[S4B]

Awww Cat! Sending loads of love and hugs, not quite gas and air but best I can do!

Andy get her on a lead!!!

[foot-loose]

No critisism to you Andy, but I always feel that dogs should always be kept on a lead when outside - if not, you are not in control of them. I appreciate that there are times where it is alright to let them run free, but you should be ready to put them back under control as soon as another dog or person is nearby. Those long strechy leads are pretty handy as well.

I'll give two personal points to emphasise why:

Years and years ago, my dad was walking my old dog on a beach up north. An elderly lady was walking her red setter on the same beach. Neither dog was on a lead. The red setter came up and started by just playing but got more and more carried away and ended up biting my dog on the ear. There was no major physical damage done really to my dog, but she was pretty much terrified of all other dogs for the rest of her days. If either our dog or the red setter had been kept under control, the situation would not have happened.

Another situation was pretty recently - Hollie has not been very well of late and has been in and out the vets a fair bit. Last time she was in there, there was another dog (huge thing - it should be wearing a saddle!) not on a lead and just wandering about. The owner dismissed it that his dog was "quite friendly and is just saying hello". While I am sure that is the case - Hollie is about a thousand years old and is scared when a mobile phone goes off. It's stressful enough for her going to the vets, I don't think it does her any favours having this massive dog sniffing all over her.

My point is that while you see your dog as sociable - it might not be seen like that to others for a whole number of reasons that will likely not be obvious to you. Plus, if she has already had an altercation with an alstation - i'd be terrified that would happen again. If she is on a lead, you are able to control much easier where she is / what she is doing.

[S4B]

Wow!
What Foot-Loose said!

[Andy B]

when I take her out into town or whatever she is always on a lead. It's only when we go to our park that she's off the lead. It's used by everyone in the area who has a dog and they all run off lead because it's a big ppark and totally enclosed! It's not every dog either and she doesn't just go straight for them, she plays first then snaps and I don't know why. Because it's a recent thing is why it bothers me most.

[Andy B]

Oh and she always comes back to us when we call her.

[MK Chris]

Get a cat. Much lower maintenance.

[foot-loose]

she plays first

This would be the bit that would annoy me if I was walking my dog though. I'm not meaning this as a personal assault on yourself, it's just my opinion that dogs should be under control at all times. Put it this way - if all your dog did was run up and try and play with another random dog, then the other random dog seriously injured your dog - whos fault is that?

Is it the other dogs fault because it caused the harm? Is it you dogs fault because it was antagonising a random dog? Is it the owner of the other dogs fault cos they haven't been keeping control of their dog? Or is it yours because of the same?

The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle, but at the end of the day - your dog is seriously injured. Look at it from the other point of view - if its your dog that injures another - how would that make you feel? And what if your dog is blamed for it - that might not have the happiest outcome for her.

Aside from all that - if there is a noticable change in behaviour, you should take her to the vet and make sure all is well. Maybe she is drinking too much coca-cola... it makes kids hyper, it might do the same to dogs?*





*I do not endorse feeding soft drinks to any animals. Except Yudsters.

[Andy B]

I don't get it though, we don't live in a ghetto, we live in a nice area where kids say please and thankyou, where people own "walking boots", where fireworks aren't let off from the beginning of September! Everyone lets their dog off the lead cos the rest of them are so well behaved. People have been going their for years and there's never been any trouble.

I think I'll get Cesar Milan in. Or go on dog borstal!

[S4B]

Andy she's just a baby. You need to teach her acceptable behaviour. If she attacks other dogs when off the lead she'll soon learn that it's bad if, when she does it, you put her back on the lead.

[foot-loose]

well, id go get the vet to make sure she is alright then - just to be on the safe side.

Let us know how she is eh?

[S4B]

Oh and I agree with Foots about the soft drinks thing! Dogs should drink water or water

[foot-loose]

Id like to hope that there wasn't anyone out there that thought that feeding a dog soft drinks was in any way a good idea!

And while we are on the subject - can I tell all non-doggy owners that feeding dogs normal chocolate is similar to giving them poison - it's very bad for their insides and can do a lot of damage, so don't do it.

[S4B]

And can I add that cows milk and tuna are bad for cats? Oooh look I just did.

[MK Chris]

And while we are on the subject - can I tell all non-doggy owners that feeding dogs normal chocolate is similar to giving them poison - it's very bad for their insides and can do a lot of damage, so don't do it.

Ha I knew someone would mention that. 'Tis the same for cats I think.

[S4B]

I've just blocked my cat flap and my cats are trying to get in but they have a mouse and they're keeping it alive! It's the one thing I hate about cats they bring live stuff in and expect you to be pleased and amused as they torture it to death! I have 3 cats and they hunt like the raptors in Jurassic Park.

[MK Chris]

Is larger ok?

I don't know, but in Turner and Hooch, Hooch drinks lager.

I've just blocked my cat flap and my cats are trying to get in but they have a mouse and they're keeping it alive! It's the one thing I hate about cats they bring live stuff in and expect you to be pleased and amused as they torture it to death! I have 3 cats and they hunt like the raptors in Jurassic Park.

Haha. It's their natural feline instinct. It's natural. Leave them be.

[S4B]

Natural is fine but natural ritualistic torture and murder on my living room carpet is not something I can allow

[MK Chris]

Rose West did.

[foot-loose]

Rose West did.

That's not ever an answer for anything!

[Bonanzoid]

I've got a bad feline about cats.

[foot-loose]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[MK Chris]

Rose West did.

That's not ever an answer for anything!

Probably not, but it made me chuckle at the time. I don't know why.

[S4B]

Rose West did.

That's not ever an answer for anything!

My cats are not killing humans!!!

I've got a bad feline about cats.

That is the worst pun I have ever read and I've been reading Footy's posts for nearly a year!

[Bonanzoid]

It was a purrfect pun.

[S4B]

OH MY GOD!!! Stop