A former life.

toglhot

First class butcher.
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I was ripped out of school after completing first year of high school (twice), I could hardly write my own name. My folks put me to work in a steel fabrication business as a labourer. I tired of that after six or seven years and drifted to a few other dead end jobs before joining the air force in 1975 as a police dog handler, being discharged in 2000 as medically unfit. During that 25 years service I educated myself and rose through the, ranks until I reached the top of the non compoop ranks. Before being booted out, I found myself as the Acting Base Security Officer and Cyclone Officer, despite being only a non compoop. Under my control I had dog handler, police, counter intelligence, investigations, physical training and ground defence sections. When I look back I shake my head in disbelief, despite having no real schooling, I found myself correcting the written communications of officers (University graduates), writing orders and SOPs and cyclone orders. My proudest moment in that 25 years was winning Top Dog of the Air Force and winning three inter unit competitions, outright: Top attack dog, top basic obedience dog and top dog overall. I can't remember all the people I met, but funnily enough, I still remember every single dog I met. My three police dogs PD576 Dante, PD1006 Shinta and PD 1310 Chum are long gone, Dante dying in 82, Shinta in in 89 and Chum in 98, but they live on in my memory, my dreams and on my study wall, best mates a man could ask for. I wrote their stories years ago which I shall copy and post.
 

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Actually, cats are better than dogs. Dogs are like yipee let's play ok train me to do on command something I'd do anyway, but cats are very much like humans -- humans crossed with rats. Respect for saving their pictures all these years, even if they are just dogs...
 
I like cats, matter of fact I like all animal, with the possible exception of crocs, because they think we are delicious, and snakes. But look at the roles a cat fulfills: Ratter and companion can't think of any more.
Now look at the functions and roles a dog fulfills:
Guide dog
Cadaver dog,
Tracker
Military dog
Police dog
Assistance dog
Drug dog
Therapy dog
Shepherd dog
Guard dogs
Seizure dogs
Hearing dogs
Search and rescue dogs
Sled dogs
Hunting dogs
Truffle dogs
Water rescue dogs
Ratting dogs
Entertainment dogs
Mascots
Bomb dogs
Electronics detector dogs
Disease detection dogs
And don't forget the most important role of dogs - companions!
Dogs befriended us eons ago, or us them no one is sure, since then they have proven indispensable. The list above being just the tip of the iceberg. Who else welcomes you home at the end of the day with unbridled enthusiasm? Who else listens to your every word with no argument? Who wants nothing of you except a kind word or gesture? But, who depends on who the most is a toss up!
 
All those digs have one thing in common. The handlers have been trained on how to control the dog and the handlers are registered dog handlers. There is mutual trust and understanding.

This should be a legal requirement, of all people who want to own a dog. The people should be registered and be made to do a dog training/handler course before being allowed to own one. This will stop 90% of bad dog behavior and bad dog owners that cause the bad dog behavior. The other 10% will be those who do not understand dogs and use them for their own egos and usually this leads to the abuse that causes bad dog behavior and dog attacks
 
All those digs have one thing in common. The handlers have been trained on how to control the dog and the handlers are registered dog handlers. There is mutual trust and understanding.

This should be a legal requirement, of all people who want to own a dog. The people should be registered and be made to do a dog training/handler course before being allowed to own one. This will stop 90% of bad dog behavior and bad dog owners that cause the bad dog behavior. The other 10% will be those who do not understand dogs and use them for their own egos and usually this leads to the abuse that causes bad dog behavior and dog attacks
100 percent correct. The trouble is, not all dog trainers are created equal. A type of training on the rise, in my area at least, involves treating you dog as your equal and your friend. These are council approved and recommended. I have seen the results of this type training - uncontrollable dogs!
 
100 percent correct. The trouble is, not all dog trainers are created equal. A type of training on the rise, in my area at least, involves treating you dog as your equal and your friend. These are council approved and recommended. I have seen the results of this type training - uncontrollable dogs!
Personally I've never seen a dog that went off to the trainers come back trained. It's like a weird scam
 
What a good boy! One time I was visiting the animal shelter where I used to live, in the town where I used to live rather..., and there was a large rottweiler that took to me and was friendly and mild as could be, impossible to picture him ever going off on his owner like they're supposedly prone to do. Actually went back to see him a second and third time. Third time he was gone, adopted I hope.
 
Until my wife developed allergies, we had dogs continuously. Mutts, a Doberman, a Rottweiler, a German Shedder...uh..."Shepherd" and several hound breeds of mixed parentage. Of all of those, some considered "dangerous", I can only recall one serious challenge to my position as Alpha, and that was dealt with immediately and unmistakably and I was never challenged again.

The challenger was a mutt. I could identify Springer Spaniel and Airedale in him, but who knows what else. I don't recall what caused the incident but he snapped and growled at me. I immediately reached under him and grabbed his offside legs and flipped him over on his back. Then I placed my shin over his neck with just enough pressure to hold him down (not restricting his breathing or harming him in any way) and then locked eyes with him until he looked away. After that, we were best buddies for the remaining 13 or so years of his life.

All of my dogs (with the exception of one hound mix who I suspect had brain damage) were my Best Buddies, but they always knew who the Alpha Dog was.
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Beebop the Rottweiler (named by my granddaughter) was the biggest cuddlebunny you can imagine. He was originally my daughter's dog, but when she decided the open a day care, the insurance people said "Oh, HELL no!" and he came to live with me. When he lived with the daughter, it was not uncommon to see him laying on the living room floor with a kitten asleep on his back, or the parakeet rummaging around in his fur for a snack. He didn't have an ugly bone in his body. Broke my heart when I lost him to cancer at the age of 5.
 
We had a Weimaraner, a real pussy cat of a dog but you had to be careful about getting him going, once he got into hunter mode all bets were off.
I learned not to play "keep away" with him.
As a mailman the worst dogs were black labs, they are generally friendly but when they get excited they do stupid things. One bit me hard enough to tear through my pants and was immediately extremely ashamed he had done it.
 
We live in a small house , with a small yard and we have a small dog. She’s sweet, but not especially bright, but she does have one super power. She can be sleeping in another room , but the faintest crinkle of a food wrapper will have her at your side immediately!
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The best dog I ever had was a female yellow lab, she was a gentle and intelligent dog and great with our kids.
As a mailman the worst dogs were black labs

When I was a mailman, the Bain of my existence was a young Rottweiler, he was so aggressive that if I ever saw him out, I wouldn’t stop. He caught on to this and started hiding behind the house until I was out of my truck and up in front of the house, then he would come tearing around the house and attack me. He was a terror!
 
A few years ago now. A young couple had a baby and a week later their Alsation killed it in the crib, The dog was put down and there were howls from the public and some media, about dog safety and creating laws to ban dogs, especially some breeds. A tragedy..............

lets back up a bit, when the whole story came out there was little discussion around the circumstances, in fact there was none.

Turns out this young couple got a dog and treated it like their baby, inside, on the couch, just done everything most of us have let their dogs do to be a part of the family...............After the wife come home with the baby the dog wanted to see what they had. They were so scared the dog would hurt the baby they locked the dog outside never to be allowed inside again and they just fed it outside. It was now an outside dog with no social interaction with the family.

First chance the dog had he killed his Baby/rival to win back his spot in the hierarchy

Had they introduced the baby to the dog and talked to it, included it, this would probably never have happened. Now they will hate dogs, lost their baby and their dog...........

If they had learned the social structure of a dogs pack this tragedy could have been avoided. But of course this part of the story or a discussion around why these things happen, was never a major news worthy item.

My sons American Bulldog annoying Sukura, my sons 10 month old daughter. Would chew on her fingers and sometimes you could see in her face it was past the, this is fun. His teeth were so sharp like needles and being so big yet still gentle and soft enough with his mouth
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Mind you she would give as much as she got
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Stilll friends
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It is never the dog's fault, dogs are totally blameless. Dogs can be great guardians for kids, but should never be left alone with them. Dogs don't have a sense of right and wrong. Whilst it is terrible the baby died, what of that poor dog, he lost his life due to the idiocy of his owners - no fair!
 
Dogs don't have a sense of right and wrong.
I agree with a lot of what you say but this is not true. And that's the thing dogs ARE like humans they sometimes seem to be compelled do things they know are wrong. I will say they are lousy liars.... :sneaky: Oh they lie, but if called out on it cannot hide that they are guilty as sin.
 
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