For those that haven't yet, get a dog! Time is slipping away.

[firebird]

Ok folks, we have all read the headlines. theives are getting brazen these days and will stop at nothing to rob homes. Even broad daylight isn't a deyerrent. For those of you that haven't, it is time for a good dog. I know some will say they can't, but I would do everything possible to get one. Things are happening fast and a puppy needs time to grow up and become a part of your family. Time is ticking away!

Get one, train it, love it, let your place be his/her place and the dog will protect you, your home and your preps. A good dog will alert to danger, protect you from a perp and always protect it's family. But a dog needs time, you usually cannot just bring in an adult dog and expect it to be an instant family member. In 6 months, a large breed dog will be your best first line of defense.

I don't think a ghost could sneak onto our property. Our 1/2 Pit is pure muscle and afraid of nothing. She would probably take on a bear if she had to. NOBODY drives onto our place unanounced, they know this is her place. She is well trained, adores children but will not tolerate shifty characters. She is also as much a member of my family as my children. Our other male dog follows her lead (as she is the dominant) and will protect as she does. if she signals ok, he is ok.

Other than that, get a good weapon for protection. I think time is short.

[lcdub]

Got the dog already, but I do need a electronic security system to go along with it that the dog won't set off. Anyone have a suggestion of what type?

[blindhog]

Don't get a pit bull, 3 just killed a 6 yr old girl in my home town this last monday. They were family pets. It's not the first time I have known pit bulls to kill family children, and right in front of the adults who could not seperate them.
I don't like dobies, mastiffs, sheperds either.
Get a barking dog, not an attack dog.

Google Thomasville Times for the story on the 3 pit bulls killing the little girl in front of her step-dad.
Better yet here's the link.

http://timesenterprise.com/

[nchomemaker]

I have 2 sisters, part boxer/ part pit that we raised since puppies 7 months ago. We have them in the house at night but what about during the day when they are in their chain link fence in the back of the house? I can't have them in the house all day and they need their exercise which they get out in their fenced in area. How are they gonna protect me if they are in their fence and somebody gets in the front door before I can let them in?

[sierrahpbt]

Ok folks, we have all read the headlines. theives are getting brazen these days and will stop at nothing to rob homes. Even broad daylight isn't a deyerrent. For those of you that haven't, it is time for a good dog. I know some will say they can't, but I would do everything possible to get one. Things are happening fast and a puppy needs time to grow up and become a part of your family. Time is ticking away!

Get one, train it, love it, let your place be his/her place and the dog will protect you, your home and your preps. A good dog will alert to danger, protect you from a perp and always protect it's family. But a dog needs time, you usually cannot just bring in an adult dog and expect it to be an instant family member. In 6 months, a large breed dog will be your best first line of defense.

I don't think a ghost could sneak onto our property. Our 1/2 Pit is pure muscle and afraid of nothing. She would probably take on a bear if she had to. NOBODY comes onto our place unannounced, they know this is her place. She is well trained, adores children but will not tolerate shifty characters. She is also as much a member of my family as my children. Our other male dog follows her lead (as she is the dominant) and will protect as she does. if she signals ok, he is ok.

Other than that, get a good weapon for protection. I think time is short.


WE HAVE 4 DOGS.... a 3 year old male german shephard, a 2 year old half rotty/half lab and 2 smaller maltese! NOTHING goes on around my house without me knowing! they hear things lightyears before I do!
this is very good advise! just remember to make sure you prep for them too!

[ScottyKarate]

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/CLETUS_08/lucy55.jpg


Grrrrrr.....stay away from my mommy!

[firebird]

Don't get a pit bull, 3 just killed a 6 yr old girl in my home town this last monday. They were family pets. It's not the first time I have known pit bulls to kill family children, and right in front of the adults who could not seperate them.
I don't like dobies, mastiffs, sheperds either.
Get a barking dog, not an attack dog.

Google Thomasville Times for the story on the 3 pit bulls killing the little girl in front of her step-dad.
Better yet here's the link.

http://timesenterprise.com/

Very sad, I remember that story. So many owners of Pits are the problem, not the dog. They want to be "bad" and they want a "bad" dog to go with the attitude. We used to have a Chihuahua that was so mean it bit every person it could reach. Our dog went to obedience training and even slept in out bed till she was too big. I have had a many as 6 children all over her and she loved it!

Well, in order to keep this from being a Pit Bull bashing thread, get the kind of dog you are comfortable with. But remember, a toy poodle isn't much for protection. If a perp gets by my "Lady" he will be in bad shape and I will know that a bad situation is on the way and I will be ready. Although, I imagine a perp will look for an easier target and just pass me by.

[cider]

I'm so very allergic to dogs. :( Can't have them inside.

I'll have to look for a killer cat.

Hah ha I just looked at my dogs on my avatar. Ferocious!

[Cassandra]

My pair of cats won't let me get a dog.

[packyderms_wife]

Have sheltie - she barks and is territorial! The weimeraner hides behind me.

Kimberly

[kaasbo]

file:///Users/newuser/Pictures/Boone/boone.JPG

Boone says, "Golden Horde? DOGFOOD, Daddy!"file:///Users/newuser/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.jpg

[packyderms_wife]

I have 2 sisters, part boxer/ part pit that we raised since puppies 7 months ago. We have them in the house at night but what about during the day when they are in their chain link fence in the back of the house? I can't have them in the house all day and they need their exercise which they get out in their fenced in area. How are they gonna protect me if they are in their fence and somebody gets in the front door before I can let them in?

Run the fence around to the front of the yard as well?

Kimberly

[firebird]

Run the fence around to the front of the yard as well?

Kimberly

Fortunately, our property is completely perimeter fenced, but yes, fence the front and give them access.

[blindhog]

It's mainly the bark to warn you. I have some good barkers (my wife's poodles).

Yes a big badazz teeth bared growling 100 lb guard dog is much more intimidating, but little poodles don't shed!
And the poop is way smaller.....

[firebird]

It's mainly the bark to warn you. I have some good barkers (my wife's poodles).

Yes a big badazz teeth bared growling 100 lb guard dog is much more intimidating, but little poodles don't shed!
And the poop is way smaller.....


Agreed, our Chihuahua has radar ears and his poop is the size of your pinky finger.

[AnnieOakley]

I have been considering getting a fila but don't think my allergies would allow it. I may have to rely on my attack parrots. They let me know when someone is around the house and their bite is vicious.

[Emily]

I have 2 sisters, part boxer/ part pit that we raised since puppies 7 months ago. We have them in the house at night but what about during the day when they are in their chain link fence in the back of the house? I can't have them in the house all day and they need their exercise which they get out in their fenced in area. How are they gonna protect me if they are in their fence and somebody gets in the front door before I can let them in?

Any of the national firms are good.
They all have a 'stay' or 'away' option.

The 'away' has motion detectors so if you have a dog who is in the house while you are gone then you would just use the 'stay' option so the motion detectors aren't activated.

You will also want one that has at least two radio style / digital style back ups. That way if they cut the phone lines and try to jam any frequencies you are all set. I'm not sure why they would go to that much trouble when there are so many others without an alarm system at all.

Most of them offer free installation and then monthly monitoring contracts.

Mine also has a fire and radon detectors.

[firebird]

Years ago we had an Akita, amazing dog. If a salesman came to the front door and saw her through the glass, they would fall down the front steps trying to get away even before we came to the door.

[bph]

Got six.....all over 50 lbs....I think we're probably safe for now....

[blindhog]

Got six.....all over 50 lbs....I think we're probably safe for now....


Now that there's some POOP!

[Sherrynboo]

We have two St. Bernards and a husky who is worthless. The saints will defend to the death, the husky will lie low and hope no one sees him! I am a firm believer in having large dogs.

Sherry in GA

[bph]

Now that there's some POOP!

Yeah, if we could sell that, well....you know....

Hmmmm...

[Princessla]

Our dog guarding the door...

owell photo not showing up.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2750/2452/1600/IMG_2085.0.jpg

[Southwind]

I have an American Staffordshire Terrier (Looks like a Pit but bigger), a LabX and three Mal Xs that have taken down intruders in the past.
Pits are Not the best guard dog, they have a strong prey drive. Get a guard dog breed for protection. You still can't beat a German Shepherd for a family guardian.

[janetn]

I would like to recomend a dog breed that is overlooked. Austrailian shepards. They are great family dogs very even tempered and smart, yet the herding instinct in them makes them a exellent dog for protection. No training needed, its their nature to protect. I have a mixed Austrailian shepard, we have had her for 15 years. She protects my grandchildren naturally, loves to play even at her age. Not a designer dog for sure but great great dogs

[firebird]

I have an American Staffordshire Terrier (Looks like a Pit but bigger), a LabX and three Mal Xs that have taken down intruders in the past.
Pits are Not the best guard dog, they have a strong prey drive. Get a guard dog breed for protection. You still can't beat a German Shepherd for a family guardian.

Our girl is 1/2 Pit and 1/2 Catahoula. She has all of the Pit looks but mostly Catahoula personality. She is bigger than most Pits too because of the mixed blood. She has a very strong drive to herd the horses. Our male is Catahoula and Australian Shepherd, man does he like to herd!

[timbo]

We have 3 dogs, one a shepherd. She has this gigantic bark/howl that could break Crystal stemware from 50' away. She is constantly observing everything especially when we are outside.

But she isn't as sensitive to outside noise like the Jack Russell. The Jack and the Corgi compete on who hears what first.

Tell you the truth, I think all 3 of them could rip somebody a new........donkey.

They have ears that I don't even come close to having.

I love to sit with the Jack in my lap outside in the summer and look where she is looking.

She spots things out to 50 yards......any movement and she is fixed on it.

That could come in handy as well.

[nchomemaker]

Extend the fence around to the front of the house, easier said than done! No money to buy new fencing. I will look on Craig's list and maybe can some for free or cheap.

[Too Late]

Do you guys have any idea how many hoops the tree-huggers make you jump throught to "adopt" an animal anymore? You have to fill-out a three-page application, have no children under the age of 6, have a fully fenced yard, and be willing to submit your house to a through inspection (if they require) by these Nazis just to "adopt" an animal around here!

We'd love to get a small dog (something like a Jack Russel Terrier or a Poodle mix; unfortunately working dogs are not an option for us) to act as an alarm dog, but having children under six seems to be an immediate disqualification according to both the shelters and breeders around here. :evil:

[Meemur]

Too Late -- I know about them making perspective owners jump through hoops. One so-called Adoption Counselor wanted to do a "home visit." No. I walked out at that point. Strangers aren't allowed in my house, especially since I'm still working on securing certain preps.

I don't need her observations blabbed all over the place.

That's one aspect I'm totally leaving in the Lord's hands at this point. If He thinks I need a dog, He'll send me one.

[Spike n Ree]

Don't get a pit bull, 3 just killed a 6 yr old girl in my home town this last monday. They were family pets. It's not the first time I have known pit bulls to kill family children, and right in front of the adults who could not seperate them.
I don't like dobies, mastiffs, sheperds either.
Get a barking dog, not an attack dog.

Google Thomasville Times for the story on the 3 pit bulls killing the little girl in front of her step-dad.
Better yet here's the link.

http://timesenterprise.com/

I agree with you 100%. I have read too many articles about wrotttwilers and pit bulls attacking and killing children and in some cases adults. I believe it should be illegal to own them.

[Sarah]

We have three dogs who think they are human. The Jack Russell and MinPin are the house dogs that are good "barkers". At the farm we have a dog we "rescued" that is part pit part lab. Fortunately his personality is like a lab-friendly goofy likes to play but he has a big, loud bark at anything which is good. Our horses are actually good "watch dogs" at the farm. They are very nosey and whinny, snort and stomp around when someone or something new comes around. A stray dog came in the field and one of our standardbreds put his head down and charged at him like a bull swatting at him with his front hoof-it was pretty impressive.

[scruffy]

ditto on the aussies, had 2 of them over the yrs, very smart,very protective
have also found a pair of dogs tend to listen better and seem to be a little happier, and at times when someone not of the family drops by, its almost like they talk to each other of, you go do the barking, I ll slip up behind them

on the person who could not have dogs, and wanted a attack cat, look at a Siamese, yrs back a person I knew had a pair of siamese cats, that would come running and attack your legs, VICIOUSLY , if they didnt know you,
(found out the hard way , when I didnt listen to the get out now!, couldnt figure out what the guy was yelling about, since he had just let me in the door, , till my leg got shredded, never saw or heard them till the pain started)
and the sign in the door that said beware of attack cats was not a joke.

turned out he thought the cats were in the pen, till he saw them coming and just couldnt get all the words out quick enough

[momof23goats]

I have 2 huge great pyres. i hunted all over until I found a breeder, that has the large badger colored ones. I got 2 males. and I have pom's in the house. but I have my order in for 2 more of the great pyrenees. these dogs are herd dogs. loyal to the bone to me. great around babies and children, good with the little dogs, and you don't come into their space, if you don't belong here.
they will attack. come over that fence or gate at night, they are on you for sure.
These dogs, are really gentle giants. my male 3 pound pom, can back away the big dogs from treats ,or food. They are that gentle. but will also bring mom a piece of jacket sleeve, or a nice piece of jeans, taken from some one jumping over the gate to get in on the land.
they sleep during the day, and night they patrol the land. all night.

[packyderms_wife]

An idea is look in the local pennywise flier as most are losing their homes they need a place for their pets to go live as well. You may have to take more than one dog or a dog and a cat but it beats having to submit to hving your home inspected.

I'm on a canine list on Yahoo and the complaints there about the pet nazi's are they want the elite to own them only. Apparently in some states if your salary is over a certain amount no questions are asked which I find totally ridiculus as rich people tend to ignore their pets AND their children more than poor folks do.

Kimberly

[Meemur]

"Pet Nazis" -- what a great description!

Good idea about the local flyers. My first though was the shelter because I wanted to save a life, but you're right about people having to give up pets.

[Homesteader1]

I would like to recomend a dog breed that is overlooked. Austrailian shepards. They are great family dogs very even tempered and smart, yet the herding instinct in them makes them a exellent dog for protection. No training needed, its their nature to protect. I have a mixed Austrailian shepard, we have had her for 15 years. She protects my grandchildren naturally, loves to play even at her age. Not a designer dog for sure but great great dogs


100%++ We have an Aussie and a Border collie/ blue healer cross. Both are great at alerting us and the Aussie is VERY protective of our Dd and the Border collie is VERY protective of me, just ask my Dh who was tickling me and got a good nip on the back of his thigh. He was protecting me so didn't get into trouble. He also watches me when with the cows, always close enough if there is a problem he's great help. Both look and sound viscious and that is how we like to keep it. I don't ever tell anyone, " Our dogs don't bite" instead I say, " Well to date they've not bitten anyone."

[Filas are prima]

We have two St. Bernards and a husky who is worthless. The saints will defend to the death, the husky will lie low and hope no one sees him! I am a firm believer in having large dogs.

Sherry in GA

There ya go-proof that dogs are bred for the work they are designed for!
of course the husky won't guard, he's designed to run off and pull the sled.
The Saint Bernards are molossers, and designed to guard their families.
Take a look at my black Fila photo, no one messes with my world with 11 Fila Brasileiros on patrol.
For sure homestead protection, buy a pup from a breed that has been selected for generations to guard families and hate strangers!

[Caplock50]

Well...lets see. I have...ummm...five adult dogs...and two are mothers with a total of 14 pups. Is that enough dogs?

Anybody want one? All it'll cost ya is the trip down here. Heck, I'll even throw in a free 3# coffeecan full of dog food.

I think I have the best kind of dogs there are for protecting me and mine. They are all scared of their own shadows. That means they'll bark at any and everything that comes around...and then will get well out of my way so I can 'take care of business'. I won't have to worry about accidentally shooting one of them or tripping over them, because they'll be about a mile down the road. And when the gun goes off, they'll move another mile away.

But, hey, I *am* serious about giving the pups away. Come and get 'em! Free can of dog food goes with the pups...each. You take two; you get two cans. 3; three cans. All 14; you get a 50 pound bag...free.

[SJR]

Any of the national firms are good.
They all have a 'stay' or 'away' option.

The 'away' has motion detectors so if you have a dog who is in the house while you are gone then you would just use the 'stay' option so the motion detectors aren't activated.

You will also want one that has at least two radio style / digital style back ups. That way if they cut the phone lines and try to jam any frequencies you are all set. I'm not sure why they would go to that much trouble when there are so many others without an alarm system at all.

Most of them offer free installation and then monthly monitoring contracts.

Mine also has a fire and radon detectors.


We bought an upgraded sensor when we had the security system installed. It allows a certain "weight" of animal without setting off the alarm when it is set at "away". Mine is for movement for up to an 80 pound person or animal. We'd bought a basset hound pup just before the install, and had no idea what size the dog would be when full grown. I knew the sensor that came with the advertised alarm package was going to be too lightweight. Glad we did, as the dog is nearing 60 pounds. We use the "stay" setting at night when we're in bed. Had never used it at all when at home, but after being robbed by someone who came in pretending to be a "buyer" of my home, and the warning from police he or friends might come back, we now activate the alarm at night. Of course, at night there's a mean looking shotgun at hand in case the alarm goes off.

[Limner]

An idea is look in the local pennywise flier as most are losing their homes they need a place for their pets to go live as well. You may have to take more than one dog or a dog and a cat but it beats having to submit to hving your home inspected.

I'm on a canine list on Yahoo and the complaints there about the pet nazi's are they want the elite to own them only. Apparently in some states if your salary is over a certain amount no questions are asked which I find totally ridiculus as rich people tend to ignore their pets AND their children more than poor folks do.

Kimberly

Now, THAT'S something! It wouldn't surprise me if the stories were right. We had a English Mastiff that we had to have put down when pretty young because of a genetic disease; nothing a vet could do about it. Heartbroken, I went to Mastiff rescues and was turned down because we didn't make enough income. A local family had a litter, and the love sponge on my avatar chose ME. Crawled right up in my lap after having refused to come to anyone else looking at her siblings. Her "brother" is a half Rottie, half Bull Mastiff that one of my sons brought home and then left. They are exact opposites in personality and behavior, eat well (I cook for them) and sleep by the woodstove at night. And they are absolutely glued to me when I am home. They are my "fur babies," a bit spoiled but they have been a gift from the Lord. Hubby has no worries about my safety when he has to be away.

[Midnight Blue]

Ok folks, we have all read the headlines. theives are getting brazen these days and will stop at nothing to rob homes. Even broad daylight isn't a deyerrent. For those of you that haven't, it is time for a good dog. I know some will say they can't, but I would do everything possible to get one. Things are happening fast and a puppy needs time to grow up and become a part of your family. Time is ticking away!

Get one, train it, love it, let your place be his/her place and the dog will protect you, your home and your preps. A good dog will alert to danger, protect you from a perp and always protect it's family. But a dog needs time, you usually cannot just bring in an adult dog and expect it to be an instant family member. In 6 months, a large breed dog will be your best first line of defense.

I don't think a ghost could sneak onto our property. Our 1/2 Pit is pure muscle and afraid of nothing. She would probably take on a bear if she had to. NOBODY drives onto our place unanounced, they know this is her place. She is well trained, adores children but will not tolerate shifty characters. She is also as much a member of my family as my children. Our other male dog follows her lead (as she is the dominant) and will protect as she does. if she signals ok, he is ok.

Other than that, get a good weapon for protection. I think time is short.

We have a golden lab that is only friendly with the five of us. He barks and growls at everyone else, even people he has been around before, we don't know why he does that even with family.

[TeeHee]

Look into a Belgian Malinois as well. They are used as Military and K-9 dogs. Much like a German Shep, but not as scared. ;)

[firebird]

I remember waking up one night and thinking to myself, "man, the wife is sure snoring tonight!" I rolled over and was looking right at "Lady" with her head on MY pillow snoring like a mule! I guess she is part of the family huh?

[TeeHee]

Firebird... yep. At least it wasn't a doggie fart (can I say that?) that hit you in the nose instead of the snore hitting your ears...

I have plenty of Three Dog Nights, even if it isn't cold outside.

I love my fir kids, and they love me. I know they'd give their life for my family, but hope and pray that they will never have to.

I'm serious about telling people to check into Belgian Malinois. I'll never be without one for the rest of my life.

[CacheBird]

Another option to consider is GEESE.

I used to raise geese, and they really, really create a racket when strangers come by. Some geese have been known to, ummm, well, NIP people in the, well, whatever they can get to. I raised mine all from babies, with the help of Jr. High school and neighbor kids, and they were all pretty friendly with the kids. The Adults, however, were tolerated by all but one or two of the geese. And Hercules was an entirely differently story all together. He would take on a dog if he wanted to, and win!

So, if you can't have dogs, some good old african weeders will trim your weeds, lawn and keep undesirables out of your yard.

CacheBird

[bambipei]

Well...lets see. I have...ummm...five adult dogs...and two are mothers with a total of 14 pups. Is that enough dogs?

Anybody want one? All it'll cost ya is the trip down here. Heck, I'll even throw in a free 3# coffeecan full of dog food.

I think I have the best kind of dogs there are for protecting me and mine. They are all scared of their own shadows. That means they'll bark at any and everything that comes around...and then will get well out of my way so I can 'take care of business'. I won't have to worry about accidentally shooting one of them or tripping over them, because they'll be about a mile down the road. And when the gun goes off, they'll move another mile away.

But, hey, I *am* serious about giving the pups away. Come and get 'em! Free can of dog food goes with the pups...each. You take two; you get two cans. 3; three cans. All 14; you get a 50 pound bag...free.

Cap, you're a hoot. If I lived closer I might take ya up on that offer. It would be worth it just to meet you sir.

[ColoradoGirl]

I have the Cane Corso. In fact I have some of the best in the world (little brag) They are great family/kid dogs but don't like strangers much.

When bad guys look at this house/yard, they go right down the road!


http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/ShaunaDeMoss/midas1108ad.jpg


http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/ShaunaDeMoss/Tahitiwinter1.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/ShaunaDeMoss/Diegoweb1.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/ShaunaDeMoss/bruce.jpg

[sierrahpbt]

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/CLETUS_08/lucy55.jpg


Grrrrrr.....stay away from my mommy!
Love german Shephards!

[Vipper]

Our black lab got hit by a car and died a few years ago, we did not replace her since I was still wheel chair and walker dependant at the time... Now I am doing really well and we would like a new dog. We have been talking about it and another Airedale is what we have decided to get due to my allergies... If anyone knows of someone with one they have to depart from because of finances or moving or even a someone that raises them (my breeder I got my last one from is no longer in business), please let me know. I am more than willing to pay for one. I would rather rescue one though...

Kath

[Filas are prima]

ColoradoGirl--Those are some splendid, tight legged Cane Corsos that you have, Very correctly built, a pleasure to see.

[Rescue Dog]

We have three labs, all adopted from a rescue and all barkers. This rescue group is great, they know their dogs and adopted to us when 3 of my 4 kids were under 6. Check them out, we paid $300. for each dog and the two we adopted as adults came house broken, crate trained, and basic command trained. Our pup was so well socialized that the other two dogs trained her for us.

www.adoptalab.org

RD

[Torentelli]

I would like to recomend a dog breed that is overlooked. Austrailian shepards. They are great family dogs very even tempered and smart, yet the herding instinct in them makes them a exellent dog for protection. No training needed, its their nature to protect. I have a mixed Austrailian shepard, we have had her for 15 years. She protects my grandchildren naturally, loves to play even at her age. Not a designer dog for sure but great great dogs

Its good to see so many good dogs represented on this thread. We have an Austrailian shepard just over a year old and he barks a very quick warning and he would bite. We raised Aussies some years ago and they were smart, protective and very loving to the family.

[Doc1]

I agree with you 100%. I have read too many articles about wrotttwilers and pit bulls attacking and killing children and in some cases adults. I believe it should be illegal to own them.

I'm always really suspicious of idiots who start with the "it should be illegal" BS. IMNSHO they're responsible for most of this country's problems. S'alright though. If they ever manage to get through my pit bull and half-rottie, then they get to meet some of my other defenses, which they'd prolly think should be illegal too...

Best regards
Doc

[Sly]

I agree with you 100%. I have read too many articles about wrotttwilers and pit bulls attacking and killing children and in some cases adults. I believe it should be illegal to own them.


We will get along just great!!! It's not the gun's fault the intruder got shot, now is it? Just who taught that kid that it's OK to rob a grocery store? It is 100% how you treat/teach them. What about the storie's of those insidious CAT'S that creep into crib's and suffocate infant's by sitting on their chest whilst they sleep at night? Would you have their owner's crimminalized also?

Meet Zena, Warrior Mutt. 55lbs of love, gutz, steele, and MUTT appeal!

Like's.
Kid's, pulling kid's, licking kid's, squirrel's, running, jumping, sleeping, barking, digging, rolling in stinky stuff, chasing kid's, deer, running from kid's, Sleeping next to the fire, A FULL bowl, MY PILLOW!!! and pretty much her life as a dog.....ect..


dislike's
people who don't know what they are doing, not having the kid's in sight, being left alone, an empty bowl, flea's, asparagus, not being around happy people, BAD people.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p112/Slyder383/Dusterbody1-19-06001.jpg

She was a gift for my first son's birth, She's 10 now, And I will greive when she's gone. All 3 of my son's trust and rely on her. They are 10, 7, and 1. She can do thing's you never thought possible. TALK! just not YOUR language. PURE LOVE! American Staffordshire Bull Terrior. AKC reg.

Just so you know........ They are not pit's. That's only what abuser's call them.




edited to add.....

A= on the "Austrailian shepard ". Love Em!!

[Falls_Tech]

For anyone on a budget: where I used to live I had a GE motion detector/alarm that worked on a battery. Cost about $25 or so. I had it in a glassed in back porch. If anything moved in there, 120 db went off. There was very little to absorb the sound and it was painfull. If nothing else it will give you warning at night that someone is out there. It never falsed at night but during the day when it would heat up in there it did occasionaly go off. Well worth it at night though.

[jond911]

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/CLETUS_08/lucy55.jpg


Grrrrrr.....stay away from my mommy!...

When your dog doesn't "OBEY"... Does MOMMY proceed to CHOKE THE SHEIT OUT OF YOUR DOG....

Many alternatives to that type of training .....

BTW... My GREAT, GREAT, GRANDFATHER loves Hi-Karate cologne....

[annieosage]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/annanvebay/P1010013-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/annanvebay/P1010043.jpg

[Flash6123]

Have a 1 1/2 yr old Boxer and just got a 9 week old a week ago. This winters prep is training. Good thread.

[Texas Rose]

Have sheltie - she barks and is territorial! The weimeraner hides behind me.

Kimberly

We've had Shelties. They are very vocal, I'll give them that. If anyone gets in, they'll be herded somewhere...

But for sheer snotty attitude, give me a dachshund any day. Man. Those dogs will bark first, and if that doesn't get attention, they'll bite the holy heck out of someone's ankles. No kidding. Those wiener dogs can be mean when they want. Yow.

[GrayGal]

Well, if vocal is want you want, try geese. They discuss EVERYTHING they see and get loud quickly if there's anything suspicious. Plus they eat grass which doesn't have to be bought at the grocery/feed store and THEY are edible, too, just in case. If anyone comes into their yard, they honk and run at them with their wings out. They are supposed to live for about thirty years, but we've only had ours for about a year. They are a hoot to watch and they are friendly to folks they know or if the strangers are escorted by folks they know. Even the dogs walk around the geese.

[travelingirl]

Now Swans are killers. My son was attacked by one. Now they are territorial!!! And they can throw a mean right punch with that wingapan.:mrgreen:

[just me]

We had and Aussie and a Sheltie (oversized) that guarded very well and herded everything. Both have died of old age.

When they were alive, they would not let the meter reader for the city water get out of his truck. I honestly think they would have bitten him, so I always had to "rescue" him. Other people could get out of their vehicles, but were always cautious. We always laughed at the Sheltie because he knew you by your shoes, if you got new shoes, he would bark at you until you talked and then he knew who you were.

We have a Shepherd/lab mix that is a dingdong but sounds mean. Last spring I found a breeder that was advertising her shelties as being oversized and I bought my DH one. He is now 7 mos old and yes way oversized for a sheltie and when he is outside, no one gets on the property without his "talking" about it. Also if anything is out of place in his yard, he "talks" about that too. For example, we had let the horses into an alley way to trim grass and then let Tig outside. He immediately went barking to the fence where the horses were to tell them that they didn't belong there :LOL

I would love to get at least one more big dog, but money being short and I haven't found a good breeder of Aussies, it will wait.

[Limner]

Well, if vocal is want you want, try geese. They discuss EVERYTHING they see and get loud quickly if there's anything suspicious. Plus they eat grass which doesn't have to be bought at the grocery/feed store and THEY are edible, too, just in case. If anyone comes into their yard, they honk and run at them with their wings out. They are supposed to live for about thirty years, but we've only had ours for about a year. They are a hoot to watch and they are friendly to folks they know or if the strangers are escorted by folks they know. Even the dogs walk around the geese.

I will second that idea. Geese are so mean I won't have them around, and I have two big dogs. The "mean factor" is WAY up on geese. Can you tell I was terrorized by some geese when growing up??? :mrgreen:

[emoemo333]

I love seeing all the doggie pictures. We have two now one Shepherd mix and one Manchester terrier. Both are good guard dogs and considered to be on the payroll. The Manchester were bred to catch rats and honestly ours keeps the mice down better then any cat I ever had. The Shepherd takes care of the snakes. Last spring she started by taking care of a copperhead. We are thinking that the Manchester will be chaperone on our daughter's dates. He is very protective of her and won't let unapproved people near her.

I really like Shepherds. They are great working dogs and pets though I would recommend get a working Shepherd not one bred for show. With the sloped back, there are all kinds of problems.

We also had a cattle dog/shepherd mix. He was a great dog. With him I quickly learned that if you have a dog bred for work, you need to give them work or they will find work. The carpet did need to come up for wood floors just not that quick. Having my furniture moved everyday was not a good time either.

Couple of things on getting dogs. First I do not go to shelters as they chip 'em and typically charge a lot of money for a mutt. There are a lot of people giving away dogs. Just check the paper or the freecycle list I am on has dogs offered everyday. Dogs do better when there are two of them. They keep each other company and entertain each other when you are gone. Over two dogs and you have a pack. If you do that, you need to keep in mind pack dynamics and adjust for that. You have to be the alpha.

I have the snoring dog too. I have spent many a night listening to my husband and dog snore. Dogs do get gas and no it is not a good time. Well it can be funny when you have a dog twisting around trying figure out what is going on with their hind end.

Geese. Try turkeys. Those things can get mean in a hurry and loud. Along with pigs, I do not ever want to raise turykeys. Oh and some cats work well. Take a semi feral 30 pound tomcat and you have force to contend with on your hands. :)

[ScottyKarate]

...

When your dog doesn't "OBEY"... Does MOMMY proceed to CHOKE THE SHEIT OUT OF YOUR DOG....

Many alternatives to that type of training .....

BTW... My GREAT, GREAT, GRANDFATHER loves Hi-Karate cologne....


Go hug a cactus, nobody chokes the dog.

If you have a vagina, does that automatically make you a prostitute? Same big reach.

[wrs]

We have two Jack Russell's, they are a very active breed and need a yard. They definitely alert us whenever someone is even on the street in front of the house. They also don't allow snakes or rodents of any kind in our yard. If one dares to come in the yard, it's deaded real fast...................

[firebird]

I have the Cane Corso. In fact I have some of the best in the world (little brag) They are great family/kid dogs but don't like strangers much.

When bad guys look at this house/yard, they go right down the road!

]

Hey Colorado girl, those are some fabulous specimens you have there! Absolutely beautiful animals!!!!!!

[firebird]

I remember one time when my wife and kids were home alone homeschooling. They kept thinking they heard a faint voice in the distance. Someone kept saying "help" faintly. Finally, my son got up and looked out the front door. At first he didn't see anything, but he heard the voice again. He looked left and there was a man pressed up to the house with his arms in the air and lady standing right up against him not letting him make a move. She never laid a tooth on him by the way (for the Pit Bull haters out there). It was the A/C repair man, he neglected to call to let us know when he was coming. From that day forward, he would call and schedule a specific day and time before he would come over. Good dog!

[Sugaree]

Ok folks, we have all read the headlines. theives are getting brazen these days and will stop at nothing to rob homes. Even broad daylight isn't a deyerrent. For those of you that haven't, it is time for a good dog. I know some will say they can't, but I would do everything possible to get one. Things are happening fast and a puppy needs time to grow up and become a part of your family. Time is ticking away!

Get one, train it, love it, let your place be his/her place and the dog will protect you, your home and your preps. A good dog will alert to danger, protect you from a perp and always protect it's family. But a dog needs time, you usually cannot just bring in an adult dog and expect it to be an instant family member. In 6 months, a large breed dog will be your best first line of defense.

I don't think a ghost could sneak onto our property. Our 1/2 Pit is pure muscle and afraid of nothing. She would probably take on a bear if she had to. NOBODY drives onto our place unanounced, they know this is her place. She is well trained, adores children but will not tolerate shifty characters. She is also as much a member of my family as my children. Our other male dog follows her lead (as she is the dominant) and will protect as she does. if she signals ok, he is ok.

Other than that, get a good weapon for protection. I think time is short.

We have a pit (well truly he's also part bulldog but probably 95% pit) and he is the greatest. He just got out of his "bad puppy" phase (finally housebroken- whoo hoo!) and I continue to be impressed with his intelligence and abilities. He really thrives on the training & just LOVES learning new things. Back in the spring when my DH suggested we get a dog for protection/preps I wasn't too sure- never had much luck with dogs. Now I'd love to get another just like him.

He is wonderful with our 4-yr old and with family & friends, adults, children, & babies. He has this incredible intuition where he can sense from us who is "friend or foe". He is not a barker for the sake of barking (unless we ask him to speak- one of his many tricks) but he does not hesitate to alert us when someone comes into the apartment complex.

He is one big muscle as well and we know he is not simply our lovable furball, but a potential deadly weapon- so we always monitor him closely as well as reinforce desirable behaviors. We have never had a problem with him and I just can't say enough about the breed.

[chimpuat]

for 'alert' purposes, we have a beagle that is VERY territorial. he stares at people walking across the street, and if they start moving toward our house, he starts barking. and believe me, beagle barks are LOUD and very distinct, and the natural reaction of EVERYONE around is to find the dog making that noise and make him stop!

we have a golden retriever/husky mix that has the typical "stay away" big dog bark, but she's not trained to be a guard dog. i think she'd defend a familiy member if she HAD to, but i wouldn't want to rely on her as part of our security plan. she's just another family member, just like her mother, the white siberian husky.

THAT dog doesn't bark (huskies 'vocalize', which can be pretty funny, but definitely not intimidating). i think the only time she'd attack someone would be if they were trying to take her food or toys away. otherwise, she'd be hiding under a desk somewhere.

we have a security system, opted to forego the motion detectors though. i figured 3 dogs would be pushing it, even with the 'pet setting' most systems have these days.

our last line of defense is the fact that the city police and fire station is a block away from our house. while criminals are not known for being overly intelligent, it'd take a special kind of stupid to try committing anything THAT close to cop central.

we also had the same issue when trying to adopt a dog. they took down all our info, and then were dragging their feet when it came time to schedule a visit or even respond to us, and they took so long that someone else took the dog we were supposed to get. we ended up finding a young dog (the beagle) on craigslist that has been MOSTLY ok. they wanted to get rid of him because he didn't fit in with their other, smaller dogs, and he was "too energetic".

he is CERTAINLY that, but he's a good dog when he's finally tuckered out. :-)

[CEJ10]

Wow, what timing. I took my family just last night t look at 5 week old German Shepard pups. Any one have any input. She is a great breeder and the mom and dad were there as well.

Any input would be appreciated.

[firebird]

Wow, what timing. I took my family just last night t look at 5 week old German Shepard pups. Any one have any input. She is a great breeder and the mom and dad were there as well.

Any input would be appreciated.

Take them to obedience training, socialize them with friends and family and always treat it as a family member. Very intelligent dog too, keep it mentally stimulated.

[Indigo]

Homesteader1, you brought a smile to my face as you reminded me of a dog I used to have. She was a BlueHeeler x Aussie. Awesome dog, now passed.

One day a man came to ask if he could hunt on my land. I said no. He said he was going to "explain" it to me, why I had no right "just because you own the place" to keep other people from hunting because "hunting is a right."

I said one word. "Dog."

She stood up and moved toward the truck, (had been sitting by my leg) and started to growl...real low, head down.

He said, "If I get out of the truck to talk with you, will your dog bite me?"

"She might."

"Has she bitten anyone?"

"Not today."

He drove away. Never came back. Must have seen the shep and the akita in the rear view mirror.

Thanks for reminding me of my BlueHeeler cross.

Indigo

[Summerthyme]

Go hug a cactus, nobody chokes the dog.

If you have a vagina, does that automatically make you a prostitute? Same big reach.

Ah... beat me to it (not the second comment, though! LOL!)

Jond... whoever... I'm guessing your one of those who is into that "clicker" training and the "gentle leader" (ie: a halter for dogs and people who can't train them, so they can at least pull them in the direction they want them to go) stuff.

Please, for your own sake, don't EVER get a really dominant dog (of any breed) and try that stuff.

A "choke collar" is a TOOL... and it's used just like a bit on a horse- as a signal, a way to communicate with the animal. No one in their right mind uses it to CHOKE the dog... but it's a great way to correct one which is not behaving appropriately in a training session.

Any dog I train will walk beside me on a LOOSE leash (and generally, without a leash at all)... ditto my horses. But I've got a prong collar on the current English Shepherd, because he was THE most "hard" and dominant dog I've ever had... and I bred Akitas for over 10 years. A choke collar was completely ignored by this dog... he was literally going to damage his throat trying to pull on it. The prong collar works... but I'm sure you'd think it is "cruel" as well.

Back on topic... whatever breed you choose needs to be tailored to the INDIVIDUAL situation. Filas are wonderful, but I could never have one here... I need a dog who will accept non-family visitors, as we have a dairy farm where we have regular servicepeople who come to the barn, as well as frequent potential buyers and even farm tours. A Fila would be very unhappy with that situation.

Bandit, the English Shepherd, is a great compromise... VERY protective, but intelligent enough to have figured out that he should allow people to go to the barn without interference (although he watches them the whole time). However, when they head towards the house (or towards me, wherever I am) he turns into Cujo... very, very protective.

He's also much "stronger" in his protective actions after dark. All of this is stuff he's pretty well figured out on his own, although we made it a point to "introduce" him to all of the regular service people, vet, etc when he was a pup.

The herding breeds (Aussies, Border Collies, English Shepherds, etc) tend to be high "prey drive" (ie- anything that moves, they'll chase) breeds, although their prey drive is more inhibited- they are much less likely to KILL what they chase, than, say an Akita or one of the hound breeds. They are also very high energy dogs, and do NOT do well in a situation where they don't get a lot of exercise on a daily basis. They're happiest with a job to do... babysitting kids CAN be "their job", but the kids must also be tolerant of a dog who likes to run and jump and occasionally play rough.

My son and his wife just adopted a rescue... a year old male who is apparently half black Lab and half bluetick coon hound. They were told he's "not good with children or small animals"... and they were half right. He has VERY high prey drive, and we had lots of fun at Christmas trying to keep him from killing the house cat (Bandit's special friend, who simply never met a dog who didn't love cats before!). BUT... he was absolutely fine with the several small (but not toddler size) kids who were here. I watched him very closely, and saw absolutely NO indication in his eyes, posture or body language that he had any issues with kids. What I DID see was he wanted to play with them... and as a young, fairly big, dog, his "play" was likely to be rougher than some kids (or parents) would enjoy. This isn't a dangerous dog with kids... but most good size dogs WILL need to be taught to "tone it down" a bit with children.

My Akitas were "babysitters" (they were bred for that in Japan, before they started breeding dog fighting traits into the breed during WWII- an interesting trait in a breed which was bred to hunt bears... BIG bears, like our grizzleys). They were absolutely tolerant of children's unintentional roughness, and our toddler used to ride our big, original foundation breeding bitch! She weighed close to 140#! One day, he escaped my eye in about 5 minutes (he was playing in the sandbox in the back yard, and I was watching him through the windows while doing kitchen chores). Suddenly, he wasn't there. I went out and started looking, and didn't see him anywhere (anyone know HOW toddlers can move that fast!?). I saw "his" kitten down by the end of our driveway (dirt country road- we have more horses and buggies than cars, so we really didn't worry too much about the kids). I walked down to see what the kitten was doing (since she usually stayed with him) and looked down the road. Saw the Akita WAY down the road (about 1/8th mile), and called her. She looked at me... and refused to move. Uh, oh... I looked closer, and saw a little blond head. I trotted down, and sure enough... Matt had apparently decided to take a walk, and the dog had stayed right with him. She wasn't going to move, because he was trying to get to a shallow pond beside the road- and she was being "a wall" between him and it. He was pounding on her back with his little fists... and she was simply standing her ground. GREAT dogs.

BUT... I'd never recommend them for most people. Why? Because, like the Filas, they are VERY protective of "their" families. Unlike the Filas, they CAN be introduced to "others" and then will accept them from then on... but they MUST be introduced to every single person you want them to accept and allow on the property. That means, in a suburban situation, where kids come in and out, and people drop by, at some point, you are likely to have a very bad situation, if you "forget" about the dog.

Pit bulls are pretty much the same... GREAT dogs for some people, but far too many shouldn't have them... they must be trained deliberately to be safe, unlike some breeds who are more of a "safe" breed by default. ALL dogs need training... don't get me wrong. Anyone who isn't willing to spend at least an hour a day with a dog in the beginning doesn't have time for a dog. Period.

Geese... yeah, if you can stand the mess they make! We had them for several years, and they ARE great "watch animals". I had many men tell me "I don't mind dogs. But I don't get out of the car if there are geese there". It cracked me up, because ours were mostly bluff... but it worked.

They produce more crap than you can believe, though, and are pretty well untrainable (not stupid, by any means, but there is simply no way to keep them out of areas you don't want them in, short of a fence). And they will chase cars (which tends to shorten their lives drastically). On the upside, they can produce a lot of very cheap meat... ours raised a dozen or so goslings per pair every year on nothing but what they picked up around the lawns. No grain at all. It's a shame we didn't especially like roast goose!

One last point.... given what may be coming, if you do get a dog, plan on going the extra mile and REALLY training it. That means instant recall, "drop" and stay, and "QUIET". In some situations, you may desperately need total silence... and a dog who continues to bark may be a disaster. It's not easy to get most dogs to this level, but it's possible... and a lot of fun, which will bond you with your particular canine to a point that most people never get. It's worth it.

Summerthyme

[emoemo333]

Indigo, I love your story. WE had a Shepherd who did a bark hold. When we first got him, we left my in laws at home with our son while we picked up our daughter. Tanner did not let them move from the couch until we got home. They found it funny and he did accept them as family after that weekend.

CEJ10 ditto what firebird said. I love German Shepherds. They are a wonderful pet and working dog. They can get big. If you let the puppy in your lap a lot, be prepared for the full grown possibly over 100 pound lapdog as well. Ana is my Avatar weighing in a 55. She still climbs on my lap. She is a Shepherd mix and had to have her leg operated on as a pup. (When we go to the vet, we literally have to carry her in the door. When we leave the office, she trots out tail and ears up in a heel position.) She has a limp but it has not slowed her down. Shepherds will set up a perimeter and patrol is which our Ana does. She tracks and climbs just fine with her 'Frankenstien' leg.

German Shepherds will climb. We had one who would climb the 6 foot fence and go sit in our neighbers fountain to cool off. Thankfully the neighbors thought it was hilarious. This was after we moved the wood pile so that the cattle dog/shepherd mix would not use the wood pile to go over the fence. Next we strung electric wire to keep the Shepherd in. I watched the literally 90 pound dog climb the fence and swing his body over to miss the electric wire. Lesson of the story. Shepherds are very smart. Our current mix has figured out how to open our back door if we do not lock it.

One other thing with Shepherds. People tend to be afraid of them. Our former UPS man would not come up to the house. He perfected swinging boxes up the driveway to the door. I sold Avon at the time and the guy was good. I never had anything broken. He would do this while running. Apparenty the three Shepherds at the window unnerved him. Now we just have one Shepherd mix and one terrier. The new guy thinks dogs are great and will come to the door.

Most thieves would rather go to the house where there is not a dog to mess with. The idea is to get in and out quickly. In our 3 block neighborhood, we have only one couple who does not own a dog or two or three.

[Buick Electra]

Got six.....all over 50 lbs....I think we're probably safe for now....

So do we, although the black lab/Dobie mix is easily freaked out and runs away if a piece of plastic blows across the property. But we DO have the "bark factor" going.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b117/classiccars/MurphyBed5.jpg

Our best defenders would probably be the black Sheltie mix who goes into attack-mode (hair raised up, teeth bared, deep gutteral growl) until I tell him the situation is okay. And our Collie would probably try to bark and heard them out the door.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b117/classiccars/Duce.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b117/classiccars/Nevin9.jpg

[TXBSAFH]

My 2 feline overlords (that is what they think they are) have informed me no dogs, period.

[firebird]

My Akitas were "babysitters" (they were bred for that in Japan, before they started breeding dog fighting traits into the breed during WWII- an interesting trait in a breed which was bred to hunt bears... BIG bears, like our grizzleys). They were absolutely tolerant of children's unintentional roughness, and our toddler used to ride our big, original foundation breeding bitch! She weighed close to 140#! One day, he escaped my eye in about 5 minutes (he was playing in the sandbox in the back yard, and I was watching him through the windows while doing kitchen chores). Suddenly, he wasn't there. I went out and started looking, and didn't see him anywhere (anyone know HOW toddlers can move that fast!?). I saw "his" kitten down by the end of our driveway (dirt country road- we have more horses and buggies than cars, so we really didn't worry too much about the kids). I walked down to see what the kitten was doing (since she usually stayed with him) and looked down the road. Saw the Akita WAY down the road (about 1/8th mile), and called her. She looked at me... and refused to move. Uh, oh... I looked closer, and saw a little blond head. I trotted down, and sure enough... Matt had apparently decided to take a walk, and the dog had stayed right with him. She wasn't going to move, because he was trying to get to a shallow pond beside the road- and she was being "a wall" between him and it. He was pounding on her back with his little fists... and she was simply standing her ground. GREAT dogs.

Summerthyme


I really miss our Akita, she was a fabulous dog! She was truely one of the smartest animals I have ever encountered. I never ever worried about my wife and daughter being home alone. She was that good a dog. Alas, that was many years ago and she is long gone. When my "Lady" goes to doggie heaven, I will consider getting another Akita. I will not bring one home now as Lady is the dominant dog and I don't want another dominant breed there for her to compete against. Our male is submissive to her and it works out real well.

[Buick Electra]

We have two St. Bernards and a husky who is worthless. The saints will defend to the death, the husky will lie low and hope no one sees him! I am a firm believer in having large dogs.

Sherry in GA

LOL!!! Just like our lab mix http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b117/classiccars/Emoicons/HideSofa.gif . Either that or he runs away very fast http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b117/classiccars/Emoicons/runaway.gif.

[stillprepping]

Our 1/2 Pit is pure muscle and afraid of nothing. She would probably take on a bear if she had to.
but she aint gonna take on a 22, unfortunately. since most 'bad guys', including Leos, regularly dispatch dogs without hesitation .. i say her value maybe aint as great as suggested.

NOBODY drives onto our place unanounced, they know this is her place. thats a good thing .. but still, the bad guys will immediately know to have their firearms drawn.

Other than that, get a good weapon for protection. I think time is short.nuf said.

[firebird]

but she aint gonna take on a 22, unfortunately. since most 'bad guys', including Leos, regularly dispatch dogs without hesitation .. i say her value maybe aint as great as suggested.

thats a good thing .. but still, the bad guys will immediately know to have their firearms drawn.

nuf said.

Agreed, but if she is shot I will know it immediately and then the big firepower comes out. If she is not there barking or getting shot, then a perp can sneak right up and catch us by surprise. If that ever happens, I will be pissed, heck my wife will shoot them for touching our dog. She is like one of our kids.

[Buick Electra]

Do you guys have any idea how many hoops the tree-huggers make you jump throught to "adopt" an animal anymore? You have to fill-out a three-page application, have no children under the age of 6, have a fully fenced yard, and be willing to submit your house to a through inspection (if they require) by these Nazis just to "adopt" an animal around here!

Twice I have gone to the pound to adopt and as I was heading into the facility I saw people headed in with dogs. Both times, I stopped them, checked the dogs out and agreed to take them there on the spot. This alleviated them having to go in and fill out paperwork, me from doing the same, the dog being put in the pound surrounded by other non-stop barking dogs, and saved me an adoption fee. Just hang out in the parking lot and you can avoid the prying eyes of the shelter people.

[emoemo333]

but she aint gonna take on a 22, unfortunately. since most 'bad guys', including Leos, regularly dispatch dogs without hesitation .. i say her value maybe aint as great as suggested.

thats a good thing .. but still, the bad guys will immediately know to have their firearms drawn.

nuf said.

That is true. When you are dealing with someone breaking in with weapons, you will most likely loose the dog but it can buy you the few seconds you need to arm and shoot. A German Shepherd can be trained to clmap down on a hand holding a weapon if the dog is close enough. They get a hold that clamps down on a nerve where that hand cannot be moved. I have had a Shepherd take my hand in his jaw and it is incredible the force there and this was in play with no intent to stop or hurt. Dogs are the first line of defense not the last.

Now having said that, I would be heart broke to have one of my dogs killed like that. But in those situations you have to have a tactical mindset not an emotional 'I can't let my dog be hurt' because it could turn into your child is dead.

[Buick Electra]

I have the Cane Corso. In fact I have some of the best in the world (little brag) They are great family/kid dogs but don't like strangers much.

When bad guys look at this house/yard, they go right down the road!


http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/ShaunaDeMoss/midas1108ad.jpg


http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/ShaunaDeMoss/Tahitiwinter1.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/ShaunaDeMoss/Diegoweb1.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/ShaunaDeMoss/bruce.jpg

STUNNING dogs CG!!

[Buick Electra]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/annanvebay/P1010013-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v171/annanvebay/P1010043.jpg

WHAT a cutie-pie!! If only humanity could adopt this disposition.

[BoldBeliever]

My pair of cats won't let me get a dog.

I own both dogs and a cat. They will get used to one another in time, usually about 2 weeks. I also have an outdoor male cat (sort of the neighborhood man-cat) who gets along with the dogs. Animals adapt.

[Bad Hand]

These are my 5 dogs doing their thing.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g99/Bad_Hand/Dogteam2.jpg

This is the 3 boys in the house.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g99/Bad_Hand/Edithandboys-1.jpg

This is Dot she is my lead dog and she can fly (her feet aren't even on the ground.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g99/Bad_Hand/TheflyingDot.jpg

[tjndaltx]

I have the best of both worlds. A beautiful Doberman and a little chihuahua (sp).

The Dobie is one year old, is as strong as an ox and big. Loves my mom and me to death.

My chi is a little lap dog that barks at anything that moves....anything. He's a better alert dog than the Dobie.

But when you're looking at the Dobie she's a lot more threatening looking....haha.

I'm divorced so don't have one of those things called a wife. So you can guess who sleeps in my bed at night. Yep, the two pups.

I've got Molly the Dobie on one side, and Socks on the other. So I'm well surrounded and kept very warm on a cold night.

[Stropes]

I agree with you 100%. I have read too many articles about wrotttwilers and pit bulls attacking and killing children and in some cases adults. I believe it should be illegal to own them.

Since my hubby and I have been married (11 years) we have had 5 dogs:

Lab/golden retriever mix
Westie mix
Rottweiler
Beagle/pit bull mix
Lab/shepherd mix

Guess which one bit me and we had to put him to sleep?

The Westie mix. I still have a scar.

We now have the beagle mix and shepherd mix. I will NEVER be without a dog. I have heard too many stories about children being taken from their homes in the middle of the night (a friend of mine actually had her child MURDERED in her home by in intruder). No one will get in my house without me knowing about it.

[Caplock50]

My Daughter and Son-in-law adopted a 'calico' cat from a shelter. SIL told me about a month later, after the cat had decided "this is home", he woke up one night to hear a loud hissing sound. There was just enough light entering the bedroom so he could easily see. And what he saw was that cat sitting on the end of the bed, looking out the window, hissing to high heaven. Sil said that he believed that if anything, human or animal, had climbed through that window, they'd have had that cat's claws ripping them to shreds immediately. He said the cat was bunched and ready to spring. I know lots of Folks joke about 'attack cats', but don't discount them as possible alarms and 'home defenders'.

[Summerthyme]

I own both dogs and a cat. They will get used to one another in time, usually about 2 weeks. I also have an outdoor male cat (sort of the neighborhood man-cat) who gets along with the dogs. Animals adapt.


Not to totally disagree with this, but it's not always true. Every animal is totally different, and every situation is different. The newly adopted lab/hound mix my son has would probably be impossible to "adapt" to a house with cats.

We had an English Shepherd which was a rescue, and was the best dog I've ever owned. Lucky would have died for me, without question. He spent every minute of the day with me, inside and out. The only time he ever left the farm was on a daily "visit" to the neighbors, whose dogs were tied. He was killed on the road by a drunk driver who was driving on the WRONG side of the road on the shoulder, in the dusk... coming back from his daily "visit". It's the only animal whose loss I've never really gotten over.

Lucky had a special cat friend, who was a kitten the same year he was a pup. He once frantically insisted on being let out, and when I opened the door, I heard a terrific cat fight going on in the barn. He tore out there, and about 5 minutes later, opened the door (he could open our doors with the doorknob... I had to train him to SHUT the door behind him!), and escorted "Alien", his "friend" into the house. Alien was a neutered orange tom, and I couldn't figure out what he'd be fighting or why. (until 60 days later when our house cat had a litter of bobcat cross kittens!) Lucky knew Alien was in trouble, and almost certainly saved his life.

When we lost Lucky, Alien was lost... he hunted for him for weeks. When we bought Bandit, as a 7 week old English Shepherd pup, I didn't expect major problems with the house cats- after all, they were bigger than the pup! But... Alien tolerates him, but not much more. Scamp, the one bobcat cross we kept (who is neutered) has NEVER adapted... he went basically feral, and now spends every summer outdoors... we don't see him for months. When the weather is bad, he comes back and asks to be let indoors, but he will NOT go near the dog. He lives in the cellar, hunting mice, and we've basically provided everything he needs down there- food, water, litter box and a bed.

The female house cat is terrified of Bandit. I never laughed so hard in my life as I did one day when the pup was about 9 weeks old. He wanted to play with that cat so bad... and the cat didn't want ANYTHING to do with him. Lucy is an apricot long haired female, and we named her Lucy after Lucille Ball, because she's a true dumb blonde! Anyway, Lucy had figured out that if she moved Reeaalllly Slooowly... the pup didn't find it as interesting to chase her. So, one day I looked up to see Lucy doing her slow-motion routine... taking one very slow step at a time. And three feet behind her was Bandit... doing the exact same thing! It looked like a Pink Panther routine or something.

But the point is, those cats were all used to a dog, and had no problems with him. A couple of them loved Lucky enough to snuggle up and sleep with him, and follow him around the farm. Despite the fact that Bandit is very gentle (the worst thing he does is SIT on them!), most of them never really have adapted to him. His only real friend in the house is Fearless, the calico kitten he adopted (Lucy's baby).

We have a big enough house that this works out fine. (it also helps that Bandit is a working dog, so spends hours a day out in the barn and fields). We have a mud room with a cat door installed, and the litter box and cat food is in there. It provides a "refuge" for the cats who are afraid of the dog.

If we didn't have this setup, it would be more difficult. And cats who feel "dissed" or like their home has been invaded, tend to show it in... unpopular... ways. Messing on your bed, for example!

And SOME breeds of dogs are hell on cats, too. Akitas can be very bad... we "babysat" for my parent's Akita once, and she killed over a dozen barn cats in 2 weeks... the cats were conditioned to believe dogs were "safe" (because our Akita was trained to not touch OUR cats). However, our Akitas would kill any feral or strange cats which came around. Huskies are the same way, except I've heard and read they are even tougher to train to get along with cats, even if they are raised with them.

All of this is simply meant to say "be VERY careful about the breed/individual you choose", if you want a dog and have small children or other pets. A household in which the animals are at constant war, or some of them are in a continual state of terror, isn't a fun place to live.

Summerthyme

[firebird]

Here are a couple of pics of Lady, She is 1/2 American Pit and 1/2 Catahoula:

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p199/92vert/ladyinpasture.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p199/92vert/ladypaws.jpg

Here is our male when he was a pup, he is the one who was run over and got a broken back. He made a full recovery. He is part Catahoula and Australian Shepherd:

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p199/92vert/babyschultz.jpg

[Tired of Lies]

Some of the suggestions here are great. We have an odd household. Three adults upstairs, one room mate down in what was going to be the den and a young troop in a mother-in-law apt.

I have a Great Pyr who loves women like to "taste test" men. Not really bite, just sort of well, taste. No doubt she would kill if any of her family was in trouble. Then we have two Poms. One is 24 years old and 7 lbs of alpha dog. He keeps the others in line. Second Pom is 18 lbs. Fat boy but loves everyone. Take out a gun and he RUNS! Was chased by a bear and associates gun with bears. Then we have a St Bernard that is away visiting right now. And, a half Akita-half Chow 6 month old pup we are training to be a service dog. Smart as a whip and doing great.

Lastly, the young soldier in the apt has a half chow half lab he found in a box on the side of the highway outside Ft Bragg. Had three 3-4 week old pups in it. Kept one that has severe seperation issues. Now 10 months old. He "calls" for the service dog pup after his daddy goes to work and we go down and get him to play with some of the other dogs. The Pyr still doesn't like him. We are working on it. The vet said that Pyrs can be very hard to get to accept anything new in their home since they were bred to keep things out. Ours is setting out to prove that theory.

Lastly we have geese in a pen by the road at the end of the drive way. They let the dogs know if anyone or thing is in the area. Being here in Alaska we have foxes, coyotes, wolves, moose, bears both black and brown, badgers, and others things that wander by.

Oh, and if this doesn't stop an intruder all of us can shoot and two have combat experience. Not a good house to rob.

[ejagno]

My Daughter and Son-in-law adopted a 'calico' cat from a shelter. SIL told me about a month later, after the cat had decided "this is home", he woke up one night to hear a loud hissing sound. There was just enough light entering the bedroom so he could easily see. And what he saw was that cat sitting on the end of the bed, looking out the window, hissing to high heaven. Sil said that he believed that if anything, human or animal, had climbed through that window, they'd have had that cat's claws ripping them to shreds immediately. He said the cat was bunched and ready to spring. I know lots of Folks joke about 'attack cats', but don't discount them as possible alarms and 'home defenders'.

Cappy;
You are sooooo right. My son has the most beautiful huge white cat called "Angel". This cat is the spawn of the devil. She sits on the back of the recliner and literally attacks anyone other than my son and his wife that enters that door. During a medical emergency my son had to rush his wife to the hospital. In the hasty departure he'd forgotten to lock the front door so he called us. DH had to wear welding gloves and ever so gently ease the door open just enough to get his hand through to turn the inside lock on the door handle. You should see the attack that ensued and how badly this cat shredded the welding glove.

My son has the most majestic and absolutely gorgeous blue Dobberman. Thieves broke into both of their vehicles one night stealing stereos, purses and other items............with the Dobberman right there. They pryed open the front door and met "Angel". By the time my son got from his bedroom to the front door to see what the screaming was about there was nothing but blood from his front door to the end of the road. Thieves were apprehended when they sought medical attention for deep tissue abrasions requiring multiple stitches.

[Amy]

This is my "baby". We think she's a Beagle/Border Collie mix. Somebody'd dumped her on the side of the interstate, poor baby. We've had her about six years now. She's the best little gal, thinks the kids are her own. Very gentle with them, but keeps a close watch on things around here! (And yes, she's wearing a jacket in the second picture. I am not one of those people who dress their animals--but my daughter is and the dog loves it. They play "dress up" together all the time lol. :-D)

[Amy]

Cappy;
You are sooooo right. My son has the most beautiful huge white cat called "Angel". This cat is the spawn of the devil. She sits on the back of the recliner and literally attacks anyone other than my son and his wife that enters that door. During a medical emergency my son had to rush his wife to the hospital. In the hasty departure he'd forgotten to lock the front door so he called us. DH had to wear welding gloves and ever so gently ease the door open just enough to get his hand through to turn the inside lock on the door handle. You should see the attack that ensued and how badly this cat shredded the welding glove.

My son has the most majestic and absolutely gorgeous blue Dobberman. Thieves broke into both of their vehicles one night stealing stereos, purses and other items............with the Dobberman right there. They pryed open the front door and met "Angel". By the time my son got from his bedroom to the front door to see what the screaming was about there was nothing but blood from his front door to the end of the road. Thieves were apprehended when they sought medical attention for deep tissue abrasions requiring multiple stitches.

That's awesome!!! What a great cat! I love a story with a happy ending. :mrgreen:

[Tesla'sMom]

I have an American Staffordshire Terrier (Looks like a Pit but bigger), a LabX and three Mal Xs that have taken down intruders in the past.
Pits are Not the best guard dog, they have a strong prey drive. Get a guard dog breed for protection. You still can't beat a German Shepherd for a family guardian.


I agree about German Shepherds. I think they make a better family dog than any of the big terriers. Smart and trainable. They love their people and they don't like strangers. Just make sure you have "Beware of Dog" signs posted.

Tesla is mixed "something" He's very loud. He just goes ape when there's a stranger around. Our other dog is a female SharPei. Pei's were bred to be guard dogs but she loves people- she'd need a dog to guard her. Tesla is getting old and has hip dysplasia- if we lose him I think we'll go to "Jack Russell and a shotgun" home defense.

[Foghorn]

I'm so very allergic to dogs. :( Can't have them inside.

I'll have to look for a killer cat.

Hah ha I just looked at my dogs on my avatar. Ferocious!


Look into a Standard Poodle. They are non-allerginic, very loyal and protective and believe me no one will be on our property without us knowing.

[firebird]

Look into a Standard Poodle. They are non-allerginic, very loyal and protective and believe me no one will be on our property without us knowing.

That's a good idea, and they are a fairly large dog too. I have seen some pretty protective poodles before.

[Zarathustra]

My home protector ( actually he's guarding my plants here. So talented. :razz: )
http://i40.tinypic.com/14wuo9y.jpg

I think you can't go wrong with any dog from the Herding Group because of their intelligence and loyalty. Even a dog from the pound that is part one of the Herding Group (Collie, German Shepherd, etc.) would be an excellent pet/protector and wouldn't need to be full bred, necessarily.

AKC Herding Group
http://www.akc.org/breeds/herding_group.cfm

[ElGato]

WE HAVE 4 DOGS.... a 3 year old male german shephard, a 2 year old half rotty/half lab and 2 smaller maltese! NOTHING goes on around my house without me knowing! they hear things lightyears before I do!
this is very good advise! just remember to make sure you prep for them too!

I have a rottie/lab too. She is still a pup but huge. Best dog I have ever had.

[Tesla'sMom]

My home protector ( actually he's guarding my plants here. So talented. :razz: )
http://i40.tinypic.com/14wuo9y.jpg

I think you can't go wrong with any dog from the Herding Group because of their intelligence and loyalty. Even a dog from the pound that is part one of the Herding Group (Collie, German Shepherd, etc.) would be an excellent pet/protector and wouldn't need to be full bred, necessarily.

AKC Herding Group
http://www.akc.org/breeds/herding_group.cfm

Zara, I love all dogs, but wow, what a handsome fellow!

[firebird]

Zara, I love all dogs, but wow, what a handsome fellow!

I second that opinion!

[Crabapple Plum]

My Rocky Mountain Border Collie and DD's Aussie/Sheltie are in the honeymoon kennel. Hopefully she will have puppies in May. There are more people wanting a pup than we can possibly get from 1 litter.

[sopo]

I haven't read through all the posts, but the shelters are FULL of great dogs because people can't afford to feed them. We raised show cats but my husband went to Heaven in July. 2 weeks later someone dropped a 4 pound puppy off on our road. The humane shelter couldn't take her, said she would die of parvo so she stayed. Half weenie dog half shar pei! LOL! Now my little puppy is 35 pounds. I went to the shelter and rescued a Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican Hairless) boy that had been abused. The owner dumped him because they had too many dogs. The shelter was about to put him to sleep because he was so ugly for one, and for two, they left him on a cold concrete floor with no blanket. Being hairless, of course he caught a cold. I got there the day they were about to put him down. He is almost 40 pounds, trained already, and best of all growls and barks at anything unusual going on outside my house. If someone pulls up, I know about it. The meter man walks way around the house! LOL! It's funny because Quixote is a love bug to me and my family, just wary of strangers.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/46/l_817eac437f3e413eaea1b9476860eb33.jpg

[firebird]

Good job rescuing that poor fellow. 2 of our dogs are rescue animals from the shelter too.

[Zarathustra]

Zara, I love all dogs, but wow, what a handsome fellow!

firebird
I second that opinion!


Thank you, firebird and Tesla'sMom. I wish I could say he's the smartest dog I ever had but that honor belongs to our Welsh Corgi who also happens to boss this poor boy around and he lets her. Seems to not know that he out weighs the Corgi by more than double and that he has enough pressure per square inch in his jaw to break her in half with little effort, luckily. :-D


sopo
I went to the shelter and rescued a Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican Hairless) boy that had been abused.


sopo, your little guy looks so intelligent, dare I say wise even. :smile: What an excellent find as he seems to have fit right in your home being so protective of you.

[Saminmo@hotmail.com]

The Mom is Chicken Dog. we call her that because last year when they got out she caught one . Woody yelled at her she let it go. he could not catch it so she caught the chicken again when he yelled at her she just held it with her paw until he got it. One of them knew what they were doing. she is part Rot and some hunting dog because she points. she also must have some herding because she helps herd the hogs when they get out. She is a great farm dog She will bite if she has to but by then I should be shooting. The Dad to these pups is neighbourhood but I live in a good neighbourhood. She had 5 but I need to keep 2 Because my other big dog is getting old. I just hope she will make another year so the pups will be big enough to work before she gets too old. Chicken Dog was a rescue and I will have her spayed so these puppies are all I can donate.

[Freeholder]

I thought I'd already posted on this thread, but just looked through the whole thing and didn't see it. I've got two mostly-English Shepherds. They are both part Collie, and Bonnie is half-sister to Summerthyme's Bandit (same father). They are good watch dogs, but I don't think they'd be very protective. Scout is almost nine years old; Bonnie is three. I'll post a picture of Scout, but don't have an adult pic of Bonnie (need to take one).

[firedance]

"Pet Nazis" -- what a great description!

Good idea about the local flyers. My first though was the shelter because I wanted to save a life, but you're right about people having to give up pets.


Also check your local vets. We have one vet (that I know of) here in town that is wonderful about placing the "unwanted". They're usually spayed and up on shots and everything. I have run into vets that are just as silly as the shelters too, so you just have to check them out as you look. I understand why the shelters have come up with some of the rules, but they've gotten ridiculous.