HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dan@msen.com (Dan Sugalski)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: Longevity of GSD
Date: 13 Jan 1993 01:34:00 GMT
Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, Michigan
NNTP-Posting-Host: garnet.msen.com
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

Steve Olson (steveo@mobius) wrote:
: I wonder what the average life span of a German Shepherd is?
: I have heard that any GSD over 6 is considered over-the-hill (from
: a vet assistant).

Life span averages 10-12 years.  Some go quite a bit longer.  Gaia's
mother turned 10 this year, her older brother is 8 and Gaia 1s 5.5. 

: I plan to get a GSD puppy this spring.  Are they ok with small children?
: I have a two-year-old and a five-year-old. 

Make sure you get a puppy from healthy lines and those with a good
temperament (this is true for any puppy).  Then make sure that you do not
encourage biting in play and make sure that the kids don't tease the dog.
Gaia was not raised around kids, so I was a little concerned when we were
going to spend the weekend with a very active 2-year old (Gaia was also 2).

Gaia let Leah take food from her, and would lose track of her favorite toy
rather than chance running into Leah.  

When Gaia had pups, we'd take the lot of them to the park and play with
the kids there.  She wasn't worried at all about the kids playing with her
pups and everyone had a good time.  If anything, Gaia is better with kids
than with non family adults.  She is very gentle around kids and loves
their company.

: After hearing of that last incident where a GSD killed an infant on the
: couch, it makes me worry.

Then there's always the dachshund that tripped its owner, killing the
person.  Any breed or mix can have problem dogs.  Choose wisely, and go to
a good obedience class.

I highly recommend The Total German Shepherd Dog, by Fred L. Lanting
from Alpine Publications

Karen

Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: schlumpf@uimrl7.mrl.uiuc.edu ()
Subject: Re: Need Thoughts on getting second dog
Reply-To: schlumpf@uimrl7.mrl.uiuc.edu ()
Organization: Materials Research Lab
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 18:51:51 GMT

In article <1993Jan5.170839.21572@cbnewsi.cb.att.com>,
cotton@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (carol.jean.swanson) writes:
|>it's starting to look like a very big step!

It is..don't fool yourself!! 

|>Is it more work, about the same, or much more work
|>to have the second dog? 
Depends on age of the dogs. We have a 2.5 year old Cocker Spaniel and 
just brought in (well, a few months ago) a German Shepherd pup (now
5 months old). Siegfried (the pup) was a lot of work at first and he
certainly demands more attention than old Baeki. Remember, you have
to do everything twice, it's not like having 2 cats (we have that too) where
you still only have to clean the litter box periodically and keep the food
bowls clean! With 2 dogs you have to take both of them for walks (and
sometimes one won't do their job when the other is around or they
interrupt each other), take both dogs in the car when you want to go
away on a trip, etc.  I wouldn't say 'much more work' but about
1.75 times as much as you have now (there are some things that
you don't have to do twice...). :-) 
   
Does it really help keep the first dog company or
|>do you now have 2 lonely dogs?  Does the first dog
|>get more active if there is another dog around or does
|>it depend on the breed? 

Well, Siegfried is kept in a very large crate while we are gone
because he's CHEWING right now and would destroy the house
if left alone. They definintely keep each other company though.
Siegfried is still too much for Baeki to handle as he has a lot of 
that puppy energy while she's just starting to settle down. Baeki
has gotten LESS active because he tires her out so thoroughly. I mean
she's only 18 lbs and right now he's at 60! If you get a bigger dog
than you have right now, you may have to step in once in a while.
It gets a little rough...
 
 Also, will 2 dogs making the
|>tranisition of having a child later more difficult or easier
|>than having one dog.  Or is this even an issue?  I ask 'cause I know
|>kids take alot of time which means less time for the dog(s).
Can't help with this one, sorry.
|>
|>Also, if we get the second dog, how long will it
|>take us to know if it is going to work out or not?
|>2 weeks, a month, more?  I want to make sure we
|>can return the second dog if it doesn't work out --
|>particularly if the #1 dog and it don't get along.
 Depends on your doggies!!!

kay & Crew
From: bassett@hpcss01.cup.hp.com (Diane Bassett)
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 20:35:12 GMT
Subject: Re:  Poison Alert!! 
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs

A flame war erupted?  That surprises me.  All I can tell you is that my
obedience instructor read about it in a newsletter put out by a national
Sheltie Club (the American Shetland Sheepdog Assoc?  I'm not sure).  She
did not tell us any more than I told you, and I don't go to her class
regularly enough to probably get more details.  

I suppose one could argue whether or not my first message is appropriate
material for this group (which is the message I'm getting from this-- someone
else sent me e-mail that was similar to your message above).  My opinion is
that if it's true this is happening, the warning would be appropriate, and I
have no reason to believe it's not true.  The article my instructor read went
so far as to claim the crimes were connected with a particular animal right's
group, but I tactfully omitted that since I believe claims of that nature
deserve strong substantiation.

Diane

Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: Valaria_Vorlop@mindlink.bc.ca (Valaria Vorlop)
Subject: Puppies Born!
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 19:22:13 GMT

I just got a call from the breeder, my future Schnauzer baby was born on
Friday! Four boys and three girls, all 11.5oz! I get to see them in four
weeks...this is gonna be the longest 9 weeks in history :)

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   ********************************************
Valaria_Vorlop@mindlink.bc.ca   *For YEARS I wondered what ceiling wax was.*
or:      a4080@mindlink.bc.ca   ********************************************
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *                        *******
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: schlumpf@uimrl7.mrl.uiuc.edu ()
Subject: We should have listened...
Reply-To: schlumpf@uimrl7.mrl.uiuc.edu ()
Organization: Materials Research Lab
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 17:08:34 GMT


Well, folks, it was an exciting night and morning around our little place.
Last night between 6:20 and 6:55 someone wandered into the apt 
complex's parking lot, pried open our gas tank lock and a neighbor's and
stole our gas caps. We called the police and after they got there (took
them long enough! almost an hour and we certainly don't live THAT far
away) Peter went out and bought a lock and key gas cap. This proved
to be a very smart move as they hit again this morning, leaving their
tracks in the newfalled snow. They had siphoned the gas out of the
neighbor's car but had avoided ours as it had the locked cap now.

But, we really should have listened....

About 6:30 last night Siegfried, our 5 month old, 60 lb black German
Shepherd, was doing weird things. He'd run from the back patio
door to the front door (clear path in our townhouse) and every
trip he'd bark this REALLY weird bark that I'd never heard before
about 3 times. I figured he was just feeling good but now my guess
is that he heard something outside and was trying to tell us. Sigh,
the big case of the dog that cried wolf!! But it sure felt good as we
were 'patrolling' the car for fear of something else happening while
we waited for the police, to have the big black dog next to me! And 
when I first went out to see (Peter had found it) Siegfried stuck his
nose up to the panel there, gave a big sniff, ran around to sniff
frantically at the license plate and then started off with his nose
to the ground towards the little plot of woods by our place. I 
refused to go in there 'cause who knows what we would have found!
Perhaps I should go into tracking with him!

Kay & Crew, happily safe and sound, more or less!
From: 1260s@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Kathleen Shaffer)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: Weird habits
Date: 6 Jan 93 18:05:47 GMT
Reply-To: 1260s@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Kathleen Shaffer)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.pets.dogs, wenzel@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Patricia Wenzel) writes:
>This isn't exactly a weird habit -- more a weird "expression".
>
>Our current companion is a german shepherd/collie cross who
>has the most expressive ears I've ever seen on a dog.  We've
>not been able to read all of the expressions yet.  My favorite
>is full alert where the ears are both facing forward.
>When he greets us at night, both ears are tucked tightly back
>against his head; we think this means he's happy!
> When he's frumping, both ears sort of go out
>to the side and generally he's laying as flat against the floor
>as possible! Then he has times when one ear is up and one
>is curled sort of back.  Don't know what that means yet.
>
>Anyone else have a dog who use ears this way?
>
>Patricia W.


My GSD's ears are just this way!  I love it when I get home from work
(or from anywhere) and her ears are tight against her head making it
look like she's earless!

I found that when her ears are down and out at both sides she's either
sleepy or not feeling well.  One ear up and one ear back is sending
mixed signals whether she's listening to 2 things at once or what I
don't know.

Taylor also sleeps with her eyes open.  Many times I thought that she
was awake looking at me lying down and when I went to pet her she'd
jump 10 feet in the air!  Now that I've gotten used to it, her sleeping
like this doesn't freak me out as much.

Kathy
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Distribution: world
Date: Sat,  2 Jan 93 00:01:01 -0800
From: ELAINE_GALLEGOS@f703.n202.z1.fidonet.org
Subject: Is She Done Growing?
Comment-To: Anne_P._Mitchell_JD@f703.n202.z1.fidonet.org
Reply-To: ELAINE_GALLEGOS@f703.n202.z1.fidonet.org
X-FSC-PATH: 202/703 701
X-FSC-PID:  RA 0.04

  A female Lab/Akita cross should top off at perhaps 80lbs.  I think
the stuff you are feeding her is fine.  Personally, I don't much care
for Science Diet products, but in fact, just bought a bag of the stuff
for my new dog.  This is what she had been eating at the breeder's and
my plan was to switch her over to a different brand in time.
  What I have against Science Diet is that it is just a lot of
cornmeal with a big pricetag.  This is also the main ingredient of
Purina Dog Chow, which in my opinion is as good a food as Science
Diet.
  I also kind of wonder about the value to a dog of a low fat dogfood.
 A dog's digestive system, unlike a human's, is short, and designed to
deal with a higher fat diet than humans.
--- FMail 0.92
 * Origin: HILLCREST COMMUNITY BBS, SAN DIEGO: HST 619-291-0544 (1:202/703)
From: karl@dixie.com (Karl Klingman)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: Dogs In Peeing Contest
Date: 10 Jan 93 23:17:21 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.

RGINZBERG@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Ruth Ginzberg) writes:

>I take it that this is some kind of dominance "thing" between them, to see who
>gets to "claim" the territory.  Is that what's going on?  

Yes.

>Is this "peeing" game just another competition that we humans don't quite 
>understand?

It is a well understood and documented pack behavior, common to all
canines and many other species.  It establishes dominance and territorial
boundaries.  It is usually referred to as "marking".
-- 
He who would trade his liberty for  |  Karl Klingman
short-term security deserves        |  American Research Group, Inc.
neither...   Ben Franklin           |  karl@dixie.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: Valaria_Vorlop@mindlink.bc.ca (Valaria Vorlop)
Subject: Re: New Proposed Standard for Labradors
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 18:51:21 GMT

> Chris Barnes writes:
> lizalee@leland.Stanford.EDU (Liza L Miller) writes:
> >Those of you who know and love the Labrador Retriever breed may find this
> >of interest:  The standard for the breed is being revised by the national
> >breed club, the LRC (Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.).
>
> I already sent mail to Liza, but what do the rest of you feel:  should
> this discussion be in private email, or here on rpd?


I'd like to see it publically.

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Valaria_Vorlop@mindlink.bc.ca        Nine weeks 'til Shaedi comes home!
or:      a4080@mindlink.bc.ca   ********************************************
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: prkenne@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (CAROL SHARP)
Subject: Re: How do you train a dog to "speak"?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date:  6 Jan 1993 11:13 EST  

In article <C0E5Bt.HCz@hsi.com>, hecht@hsi.com (Alice Hecht) writes...
> 
>Hello, I'm interested in training my dog "Rolf" how to say his own name.
>What I'd like to do is say to him "What's your name?" and have him bark
>back at me which will sound like his name, Rolf.  He's 8 months old and has
>so far learned, sit, stay, down stay, come (sometimes), and gives me his
>paw when I say "How do you do?".  Any ideas would be welcome.

We taught ours to bark by barking at him!  Sounds (and feels) awfully silly 
but it worked!


            " Learn from the mistakes of others
             you can never live long enough to
             make them all yourself"

                                *Carol*
From: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Subject: Re: Speaking of breeding...
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Reply-To: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Organization: ICS Dept., UC Irvine
Date: 8 Jan 93 00:21:29 GMT

In <1993Jan7.233529.6298@cis.uab.edu> sloan@cis.uab.edu (Kenneth Sloan) writes:

>yes, but it's difficult to do and harder to know that you've succeeded.
>It's much easier to breed out a *dominant* gene, because you can be sure
>by looking at an individual if it carries that gene, or not.  Recessive
>genes can easily spread through the entire population without much
>notice - because they are recessive!  Remember, being recessive doesn't
>mean that it's any less likely to be passed along - just less likely to
>be expressed, and noticed.

Very true!

>Absent a direct genetic test, you can only have indirect evidence that
>you've "bred out" a recessive gene - by the failure to see that gene
>expressed in any offspring.  The more "recessive gene trait free"
>litters you see, the more confident you can be - but I can't think of a
>way to be 100% sure.

This relates back to my other posts about inbreeding and linebreeding.
Nicely put.

--Cindy
--
Cindy Tittle Moore

Terrell's Chocolate Deduction--Hershe (Labrador Retriever)

The rec.pets.dogs FAQ -- all ten parts -- is available via ftp to
pit-manager.mit.edu under pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/*.  There
is a mail server, email me for details.

In loving memory of Betsy: 4-10-92 to 8-19-92...
From: szeff@informix.com (Sharon Zeff)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: muzzles
Date: 6 Jan 93 17:47:35 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.
Originator: szeff@chico


I was wondering what the general concensus was on the use of muzzles to
help curb aggression.  

I have a greyhound who, unlike any other greyhound I have met, has a problem
with aggression and dominance.  She is not in the least aggressive toward
people, just some dogs, cats and the like.

Cats are the worst, but I am not particularly concerned with that since cats
know enough to stay away and she is always on a leash when she is outside,
accept for when I bring her to the off leash area.  This is where the 
problem exists.

She got bitten a few months ago when she tried to dominate a boxer pup (11 mo)
and she has been even more aggressive ever since.  She will occassionally 
lunge at dogs that bark at her when we are walking, but since she is on
a leash she does not get too far.  I want to be able to take her to the
off leash area on a regular basis so she can play with the other dogs and
get a chance to go full speed in some place besides my condo.  The problem
is that some dogs set her off.  The dogs she goes after are the more
submissive type, but for some reason even submissive dogs do not like to be
dominated by her, even when they take it from other dogs.  She has never
bitten a dog (drawn blood) that I know about.

I read somewhere that a muzzle would make the dog more docile and stop the
aggression and then, when the dog realized how much fun it was to play with
other dogs, would not be aggressive any longer, does this actually work ?
It seems like wishful.  I have brought her to the off leash area with
a training leash on, 30 foot, which is fine, accept that she gets tangled
around everything and she is on her leash behavior, which is healing with
me when I move and stopping when I stop, which kind of defeats the purpose
of bringing her to the off leash area.  She does not know the command heal,
it is something she learned at the track and she always heals and always
stops when I stop, kind of nice, huh.  She is somewhat trained to sit,
stay, come, etc. but we are still working on her being able to apply the
commands outside, she is great in the condo.

So, this has gotten long, but let me know about the muzzle and if there
are any other suggestions that might work I would be willing to try it
out.  I do have a friend with a backyard and two dogs so try this stuff
out on.  One dog my dog is alright with, the other one my dog has a 
small problem with, it takes a while before she tries to dominate him.

Oh, just to let you know I am trying to correct the lunging problem when
on a leash, and she has made considerable progress, she has even gotten
better about her reaction with cats, so I know she can learn to be good
with all dogs.

Thanks,

Sharon
szeff@informix.com
From: janicew@meaddata.com (Janice Wilson)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: dogs
Date: 6 Jan 1993 15:58:37 GMT
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: assist.meaddata.com

Keywords: scooting on butt

According to my vet, this is caused by similar instances as hemorroids are
in humans.     If it's real bothersome to the dog, you can try putting some	
oil in with their dry food, or even just some water.   Adding an egg to 
their canned food can help also.    Some dogs are more susceptible to this
than others and sometimes they even have to have the problem glands removed.
A vet can remove the fluid that accumulates in the glands and causes them
to rub their  behinds along the floor.

I don't know how often is normal--




Xref: sparky rec.pets.dogs:15947 rec.pets.cats:15938 sci.med:23678
From: tittle@alexandre-dumas.ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Subject: More info on Tick-borne diseases?
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs,rec.pets.cats,sci.med
Organization: Univ. of Calif., Irvine, Info. & Computer Sci. Dept.
Date: 9 Jan 93 06:54:39 GMT
Followup-To: poster

I'm trying to fill out various info in my FAQ's, and one of the things
I'd like is a list of diseases (and their symptoms) that ticks can
carry/transmit among cats and/or dogs and/or people.  You don't have
to tell me about Lyme disease ;-).  If they tend to appear in a
particular region, that would be nice to know.  The species of ticks
involved would be good too (eg, Lyme disease is passed by three kinds
of ticks, most commonly the deer tick).

So far I have:

Lyme disease (symptoms include lethargy and arthritic-like pain;
people can, but not always, get a "bulls eye" rash at the bite site
within a week or so of infection -- spread by deer tick & two other
species -- spreading rapidly across the continental US (and canada as
well, presumably))

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (symptoms? tick species?  region?)

I know I've heard of others, but can't think of them, or find
references in my saved info.

Please send me email.  All the information will be summarized in dog
or cat faqs, as appropriate, and listed in the fleas/ticks faq.  I
will post a summary in sci.med separately (since I don't inflict my
faqs on you people ;-).  Thanks.

--Cindy
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: Valaria_Vorlop@mindlink.bc.ca (Valaria Vorlop)
Subject: Threat Dogs
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 01:51:40 GMT

Somebody recently mentioned the idea of teaching a dog to bark on command,
for the purpose of threat to a potential 'bad guy' using some sort of subtle
hand signal. This is good, but what if the dog isn't looking at you? I read a
book once that suggested clearing the throat as a signal, but what if you
have a cold? :) I've been using a whispered "Whazzat?!" to get my dobie to
bark, but I discovered something far better, quite by accident today.

I was practicing his threat bark on a far away stranger and my dobie didn't
believe me and would not bark, so I GROWLED and he really reacted!

I've always counted on "Whazzat?!?" said in a frightened whisper to kick in
his protection instinct, but what seems to work much better is the fact that
Boss is growling at a percieved threat...I don't know if you follow me, but
the psychology of it seems to be different. With the first command, he often
looks around for something he thinks needs to be barked at, and if nothing
seems threatening, he won't bark. With the growl, he seems much more inclined
to take my word for it. It might also be conditioning since we growl at each
other when we play tug-of-war.

Further, Mr. Bad Guy isn't going to know who growled first. I find this
valuable because since I often practice on innocent strangers (who else is
there?) I will never be heard commanding my dog to growl and bark at them :)
Don't worry, I always make sure he is calmly at heel by the time the innocent
stranger gets close!

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   ********************************************
Valaria_Vorlop@mindlink.bc.ca   *For YEARS I wondered what ceiling wax was.*
or:      a4080@mindlink.bc.ca   ********************************************
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *                        *******
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: gibson@watson.bms.com (Minde Gibson)
Subject: Bouvier Breeders
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Bristol Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 02:06:00 GMT

A friend of mine is interested in getting a Bouvier(Sp?) as a pet.
Would anyone know where there are reputable breeders for this type of dog
in the NY, NJ, PA or CT area?


                        Thanks in Advance

                        Minde & Jeannine
From: guelzow@brandonu.ca
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Berger des Pyrenees
Date: 5 Jan 93 16:21:25 GMT
Organization: Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

I am looking for Berger de Pyrenees breeders in Canada. Note: a Berger des
Pyrenees is not a Great Pyrenees but a considerably smaller herding dog. One
year ago, this breed was recognized as a group 7 (herding) breed by the CKC.
This implies that there should be several breeders in Canada. Until today I
have found only one address: Rachel Desmarais, Chenil D'Ory but was
unsuccessful when trying to contacting her (i.e. received no answer.)

Thanks for any help that can be given.

Andreas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andreas Guelzow  Dept. of Mathematics & Comp. Sc. Brandon University MB Canada
Guelzow@BrandonU.Ca