Wordless Wednesday/Sheba and Coco

Whoever said Cats and Dogs don't get along together never met these two, they think there brother and sister considering we only adopted Coco last year there inseparable with Coco being the boss.

2.5 year old Dogue de Bordeaux looking for forever home.

Dogue de Bordeaux welfare facebook page.

Fatal dog attacks.

I've heard of three fatal attacks by dogs in the last week, and every time the media go over the top over sensationalising things to sell papers, every time they make it out to be the dogs fault and giving them labels like devil dogs.

How hard would it be to sit back look at the bigger picture and think that it might not be the dog at fault but the parents, for leaving a dog and child in the same room unsupervised I'm sure a lot of accidents could easily be avoided through using a bit of common sense.

We all know dogs can be unpredictable but so can children, if a child tries to ride the family dog, pulls it tail etc you can't blame the dog for getting annoyed.

As good as Sheba is around children I wouldn't dream of leaving her unsupervised with a child it's an accident waiting to happen.

More children are probably killed by adults than dogs are we going to ban irresponsible parents.

A dog doesn't wake up thinking I must bite some one today, before we drive a car we have to take lessons and pass our test I'm seriously thinking it should be the same for dog ownership at the end of the day they're both capable of killing if in the wrong hands.

Today's tabloid papers are full of rubbish about dogs being pack animals that kill to assert their authority.
Expert David Ryan is the voice of reason and sadly he has not been widely quoted more's the pity.

Do read what he would have said if he had. I draw your attention to this part...

"The conjecture that I have heard from some quarters, that dogs view crying babies as injured pack members and instinctively “finish them off” is just plain wrong. If that were the case, dogs all over the country would be attacking crying babies, and cancer-detection and other assistance dogs, rather than helping humans, would be killing them off wholesale. A much more parsimonious explanation is that some poorly socialised dogs react inappropriately in some circumstances."

If you need advice on keeping dogs and babies safe please visit: http://familypaws.com/resources/

Dogs, babies and small children should never be left unsupervised, no matter how well trained. Dogs are neither Disney characters pre-programmed to babysit are young, nor vicious power mad despots plotting to take over the world.

Article courtesy of Dogs Today Magazine.

It is with horrible irony that whilst the press were reporting another fatal dog attack on a baby, I was in Court all day, explaining why a five year old collie that had never before shown any aggression to anyone, had bitten the face of a two-year-old girl.

I only have press reports to go on, so details are sketchy, but the latest sad death appears to be of a baby from attack by a Malamute that had recently been acquired from unknown provenance. Once again I find myself offering heartfelt condolences to a bereaved family. Once again, this tragedy was avoidable.

Firstly, we must acknowledge that, whilst it is of no help in individual circumstances, such deaths are very rare. One in four UK families has one or more pet dogs. A baby is far more likely to be killed by her parents than by a pet dog. The vast majority of pets are safe and treasured family members. So why do some kill?

There are two main reasons why dogs bite children or babies and both revolve around a lack of understanding of communication. Whilst dogs are remarkable in their ability to discern human emotions and act upon them accordingly, we take that skill far too much for granted.

Almost all dogs are socialised to a greater or lesser extent to human adults. It would be almost impossible for them not to be. So they have some understanding of our behaviour. However, dogs do not instinctively understand babies and toddlers. With babies they do not always recognise them as being human and with toddlers they do not understand their non-standard (compared to an adult) human body language.  The danger is that this lack of understanding can lead to conflict in the dog if we aren’t able to manage it.

Nobody is surprised that dogs chase cats and rabbits or that they tear up squeaky toys. Babies are about the same size as a cat, and make similar mewling noises at times; their little voices are certainly squeaky. Dogs that haven’t been socialised with babies, that is introduced to them in a benign way so that they understand that they are little members of the human race, can misinterpret their cries and squirms as prey-like behaviour. The result can be that they treat the squeaky little baby like a squeaky little toy, to be grabbed and ragged.


There is the additional factor that babies often smell of poo and sick – both of which are attractive to dogs because they are considered to be good to eat. I know we think it disgusting, but dogs are like that.

The conjecture that I have heard from some quarters, that dogs view crying babies as injured pack members and instinctively “finish them off” is just plain wrong. If that were the case, dogs all over the country would be attacking crying babies, and cancer-detection and other assistance dogs, rather than helping humans, would be killing them off wholesale. A much more parsimonious explanation is that some poorly socialised dogs react inappropriately in some circumstances.

Dogs need adequate socialisation with toddlers too, because toddlers do not provide the same body language as adult humans. They are uncoordinated, they grab, hug and kiss – all things that can be very threatening for a dog that has not learned to expect and tolerate that kind of behaviour.  And how do dogs react to threats that are imminent and can’t be avoided? They bite to make the problem go away; literally to get it out of their face.

So how do we address this mismatch? The answer is to make sure that pet dogs identify babies as human, and understand  that toddlers mean them no harm through their odd-human behaviour.

To do this we need three avenues of approach. The first is to benignly socialise your pet dog with all manner of humans, including toddlers and babies, whilst it is young enough (from 5 weeks of age at the latest, although better before that too) and to continue to do that throughout its life.  This people-proofing is one of the best favours you can do for your pet.

What if it is a rescue dog and you do not know how socialised it is with children? What if it is not your dog, for example when you visit friends with your baby or toddler? Easy, assume it is not socialised at all and do not allow contact of any kind.

Some of the better rescues will perform a battery of tests with dogs before rehoming them. Whilst these can be a good indication of the dog’s future behaviour, do not rely on them as an absolute guarantee.  Look at the tests done, ask the advisor what they mean and then treat the results with caution. If the dogs are not tested at all, or if you are given no proof that they have been seen to be reliable, DO NOT TRUST THEM NEAR YOUR CHILDREN.

The second approach is to prepare your pet dog for the arrival of your baby. Don’t worry that your pet and baby won’t get on, because if you prepare them, they will. Start well before baby is born by providing your dog with a safe haven and teaching it to go (and stay) there when asked. You will be stressed and harassed at times when baby comes home, and being able to send your pet off to sit quietly on their own (maybe with a long-lasting food treat) whilst you tend to baby, will be a boon for you.

Then introduce dog to baby in a prepared, controlled and structured fashion; baby on your knee and dog rewarded for being close, but not showing too much interest. You can expand on this theme, and there are some ideas on how to do that in Dogs that Bite and Fight.

Third approach is to teach your dog how to interact with toddlers and your toddler how to interact with dogs. Dogs don’t automatically like to be hugged and kissed, but they can learn to tolerate and even enjoy it. They are more likely to tolerate it if you handle them regularly and have taught them to accept intrusive behaviour from people. It is a training exercise that all pets should go through – teaching them that human contact is not threatening. Likewise teach your toddler not to be rude to dogs. No kissing, hugging or close face to face contact. Dogs think it is impolite.


Finally, and I think I may have said this before, NEVER LEAVE A BABY, TODDLER OR CHILD ALONE WITH ANY DOG, no matter how reliable you think any of them are. There is no need for these tragedies, but we need to think it through.

Article courtesy of David Ryan ( Dog Secrets. )

Walking in my paws.

Today's post is part of the first WOOF support blog hop ( Working Out Our Fears )

First of all I would like to apologise for a short post but I'm pushed for time, there's never enough hours in the day at the moment. 

I will start off by introducing myself and explaining how I managed to end up in the state I'm at for the benefit of the members of the group who don't know me.

I'm Sheba a Dogue De Bordeaux/Rottweiler I was 5 yesterday 14/2/2013.

Me when I was a pup.

And now all grown up.

When I was a pup Mum and Dad would take me out in the front garden to toilet so I got used to traffic and people walking past with dogs, and when I had finished my puppy vaccinations and could go out I went to puppy socialisation classes to get me used to being around other dogs which I loved playing with the other pups.

And then one day it all went horribly wrong, We were out for a walk and I was quite happy sniffing lamp posts and minding my own business walking at Dad's side when out of a house came 2 Staffordshire Bull Terriers running straight for me I tried to hide behind my Dad but one of them managed to get behind me, Dad eventually managed to kick them away before the stupid owner called them back saying she didn't know how they got out, leaving the front door open might of had something to do with it.

I just got over that incident when we were walking past a house when 5 Cocker Spaniels ran out of the front garden, that was the last straw and I've never gotten over it it took me months before Dad built up my courage to walk past that house again I used to drag him to the opposite side of the road. Why do people have dogs if they can't keep them in a secure environment.

So now I don't trust any dogs I see and am a complete nut job when on the lead barking, lunging forward and spinning around on the end of the lead trying to get away, I'm not aggressive and have never attacked another dog I just like them to keep a safe distance from me, I love all animals apart from dogs that I don't know cows, sheep, horses don't bother me and I can walk through the park off lead past the ducks and swans and I'm not interested in them. I live with 2 cats who I love very much despite people saying cats and dogs cant live together it's all in the way your brought up.

If I'm off lead I'm fine around other dogs as can be seen from the above pics. So Mum and Dad try to avoid putting me in stressful situations and let me off lead when it's safe to do so. We have had a few comments but when Dad explains that I'm better behaved off lead most people understand, and I always stay close to my humans and don't run off so am always under control.

Luckily for me Mum and Dad are very understanding and have always worked with me when a lot of other people would of gave up on me and put me in the shelter.

I feel sorry for Dad because he gets abuse hurled at him and 1 person said I should be put down I'm glad I don't live with him. Dad used to get all protective to defend me but Dad's shouting made me worse so now he's learnt to ignore the comments and to carry on walking, Mum says he must of caught his selective hearing off me I don't know what she means by that.

All I ask is for people to be understanding of my needs and not to judge me before getting to know me, the only people who really know what I'm like are Mum and Dad because they spend 24/7 with me, I might be a pain when outside when on the lead but am as good as gold around the house where I spend most of my time.

Dad says if he was in the pub and someone punched him on the nose he would be weary of strangers it's the same for me.

I'm a lover not a fighter.

Me with Mum and Cody and Coco.

This is the WOOF Support Blog Hop, where reactive dogs and their owners can come together to share similar experiences.  Are you a reactive/fearful dog or its owner?  Then please join us and share your story.  The Blog Hop is open through Sunday, February 16th on Oz the Terrier's blog as well as on co-hosts Roxy The Traveling Dog and Wag 'n Woof Pets blogs.

Happy Birthday to me.

Happy Birthday Sheba,

Lots of Love Mum, Dad, Cody and Coco.

I am 5 years young today roughly 35 in human years but still a pup at heart, I'm a Valentines day dog which means I'm filled with Love.

And my boyfriend Grady from The Grady Report got me this bandanna.

I've just received this card off my Husky pals at Love is being owned by a Husky.

Some random holiday pics.

The one thing I liked about the holiday was all the locals were so trusting, all the farmers sold there produce from all the little lanes and house owners would sell homemade jams and chutneys from outside there homes with an honesty box to put your money in, it was like stepping back in time.

Even the local chapel had a sign outside saying free tea and biscuits and dogs welcome.

These photos were took on a lovely sunny day, you could see the sun between the mountains but they turned out more stormy looking.

We've just booked our holidays for this year back to the Lake District again, instead of 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year like we did last year we're going away for Grandmas birthday in June and then a week for Christmas staying in the same area but different cottages.

In June we're staying in Keen Ground Cottage.

And December we're staying in Croft Barn Cottage

Free to good home ( Good Read )

This recently slid across my Facebook news-feed.  Take a few minutes to read it, and maybe even pass it on.  Not only is it well-worth the read (READ TO THE END!!), but anyone looking to adopt, buy or (heaven forbid) give up an dog (or other pet for that matter) could definitely learn a few things.

*This post was originally written by a wonderfully witty dog owner/advocate and was listed on Craigslist for the world to see
=)

"Hi, I have a 2 year old pure bred Great Shepdanepoo that needs to be re-homed. That's right he's a one of kind designer mutt. His mom was a German Shepherd and dad a Great Dane. Heck there might be some unicorn in there. I threw in the poo b/c it seems to make him more appealing.

Sadly I can't keep him anymore. When I first adopted him I never ever thought that I might have to move.

Apparently, no pets are allowed anywhere in this country besides where I currently live. Also, I think I'm pregnant so it's okay to give him up, right? I would never do that to my future kid though. Don't worry I'll never tell my child I owned a dog only to give him up. B/c that would be teaching him or her that when life gets hard just dump your problems onto someone else and make excuses for your own lack of responsibility.

Anyways, this dog is annoying. He requires a solid exercise routine. I have to exercise him mentally and physically (that's right both kinds of exercise) for 3 hours almost everyday. I have to be out of the house by 5 am (rain or shine) to go on a bike ride with him for 45 mins. Then I play fetch, tug o war, hide n seek and other games. Followed by some training. This is all done before I go to work so he can stay asleep in his crate until I come back about 8 hours later. When I do come back I have to play with him some more, ughhhh. If I don't do this he whines and yelps the rest of the day. Who would have thought that a GSD mix would have this much energy.

He slobbers and farts a lot. He always manages to get water onto my kitchen floor instead of into his mouth.

He eats everything, seriously, everything. I have to make sure that my floors are free of socks, leather/cloth materials, tissue paper, really any paper, certain shoes and small plastic things b/c he will eat it. I have to be so tidy and clean now, its frustrating. He snores like a trombone. Don't be fooled by his 80 lb body my friend b/c he is a lap dog, whether you like it or not. He barks like a maniac at anyone who walks past my fenced backyard (esp. if he hasn't been exercised). Meaning, I actually have to go outside and tell him to be quiet, otherwise he won't stop. He tracks in a s*** ton of mud. When he's sick I have to take him to the vet or else he just lies there looking lifeless. Btws, who would have thought that seeking services from a professional who went to school for 8 years or so would be expensive, really. Blows my mind.

He is great w/ kids, cats, and other dogs. But he must be supervised while around them b/c of his size. He is not super friendly towards adult strangers, just aloof. In fact, don't expect to be walking Lassie down the street. He is no eye candy. When I baby sit my mom's pure/well bred husky everybody runs up to me. Sh** ppl stop cars to come pet the husky (no joke). But when I walk my dog most ppl. just want to get to the other side of the street to avoid him; I guess he is scary looking . He does walk well on a leash but you need to be strong and firm b/c if he sees a rabbit, fox, deer, squirrel, or bicyclist (random right) he will try to run after it. So you must know how to handle that situation (and hitting him is not handling it).

All in all, when I first went to go adopt a dog I was really looking for a dog like lassie. He is nothing like it. What a disappointment.
He is up to date on all his shots, according to the second family that returned him to the shelter. Yep, his balls are gone but his sack is still there.
I've changed my mind he is no longer free. There is a re-homing fee of $300.00. I want to recoup some of the money I spent on him. Heck, I'll even throw in the cat for free. She is also a lot of work; I have to clean her litter box everyday, pet her and play with her w/ a piece of string. I just don't think I have time or money for that.

Never mind, who am I kidding. Despite everything I mentioned above I love him to death. This dog loves me despite the many flaws I have. He has loved me better than most men I have been with. And I am willing to put in the time, money and effort to keep him. B/c I know that this kind of unconditional love is hard to come by. Hope everyone here may come to that realization themselves. "

Remember, a dog's love is unconditional and forever.  They give us every part of themselves completely, it's only fair that we do the same for them.

Keep your tails wagging
Bear's P4ws -

Post courtesy of Bear's 4Pws.

Dog Theft ( please Share )

MoreThan's statistics on where dogs are stolen from is a real eye opener...

There has been 3 attempted Dog abductions in the last 3 weeks in the Aylesbury area alone. It happens all over the UK and although rare, dog theft is on the increase.

The last one being to a Group member very recently and they seem to have something in common, a Dark 

coloured car, possibly a Vauxhall Astra on a 57 plate.

54% of dogs that go missing are never seen again, but there are precautions to reduce the risk of it happening to you.

1. Remove Signs from your homes stating Dogs live there.
2. Ensure your Dog is Micro chipped and details kept up to date.
3. Keep your dogs on the leash and if you do let them off, keep them in sight.
4. Be wary of Strangers when socialising your dog, be polite but be cautious.
5. If you notice people observing or following you or strange cars, try and remember as much information/detail about them and report this to the Police.

Information taken from Dogs Today Magazine facebook page.

One good reason to practise a good recall, a couple of years ago I was on the park with Sheba and a group of lads were paying her to much attention for my liking, luckily when I called her she came straight back to my side. I don't trust anyone anymore you need eyes in the back of your head.