http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...l.148152a.html

"A medium-sized black dog built like a small fireplug, Mel now lives
in Dallas. He's safe, comfortable and secure, but he's terrified of
strangers.

"When faced with a new person, he shakes uncontrollably. If not
restrained, he'll cower and retreat to a corner, trying to back
himself into invisibility. He fits the classic profile of a recovering
torture victim."

"He was one of several dogs so terrified that the sight of a human
being caused them to "pancake" – flatten themselves to the floor, legs
splayed, in a desperate effort to go unnoticed. Where Mel grew up,
human attention was not something a dog wanted to attract."

"Unfamiliar and open spaces, for instance, scare him. Unlike Pumpkin,
who loves to meander alone and sniff every shrub on their outdoor
walks, Mel wants to do his business and head back inside."

He also fits the classic profile of a dog that totally missed out on
any kind of Socialization as a puppy. I think it's a giant leap to
blame this behavior on torture (although I can also understand why
someone would come to that conclusion).

If Vick really wanted to rehabilitate himself, he'd volunteer to work
with those trainers and/or volunteers (the ones who would agree to
have him) who are currently trying to deal with the psychological
damage he caused to his former dogs.

In my opinion, he really shouldn't be allowed to own another dog until
he does, although I don't think he can legally be prevented from
owning one after his parole is completed.

Sigh.

--
Dogman

Of all the news stories that pop up about Vick, this one should be
plastered on every TV station and news page across the country. I don't
think his "fans" have a clue how bad it was for his dogs and too many
have already forgotten.



In article ,
Dogman wrote:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...es/010211dnmet
floydcol.148152a.html

"A medium-sized black dog built like a small fireplug, Mel now lives
in Dallas. He's safe, comfortable and secure, but he's terrified of
strangers.

"When faced with a new person, he shakes uncontrollably. If not
restrained, he'll cower and retreat to a corner, trying to back
himself into invisibility. He fits the classic profile of a recovering
torture victim."

--
Bad Dog Books
http://books.gityasome.com
Gityasome Tshirts
http://www.gityasome.com

On Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:04:05 -0500, Sharon Delarose wrote:



In article ,
Dogman wrote:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...ews/localnews/
stories/010211dnmet
floydcol.148152a.html

Of all the news stories that pop up about Vick, this one should be
plastered on every TV station and news page across the country. I don't
think his "fans" have a clue how bad it was for his dogs and too many
have already forgotten.



top post fixed

so are forgotten people that bred dog to fight and is it possible to
"unbreed" ? live goes on, people do change, some quicker some slower,
any solutions ? does legislating helps other way then enslaving us ?

well....this behavior group and my question here is: how do you teach
your dog to bark at strangers ? my dog is not protective at all and I
like to be warned of not invited guests.

In article , sonofdog
wrote:

seriously, I will have to hire a real stranger and see what happens

Do you ever get deliveries from UPS, Fedex, etc.? Those are perfect
opportunities to train for a "stranger" knocking at the door.

--
Bad Dog Books
http://books.gityasome.com
Gityasome Tshirts
http://www.gityasome.com

On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:57:43 -0500, Sharon Delarose wrote:

In article , sonofdog
wrote:

seriously, I will have to hire a real stranger and see what happens

Do you ever get deliveries from UPS, Fedex, etc.? Those are perfect
opportunities to train for a "stranger" knocking at the door.

if I train with strangers from UPS and Fedex it will take eternity to
complete ;-)

On Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:12:26 -0800, Phyrie wrote:


So he always knows who is at the door? If he only barks when a stranger
comes to the door, that's just perfect! And kinda makes your dog a
genius, I think. LOL!

well...he got it after me ;-)

It will be great if you can get a passer-by to
knock, and see if he barks. You might be looked at as if you're nuts,
though, if you ask random strangers walking down the street to knock on
your door, but I'm sure you'll run into a dog person who will be happy
to help you train your dog. Good luck! I look forward to seeing how
the experiment turns out.

well...I'm nuts... I did it already but not enough strangers, living in
residential area with a very little pedestrian traffic (cul de sac),
yesterday just 2 times. After a hard knock on the door dog went to door
sat and waited, barked when told to do so by my wife (while barking his
tail was wagging). Altering knock with a door bell did not change
anything. We did just four reps, two with each stranger. Will have to
repeat today if any stranger will show up ;-)