HOW TO DEAL WITH UNKNOWN DOGS – Some Tips

HOW TO DEAL WITH UNKNOWN DOGS – Some Tips

Never try to touch an unknown dog. Especially do not try to put your hand on the dog’s head. Do not “invade” the dog’s personal space. Never try to pet an unknown dog.

When meeting a new dog, let the dog to come to you, explore you and smell you. Let the dog sniff your hand. Do not be stiff but let your body be relaxed.

Do not try to hug or caress or cuddle an unknown dog or get too close to the dog’s face. 

Observe the dog’s body language.

An aggressive dog will show specific warning signs before attacking you:

1.  Raised Hackles with Stiff Tail (observe the standing hair on the dog’s back and the Stiff Upright Tail which may have a slight rigid wag)

2. Growling Sound

3. Bared Teeth

Do not run away or back off from an aggressive dog. Hold your ground but do not make eye contact – just ignore the dog and look elsewhere as if you are not bothered. Do not give an indication to the dog that you are frightened – just show that you are indifferent and ignore the dog. Unless it is a rabid dog or a volatile mentally disturbed dog with neurotic behavioural problems, after some time, the dog’s aggression will go away.

A Fearful Scared Dog may also bite you due to protective instinct.

Such a frightened dog will have his tail down between its legs and will show you his bared teeth. Remember that such dogs are afraid of you and will bite only if they feel threatened that you are likely to attack them or harm them. So the best thing is to move away from the dog.

Do not disturb a dog when the dog is eating or sleeping. The dog may bite you out of reflex action.

Do not go near a female dog feeding her puppies.  She will be protective and may try to attack you.

Never leave a dog, especially an unknown dog, with your small children. Children may inadvertently hurt the dog while playing which may entail a nip or bite from the dog.

If a dog is injured and not letting you come near by growling or show of aggression, do not try to touch the injured dog. Call a veterinary doctor for help.

NB:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013. All Rights Reserved

ARE YOU A DOG LOVER - Pet Parenting Guide

PET PARENTING GUIDE - Bringing Up a Doberman X

PET PARENTING GUIDE

Bringing Up a Doberman X

By

VIKRAM KARVE

A few years ago a cute little baby Doberman X Caravan (Mudhol) Hound girl came into my life. We named her Sherry, Sherry Karve, and she brought a flood of happiness in our lives and I have enjoyed the best moments of my life with my best friend Sherry.  From her father she has acquired the sleek body, swift run, fearless nature, and sight and scent skills of a Hound, but she displays typical Doberman attributes like her pure Doberman mother – best of both breeds.  

Sherry - an alert smile

My Canine Daughter's Name & Age:

Name: Sherry Karve. Age: Hey, you don’t ask a girl her age…!

In a Word, My Cute Doberman Girl Is:

Loyal, Loving, Strong, Fearless, Fit, Agile, Intelligent, Protective Friend

Her Best Characteristics:

Highly Intelligent, Easily Trained, Superb Guard Dog, Playful Active Loving

Her Most Challenging Characteristics:

One-man dog, does not like to be left alone, she has a very aggressive temperament, especially with cats, other dogs, and intruders who try to enter her “territory”, a Doberman needs firm handling at times.

DOBERMAN ATTRIBUTES

Highly intelligent and active, a bit headstrong, needs firm handling, superb guard dog, very protective of her family and territory, fearless, loyal, playful, wary of strangers and children, very easily trained, responds beautifully, needs lots of exercise, loves long walks, vigorous games, hates to be left alone and wants to be a part of the family, loves human company, a fantastic friend and devoted companion, robust and redoubtable.

Sherry - Nosey Nosey

DOBERMAN PARENTING

You must be physically fit and ready for outdoor exercise (playing and long walks) with your dog. Also you must be mentally agile and young at heart to interact with your dog who will demand a lot of your attention.

You must have plenty of space, a bungalow with a large playing area and a garden. In case you live in a flat, you must have the time, inclination and energy to take your Doberman for brisk long walks at least twice a day to a nearby ground for some vigorous exercise and also play rough and tough indoor games like TUG OF WAR 

http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2011/01/stress-management-by-playing-with-your.html

Sherry and her Bone

You must devote at least three hours a day exclusively for the dog, follow regular routine without exception and give mental stimulation to your Doberman by playing with her and talking to her. Yes, a Doberman is a highly intelligent dog who loves interaction and is always on the alert waiting for you to communicate and she will always try to communicate too. So make sure you talk a lot with your Doberman.

Talk to Me

Doberman is a one-owner dog, likes company of master, is overly protective of master and territory, hates loneliness. You must avoid leaving your dog alone in a flat (a bungalow in the compound is okay) and if you have to do so, talk to your dog, train her to be alone, and do so for the minimum time. Your dog will wait for you (even in a Bungalow) - and when you come will welcome you and want all your attention.

A Doberman is a superb Guard Dog and certainly not a very friendly cuddly dog for children and visitors. However a Doberman will shower the master with love, will demand love from her master and ask to be cuddled and fondled by the master.

Does not like strangers, cats, other dogs and children, and is always ready to attack intruders. A Doberman has a ferocious and aggressive nature and is suspicious of strangers and that is why it makes such a good guard dog. A good guard dog attacks and bites before it barks whereas a good watch dog first barks and then bites. 

Having a Doberman is not advisable for families with small children. If you have small kids it may be best to go in for a more docile and friendly breed like Labrador or maybe a smaller breed.

Highly intelligent and easy to train. (I trained her to fetch the newspaper in just a couple of minutes - see the picture below). Always needs mental stimulation so you must play lots of “brainy” games like “bone game” and keep “talking” to your pet dog both verbal and non-verbal communication.

Sherry - fetching the morning newspaper

Sherry is an Ideal Companion and a very Loyal Friend

A Doberman requires companionship and hates to be left alone. So I take Sherry along whenever possible - the back-seat of the car has been done up and reserved for her. You will also have to adjust your social life. Since I take Sherry for walks in the mornings and evenings I cannot take on commitments during that time (especially I avoid evening social functions as I have to prepare Sherry's dinner and feed her in the evening after her long walk and exercise). If you really want to look after your dog properly you will have to give your dog a lot of your time every day on a regular basis and this will entail curtailing your social life.

A Doberman requires firm handling and lots of playing and physical activity.

Also a Doberman tends to be a highly loyal “one-man dog” and loves me more than the other family members and even gets jealous at times and growls at my wife if she gets too close, especially during our play sessions. Sometimes a Doberman may not like someone else getting to close to the master (or mistress) so be careful and don’t take your Doberman along with you on that mushy romantic date.

A Doberman is a very low maintenance dog. The only grooming you need to is to give her a nice bath once a fortnight followed by a nice vigorous brushing. She is a very clean dog who grooms and licks herself clean every evening.

So tell me, do you want to get a Doberman into your life? 

And if you do, please don’t dock her tail or crop her ears as I think it is a cruel thing to do.

Also, let me tell you that a mixed breed or stray mongrel is more tough, immune to diseases and resilient than pure breed dogs, and properly groomed and trained they make excellent pets. So if you see a stray pup in need of rescue in your neighborhood, just go ahead and adopt it, inoculate and immunize the dog, give it your love, look after it and you will be surprised at how much loyalty and love you get in return.

Bow Wow.

VIKRAM KARVE 

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this blog post?
I am sure you will like the 27 fiction short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL 
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

 

WHICH TYPE OF DOG DO YOU WANT

WHICH TYPE OF DOG DO YOU WANT

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Basically, a dog can be a WATCH DOG, a GUARD DOG or a LAP DOG.

A WATCH DOG will bark first and may or may not bite or attack. The job of a Watch Dog is to bark and raise an alarm when a stranger enters your house or property. In fact, even many small breeds make great watch dogs.

A GUARD DOG will attack the intruder immediately – Good Guard Dogs bite first and ask questions later. The job of a Guard Dog is to look intimidating and act in a ferocious manner and be ready to protect his family and territory if the need arises by attacking any trespassers.

Both Guard Dogs and Watch Dogs bark to alert their owners of an intruder's presence and scare away the intruder. The Watch Dog’s job ends here, whereas a Guard Dog is capable of attacking the intruder should he trespass. Some breeds are excellent Watch Dogs but not good Guard Dogs because they bark loudly to alert their masters of intruders but are not aggressive in nature and are not given to assertive behavior. That is why whereas Guard Dogs must look tough and menacing and be ferocious in nature, even small but attentive dogs may function well as Watch Dogs.

A LAP DOG is an adoring pet who would gladly spend the entire day in his owners lap. Lap Dogs are cuddly and affectionate, many dog owners who pine for love prefer to have a Lap Dog.

So which type of pet dog do you want?

VIKRAM KARVE

IF YOU NEED A FRIEND GET A DOG - PET DOG PARENTING TIPS

DO YOU NEED A FRIEND

IF YOU NEED A FRIEND GET A DOG

EXPERIENCE AGAPE LOVE 

By

VIKRAM KARVE  

PART 1 - IF YOU NEED A FRIEND GET A DOG

I still remember the apt quote from Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) in the classic movie “Wall Street”:   

If you need a friend, get a dog. 

It is true – if you need a genuine loving friend just get a dog.

Tell me, what is the highest form of love?

I’ll tell you, it is called Agape Love – the totally pure and selfless love of one person for another.

Do you want to experience this highest form of love, agape love?

Simple, just get yourself a pet dog, a nice cute little puppy, and make a commitment to look after it as your own child.

You will learn The Art of Friendship from your dog.

There is nothing to surpass the strong affection, warm attachment, unselfish loyalty, total trust and true friendship of a pet dog who will love you unconditionally for its entire life.

You will love to come home to the enthusiastic greeting and genuine welcome that your dog will give you each time you return home which will fill you with love and joy.

Your pet dog will give you loyal jovial companionship and unquestioning affection forever, fill you with buoyant happiness and your life will become bright and breezy.

Remember, your girlfriend or boyfriend may dump you, your spouse may divorce you, your children may abandon you, your parents may disown you, your relatives may distance themselves from you, your colleagues may shun you, your neighbours may ostracize you, but your dog will always love you, be loyal to you and never leave your side – yes, you may get rid of your dog, but your dog will always love you and never leave you of its own accord.

In fact, investing your time and love in your dog is much more rewarding than wasting time, money and emotional effort indulging in unrequited romances and infructuous relationships.

Once the dog joins your family, invest your love and time to build a special bond that only a dog can offer and see how your dog makes you learn and practice the Art of Loving and the Art of Friendship.

Just go ahead. Get a pet dog. You'll be happy you did and your life will change forever.

There is plenty of choice – whether you live in the city or the mofussil, in an apartment or bungalow, whatever your lifestyle, age and state of health, there is always a type of dog which will suit your personality and lifestyle. You need not be too fussy about pure breeds etc - even a rough and tough well cared for mongrel is a delight and will shower you with love. In Part 2 of this article I will give you a few tips on Pet Parenting once you get a dog in your life. 

Here is a picture of my Doberman X Caravan Hound Girl Sherry.

Sherry says a loving Bow Wow to you.

PART 2 - PET DOG PARENTING TIPS

Now that you are thinking of getting a pet dog here are some pet parenting tips. 

Remember that it is going to be a genuine long-term commitment and your life will change forever. 

The pet dog is going to be a new member of your family. 

Before you bring the pet dog into your home and your life it would be worthwhile to read this:

TEN PET DOG PARENTING TIPS

(Your Pet Dog Speaks to You)

1. My life is likely to last ten to fifteen years. I want your company always. Any separation from you will be painful for me. You must spend plenty of time with me. Remember that when you get me to your home and into your life and family.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me. Be patient. Tell me. Learn my language. Teach me your language. I will learn fast and obey you and try to please you always.

3. Place your trust in me – it is crucial for my well-being. I will always be steadfastly loyal to you.

4. Please don't be angry at me for long, and please don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your entertainment, your family members and your friends. I have only you.

5. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand your words, I understand your voice when it's speaking to me. I will quickly learn and understand all your emotions and body language too.

6. Always treat me with care and love. I will never forget it.

7. Remember before you hit me that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hands, but that I choose not to bite you. Even if I am naughty never hit me. I will be contrite even if bring a serious look on your face.

8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I am not getting the right food, or I have been out in the sun or in the cold too long, or my heart is getting old and weak.

9. Take care of me when I get old. You too, will grow old.

10. Go with me on difficult journeys, especially my last journey. Never say: 'I can't bear to watch it', 'let it happen in my absence' or 'I am tired of you'. Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I Love You.

If you are thinking of getting a dog into your home, as a family member, remember you are you are making a commitment to that dog for its lifetime, probably even more than your own children.

Dogs are incredibly loyal and are simply happy just being around you and give you unconditional joy, love and friendship. 

Your dog is your best friend and confidante. 

Remember that while you can hide your emotions from another human, you cannot hide your emotions from your dog. 

I will like to reiterate once more:

your girlfriend or boyfriend may dump you, 

your spouse may divorce you, 

your children may abandon you, 

your parents may disown you, 

your relatives may distance themselves from you, 

your colleagues may shun you, 

your neighbours may ostracize you, 

but your dog will always love you, be loyal to you and never leave your side 

(yes, you may try to get rid of your dog, but your dog will always love you and never leave you of its own accord, and your dog will never forget you till his dying day).

So, once the dog joins your family, invest your love and time to build a special bond that only a dog can offer. Build a long-term permanent and unique relationship with your dog. You will experience Agape Love, unconditional love of the highest order, and enjoy a loyal friendship which you have never experienced with human beings.

You don't have to go in for a fashionable expensive breed. You can adopt a stray, groom your pet properly, take it to a vet, inoculate it and make it healthy, give a mongrel puppy a home. Yes, get a dog. You'll be happy you did.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2011
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

If you liked this story, I am sure you will like the 27 stories about relationships in my latest book COCKTAIL 

To know more please click the links below:

http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme

http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm

http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures(2008) and is currently working on his novel. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 14 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts. 

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com

Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve

Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm

Email: vikramkarve@sify.com          

vikramkarve@gmail.com 

Fiction Short Stories Book

COCKTAIL : Short Stories about Relationships By VIKRAM KARVE

http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme

http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm

http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o


© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

                                                                        

Sherry Karve

Click and read my photo-memoirs on my creative writing blog

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/07/sherry-karve-1.htm

Sherry Karve