Need Some Advice For A Friend

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Funnily enough I was only talking to a prospective new foster carer last night and I always check about if they can housetrain or not because many dogs are not housetrained by the original owners.

This guy and his wife are in their 30s and he confidently told me that he would rub the dog's nose in it!! Thank God I checked. Anyhow, he's now armed with the information I've printed above and he can come to me with any problems that occur.

I can't believe how rife it is, just like the old wives' tale that a dog/cat is all the better for producing one litter of pups (or more if you are a back yard breeder/moron).

In cyberspace they can't hear you scream .....

[Erny]

I agree with cNr's post. So many times do I read and hear "we never had (or had to worry about) that way back when" but so few people look at how they treated, regarded and interacted with their dogs "way back when" .... or how the dogs (were able to) interacted with the community as a whole, "way back when". If you are going to compare, make sure you compare apples with apples.

IMO, the community has lost the plot with how they regard and treat dogs. They more and more need to be reminded that dogs ARE dogs, not people. This is probably why the demand for so many books are there ..... because people, as a result of the changes from yesteryear have not adjusted those life's changes to account for dogs and hence we see so many different canine behaviour problems.

Common sense has gone out the window and we're just too busy to be consistent in our training. Yet we seem to think that the dogs are supposed to just work it all out ..... although I'm awed at just how much dogs DO work out, in spite of our failings. We treat them like kids, yet we want them as dogs. How confusing for them!

Now ...... think I might go write a book.

[cavNrott]

When my kids were young....4 children under 5 1/2 years old and I had two two GSD's. These dogs were great with the kids and the children knew that they treated the dogs with respect or they heard about it from me. If I ever heard a dog yelp, whichever child was the culprit got a telling off from me no matter how young the child.

No one paid any attention when the kids got bowled over by the dogs, it was a fact of life. Kids and dogs lived in harmony inside the house. I never had kids running to me complaining about the dogs knocking them over, they just picked themselves up and kept on with what they were doing.

These dogs were gentle with children because they grew up with children. The kids were good with dogs for the same reason. No one ever got bitten by the dogs and if they had done I would have asked them what they did to hurt the dog.

I read so often now that people are advised to get a small breed because a large breed might knock small children over. Kids fall over all the time without being knocked by anyone or anything.

Aaah the good old days :p