Cracker by Damian Christie

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Cracker: Flashback

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  • Ben Austin,

    I know some farmers claim to have a shoot on sight policy for strange dogs on their property. Not sure if it is just talk or not, but when hydatis or stock killing are valid fears then I suspect not.

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    I believe that in rural areas yes, farmers can shoot animals worrying their stock. I think guns-in-residential-area laws trump that though.

    But today, because of this, I was directed to this, and issued this.

    Pigs/dogs, what's the difference?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I'm a dog owner of a still fairly young dog. It's proven to be more difficult than I originally thought before we got him. We've done all the right things (chopping off hits bits, registration, puppy school), but he's still too full on when meeting strangers, and we're going to have to take him back to school for more training. He tends to jump up and scare people, and while he's not massive, he's well above 'medium' and it's not good. I live out of town so we don't get many visitors, so he's not socialised enough with people.

    I find the idea of owners letting their dogs wander really bizarre. We put a fair bit of work into securing our property so that he can't get out of either the front or back yard. Anything else, no matter how good your dog is, is irresponsible. Round the dogs up once, and charge the owners the hundred dollars or so to get them back. If you get the dogs a second time wandering, clearly the people aren't up to owning dogs at present, and the dogs should go the pound.

    As for unregistered dogs. Seriously. Apart from anything else, this is people avoiding the cost of important services for dogs - parks etc. If more people paid that, perhaps I'd have one within ten miles of my house.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    I know some farmers claim to have a shoot on sight policy for strange dogs on their property. Not sure if it is just talk or not, but when hydatis or stock killing are valid fears then I suspect not.

    Bahaha. There was a couple of farmers on the front page of the paper a few years ago with guns over their shoulders. I think they had shot one dog that had been mauling their sheep, and were threatening to shoot any more dogs they saw around.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Eric Olthwaite,

    Damien touched on how people have no idea how to act around dogs. He is right. There are some rules that if followed would make some people's lives a bit easier.

    1) Do not pat a dog that is not your own if the owner is not present.

    2) If the owner is there, make sure you spend some time being friendly to him or her so the dog can realise you are not a threat.

    If you then get permission to pat the dog then remember this - The owner has given permission for you to pat the dog, the dog HAS NOT.

    If you want to lessen the chance of your getting bitten then do this.

    Kneel down to the dog's level - do not stand over it, or stand at all - this is aggressive to a dog.

    Do not look the dog in the eyes - this is aggressive to a dog.

    Do not give it a big toothy smile - this is aggressive to a dog.

    Do not pat the dog on the top of the head - this is aggressive to a dog.

    Whilst kneeling, slowly put a hand out so the dog can sniff it. Let the dog be in control of the situation, it touches and sniffs you first. Then, if you must, slowly pat or stroke the dog on it's side or back - a few soft "good dog's" won't go amis but watch those teeth.
    3) Do not go near a dog with food (in both meanings - as the woman attacked by a Doberman found out.) Even my spineless Golden Retriever growled at me once.

    now I have a Ragdoll cat.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 20 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    Hmm, well for one pig hunting (knives pref.) is a popular sport in NZ Perhaps we could put this blogger in touch with the local association?

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    well for one pig hunting

    this thing is so in my face since it turned up it hardly counts as hunting :)

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Pig dogs love it when you get down to their level, especially ballers.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    Eric: Nice list. Although some dogs obviously do like being patted on the head, having their head scratched etc. But there's definitely a 'better safe than sorry' aspect to all this, and I think you've outlined it pretty well.

    I was just thinking about a list to avoid being scratched by an average cat. It would be something like this.

    1. Do not pat the cat if you smell like dog, OR the moon is in its first phase, during the first half of the Bluff Oyster season, or on any date being a multiple of 3

    2. Do not walk past the cat expecting to escape unharmed if you are wearing dangly shoe laces, OR if you own a Mazda, or it is within 2 months either side of the cat's birthday or it's a Wednesday

    etc...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    yeah good post, thanks Eric. getting a ragdoll is also great advice, they're so placid you should consider one Damian.
    most cats are pretty good at telegraphing when they're pissed with their body language. forget the tail (there are many divergent causes for wagging), just watch the ears.
    the ears never lie.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    I want Guinea Pig body language O' Cat Whisperer...
    I think there are only two things any Council ever needs to consider,
    1. clean
    2. safe
    ...for anything. Dogs come under Council auspices (they collect fees), they should maintain safe streets, (see, comes under safe).
    Unfortunately alot of dog attacks are ambush. The trick with cats is to blink at them and wiggle your ears (I can, I am a freak, I can also wiggle my eyes, same, a freak)...they go nuts round me, as they are my minions, mawhaw.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    We trained our cats not to scratch. Ok, you can stop laughing. But generally they don't. The only times they've got me were times I deserved it (i.e. teasing them with the catnip too long).

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    also important to remember that cats don't speak english the way dogs do.

    i've always communicated to cats in tongue clicks.

    seriously. they respond incredibly

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    ...er I thought that was dolphins...?

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    Okay then, let's rename this thread the Pet Advice Discussion Forum...

    1. My cat (see my avatar, left), wakes me up at about 4am every morning. Sometimes it wants to be fed, sometimes it wants to be let in, sometimes it wants to be let out. Sometimes both. I've considered a cat door (renting, landlord doesn't know I have a cat) but have also come to the conclusion it has far more to do with my cat's desperate need for attention. Apple, tree, doesn't fall far from etc.

    2. My cat eats wool. Mostly in the form of expensive jerseys I've stupidly left lying around the house, but sometimes just socks. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen.

    3. There's also the odd poo. But I tend to just accept that.

    4. By odd I mean occasional. They're perfectly formed.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Okay then, let's rename this thread the Pet Advice Discussion Forum...

    Can you just do that, I mean, I may not be ready and all, hell you can't just jag off on a tangent like that, can you? And I'm wary, because you changed it to Pet Advice, but you didn't actually ask for any, spooky.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    Dear Damian,

    My labrador is afraid of guns, yet I like guns. How should I resolve this situation?

    Thanks in advance.

    Ben

    P.S
    She is also soft on terrorism

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    Sorry, the above post was supposed to if not say, then certainly imply:

    THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE WRONG WITH MY CAT - HELP!?

    Better?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    they respond incredibly

    I had a cat once, who responded when I whistled - ie, a tune. She'd come running from quite a distance to say hello.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Mmmkay no need to like shout man, it's just that you got all cat mind weldy there and I didn't get the vibe.
    There is nothing you can do about cats, they are senders and receivers, dogs are just receivers, a hippy told me and he had cake.
    Dogs are soft on terrorists, children are terrorists...my fav dog is Dr Bob.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    Cats are nature's alarm clocks, but they just can't be set.

    Mine does this thing where he walks up and digs under the covers, then gets out, then gets back in again etc etc until I finally get out. This is better than his other technique where he sits on my head. Bastard.

    My advice: train them when they're kittens. Too late for that? Lock the bedroom door and ignore them.

    My cats come when I whistle. My Dad used to do it to our old cat so I taught ours to do it as well.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    I am the cat whispering guinea pig. I can also wiggle my ears, eyes and nostrels, although with guinea pigs it's no big thing. Much as i would love to aid guinea pig-human understanding, our body language is too complex and subtle to even try and explain (this derives from the fact that we can really only sniff, struggle, squark and waddle - no Rodney Hide jokes please).

    Che, tongue clicks are indeed the best mode of oral communication with cats (no other epithets for Rodney Hide jokes here either thank you), although like dogs they do respond to tone.

    Damian, watch out your RD (it looks like a nice one btw) doesn't gnaw off long threads of wool, it can cause really serious problems with their gut (strangulated colon etc). As for 4am wake-ups, i haven't been able to fix that one myself, i hope they grow out of it. i know i did.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    My advice: train them when they're kittens. Too late for that? Lock the bedroom door and ignore them.

    that is good advice (if you can stand the scratches on the carpet, wallpaper, door until they get used to it). the trick with extinction is if you are going to open the door, then do it as soon as they let you know they want it opened. if you're not going to then make sure you don't whatever you do, or at least wait until they've stopped exhibiting the 'open the door, human' behaviour before you open it. the worst thing you can do is let them scratch/meow for ages and then open the door. that just trains persistence.

    My cats come when I whistle

    yeah, they're much more trainable than people think, but being cats they are happy to let humans think it's only dogs that can be trained.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    We are able to close our cat off in the back of the house, from upstairs then we cannot hear him trying to wake us up.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    D. you're right about the attention thing. some cats like to be ignored. but others are like dogs and just love you to death.

    advice: don't start loving her back.

    and... i always thought your avatar was a speedboat crashing.

    seemed weirdly appropriate.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

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