Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]BD, I think sending the dog away and explaining WHY to the new owners is the most humane thing you could have done. Many dogs thrive in a specific type of environment (no kids, no loud noises, etc...). Much like many people, they don't adapt well to every set of circumstances. It being a poodle aside, I think you did the right thing in finding it a new home and not putting it down. Your letter does bring up a good point and gives me a second to reinforce what I did with my own daughter and what, in my opinion, all parents should do with theirs....never, Never, NEVER let your child approach a strange dog without asking the owner first. And no one should ever approach a strange dog from behind. It pushes all the wrong buttons. Along with that, small children being somewhat unpredicatable as they are wont to be (like every other second) I kennel my dogs (yes, all 7 of them) when we have young people coming to the house. The risk of something happening just isn't worth it. If the child is interested in the dogs I will introduce them and allow the child to pat but I don't leave little kids around my dogs unsupervised for any reason or for any length of time. I am happy to say in all the years I've been a dog owner (they are many) I've never had a bite. Thank God. Lea - ----- Original Message ----- From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2002 11:39 AM Subject: RE: [Leica] Canine issue update - good news [very long] : Re-reading and thinking the original post this a.m., I have to say I really : agree with Austin on this one..;-)... : : I, too, am a dog owner/lover and have been all my life. But "stalking : children?" : : 'Sleepy' time for Rex.... : : Oh, and, yes, if I had a dog that I thought could be a threat to any child, : I would get rid of it...and did just that once...I had "rescued" a gorgeous, : HUGE standard Poodle - like 85 lbs huge, which we had been told had been : abused. Put myself and the dog through intensive training and the dog : responded beautifully. Dog would let my then three-year-old son climb on : him. But one day while at work I got a call from my wife who said "'your : dog' has just snarled at..."...a toddler who was visiting and had come up : behind the dog and patted him on the rump...dog spun around and : snarled...Didn't snap. Didn't lunge. But snarled. My response to my : wife..."Take 'my dog' downstairs to my office, lock him in with a bowl of : water, and call the trainer and tell him the dog needs a new home where : there are no children and never will be." Dog left that evening for a home : way out in the country owned by a gay male couple - who were specifically : told why the dog was leaving our home. : : B. D. : : And, yes, if I had it to do all over again, I would have had the dog 'put : down,' despite being quite attached to him. : : : -- : To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html : - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html