Official Off Topic Discussion Thread #1

[jjohnwm]

Totally agree, the reason for the dog's behaviour is immaterial once it has bitten. But I do strongly feel that the dog is a product of its upbringing; both nature and nurture play huge roles in its development.

The people who own the dog have absolutely done "something" to cause the dog to be this way. In this case, the "something" in question is neglecting to train the dog and failing to set out guidelines for acceptable behaviour. A dog is a social animal, it needs to belong to a pack, and it needs the pack to have an established and unquestionable leader. If there is none, the dog is forced by its nature to at least attempt to take on that role.

I laughed at the Star Trek analogy, because that's always been my pet peeve with that whole series. Every dang new intelligent species they met in the vastness of space had a different kind of nose...and that was the sum total of how it differed from every other alien race. Just assign human values and motivations to everything, and it will all work out. Sorry....but no.

Dogs are dogs. People are people. If we wish to share our lives with them, we are responsible for shaping their behaviour...i.e. for the "nurture" part of the equation...in such a way that they can co-exist in human society with us. We can't make them do anything they don't want to do...but we can try to make them want to do what we want them to do...and the only way we have any hope of success is to use our supposedly superior intelligence to work within the framework of a dog's mind.

"Bad dogs" are only "bad" when viewed through the lens of the arbitrary ideas of "good" and "bad" that we grow up learning as people. But...they're really just dogs, neither good nor bad. If they are raised by people who fit the arbitrary definition we have of what is "bad"...well, of course the dogs will also be "bad".

Remember: our society requires its members to demonstrate minimum levels of skill/intelligence/knowledge to drive a car, or fly a plane, or own a gun, or operate a medical practice, or wire a house, etc...but any idiot can have a dog...or a kid...

 

[krichardson]

Guess I am fortunate i am not in the secret service.

.....ya got that right LOL!

 

[Ogertron3000]

Hello; Referring back to my neighbor's dog problem. Before I go there thanks to those who made replies. Stepped out onto by back porch yesterday morning. The husband was out getting ready to mow some. He had the dog out running lose. The wife will put it on a leash, but he is a tush hog type. The dog spotted me on my porch and charged. I had been filling a hole so had a medium sized pickax on the porch. Back to the usual stand off with the dog staying just out of reach and trying to manuver behind me.
Eventually the man came to get his dog. (did not even have a lead) Dog would not come to him nor obey commands. Took him several minutes to get the dog. He told me again about plans to get an electronic fence again. Same things he said weeks ago.
He saw the pickax and tried to tell me the worst thing I could do was to be aggressive at a dog. That tore it for me. I called the county sheriff's office. Found out we have an animal control officer. Do not yet know how it will play out.
I told the neighbor with the three kids that maybe he could let them outside to play in their yard again soon. Seems other neighbors do not like the way he lets the dog out when he is home, but they will not confront him.

It sounds like a matter of time until someone gets bitten.
I had a similar scene years ago when I was an apprentice, on one job putting some lights up in a front yard a dog kept doing something similar and the owner from down the street seemed to think it was funny . Eventually One guy got a bamboo planting stake and whacked it hard across the nose, the noise of the snap was incredible, the dog yelped like nothing I have ever heard and ran around in circles. He then grabbed it and tied it to a tree and turned the hose on it, finally he let it go with a big boot up the arse. The owner was pissed off and his wife went nuts but there were 10 builders standing around so nothing happened besides some yelling. The dog was still loose on the street the next day but wouldn’t come anywhere near us. It didn’t look like it had any permanent damage but had certainly learned a lesson. Maybe you should try something similar , a nice smack on the nose with something that stings and makes a loud noise might scare me t off without seriously hurting it.
It sounds Like you have been patient enough.

 

[esoxlucius]

Mans best friend eh!!

Our dog, on hearing the door bell, will bark like crazy, charging at the door, heckles up. The person ringing the bell must fear for their life.

But when we actually answer the door the crazy arsed dog runs rings round the person, tail wagging, jumping up at them and tries to lick them to death!!

And then when it starts raining and she hears the faint patter of rain on the window, her tail goes between her legs and she sneaks off and cowers under my fish tank nestled in the stand!! And if it thunders, well, she shivers and whimpers too! Only this week I've had to fix panels to the front of my stand so she can't get under!!

Yes, our dog is the meanest savage of a dog there is....and a downright coward too!!

 

[krichardson]

Doorbell?....my dog will be snoring in the tv room and if he hears a car door slam shut outside he'll jump up,start barking as he runs to the front door to go out and address whoever dared to disturb his slumber!

 

[skjl47]

It sounds like a matter of time until someone gets bitten.
I had a similar scene years ago when I was an apprentice, on one job putting some lights up in a front yard a dog kept doing something similar and the owner from down the street seemed to think it was funny . Eventually One guy got a bamboo planting stake and whacked it hard across the nose, the noise of the snap was incredible, the dog yelped like nothing I have ever heard and ran around in circles. He then grabbed it and tied it to a tree and turned the hose on it, finally he let it go with a big boot up the arse. The owner was pissed off and his wife went nuts but there were 10 builders standing around so nothing happened besides some yelling. The dog was still loose on the street the next day but wouldn’t come anywhere near us. It didn’t look like it had any permanent damage but had certainly learned a lesson. Maybe you should try something similar , a nice smack on the nose with something that stings and makes a loud noise might scare me t off without seriously hurting it.
It sounds Like you have been patient enough.

Hello; decades ago when I was still running I discovered something similar. A small but aggressive dog, around beagle sized, charged out from it's yard at me. This was on the route of my maintenace run so i knew it would continue to be a problem. Next day I carried a stick about as big around as my index finger. Gave the dog a good smack. After that I discovered the dog would come after me if i were empty handed, but would not if I carried a small stick. I wound up for a long time putting a small stick in the guardrail at the base of the hill. I would grab the stick on the way up and put it back in the guard rail when I completed the circle. had to grab that stick every day.

The problem was the inconsistency of my current issues. Never knew when the neighbors dog was to be let out. So it was hard to have something handy. One day i had a hoe at hand I had been using. Another a hammer. Another a knife from my boat. The dog has been clever enough to stay just out of reach no matter what I was holding. I do figure a lesson such as you suggest would work. Thanks for the suggestion.

In the overall scheme of things i do not want to kill the dog. I also do not want to be bitten or see someone else get bitten. The best solution would be to smack the old man a few times. ( Actually i am probably ten to fifteen years older than him.)

 

[krichardson]

.....heard someone set themselves on fire outside of a courthouse in New York this afternoon,I wonder if he left a note explaining his actions?

 

[esoxlucius]

.....heard someone set themselves on fire outside of a courthouse in New York this afternoon,I wonder if he left a note explaining his actions?

He may well have left a note, but I suspect it blew away, along with his ashes!

 

[krichardson]

He may well have left a note, but I suspect it blew away, along with his ashes!

Oh a note was found alright.... the guy's manifesto is almost as long as a senate bill!

 

[Ogertron3000]

Oh a note was found alright.... the guy's manifesto is almost as long as a senate bill!

On the news here they said he was saying the education system was a mafia front. A bit strange but so is setting yourself on fire I guess.
Since that monk did it in Vietnam back in the 60s it has become a way to make a point but usually the people who would do such a thing have the craziest points to make.
It’s a ****ty thing for the emergency services to have to deal with I imagine. Probably quite traumatic for them