# Scott the "blind" german shepherd



## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Yes, I am now soing a journal for Scott, (or Scottie as I keep calling him x.x)


For those who do not know him, he is a 3 and a half month old german shepherd pup I got from a breeder who didn't know what to do with him. He is the first "blind" pup she has had. 

*June 20, 2012*: many accidents, nipping, mounting, and spilling stuff  Don't forget bumping into things!! Gurgi dislikes the rambunctious 25 pound pup squishing his 10 pound body, but he tolerates him :lol: Gurgi motivated Scott to ho up the stairs not once, but twice, with little effort from myself or Dean.

*June 21, 2012*: He goes up the stairs by himself now. I took him and Gurgi for a short walk, passing a barking three-legged adult shepherd cross, and though Scott is apprehensive, Gurgi kept him going.

*Note*: today I taught him "touch" with his nose and mouth, which is teaching "gentle play" and also showing he CAN see! I definitely believe he has double sight, which I think can be fixed. _*Once a vet verifies this and the availability/possibility of surgery, I may be setting up a fundraiser for Scottie's eyes.*_ The video will be up later tonight hopefully.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

I can't wait for the video! 
I had a blind cat once, and as long as we didn't move the furniture, he had no problem getting around my house once he learned where everything was. (Of course he was an indoor only cat!) I'm sure Scott will do just fine.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Oh yeah! Lol. He knows there's stuff that doesn't move, he's gotten that down... Funny thing is he DOES know when something foreign is there too... But, only close up. (haha maybe he is like me and is near sighted?  )


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Ooh! I will now stalk this thread  He sure is a cutie, don't forget to add plenty of pics over time ;D


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Definitely ;D OMG which reminds me...


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

DAWW I just wanna hug the little guy!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

lol!!! Well, we are trying to find a reasonable vet, to check his eyes out... After we move we'll get him in (right when he gets his booster too), and then decision will be made after that.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Aw  He's adorable! Good on you for taking him and giving him a chance


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Thanks  Apparently, it was either a new home or euthanising... And how fair is that? It's like saying.... Awww poor blind person, let's kill 'em! :roll: (to me anyways xD)


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I hate the double standard. To me, dogs are better than most humans yet they have a little to no chance in life if they're imperfect in any way. humans are never euthanised over being blind/deaf/missing a limb -_-"
I really am glad Scott gets a second chance


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

thanks 

Yesterday we took him for a car ride, to get boxes, and he is pretty good in cars.No peeing, drooling, whining, howling.. =D Also, we need a bigger crate -.- I think we may ask our neighbor if we may borrow their massive one. He JUST fits in the one we have!

He also had four accidents... which seems to be the norm. He doesn't seem to go outside... For instance I catch him before he poops, get him outside, and he won't go x.x Any tips on that? We've used rags we dabbed pee up, and his own "oops" poops put outside, and he still hasn't gotten it. He also prefers playing with the pee pads xD


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Laki said:


> I hate the double standard. To me, dogs are better than most humans yet they have a little to no chance in life if they're imperfect in any way. humans are never euthanised over being blind/deaf/missing a limb -_-"
> I really am glad Scott gets a second chance


Yep. It's really sad. But we are in a world that kills perfectly healthy dogs too


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Agreed on that :roll: Oh, and the estimated surgeries for dog's eyes depending on the problem is usualy between 2000 and 6000. -dies- ALTHOUGH he is adapting really well, and if he has double vision he may be able to "tune out one vision" which is possible in pets and people alike.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

June 23

Scott does so well in car rides. He also, does not need to be on a leash... He never likes to be too far away from you. And because he swerves, it's hard to keep a leash on him, in your hand, without both of you getting tangled up!

He also now has a pig's nose, to nom on instead of people. Right now he's snoozing, after a good couple walks outside, and tons of water.

He also has had NO accidents today, he peed outside by himself!!! Yay!

The three bedroom place we looked at, does not have a fenced yard, however the place is awesome. Downstairs has laminate, upstairs carpet... And a built in baby gate at the bottom. 

The second place we hopefully see tomorrow =D

Also, his right ear flops forward now


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Scott!! =D We are getting him to learn to chew on the rope when teething, not people :roll: I surprised him when I grabbed his scruff without him knowing while he nommed a guest's foot. Didn't hurt him, just...scared him lol.

Anyways, here's some pics.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Aww he's so lucky to have a good mommy  ( i hope you dont mind me calling you that, I know some people would be offended)

Everytime I see Scottie I think of my DS game Nintendogs I used to have. My fav dog on there was a GSD with scottie's markings named Rocky :3


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Awww :3 lol! Ehh, I don't mind I guess.

He will actually be a pretty darn good dog once he is house trained and is done teething o_o


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Awww cute, how is gurgi doing?Is he better with his new playmate?


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Tch Gurgi is acting like an old fart who refuses to play. he does NOT like playing. Poor pup is trying so hard... Currently I have Gurgi at a friend's place, so we can focus on the pup, moving, and cleaning lol.

It's been about....5 times that Gurgi dashed out of the door, when usually when I say STAY he stays. And it has been frustrating on all ends! So to keep him from being snagged by the dog po po, me getting a fine, him getting hit by a car, he's "boarding" at a friend's place lol. And my friend LOVES him!



edit: teaching a dog not to bite: he is very very persistent. The way he's learning is we lpace a thumb beneath the tongue, holding his bottom jaw lightly. That, or closing his mouth, and saying "don't bite!" then replacing US with a TOY lol.

He also went pee today, outside! Yay! Yesterday he had 3 accidents - peed outside once.


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

hehe woop


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Blarg! Two accidents today already. one pee and one...really...runny...poo.... (here is the transition from different foods...Yuck!) We did have some of his current food, but it went bad FAST because it was all raw meats in juices with soaked dog food. Yuck. The smell, terrible! The pup, wouldn't touch it (I know why lol). SHHHH don't tell the landlord the poo was on the carpet xD I cleaned it up right after, steam cleaned, de-odorized.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

I wouldn't worry to much about his accidents. I had a blind miniature poodle. She didn't walk on a leash either. It takes a ton of patience but she started going to the front door and scratching when she had to go. She was totally blind. No hope for her eyes. We kept all the furniture the same so she wouldn't get confused and her other senses took over.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Sena Hansler said:


> Blarg! Two accidents today already. one pee and one...really...runny...poo.... (here is the transition from different foods...Yuck!) We did have some of his current food, but it went bad FAST because it was all raw meats in juices with soaked dog food. Yuck. The smell, terrible! The pup, wouldn't touch it (I know why lol). SHHHH don't tell the landlord the poo was on the carpet xD I cleaned it up right after, steam cleaned, de-odorized.


Hey at least you cleaned it up! I remember when we were looking at houses it was so gross how many stains were on the carpets and you could tell why kind of people lived there before (dirty)


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Ewww really?! Well, I care about my damage deposit, plus keeping everything sanitary lol.


Shirley, it isn't bad now considering he is a pup haha


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

June 26 2012

AAARRRGH he found a puddle. He LOVES water. And now my legs and feet smell like wet dog, as does my house LOL.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

*2012June 26th* 
So today Scott decided he wanted to pee "like a bog boy" and lift his leg... Well... He fell right over :lol: He's had four accidents today, and went outside only once :roll:

He also got smoked in the side of the head by the door because he darted out in front of it -sigh- he's fine, of course.

Also, a comical picture, where he is basically going "Aaargh he's got me!" :lol:


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

AWW once my dog tried peeing on a steep hill when I was younger so I held his leg for him.. AWKWARD. xD

Daw cute little boo :3


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Haha xD Well he was trying to pee AWAY from the tree :roll: silly thing lol.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

He's so cute, makes me want a puppy, but I've already got 4 dogs so no way.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: 

Well, today he decided once again he won't let us sleep in. I don't mind the howling (it's rather soft and lower, I just cannot stand whining!) but it's noise polution, disrespectful to the neighbors not to keep it under control, and we can get fined for it...

I've tried for most of his bad habits (like biting...little fangs are needles!) with sound (clapping, pennies in a jar) and touch (surprise tap on the shoulder, or nose) but he thinks it's a game :roll: So I've resorted to a spray bottle.

Does anyone have tips? It's when he is alone, but we refuse to let him in our room because it's ANOTHER flight of stairs, plus all carpet downstairs. The only way we have on hand, that is humane, is water. xD He LOVES water, but... not when it is sprayed in his face without him expecting it. So far he's learned that when I say "quiet." I mean "no more whining." And that was with only 2 sprays.

I'd like to break him of that before he is older... I mean he does 300% great in the car, no whining, panting, peeing, crying, howling... In the house and outside the house is another thing! :/


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

I do the spray bottle too. Another thing that works is snapping a belt. And no I don't mean beating them. Taking a belt and snapping it settles any whining in my house. It's the noise that works I promise I do not abuse my baby's


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Hmmm interesting idea =D The sound scares them.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Has he ever lived/slept by himself before? Does he sleep with your other dog downstairs or is he by himself? 

If this is the first time he has ever had to sleep by himself or out of sight of other dogs then it is natural for him to whine. Unfortunately, it tends to be something they have to grow out of a lot of the time. If you react to it by yelling then he realises all of a sudden that by whining he can successfully get a reaction. 

Wearing him out right before he goes to bed may also help cut down on whining. That way he will be too tired to even stay awake and whine. 

But really if he is downstairs and not right near you, you are better to just ignore it and he will eventually get sick of it.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I do ignore it xD And not sure how long he has had to sleep alone. His littermates were sold at 2 months (or just over I believe...as is recommended age?) so he was by himself. I don't mind the whining as I cannot hear it from where we sleep  Would a radio work?

But the howling is another thing because we have neighbors. o.o; We COULD try having him in the crate in our room, that way he SEES we are there.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

I disagree. Ignoring it never worked for any of my dogs. Not correcting it makes them get louder. A dog has to know that his behavior isn't wanted. At least mine did. I don't tolerate whining. If snapping the belt doesn't work and the spray doesn't work they get put in a bedroom or baby gated in the hallway. Two things they hate. Until they calm down. A radio could work. Also you can try a teddy bear and put a t shirt of yours on it. This way he has a scent of you.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Yeah my old neighbor had an outside beagle that would bark/howl CONSTANTLY. His favorite time was 6 AM. The owners ignored it and it went on for years.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

O My and beagle's love love love to bark. All I have owned anyways.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Shirleythebetta said:


> O My and beagle's love love love to bark. All I have owned anyways.


This poor guy, though. He was probably barking cos he was miserable. He was outside 24/7 chained up & I live in Florida. He was dirty, had arthritis and he was old. They had a younger dog that lived inside, poor baby.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Actually, we moved the crate to uor room because he freaks out when you correct (although the spray bottle worked for the whining initially) and he freaked when you ignored :roll: So we moved the massive kennel (meant for adult shepherds) to our room, told him to shut up, then ignored him and he went quiet x)


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

Yay! Glad that worked.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

teeneythebetta said:


> This poor guy, though. He was probably barking cos he was miserable. He was outside 24/7 chained up & I live in Florida. He was dirty, had arthritis and he was old. They had a younger dog that lived inside, poor baby.


I have three doggy's inside. :-? I noticed this happens in particular to beagles. When I first got with my husband his dad had a beagle in a small kennel outside that was way old. I asked him how long it had been since that dog had been out of there and he says "8 years" 

That beagle got a long walk on a long chain and got to roam where he wanted when I moved in.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Today did not start well. Although, I made him go outside immediately after releasing him from the kennel. He peed outside  HOWEVER...

When I fed him, he came into the living room, looking like he swallowed a baseball or something :roll: Then he began heaving, and eventually with slimy saliva a huge glob of UNCHEWED FOOD came up. Ew. He didn't chew his food an made himself sick :roll: I WILL get the bowl that slows down eating. It's like 10.00 and worth it. Actually, when I go to the pet store today we're getting that.

Before that he pooped on the floor. Dead grass, gravel, plastic. :roll: He's just going to have to poop it out, it's his fault LOL. Silly thing.. Worse than a kid!! However once I have the information from the breeder about what shots he did have I'll get him in hopefully next week or the week after for a vet check.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Shirleythebetta said:


> I have three doggy's inside. :-? I noticed this happens in particular to beagles. When I first got with my husband his dad had a beagle in a small kennel outside that was way old. I asked him how long it had been since that dog had been out of there and he says "8 years"
> 
> That beagle got a long walk on a long chain and got to roam where he wanted when I moved in.


 
Yikes! beagles NEED to be outside more than most dogs. They need jobs, they need a purpose otherwise you get the most unruly doggies x.x


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Sena Hansler said:


> Today did not start well. Although, I made him go outside immediately after releasing him from the kennel. He peed outside  HOWEVER...
> 
> When I fed him, he came into the living room, looking like he swallowed a baseball or something :roll: Then he began heaving, and eventually with slimy saliva a huge glob of UNCHEWED FOOD came up. Ew. He didn't chew his food an made himself sick :roll: I WILL get the bowl that slows down eating. It's like 10.00 and worth it. Actually, when I go to the pet store today we're getting that.
> 
> Before that he pooped on the floor. Dead grass, gravel, plastic. :roll: He's just going to have to poop it out, it's his fault LOL. Silly thing.. Worse than a kid!! However once I have the information from the breeder about what shots he did have I'll get him in hopefully next week or the week after for a vet check.



Aww poor baby! Silly boy! Grass, gravel and plastic are nothing! My dog ate one of those preserved alligator heads (a small one) and he PUKED it up. The most disgusting puke I've ever seen!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

EEEWWW D: lol I feel better now with slimy dog food and poopy gravel. xD Luckily in the new place it does NOT have gravel lining the house :roll: I can let him out and about without the gravel-eating-machine-problem xD


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

awws I just read the whole thing and he's such a cutie! Your doing really good with him all things considered. My mom's dogs have a touch of separation anxiety too (the howling and whining when he think's he's alone), we just left a tv or radio on for them. Heck I do the same thing for my bird lol. Our dogs have eaten, barfed or pooped some disgusting things themselves. The funnies was when they burried a raw hide square in the sand by the lake and then dug it up the next time we came up. It was so slimy and floppy from the water in the sand, bleh! and then when it came back up it was even worse


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Eve went through a whining stage, every morning when it got light, we put a cover over her cage and it stopped instantly.
Lol unchewed dog food...all part of the package  we always know when eve has a sore mouth/throat, she burps up part of her pigs ear-no puke, she just burps that bit up! I use a newspaper with eve-NOT ON HER of course  slap it on the floor when he is doing something wrong, I prefer that to the idea of spraying water in her face...saying that...she's scared of water so I wouldn't dream of it  although if she sticks her head in front of the watering can its her own fault  feel sorry for that beagle!poor thing, I can't imagine not being out of my bedroom for 8 years...uuurgh


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Haha well he LOVES his water, so I don't mind the method. Gurgi however, someone used a spray bottle on him and he is scared to death of ANY spray bottle :| I aughta smack whoever did that to him. SOME dogs it's okay, others, not so much.

On a side note, my relationship is even getting better. Dean's "friend" posted on face book "I give up "  Good. Shouldn't chase what you can't have. Like a dog with a car.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

So, here's what happened in regarding to finding a place that allows him

PLACE ONE: 850 not including utilities... Lovely, well done, upstairs and down stairs with laminate, friendly landlords, big yard.... Plsus they LOVED him and said yes to us. They saw our roomie (and we told them he DOESN'T have to come with us) and then suddenly, cold shoulder, no dog, no pets, no US. WTF.

SECOND PLACE: Is 45 minutes away, but 850.00 utilities included. No problem right? Wrong. They decided to be greedy and DOUBLE the rent. So, no.

THIRD PLACE: Was a slum. A gritty, gross place you see cocian addicts and alcoholics dwell in. The sump pump broke once already, the lay out is horrible, no closets, the ceiling was low.... Should I go on?

So, we can't move. We HAVE to since our landlord found another person already. And because our roomie screwed it up he is NOT moving with us. But that doesn't matter anymore the places we found don't work. So we have to get a relative to look after him.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Sena Hansler said:


> So, here's what happened in regarding to finding a place that allows him
> 
> PLACE ONE: 850 not including utilities... Lovely, well done, upstairs and down stairs with laminate, friendly landlords, big yard.... Plsus they LOVED him and said yes to us. They saw our roomie (and we told them he DOESN'T have to come with us) and then suddenly, cold shoulder, no dog, no pets, no US. WTF.
> 
> ...


I'm confused. Why did the first people say no? Thy didn't like your roomie?


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Yes, that's why. They DID say yes to us, except our roomie. Met our roomie and I guess they thought we also would haphazardly bring in animals and need a freaking 2000 sq ft place 

So, our reputation with them went from great to cruddy because of his stupid animal collection. Did you know he also got an Iguana, the kind that kind bite off your face, and he has NO health care? Next time he won't have gotten bitten lightly, he'll have a HUGE chunk resulting in over 10 stitches, which since he is from USA not Canada, he doesn't have the insurance to cover it. (Not to mention the fact the poor rescue iguana NEEDS an epsom bath every day... along with handling)


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

*The incident*

dang nabbit!!!

Take a look at the picture, what do you see?

A CUT halter. You know why? Here's what happened:

I put him outside because he tried to pee on the carpet. I left him outside - now, he has a kiddy pool (half drained from him playing xD), a 15 meter long leash attached to the metal piece that you screw into the ground.

Well, I was talking to my roomie then I heard my dog screaming, yelping, etc... I ran outside because I knew it WAS NOT a sound of "boo hoo I want attention" but an actual "somebody help me!!" or "I'm hurt!!" I found him by the metal piece, the leash wrapped around it (usually it doesn't do that) and the HALTER wrapped around it three times, with his throat being jabbed with the metal!

I could not get it off of him, even unbuckling it!!! It was extremely tight around the neck area, though he could breath (because I held up his head to a point it was jabbing into his neck, but instead my hand). I had to get my roomie to put his Iguana down to come and cut the dog loose.

How'd he do that? I have no idea, it has NEVER happened before. Luckily the relative who'll look after him when we move has a fenced yard........


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Yeah that's one of the reasons I am afraid to leave a dog tied out especially a puppy. 

Our klutz of a male once got tangled up in a cricket ball hanging from some rope when he was a puppy. Don't know how it happened but one minute he was playing around next minute he was hanging off the ground screaming. It's very scary, particularly because dogs usually make noises like they are dying.

Hope he is alright.

Ours also have a kiddie wading pool they play in during the summer. Shepherds seem to love splashing around in them.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Yeah he is alright. It's just never happened before, with ANY dog I've dealt with :/ And you are right about the noise - it DOES sound like they are dying... Once I heard it I bolted outside because I knew something was wrong - luckily it's different than the "boo hoo I want attention" sound :lol: I had the leash on his collar, and the halter on him because training is so much easier. :/

I think I'll tie him to the building away from anything he can get tangled on.....


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Years ago a cousin of mine had a german shepard and they lived in a trailer park. They had the dog tied up in the yard and they had their area partially fenced. Well, the dog tried to jump the fence and ended up hanging herself. That dog was mean. No matter what I did it would growl at me.


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## Shirleythebetta (Jan 9, 2012)

Hubby had a similar death when he was a kid. It was more about mother nature though. His brothers dog had a lead with the metal in the middle of it surrounded by plastic. They had it attatched to a fence post and he had a dog house out there. Well, a thunderstorm came and they didn't bring him in and lightning struck the pole. I will stop there.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Yeah I prefer a very tall fence VS tying up, or tying and fenced.


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