[PyrNet-L] Flock Guardian Pyr Problem

[MagEBroD@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/17/98 7:48:03 AM Pacific Standard Time, Pyrs@prodigy.net
writes:

<<  Do I think that if
 >your doing your job as a parent, then  your child is not going to face as
 >many dangerous things, certainly, but life is still a gamble and things
 >happen, and we have to accept that as well! >>

   I take issue with this statement. Both myself and my hubby and two of my
kids have been bitten by dogs.  I am always complemented on how well behaved
my kids are!  They did nothing to deserve to be bitten and were simply playing
nicely at a friends or relatives and the adults said that they were not even
near the dog when it happened. And they were not bothering the dog at all. The
dogs just got mean and attacked. The attacks were witnessed by adults and the
adults who owned the dogs were shocked their dogs would do such a thing out of
the blue like that. My two kids this happened to were honor roll students and
were voted by both their teachers, fellow students and administrators to be
among the top all-round good students of their school. One was voted to be
best student in the state for his efforts to keep other students from drinking
and driving and off drugs. He was also an Eagle Scout. The are very good,
civic minded kids and I have had people who are the heads of various
organizations that work with youth ask me repeatedly what I did to have such
great kids!!  They did not deserve to be attacked. 
   My hubby and I were in delivery fields and got attacked then a number of
times.  I also got attacked when invited to someone's home to buy used
bookshelves and table for a play I was working on. We have always had dogs and
are dog savvy and not fools, nor are we doing anything to provoke attacks
other than doing our job and providing a needed service to the dog's owners -
a service they want.
   Yes there are inadequate parents out there and bratty kids, too. I don't
necessarily think they deserve to be bitten, either. (Unless they are abusing
the dog or the family that the dog protects, or animals they protect.)  But
many are attacked that do not fit that description at all. 
   Now I know dogs that snap and bite. I even at times take care of these dogs
when their owners are on vacation and my boys even cared for these dogs at
times, too, when they were over 18 years old. We were very cautious around the
dogs and always aware of body language and took great care to keep them away
from other people.  If it was me, though I would have put these dogs down.
Yet I was willing to care for them rather than have them go hungry or have
some younger child take care of them.  I personally believe it would have been
better for them to do the responsible conscientious thing & put the dog down
and get another dog that is not a biter and needs a home. Frankly I am shocked
that they didn't, as I really like and respect these people and know they are
concerned caring people with a real heart for other people. Yet I believe
their judgment is clouded by the emotional attachment they have for these
dogs.  And also they feel they are responsible for the dog. Yet their
definition of what that means differs a bit from mine. However I am able to
calm these dogs and rub and massage them and talk calmly and soothingly to
them and get them to trust me and be nice to me. (Even the one that is
terrified of fireworks I was able to calm on July 4th amidst fireworks.) But
do I trust the dog to never bite me or my kids?  NO!!  I will not allow my 12
year old to get within reach of the dog. I will only allow him to throw food
(treats) to the dog over his fence. Me and my older kids are the only ones
outside of their family  (grown) and their vet that they allow to touch their
dog. The other people I know just let me and maybe 2 others touch their dog.

Janice Vocke 
MagEBroD@aol.com
Shelton, WA.