Serenity Pets
POSTED BY: WhooDahn
UPDATED: Sunday, December 18, 2005 16:07
VIEWED: 9691
PAGE 3 of 4
Hardware:
Glad to know you love your dogs, regardless of breed.
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Using the finest granite from his own Vermont quarry, Caterson created a majestic ten-foot-high monument, which is topped with a bronze statue of a handsome shepherd dog, wearing a Red Cross blanket. At the shepherd's feet are a bronze helmet and a canteen. A huge American flag waves proudly above. A simple inscription graces the memorial:
Dedicated to the memory of the war dog. Erected by public contributions by dog lovers to man's faithful friend for the valiant services rendered in world war, 1914 - 1918.
The highest-decorated US Army war dog was Chips, a part-shepherd, part-collie father and a northern sled-dog mother. The types of dogs accepted into the US Army K-9 Corps, instituted during WWII, was restrticted to German Shepherds, Belgian Sheep Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Farm Collies and Giant Schnauzers. If you like war dog stories, try http://tinyurl.com/2j4vd . I like my GSDs, mostly for their thunderous bark (best security alarm you could ever buy) and their uncanny sense of who needs biting, rather than just being a senseless brawler; you can have whatever 'house wolf' you prefer.
Pit bull's jaws do lock. My kids brought home a mixed breed puppy from one of the neighboring farms that turned out to have a lot of pit in it. I first got worried when playing with it as a puppy. It would latch onto a rag and hang suspended from it without even trying, for as long as you could hold the dog in the air.
It eventually ripped one of our kittens to shreds, and I had it destroyed. It's the only time I've ever had an otherwise healthy dog put down. We have other small pets and grandbabies underfoot, and I'm not taking that risk, regardless that others might consider it 'urban legend'. Once a dog kills, except at my command, that dog is not long for the heavenly choir.
On the one hand, there's the urban legend aspect of the issue; on the other, there's my first-hand experience with it.
And I'll restate: never approach an unfamiliar animal, especially if it's injured. Cautiously approach a wounded animal, even if it's one of your own. As a child, I remember my father removing a wounded and dying dog from the road by holding a section of wooden planking near its muzzle. The dog immediately bit the plank and held fast while my dad dragged its broken body to the roadside and delivered the coup de grace.
Respectfully,
zoid
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"River and me was best friends, back then. I named my first-born daughter after her. 'Course, you can't swing a dead cat 'round here on I-Day without hittin' a River..."
- Kaywinnit Tam, wife and mother of 6, A Child Shall Lead Them: A History of the Second War of Independence Wilkins, Richard
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Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
Hardware:
Glad to know you love your dogs, regardless of breed.
And it is pretty obvious to me you love dogs too.
Quote:
The highest-decorated US Army war dog was Chips, a part-shepherd, part-collie father and a northern sled-dog mother. The types of dogs accepted into the US Army K-9 Corps, instituted during WWII, was restrticted to German Shepherds, Belgian Sheep Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Farm Collies and Giant Schnauzers. If you like war dog stories, try http://tinyurl.com/2j4vd . I like my GSDs, mostly for their thunderous bark (best security alarm you could ever buy) and their uncanny sense of who needs biting, rather than just being a senseless brawler; you can have whatever 'house wolf' you prefer.
I'd never think to dismiss the sacrifice of military dogs. When I said the pit bull was the American dog I meant in popularity. The northern European shepherd breeds have always been popular with the US military. A dog used for propaganda posters is a whole different thing than one trained for sentry guard work.
Pit bulls aren't used for serious guard work. The simple fact is they aren't human aggressive. In order for a (well bred) pit to be human aggressive it has to be trained or unsocialized. A poorly bred dog of any breed can be a vicious manbiter.
Around my house my pit bulls mostly jump up on people.
If our house got broken into they would probably help load the truck. The only time I could imagine them doing anything is if my girlfriend or I were being attacked. Then I would not place bets on what would happen.Of course the thieves that see them laying in my bay window don't need to know that they're friendly, do they?
Quote:
Pit bull's jaws do lock. My kids brought home a mixed breed puppy from one of the neighboring farms that turned out to have a lot of pit in it. I first got worried when playing with it as a puppy. It would latch onto a rag and hang suspended from it without even trying, for as long as you could hold the dog in the air.
As I mentioned earlier pit bulls are descended from catch dogs. The ones that let go got trampled by the cattle. Consider this a good example of Darwin's theory. Adult pit bulls do this too hanging from a springpole, which is a rope on a frame suspended from a spring. The important thing to remember about this is they want to hang on.
Pit bulls are well documented tree climbers. The usual method of climbing is to jump, take a bite of a tree limb and put their forelegs over the branch and pull themselves up. Then repeat if they're not high enough. I've got a series of pictures of a dog climbing a tree, winding up a good 15 feet off the ground.
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It eventually ripped one of our kittens to shreds, and I had it destroyed. It's the only time I've ever had an otherwise healthy dog put down. We have other small pets and grandbabies underfoot, and I'm not taking that risk, regardless that others might consider it 'urban legend'. Once a dog kills, except at my command, that dog is not long for the heavenly choir.
Animal aggression is a known behavioral component in pit bulls. Some have it, some don't. A puppy that displays it might not have the best temperment. But animal and human aggression are two wildly different behaviors. Not questioning your judgement in the situation, just saying.
Quote:
And I'll restate: never approach an unfamiliar animal, especially if it's injured. Cautiously approach a wounded animal, even if it's one of your own. As a child, I remember my father removing a wounded and dying dog from the road by holding a section of wooden planking near its muzzle. The dog immediately bit the plank and held fast while my dad dragged its broken body to the roadside and delivered the coup de grace.
This is good advice. An injured dog that would otherwise never think of biting can lash out in pain. I've had to pick up a number of injured dogs doing rescue and unless we
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Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
Pit bull's jaws do lock. My kids brought home a mixed breed puppy from one of the neighboring farms that turned out to have a lot of pit in it. I first got worried when playing with it as a puppy. It would latch onto a rag and hang suspended from it without even trying, for as long as you could hold the dog in the air.
It eventually ripped one of our kittens to shreds, and I had it destroyed. It's the only time I've ever had an otherwise healthy dog put down. We have other small pets and grandbabies underfoot, and I'm not taking that risk, regardless that others might consider it 'urban legend'. Once a dog kills, except at my command, that dog is not long for the heavenly choir.
On the one hand, there's the urban legend aspect of the issue; on the other, there's my first-hand experience with it.
My chocolate lab can do the same thing, he does it all the time when we play tug (which, with him weighing in at nearly 100 lbs, I tend to tire far more easily than he does)- My cousin has an English bulldog that will do the same thing with a baseball bat- I've never known a pit bull to become aggressive unless trained to be so, but I have known several shepherds to suddenly become territorial and defensive (including my wife's parents' dog, which they had to give up because the dog wouldnt let them near their own baby, who I suppose it saw as its own)-
We had our dog professionally trained, and the trainer told us himself that there is no inherently bad breed, just bad training and a bad environment (and this is a guy who trained police dogs)- People train their dogs to bark and growl at strangers, then act surprised when their dog takes a bite out of someone's ass- The same with dogs attacking cats- The trainer was telling the story about how he knew someone that brought a very aggressive police dog home, and it attacked one of the guy's kittens- That guy called the trainer, and a couple sessions with a shock collar later, you couldnt get that dog anywhere near a cat-
It's all in how you train them- But the lesson about touching a wounded animal is a good one-
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He looked bigger when I couldn't see him.
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SevenPercent and Hardware:
I've got kind of old fashioned ideas about dogs. By 'old fashioned', I mean as in why did cave men first invite wolves to live by their hearths? For protection against predators.
Dogs and men have been in a symbiotic relationship ever since. I'd venture that the 'house wolf' was the first such human-animal partnership. Since then, Mankind has been playing an active role in Darwin's game, as it applies to the characteristics of the 'dog'.
Dogs -- like individual men -- have different temperaments. The trick is in finding the breed that supplements your unique, personal needs. Again, I think dogs are for keeping predators (mostly two-legged, these days) out of the 'cave'. I don't own firearms, because I don't trust them. I don't trust my own resolve to use them, and if I did take another life, I don't trust my ability to overcome the emotional grief it would cause me, even if I was totally justified. My GSD -- not Jayne just yet because he's only 8 months old -- Thor would lay waste to an intruder without hesitation and eat a hearty steak afterward. (God rest him, where ever good dogs go) When I had him put down, I stayed with him through the procedure, got out of the vet's as quick as I could and drove to deserted park and cried for the better part of an hour...
I train my own dogs. I do this by not training them. I tell them what's right and what's wrong. I recognize Mal's handling of Jayne as identical to my own, which is why I think Jayne is Serenity's 'ship wolf'. I am the alpha dog in my cave (like Mal is alpha to Jayne), and my dogs know that.
Having said that, it's another reason I prefer GSDs. If you get one with a good pedigree, that doesn't run and hide and looks you in the eye as a puppy, you can't go far wrong. Take a firm hand with the dog, praise it when it does well, feed/water/bathe/curry them and keep it indoors with you (no 'yard dog' abandonment), and the dog trains itself. A GSD will attach itself to your family and your home, and you will never find a more steadfast friend and defender in a human (similar to Hardware's tagline).
The criminal mentality works something like this: I'm a criminal and I'm a coward. I want to break into your house and steal your belongings, preferably while you're out. I also don't want there to be a big ruckus, which might rouse the suspicions of the neighbors/police.
Criminal sneaks up to front/side/back door of my house and opens the outer glass door. Suddenly, criminal hears 90lb Jayne's deep, rich, loud basso roar (he's only a pup, but he sounds impressive). Criminal shakes feces from inside of trouser leg, then goes next door, where they only have a Pomeranian.
This is the ideal situation. A proper 'house wolf' is a deterrent first. If the criminal insists on coming in (and I've got nothing worth having that badly), he'd better be a pretty good shot in the dark. I reckon it'll take about two years to get Jayne fully up to speed; but, I know his predecessor, Thor, would've done truly horrifying things to a prowler entering our house. The criminal would have to shoot him dead on the first shot, or he'd be needing some medical attention; and multiple shots would alert our neighborhood. Most criminals are pretty stupid, but not that stupid. Usually, criminals are just looking for the soft target. Big dog = go someplace else where the pickings are easy.
I have one dog (Jayne) and one mouser (Little Cat, not very imaginative I know). My wife on the other hand has got a number of 'baby substitute' miniature this-and-thats. My dog plays with them: he holds his mouth open and they climb inside. "Now, does that seem right to you?"
Respectfully,
zoid
P.S.
Tomorrow's posts (if I do any) will be the new Jayne quote. Gotta have principles: Monday's the day. Hope y'all like it; pressure to do well causes zoid to smoke. ;)
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"River and me was best friends, back then. I named my first-born daughter after her. 'Course
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I wish I had one that was a threat to criminals everywhere- Oh, Victor Hugo is a huge dog, but if the crook gets past the loud bark and the size, at worst he might possibly be licked to death- I can see the look on Hugo's face now:
-What are you stealing? Can I help? I'll help if you pet me. Have you seen my treat ball? Lets play tug-
Also, I never answered the initial post- Serentiy Pes-
-Inara: Kitty - Persian, or Siamese- I'm not thinking big cat (leopard or such), but it's definitely a cat-
-Wash: Someone earlier said monkey- I can see that.
-Kaylee: As a lab owner, I can see Kaylee with a big ol' lazy labrador- Friendly, dopey, etc.
-Jayne: I could see Jayne with a 'football dog' - I have a friend of mine, big guy, who wanted to me to meet his dog, Bruiser- I'm expecting Doberman, I got Dachsund - It's nine pounds, I think it could concievably bruise my ankles.
-Simon: Hamsters is nice- Or fish-
-Zoe: Dog- Now, Zoe owns a Shepherd- Which wants to eat Wash's monkey- I could see this.
-Mal: I have no idea- I would initially say dog, and then think to myself, no, it just doesnt fit for some reason I cant put my finger on- I almost say cat with Mal- Independent, self-reliant- But that isnt right either- Hopefully I'll think of it (gives me an excuse to watch the episodes again- Not that I need one, but, ya know)
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He looked bigger when I couldn't see him.
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Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
SevenPercent and Hardware:
I've got kind of old fashioned ideas about dogs. By 'old fashioned', I mean as in why did cave men first invite wolves to live by their hearths? For protection against predators.
Dogs and men have been in a symbiotic relationship ever since. I'd venture that the 'house wolf' was the first such human-animal partnership. Since then, Mankind has been playing an active role in Darwin's game, as it applies to the characteristics of the 'dog'.
I train my own dogs. I do this by not training them. I tell them what's right and what's wrong.
Take a firm hand with the dog, praise it when it does well, feed/water/bathe/curry them and keep it indoors with you (no 'yard dog' abandonment), and the dog trains itself.
AMEN to that! Keep that dog inside, let it know it is family and spell out your expectations and any dog with half a brain will get the idea.
Quote:
(similar to Hardware's tagline).
Can't take credit. It is a quote by Madame DeStael
Quote:
I have one dog (Jayne) and one mouser (Little Cat, not very imaginative I know). My wife on the other hand has got a number of 'baby substitute' miniature this-and-thats. My dog plays with them: he holds his mouth open and they climb inside. "Now, does that seem right to you?"
I've got an American Staffordshire Terrier, an American Pit Bull Terrier, Two cats and a Boston Terrier that pushes everyone around. I've seen that Boston take full, open mouth bites out of both bigger dogs and they tolerate her. Go figure.
And since I never answered the original question...
Wash, monkey, definitely a small monkey, like a spider monkey.
Zoe, a songbird. Something that could be easily kept in their quarters and bring enjoyment to her and Wash.
Kaylee, a ferret. for those of you who read Sluggy Freelance, think Kiki.
Jayne, a rat. I know what you're thinking but lab rats make good pets.
Inara, At most fish. She has to think of her clients and they might be allergic or phobic.
Simon, an iguana. Something he doesn't have to think about a lot.
River, a parrot. I can imagine it flying in the cargo hold and pooping on Jayne's weight set. Then again I can imagine it speaking eerily appropriate dialogue out of nowhere too.
Book, a dog. Definitely a dog.
Mal, if nothing else Mal would own a horse.
Serenity, since everyone can't have pets or Serenity would become a menagerie in space, then Serenity gets a pet and everyone can share it. I'd say a dog. It would probably live with Book. It would listen to River. Simon would probably loathe it, which of course would make it love him. Inara would have to constantly try to keep it out of her shuttle, but she would sneak it little treats from the dinner table. It would keep Wash company on the bridge and visit with Kaylee in the engine room. Jayne would tell it to get off the couch and it would ignore him. Zoe would scratch it behind the ears when she was doing something else. And mostly it would lean on Mal's leg and heave a big contented sigh.
The more I get to know people the more I like my dogs.
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Quote:Someone around Usenet once had a tagline that went:
Originally posted by zoid:
By 'old fashioned', I mean as in why did cave men first invite wolves to live by their hearths? For protection against predators.
Quote:
Dogs may have accompanied early man on the hunt, but it was cats who insisted that he discover fire and build temples.
I suspect that anyone who has lived with a cat will get that one.
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We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.
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SevenPercent wrote:
Quote:
I wish I had one that was a threat to criminals everywhere- Oh, Victor Hugo is a huge dog, but if the crook gets past the loud bark and the size, at worst he might possibly be licked to death- I can see the look on Hugo's face now:
-What are you stealing? Can I help? I'll help if you pet me. Have you seen my treat ball? Lets play tug-
One story sticks in my mind about Thor (God of Thunder), my previous GSD. He was really too big for a proper Shepherd, weighing in at over 150lbs in his prime; very tall, but otherwise classic lines. One day, this delivery man came strolling up into our driveway. The kids -- one 2 years old, the other 6 -- were playing in the front lawn and Thor was tethered to the house to dry, having just had a bath. I was behind my car finishing up chamoising the deck. As soon as the guy set foot on our driveway, Thor went ballistic: chain pulled taut (almost defaced the iron railing), front paws splayed to the sides in front, rear end high, tail low; rows of long teeth like daggers bared and scissoring, as he barked in staccato reports like gunshots. I swear every hair on that dog's body were standing on end. Like I said, he was an oversized GSD, and he looked twice his normal size. It was kinda like watching David Banner turn into the Hulk right in front of your eyes...
Well, needless to say, I yelled "Freeze!" to the guy. I got in Thor's line of sight between him and the hapless delivery man, and got him calmed down. Thor immediately thought he'd done something wrong and went submissive, but I praised him softly, "Good dog" and petted him to further soothe him.
Then I went back to where the guy still stood frozen and apologized and helped him pick up his packages, which were strewn across the front lawn like he'd exploded. The delivery man was a little shaken, but said, "Wow. That's a big dog."
I said as good-naturedly as I could manage, "Yeah, he sure is."
Thor never usually reacted that strongly toward strangers; but I figure the combination of the kids being in the front yard, me being behind the car, him being chained out, and the guy coming between him and the children set Thor off. It was a pretty intense scene; but, I never had any doubts about my home's security as long as Thor drew breath.
Owning a 'house wolf' is as dangerous as owning a gun, in many ways. You've got to be on your guard and aware of your surroundings. I doubt seriously the guy would've gotten close enough to Thor to get hurt (whereas, 'urban legend' has it that Dobies will let an intruder get into their attack range before they bark), but if the chain had snapped or the guy had had a heart attack... The thought sobers me.
Respectfully,
zoid
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(Of River) "Little Sis? I could see big things for her all along. Her and her brother both. I always knew they'd be worth something, y'know?"
- Jayne Cobb, Game Warden and co-proprietor, "Cretaceous Park", Hera; from A Child Shall Lead Them: A History of the Second War of Independence Wilkins, Richard
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Zoid, that thing you heard about Dobermans reminds me of another one the trainer told me, about a police Shepherd (and I saw the dog, which was about the same size as yours, 150 or so)- The guy was saying how difficult to train the dog was, because it had developed a 'sneakiness' about attacking people- It would let you think you were all buddies, get inside your arm range, then go for the throat- It would wag its tail, sit pretty, and when you got close enough it'd wreck you- We got to see the dog because he was doing a lot of intensive work with it when we trained ours-
Not to offend anyone out there, but I'm a big dog person myself though- If it's going to weigh less than 20 pounds, why dont you just get a kitty? To me, anything you could punt that couldnt take your leg off for doing it isnt worth having- One of my buddies owns a teacup Yorkie- I've seen bigger hamsters- You cant wrestle with them, they cant fetch anything heavy, they cant guard the house- Oh well, that's just me I guess..lol
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He looked bigger when I couldn't see him.
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Just a thought - dogs are put down because they attack/appear to attack/bite. Protecting the family, home, etc. doesn't fly.
For instance - a while ago, the police stormed a home in MPLS because of so-called information that there was someone they were looking for in it. The dog, trying to protect his home/family, got aggressive. Didn't bite anyone. They shot him dead. Turned out their information was wrong, btw.
The same thing happened at another home, either St. Paul or MPLS, don't remember which. This time involving kids in the yard. The police stormed the fence, the dog ran to greet them - they said aggressively, the family disputes that, and the police shot him. Again, the police were at the wrong house.
So....my little shih tzu never has to fear that happening to her, since she is so small.
****
I know your name, Jackass.
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