->  WC> When he came into my hands we had one bloodless _discussion_
->  WC> over his taking a bath, nothing since :-)

-> At first, I thought the discussion you referred to was with the x-owner. O-8

No, it was the dog.
I couldn't believe the dog could hold such a threatening stare for
4 minutes.
I stared back as threatening as could be and didn't blink, Spanky looked
away first and the bath proceeded without further incident.
Since then he walks into the bath oon his own.

BTW this sort of staring is confrontational and had Spanky been turned 
just a tad more aggressive before I got him he would have ripped my face
off.
The only alternative to properly rehabilitating the dog would
have been to have him destroyed.

->  WC> It's still a canine morons so you have to establish pack leader status.

-> Even people with cheuauas don't understand that. When I hear,
"Fluffy always
-> eats first." Don't come bitchin' to me when Fluffy takes a bite out-a your
-> ankle.                                       

You know it's in both the owner's and dog's best interest to
alpha train them.
The dog is happier and as the dog seeks to please the "pack leader"
they're much less trouble and therefore cause the owner far less
aggrevation.              

As to Chuhauas , one attacked Spanky which he
didn't seem to notice.
This is the one dog I didn't bother to defend my dog against,
I was laughing too hard 

-> My old guy was an enthusiastic guard. The only modification, was to encourage
-> him to guard quietly. 
   
Taught Spanky not to bark in two weeks, by request.
Now he alerts with a very low woof.

-> One day, I saw him dart onto the open, enclosed balcony.
-> I'd seen that before, so I never paid too much attention, until WHAM! He lets
-> loose like a mad-man, just as I see a fella on a ten speed cutting through the
-> yard. Until that rider made it to the road, I was never quite sure if he would
-> stay on his mount. I laughed like crazy, and realized the lesson on that point
-> could be shelved.

->  WC> I don't believe I'd still be walking at all were it not for Spanky
->  WC> and our twice daily walk.

-> The only reason I *don't* have a dog, is it's not like I could take a three day
-> recovery break, until I get a 'leg under me' sort of speaking. I have a large
-> enough yard to keep at least a medium size K9 happy, and healthy, but
-> exercising one... I'm just starting to eat properly myself, let alone change
-> another water bowl.     

Hey it's been hard on me taking care of Spanky but it's a commitment
I take very seriously.

I know most people are just plain too ignorant to take my council
on pack leader training and keeping it up.
Should I ever stop so training the dog first he'd mope, then
he'd challenge and after that he'd be dangerous.
So finding him a another home was never really an option.

-> I think I mentioned about my greenhouse? My efforts, and energy has to be
-> devoted to A) yard salvation B) interior evacuation (I was co-dependent on
-> auctions for a while there.) C) any strength/flexibility I might be able to
-> recover. I just don't think I could devote enough to an animal (I even
-> considered a *CAT*!) at this time.                    

It seems you're in better shape than I, I couldn't possibly handle
gardening or lawn maintanance.

->  -> no doubt you have a loyal, appreciative fella on your hands.

->  WC> Feeling is mutual.

-> Did I mention "Win-Win"? 

-> My guy was a shared pet, until she was showen the door. One month
later, "He
-> chewed my Sable Died Mink!" I guess that was his second flight
in his life.

->  WC> Terriers are smart but can be stubborn.

-> Then I'd take the mut to an off leash area, and I could tell he remembered the
-> emergency down lessons, but "forgot" about it. He was off!
Leashed him again,
-> fine. He was some soldier on a lead, but it could be as simple as a plastic bag
-> blowing in the wind, and he had to get his nose into it.

They are curious critters.

-> He also picked up a greedy food habit from the Cocker Spaniel mother. Came a
-> point, if he so much as snarled at a visiting kid, he's be off to seclusion
-> with a bowl of water. 
                          
Two times it's come up while walking the dog a mother vicously struck
her child near Spanky.
Spanky drew his lips back displaying an awesome set of teeth and snarled 
very convincingly though in neither case did he advance on the
individual.
BTW he wasn't snarling at the kid but gave the mother a withering stare.

One woman had her arm drawn back for strike two however froze and
reconsidered, kid never got the second blow 

Spanky is VERY protective of children.
Spanky has also been poked straight in the eye by a preschooler,
he withdrew for a few moments, went back to be friends again
without holding a grudge.
We're both proud of our dogs.

My Pit Bull oddly enough has been the ideal companion dog for the
disabled .

->  WC> worst punishment I've ever given to Spanky was not allowing him to
->  WC> sleep in bed with me for a night, expelled from  the pack for a night
->  WC> as it were.

-> That's a GOOD one!

It worked *very* well in quelching the undesired behavior.

->  WC> That's happened three times and not in a few years now :-(

-> Know the feeling. I told you when Mr. T. Rutherford III nested in the feather
-> quilt? What a mess! He emptied about a third of one strip, and had another one
-> started before he felt comfortable. It's one of those, 'I don't how if I should
-> hug ya, or make dinner with you' moments. What're you gonna do, hey?

Yeah, spanky _nests_ too, instictual what can you do?
I've lost some linen sheets to this but hey I can't punish him for being
a dog.

-> One day I brought two mice in from traps, and offered them to my sister and two
-> friends. "Pencils, and books... Followed the trail to the back
door." as dad
-> tells it. "I couldn't scold him, I was laughing too hard."
A cousin pointed out
-> to me, we have a generation or two of *really* strong women in our family. I
-> just had to give old sis a leveller. {-|[ Had the plan, and mice in the pocket
-> for quite a few hours too.

->  WC> I allow Spanky the freedom to just be himself as well however
->  WC> where his safety is concerned he MUST obey.

-> LOL... We could spend about 90min on the front lawn, and I was quite successful
-> keeping between him and distraction. Then he'd be ready to bolt. Twice he did
-> get past me were for stray dogs. (Maybe a cat or three, but those are more fun
-> to watch.) One day, Queen Shepard (but thinner and not as tall. 50% I'd say.)
-> comes bargin' down the front row of houses with a few eager boys behind her.
-> Ringleader and my guy go at it. He's about half the size, so I let 'em go. Just
-> when the girl was getting an upper hand, I'd tug her tail, and they were havin'
-> a donnybrook. Besides tugging the tail (They weren't large.) about three times.
-> He showed her the "back door!" And ripped a new one.

-> Didn't see more than some missing hair on the grass. No breaks: No Blood. You
-> can tell my adrenalin is going to this day when I talk about it. Elbows an
-> A-holes is the tamest I can describe it.

My adrenalin still goes if I recall the Pit Bull attack on my dog.
The dog was in kill mode and saliva flowing profusely from it's mouth as
it attempted to kill Spanky :-(
We both got lucky that day, Spanky lived and I got the use
of my hand back in some months.
Could have killed both of us.

->  WC> I've even got one non-English command, a sound, that means
->  WC> stop whatever you're doing he responds to.

-> Another good one! I used "Hup!" quite a bit. It was an
interchangeable command,
-> usually against gravity, or pay attention.

I can't think of a phoenetic for Spanky's command but it works.
                             
-> I can loud whistle without fingers. He was pretty good with that. But, around

Spanky answers to finger snaps and gestured commands.

-> cables and music accoutrement, I'd just ask him, "Is that a good
idea?" A
-> couple of good socks on the noggin made it perfectly clear, *something* was
-> about to fall on him. 
  
Never had this problem with my guy.

->Didn't take him long to follow a hot-cold game, where if
-> he used his head, he could still play with the ball. Crafty devil was pretty
-> good *before* he had reached full hight.  that one>

->  WC> Sorry about your losing your Terrier, it lay in the future for me as
->  WC> well :-(

-> Like the sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.
 Or
-> was that, "As the world turns?" (And turns, rinse, repeat)


->  WC> Right now I'm looking at Spanky taking me for my theraputic
->  WC> walk in about an hour.

-> Give him a wink for me?

Do better than that, it's time for his morning turkey neck :-)
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