Shiloh, Mom's dog, use to be fierce. He bit everyone in the house as one point and my best friend. He would snarl at anyone daring to enter the front door and then snap at your calves as you tried to get away. He was a very mean, very aggressive dog. Did I mention he's a cocker spaniel? Not exactly a dog known for their aggressiveness. He's gotten a LOT better. He hasn't bitten anyone in 2 years. I haven't heard him snarl except in play. He does still bark at anyone coming into the house but a little bit of barking is allowed. Snarling and biting is not. Besides, all I have to do now is put my hands on my hips and he knows from the back of the house it's me and stops. :-) Still, I'd be weary taking him to an event for any longer than a couple of hours...even then it would have to be completely outside. He's amazingly good around kids (which is really scary. Babies can pull his ears and tail and...nothing. He kisses them. We only found that out because my Aunt brought over her kids and no one was home to warn her about the mean ole dog. Keen was only 9 months old at the time and just would flop on top of Shiloh and Shiloh would just give him a kiss and walk away.) I just know he gets nervous around a lot of people. Ginsie, on the other hand, the more people the better. I've been socializing her since I got her and trying to get her use to being around large groups. She loves it. She knows she'll get anything that just so happens to somehow accidentally fall on the floor... and petted which all she really cares about. Food and hugs...sounds good to me too!
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branchandroot
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Date: 2008-03-19 11:27 am (UTC)He's gotten a LOT better. He hasn't bitten anyone in 2 years. I haven't heard him snarl except in play. He does still bark at anyone coming into the house but a little bit of barking is allowed. Snarling and biting is not. Besides, all I have to do now is put my hands on my hips and he knows from the back of the house it's me and stops. :-)
Still, I'd be weary taking him to an event for any longer than a couple of hours...even then it would have to be completely outside. He's amazingly good around kids (which is really scary. Babies can pull his ears and tail and...nothing. He kisses them. We only found that out because my Aunt brought over her kids and no one was home to warn her about the mean ole dog. Keen was only 9 months old at the time and just would flop on top of Shiloh and Shiloh would just give him a kiss and walk away.) I just know he gets nervous around a lot of people.
Ginsie, on the other hand, the more people the better. I've been socializing her since I got her and trying to get her use to being around large groups. She loves it. She knows she'll get anything that just so happens to somehow accidentally fall on the floor... and petted which all she really cares about. Food and hugs...sounds good to me too!