I’ve got two Rhodesian Ridgebacks and even though I love them (shit,their my dogs) one of them we got from a breeder who had 12 ridgebacks and decided after her husband had a stroke that it was too much. The new dog was a year old when we got it about 5 months ago now. Strange thing is that I can’t really come within a foot of this dog without it buggin out and tearing across the room to get away from me. My dad can pet it and it loves my mother and all other females, but no matter what I do feed it, walk it, talk in a gay lovie voice it’s scared of me. Anyone have any ideas?
Wide Guy - turn into a hotdog machine. Seriously. EVERY time you see the dog give him some hotdog. No one else gives hotdogs to him, only you, every time you walk past him. Before long you will have a best friend.
Also, never bend over him or raise your hand near him. You evidently remind him of someone who was quite mean to him and you have to chase those demons away.
Hotdogs or cheese will do it!
I’ll try it but I’m gonna use turkey dogs. I love my dogs too much to give them hot dogs:-)
Great thread - I wish I had a dog.
Michelle, your doggie looks quite pissed in that pic. No way am I going to call her a sissy!
Talk about your Monday Mornings…
My Husky (pictured above) decided to drop a steaming dump in the kitchen while I was ironing my uniform this morning. She knows exactly what she’s doing and does it just as a “fuck you for leaving me today” kind of thing. It’s rough because I want to be mad but I can’t because I know she’s communicating her displeasure the only way she knows how. So I scolded her, recieved the proper “I’m sorry” posture, I cleaned up the mess, (linoleum no harm no foul) called in late to work, then proceeded to play with her for a half our or so before I left.
Was that the right way to go about it? Am I spoiling her? Who else would have reacted in a similar fashion?
We have 4 jack russel terriers. One of which qualified for the finals in the Incredible Dog Challenge on Oct. 4. You will be able to watch it on Jan. 4 at 3:00 p.m. on NBC. We will also be on PAX t.v. for the qualifier on Dec. 20. (yes, my wife is very “Hardcore” when it comes to dogs)
As some of you may know, I’m not opposed to hitting humans, but I don’t hit animals. Brad, you handled it the right way. Your dog is just expressing himself by shitting on the floor. The way I see it, you and your dog will quickly forget about the steamy dump, but he will never forget being hit. Hitting your dog will only make him want to drop a big deuce out of spite. You are his master and his whole existence revolves around you, so he will only think “why is this person hitting me?” and not “thank you sir may I have another, I should not have pooped in the house.” I sometimes put my dog on petting/attention/scooby snack probation for a few hours and that drives him nuts. Anyway here is my domesticated bear, Cinder the rottweiler.
BTW, that German Shepherd/Rottie mix is a beautiful dog. How is he with kids? I’m thinking my dog may need a friend since he wants to eat my bro’s cat.
I woke up to a steaming dump this morning from one of our Goldens. We keep them in the kitchen at night and occasionally they’ll have an adverse reaction to something we mix in to their food. It wasn’t the most pleasant surprise as I was about to walk out the door at 5:00 to go train.
I’ve always read you shouldn’t let them see you clean it up. It reinforces the fact they can get attention for it.
Brad, calling in late is probably being a better “dog dad” than I could ever get myself to be.
JasonL: just went back and read your post about rottweilers. They are great dogs, PM me if you have any specific questions.
Brad - Your dog shit on the floor infront of you and you stayed home and played with her for an extra half hour? I think that is definately the wrong message. Ruby pulls that crap every so often - usually when I am working on the computer for an extended period she takes a dump right behind my chair. It earns her nothing more than an assisted trip out the door, coupled by me telling her exactly what I think of her. She’s your dog, but I would not be surprised if she does it again, since she learned that you stay home extra when she does it.
Instead, maybe you can get her a toy or bone that she only gets when you leave. When you get home, put it away. This won’t make her happy you’re leaving, but at least she has something special when you’re away.
Oh, and the picture didn’t post…
Jeff - We call that her ‘vulture’ pose. She sits at the top of the stairs and hovers over the hallway.
Have you seen ‘Hulk’? When the mutated dogs go after the girl (Bettie)? The brown one looks like Ruby when someone rings the door bell! Well, at the beginning of that scene anyway, by the end it looks like a giant rabid chipmunk.
Cleaning it up is the right thing, but you have to be VERY upset by it (not a big problem with that) and let them see it. Be verbal. Not AT them, but about you having to clean it up. If you can “escort” them outside to where they can then see you do the cleaning, fine. If not, don’t take them out until you have.
I think the next time my wife ignores me, I’ll just take a nice steamy dump behind her. You think that’d be a problem?
Give it a try Jared. Let us know how that works out for you…
Ms. posterformerlyknownasbigprljamfan, it seems that someone else pays attention to Cupcake as well. 
Thanks for the offer, but I dumped the idea.
For all those who need training advice and wish to learn a little more about how dogs learn, get the book “culture clash” by Jean Donaldson. I’ve read many, many training books and this is the best.
The 2 newest members of my family,
and my tree climbing sheltie who recently passed away.
Shelties are so smart and fun.
Magnus: Having read some of your other dog-related posts it’s obvious you’ve put a lot of thought/energy into them, is your interest in dogs purely recreational or is it occupational as well?
JIM: I spent a number of years rescueing Pit Bulls as well as other breeds. When my ex wife and I split up last year that sort of came to an end. I hope to begin rescuing again in the future when my lifestyle is a little more stable. My interest in dogs is simply from a love for them and the fact that so many are discarded and unloved distresses me more than anything else on the planet. There is something about the company of a dog that makes me very happy, I can’t really explain it. I even love the little yappy ones. Thanks for asking
