The very same thing just happened to me so I feel your pain. I went outside yesterday to admire the new rosebed by the road that had brand-new buds just ready to open any minute....and lo and behold, every one of them was gone. It looked as though someone had snipped them off with scissors which didn't make sense to me since they were UN-opened roses. Upon inspecting the soil and mulch around them, I saw very clearly deer hoof-prints. I guess I have been lucky all these years, until now. I live out in the woods with only a few houses on my road. I never had a deer problem before, but now the woods across the road are being cleared for a mobile home park, which maybe means the deer are being forced out. I never knew that roses were attractive to deer, considering they have countless ACRES of vegetation around here to enjoy. This is really discouraging since this roadside garden was such a labor of love, and now I worry about all the other rose gardens I have in my yard We wait all the long, cold winter til mid-June for roses only to have the deer eat them....and whatever is left, the japanese beetles will be partaking of shortly. (Sigh). This rose-growing isn't for the faint of heart. Celeste

Leah, You have to put the letter *I* between the . Then everything you type after it will be in italic. Then, where you want the italics to end (after the word or after a sentence) you use the with a slash before the letter *I* like this /I inside the . So if you insert a *B* in the everything after it will be in bold. Where you want the bold to end do the same thing. Put the letter *B* inside of the with a slash before the *B*. italic bold underline strike typewriter blink red small large

I think this poor dog needs some stability, consistency and to be a part of a pack-- if even a pack of one. Clearly he has had a rough life and some bad encounters in the past. He was kept outside on a lead and perhaps/potentially abused. I think a big clue to the need to be a part of a pack is this statement in your first post "When he is at home with me and my three big dogs, he is such a snuggler and he loves to chase my dog who is chasing his ball, barking and herding my dog who is bigger than 5 of Chicos" The pack offers a lot to a dog-- guidelines, rules, protection, warmth, love. A pack is a family. Will you be keeping Chico? If so, the first thing I would do it read about and initiate a NILF program-- nothing in life is free. It begins setting the rules-- and establishes you as the alpha/rule maker/rewarder. This has been very effective in use with rescue dogs. I used a modified version of the program when I adopted my rottweiler as she had NO self control and had never been a house dog. I didnt have too many issues with aggression towards people but I did have issues with an insane food drive, possessive behavior (she thought she "owned" anything she found), pushy behavior especially around being the first to and out the door.. and well you get the picture. She was unruly. I was able to very quickly position myself as the alpha and quickly regain some order to the house. One of the "rules" I implemented remains a loving part of our pattern. I required that she sit still before being given her food dish-- initially, it was a "butt down" and once she was successful with that, I increased the time that she was required to sit before she got a food bowl. Eventually, as I established my role as alpha, she had to sit and wait for a kiss on the nose and the words "bon appetit" before eating. Even today, three years later, she will not eat if I do not kiss her nose and say bon appetit. One day I was soooooooo frustrated with her and I just brushed her nose and walked away (I know, very immature of me) and she sat there just looking at me until I said bon appetit LOL. This is just one example-- she had to learn the rules for going outside, for getting on the chair or sofa, for getting pets ands attention. The program starts requiring the dog to earn freedom to be loose in the house (I did not start here). It is so effective in not only establishing the rules, and you as rule maker-- but it builds TRUST. I think it is clear that Chico has no trust. When he trusts you-- to guide him, love him and protect him, he will then follow your lead in how to deal with strangers or unusual situations. Right now is an overly cautious, reluctant self protector-- take that load of responsibility off of him. There are lots of sites on the internet dealing with NILF. The best ones will focus on the bonding as well as establishing the rules. You may think it sounds extreme to start-- requiring the dog to be leashed to you in the home, for instance-- but it is really just so effective in establishing the trust and bond. People think giving the dog love and attention is what is important-- but that often brings about confusing and inconsistent messages (like unintentionally rewarding barks). Structure is every bit as important as love. You are a kind soul-- I wish you and chico many successes and a much happier home.

Yep I had an Australian Shepard who was scared of her own farts. It would always scare my mom, especially at night. If my mom would get up to get a drink of water or somthing the dog would creep up behind her and then all of the sudden, phfft.. Aiih Aiih Aiih.. and the dog would be running full speed ahead but sliding on the kitchen floor and usually knock a bunch of brooms over or something. My mom would be there with spilled water and clutching her chest saying, "oh my god!! Damn dog!!! Scared of her own damn farts!!". One time I was in the bathroom at night and that silly dog crept up to the door and sat down. All of a sudden, raeaeh.. Aiih Aiih Aiih boom.. she farted, screamed, jumped up, and ran right into the door all in a couple of seconds. It scared the crap out of me! Once again I was half laughing and half annoyed, my heart racing in the middle of the night! We thought she was unique but it sounds like many dogs have the same problem!