Posted on 10/18/2015 3:00:21 PM PDT by NYer
Gentle Giant doesn't begin to describe this amazing breed. They are devoted, intuitive and wonderful family dogs. Most of my neighbors have small dogs that they pull aside when Zeus goes for a walk. The humans are intimidated by his size yet all he wants is to greet their pups. There is not a mean bone in this dog. BTW, there is a Great Dane Rescue group on Facebook where Dane owners post images, videos and discussion topics on their danes.
My Boykin Spaniel is aptly named, boy kin that Spaniel eat.
My English Mastiff wouldn't let the UPS driver (or mail carrier) out of the truck--he'd pull up to the house and honk and wait until we went out to pick up the package.
There's something about pulling up to a house and having the dog come up to the car and look into the car without having to jump up. Pretty intimidating.
The dogs would hang out behind the counter but occasionally follow a shopper around - never muttering a sound. One night, someone broke into the deli. The dogs remained in place until the intruder had stepped inside the store. They knocked him to the ground and held him in place until the next morning when the owner arrived and called the police. Not one scratch inflicted.
The mastiffs are an ancient breed, descended from the molossus, a war dog. Like the Dane, his large size can be intimidating to strangers but both breeds are quite docile. Another magnificent breed!
Lol! Love it! Have one of my own. They are great dogs!
Great picture!
My next door neighbors have 2 English Mastiffs . I feed them treats through a crack in the fence. They think I am a goddess.
My wife and I are on our third Pembroke Welsh Corgi. We lost our previous Corgi at age 6 to lymphoma. While she was fighting cancer, I registered with a canine cancer Yahoo group for help and treatment options. There were quite a few people registered with the group. I was one of 2 Corgi owners, but Goldens were by far the most represented of dogs with cancer. I wonder if some pure breeds have accidentally managed to breed in a predisposition to cancer in the breed? I know Corgis are pre-disposed to Degenerative Myelopthy, a disease similar to ALS in humans.
Lol ... or, at least, a doggie diva.
JR terriers need a lot of exercise but they are sweet and intelligent. My dog is 14 years old now. She doesn’t need as much walking (arthritis) but she loves to nap in the sun and sit in your lap. She loves her people.
FWIU, with or without arthritis, JRTs can spend all day catching balls. My friend installed a ball toss machine after arthritis reduced her tossing ability ; - )
The great advantage with smaller sized dogs is the ease with which they can be transported. Basset Hounds, with their 'low rider' status, create the illusion that they are small dogs. On the contrary, they are big dogs on short legs. My Lilly has a large frame. Her short legs prevent her from hopping up into the car. Arthritis prevents me from lifting a 65 lb dog so I have to rely on others to assist with trips to the vet or groomer. Great Danes, OTOH, can hop into a car but their size prevents them from sitting up in the vehicle. When you love a particular breed, you adjust, right? Enjoy the snuggles from your 14 y/o JRT!
I recall reading that Bulldogs were a far older breed than the 1800s.
I believe the dogs were originally bred for bull-baiting, going back to ancient Rome.
As mentioned, when the bloodsports were banned in England, breeders who loved the dogs bred them to reduce their size and remove their ferocious tendencies.
They’re extremely powerful and independent (they’re notoriously hard to train, and have been labeled as rather stupid, but I’ve found that once they’ve accomplished something to their satisfaction, they’re done with it, and look for something else that interests them,) but they do prefer the life of a couch potato today.
Mark
That's simple... Can-openers.
Once they evolve with opposable thumbs, we're in serious trouble.
Mark
Cute.
Almost missed the kitty sitting there behind his ear.
I think we also provide them with more comfortable beds than they’d come up with on their own.
Like yours, our three Pomeranians are also great watch dogs. Part of the year, we live in a cabin in the Banff/Lake Louise area. There’s a huge hill behind us with the Canadian Rockies just behind. Our property is part of a natural bear corridor up into the mountains.
My husband and I were building a hot tub enclosure. While facing the hill, the dogs went ballistic. We looked over our shoulders to see a bear bounding down the hill towards our general location. I doubt he would have come near us. He was a “garbage bear” that had detected the odor of some lout’s unsecured kitchen trash further north.
Before resuming our work, the five of us walked into the house and watched the bear until he left the area. Pom’s are smart, usually learning within three lessons. They are not “hysterical barkers”; only alerting us when someone, or thing, is approaching our property.
Their deep affection for, and love for hiking and climbing with us, is no small thing! They are eager travellers and have flown with us as take-on “luggage” under our seats. All they do is snore. :-D
The point of a pug is to be blunt.
I see you have standards. ;-) Rufus and Emma are gorgeous!
Isn’t it a shame that people have to feel defensive about being poodle owners/fans? They are WONDERFUL dogs. I am an admitted poodleholic. It all started when I rescue a little poodle (miniature) street urchin. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I’d found my breed.
I have 2 toys now. Or they have me. Whatever. It’s working for us. ;-)
Charismatic Rufus and Sweet Emma
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