tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post4798476841365427996..comments2024-01-03T03:28:48.980-07:00Comments on mugwump Chronicles: Just Stop ItMugwumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487540636265322556noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-76467416132345107602013-09-07T11:27:23.834-06:002013-09-07T11:27:23.834-06:00I know I'm way late to the party (catching up ...I know I'm way late to the party (catching up on Mugs posts) but I have two Pit stories (neither were my dogs, I have a wimpy little Corgi, lol). <br /><br />One was a friend. He had a pit (neutered male). Very sweet dog. He's one of those people who will defend to the death that pits are "misunderstood." His girlfriend was taking his pit out to use the bathroom (on leash). He ripped the leash out of her hand, ran down the stairs, and killed a yorkie of a girl who was exiting her apartment with it (also on leash). The pit had never shown aggression before to another dog, but it only took once. He was euthanized.<br /><br />The second was when my husband and I entertained the idea of getting a second dog. We loaded up my Corgi and headed to the pound. One of the shelter ladies was walking a pit and pushing for us to adopt her. I, of course, firmly said no thanks. She went on and on about how sweet she was. And she was. She was sweet on my dog and kept trying to play with him. Fast forward, my husband has our Corgi on his leash and shelter lady has the pit on a leash. Another shelter dog gets loose in the back, gets out into the waiting room and attacks our Corgi. Being the wimp that he is, he runs squealing in fear into the waiting room. He was headed for the chairs to hide, but had to run past his new "friend", the pit. She obviously smelled blood in the water because she lunged for my pig squealing Corgi as he ran by - she was aiming for his neck and would have gotten it if I hadn't reacted with a kick to the side of the jaw to deflect her and the shelter lady held her back with the leash. Needless to say we didn't leave with any dogs that day and our Corgi is still wimpy and enjoying his single-dog household status. Haha.<br /><br />So no, I would never have a pit. Would never have one around my horses, my other animals, or my baby. It's not worth it. What do you gain from owning one that a non-aggreessive breed can't also provide?clydesdalesockshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15651461954070461080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-52672888745713964342013-08-16T16:42:34.284-06:002013-08-16T16:42:34.284-06:00You know, I love my dogs, but if one went after a ...You know, I love my dogs, but if one went after a child like that I would have it put down immediately. I don't understand people who can see their animal attack like that, and excuse it.Shadow Riderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02015365019108553741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-262919445615882072013-08-16T10:02:43.111-06:002013-08-16T10:02:43.111-06:00Shadow Rider - I had the same thing happen to my d...Shadow Rider - I had the same thing happen to my daughter when she was six. Except it was my step-daughter's dalmatian and dalmatian/heeler x who were the culprits.<br />The dogs were kenneled.<br />She let them out to play in the yard, after expressly being forbidden to let the dogs out.<br />I rushed outside when I heard her screaming, the mix had her by the same hold you describe, the purebred had her arm and was shaking it like the death shake my terriers use on rats.<br />I flew in, cannot tell you exactly what happened, because I don't remember, but there were screaming dogs who never looked at me the same again when I got my daughter out of there.<br />Daughter had major scratches, minor bite marks, but four were on the back of her neck, and bumps and bruises. They had been dragging her around the yard before she got to where she could scream for help.<br />The response from my DIL?<br />"She shouldn't have let them out. We told her they played rough."<br />Dogs were banned and there is still tension between me and DIL.<br /> mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-90547746562820759802013-08-15T16:28:47.701-06:002013-08-15T16:28:47.701-06:00Years ago a (former) friend of mine had a female P...Years ago a (former) friend of mine had a female Pit. She was obedience trained, neutered, a pleasure to be around. She was socialized with other dogs, kids, etc. My friend stopped by with her, and my 4 year old son ran by playing. In a flash the Pit tripped him, and jumped on his back when he fell grabbing him by the back of the head and neck. This all happened in an instant with no warning at all. This was a dog I had known, and trusted! We pulled her off, my son was ok, but I of course said the dog wasn't welcome on my property anymore. The owner got quite mad and said she was only playing! Um, no, that was a kill hold. Her jaws were powerful enough to crush my son's skull or sever his spine. We were lucky we were right there. No amount of training can overcome instinct.Shadow Riderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02015365019108553741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-20992808591436321882013-08-15T15:15:46.246-06:002013-08-15T15:15:46.246-06:00Half dozen- look up ultimatepitbullforum.com
It i...Half dozen- look up ultimatepitbullforum.com <br />It is a great forum for responsible owners and many of them do schutzhund, ipo, hog hunting etc. the originator of the forum has bred pits for law enforcement and is very knowledgeable about the good and bad of the breed.Oldredhorsenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-25143303652021393362013-08-15T13:46:52.999-06:002013-08-15T13:46:52.999-06:00Just a quick question because I'm too lazy to ...Just a quick question because I'm too lazy to google it:<br />Do Pits "do" shutzhund? Are there pits out there who actually compete at agility, obedience, whatever competitions?Half Dozen Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00253311679688366394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-14339117704496036182013-08-15T12:35:34.679-06:002013-08-15T12:35:34.679-06:00zebradreams- that would mean I was after pitbulls....zebradreams- that would mean I was after pitbulls. I'm not. I am after people who own dogs they aren't able to control. <br /> I have never, ever seen the amount of cover up and denial by breed owners that goes on with pits.<br />GSD owners don't say their dogs won't bite, or that they don't bite any more than a golden retriever.<br />Neither do Boerbel owners.<br />We could keep going.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-71219052394651298612013-08-14T21:48:18.466-06:002013-08-14T21:48:18.466-06:00Mugs - my point about the statistics is that it ma...Mugs - my point about the statistics is that it makes it sound like so many pits end up in shelters, and euthanized, because the dogs are so dangerous or undesirable. When the truth is that there's just so many of them to start with, that more of them will end up there than other breeds as a matter of fact. By the same logic it's extremely unlikely that you'll find an Otterhound at your local shelter. A more accurate comparison would be the percentages of a certain breed that end up in shelters, out of the total number of that breed in the country. It still might not cast pit bulls in a favorable light but at least the statistics wouldn't be prejudiced. zebradreams07https://www.blogger.com/profile/17044216223536421442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-7563895262236861432013-08-14T21:37:17.245-06:002013-08-14T21:37:17.245-06:00Jennifer - she was not my dog. I took her off the ...Jennifer - she was not my dog. I took her off the streets because someone begged me to, only long enough to find her a home. Clearly that was not going to be a safe option. I never intended to put more than a few weeks of food into her, and she would have ended up with animal control if I hadn't done that. I guess it's a good thing I found out she was dangerous before anyone got seriously hurt.zebradreams07https://www.blogger.com/profile/17044216223536421442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-49117914901029456482013-08-14T21:32:05.302-06:002013-08-14T21:32:05.302-06:00The best guard dog I had was Zeke a daushound who ...The best guard dog I had was Zeke a daushound who would ackually protect me from my older brothers who picked on their little sister. He also killed chickens, squirrels, skunks and peed in the house till his back gave out at 10 years old. Loved him dearly but I will never have another. However I currently have a neurotic Aussie that hates my husband. I keep an eye on her constantly and will have her forever. I also had a heeler that I lovingly called psycho for 19 hellis years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-83514756660576302392013-08-14T19:48:50.365-06:002013-08-14T19:48:50.365-06:00Sigh.
I have a dachshund. I think of them as the ...Sigh. <br />I have a dachshund. I think of them as the ponies of the dog world. They are lower to the ground with an "extra" dose of personality. I think that whatever type of dog you have, it is vital to research the breed. Dachshunds may look cute and cuddly but they were bred to be vicious, killing machines. They are difficult to train as they are extremely stubborn and smart. Dachshunds aren't particularly interested in pleasing their owners; they are more interested in their owners pleasing them. They need regular exercise so they have less energy to use for evil. However, I have met so many we'll meaning people who clueless purchased the cute little dachsie, didn't train them, let them get fat (terrible for their backs), and soon enough the dog is destroying the house and snapping at the children (after peeing behind the couch). <br /><br />Don't get me wrong, they can make marvelous pets (if you're a masochist-kidding!), but we can't expect them and other dogs to be different from their basic genetics.<br />A masochist in ClackamasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-88679874927003167942013-08-14T18:53:12.868-06:002013-08-14T18:53:12.868-06:00Thanks Joy - Brockle would be embarrassed to hear ...Thanks Joy - Brockle would be embarrassed to hear I'm onto him. He prefers for everyone to think I keep him leashed so he won't attack the Boerboel across the road. He's actually hoping to terrorize the pair of King Charles Cavalier behind the mastiff.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-83316719747143803442013-08-14T18:21:51.623-06:002013-08-14T18:21:51.623-06:00I think you're right about Oc Becky. And it w...I think you're right about Oc Becky. And it would be great if training of some kind were required for the more powerful breed ownership. The dog always pays in the end. (PS fellow HB person here. Lived there for 27 yrs).Joyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00977898784588176802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-79894693016443875962013-08-14T17:38:27.977-06:002013-08-14T17:38:27.977-06:00Joy - I think it's an Orange County thing.
...Joy - I think it's an Orange County thing. <br /><br />Back in the day I used to own a dog-aggressive male German Shepherd. He was good 95% of the time, but since there was that 5%, I always kept him on a leash.<br /><br />I can't count the amount of times people let their dogs charge up to my dog, and when I started desperately crossing the street, they'd call out, "Don't worry! My dog is friendly!" with a huge smile.<br /><br />"Well, MINE ISN'T!" I'd holler back... and then they'd get a horrified expression and call their dog back, desperately... and glare at me like I was the one with the problem. <br /><br />I love the idea of mandatory classes for people with high maintenance breeds - or, heck, at the very least, some kind of web exam where they'd have to score above a certain percentage. <br /><br />In the end it might not do anything, but at least they wouldn't be able to claim "Oh, gee, I didn't know!"<br /><br />Beckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09544884349722760099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-47475835274186247142013-08-14T17:34:26.537-06:002013-08-14T17:34:26.537-06:00No no! I totally got that about Brockle mugs. I...No no! I totally got that about Brockle mugs. I just was using the poor guy as an example. Sorry! Yes I can see that Brockle is a smart one. I think I mentioned before that poor Brad is reallllly dumb. No I appreciate what you're saying in the post. <br />I apologize to Brockle for the inadvertent slander on his good name.Joyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00977898784588176802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-88179178176225132932013-08-14T15:22:14.766-06:002013-08-14T15:22:14.766-06:00Um, Joy? You did get the part where I said Brockle... Um, Joy? You did get the part where I said Brockle stays on leash unless in controlled situations, right?<br />Plus, he's not stupid, he only charges poodles, preferably miniature.<br />mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-46734418113088680992013-08-14T14:28:29.343-06:002013-08-14T14:28:29.343-06:00Pit bull lover & AmStaff owner of 20 years her...Pit bull lover & AmStaff owner of 20 years here. I agree with this post. BE RESPONSIBLE!!!!! There is no reason on earth for un-neutered & un-spayed pit bulls. None. There is an over-abundance of them in this country. It pisses me the hell off.<br /><br />A wonderful example of doing it right: http://badrapbarncrew.blogspot.com/<br /><br />That being said, nothing is worse for my male (neutered) am staff than an aggressive off-leash dog. If Brockle came after Brad, I would have to choke Brad out because he would die trying to defend himself. And I wouldn't want him to hurt Brockle. And he would try very hard to hurt Brockle.<br /><br />I can't tell you how many times off leash dogs have come after my ALWAYS on-leash dog. It sucks ass. And I've been bitten by the off leash dogs as well. It goes both ways, see. I have a great "leave it" on my dog, but when the off leash dog is between my fuckin legs, it's all over but the shouting.<br /><br />There are great resources out there for folks who would like to rescue a pit or pit mix (it's PIT not PITT). Training, education, training and more training. And get the damn dog fixed.<br /><br />ahem. done now.Joyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00977898784588176802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-90323868088483011322013-08-14T14:27:49.627-06:002013-08-14T14:27:49.627-06:00The thought of needing a break stick to get a dog ...The thought of needing a break stick to get a dog to let go because there bite and determination as bred is so powerful well I really don’t have a working use for those skills. I see many used as status symbols literally dragging their owners down the sidewalk with leather spiked collars and balls a swinging. Stupid kids with very powerful dogs who they neither have control of or put any effort into their training. <br /><br />The Pit Bull suffers thru its ownership. Powerful dog that can cause allot of damage owned by irresponsible people. <br /><br />On the flip side I love to see the tatoo’ed mad-max looking dude trotting his set of pugs down the sidewalk. Do pugs always come in twos? <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-94716303419908252013-08-14T14:00:08.097-06:002013-08-14T14:00:08.097-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.marykahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07836469433875199731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-28366851858469880442013-08-14T14:00:03.057-06:002013-08-14T14:00:03.057-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.marykahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07836469433875199731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-73969322969069373502013-08-14T13:59:51.668-06:002013-08-14T13:59:51.668-06:00You have touched a nerve with me with this one Mug...You have touched a nerve with me with this one Mugs as our eldest son has a pittbull. They also have a daughter who is fast approaching her first birthday. The dog exhibits no aggression to my granddaughter & never has,she can take his bone out of his mouth & swap it for a toy, but has always been watchful of her trying to keep her safe. My son spit his dummy out bigtime when someone he knows was hitting & trying to get a 6wk old puppy to become aggressive. This of course is why he has a Pittbull, he shoved £100 into the blokes hands & took the pup off him. The pup is now a beautiful dog of about 18mths old. They got a dog behaviour woman out because they realise that the dog could well be dangerous if they get it wrong. Would certainly not like to get a bite from him as he is the equivalent of double muscled cattle in the he has great bulging muscles & a massive head. Can confirm he weighs a large amount too as last time we went over I had taken a couple of dog chews & given him one when I got as far as the gate( which I hasten to add is a tall wrought iron one ). When I go into the house my daughter-in-law waits for us to sit in case he knocks me over lol. When he was allowed in the great lump landed in my lap & did a quick search of my pockets & my handbag to find the other chews & weighed a ton damn him. Always feel sad about the thing he's not allowed to do as he can't be allowed loose when they go out & in this country it is the law that he's muzzled in public. But can see why as the damage he could do would be very serious indeed & do worry that when my GD has her friends calling if one slaps her that he'll eat them lol . A joke but they have to make sure others & their dogs are safe as even a nip would mean that he would be taken from them by the police & put down.marykahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07836469433875199731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-47148530484625760202013-08-14T11:04:28.163-06:002013-08-14T11:04:28.163-06:00I own a heeler who bites. Not everyone, not all t...I own a heeler who bites. Not everyone, not all the time. Every so often, he just sneaks up on someone and takes a chomp. He was very poorly socialized as a pup, so we think it is heeler instinct gone way wacky. <br /><br />It's actually a pretty classic case. A couple in town bought him and his sister for their small children. Of course, we know that buying heelers as pets for a city family is a great idea. (I'm being facetious.) They then put the two puppies in their backyard and ignored them until they were about 18 months old and started biting the kids. Anyone shocked by this? No? Me either. Anyhow, at that point, the pups were given to some people we know. Since the boy still had all his parts, he was used as a stud dog. (Don't get me going on that.) He spent all but 1 hour of every day in a 24x36 (that's inches) crate. Again, no socialization and with testosterone added. So, when his breeding career was over, he was scheduled to literally "take a bullet to the head."<br /><br />We rescued him knowing that he was messed up. He is a sweet dog with/for us and it just seemed like a waste for him to be put down. The dog is downright HAPPY 99.9% of the time - he seems to enjoy life like no other. So we volunteered to take him instead of having him take a bullet, which was the original owner's solution. We were hoping that, with enough work, we could fix the problem and he could be our "traveling dog." <br /><br />Unfortunately, it didn't work out. Our other two dogs have free run of our isolated property. The biter has a nice 10'x16' kennel we built for him. That is where he stays when he is not with us. He is never out unsupervised. We tried having him neutered, we tried socializing him. We tried talking to an animal behaviorist. The truth is that the dog will never be trustworthy, so we don't trust him. <br /><br />He will stay with us until he dies. Then we will tear the kennel down and put something else in its place. <br /><br />But the bottom line here is that this dog is an exact example of what you're talking about Mugs. Pet owners who bought "cute puppies" without considering the breed and the effort involved. They "over-dogged" themselves and then proceeded to put no effort into the puppies and created the potential for tragedy. Once the damage was done, they passed the mess on to an irresponsible breeder, who took his pound of flesh from the animal - again with no real effort invested. <br /><br />So now we have him. We really should put him down, but we haven't the heart. He is so HAPPY - ridiculously so and it seems like a shame to snuff that out. We make sure he gets out of his kennel and that he has the best life we can give him. Is it ideal? Probably not, but it's the best we can do for him and it seems better than putting him down. <br /><br />Interestingly, we have one of his daughters that we acquired as a puppy. We socialized and worked with her from day 1. She is smart, easy to work with, and is an amazing farm dog. She actually tells us when animals are sick and will stay with the sick animal until it is well again. She's that good. <br /><br />Honestly, I think he could have been that good, if he had been put into the right home and socialized properly. <br /><br />Making a careful choice about the kind of dog you get and then being willing to put the necessary amount of effort in is (I believe) critical. There are all kinds of breeds we won't have on our farm because we know that they require more effort than we have to spend and they're a poor match for farm living. <br /><br />The thing I find most ironic is that, if you take the time to choose the right kind of dog, it's usually way less effort to create a good canine citizen than if you choose the wrong kind. :-|<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17892175707655378999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-90464309475612236472013-08-14T10:29:41.883-06:002013-08-14T10:29:41.883-06:00Ponyfan and RHF - Yes! Yes! Yes! I was beginning t...Ponyfan and RHF - Yes! Yes! Yes! I was beginning to think I had written this entire post in Mandarin.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-30416187837785466872013-08-14T09:16:57.961-06:002013-08-14T09:16:57.961-06:00Just because you CAN own something doesn't mea...Just because you CAN own something doesn't mean you have enough skills to handle it. Stilettos, Lamborghini's, and green horses fall into this category, in my mind, as well as pits. I fail to see the point in deceiving myself or others when somebody's life could be affected. Right on, Mugs! RHFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02513212465360292806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-3206353670424134852013-08-14T09:13:57.790-06:002013-08-14T09:13:57.790-06:00 A little late to the party, but I must admit I ha... A little late to the party, but I must admit I have some serious issues about responsible dog ownership. <br />My neighbours are the perfect examples of the pittie-loving breed. They They are a couple, in their thirties, just starting to settle down. <br />The funny thing is, their first dog is a pitbull who is the epitome of a responsibly managed dog. She has great manners, and boundaries, and her heel is lovely, just perfect. Actually, I can count on one hand the number of dogs in my neighbourhood who have a reliable heel, which given that I estimate there are roughly one hundred and fifty dogs in my neighbourhood is pretty darn sad. Lady with the choco lab, and old dude with the golden, who walk around leashless all the time, I am not counting you. Just because your dog ambles along, generally following you, does not mean you have control of your dog. <br />This pittie had been theirs as a young couple, and they had included her in every aspect of their life, they went for runs, took her camping, and hiking, to the lake for the weekend and to the corner store for milk. <br />Of course, they settled down predictably, new house, new dog, new baby. I saw the writing on the wall almost immediately. Their new dog was also a pittie, (The Very Best Breed, Dontcha Know). But their new lifestyle no longer supported the training, responsibility and dedication that had gone into their first dog. He was too boistorous, large, and clumsy for their new house. He spent a lot of time confined in the backyard, became loud and aggressive towards anything on the other side of that fence. He played rougher, and rougher with their first dog. He was unhandleable for the wife in her delicate condition, and unsafe anywhere near the baby once it was born. <br />He ended up at a shelter, where I imagine he fit right in with all those other large, aggressive and untrained young male dogs.<br />They will still tell you with glowing smiles how pitties are just the safest, gentle-ist dogs, and point fondly at their toddler climbing all over their older, obedient and faithful pittbull. You know, the one they kept. ponyfannoreply@blogger.com