Feel like we were raped!

[DAFTEK]

We got robbed while in the house, Its the economy stupid! :(

[madengr]

A dog will serve better than all those electronics. They will give you the warning you need to get your gun. Make sure you have a flashlight stowed with your handgun, and preferably take some low-light training in addition to basic combat pistol. The funny thing is that it would be much cheaper to leave a plate of meth outside with a sign saying" Here is what you really want, don't break into my house". The war on drugs is another topic though. BTW it's "were" not "wore" :o

[DAFTEK]

The dog is next, My daughter wants a Yorkie Terrier, my neighbor has one and the thing starts barking when you step on the driveway...

[OptionsTrader]

We have a German Shepherd and Golden Retriever mix. Not aggresive at all with that combination I guess. Great with children, if a little too affectionate with sloppy kisses and jumps on them a little. Very very friendly The best canine friend I have ever had, and he still is close enough to being a wolf (not bastardized into a baby-faced miniature dog doll) to have super hearing and an incredible sense of smell. A real "WOOF" bark too, when he hears noises, that is scary.

[DAFTEK]

I like German Shepherds, very smart dogs, and great companions. The last dog we had was a Great Dane Harlequin Tiger 10 years ago and never got anything else after it died :( We will definitely get a dog now thou..

[Matt Collins]

"Wore raped"? Like "rape" is some sort of perfume or cologne... ha ha ha... grammar/spell check perhaps?

"Yes darling, that scent you are wearing tonight is really turning me on. What's it called?"

"Oh it's the latest rage by Calvin Klein called Rape. I just splashed a little bit on".

[angelatc]

I like German Shepherds, very smart dogs, and great companions. The last dog we had was a Great Dane Harlequin Tiger 10 years ago and never got anything else after it died :( We will definitely get a dog now thou..

Visit your local shelter. There are tons of great dogs there who would love to bark when somebody pulled into your driveway.

[angelatc]

I like German Shepherds, very smart dogs, and great companions. The last dog we had was a Great Dane Harlequin Tiger 10 years ago and never got anything else after it died :( We will definitely get a dog now thou..

Have you seen what the breeders have done to the American German Shepherd? They've bred their hips into some weird deformed trendy look...their hips are too small for their body and their backs slope down. Instead of getting Rin Tin Tin, they're producing deformed creatures that always appear to be slinking.

[amy31416]

I have a mongrel version of a shepherd, most likely mixed with a husky and a golden lab. She has none of the problems typically associated with the purebred versions of any of those dogs. I've never had to take her to the vet for anything aside from shots, and she's now 10 yrs old. She's also very protective, sometimes maybe a bit too much. ;)

Be very cautious about getting a purebred, my mom had a West Highland White Terrier that was the same age as my mutt and I just had to put the dog down due to issues that are typical of the breed. It was sad and she spent so much money on the vet.

Mine is the one getting her butt sniffed:

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g107/Amy31415/2007_0206testing0043.jpg

Holy satellite ears!

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g107/Amy31415/IMAGE_108.jpg

[Dequeant]

If you really want a dog whose primary purpose is home protection.........get an Akita.

Its pretty much the best guard dog you can get. They hunt like cats, as in they hide quietly and then attack without warning. So they don't bark generally, but they WILL make quite a bit of noise, trust me. Also.......they are naturally pack animals, so expect to be treated like the leader of a pack.....which includes them being EXTREMELY protective of you.

Also, people who are welcome in your home while you are there.........will not be welcome when you are not.

Females tend to be easier to handle and less inclined to "challenge" you for that "leader of the pack" spot. They are EXTREMELY intelligent. I was cutting my grass in the front yard one day and a rottweiler started running at me from the end of the street. I could tell that i was NOT going to have a good day by the way this thing was running at me. My akita was in our fenced in back yard (about 5 ft high) and actually jumped the fence and made a running tackle on the rottweiler about 10 feet from me. It then proceeded to tear the living hell out of the rottweiler like i've never seen one animal do to another.........

Plus, they are absolutely beautiful dogs.

[pcosmar]

Mutts are great.
Here is a view of the "doghouse", I don't have many pic's of them. they are seldom still enough to photograph.
http://jamadots.com/~pcosmar/photos/photogallery/17-doghouse_jpg.jpeg

Anything (leaves, people) moves around the farm and the let me know.

[amy31416]

If you really want a dog whose primary purpose is home protection.........get an Akita.

Its pretty much the best guard dog you can get. They hunt like cats, as in they hide quietly and then attack without warning. So they don't bark generally, but they WILL make quite a bit of noise, trust me. Also.......they are naturally pack animals, so expect to be treated like the leader of a pack.....which includes them being EXTREMELY protective of you.

Also, people who are welcome in your home while you are there.........will not be welcome when you are not.

Females tend to be easier to handle and less inclined to "challenge" you for that "leader of the pack" spot. They are EXTREMELY intelligent. I was cutting my grass in the front yard one day and a rottweiler started running at me from the end of the street. I could tell that i was NOT going to have a good day by the way this thing was running at me. My akita was in our fenced in back yard (about 5 ft high) and actually jumped the fence and made a running tackle on the rottweiler about 10 feet from me. It then proceeded to tear the living hell out of the rottweiler like i've never seen one animal do to another.........

Plus, they are absolutely beautiful dogs.

I agree completely about Akitas, but also warn that they are not dogs for novices. They are often aggressive towards other dogs, and can be destructive if bored (intelligence can be a great thing in a dog, but it can also be a very bad thing.) You usually can't take them anywhere where there will be other dogs.

Personally, I like them, but yout really have to be an experienced and committed dog person to get one. It's not a casual relationship. :)

[madengr]

Visit your local shelter. There are tons of great dogs there who would love to bark when somebody pulled into your driveway.

Just be careful not to get one that barks for no reason. It will drive you up the wall! I like our Siberian Husky for the fact she does not bark, rather ululates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ululate). We used to have another dog (adopted mutt) that barked constantly when outside, and whined to get out when inside. That wears on you real quick. We put up with her though for years until we had to put her down for medical reasons. It's so much nicer having a dog that is not annoying.

[amy31416]

Just be careful not to get one that barks for no reason. It will drive you up the wall! I like our Siberian Husky for the fact she does not bark, rather ululates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ululate). We used to have another dog (adopted mutt) that barked constantly when outside, and whined to get out when inside. That wears on you real quick. We put up with her though for years until we had to put her down for medical reasons. It's so much nicer having a dog that is not annoying.

That's for sure!

I volunteered at a local shelter for abused/abandoned German Shepherds and I essentially housed her before deciding to adopt. It seems a bit mean to try a dog before you buy, but it's an option. You can't tell what a dog is really like until they settle in with you a bit. Their behavior at the shelter is very different from family life with you. My mutt "talks," and "harfs" when she wants something, she also gooses when she wants attention--that can be annoying!

[angelatc]

Mutts are great.
Here is a view of the "doghouse", I don't have many pic's of them. they are seldom still enough to photograph.
http://jamadots.com/~pcosmar/photos/photogallery/17-doghouse_jpg.jpeg

Anything (leaves, people) moves around the farm and the let me know.

What a handsome pack!!!

[angelatc]

I

Be very cautious about getting a purebred, my mom had a West Highland White Terrier that was the same age as my mutt and I just had to put the dog down due to issues that are typical of the breed. It was sad and she spent so much money on the vet.

Mine is the one getting her butt sniffed:

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g107/Amy31415/2007_0206testing0043.jpg

Holy satellite ears!

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g107/Amy31415/IMAGE_108.jpg

I like your dog! Give her treats from me!!!

I think the same way about purebred dogs. I've always had mutts, and never had any serious health issues with any of them.

[Dr.3D]

With all of the pictures of peoples puppies on here, I just had to show you mine.

These two are my Doberman Pinschers. I never had their ears cropped because I felt they didn't need to go through all of that. It's not like it changes their disposition in any way.




Here she comes!
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg202/DrThreeDee/Hereshecomes.jpg


Our girl Nadia..
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg202/DrThreeDee/OurGirlNadia.jpg



Two in a row.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg202/DrThreeDee/Twoinarow.jpg



Ears do strange things when you run.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg202/DrThreeDee/Ears.jpg

[madengr]

I suppose we hijacked this thread. Oh well, here is mine with a fresh catch:

http://idisk.mac.com/rfengr00-Public/cocoa.jpg

[pcosmar]

It was only a minor derail, but to get back on track they are great early warning systems.
I would look for other means of dealing with intruders, after you are made aware of them.
I have a pitchfork and an ax.

[Carehn]

If you really want a dog whose primary purpose is home protection.........get an Akita.

....

Plus, they are absolutely beautiful dogs.


i got one and yes... Look into it, they love people IF they know them. Akita's are BIG BIG BIG dogs and will fight to the death for you. This is no joke and no exaggeration. My big smoke dog is a CHAMPION. I wish i had a pic to post.

By far the best home protection dog on the market today.
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/akita.htm

[amy31416]

Dr 3D--your Dobies are beautiful! I don't know if I like rotties or dobies better, they're both great dogs. Maybe a dobie-rott mix?

Madengr--also a beautiful dog. Siberian Husky I take it?

(sorry about the hijack)

[DAFTEK]

WoooooW so many nice pups on here :D Anyway, we are starting to get back to normal life now. Got our gun permit to purchase and went shopping. We now sleep a bit better at night.

[Doktor_Jeep]

My Rhodesian Ridgeback was trained for tracking, could be recalled off a deer chase from as far away as 300 meters and would pursue anything on command, and would stalk like a cat.

Anybody or any thing that threatened me was in deep shit. I friend got mauled once for sticking his head in my truck.

I miss that dog more than I miss my ex wife.

[Dr.3D]

Dr 3D--your Dobies are beautiful! I don't know if I like rotties or dobies better, they're both great dogs. Maybe a dobie-rott mix?

Madengr--also a beautiful dog. Siberian Husky I take it?

(sorry about the hijack)

Thanks, Tobie the big male wasn't very nice to Nadia for a few weeks after she came to live with us. It wasn't till later he was seen to finally accept her.



Nadia and Tobie when she was little.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg202/DrThreeDee/Sniffing-1.jpg



Tobie finally accepts Nadia.

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg202/DrThreeDee/SleepingTogether1WRDS.jpg

The biggest problem I've seen with the Doberman is that they get cold and want a blanket to keep warm at night.

I've never had a Rottie so I wouldn't know how they are as buddies. I like the Dobie because they can run so fast and stand up high enough to reach the top of your head. They also are keenly aware of when something is not normal. When something is not normal, they go kind of nuts in wanting to make it normal again.

[amy31416]

Thanks, Tobie the big male wasn't very nice to Nadia for a few weeks after she came to live with us. It wasn't till later he was seen to finally accept her.


Tobie finally accepts Nadia.

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg202/DrThreeDee/SleepingTogether1WRDS.jpg



**I'm sorry, but you've exceeded your alloted "cute" bandwidth for the day. Any other cuteness coming from you will result in a temporary ban.**

P.S. arrrr! too cute for words!

[kyleAF]

The same thing happened to me back in college. They were lucky they didn't wake me up, since I sleep with a gun handy. :eek: