and proper temperament.

Watch your dog around others and you should be fine. Remember that dog fights are usually not that serious. Lots of howling but little damage.

Staffies are small dogs:
Height: Dogs 14-16 inches (36-41cm) Bitches 13-15 inches (33-38cm)
Weight: Dogs 25-38 pounds (11-17kg) Bitches 23-35 pounds (10-16kg)

I'd rather see testing than lifetime guarantees, but get the guarantee in writing. Replacement dog? Refund? Are you prepared to give up the dog you're emotionally invested in for a replacement? Ask for referrals and go visit those dogs. Look at what they're breeding to and talk to those breeders.

lefty

 

[dcg]

Originally Posted by kever

I won't be taking it to dog parks, and it will probably only interact with my girlfriends parents 2 dogs (from about 8 weeks of age it would meet them and get used to interacting with them).

What kind of dogs do your g/f's parents own? Male or female, and which gender were you considering for your SBT?

My dog is fine with other dogs, but prey drive is through the roof (where prey = cats, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, birds, etc).

Not sure if I told the story here, but she caught a bird once. Admittedly this was much more attributable to the bird's stupidity than to her hunting prowess.

 

[lefty]

A strong prey drive makes OB training that much easier. Pick up a tug as a reward.

Failing that, a bag of chipmunks will also work.

lefty

 

[dcg]

Originally Posted by lefty

Failing that, a bag of chipmunks will also work.

lefty

Should the bag be transparent, or is the odor of chipmunk usually sufficient?

 

[lefty]

It's the squeals that matter. That why Richard Gere could never train dogs.

lefty

 

[kever]

Originally Posted by dcg

What kind of dogs do your g/f's parents own? Male or female, and which gender were you considering for your SBT?

..

They have a labradoodle (female) and a cockapoo (male).

I wanted a male SBT, but would be fine with a female. Do they have significantly different temperments based on gender?

 

[dcg]

I see, thank you.

On a more serious note, do you have any recommendations for very sturdy tugs? She chews through almost anything. I gave her a black kong (the "extreme" version made for strong/powerful chewers) and she had a chunk bitten out of it in less than an hour. So far the only things that've lasted are the red kong balls (the ones that are solid rubber all the way through) and nylabones.

Edit - kever, I asked only because if their dogs were of the same gender, you'd be best served by getting the other. Since they have one of each, I'd say just go ahead and get whichever is your preference. I've seen various opinions on gender temperament but nothing really definitive. For me personally, gender wasn't all that high on the priority list when I was looking at pups (had a slight preference for a female just because I was hoping she'd end up on the smaller side).

 

[lefty]

Originally Posted by kever

I wanted a male SBT, but would be fine with a female. Do they have significantly different temperments based on gender?

It depends.

I've seen bitches that were hard as a rock and dogs that were swishy. Olde Time dog guys would say that a spayed ***** is a great choice for a family protector and I've seen that true and not. Males will obviously be more aggressive with other males.

Go for the puppy you like in a litter you admire. A few pages back there is a list of tests for a puppy. Take a look at them. You want a puppy that places in the top 2 or 3 of each category. Evaluate each puppy away from the others and be brutally honest in your evaluation. Basically you want a confident, bright puppy.

If you're going to spay/neuter, do so after 1 year. You may have to work this out wth your breeder.

lefty

 

[lefty]

There are many tugs out there: leather, suede, jute, firehose, nylon. Here.

I like leather, jute or bitesuit material. I was always concerned that firehouse or synthetics could wear a dog's teeth prematurely. Get a larger tug that you think you need. 3-4" X 10".

Tug is used as a reward and is not a toy. That is, it only comes out when you want it to and for short periods of training. You're trying to build drive here and anticipation is a big part of that.

The other important item is a whistle. Look for a Fox 40. This will help you develop a solid recall - the single most important command you have. It could save your dog's life one day.

lefty

 

[dcg]

Thanks, that looks like a great site. I'll try a few and see what works best.

 

[Mblova]

Originally Posted by lefty

Random stuff.

Seagal training protection dogs:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later. I AGREE

TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags.

Friend of mine is the exec on this show. Seagal has a 10% compression clause, that is, his image is compressed 10% to make him look thinner.

-----

Bernard Flinks puppy evaluation test. Worth looking at if you're considering a puppy.

Test 1. (Exploring the room)

Immediately explores, relaxed body posture, behaves confidently.
Explores after short hesitation, but then confidently.
Explores only after extended period, tense body posture, careful.
Almost does not explore, very careful.
Does not explore at all, clear signs of fear.

Test 2. (Coming to a stranger)

Comes immediately and confidently up to the person, head and body posture confident.
Comes immediately but somewhat guarded in the last stretch, head and body posture slightly tense.
Comes after a short time, somewhat guarded, head and body posture clearly tense.
Comes, but with clear signs of fear.
Does not come, clearly afraid.

Test 3. (Retrieve test - rolling a ball)

Immediately chases ball, takes ball in mouth and carries it, good speed.
Immediately chases ball, first smells and then takes ball in mouth, speed OK.
Hesitantly walks after ball, but takes ball in mouth, carries.
Hesitantly walks after ball, smells it, does not pick up.
Does not follow ball.
Clearly is afraid.

Test 4. (Coming to two strangers)

Comes immediately and confidently up to the persons, head and body posture confident.
Comes immediately but somewhat guarded in the last stretch, head and body posture slightly tense.
Comes after a short time, somewhat guarded, head and body posture clearly tense.
Comes, but with clear signs of fear.
Does not come, clear signs of fear.

Test 5. (Paw pressure - 10 seconds)

Allows it calmly and confidently (positive)
Defends himself energetically and aggressively (positive)
Pulls briefly, then allows it calmly and confidently.
Shows unsureness and clear inhibition, tries to free himself.
Panicky behavior, clear fear.

Test 6. (Laying on his back)

Lies confidently and relaxed, legs and paws are relaxed (positive)
Turns energetically and confidently, eventually becomes aggressive (positive)
Lies calmly, but tense, legs and paws are stiff.
Shows clear signs of fear.
Panicky behavior, urinates.

Test 7. (Noise)

Not frightened and inspects the bucket.
Briefly startled and inspects the bucket.
Frightened and inspects the bucket only after quite some time.
Clearly frightened and avoids the bucket.
Clearly shows fear.

Test 8. (Cigarette pack - empty box)

Chases fully committed, immediately takes in mouth, fights.
Chases, takes in mouth.
Chases after short motivation, takes in mouth.
Only chases after quite some time, takes in mouth.
Chases, does not take in mouth.
Does not chase.

Test 9. (Nerves)

Making attraction with the box, then pulling the box up
Watches the box for a long time (more than 5 seconds) without letting himself be distracted.
Watches the box briefly, then jumps and barks at the box.
Watches the box briefly, becomes distracted and then watches the box again.
Watches the box only briefly, then is no longer interested.

lefty

shouldn't there be a point value attached to each one so that at the end you can add up the points and see what category the puppy falls into?