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I Wonder What She's Thinking?

bewdley

master brummie
Pic of two of my grandchildren Jack 18 months, Laith 12 months with our Doberwoman Tally who's 2. It can be crazy in our house sometimes, but this made me smile when I saw Tally's expression.

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bewdly, Great pic and what a beautiful Doberman, such intelligent and friendly dogs, I had one called Sam, sadly I he died 2 years ago aged 15. I gather your Grandchildren are in Tally's bed hence the bemused expression. Eric
 
Sorry to put a damper on this but dogs that big and children that small should never be in mixed company.

You're welcome to your opinion Eric, as we are to ours.

We have had many dobermanns over the years and we are quite happy for them to be in mixed company. The children are never with the dogs without an adult supervising (for the dog's protection as well as the children; children can be very unpredictable) and the dobe in the picture has always been in the company of little people. The children are being taught to respect the dog as much as the dog knows her place in our pack.

The size of the dog doesn't matter in my opinion, but the behaviour does. Tally achieved the gold standard Kennel club award when she was just over 12 months old, she has ongoing training daily with us and makes us proud of her everyday.

This is a picture of one of our previous dobes "Molly" with our daughter. Molly loved to sit on a lap, but I'm sure she never realised she was 7 stone; oh I miss her so much.
 

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bewdly, Great pic and what a beautiful Doberman, such intelligent and friendly dogs, I had one called Sam, sadly I he died 2 years ago aged 15. I gather your Grandchildren are in Tally's bed hence the bemused expression. Eric


Thank you cookie273uk aka Eric and yes they are in Tally's bed, but she wasn't bothered she just got on the sofa and made herself comfy there. I'm sorry to hear about Sam, it is a huge loss when we lose our pets and as you say dobes are so special they don't call them "velcro" dogs for nothing. Josie
 
What a lovely dog Bewdley! We had an Elkhound called Kvin who sadly died 3 years ago aged 16. We still miss him everyday but he was very naughty. I think it's true to say that everyone knows their own situation and I couldn't leave him alone with the grandchildren. As you say, partly because little ones don't always understand dogs either. He could be unpredictable and if someone asked to stroke him I would explain. I was also worried about making children afraid of dogs but they have to be treated with respect too, just like people.
 
Bewdly all the children loved my Sam and Anna my German Shepherd, it was always 'can I stroke them ?', the dog's loved it. Having said that they are the same with Toby my Jack Russell. I have had cats and dog's all my life, apart from my 8 years in the RAF, I love them and 'walking' them keeps me fit as well as them. I am 86 now but still walk him 5 times a day all weathers. Eric
 
It wasn't really an 'opinion' Bewdley, tragedies with children and dogs are fairly common and most owners involved in those tragedies will always say "But the dog was tame and loving I never thought this could happen."
I was reading recently about a four year old who simply offered grannies pet Doberman a biscuit, the dog grabbed her by the throat and despite the best efforts of the grandmother to get him off he killed the child.
 
Eric, are you suggesting that children and dog's should be kept apart and a child should not have a pet dog ? Recently I seem to see more cases of parents brutally murdering their off spring than problems with dogs. Perhaps I am lucky I have never had a vicious or unpredictable dog. Where I live in Chelmsley Wood there are vicious dogs, usually Staffs, but this is the fault of the owner (who should not be allowed to own a dog) and not the poor dogs. This is my personal opinion and based on my own experience of owning animals and at the same time I respect your view and your right to state it and I agree it is a tragedy when it happens. Eric
 
Thanks Eric, we've got the message matey and taking the necessary precautions. But understand your point thanks.
 
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Eric

you wouldn't approve of this either one of my great grandsons & Zane my Mastiff -Great Dane cross. When this age you couldn't separate them and Zane watched over him like he was one of his own.

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Bewdley Here is my Sam and Anna in the local woods, taken many years ago, both sadly missed. Also a painting of them I have hanging on my wall.San and Anna.jpg Sam  and Anna in the woods.jpg Eric
 
It wasn't really an 'opinion' Bewdley, tragedies with children and dogs are fairly common and most owners involved in those tragedies will always say "But the dog was tame and loving I never thought this could happen."
I was reading recently about a four year old who simply offered grannies pet Doberman a biscuit, the dog grabbed her by the throat and despite the best efforts of the grandmother to get him off he killed the child.


Unfortunately, there will always be such cases; as there will always be incidents of cruelty against animals, children and the elderly.

I haven't heard of the incident you mention and feel dreadfully sad for all concerned.

It is our responsibility when we welcome a dog into our homes to teach that dog boundaries, much as we would our children. However, many people with all good intentions spoil their dogs and children, sometimes with dreadful consequences.

Personally we use reward as a means of training: ignore the bad behaviour, praise the good, dogs are brighter than many children and soon learn how to behave.

This is another picture of Tally (promise I won't post another) taken when she was 18 months old waiting for us to tell her she could eat the biscuit that was balanced on her nose. Some may say this is cruel, but it teaches them patience and she knew the biscuit was hers when we gave her the go ahead, equally if we tell her to leave something we don't want her to have she will drop it immediately: essential if she finds a dead bird etc. on a walk.

As you say she is a large dog who loves people and children in particular, many children ask if they can stroke her and as long as their parents are happy then so are we, BUT we always keep a close eye on them. One of our 70 year old neighbours, who has always been terrified of dogs loves our dobes: she can't believe how gentle they are.
 

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Eric

you wouldn't approve of this either one of my great grandsons & Zane my Mastiff -Great Dane cross. When this age you couldn't separate them and Zane watched over him like he was one of his own.

View attachment 111247


Lovely picture Phil, you can see how relaxed Zane is with your great grandson and what a lovely relationship there is between them. It makes my heart grin.
 
Bewdley Here is my Sam and Anna in the local woods, taken many years ago, both sadly missed. Also a painting of them I have hanging on my wall.View attachment 111256 View attachment 111257 Eric

Lovely painting Eric, you're so talented. I love to see them running free in the woods.

Years ago Molly, who is in the picture with my daughter wouldn't let me go down a particular path in the woods we always walked.

She just blocked my way and was nudging me down another path we rarely walked so I thought okay I'll humour her and walked that way to find police coming into the woods; apparently there was a flasher and I think she was preventing me going where he was so I always trust their instinct now.

Happy memories.
 
Bewdley, I think dogs are very sensitive to atmospheres too. I went to the plague village in Derbyshire (Eyam?) with Kvin and there were certain parts of the footpaths he wouldn't walk on. He insisted on crossing the roads and then crossing back further up. I could
never find out why but I'm sure he had his reasons.
I totally agree about training. It's so important. We'd not had a dog before and didn't realise how strict you have to be from the outset. Elkhounds are pack dogs and he thought he was the leader. Many of our problems were of our own making and took a long time to sort out.
It always amazes me how they can tell the time too. He always knew when it was time for me to come home from work and would take up his position by the front door. I miss the unconditional love - no matter what has gone before they are always so pleased to see you aren't they?
 
Bewdley, I think dogs are very sensitive to atmospheres too. I went to the plague village in Derbyshire (Eyam?) with Kvin and there were certain parts of the footpaths he wouldn't walk on. He insisted on crossing the roads and then crossing back further up. I could
never find out why but I'm sure he had his reasons.
I totally agree about training. It's so important. We'd not had a dog before and didn't realise how strict you have to be from the outset. Elkhounds are pack dogs and he thought he was the leader. Many of our problems were of our own making and took a long time to sort out.
It always amazes me how they can tell the time too. He always knew when it was time for me to come home from work and would take up his position by the front door. I miss the unconditional love - no matter what has gone before they are always so pleased to see you aren't they?


Lady Penelope, I know exactly what you mean about Eyam, we stayed overnight in the village pub there ages ago when our daughter graduated from Sheffield University and there is definitely something in the atmosphere. A really amazing place. No wonder Kvin chose his path carefully, as you say they're very sensitive and are aware of things we haven't got a clue about.

We look after our eldest son Steve's Rhodesian Ridgeback (another large dog) most days too as they're both at work and she gets up and goes and waits in the hall before he's even in our grove, he doesn't have a timetable just comes for her when he's finished work or after they have put their children to bed and she does it without fail every time: Steve says he's trained her so we get the kettle on!

Their pure happiness when they see us is one of the things I love about having a dog and can't understand how people can be cruel to animals. It breaks my heart when you see badly treated dogs on the TV who are usually so forgiving and willing to please the owners who maltreat them.

I said I wouldn't, but hey ho, here's a pic of Tally and Lola watching a barge coming up the canal.
 

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MY favourite pic of Anna taken after a freak snow storm many years ago, sorely missed. EricView attachment 111315

She really was beautiful Eric, she looks so happy and it's like she's smiling on the photo.

This was taken many years ago too (possibly the same snow storm) it's of Molly and Rocky another of our dobes.

I used to call him "Rockdog" sadly he suffered a stroke and died suddenly aged 7, he was a stunning gentle giant of a dog and he and Molly were inseparable. She and we missed him terribly and still do. You never get over the loss, despite the gutting sadness we feel when we lose them we have to be grateful that we were honoured to share the utter pleasure of having them in our lives at all .

As Tennyson said " 'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all".
 

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