Language problems

[oggbashan]

This afternoon my wife and I went to a sandy beach on the Isle of Thanet. As we reached the beach we saw a young woman struggling with a large dog on a chain lead.

We were about 30 yards from her when the dog pulled her into the sea. She fell flat into the shallow water. We went to her and helped her up. I held the dog's lead while she tried to wring out some of her wet clothes.

She is a Polish Au-Pair, working for a local Indian family. The dog is a large Rottweiler, seven years old and very boisterous. If let off the lead it can attack other dogs, but never people. Unfortunately it only responds to commands in Hindustani, not Polish-accented English.

As I was holding the Rottweiler, a young Alsatian came bounding up, wanting to play. The Rottweiler thought that the Alsatian would make a tasty lunchtime meal.

I found that the Rottweiler responded very well to my commands in English and left the Alsatian alone. I was able to walk the dog to heel off the beach and away from other dogs before I handed him back to the Au-Pair so that she could return to the owner's house about fifty yards away.

Do I speak better 'dog' or is it just the tone of voice?

 

[trysail]

I've harbored suspicions of your sanity. This anecdote confirms them. An unfamiliar Rottweiller is all the reason I need to head in the opposite direction.

You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.

 

[oggbashan]

I've harbored suspicions of your sanity. This anecdote confirms them. An unfamiliar Rottweiller is all the reason I need to head in the opposite direction.

I suppose it's my upbringing. I couldn't walk away from a lady in distress.

I weigh 240 lbs and stand 6 feet 2. The dog wasn't going to pull me anywhere.

 

[trysail]

I suppose it's my upbringing. I couldn't walk away from a lady in distress.

I weigh 240 lbs and stand 6 feet 2. The dog wasn't going to pull me anywhere.

Pull ?


My dear fellow— that's the very last thing I'd be worried about. I'd be thinking about how nice it is to have an intact jugular.

 

[oggbashan]

Pull ?


My dear fellow— that's the very last thing I'd be worried about. I'd be thinking about how nice it is to have an intact jugular.

I did say it was on a chain lead. If it had tried to attack me or anyone else, I'd have strangled it...

There wasn't any danger. It was obviously a friendly dog, a bit boisterous, but not vicious.

 

[annanova]

Rotts have been given a bad rap. The several that I've known have been the sweetest things... as long as you don't make them feel threatened.

Growing up, there was one who had the run of a large, fenced-in field adjacent to our backyard. One day, I looked out the window to see a Yorkie running along in my yard along the fence. I picked it up and tried to figure out where he lived until a neighbor told me that he belonged to the family with the big Rott.

That dog was so happy to see his little buddy! I cracked the gate open and carefully put the Yorkie down and I'm telling you, that Rott thanked me. Well, the way his back end was wriggling, he was thanking me for the safe return of his friend.

 

[trysail]

We are particularly sensitive to large, potentially violent dogs in these parts after an incident this autumn in which an older, slight woman was unable to control her leashed German Shepherd.

The result was a second dog with its throat ripped apart.

 

[oggbashan]

It all depends on the dog's owners.

The Rottweiler was obviously a family dog, not a guard dog. It had accepted the Au-Pair's angry response to being pulled into the sea.

But she needed to shed some of her soaked clothes. She couldn't do that and hold the dog's lead, particularly with other dogs running around loose.

Although the dog wasn't used to English commands, once I'd taken over the lead it understood what I wanted. Although it snapped at the Alsatian that came too close, I had hauled it back and told it "Sit!". It sat. It wasn't wholly convinced that the Alsatian wasn't lunch, but it obeyed.

After that, walking it off the beach wasn't too difficult.

My former neighbours had a Rottweiler as a family pet so I am used to them. If the dog I met today had been untrained, I wouldn't have gone near him.

The real problem was that the dog shouldn't have gone to the beach when there were many other dogs present. Apparently it is usually taken there very early in the morning or late in the evening...

 

[McKenna]

Tone of voice, definitely.

I'm learning that children respond in similar ways.

 

[NekoParks]

You were lucky...nice of you to help though.

I did say it was on a chain lead. If it had tried to attack me or anyone else, I'd have strangled it...

There wasn't any danger. It was obviously a friendly dog, a bit boisterous, but not vicious.

Dogs are pack animals. Your size, tone of voice, and attitude ("I'd have strangled it...) were communicated to the dog. Dogs can sense your attitude and confidence. The biggest aspect of your success with the dog was your self-confidence. My father used to breed and train German Shepherds that were used as police dogs. My dad taught me a lot about how to approach and respond to dogs-- especially strange dogs. When I was in college I had a dog try to attack me and bite me when I was at a park. Although I was frightened, I stayed very still and when he jumped me, I punched it in the face (much to the surprise of my boyfriend) and the dog stopped. Also, there were people who came to my aid including the owners. The owners were in trouble for allowing their dog off its leash.

 

[glynndah]

Tone of voice, definitely.

I'm learning that children respond in similar ways.

That was my first response, too. You were seen as an alpha male while the au pair might not be that high up in the pecking order {to mix the metaphors a bit} in the dog's household.

 

[R. Richard]

Dogs are pack animals. Your size, tone of voice, and attitude ("I'd have strangled it...) were communicated to the dog. Dogs can sense your attitude and confidence. The biggest aspect of your success with the dog was your self-confidence. My father used to breed and train German Shepherds that were used as police dogs. My dad taught me a lot about how to approach and respond to dogs-- especially strange dogs. When I was in college I had a dog try to attack me and bite me when I was at a park. Although I was frightened, I stayed very still and when he jumped me, I punched it in the face (much to the surprise of my boyfriend) and the dog stopped. Also, there were people who came to my aid including the owners. The owners were in trouble for allowing their dog off its leash.

Yes, dogs have very sensitive noses, to scent prey. Thus a lot of nerves run into the nose. Punch a dog in the nose and it takes a lot of hurt.

 

[NekoParks]

Yes, dogs have very sensitive noses, to scent prey. Thus a lot of nerves run into the nose. Punch a dog in the nose and it takes a lot of hurt.

Yeah. I didn't enjoy it. I was desperate.

 

[ishtat]

To the dog, Og was merely a bigger tougher dog.

 

[Handley_Page]

Years ago, a pal of mine owned a really nice big Rotty. I'd not been to his house before but I backed onto his driveway and there he was, sat on a low wall with this beautiful dog (actually a bitch).
I got out of the car and knelt down, putting my hand out for the dog to smell. It did and we were friends thereafter.
My Pal later told me that the dog had kept a bunch of building workers on the back of their lorry and expressed surprise that I'd managed.
Tara and I were good friends . . . .

 

[TE999]

Rotties have been given a bad rep like Pit Bulls, Dobies and Shepherds. Any dog will be mean if you make it that way. Statistically, more people are bitten by Cocker Spaniels, Collies and Dachshunds than the so called 'bad' dogs. Wiener dogs can be mean little bastards (they were bred to hunt badgers in their holes) while Cockers and Collies in the main are just nippy and stupid.

Yes, I know, your Rover or Spot or Skippy wasn't like that; I said statistically.

Most dogs will respond to a firm voice, standing your ground and not showing fear; those that don't ... well, you do what you have to to protect yourself up to and including killing it.

 

[oggbashan]

Thank you for the responses.

Thinking back, my view was:

It's a dog. It does what I want it to do, it goes where I want it to go.

I told it what I wanted, it did it. If it hadn't, I would have repeated the command, emphasising it with a jerk on the lead.

But it was a friendly family pet. I didn't expect, nor did I have, any problems with it.

If it had been an ankle-biting little dog and it tried to bite my ankle, it would have been airborne from my toe.

 

[driphoney]

Do I speak better 'dog' or is it just the tone of voice?

It was your tone and disposition. Dogs read people very well.

 

[Acktion]

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. On the other hand, if the other dog is bigger, it would be psychotic to keep fighting.

In the language of dogs, here is what happened.

Rotty; Something new! Something new! Something new! Get up bitch! We need to go see!

Ogg; "Bark!"

Rotty; Oh, damn. You are a big sumbitch ain't you? And your voice is lower than mine. *sigh* Fine. I'll sit. But, you can't make me be happy about it.

Ala; Hey cutie! What's your name?

Rotty; You can call me "Master", Bitch.

Ogg: "Bark!"

Rotty; Dammit! Really? I mean did you see the tail on... Ah. I know that look. That's the look I give right before the ass kicking. And you are a big fucker aint you? Well, fuck.

Dogs don't, typically, understand a language as much as the tone and non-verbals. They don't actually use barking or howling to communicate much more than "over here! look at me!" between themselves or to humans. While there are some that begin to pick up a small vocabulary through association, when we command them, they hear "Bark!" or "Bark bark!" and look at us to see what we want. Only a very thoroughly trained dog will "sit" , "stay" , or "attack" on command without even looking around.

As far as punching a dog in the nose, ...

While I don't condone abusing an animal and have been know to join in on the animal's side once or twice, we also have a right to defend ourselves. However, think about that whack on the nose in this context... A mama bitch corrects puppies by nipping at their nose. If a gentle nip doesn't work, she will grab the pups nose in her mouth and force it down until it's chin touches it's chest. In essence, you just said, "I brought you into this world, muttly. I'll see you out of it too if you don't straighten up."