Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Dang it!  I am all whipped up now to humiliate my dog, and I can't find any batteries for the digital camera!  NOOOOOOOO!!!!

Hi all,

I am new here, only been on the boards for a couple of days, and thought I would say an "official" hello...

I live in California with my fiance and our two fur-babies, Ranger & Gwen.  We adopted Ranger in May of 2004, after losing my almost 14-year old mixed-breed, Cabo, earlier that year.  Ranger is now almost 2 years old (his bday is in August), and weighs about 100 lbs.  We are told he is a Saint Bernard mix, and he is a total brat, complete with issues, but I love him tons!  (Don't believe he is a brat?  Look at his picture, people - you can SEE the devil horns ready to sprout from the top of his head!  Film don't lie.)

Gwen, who I sometimes jokingly refer to as Other Dog, (hey, what can I say?  I love my boy!), is a German Shepherd mix.  She weighs about 110 lbs., but she is a bit chubby (yeah... me too).  My fiance found her abandoned on the street when she was just a puppy and she has been with him ever since.  Her entire earth orbits around her Daddy!

Thanks to all who have welcomed me so far!  I'll try not to bug everyone with too many posts..    but I can see how this can become addictive...  Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Sleeping in the shower?  OK, I think we have a winner!

I believe it can be as early as 6 months or so.  Although in a large breed dog, it may occur later than it would in a smaller dog...

Does anyone else on here have an extremely fearful pooch?

Ranger (100 lb. St. Bernard mix) is somewhat fearful, and can be reactive to both dogs and to some people.  

When he first came home with us from the shelter, he lulled us into a false sense of security with his "honeymoon" period.  Sure, he had some issues like countersurfing, and figuring out that housebreaking means that we will break his neck if he pees in the house (KIDDING!), but he was great with other dogs and every person that he met.  Then, the honeymoon ended, and his true personality came out.  

He is no longer able to go to the dog park, since his reaction to other dogs can be quite unpredictable, both on-leash and off-leash.  He might want to play, but he might want to fight.  And once he wants to fight one dog, he wants to fight EVERY dog.  He also started to be uncomfortable in certain situations with people he doesn't know - generally in situations when he feels closed in and a stranger reaches out for his head.  When that happens, he will get very nervous, and has air-snapped a time or two.  As Mommy, it is now my job to carefully monitor things, and keep him out of situations like that.  Other times, he will literally drag us up to people for petting.

We now work with a clicker and treats to position the presence of other dogs as a very positive thing for him, and he is learning to lay down and offer his belly for a rub when greeting people.  He loves a belly rub and this keeps people from reaching for his head.  Baby steps...

I would never dare to compete with you, Nikker!  

Instead, maybe we can band together to use our powers for good.  Or, at least to get our own morning show!  

I think we need to hear the butt cheek story at some point.  Hey, I showed you mine...

Well, I am SUPPOSED to be working, but...    

When I was younger (thinner and cuter, too!), I lived in a not so great part of town.  Not horrible, ghetto-bad - just kind of run down and shabby, but a real "neighborhood" and I liked it.  Yes, there were some homeless guys around, and some gangs liked to hang out on the street corners, and people felt free to use illegal drugs right out on the streets, but, hey, nothing bad ever happened to me.   Ahh, to be young and stupid again.

So, one night it was late and I had the urge for chocolate.  No, I NEEDED chocolate.  Right then.  You know it goes.  

I decide that I will walk up to the 7-11 around the corner and procure some candy.  Well, I am not dressed all that great, but who wants to get dressed up to go to 7-11 at like midnight, right?  So, I have on a v-neck t-shirt.  I am not wearing a bra (this will be key later), and I have no desire to put one on.  

I decide to take the dog (not Cabo, he would never do this to his mommy!  This was before him) with me.  Jester and I head out and as we get to the 7-11, I notice that there is a big group of thuggy gang-type guys hanging out in front.  Well, alright, I will just pretend to be invisible and wrap my little button-front sweater more tightly around me to camoflauge my lack of bra as I slink through the center of the group.  

Usually, if there were not too many people inside, I would normally just take Jester into the 7-11 with me, but for some reason it was the place to be that night.  Since I was literally going in for like 2.5 seconds, I decided it would be okay to leave Jester outside (I know, I don't do it anymore.  See above comment about young and stupid).  I tie him to the news rack thingy, ask the gang guys to keep an eye on him, and pop in.  I come out with my bulging bag full of candy in one hand and unwrap this leash with the other.  At this point, he decides he is overwhelmingly happy to see his mommy and jumps up on me.  Since I don't have a free hand to stop him he jumps all the way up on me, and on the way down, he gets his paw caught in the v-neck of my t-shirt.  This. combined with this weight and downward momentum, causes the neck of the t-shirt to rip and pull until it is all the way down around my waist.  I am aware of a sudden suspicious amount of cool night air on my boobs, and look down to see that they are both fully exposed.  

At that point, everything went black and all I could hear was all the gang members shouting "Good boy...good, good doggy!"

Stories of this nature?  Unfortunately - I got a million of 'em.

We have nicknamed it Mabeline, like the makeup.

OK, I am a newbie here, but I just had to de-lurk for a moment to say that is the funniest thing I have ever heard.  

We don't have to deal with the lipstick too often in my house, but I might have to steal that nickname...