that's too funny! dogs are smarter sometimes than we give them credit for. i have 2 great dane girls, eden just turned 8 years old and has been with me for 5 years. pippin, at 17 months, has been with me about 3 months and is the youngest dane i've ever had. she's pure joy, loves to play and even gets eden out for some good zoomies.

i've been widowed for almost 14 years and started rescuing danes after i lost my husband. at one time, i had a pack of 4. i'm sure gary is looking down at me and laughing, especially when he sees the dogs stretched out on the couch and me on the dog bed on the floor! lol

eden...

pippin...

i love aussies!! my brother-in-law and his wife have had several over the years and recently rescued a 7 year old girl from animal control. she is so so sweet!

Our current dog is a Rottweiler and she has chosen me as her person. We've owned a lot of dogs and most were very lovable but this one is absolutely the most affectionate animal we've ever owned. She loves hugs. Demands hugs. Hold them as long as we allow it. When I come home I am greeted with a bear hug, then she stands up against a wall and braces herself asking to be hugged from behind and given a belly rub.

Kids can do absolutely anything with her. Adults on the other hand have to be wary. Even those she knows if she thinks the attention on her puts them between me and them. Her protective instincts are as strong as her affectionate, caregiving ones.

Latest story? I was lying in bed trying to take a nap and she was next to me. I turned away from her signaling I was resting. She decided different. First she reached out one paw and grabbed my shoulder. I shrugged her off. She tried again. When I ignored her she shifted her body and reached over me with both front paws and legs and literally rolled me towards her like a log. Then she tucked one paw/leg under me and leaned the rest of her over me with her head tucked under my chin so I was pinned. Then the rottie purr started. People who aren't familiar with it mistake it for a growl but it's pure affection. She stayed that way for about 3 minutes and then sighed with contentment, moved away, circles a few time and went to sleep. it's simply terrible having such an aloof dog in our lives.

My heart dog is a Black Lab we had during the kids teen aged years. When he was a puppy during housebreaking I would tell himto go when I took him outside to do his business. So, DD was having a party and he (around 6 months old at the time) was trying to engage one of the guests to play and she wanted him to leave her alone. so she shooed him away by saying go, go. It was one command he understood so he did, right on her brand new Doc Martins. He also hated anything that appeared to real but wasn't. For some time I was disturbed that he seemed to liked undo a bowl of fake flowers we had on a low table. Then I noticed he growled with hackles up and barked at statues. Enlightenment came one day when I visited a friend with him. As we left, he stopped on her front porch and growled at a small tree in a pot. She laughed and asked why he was mad at her fake plant. That was when we realized the issue. He never grew past that. Real is good, fake is bad, the nose knows.

My bullmastiff cross was another self appointed guardian. I wasn't sure how she would be since she was half Lab. She adored her family and that included household pets. She loved to play with a pet rat. He trusted her completely. he would never come out of his cage near the other dogs but they had a bond. She would literally roll her tongue around him like a burrito wrap to love on him. When she was about 5 months old we found out how good she would turn out in protection. DS was already into motorcycles when we got her. One day he came home late after work. He entered the house wearing his riding gear including full face shield. She took off at warp speed toward the front door and leapt straight up toward him with a low menacing growl. This puppy was ready to take him down. He had the good sense to flip his visor up. That take down leap turned into a welcome home in an instant.

My daughter has a Shar-Pei mix, the sweetest, most mellow dog. Good on a leash, most of the time although not fully trained - never responds at all to aggressive dogs we encounter, ignores squirrels and deer; is interested in cats, but that is because he thinks all cats will be pals like the 2 he lives with.

One day I was walking him and approached an intersection - just as I was stepping off the curb, one foot in the air, he spotted two dogs in the opposite yard that he just had to go see right then! Who knows why. He took off and I went flying through the air, landed in the middle of the street, glasses and hat gone. People came running (really!) to see if I was still alive after that spectacular landing! They helped me up and back to the sidewalk.

The dog? after spending a minute or so joyfully greeting those strange dogs, he came prancing & smiling back to me all ready to continue on his walk. After I informed him that he had been such a bad dog and we were going home, he hung his head and tail, and stayed that way, behind me, all the way back.

I love these stories. Our 2nd Aussie was destined to be a show dog, but we got him from the breeder because he didn't pass muster. He was a sweet, silly beautiful clown. My favorite story to tell about him is when I was by myself when DH was travelling on business. We had 2 Aussies at the time. I took our girl on a leash to walk her because she would always run off. He parked himself at the end of the driveway and refused to follow us. I got back, he wouldn't even come in the house with me. I went down to clip his lead on him and he started wiggling his butt and walking towards the beach. "Oh, boy, Mom's taking me there now" Made me laugh so hard. I miss him.

I've never met a Westi. What a sweet photo. Our Aussies are the last ones we'll have. They might outlive me. They are stong, determined dogs. I have to watch myself around them so I don't get knocked over. If I was alone, I would get a Cavlier King Charles spaniel.

I once had a dog

who looked like a frog

and then i had a cat

and the cat was the end of that

Two cute stories involving my and DD’s.

You can teach an old dog new tricks. I decided to teach Fred, ”show me.” It started with just the end of the night treat. He would turn his head side to side up where I keep the treats.

It evolved to him showing us that he would like the leftovers from the table. Everyone in the family has fun asking Fred to show them something.

Fast forward, DD was watching Fred at her house, an apartment in the city. She has a Chihuahua. They just came in from a walk, but Fred stayed by the door miving his head back and forth toward the door. DD was getting annoyed as Fred was just walked, had his treat etc.

Then she realized…….her dog was left outside in the hallway. Fred was trying to tell her!

Second story. Lil was behind our stone wall when a deer came up so close. I panicked.

Deer around here are not concerned with people telling at them. I looked at Fred and pointed at the deer. He jumped over and scared the deer!

I don't really have any stories per se. I got Chewy (short for Chewbacca cuz that's what color he was) when he was 10 weeks old after losing his predecessor to old age (18) about 6 months earlier. He was the last of his litter, left behind cuz an overbite made him not show quality. At the time I was fortunate to have a job that allowed me to bring him to work everyday so our bond was fast and very tight.

Living solo, he is my constant companion. He usually accompanies me on all my daily work travels unless the weather doesn't cooperate and he is well known to many of my clients and business associates for that reason.

He is a sweet, loveable goofball, very mellow and very friendly. He unreservedly loves all cats and other dogs, although they may not love him back :-) He almost never barks except to alert me to me danger (his alert saved my cat's life from a coyote attack in my backyard) or if he gets his tieout tangled up and I have come rescue him. Which is often.

He is not the brightest bulb in the pack. Can't be off leash or tieout outside as he is compelled to explore and could be miles away in no time. But he has learned some tricks and has a big human vocabulary understanding. He communicates with me by staring intently and then explodes with excitement when I say the word that he wants - treat, cookie, toy by name (he knows them all), car ride, walks, whizzle, etc.

He just recently turned 13 and so is starting to show his age. He can't jump up on the bed any longer and needs help getting into the car. And is completely happy being a couch potato if that's what the day offers.

Otherwise, he just as puppy-like as ever!!

Awww - what a sweet photo!

No dog stories but my family have always had mutts. All strays. Best dogs ever. The two I have left will be my last.

Our Lady could tell time. In the evenings, she would be on her bed in the den, snoring and dead to the world. At about 8:57, one eye would pop open and she'd check to see if it was time for walkies. Every evening at 9:00, and her internal clock was flawless.

I'm not sure how it started, but we got her started spinning circles before walkies. One of us would say "spin circles" and either she would chase her tail or run circles around the couch.

My Aussies have an internal clock. At mealtimes. They're uncanny with their preciscion, Right on the dot they come to me looking for their kibble. Within a minute on either side of the hour they are fed, I don't know how they do it.

Yes, that doggie 'watch' can be very accurate.

My story would be about my daughter's dog. I was visiting my daughter for a few days when she had to keep an appointment. I was staying home with Molly the Beagle. Daughter warned me that Molly eats at 4 o'clock, but at about 3:45 she will start hinting that the time is near.

Exactly at 3:45 Molly appeared in front of me and gave a soft bark along with a little tap dance and ran to her bowl, nudging it. I ignored her and kept reading my book.

Five minutes later Molly was in front of me again. This time her bark was louder and the dance was accompanied with a twirl before she went to her bowl. I continued to ignore her.

At 3:55 she was back in front of me. A big bark was now embellished with the dance followed with a run to the far side of the room where she twirled several times and back in front of me barking again. I ignored her as she ran back to her bowl and flipped it!

At 4:01 she was back with 2 big barks and then she grabbed my pant leg and vigorously shook my leg. Well that was it! I lost it! I was still laughing an hour later when daughter came home, and still laugh today when I think of it.

Another story of a dogs internal clock. Years ago when my Dh was working in another state during the week and just coming home for the weekend every Friday night arriving between 8 and 9 from the 200 mile trip. Our Snuffy had the timing down pat. All week long after supper she would be with me where ever I was in the house. But on Friday evening at about 7:45 she would settle in at the window where she could see and hear her Pa come into the driveway. It took only about 4 weeks for her to get the routine. It went on for 2 years.

We have had 3 labs since we were married. The first 2 were black labs and were very well trained and easy to manage with not too much effort. The last one was a chocolate and a very alpha male. He was a terror and pretty much untrainable. He was very loving and needed so much attention that it wore us out. He was always getting into trouble. He would try to eat anything and everything. He once tried to eat a fishing lure which resulted in a trip to the vet to have him sedated while they cut out the hooks.

We are without a dog now and don't have plans to get another.

Looking through a box of family pictures today and came across this one of mom when she was a kid. I don't know who the dog was, but mom was happy!

LoneJack - I have heard from many lab owners that the Chocolates are very different. Our 5th, youngest Aussie is a blue eye-d red merle and he is a PIA. Never lived with such an non-conformist dog like this one. Our 2 girls were the alphas, so very smart, but never out of bounds. This guy tests the bounds constantly. We have a GPS collar on him now because he will run, although DH has built a fortified fence up around a very large portion of our property. I think this dog could fly if he put his mind to it, He's fiercely determined to live life on his own terms, but fortunately is food oriented and will work for treats. He spends a lot of time in his crate when I'm alone with him.

There's no such thing as an untrainable dog. Though of course there's a range, some are easier and some are harder. Time, repetition and patience are required for all, more for some than for others.

Dogs enrich the lives humans of the households they live in. To an unbelievable extent, one that folks who haven't had dogs may not realize. My life has been enriched by Germans Shepherds, starting in my parent's home when I was a teenager (that dog joined my adult home some years later) and followed by a succession of other wonderful dogs. Always just one at a time, all lived the breed's normal life expectancy. Dogs, almost like the kids in our household, were given priority, the best of care, and interesting experiences. It was the least we could do to repay what they gave us.

I had thought the same Elmer until Rocket came along. He was the hardest headed dog I ever saw.

seagrass - I had heard the same about chocolate labs and wouldn't have chosen one myself. My wife and son came home with him one day as an 8 week old puppy. They said they chose him because he was the most playful and dominated the others in the litter.

Interesting comments about chocolate labs and they match what my Vet said. In 47 years we've had 1 German Shepherd, 4 Rottweilers, and 2 Black Labs. When we got our last Lab DH wanted to get siblings - a chocolate male and black female. I only wanted one dog, especially since DH was still working and I was facing double knee replacement. Our vet said that although we've had 2 dogs at the same time before and knew that we were adept at training he felt that labs were more needy and getting just one would allow it to achieve its maximum potential - then he said that in his experience chocolate labs were often more troublesome.

Lonejack, for one stretch of time we used a vet whose cat training prowess was the subject of periodic articles in the newspaper. Her method was one that anyone training a dog is familiar with - food rewards. In response to "how do you get a cat to respond to food rewards", she would reply with something to the effect of "sometimes at the beginning, you need to withhold food for several days and on recurring occasions. Then when you give a piece of food for certain behaviors, repeatedly, they get the idea".

People across the street from me have two chocolate labs and both of them are trouble. Barking, charging at people, very threatening. I really blame the idiot owner who never trained them properly.

My mom had three dobermans, one after the other. This was a long time ago. One of them would start to sadly slink around the house whenever Mom put on her girdle. The dog knew she was going out and he was going to be penned in the kitchen . He had plenty of food and water and a comfy bed,

Here's the ultimate "dog watch". For 18 months during quarantine, we never ate out every Saturday night as we always did before. We got take out. Prior to covid, we'd always give the dogs treats when we returned for the night. The dogs essentially were never alone in 18 months because they went with us to the trail every day or to our daughter's house. But a few weeks ago, we finally had a sit-down inside dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. After 18 months, their memories held and they raced to the cupboard where the treats are and sat waiting for them. AND on the kitchen island, all three cats liked up for their treats thus learning from the dogs or maybe it was vice versa.

We lucked out with our sweet choc lab girl. Two years ago, DH picked her out of all the litter. She was the runt and was calm and so happy sitting in his lap. She's still on the small side, weighing just over 50 pounds. She still "sits" in laps, not caring that only her front half fits anymore. She's vocal and attentive and howls sometimes when a siren wakes her up. She picked up the basic commands easily. She's gotten much better at not swallowing non-food objects, although I did have to pluck something squishy from her mouth on our walk yesterday. I don't know exactly what it was but I haven't washed my hands so much since Covid started!

DH and I have had our last dog, but I think if either of us were living alone, that could change.

What fun to see Oski again, socks! Yes, we've had a total of four Westies, starting with pet shop Charlie a few months after we married. We lived in an apartment with a laundry room where I'd wash Charlie in the laundry tub. One day I brought the dog back to our aparment after a bath and noticed that my diamond ring was missing. I raced back to the laundry, only to see that there was no 'catch' on the tub's drainpipe. It went straight into the sewer. Goodbye diamond ring. This was two weeks before we were going to board Charlie while we went to Montreal for the World's Fair. We notified the insurance company, and I hoped to have a replacement ring before we left, but they couldn't promise anything -- and gave us a hassle about value on the special setting, combining engagement and wedding rings in one piece, a special order from prestigious Peacock's in Chicago. I was just *sick* about my carelessness.

Two days before we were to leave for the fair. Charlie didn't greet me at the door as usual. I found him in the kitchen, 'guarding' my hair-entwined ring, which he'd evidently swallowed and then coughed up once it got a bit insulated by his hair. If he'd waited two days longer, he'd have been kenneled!

Sadly, this happy story has the worst possible ending. Eight years later, I'd just gotten home from dropping Charlie off at the vet to have his teeth cleaned when the vet phoned. We'd thought the dog's increasingly bad breath was due to tooth decay, but no. They'd sedated him and discovered he had a very rare cancer...of the tongue. They advised not waking him, and I had to agree. A dog can't live without a tongue. I am certain the cancer got a foothold from an abrasion when Charlie saved my ring. My lovely boy.

I have another story about Snuffy. When she was 7, she became an insulin dependent diabetic. I was the only one to give her the daily shot of insulin for the first few weeks, as due DH 's work schedule he wasn't available to do it. When finally he was home at the right time, I told him that it was time he learned how to do it. I had taught Snuffy to back up between my legs when I said "come get your shot" and then I would grasp the scruff of her neck and inject the insulin. When I would let go of her neck, she would immediately turn and nip at my fingers. No bite, just a playful nip to let me know that she was boss, I guess.

On the morning Dh got his first turn, Snuff did as asked and backed up between his legs while I stood about 6 feet in front of them giving instructions. DH did the dirty deed and injected her, Snuff did not turn and bite at him, instead she ran over to me and nipped at my fingers as usual. She knew that I was to blame...any way DH always was her favorite.

Nickel - When we got our first Lab the breeder cautioned us that Labs :

Chew until two and shed until dead.

She was right.

I had to chuckle at your lab eating non-food items. I think Labs are the worst for that. Our lab puppy ate her flea collar and the only reason we discovered it was because I found the metal clasp on the carpet. DH spoke with the head Vet at the company who manufactured the collar and he assured us that it wouldn't be fatal - but that she'd probably be partially paralyzed until it worked out of her system. We took her to our Vet who gave her IV fluids and kept her for 2 days.

She recovered and then a month later stole a pair of pantyhose out of my DD's suitcase. Another trip to the ER where they gave her a narcotic that immediately caused her to vomit up the nylons.

And then there's the time I came home and noticed one of my orchids was on the kitchen floor. She was hiding under my desk and when I called her she came out very slowly and then proceeded to empty her stomach on the floor - she had eaten all the pea gravel that was in the dish under the plant.

Maire

There's no such thing as an untrainable dog. Though of course there's a range, some are easier and some are harder. Time, repetition and patience are required for all, more for some than for others.

i agree with this, to a point. some dogs are simply born with faulty wiring and when that manifests in aggression, all the training in the world isn't going to help. my breed is great danes, i know of several who have had to be PTS due to uncontrolled aggression after owners tried every available training method. these are the exceptions, of course, but when it's a 150# dog, in the wrong hands it will always be catastrophic. these dogs do not live happily, they are aways on edge and for me, it's a kindness to lay them to rest.

and then you have these so-called "trainers" that take a "red zone" dog to their facility, work with it for a few weeks and miraculously, the dog becomes putty in their hands and it's returned to the owners to live out it's happy life in the company of other dogs and children. yeah...right! why is it we never see what happens to these dogs/families days/week/months down the road? the carnage that follows is something that is hidden because it would ruin t.v. ratings. cesar millan is a perfect example and now there's another guy who hosts a show called "dog impossible" whose methods make me cringe almost even more than cesar.

I think dogs are a lot like people. We are all impacted by the whole nature and nurture range of possibilities. Some dogs, by their genetics, are more aggressive- and if they are unlucky enough to live with people who don't know how to manage that (or God forbid worse, encourage it!)...well, I agree with ninapearl above. Nature and nurture, and the outcome is a combination of both.

Socks - I'm the one with 2 Westies, currently. 😁 I have a long history with the breed.

Nature and nurture, and the outcome is a combination of both.

i agree but again, to a point. there are breeds that are genetically programmed for aggression. to name a few, dogo argentino, cane corso, chows. i often see these dogs in rescues and their descriptions always include "loves other dogs and great with kids". even these breeds from reputable breeders are questionable when it comes to their ability to tolerate other pets and children in a household. combine these traits with a rescue dog with an unknown history and it can be a disaster in the making. less-than-reputable rescues will intentionally omit the fact that the dog was surrendered because it either bit a person or killed another dog. i cringe every time i see one come through a rescue.

and then there's the pit bull issue. i don't care how a pit has been raised or how "sweet, gentle, lovable" it is, it is still an extremely powerful breed that is so prominent because of so many back yard breeders, i wouldn't trust one as far as i could throw it.

even thought i love danes, it's another breed i would discourage people with young children from getting. they can most definitely be "gentle giants" but here again, an adult dane from a rescue, most especially when it's been a stray, would not be my choice for anything other than an adult-only home. i've had 7 rescue danes over the years and every single one of them was just a big mushy love bug but, that being said, children were NEVER allowed anywhere near their heads/faces. heck, even my 2 well-bred danes with stellar temperaments that i now have are strictly supervised around kids and adult strangers. i'm often asked if my dogs bite. my answer is always, they're dogs and they have teeth so the potential is there. anyone who claims their dog would never bite is living in a dream world.

I so agree with both Patrice and Nina. Our Fred is a pit/ mix rescue that DD chose.

She couldn’t handle him, living the city and working full time.

After having a golden retriever for 15 years that I trained to volunteer with psychiatric patients, I never thought my next dog would be a pit!

This dog nipped me 3 times and was scheduled to be returned. Long story short, the rescue organization was moving and asked if we would wait out the weekend. Well, he bonded that weekend with DH.

Once he became ours, we went through 3 different training approaches. We got him just so far. This dog reacts, then asks questions later. So, I am always watching, scanning, and on high alert and no issues in 9 years. Call us suckers! But, it is what it is.

We love this dog and he us.

Growing up we had a rottie/ mix that was akso difficult, which is why I insisted on a golden for our daughters. She was perfect, one dog ftom kindergarten to college.

If we get a next dog, it will be thoroughly vetted.

We've had 5 Australian Shepherd over 22 years. We chose the breed deliberately because of their charaacteristics. We first and formost wanted a smart dog and that they are - astonishly so. I don't like small yappers. My parents bred daschunds and I grew up with the breed. We wanted an athletic frisbee dog, and I was adamant about having a dog with a lucious coat I could put my hands into. We moved to a beach community, and didn't want a breed of dog that people were natually afraid of like a Rottie, or a GSD. So, Aussies are us. They are Aussome. I hope you all get to meet one sometime. They take a lot of work and irritation to raise!!

I feel compelled to holler, ”Hey! not all Aussies are as seagrass has described!” Although hers sound grand, our experience of 50 years with 5 has been extremely different. All but one have been from Aussie Rescue, which may mean something. Having volunteered over 10 years at our local shelter, a sense of gratitude from the adopted dogs was reported over and over…soo, hmm. All five were/ are purebred. They have all been super smart, earger to learn and play, but NOT activity driven, as so often described. While we are quietly occupied, so are they . Napping, or window watching, usually. They follow our lead. All but one of the five have been big cuddlers.

My first ”child” was an Aussie who died at 17. All…so far 🙏🏼have lived full lives. I ’ve often wanted to report that not all Aussies require a ton of exercise…..though they love their ball/ frisbee time. They are happy coach potatoes, as well. They do need close companionship wth their people. Oh, how I love dogs!!

Sorry..just can’t control myself 😬

ok ok. I quit. Thanks for indulging me.

One of my neighbors has a miniature Aussie named Jackson. He's is adorable, friendly and very smart. He still is full of puppy vigor and just loves to greet everyone on his daily walks.

Very LAST one! ….in case I left any doubts about cuddling.

I love all these stories.

This i believe: dogs save lives in many ways and make humans better people

Dogs swallowing things! My kindergarten daughter had a friend over, and the two girls were playing a board game at our kitchen table. I showed them how to throw the dice in the cover of the game box. My 13-year old mini dachshund, who was on Prenisone and ALWAYS hungry, was right there too. Of course, one die wound up on the floor, where it was scarfed up in an instant. I threw everybody in the car and headed to the vet's office, without even calling to say I was coming. I am hysterical, because I think it's the end. The girls are in the back seat, oblivious, discussing how they can continue the game without dice. The friend says "I am pretty sure that we have dice at my house. Maybe your mom can drive us there to pick them up." The vet is not there--on vacation--but there is someone covering. He tells me that he is going to try to make the dog vomit it up, but if it doesn't work, he'll have to operate, which would not be a good idea with the dog's age and medical issues. I call my husband and tell him to come home from work right away. He's in the city and has to take the train. I call the friend's mother and tell her she has to pick up at the vet's office, not at my house. This is the first time these kids have ever had a playdate. I can't imagine what she thought. I hadn't pegged her for a dog person.

The vet put morphine drops in the dog's eyes, and miracle of miracles, he upchucked the die. We were lucky enough to enjoy him for 2 more wonderful years, and we always joked that we were going to change his name to Nathan Detroit!

About 15 years ago my granddaughter was being baptized and my daughter from out of town brought her dog with her leaving the dog at my house while we went to the church and out for dinner. When we arrived back at my house there were pictures taped to my front door showing my grand dog out on the roof of my front porch. There were also pictures of police cars parked in my driveway. My neighbor came over to explain that he saw the dog on the roof and went over to my house and coaxed her back into the house through the window she had escaped through. She had worked the window open and pushed out the screen. He climbed a ladder and got her back inside. With in thirty minutes she back on the roof this time having opened the bathroom window. Someone saw her and called the police who seemed to have a good laugh about it. Once again my neighbor climbed up and shoved her back in the house. By the way this was a very large Great Dane, Trinity by name.

What a kind, dog loving surely, neighbor!!

Lady was never in the gifted and talented class. She wasn't dumb as a rock, but not overly smart. She had never figured out windows in the house. She would look out the full length sidelights by the front door, but never any other windows. One time we were dog sitting her buddy Hope, we often traded dogs back and forth. For some reason, Hope ran to a window and of course Lady followed. You could almost see the lightbulb go off over her head, and hear her say " heyyyyyyy ya'll, look! There's a hole in the wall and I can see trees!"

I took this picture later that same visit.