Reporter wasn't White House dog's 1st bite victim

AP ^

[Chet 99]

BOSTON – Turns out that when it comes to biting White House visitors, President Bush's dog Barney is a repeat offender.

Boston Celtics public relations director Heather Walker said Friday that Barney bit her wrist and drew blood as she tried to pat the Scottish terrier in September after a White House ceremony honoring the team's 17th NBA championship.

"It was very strange. I didn't expect him to bite me," Walker told The Associated Press.

[jveritas]

Now the left wing media is going after President Bush dog. Insanity and bias are not the right words to explain the left wing media, these words are too soft.

[jacquej]

LOL, olliecollie!

You made his day! Dogs love to think that they, and they alone, are responsible for chasing off the paper boy, the UPS driver, and other “dangerous interlopers”.

My daughter has a little 9 lb. Bichon Frise, and the highlight of her day is successfully scaring the mailman off every single day. Little Bijou knows just what time the scary man is going to come, and gets up on the back of the couch, little growls at the ready.

As soon as the mail comes in through the slot, she is in full attack, and gosh darn, if she doesn’t chase him away every single time. She is so proud of her little “inner beast” when he politely leaves, and is sure she is totally responsible for saving the household from such dangerous characters!

Your scotch terrier probably had similar delusions of grandeur. You made him feel so important!

[ThreePuttinDude]

Thanks jacquej,
I like reading your replies on this topic. I've been around
dogs all my life, Labs and Weimers.

I've always been amazed how people just go right for the head
when approaching a dog. None of mine have ever taken a bite
but have snapped when startled, or didn't like someone.

Thanks for your posts, I like your delivery.

[adc]

LOL. He can get away with it politically. That’s why he did it.

[olliecollie]

Yes I did, some mornings his owner would keep in in the house and he would go mad at the letterbox when I poked the paper in. I mean what is more inspiring about getting up at the crack of dawn than to meet some interesting characters along the way

[jacquej]

Most dog-smart people do not try to pet others’ dogs.

They wait until the dog is curious enough about them to come up and do a “sniff-over”, and they wait until the dog has gotten all the information it needs.

This usually tells the dog everything about the stranger’s house, car, yard, assorted pets, what they have eaten for the past week, and which restaurants they have visited.

The dog-smart person then asks the owner if the dog likes to be petted. If the owner’s response is positive, the dog-smart person lets the dog sniff a hand, relaxed and at his/her side., This hand makes no effort to pet the dog.

Then the dog-smart person squats down to dog-level, and extends the hand well below the dog’s chin, and lets the dog sniff again, while murmuring nice friendly tones of admiration for said dog.

Only then, does dog-savvy person try to pet the dog, and the side of the neck, sort of below the ear, is usually the safest spot. After a quick and quiet pet, the dog-smart person ignores the dog, and carries on his/her business with the owner.

The dog-smart person usually carries a nice smelly treat in his/her pocket if visiting a friend with a breed of dog known to be aloof to strangers. I always suggest dehydrated salmon skins, broken into teensie tiny pieces, and asking the dog to sit before offering a tidbit suggests to the dog that you expect some good behavior in return for the treat.

It is also a test to see how well the owner has trained his/her dog.

[snugs]

Obviously you have never seen Barney over the years or else you would not infer he is badly trained, from your later post I think the dog that attacked you has left you understandable afraid and semi hostile to dogs.

My mother was a bit like that apart from dogs that were ours. I think our greyhound cured her though after that she was daft about all dogs though not rash.

[snugs]

Absolutely in the clip you see the reporter did not ask whoever wss handling the dog could they pet them.

Then they could have said yes or no and how.

[Desdemona]

In our experience, and in seeing how people react to our little guys at dog shows, they like eye level the best.

Our dogs are Havanese and they have all the "alert little watch dog" instincts. The doorbell is an ordeal every time it's rung, so on Halloween, we sat with them on our laps out on the porch. I held one, my mother had the other and they were just perfectly behaved. It was rather amazing, but they weren't left out and saw our reactions that the trick or treaters weren't threatening and it made all the difference.

in response to some on the thread, there is a big difference between training a dog to be aggressive and training a dog to protect. Michael Vick trained dogs one way. That way would be abusive.

National Geographic Channel did a two hour special on four of the Vick dogs that went to a no-kill shelter in Utah. One of the best pieces I've seen on NatGeo. The dogs were the four arch-types - overly aggressive, food aggressive fight champion, weak personality who was used as a bait dog and one that was incredibly sick - and each was rehabilitated with a lot of time and patience. The really overly aggressive one ended up being this incredibly smart, sweet, loyal dog who took to agility like a duck to water. She just flew over that course smiling the whole time. But, they had people who really knew what they were doing rehabing the pooches. Poor dogs.

[celtic gal]

Tha is my bet..you never approach a dog or cat for that matter with an open palm..To them that is threatening. These obvious non pet owners need to learn to extend the hand in a non threantening way and let the animal sniff them and then maybe the pet will allow the human to touch said furlette.

[pyx]

Reporter wasn't White House dog's 1st bite victim

The "mainstream media" loathe Bush and like all LEFTISTS, will do anything to attack Bush including and certainly not limited to, threatening to have a small Scottish Terrier put down for its defensive act of biting at a provoking reporter.

Margaret Hamilton in her portrayal of the Wicked Witch could have never known how close she was to real life when she said, "...and your little dog too."

Until America treats the "mainstream media" with complete and utter contempt it has repeatedly earned, the LEFT in America will continue to be emboldened.

[driftdiver]

“I think the dog that attacked you has left you understandable afraid and semi hostile to dogs.”

There ya go assuming.

This dog has bit two people in the last recent weeks. Whatever the reason it should not be in a place where its exposed to lots of new people.

[driftdiver]

If your dog bites me or mine I will call animal control or it its an immediate threat I will shoot it. I would also file suit against you for failing to control your animal.

[driftdiver]

“I don’t think you are a good candidate for canine companionship, so please do not inflict yourself on some poor dog.”

Why because I don’t think people should be exposed to dogs that bite? Its the carefree attitude like yours that gets thousands of dogs killed every year.

I don’t think you should own a dog with that kind of attitude.