Dog in my back yard...

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KrisKabob
KrisKabob Posts: 1,250 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay so I am a sucker for pretty much ALL DOGS! DOG LOVER HERE! :smooched:

Well, this morning I was getting ready to leave with my son and this stray dog (we have a lot of them were we live) came right into our garage and was playing with my son and wanting me to pet it, etc. Well, I usually run the strays off but this little guy I could tell was only 3-4 months old and looked hungry and was SO FRIENDLY.... SOOOOOOOOOO... I put him in my fenced-in back yard! Haha!

I went back inside my house and got him some food and put it out on the back deck. I had to get to work so I had to leave but I've been thinking about this little sweetie all day. I hope he's still there when we get home. I'm not sure of his breed... he kinda looks like a boxer in the face and body. He is a very pretty brown with white paws and tail-tip.

We already have one dog - a lab/chow mix named Parker. She is so sweet but you can tell she gets lonely being the only pup at our house. She loves it when we are around other dogs so she can play with them. Maybe my husband will let us keep the stray sweetie.... hmmm.
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  • KrisKabob
    KrisKabob Posts: 1,250 Member
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    Okay so I am a sucker for pretty much ALL DOGS! DOG LOVER HERE! :smooched:

    Well, this morning I was getting ready to leave with my son and this stray dog (we have a lot of them were we live) came right into our garage and was playing with my son and wanting me to pet it, etc. Well, I usually run the strays off but this little guy I could tell was only 3-4 months old and looked hungry and was SO FRIENDLY.... SOOOOOOOOOO... I put him in my fenced-in back yard! Haha!

    I went back inside my house and got him some food and put it out on the back deck. I had to get to work so I had to leave but I've been thinking about this little sweetie all day. I hope he's still there when we get home. I'm not sure of his breed... he kinda looks like a boxer in the face and body. He is a very pretty brown with white paws and tail-tip.

    We already have one dog - a lab/chow mix named Parker. She is so sweet but you can tell she gets lonely being the only pup at our house. She loves it when we are around other dogs so she can play with them. Maybe my husband will let us keep the stray sweetie.... hmmm.
  • kellch
    kellch Posts: 7,849 Member
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    I wubs puppies too :happy:

    Hows it goin Kriskabob? You've been hiding:flowerforyou:
  • KrisKabob
    KrisKabob Posts: 1,250 Member
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    I wubs puppies too :happy:

    Hows it goin Kriskabob? You've been hiding:flowerforyou:

    No hiding... just been a busy bee!!! Our office which opened April 1st finally got busy. BUT I'm sure it will slow down since the holidays are approaching. Insurance is the LAST thing on everyone's mind during Thanksgivig and Christmas! haha!!

    How have you been??? You look great! :drinker: :flowerforyou: :bigsmile:
  • kellch
    kellch Posts: 7,849 Member
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    I wubs puppies too :happy:

    Hows it goin Kriskabob? You've been hiding:flowerforyou:

    No hiding... just been a busy bee!!! Our office which opened April 1st finally got busy. BUT I'm sure it will slow down since the holidays are approaching. Insurance is the LAST thing on everyone's mind during Thanksgivig and Christmas! haha!!

    How have you been??? You look great! :drinker: :flowerforyou: :bigsmile:

    Same here...busy busy...work work work....(and a little MFP of course:drinker: )
    Congrats on the baby to be:flowerforyou:
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
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    Aww! We just adopted a death row dog, so I know the feeling! It is kind of a long story, but now my 2 dogs get a long GREAT! I hope this little doggie has a happy ending! Good luck talking your husband into it. How can he say no to a cute dog, little boy & a pregnant lady? :wink:
  • KrisKabob
    KrisKabob Posts: 1,250 Member
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    Aww! We just adopted a death row dog, so I know the feeling! It is kind of a long story, but now my 2 dogs get a long GREAT! I hope this little doggie has a happy ending! Good luck talking your husband into it. How can he say no to a cute dog, little boy & a pregnant lady? :wink:

    I know, right!?!? Haha! I called him this morning and was like "honey, I have something to tell you"... lol... he acted concerned at first but I think he will like the little guy. We'll see...
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
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    That's how I "talked" my husband into keeping Floyd (the new dog). Once he saw him, he really had no choice. What can I say, I know how to work him. LOL
  • healthychic
    healthychic Posts: 298
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    Aww how sweet! I hope you get to keep him too, he sounds like a cutie! Good luck:happy:

    :heart: Danielle
  • frithir
    frithir Posts: 179 Member
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    The day we rescued Pugsley and his sister, Wednesday (we found them on a Wednesday and they were brother and sister), my husband said "only until we find them a good home" because we already had 4 other dogs and 2 cats. 9 years later, sadly, all the other babies have passed but we still have Pugsley, 'until we find him a good home" :wink: Sunny, the Brittany Spaniel and Bridget, the 17-year-old-Poodle-that-must-have-Alzheimers (she follows Sunny sometimes when he goes on walk-about and on top of not being able to keep up, seems to sometimes forget how to get home but she knows if she can make it to our front door and bark, someone will let her in and take her home) that live up the road are regular visitors so Pugs still gets poochie socialization.
  • Robin_
    Robin_ Posts: 105
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    Hera and I say keep da pup, it shouldn't have been running loose. If the owners are wanting the dog, they will make it known. The Humane Society or a vet can check for a microchip. Maybe the lil' guy needed a new home!
  • Mahlia
    Mahlia Posts: 190
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    That's so cute! Reminds me of how I got my dog. :)
  • KrisKabob
    KrisKabob Posts: 1,250 Member
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    Okaaaaaaaaayyyyy............. Sooooooooo............... I guess I don't know my dog breads. Haha!

    I thought the dog I put in my yard looked like a boxer-mix... my husband got home and was like "Kristi, this dog is a pit bull". I just laughed... oops! :noway: Hubby said it is probably mixed with something else if it's a stray.

    Anyway, we are debating on what to do since pits are known to be agrressive dogs... we have one little boy already and another child on the way. I've heard two theories when it comes to the "aggressive" pit bull: 1) It depends on the owner, or 2) It's the dog breed, owner doesn't matter. I have to say that I kind of agree more with the theory that a dog's aggressiveness depends on its owner. The reason I say this is b/c my grandparents had a pit as I grew up. It was around 5 or so grandkids and lots of other people... their pit (Spike was his name) never showed any signs of aggression... in fact, he was REALLY sweet.

    My question is what do you all think? :huh: :huh: :huh:

    We kept the dog in our house last night... we gave it a bath... gave it bones to chew on... the entire night he was sweet as can be. My husband even took the bone away from him several times and he never even motioned to us that he was going to bite or growl. He slept in a kennel in our living room all night - after about 5 minutes of whining, he was very quiet.

    I'm in a delima here... HELP!!! :sad: :sad: :sad:

    :heart: Kris
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
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    Oh, no! I'm torn about pits like you are. I've known some really sweet ones, but I also know that sometimes they don't do well in a house with kids & other dogs. :sad: I have no good advice b/c I'm right there with you! Good luck figuring it out!

    sara
  • LuvinLife
    LuvinLife Posts: 89 Member
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    I am a huge dog lover, but am pretty biased against pit bulls, dobermans, rottweilers, and dalmatians. I have met some of the sweetest dogs in all of these breeds and I know that some of them can be wonderful dogs. My worry is this. If for whatever reason the dog does turn on you or your child(heaven forbid!!) you have no defense because they are so strong and they can have the lockjaw. I know dalmatians don't tend to be as strong or have the lockjaw, but man are they testy, lol. PArt of my bias comes from my mother being a nurse. She saw some pretty bad cases of the family dog turning on their owners. And this can happen with any breed, these breeds can have a higher tendency.

    Just remember, all puppies are sweet, but they grow up into dogs. For me personally, it's just not a chance I could take.

    Good luck in your decision making, I know it's hard to turn down those sweet puppy eyes.

    For some statistical information there are several websites, but the one I found easiest to understand is www.dogsbite.org

    I hope this helps.

    Take care.

    Claire
  • Periphria
    Periphria Posts: 358
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    I am a total dog lover and have owned a few dogs. I totally believe that it's the owner that makes a dog good or bad. I watch this show called the Dog Whisperer and the guy is amazing. He also has a book out. Anyway, I say go with the pup, but read up on how to prevent aggressive dogs. I also run an inhome daycare, and I have a big dog. Now he is the biggest suck up you have ever met, but even though he adores children I never let him be alone in a room without my supervision. Young children don't understand about not pulling tails and grabbing ears, and sometimes dogs just react. I trained my dog from a puppy that he could play with the kids, but when I call him, he must stop and come to me. I even made him stay outside of my sons room until my son was three.You might think that this didn't allow them to bond, but my same three year old now walks this big dog and they are the best of friends. My point is.....be aware and educate yourself.

    Good Luck.

    PS the Dog Whisperer specializes in pitbulls, rotties etc.
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
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    I had a dog once that I know was part boxer, but everybody that saw here swore she was part pit bull. Sometimes it's hard to tell.

    I agree with Claire. I've know of quite a few cases where the dog was great with the kids, then ate one or one of the neighbor kids
  • Jackiemal
    Jackiemal Posts: 63 Member
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    I agree with those that say its the owner that makes a bad dog, not the breed. Some breeds can be more difficult than others however. I would say keep the pup, but take it to obedience and socializing classes. You have to be able to control your dog.

    I use to have a big rotty that was such a baby! I worst she would do is break your foot if she sat on it to be petted. She was a big girl!

    In my experience, the little dogs are more aggressive. Although they can't do as much damage, they sure can hurt a kid alot.

    Good luck!


    Jackie

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  • liveagain
    liveagain Posts: 97 Member
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    I have to say it's the owner in most cases. The way I look at it is by comparing them to people. Generally speaking kids that grow up well had good parents and those that grew up to be aggressive, angry, racist, etc had parents that abused or neglected them in some way. Now it is true that some children grow up to kill or harm regardless of their upbringing, but they are few and far between. I find that it is the same for dogs. Any dog, regardless of their breed, has the potential of becoming aggressive. For example, I have a 2 year old lab. I'm taking him to a behaviorist now because of aggression. He has never attacked or bit anyone yet, but I'm getting him help before it gets to that point. For those people that fear certain breeds I have to ask, is a lab on your list? How about a spaniel? I was attacked by a spaniel when I was 6 and it nearly killed me. It's only my opinion, but I see this simple as prejudice and can think of no other way to say it. This is a topic that I feel very strongly about so I apologize if I come off in a negative way. I only wish people would do their research and discover for themselves that ALL dog breeds attack. Unfortunately, the only stories we ever see or hear are the negative ones about pit bulls, dobermans, shepards, and rotts. There are good stories out there about these wonderful dogs just as there are bad stories about all the other breeds that we know and love.

    My suggestion is to take in the dog. Love it, give it a happy and warm home, give it a chance to show the world what a great dog it is. If you let him back on the street he will either die or become one of those dogs that everyone fears because that's all he will know how to be.

    ~Kendra
    <33


    Just had to come back and add something...if you do decide not to keep the dog (and of course you have every right) please try to find it a good home. If you can't then try taking it to a non-kill shelter. They will make sure the dog is put in a good home.
  • jojo52610
    jojo52610 Posts: 692 Member
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    We already have one dog - a lab/chow mix named Parker.

    Ok well acutally when my daughter was 2 I was attacked by a Chow/Lab mix that friends of mine adopted from a rescue society. Chow's are sometimes known to be agressive.

    I really think it depends on the owner the dogs environment and unfortunetly the Breed does have a lot to do with it.

    I have 2 kids I had a Rottweiller when my daughter was born - she was fine. I also got a Rottweiller when my son was born (after the other one died) - they were fine - were they protective of my children yes - that was the nature of the Animal.

    My friend has a full bred pitbull and two toddlers -
    all is good.

    It's a tough call - my other Dog was a boxer - and they do look like pitbuls as do bull mastifs and mastifs -

    My suggestion would be to take the dog to your vet - have him checked out - make sure he's healthy and from the way you describe him he sounds like a cutey.

    Good Luck

    I am not biased against any dog breed - he may turn out to be a great pet
  • KrisKabob
    KrisKabob Posts: 1,250 Member
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    Wow... I appreciate all of your responses. THANK YOU!

    It excites me to see that there are so many dog lovers out there that are not only passionate about dogs but ALL dogs... as am I. Obviously, since i have a lab/chow mix I am not biased against breeds deemed "aggressive" b/c chows are also on the list. My husband and I have had to make sure that we actively and consistantly let Parker (our lab/chow mix) know that she is not to be aggressive in ANY way with our son... we make sure to correct ALL behaviors we think might lean that way.

    I will also mention that we previously had a jack russell dog named Niko. He was a VERY aggressive dog when I met him (he was my husband's dog prior to our relationship) but with some work and "love" I calmed him down dramatically. People, like my hubby's family, couldn't believe the difference in him. Now... once our son was born it was a different story. He once againt became aggressive but only towards Dominic (our son). After the second "minor" bite we had him put to sleep. It just wasn't worth the fact that my son wasn't even walking yet and our dog had bit him twice. I wasn't going to wait to see what the next bite looked like.

    OKAY... With all that said... I have made some progress with our little stray doggy. I called the local shelter who said that no "lost dog" reported fit the description of this dog we found. She took my name and number and filed an official "dog found" report. Even though she offered to pick the dog up I decided against it b/c she also said that he would be put down after 5 days - I DON'T THINK SO! After I did that I made an appointment with our vet to have the dog checked out tomorrow morning. They are going to examine him physically and take a poopy sample. I will be sure to let you all know how it all comes out.

    It has really surprised me how much my husband likes the dog. Immediately, once he saw that it was a Pit Bull he was like "Kristi, we can't keep this dog." ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN: my husband is a police officer... every pit bull he has ever come across has been owned by criminals who have raised them to be aggressive. And, yes, due to his profession he has actually shot and tazed two different pit bulls to keep a fellow officer out of harms way... those particular pits were heading to attack someone on their unit. He has also been on MANY calls where one or more persons were malled to death by a pit... some of the Even with all this negative experience (and negative opinion about pits) he REALLY likes this dog. I told him all about the pit my grandparents owned and that I (as a child) loved all over him and he was NEVER aggressive with anyone around my grandparents home.

    Anyway, I will keep all of you posted about it goes tomorrow. I think we're leaning towards keeping it...

    :heart: Kris

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