I can relate, at least as far as stupid labs go.

Denver and Missy were purebreds. A show dog breeder near Denver would keep dogs in her breeding program for two years and, if they weren't what she was looking for, would give them away with the only requirement be that they be spayed/neutered by the new owners. Missy had everything that they wanted in a show dog, except that she just didn't get big enough. They didn't say why Denver was rejected, but it became obvious pretty quickly -- he was just too stupid. There were a number of labs on the mountain and none of them were terribly bright, though that description did seem to apply particularly well to the male of the species. But talk about lovable and great with kids. They were the same age as Stacy (Denver was slightly older and Missy was slightly younger). I think it did Stacy's self-confidence a world of good as she interacted with and controlled these two animals that were considerably bigger than she was. Denver, in particular, was amazingly tolerant of that child. One night, Stacy was pulling Denver backwards by his tail and they were going round and round the island that separates the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Until Denver wanted a drink of water, at which point he just walked forward to the water bowl and Stacy went water skiing across the kitchen tiles and then stood there yanking on Denver's tail while he stood there and drank. After he was done, he spent another several circuits around the island being pulled backwards by the tail. It was obvious that the only reason Stacy could pull him backwards that way was because he wanted to let her do it.

Somewhat amazingly, all three of them (Denver, Missy and Squeak) have been very good about not chewing on things they aren't allowed to or taking food off tables (though Squeak did require some pointed corrections on that last point), We have a big box of Milk Bone dog biscuits that sits against the wall and they leave them alone. Though in the last couple weeks of Missy's life, she decided she was entitled to help herself. Nothing sneaky about it, either, she walk right past you to get one and then past you again to her favorite spot to lay down. We figured she had earned it.

 

Well Jack figured out how to open the lower kitchen cabinet door where the rawhide chews and biscuits were kept and ate a whole bag of biscuits so he's not completely stupid but darn close to it. I've had labs since I was a kid and my favorite one was Walker. He came from my uncle and was named Walker after Herschell Walker and his sister was Coretta for Coretta King and he had a black cat he named Wilma for Wilma Rudolph. I ended up with Walker and Coretta but returned Coretta as she was an escape artist and refused to stay in the kennel I had back then. Walker was huge and his sire Hoss for Hoss Cartwright was even larger. We always suspected there was a great dane in his lineage somewhere. Walker and I duck hunted for many years together and he was a good duck retriever except for one thing. I had to push him out of the Jon boat on the river. And going into the swamps to our regular blind we would jump a deer and that would be the last we saw of walker until we returned to my Bronco a few hours later where he be waiting for us. In the swamp he would like to find a stump sticking up out of the water to climb up on even when the water was only ankle high. The Brono has 33/12.50 tires and a 4" body lift. I went out in the yard one day and didn't see Walker and called for him and I see his head slowly rise up from the back seat of the Bronco where he'd been sleeping on the back seat. I'd left the rear tailgate window down and he'd jumped up ~5' to get in the back and curled up to sleep on the soft seat. Woulda loved to see him do that! We have deer flies when it gets over 70 degrees and Walker didn't like them at all so he would head under the house trailer we were living in at the time. Then we built the house we are still in and it is a slab on grade and is the usual construction in this area. So, no place to get under. No problem, he'd just find some other house to get under and come home at dinnertime. Then he didn't show up. 2 years later I was driving down the road with my mother who had come to visit the new grandchild and she says "Hey, isn't that your dog"! There was a lady with this big lab on a leash walking him down the road. I got out and spoke with her and asked where she got the dog? She said someone had given it to her and it was a stray. He still had my collar and the Vets tags on it! I explained to her that it was my dog and a valuably trained hunting dog and took him back home. Apparently, he had gone back to the old trailer a couple miles away to hide from the flies. He was neutered but had a bad habit of wandering wherever he wanted to so he kept getting Heartworms even with getting the tablets and being Vet treated for it but they were eventually the cause of his demise. But he was a loveable mutt and would let the babies crawl all over him and if it got too much he'd just stand up and move to a baby free area to lay back down and he and I had a lot of good times hunting ducks on the river and in the swamps together. I still miss that old boy. We've had several Labs after him but none quite make the mark like good ol' Walker did.

 

We presently have three dogs. An older small dog Lucy, and two larger brothers lab mixes, about 3 years old, Brutus and Buckeye. There is no harmony as Brutus is a brute. To deal with the barking (before fighting) we set them all up with bark collars. While capable of giving an electric shock, we don't use that and depend on them vibrating and beeping. Works better than nothing.

Anyway, the other day I'm checking Brutus to see the charge on his collar, but he isn't wearing one. I check where we charge them, but it's not there. Not anywhere I would have put it in the house either. I figure it fell off in the back yard, and may be lost.

So I go outside to my table. It's already dark outside. Brutus come trotting up from the side, and I hear a clank like a plastic box. Perplexed, I turn the phone flashlight on, and what did Brutus bring to me?

His bark collar. I don't think it was a coincidence.

 

Sometimes we think they are stupid and then they show us just how hard-headed smart they can be.

 

My second childhood dog was acquired from the local farmer's market for $10, back in about '72. Pure bread mutt. The smartest most loyal dog I ever knew. You could leave your dinner at a low table and he might sit by it and look but never touched it. One day mom let a slice of pizza fall out of the fridge. When she returned he was sitting with his arms around it, had slobbered all over it, but never even licked it once. Good boy.

When he wanted something he would sit and give you "the look." When I saw this I would ask him "what do you want?" He would then turn and walk, looking back to make sure you were following him. He would then paw the cabinet where treats were, or hit the door to go out, or hit his lead if he wanted a walk. Never a mean spirit in him, except for black people for some unknown reason.

Like Mister Bo Jangles, after 40 years I still grieve.

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...y-dog-is-entitled-to-one-bite-tribunal-rules/

‘Every dog is entitled to one bite,’ tribunal rules, denying woman $5K

Are we entitled to one kick for that bite?

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...y-dog-is-entitled-to-one-bite-tribunal-rules/

‘Every dog is entitled to one bite,’ tribunal rules, denying woman $5K

Are we entitled to one kick for that bite?

Kicking my dog will result in a second bite. And it won't be superficial.

 

Kicking my dog will result in a second bite.

yours, or the dog's?

 

Kicking my dog will result in a second bite. And it won't be superficial.

 

 

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" ... but man, this dog knows she's irresistible :

https://www.threads.com/@byteandbeast/post/DKPfq-NSAe2

 

My wife loves to take pics of our pets ... but she also has a wicked sense of humor :

​

 

Yet another proof that cats are secretly evil:

​

 

Anyone post this yet?

Pocket-sized Pearl is the world’s shortest dog | CNN

I love small dogs, and this one really is SMALL! Would be cool to have one.

 

​

 

Anyone post this yet?

Pocket-sized Pearl is the world’s shortest dog | CNN

I love small dogs, and this one really is SMALL! Would be cool to have one.

Surprised pet lovers did not think this was a cool doggie.

I would love a smaller than usual pet like maybe a pig or horse. It would be a blast at parties

 

Surprised pet lovers did not think this was a cool doggie.

I would love a smaller than usual pet like maybe a pig or horse. It would be a blast at parties

Here I go again with my negativity:

Selectively breeding for such extreme features has, I am sure, produced some depressingly genetically sick litters.
I wonder how many animals they've had to euthanize to come up with this one dog?

 

Here I go again with my negativity:

Selectively breeding for such extreme features has, I am sure, produced some depressingly genetically sick litters.
I wonder how many animals they've had to euthanize to come up with this one dog?

They seem to be cloning them or something.
Some just have dwarfism, and others are just born tiny at birth smaller than the other pups in the litter.
In selective breeding, they seem to try to maintain health and temperament, not sure if that always works though.

Here's on for ya:
Aren't you wondering how many they squashed to death by accidentally stepping on them (too small to notice sometimes)
I could actually see this happening though as people sometimes trip over things they don't see right away.

You can also check out "Milly" I think is 4 inches high at the shoulder.

 

In selective breeding, they seem to try to maintain health and temperament...

Yes, generally.

But you don't breed for one single extreme trait. That's asking for trouble.

 

Yes, generally.

But you don't breed for one single extreme trait. That's asking for trouble.

Oh sorry, I've never done this myself. I have raised regular dog puppies though, German Shepard breed. They are pretty cool.