The Old Folks Home

[chickisoup]

Deb, sorry that happened to you, but I'm glad you did not seriously injure yourself. Yeah, maybe it's time to clean the room a bit.

Oh wow!!! so happy you weren't seriously hurt !
Too bad we're not closer to you we could have a clean up party!!! I would imagine this bunch of gals could make a great time of it!!!

 

[pennyJo1960]

@chickisoup I am all in to the cleaning party we can all fall
down together

 

[Kusanar]

Quote:
Have you seen dogs play? They rough house and knock each other over all the time and are not being agressive, they are gentle and don't bite hard enough to draw blood. Buzz used to freak out if he acidentally bumped his mouth into us, I mean, would yelp, hackles up, tail tucked and try to run away... would that have been healthier to have him do than teaching him it's ok to gently use his mouth in play but still repremand him for biting hard (hard enough to dent skin, nowhere close to breaking it)? He rough houses with the cats all the time, there is no way we could stop that, I do get after him for snarling at them, but usually if he does, they deserved it and they are nearly as big as he is... One of the cats stands taller at the shoulder than he does and 2 of them are 10 pounds and one is 9, the poor little rat dog is only 12... about 60 pounds lighter than I really find to be acceptable in a dog.. but it is what it is.

 

[bruceha2000]

Have you seen dogs play? They rough house and knock each other over all the time and are not being agressive, they are gentle and don't bite hard enough to draw blood. Buzz used to freak out if he acidentally bumped his mouth into us, I mean, would yelp, hackles up, tail tucked and try to run away... would that have been healthier to have him do than teaching him it's ok to gently use his mouth in play but still repremand him for biting hard (hard enough to dent skin, nowhere close to breaking it)? He rough houses with the cats all the time, there is no way we could stop that, I do get after him for snarling at them, but usually if he does, they deserved it and they are nearly as big as he is... One of the cats stands taller at the shoulder than he does and 2 of them are 10 pounds and one is 9, the poor little rat dog is only 12... about 60 pounds lighter than I really find to be acceptable in a dog.. but it is what it is.

I am not a dog trainer so perhaps I am off base.

No you do not want the dog's reaction to accidental mouth contact to be fight or flight. Still, there is a difference between 2 dogs playing and a dog using its mouth on a person. If your dog had never been aggressive/fearful, if it had never bitten any (now 2 if I count correctly) it might be different. I believe you said that had your friend chosen to report the bite, it would be the dog's second and last opportunity to do so. In such a case, I would think a lot of training to never be aggressive toward people, whether in play, fear or fight would be paramount.

Now if you had a rat problem, sic em!

 

[pennyJo1960]

@bruceha2000 I started training dogs back in 78

when we maybe
did correct a bit too hard some times but we all should live and learn
even today I am not perfect or know it all

 

[Bunnylady]

@bruceha2000 I think you are on the mark, or at least, not far off of it. Whether dog, cat, horse or whatever species you care to name, "play" is stylized aggression. The animals engaged in play are rehearsing or reaffirming their roles as predators, prey, competitors and/or members of their social order. If a subordinate gets so carried away that it displays dominant behavior with a more dominant member, it's "game over!" as the subordinate gets put in its place.

I'm not about to let my horse kick me gently, for any reason, and I don't think any other animal should be encouraged to act out such roles with people, either - it's just too easy for them to get carried away. I've had to run many courses of antibiotics on cats whose buddies bit or dug in a little too hard when they were playing; I don't ever want to be on the receiving end myself. Clearly, Buzz was expecting to get reprimanded for crossing the line, and someone had probably been pretty severe with their reprimands.

Frankly, I cannot fathom why any person who is not a pack member would dare to take the food away from a dog on its own turf, particularly when the dog's owners aren't present.

 

[pennyJo1960]

 

[bruceha2000]

 

[superchemicalgirl]

It was first day of deer season here.

BF went out to be hunting at the crack of dawn. He hunts on some public land a few miles from here.

At 0810 I was making breakfast in the kitchen. I look out the big bay window and... a herd of (large) deer are slowing making their way across the back of our property behind the chicken coop.

BF came home without a deer.

 

[pennyJo1960]

It was first day of deer season here.

BF went out to be hunting at the crack of dawn. He hunts on some public land a few miles from here.

At 0810 I was making breakfast in the kitchen. I look out the big bay window and... a herd of (large) deer are slowing making their way across the back of our property behind the chicken coop.

BF came home without a deer.

OOoooooops