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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Bastard Dog Club

246 replies

ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 01/02/2013 11:14

Roll up, roll up! Anyone who has a Bastard Dog sign in here! Does your dog hate other dogs? Does he or she bark, lunge, growl or actually want to eat other canines? Are you regularly stressed, embarassed or rocking in a corner by your Bastard Dog's antics? Then this is your safe zone. Come hither and share your tales of woe, and also hopefully your successes.

Give us some background, thus:

BD breed: Spaniel cross
BD age: 18 months
BD behaviour: Jumps at approaching dogs and tells them to fuck off in a very vocal way.
BD training attempts: We're working on BAT, using tons of treats and actively avoiding interactions.
Frequency of BD incidents: Probably some kind of reaction every month or so, usually my fault.

Now, who's for gin?

OP posts:
ClaimedByMe · 02/02/2013 16:54

Cuebill 25 feckin quid an hour we pay for the behavourist to come and help us with our dog, not only am I skint I am also heartbroken that the shitty life she had before means she will probably never run free in the park with other dogs, she will never sniff a another dogs bum to say hello, she will never be a normal dog.

Chickens is right, it is miserable and isolating, its one step forward and about 10 back most days, I love her she looks at me with so much love yet fear in her eyes that she will be left and mistreated again, we are trying our best with her but sometimes its a case of 'if you don't laugh you will cry'

BeerTricksPotter · 02/02/2013 16:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BookieMonster · 02/02/2013 17:05

Ahem...
My Bastard Dog is a black lab!!
Age: 3
Behaviour: extremely dog reactive on leads. Lunging, snarling and snapping. Loads better off lead, except with small yippy dogs and especially spaniels.
Training: lots of socialization (she loves MonsterDog1 - another black lab who is as soft as anything).
She is a failed guide dog Hmm but she is the most wonderful family pet. She would do anything for us, adores people and gives the best cuddles.

Floralnomad · 02/02/2013 17:07

Cuebill, yes you have had a humour bypass. FWIW my son has always called our dog 'bastard hound' and I think the dog probably thinks that is one of his many names ( he has 3 proper names) . Nobody is 'stealth boasting' about having the worst dog we are simply sharing the daily existence of living with a partially trained dog with issues . And as chickens said most of us are working on those issues . As it is my dog is perfectly well behaved as long as everyone else's dog leaves him alone.

Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 02/02/2013 17:08

Can I ask fellow BD owners; was your dog attacked by another dog at a young age? Jasper was attacked on lead at 14 weeks by an escapee terrier. That dog wasn't playing, and Jas had puncture wounds (as did I).

OP posts:
Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 02/02/2013 17:09

I think me and Floral have the same dog. It's maybe a time share situation

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 02/02/2013 17:10

We didn't get ours from Battersea till he was 15/16 weeks so god knows what he'd been up to before that , although he is docked so probably not the best start in life. It's amazing really that he has as few issues as he does .

Floralnomad · 02/02/2013 17:13

We really should get them together chickens , they'd probably get on !

Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 02/02/2013 17:13

Yeah, Jas is docked. He came with docking papers, too, but he was sold to a pet home which I thought was illegal. His little stubby tail makes me a bit sad, especially when I see spaniels with their long swoopy tails.

OP posts:
BeerTricksPotter · 02/02/2013 17:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ClaimedByMe · 02/02/2013 17:18

We don't know much about BD's past, we know she was used for breeding her under carriage is a mess, due to her attitude it has been mentioned that a 'rape cage' was used, it is thought she wasnt socialised, she was found starved, straying and covered in ciggarette burns and has a large scar on her leg that was left to heal its self. It took the rescue 9 months to get her well enough to rehome.

She did get attacked a few weeks before we got her, she was ambushed buy about 6 little dogs, the fosterers told us the owner of the little dogs encourraged her dogs to go to BD then caused a scene saying BD was attacking her little dogs but BD was hurt.

Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 02/02/2013 17:19

My God. Claimed :( That is horrific. Your poor girl x

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 02/02/2013 17:19

Mines tail is about 5/6 inches and it actually looks lovely ,I think he'd look a bit ridiculous with a tail but I suppose its what you get used to .

BeerTricksPotter · 02/02/2013 17:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ClaimedByMe · 02/02/2013 17:25

I have just added a couple of pics of her to my profile, she is the most sweetest, lovely staffy you will ever meet in the house, its when shes taken outdoors she turns into BD.

Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 02/02/2013 17:32

Aw, bless her. Some people are such bastards Angry

Jas is also a model canine in the house, and tbf most of the time out of it. Like Floral's BD, he just hates being bothered by other dogs. He just wants to run around and rummage under hedges, he does not want to play with other dogs. I don't think he ever will, tbh, and neither does the behaviourist, but we hope to get him to a stage where he can tolerate other dogs without feeling the need to go on the defensive.

OP posts:
TaggieCampbellBlack · 02/02/2013 17:38

BsausageD is untrainable. A bit like DD2.
Non-BD is very well behaved. Like DD1.

I have no idea why they are so different. The dogs and the DDs. You'd expect that living in the same house, same rules, same training and treatment would make for similar dogs and kids. Proof that nature is stronger than nurture.

itsthawooluff · 02/02/2013 17:40

Bd breed - GSd
Bd behaviour - hates,loathes, cannot be in same county as black or brown labs. Thrashes around at end of lead like ten stone of Tasmanian devil, whilst trying to scrape halti off. We have fields which are very very wet at the moment, but have footpath running down other side of fence. If bd sees anyone, with dog or without, he is away, running up and down fence line, barking and snarling and generally being utterly foul, in two feet of mud, which then gets wiped off on my carpets.

He is rescue dog, and just over two. We have had him for seven months. In the house he is my shadow, out in the field he is utterly selectively deaf, and will not make eye contact when he knows I want him to come back.

The shame of being the owner of a bd is high. I was so smug about my dog training ability, now I'm abused by harassed walkers, and the worst thing is that they're right. If I could get to the fence line before he did I might have a chance of dissuading him, but all I can do is run after him, Fenton-like, shouting his name and apologising.

I hate bd when he does this- every day.

He sleeps with his head on my feet - I love bd.

gymmummy64 · 02/02/2013 17:44

Aww Claimed she's adorable, what an horrific history.

Cuebill if you are still reading, I think the large number of contributors to this thread is actually a really positive thing and I would imagine the vast majority, if not all of us, are addressing the issues we describe. Many of us would (and do, on many other threads) describe our children in very similar tongue-in-cheek terms. It is not indicative of lack of love, respect, boundaries, care, taking advice or training. It's just as Chickens so feelingly put it, venting.

You have helped me enormously on this forum, your advice has always been spot on and I have acted on it each time and it's working. I know I'm not the only one who feels that way. I wouldn't want you to think this thread suggests otherwise.

FurryDogMother · 02/02/2013 17:47

Only on page 1 of this thread, but have to admit to 2 bastard dogs today, because they ate my expensive headset this morning :( I blame the cat - headset was out of the way on a table - cat pushed it off, dogs chewed it. The same thing happened to my DH's fresh packet of ciggies, but am giggling at that...

I have 2 bastard dogs and 3 bastard cats, and I love them all dearly :)

digerd · 02/02/2013 18:00

Taggie
My experience too, dogs and people. Depending on their genes, some can be more influenced than others with nurture, so we keep on trying and hoping.

3littlewomen · 02/02/2013 19:50

BD breed - 1/2 corgi 1/2 cairn terrier (fully stubborn little bitch).
BD age - 3ish
BD issues - small things that move! Obsessed, be they toys, chicks, kitten etc. she falls totally and utterly in love and our poor geriatric boxer dog is not allowed to look at item of affection or she gets viciously attacked.

Used to happen every 6 or so months but we can now predict possible areas of conflict and remove boxer from room.

Terrier also has real issues with other dogs near HER car - she spends lots of time in car by her choice, school runs etc. Other dogs are not allowed within a 100m radius of our car as it moves

ballybee · 02/02/2013 20:24

BD breed: Rhodesian ridgeback X Rotty/lab
BD age: 3 in June
BD behaviour: spoilt brat, whines if he doesn't get what he wants, selective hearing, recall is a hit or miss depending on how nice we've been to him, he can be dog reactive(no signs or pattern, he can be fine one day then hate dogs the next), is terrible in public but really nice in quiet areas...the list goes on and on
BD training attempts: Daily training session, regular socialising walks in public/busy doggy areas.
Frequency of BD incidents: most days!!! But he's getting much better :)

permaquandry · 02/02/2013 20:36

The jury is out as only 6 mths (nearly) but seems to be heading for bpuppy status:

Breed: mini schnauzer
Age: 6 mths
Issues: hmmm......barks at doorbell, all humans/dogs, noises and me to get attention. Jumps up continually. Bites continually, ripped hole in best jumper. Eats mud from plants. Nips the kids (playfully only) and tries to eat their hair (?). Spends walks with teeth and arms (front legs, obvs), wrapped round boots. Pulls on lead. Wees from time to time in house, even though just come in from garden. Never comes back when called. Smells and is scruffy.

I know this can all be trained out of her and I think prays whilst crying into the kibble that she's improving with perseverance but, my gosh, does she drive me crackers.

DISCLAIMER - I love that little ball of fluff with all my heart and she makes me laugh all day long.

foolonthehill · 02/02/2013 21:51

am beginning to feel I don't belong...so many many more challenging stories than those I have collected yet...and so much hope and lurve!

Can I just say in the words of my 11 year ols DD...you are soooooo awwwesome!