Catahoula Leopard Dog Killed Its Owner | What went wrong?

[@StonnieDennis]

Are you a fan of my training style, but can’t travel to Kentucky to see me in person? No worries! I offer an awesome online dog training course, which includes access to an array of exclusive videos and content, personalized coaching, journaling, and in-depth mentoring and evaluation by yours truly! If you just need some an advice or have a couple questions you need answered, I also offer professional consulting by the hour. Both of these great services can be found here: www.kentuckycanine.com Thank you all for your remarkable support over the years! I cannot express enough how grateful I am for your appreciation and patronage of this channel, my training style, and my kennel. Always remember, it’s a great day for a puppy-sized adventure!

[@terrydodson9884]

I don’t know if you’ve ever addressed this issue. At the tail end of my life, at what point should a person not get anymore dogs? I don’t have the support system you have. If u died, your family has the resources to care/ rehome your pets. I don’t. I can’t imagine living without dogs. I think apart of me would die without them. But responsibility to a pet extends beyond my personal wants. Age and pets? Who knew that this issue is weighing on my mind.

[@DarlnDar]

As a pack of wolves do, they know where there is weakness & elderly folks unfortunately are susceptible to weakness mentally as well as physically. Large breed dogs can sense that weakness is my thoughts on the matter. Very sad for the family of that gentleman, but dogs/animals are a unique living species which have to be treated as such, with ***strength, both emotionally & physically letting them know who is boss and not abusively toward the animal.***

[@ToddDouglasFox]

@@terrydodson9884have you associated with some dog groups? For example, there are training groups, groups into exercise, groups into dog nutrition, groups into hunting and on and on and on. It sounds like you may be isolating. If you have more than 1 dog and you want to be sure that the animal has a good home when you leave your mortal coil, be sure to hang out with other dog enthusiast groups who you can talk to about taking your dogs and placing them. Usually we all have someone who will take one dog or place one dog but multiple dogs requires a plan. Glad you’re attempting to think ahead, your doggos deserve it. Good luck.

[@ToddDouglasFox]

You didn’t mention one common situation amongst dogs. The reports are it was one dog that killed the woman and injured her husband. Nothing more can be found thus far as pertains. Hopefully at some point the family will issue a statement that is more of an advisory as to what to be cautious about. These were high profile dog and horse people over decades so it warrants a deeper look. Here is my input: regardless of breed, many dogs have misunderstandings and scuffles with other dogs. While the dogs often recognize the authority of the humans, they don’t always agree with one another on who is next in the pecking order. And of course their perspectives can change suddenly. This can lead to intense and instant fights. Dogs will sometimes fight ferociously when they’ve had enough of another wanting to take the lead and may even severely injure or kill one another. Think sled dogs. But the typical squabble can seem like just as bad a scenario as a fight to the death but however resolve itself, even within moments. The humans may unwittingly try to intervene. This can have the immediate effect of one dog in particular turning on the human(s) and taking their aggressiveness out on the human(s) without regard to the human’s authority or even realizing that they are human in those moments. I’ve witnessed this but never been within striking distance myself of two dogs suddenly fighting because I’m aware that they must work it out on their own. There is no hand, arm, neck, or leg worth losing trying to futilely stop dogs from fighting. The likelihood the fight is to the death is almost nil anyhow. I’ve seen two dogs fight while sounding and looking as vicious as can be imagined but walk away with no bloodshed. My warning to humans is once it starts, don’t intervene. Afterwords there will be time for reflection and time to determine the direction you need to take with the dogs involved. It’s similar to 2 men fighting in a bar, if you jump in, they could both turn on you. Then what? If you lose a dog, it would not have turned out better had you jumped in.

[@ChloeLouiseTheRonnieRepublic]

You can set up a program with the humane society to take care of the dog. I do not know if it is available in all areas. Many folks have this question. @@terrydodson9884

[@TedH71]

I've owned and raised/bred catahoulas for close to 30 years. Virtually every catahoula out there develops some degree of dog selectiveness upon full maturity which typically is between 2 to 4 years old but I've seen it occur in pups young as 9 months old. Doesn't matter what bloodline you have. You may have dogs that have gotten along for years and WHAM! they decide to try to kill each other. They simply have gotten to the full maturity stage and decide they don't like each other. Perfectly acceptable. Sell the one that is causing you the most problems and the dog will not usually cause issues with the new owner. I will tell you this: virtually every male catahoula does not like any male dogs. They will fight them on their properties BUT if they are working rounding up cattle or wild hogs, then they will get along then. When work is done, you will have to scramble to separate them on the spot otherwise the fighting starts back up. Quite a lot of catahoulas also will dislike small dogs. You have to look out for that. Females typically hold grudges and will not forget any slight the other dog gave them. Males like to fight and get it over with but the fighting can get so bad one dog dies. Catahoulas come in solid colors which some people tend to forget. They work and analyze life the same way the leopard ones are. Leopard is the term that catahoula people give the merle color. If you blather on about merles...they will give you the look to remind you to change the word back to leopard. Catahoulas are what's called primitive thinking dogs so you have to approach them from that angle. They never will be like German shepherds or golden retrievers who blindly follow every command their owners give. They will take the command you give them as a consideration to whether it's worth their time to obey. They're like it's all about me not you type of dogs. You may come across some catahoulas who act like they've been beaten by people when they creep towards you while on their backs or bellies. No, they weren't abused. Some are born naturally VERY submissive and virtually hard to train out. They tend to make the best hunting/working dogs because nobody is gonna try to steal them because they'll guard your truck/property to the death.

[@joan.nao1246]

@TedH71 thank you for such detailed info! Wish more folks would thoroughly learn about breeds' ancestry, drives, impulses, etc before taking on ownership, so fewer animals have to pay the idiot price.

[@dog_biter]

so what are your thought about the Hale mauling case in Florida?

[@TedH71]

@@dog_biter Not a whole lot of information about what happened which doesn't help. Both persons are over the age of 70 and not in the best shape physically. I've honestly never heard of them and when I got to their FB page, I saw we had some mutual catahoula breeder friends in common. From what I saw, they don't go to the NALC (National Association of Louisiana Catahoulas which is their main registry) shows but some other international dog show I've never heard of. They have cattle and they go fishing/hunting so I'm assuming what they got their dogs for was for the cow work and blood trailing for the hunting aspect but saw nothing about hog hunting. Not a lot of photos on their FB page either. She apparently owns her insurance company. Looks like the husband is retired. I know of quite a few catahoula breeders in Florida. I would only buy from maybe 2. The others, I refuse to buy because I've seen temperament issues in their bloodlines and they don't live long due to the breeders having a preference for catchy catahoulas (they claim it's because they want them to catch the hogs as fast as possible due to alligators...I call BS because I also know some hound dog hunters who use their dogs on hogs in Florida) and catchy catahoulas simply don't live long or get so physically wrecked up that their bodies give out earlier than those that just bay (bark) and nip the hogs. I have no idea about the Hale catahoula bloodlines in general. I'll do some research and get back here.

[@jay-remedy-plz]

When I was younger and had more energy I looked into getting a protective type dog. I went to a few Rare Breed shows here in the northeast. I almost bought a FILA. I’m glad I reconsidered. Then one of the shows a Catahoula decided to grab the rear leg of an Argentinian Dogo that got too close. I stepped back and took a good look at my family situation. I read a few issues of the old magazine Full Cry. Blue Tick vs Plott discussions made some interesting reading. Sometimes a mellow dog is a good dog.

[@dog_biter]

My first Catahoula was an accident when my friends dog Bella got pregnant by my dog. When the pups came out, 2 were leopard,,I took the largest,,this was in Gainesville not far from Live Oak,,around 1996,,fast forward I'm in Buffalo with two Catahoula rescues..Tx and MS..My female holds a grudge all day long and is a big baby,,my male is the sweetest, smaller and very easy going..I love the description about deciding to obey or not,,my girl is definitely her own dog and I have struggled with her, mostly due to the fact that she was in a horrible "rescue" situation that has since been closed and the owners arrested..Nia would be an excellent hunter,,she is defiant but loyal,, @@TedH71

[@nancyreid8729]

I had a rescue boxer from a situation where the dog just didn’t mesh with the rest of the pack and the management style; he was great for me… until he wasn’t. Gradually he got more aggressive around other dogs, then suspicious around other people. We changed our walks to places where no one else walked, and I was extremely careful; I no longer trusted him out in public, though he never showed signs of aggression toward me. One day he went into convulsions and we rushed to the vet; he had a high temp and couldn’t stand either. He stayed at the vet’s overnight, and I hoped for some certainty about what was wrong. He hadn’t improved and we put him down early the next morning. The vet said that given all the symptoms it was either a tumor or lesion on the brain stem. Sometimes the cause is organic, and not a behavioral thing at all.

[@hs9643]

My daughter’s dog started getting aggressive out of nowhere. One day he tried to attack a neighbor then an associate at a drive thru burger stand. As in came up into the front and attack out the window. He had been loosing bowel control for awhile assumed due to age. She called the vet and together decided he needed to be put to sleep. Later the vet said he possibly had a brain tumor of which sudden aggression can be a sign. Another daughter had a dog who was lethargic and was oddly bumping his head against the wall. She took him to the vet and without doing a lot of other tests, they said he had an infection and put him on antibiotics, but he never got better and one day they came home to find him drowned in the pool. How sad! another vet said his bumping his head on the wall is a sign of a brain tumor. Two dogs a thousand miles apart. Early pet dead & disease is up in alarming rates. Commercial food is super toxic. Do your own research!

[@jenisecoronado5555]

We had to put our boxer down for the same reason. Boxers are the number one dogs for cancer and brain tumors are common. He suddenly started have numerous seizures every day and we had to put him down. However, he was always a sweet, sweet goofball and this did not change that. His very best friend, a female boxer, also had to be put down about a year early because her heart was twice it's normal size and she suddenly became very weak. The enlarged heart is, unfortunately, also a Box weakness.

[@hs9643]

@@jenisecoronado5555 😥

[@maryshanley329]

We had a Wheaten Terrier, a friendly and affectionate breed. Then we discovered that he had some aggressive moments, not against us. That last Saturday morning, he stated to attack a leg on the piano. Then he started dragging my Lhasa Apso. I got them outside with a broom. It had rained and my small dog was dragged through a puddle. Now apart, I put Paddy into the car. Guess what ? Now they think that this was a form of epilepsy. I feel such anguish. Poor Paddy.

[@mcpeewee68]

Boxers are a wonderfully protective breed. But just like elderly humans get dementia and show aggression... The very same thing can happen with a dog. Again, just using one organic example or hypothetical...as you mentioned People are too quick to assume it's behavioral when for years there were no issues whatsoever. It's very sad, but these things happen just as they do with human beings

[@ScottScarbrough-uk3te]

I personally knew the owners and the dog since it was a 9 month old pup. They were good to the dog, and he showed no signs of what would happen 7 or 8 years later. so don't jump to conclusions of the owners. We are still waiting for some answers.

[@cherylschumaker1366]

I wonder if the dog had a mental decline like dementia something like that ....Very sad situation..

[@elisabethoie5486]

He wasn't jumping to conclusions. Over and over he said could it be this, or could it be this, never once saying I think this is what happened.

[@tiffanyjack6095]

The dementia or some kind of brain damage is very possible. I had a dog that I had since she was 8 weeks old. Sweetest, most loving dog. We socialized her with all kinds of people and situations because she was a German Shepherd Rottweiler mix. She had been socialized with other dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, you name it, she was around it. As she got older, towards 7, she got to the point that only my mother and I could be in the house at night or she would freak out. My cousin was house sitting for us and had gone over, the hallway was dark, my fur baby had her pinned up by her arms, growling, bearing her teeth and snapping at her. Her hocks were raised, all of her fur was standing on end. Thankfully once my cousin hit the light switch and my girl could see who it was, she was okay. My cousin however, was done house sitting. When she snapped at my nephew when he was about 2 for standing between her and our other dog at the baby gate leading to the kitchen, that was it. I had to put her down. The two dogs were sitting at each end of the opening to the kitchen with the baby gate blocking the way in, they always rested their heads on the top of the gate to look the most pathetic I think. My nephew went to the middle like he had been doing since he could walk at 8 months. He stood closer to our other dog because he was nicer, but my girl turned her head, growled real low, barked at him, scaring him and of course started him crying, and she went for his arm that was raising up over the gate because his momma was coming to get him. I called the vet right then and there. They took her in and I had to muzzle her, they gave her a horse sedative. She was still fighting and growling and barking. She kept trying to protect me, which of course made it that much harder for me to do what I knew what right, but still. Even the vet told me, if she was in the wild and with her pack, her pack would have left her behind by now. They ended up having to give her 2 doses of the horse sedative before I could control her enough for them to euthanize her.

[@ChristopherMosley-dj3kt]

​@@elisabethoie5486it's crazy that you would even have to explain that since he was so adamant that he didn't know what it could have been

[@ChristopherMosley-dj3kt]

​@@tiffanyjack6095oh no! I'm so sorry for your loss

[@KayPierce-qi9ov]

Your old friend is right. My neighbor has a Anatolian shepherd that would come over and spend a lot of time with my horse. Buddies. I was his friend too, and one day - the coldest day in winter, I had gone out to feed my horse, and old age played a trick, my femur bone gave way and down I went. Could not move. Horse came out and checked on me three times and then would go back and eat awhile, then check again. My son thought I was gone a long time but figured I was just brushing my horse, until he looked out the window and saw the shepherd laying at the gate, looking at the house and realized something was wrong. He gives the dog credit for probably saving my life. Usually the dog was with the horse and me when I did chores. Dogs - our best friends, I could have become an icecicle.

[@RR-kz4hq]

My mom struggled with a rare insulinoma tumor (she's all better now) but for a while, she would randomly pass out anywhere. She would sometimes wake to find our 4 horses sniffing her all over and wonduring what the heck she's doing on the ground.

[@shannoninalaska]

Anatolian Sheperds (or Kangal Sheperds) are Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD's) and their natural tendency is to protect those whom it feels "belongs" to them. They have the strongest bite force of any dog - 743 psi. I plan to get one of these dogs once I buy some land since am a single female and I need the protection. They need lots of room to roam and something to guard from what I hear.

[@phillipmorgan4260]

Kangal sheppards are incredible.

[@Afrologist]

@@shannoninalaskaThey're awesome, just be sure you socialize them from a young age or they'll end up being aggressive to strangers & other dogs. Also while they can be great with kids, don't leave them around children unsupervised.

[@TheePrincessBrat]

⁠@@shannoninalaska I’m also hoping to adopt Kangal once I have enough land. But I also love cats and I don’t know if those two would mix well

[@butterbeanqueen8148]

I’m new to this channel. First time watcher. Your advice and information is spot on. I recently had a poor starving pit bull come up to my house. She was really traumatized but wasn’t aggressive at all. I fed her, no food aggression even though she was starving. She even ignored the cats. The next morning I took her to my vet and got her completely checked out. She appeared to be completely healthy, other than being malnourished and she was probably a little less than a year old. I tried everything I could to see if perhaps she had gotten away from her owner. Checked the shelter, veterinarian offices, posted on facebook etc. While I was doing that I started training her. She was really smart and very gentle. She and my dog got along well with no problems. I really wanted to keep her but she was so strong. I took her to the vet to be spayed she had gained so much weight. She was already up to 82lbs. And of course nothing but muscle. I’m tiny and getting old and she was a lot of dog. I worked with a rescue shelter to find her a home. This was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. We had all become quite attached. The day I turned her over was really hard and emotional for me. But when I got videos of her and her new owner I knew I had made the right decision. She certainly wasn’t a dog I would have ever even considered owning under any other circumstance.

[@bets6409]

Well, Stonnie, I can’t comment on the catahoula, but your comments about suitability hit home. I retired in my mid 70s. Covid hit. I live alone and wanted a dog. A mature dog and my son would have to agree to take the dog if something happened to me. He was hesitant. Finally my daughter in law heard about a 5 1/2 year old female lab that was being retired by a breeder. The first month she pulled me over twice. A year and a half later she walks on a loose lead, knows to wait to let me go through the door first, will stay while I go down steep stairs until I let her know to come, knows rabbits are not to be chased and generally is a joy. Watching you reminds me to keep working with her. And your talking about elders inspires me to get out the cane and let her see me using it thou I don’t need it now. She gets walked an hour every morning, and a shorter walk at nite. Gets along great with my son’s lab. Thank you for all the inspiration and insights.

[@anonz975]

If you will be leaving property to your heirs then include a generous trust for your dog. Since your son doesn't want to take care of the pooch the trust can come out of his share of the inheritance.

[@GypsyGirl317]

@@anonz975 Bets says the son was HESITANT, then his wife, the daughter in law found a great dog. I'm sure they will absolutely care for the dog if the owner graduates to Heaven first. ❤️

[@mssmssmssmss]

My criteria for suitability would also include being a size that I could pick up or move in some other way into a car by myself, in case of accident or disabling injury to the dog. I once saw a large dog being wheeled into my vet's on a gurney from a dog ambulance! I had never known there was such a thing.

[@superpsyched5624]

@@mssmssmssmss My daughter has a Chocolate Lab that I love dearly and she is such a sweetheart. I would love to have a lab also, but as with your concern, I know I couldn't lift one myself if something happened. With my husband's bad back, he couldn't lift one either.

[@sandrafletcher1220]

Ive had my lab 7 yrs now in the beginning i fell 1 time cause an unleashed dog came at us. After that I started to be serious about his training as i was getting older. Now he walks on loose leash if he pulls i just have to giggle his leash and he stops. I have bone issues so I cant afford to fall . If i say slow please he will back up and walk beside me . We have such a bond. My best friend

[@dim5479]

My husband wisely encouraged a mid size dog after our last large dog passed. I wasn’t sure because I’ve always admired large breeds and felt more protected when walking. I have to say that at my age it’s been so much easier from grooming, redirecting, traveling etc. He guards the property as well or even better than our large dogs did. One early morning a man came behind me too quickly and too close and the dog fell back and put himself between me and the man. I said “careful” and he understood the tone in my voice because we’ve never trained for something like this, he puffed himself up and stood his ground. Scared the guy enough to make him scurry off. I will never underestimate a mid size dog again. My husband was right and I will freely admit that. 😊

[@julieanderson100]

Similar situation...and I'll forever miss my Berner, but when my Great Pyrenees mix became older and temporarily paralyzed I realized I couldn't really lift her on my own. My current pup is about 50 pounds and that is heavy enough! I call him my "little guy" because he's the smallest dog I've ever had.

[@blueskysummit6153]

@@julieanderson100 My Miniature Schnauzer showed the same behavior when a stranger approached us from behind. My little guy was fierce and had a big dog bark. Needless to say, the guy backed off immediately.

[@poco1990]

What breed did u get?

[@SouthernBelle67]

My mixed sweet, adorable, scared of thunder Chihuahua/terrier was a small dog, and he attacked a teenage deer, had him pinned down on the ground and was winning until my husband caught him & broke it up. 😳

[@vgil1278]

@@SouthernBelle67 😛😻

[@Griddowngrannie]

I’m 70 and I got a Catahoula I didn’t know at the time what his breed was, I so. Found out his energy was over the top. I couldn’t keep up . I felt he was always sizing me up I’m only 120 pounds. My gut told me to re home him because he was 8 months and still growing fast. After your video I’m glad I did. Thanks for sharing

[@andrewdaley5480]

Yes i took on a year old American staffy. Im from the UK he tried it on with me after two weeks of having him i put him straight on whos the top dog and he eventually calmed down but i can guarantee if i hadn't put him straight he would of had me he was the most loving and loyal dog afterwards he passed away after twelve years nearly six months ago i miss him dearly it broke my heart when he passed.

[@egujuga]

@@andrewdaley5480 put him straight ?? why not just say you trained him? men are weird

[@Texas240]

It's great that you didn't have too much ego or let emotion prevent you from making a good choice for both you and the dog.

[@carolibouwer7170]

@@andrewdaley5480😢

[@julianvega2677]

That happened to a friend of mine who got a Labrador puppy to live with her in an apartment right after college . She couldn't control him as he grew larger and he bit her eventually. I knew quite a few college students who got dogs while still in school, and had no control over them. Rottweiler, Australian cattle hound, Shetland sheep dog, some small breeds. I don't recommend pet dogs in college. Cats, birds, reptiles, rodents, fish etc .. All seemed fine as long as they weren't neglected.

[@suzymcclung9545]

I agree with you 110% that there are so many people who choose the wrong dog for their age, life style, family dynamic and thousands of other reasons. It does a disservice to the dog to put it in a situation where it is doomed to fail. Careful placement is key! You are one brilliant guy!!!

[@JennyLong-nj5xe]

And like he said, what about repetition? How much repetition & routine is the dog being given? And did they know to keep working on routines? Or did they just assume one & dome & that was resulting in the dog turning on them? Maybe so!!! See training dogs is like raising your child through all their youth till they’re old like you!- and therefore you need to treat em as such & psychologize them like your children with positive & negative reinforcement!!! And reward & affirm them or admonish them accordingly to that pos/neg reinforcement needed for such behaviors!! And repetition & routine is needed to keep the pup engaged & not bored, & keep it out of trouble, just like you have to give your teenage kid something positive & wholesome to do to keep them off the streets, keep them from getting in trouble with gangs & drugs!!! And if they’re especially a working or hunting or herding breed, they gotta have a job to do & they’ll do it if you enforce it, but also reward them for doing it! Cause when a hunter, herder or drug sniffing or k-9 police dog loses its job & sense of self when they have nothing to do, they get bored & will turn to their own devices, & will turn on you when you no longer give it attention, kinda like you wonder why your partner is cheating on you & they blame you for not giving them enough affection in the you know what room anymore! 🤣 then yall start fighting & then you clap back with, don’t be such a narcissist & jerk, you can’t cheat on me & blame me just you think or assume……__________. (Fill in the blank with whatever emotion). Then you’re in a physical fight that’s kinda your fault, but you’re both at battle!! In this instance, the dog turned on you & wants to maul you to death cause they’re bored! Where’s their job? Where’s their sense of pride in purses to have when there’s nothing for them to do? Where’s the beautiful distraction with good activity in repetition & routine, to keep Fido entertained, engaged, & out of trouble?? What do you really expect for a reaction from your dog when it doesn’t have a job or activity to do? When he or she is frustrated & unsettled!!! They’re gonna do anything they gotta do to get your attention even if it’s negative!! They don’t care at this point, & especially if they see you young don’t care if you’re lying around watching tv or whatever all day! You’ve stopped taking your Belgian malenois for walks & sniffs, you’ve stopped taking your Labrador retriever bird hunting anymore! You gaslight your poor German shepherd to believe the love don’t need his nose for drug sniffing nor need him to rip the trousers off a bad guy trying to get away!! Thry have nothing to do & no routine or you just take too long to respond, they get pissed off & will lose it on you!! I’m gonna give you a shorthand example of this but before I do, just letting you know, my pit bull is hardly ever aggressive!!! Like, at all!! He’s a big baby & teddy bear more than anything!!! But there was this one time my mom said my pitty nipped her leg, cause he needed to go out in the yard & pee, & my mom said she was busy for a minute on her phone & didn’t respond or let him out immediately even though he barked like a mad man! So he nipped her to get her attention! I told her not to let him do that & to admonish him if he does cause I don’t want him to ever become aggressive or think it’s ok to bite or whatever to get his way!! And not to enable that by blaming only herself & think it’s cute or funny!! But it was also her fault on the other hand for driving him to his point of frustration & not letting him out right away or responding to his need immediately!! And he had to resort to nipping her!! So, don’t pander & enable them to act up & lash out or they’ll eventually eat you!! But also don’t ignore them!! Give them attention by doing things with them that promotes the feeling of having a job or something to do with routine & repetition!!! Keep them engaged, having their sense of pride in themselves & what they can do to serve or help you, & not just be there in the way!, and keep the routine to keep them out of shenanigans zone & possibly away from dangerous thoughts & behaviors!!

[@moniqueritchey3909]

We had a catahoula leopard. Raised him with my 5 kids from the time when the youngest was 2 and the oldest was 15. Absolute best dog we ever had. He was a LOT of work for the first couple years. He would sleep with the kids though. Would have protected us with his life, no questions! Always listened. Would get one again in a heart beat. RIP Scout. Always in our hearts! Awesome dog! Can’t say enough good about him! Passed away from cancer.

[@williamklein6749]

I'm in my 70's. Loved and raised Dutch Shepherds. But when my last Dutchie passed I went to a black lab. I think it was a good decision. And there is a HUGE difference.

[@cynthiar7350]

@williamklein6749 I’m 71 & wanted another male GSD, but hesitant at my age, strength & in a condo. Watched him on video for 3 weeks before getting. An answer to prayer to adopt such a good rescue 🐕Owner abandoned him on the hot streets of Texas. Just found out he’s a Giant GSD, which I didn’t know existed. Duke is 18 mo, 126#, a gentle giant; sweet, low energy & prey drive & smart, training to be my Service Dog. Even good with my blind, 13 yr old mini-dachshund. He walks slowly beside her & next to her stroller. Got 🍀

[@talesfromtheleashexpatdogl1426]

I lost my sweet Bernese Mountain Dog suddenly and unexpectedly to splenic hemangiosarcoma 6 months ago. Now, I have two rescues ..a border collie and something I never thought I'd own...a Belgian Malinois. My Mal is a sweetheart and has the lovely personality of my Berner which has been shocking BUT my border collie is a ferocious beast that ONLY likes four other people besides me and big dogs. Albeit, he lived on the streets for years and was in constant survival mode. Ive had a GSP AND didn't have the energy to keep up with her. My Mal is a three year old female and as long as she has her ball, she's calm.

[@cidk59]

Labs are just happiness masquerading in fur!!!! I love my lab!! I was told not to get one because they shed a lot and are food obsessed.... a very small price to pay for such an intelligent, loyal, even tempered, and kind dog!!!! My lab is a saint!!! He's raised two puppies that wound up living with us for a while, and he was the best mom ever!!!

[@phildavis3105]

73 here and experienced with pibbles. They are an energetic breed, not without controversy. When the last one died, my son (an LE K9 handler/trainer) gave us a retired bomb dog, a former Marine K9 and black lab. What a sweetheart, and he matched our senior lifestyle perfectly, also a favorite of the greats and grands.

[@analarson2920]

Yup i have a cattle dog and a saint but my fav was my golden rottie, she was sweet and my shadow.

[@FVWhimsy2010]

My understanding is that this dog's breeder tried to intervene in a dog fight and the dog redirected on her. There's no room for complacency when you have multiple intact male dogs in a breeding environment, with female dogs in heat.

[@home_yes]

I can see that happening. We never intervene in fights unless its w/a hose! Friend lost his lower ear doing that. So sad for family this!

[@Barneyfithlawman]

Dogs become really crazy in those instances

[@YSLRD]

I lived in a rural setting locally called ' dog town". The dogs were in packs and only my dog was spayed. I truly have lost count of how many times then or later with my own dogs I have intervened in a fight. It takes mental and physical strength and I'm not sure I still have it. They were too old for that lifestyle.

[@Unitedhope4animalsOrg]

That's exactly what I thought reading the title: the dogs weren't spayed/neutered. If they were running a breeding business, the dogs probably weren't socialized as house dogs, either; they were probably kenneled.

[@norxgirl1]

Wow! Makes sense.....

[@alycewich4472]

Old horsewoman here. I had Arabian horses for years! But as I got older, I didn't "bounce" as well as I did when I became unhorsed. I remember back in my wilder younger days, riding one on of my Arabians bareback and he moved out from under me so quickly, I was left standing with the reins in my hand. Much later I changed to Connemara ponies. They had the gentle loving traits that the Arabians are know for, but not nearly as quick and way smarter. They make an Arabian horse look dumb by comparison. I no longer ride nor have any equines, but if I did, it would be a Connemara for sure. So in answer to your question, I think your older friend was right. When we're young, we're more agile and our reflexes are way better. Sometimes it's time to recognize we're not as young as we used to be and take a step back and choose a breed that suits what we can handle now.

[@leftykeys6944]

What has this got to do with medical gaslighting?!!!

[@user-wn5ow9fp6i]

Arabians r super smart,,a little less calm than other breeds but that might be man interferance in breeding!! It is not the horse!!

[@HopesEcho]

My Arab was my best friend, he literally would guard me ( head down ears back, teeth bared). I rode him way up in the mountains. My German Shepherd came along, I never worried about who I might meet in the middle of nowhere they had my back. When I fell of he would walk up to me & look at me like, what are you doing down there? He was my heart horse & the smartest horse I ever had.

[@sunny1433]

I’ve learned that lesson with my German Shepherd, I’ve always favored large dogs. But last year I was walking my GS & she saw a deer before I did, the grass was wet & as she bolted I went flying across the lawn, landing on my face & dragged about 5 ft before stopping. My left arm was fractured. It was no fault of my dogs. She was protecting her territory. I’m no longer strong enough at 70 to handle a large powerful dog.

[@HopesEcho]

@@sunny1433 wow, mine would actually get underneath my horse if another dog came along. No leash I am very remote. They were my treasures on earth that can never be replaced.

[@mehernandez66]

Thanks Stonnie. My wife and I recently adopted a Catahoula (1y/o female). We live in Ohio and saw that this beautiful dog wasn't getting adopted, meanwhile people were adopting pitbull-mixes ahead of her. The foster was gone for 8-9 hours a day and we felt she would be a good addition to our home with our black labdoodle/catahoula mix/mutt (1yo male). We just watched your longer Catahoula video because it turns out this lady came with papers and we live in a neighborhood with 1/4 acre lots. We do hike and walk a lot but thanks to you we know we need to further enrich her. No issues so far after 4 days with her but we just thought she would be better off with us than in her foster situation. Watching your video has truly changed the way I will approach working with both our dogs. Already reached out to some friends that live on some 20+ acre farm homes to see about letting her run on their property AND we found a local municipal park that has a section of pond that is dog-friendly. Please know that you are an inspiration to some of us who watch and don't always comment.

[@Cletus_the_Elder]

My first video from this channel, and it is the first time in a long time reading comments that were as thoughtful, mature, apolitical, informative, deferential and considerate. Grammatically correct sentences (save this one) and no emojis as far as I can see. Is this where all the adults hang out? The dialogue in the comments speaks well of the quality of this channel. Hold on...is the audience being trained by the even tone, repetition, and methodical pace, too?

[@mariaking7944]

I think sometimes, just like people, dogs aren’t wired right and they can be unpredictable and overly aggressive.

[@mssmssmssmss]

A family I know had a dog whose brain did not develop right as it grew. From a darling purebred puppy to a dangerous, unpredictable adolescent. The dog had to be euthanized after much medical exam, and the neurologist asked them to donate the dog for study. It was heartbreaking. They went to a completely different breeder for their next dog, a retired adult.

[@mindymorgan8479]

Same! Some dogs are wild. Despite their circumstance. If the owner is old, the dog can tell. They loved the dogs. They have females. But if they feel they are chastised they will kill their owner for just being old. It is the way of nature. If they had had a younger dog they may have not been eaten. Maybe. But this IS the reason. Older persons are kind. And the dogs know they can get more food of the owner is old.

[@staceykersting705]

@@mssmssmssmss All my dogs have been rescues. Over a dozen lovely, well behaved, well treated, extremely devoted dogs over 7 decades. Yes, I now pick small dogs. I say 'pick u up' and they stop tugging, stalling, whatever. They know I can control them by picking them up, so they behave since they'd rather walk. As they grow old and infirm, being carried or helped onto the bed is nice for them and I feel good about helping them.

[@PeterRabbit70]

Mariaking, Call me crazy, but is it possible that the spraying of aluminum from planes be affecting animals? This spraying is all over, I am outside most every day, it's obvious. Aluminum can cause ill effects in humans, and no life form benefits from it. Honeybees and bugs in general are down. It is not for our benefit that the spraying is being done. The streaks and haze I am seeing is not in my imagination.

[@kerrymartinez4463]

As a groomer I see just that. It’s extremely rare for a dog to be vicious. Often it’s excused as a “rescue dog” but half if not more dogs in my area are well behaved “rescues”. I’ve been bitten once in 12 years. A Tibetan terrier purebred puppy went to the dark side. I tried to safely get her off the table she lunged at my face and grabbed my lips. Mind you I’m an intuitive and I take and rehab dogs fired by other groomers usually in 1-2 grooms. Other dogs might get upset and pretend bite but the vicious dogs snarl and it’s a visceral feeling in your body when a dog is going to attack. It’s very rare. And it’s because the dog has a screw loose. I had two dogs a Bichon and cocker I couldn’t groom safely bc they attacked the clippers and had issues. The cocker would bring you a ball happily then switch into attack then out again. The Bichon was kujo. Poorly bred dogs particularly bred for smallest size where litter runts with no regard for temperament are bred for size only can be troubled. Particularly when the mini aussies started. Aussies are so intense and hyper focused. I’ve had wonderful aussies but one I had to fire because he flew thru the air freaked out the entire time. I’ve even groomed extreme seniors, some blind and or deaf. If they can handle it - there’s no excuse for a younger dog attacking.

[@mongo88now88]

Three years ago, I rescued an 11 month old Catahoula with extreme fear based aggression. Had a tough life before me. I work with him everyday and he has improved a lot, but I am extremely vigilant with him. We have an incredible bond and tremendous respect and love for each other. He is now 4 and I'm 57 and in good health. I love Catahoulas, but i won't get another after him. They are incredible, but so much work. My guy cannot be trusted in many situations and only a few people can handle him. If i had an accident or got sick, I would probably have to put him down. But he was going to be put down and i was his last hope. He is the most wonderful dog for me, but definitely very challenging. He loves and trusts me completely , but he could readily hurt a stranger. If i were a younger man, I would get a Catahoula puppy for sure. For the case in Florida, I am guessing the dog suffered from some physical issue or early dementia. Fair warning: Catahoulas are for experienced trainers who use positive reinforcdment methods. A Catahoula will not suffer disrespect or mistreatment. I know the maker of this video wasn't literally meaning whipping a dog, but if you whip a Catahoula you are very likely to be bitten. And finally, I've read about incidents over the years of Labradors killing children too. It happens sometimes. Really , don't get a Catahoula unless you are experienced.

[@mongo88now88]

I should add to this based on other comments here. Every dog is unique. My male rescued Catahoula was not socialized when young either with people or dogs, but I have worked hard to give him positive dog experiences. He is wonderful with small dogs and many other males. It isn't the size or sex of the other dog that causes him fear (and then agression), but rather the other dog's behaviour. If the other dog shows any dominance, aggression or nervous, he gets very upset. So, I am very careful with introductions. My dog is now very good at reading other dogs. People, still not so much. Finally, lest anyone wonders, I never let my Catahoula off leash except in a fenced in yard and only then with dogs he has already met and accepted. It would be irresponsible of me to do otherwise.

[@prohumanityperspective]

And at 60 and 70 Years old people are supposed to be able to chill out and relax , not be constantly reacting to a "vigilant" predator

[@celestetamarit2619]

Y female rescue was 4 yrs old and you described her to a tee. She was tolerant of my adult, family and grand children, however, I had to be extremely vigilant when they were around. She would walk off leash with me, and after a while she would alert me. Hey, there’s people ahead don’t you want to tie me up? Lol she got a cyst on her paw which continued to grow, however she was so aggressive at the vets that even the pills to relax her were not strong enough and I had to put her to sleep just to get her examined. The vet and I determined that it would be too stressful on her to undergo any type of surgery and recovery, since she had so much anxiety and aggression at the veterinarians. It was decided to put her down at nine years old. It took the vet over two hours to put my Ivy to sleep. I was by her side, the whole time and no matter how much drugs they gave her and fearfully so, she would not leave me.

[@prohumanityperspective]

@@celestetamarit2619 having to be vigilante all the time does not sound so great

[@shometteful]

I had a Catahoula Mastiff cross about 95 lb and he was completely devoted to me. He liked a couple close friends and family members, with reserve. He tolerated being in the presence of strangers as long as they didn't look at him too long or try to touch him. If someone came too close while we were walking and reached for me or tried to talk to me then watch out.

[@stephaniedonlan6749]

Stonnie’s advice is So wise: When my brother was a cool guy in his 20s he had a huge wolf/malamute hybrid. His next dog was a solid black shepherd type. She may have had some Mal. since she could jump to the sky for a frisbee. I asked him recently why not get another dog. He said if he got a dog now he’d like a YorkiePoo because they were “cool little dogs, smart as anything”. I was surprised but he will be 70 this year. He knows what it takes to do life with his dogs.

[@vipvip5356]

So so true !

[@primalcritters]

To be honest the dog that was a solid black working line was very likely a purebred. At that point they were still bred correctly and most of the working lines still have excellent agility. In addition, the dominant color in Malinois is fawn. A mal bred to a black Shepherd, the puppies would be fawn. Black Malinois come from the Groenedael and they are extremely rare and most of them have working German Shepherd and their lines anyway. It's the show line German Shepherds that are the problem

[@beccagee5905]

​@@primalcrittersAre Malinois considered a shepherd? My son rescued a fawn female with black eyebrows and muzzle. Her hair is very short, but weirdly seemed to be a double coat. She is all muscle, large chest, tiny waist, can go from standing to jump an 8 foot fence. Her paws are different from any dog I've seen, they are very flexible, and she uses them almost like hands. Very high energy when it's go time, and laid back inside. Never eats directly from her bowl, she picks up a few kibble at a time, takes it to her rug to eat, and goes back, and forth until she's full. Not a hearty eater, very dainty. Her dna test showed she was mostly shepherd, which surprised me. Due to the the coloring, extremely short hair, and the more delicate, yet total muscular athletic ability.

[@forensicgirl]

@@beccagee5905 Yes, you've got it exactly right. A Malinois is a type of Belgian Shepherd Dog. There are four types in total, but only the Malinois has a short, smooth coat.

[@susanmurrell635]

​@beccagee5905 Sorry to hear he's feeding her kibble.... the worst thing to feed your dogs or cats. The extreme high heat required in making it produces cancer causing substances in the kibble. Don't remember right now what they're called... The best thing you can feed your dog is fresh wholesome human grade food that's minimally cooked....or raw. There are many instructions on the internet to help you in preparing their food to make sure they're getting all the nutrients they need for their age and weight. Also, the ingredients in commercially prepared kibble and canned foods leave alot to be desired. Alot of research by integrative/holistic vets is being done relating nutrition and disease. It maybe more expensive and time consuming but she'll be a healthier and happier dog. The research is out there.

[@SharonLKirby]

This is the first Stonnie video I have watched. I was pleasantly surprised by your insights into dogs and people, especially dog trainers and seniors. I really enjoyed the antics of the unleashed dogs who tried to do the course with you and blocked the tunnel. Just observing the behavior of your dogs tells me good things about you as a trainer. I also appreciated your sense of humor. Good man!

[@nannykat1057]

You popped up in my feed...and I am now a new, totally amazed subscriber. Your knowledge of the way a dog thinks & reacts, the difference in breed temperaments/behaviors, aging humans' decreased abilities, etc., etc. is spot on. And watching that 6 month-old gorgeous Catahoula obey SOOOO well, ESPECIALLY that rear-end swivel followed by the sit, just by your body movement/slight leash motion, is unbelievably incomparable. BIG thanks & blessings from Texas! 🤠🤠

[@HorseSense-]

This makes so much sense. I worked with dogs from when I was 18 till I was 32. I kept working on and off after, but not as consistently. Now I am in my 50's and this is the exact conversation I have with people when I say my 11 yr old American Bulldog/Pit Bull mix I have now will be my last big dog. (I've had Pit Bulls and other Bully breeds for 34 yrs). I'm not as strong as I was and I just don't have the energy. I told my husband our next dog is not going to be big, but something more like a Boston Terrier. I read a few years back about another breeder who was killed by their dog. Similar to this, she bred Dobermans for over 20 years, she was also getting up in age and one of her male Dobies killed her in her backyard. Very sad. This is a much needed video. Thank you for confirming my concerns. It just gives me more resolve to stick with what I told my husband and not cave into getting another large dog.

[@tinabarrette963]

I agree. I love big mutts. As my health decreases I will not be adopting another aggressive breed. After 30 years of rescuing the ‘unadoptables’, my strength as a pack leader to a dominate breed is waning.🇨🇦 Excellent discussion🙏🏻🇨🇦

[@jenne8180]

Same here. My last Pittie will be my last big strong breed due to my age . Makes me sad, but I'd rather use my knowledge than to end up with a situation like this Florida incident.

[@dawnjuan74]

Your comment is from 6 months ago, but don't get a Boston Terrier. They are really high energy and surprisingly strong for their size. They love to jump on people and folks are always surprised by their strength. Mine is about 12+ (adopted so I don't really know the age but I've had him for 10 years) and finally simmering down in the last year.

[@HorseSense-]

@@dawnjuan74 Very true, I'm very familiar with the breed. However, that has been also weighing on my decision about a Boston as I know they have high energy and can also be pretty reactive to other dogs and are strong. In reality I will most likely end up adopting a small bully breed mix. So many dogs needing adoption, but finding the right dog for our age and situation will make it harder than in days past. And to think there was a time I had or rescued breeds like American Bulldogs, Rottweilers, Tosas, Am Staffs and Pit Bulls. lol

[@agilk9]

my neighbor has a catahoula/lab mix. Despite being a really good, committed owner who has worked with the dog a TON, the dog is not safe around anything new. She is okay with the family including cats and chickens but not people outside the family. Its unfortunate to see this as the owners have worked really hard with her. But she will always have to be watched around friends or neighbors. All the family wanted was a nice family pet. Appreciate your videos helping to educate people. Keep up the good work!!

[@wyominghome4857]

@agilk9 Sounds like the mix didn't get much Lab. We had a female Lab/Pit Bull mix that I retrieved from the animal shelter. When I brought her home and she saw my husband she ran up to him, jumped up and put her paws on his shoulders, and started licking his face.

[@carolschriner4037]

I’ve seen many older people (I’m a senior) get dogs that are too big, too active, too strong, too much prey drive and get into some serious problems. The breeder I got my lovely papillons from , Bred show quality Akitas in her youth. After 40 she switched breeds….

[@lulajohns1883]

We had one of these dogs show up as a stray. He was a good dog. Later we found out someone had shot him as the vet found a bullet in a rib via xray. He was very protective and loyal. His name was Chance.

[@maryjogreen1706]

😭😭😭

[@kathymcneil2389]

I adopted a Senior Catahoula from the humane society. Was looking for a senior with low energy. Got the opposite. He's the smartest and sweetest dog I've ever seen.

[@warbonnett1]

I rescued a Lab last year. He was unchipped so we know nothing about him. Following his incarceration, he was adopted and returned twice and then sat in the pound for two months before I took him home. He's a real peach. He can be tough on the leash when he wants to say hi to other dogs, and that's probably what got him in trouble with the other adopters. He's great for me and I seldom put him on the leash because he's behaved with me. We've come to an agreement that I'm the boss and he's the dog. Regarding the Catahoula, they are half a wild pack dog. I've been on an indian reservation (I wasn't born on the rez but have family who were born on and never leave the Hoopa rez) and those pack dogs will tear a person up (neighbors have dogs that roll in packs). In my opinion, you gotta put the Catahoula in the category of a junk yard dog. Theyre gonna go to their pack roots when things get uncertain. If you dont have a strong "hand of control" with the animal, you best not own one. Manslaughter is a tough charge and conviction, and it can be a real inconvenience to an otherwise nice life. BTW, Stonnie, You are the man. I have learned so much from your content, and thank you for the work you do. I hope you make a good living doing your thing. Cheers, TW

[@DW-oj6yu]

Shoutout to Hoopa ! Hoopa aint no joke.

[@warbonnett1]

Hoopa is the biggest reservation that nobody ever heard of. 150 square miles in CA. DW, I agree with you.

[@lindajean9683]

I have always admired Catahoulas and were somewhat familiar w/ them as a neighbor had one that was friendly, positive, and calm. Does anyone know where in Massachusetts I could obtain one as my companion on my daughter's farm? She has an Australian Herder so wondering if they could get along together?

[@kimberlystults1471]

Ah... I don't know if you are speaking of the Catahoula. They get confused with curs of all kinds. However, vi will say this... There are certain crosses that have turned out to be great mixes, as in labradoodles, but in my experience you're better off with a dog with many breeds than to take specific breeds and mix them. For example... A chow chow and a blue heeler. What you get is a psycho herd them up and kill em dog. The instincts of both those breeds is going to be strong because you are taking two specific breeds and crossing them. So where I'm going with this is I don't know what the fuck someone was thinking when they used the breeds they did to invent the Catahoula. What dumbass couldn't see potential issues in just the greyhound and mastiff mix alone? But add bloodhound ... Too much for one brain to sort out in my opinion. I love my dog but I don't think a Catahoula is the kind of breed that just anyone should own. But that goes for other breeds as well.

[@TheBurrito171]

I don't know about catahoulas specifically, but I've worked in an animal shelter, and I've seen a couple dogs that caused fatalities and many others that caused severe injury. It's exceedingly rare that someone dies, but there are a few factors that tend to pop up in severe attacks, and these are supported by statistics and studies. First and foremost is that the victim is physically unable to fight the dog off or get away. Victim might be too young, too old, or outnumbered. There's other factors that pop up sporadically like pack mentality, unaltered dogs, mistreatment, etc. but none are statistically as constant as victim frailty. In the case where the victim isn't obviously highly fragile (an example would be a baby being killed by a large dog, which has even happened by accident), I think genetic factors are often what takes a regular incident into a fatality. Some dogs do not have an off button when they get set off.

[@morganepelletier6435]

I have yet to meet a human of any age or shape who can physically deal with a 100 pound american xl-bully...

[@jettnatchez4776]

Ty. That makes a lot of sense. I was trying to figure out what could have happened

[@TheBurrito171]

@@morganepelletier6435 I did it every day at work. The grand majority were very docile dogs, especially compared to the generic "pitbull" type that was prevalent before bullies took off. I was a big fan of this breed, and I actually did consider owning one. However, as I did more research, I found that the community of breeders and showers and even owners of the XL bully was generally very poor quality, valuing intense pursuit of cosmetics above everything else to a degree that was highly maladaptive and detrimental to the dogs. Most disturbing were bloodlines that were producing dogs that were described as having something akin to "rage syndrome" (like American cockers), and the breeders were threatening violence to anyone who had dogs from them that ended up this way to shut those people up. So, I'm not surprised the reputation turned out as it did, now, over a decade later. Dog breeds are shaped by the communities that own and breed and show them. When the community is rotten and greed and vanity driven, it doesn't seem to do much good for the dog.

[@zsuzsuspetals]

Exactly. Bad breeding, especially for generations can lead to unstable dogs. And some dogs will start attacking and just not stop. You usually hear these stories involving bully breeds but it happens with other breeds as well obviously. There are videos of cops tazing and shooting at attacking dogs and the dog keeps going. That's poor genetics. Pair that with particular breeds known for aggression plus the right set of circumstances and you have a dog who is a ticking time bomb.

[@artphotognh]

Yup - the person that was killed was a 72 year old woman.

[@kristenhanson9975]

Thank you for and informative video. My Clydesdale horse died two days ago from an accident and I know that is it for my horse journey. I am slower, a little bit deaf and my reflexes are not quite what they used to be. It is a good thing to notice these changes and adjust so the animals get the best tof you too.

[@StonnieDennis]

You are welcome. I’m very sorry to hear about your horse.

[@wren5732]

I’m so sorry for your loss.XOXOXO

[@moragmacgregor6792]

Sorry you lost your horse friend. I love draft horses. I had a big Percheron mare that I still miss. Like you, I realized that I wasn't physically able to keep up the journey. She was as gentle as a lamb, but it was still a _long way_ to the ground!

[@braceheightproductions8979]

Your insights are very accurate, and your advice to “never have a dog you can’t whip” is spot on. I train wounded game recovery dogs as a side business, and have trained a dozen or more Catahoulas over the past 8 years. Personally I am a huge fan of the breed in the right hands. Like a lot of breeds, there are wide variances in temperaments. However, nearly all of them have an independent streak that has to be managed appropriately. They tend to be dogs that will push your limits, and if clear boundaries aren’t set, they will start to see themselves as the pack leader. I suspect that the dog in question felt dominant over at least one of the older owners in the household and didn’t like being told what to do or bothered when he didn’t want to be, so he made it clear with his teeth. I rarely have even dog/dog aggression issues in my kennels because I take the Rip Wheeler approach…if you want to fight then you are going to have to fight me. When dogs have a clear pack leader in place they remain orderly as a whole. This doesn’t always work for dogs with deep aggression issues whether genetic or learned. However, there is almost always a warning sign before it devolves into this level of tragedy. My nephew was recently mauled by a relative’s dog. As usual, the dog had previously shown some clear signs of aggression (resource guarding) that had gotten brushed aside by the dog’s owners. I take every growl at a human as a serious threat and deal with it swiftly and forcefully. That’s why I am in agreement with your words of wisdom of never having a dog that I can’t whip. It sounds harsh, but appropriate intervention can save the dog’s life from requiring euthanasia, and save a human from harm as well.

[@danih7577]

My ginger leopard dog mix was rescued as a pup from a disreputable breeder. He was devoted, submissive, gentle and loving . His lifetime job was to never leave our side. He loved to swim and had a chest like a barrel for his giant sized heart . The best good boy ever.

[@Lisa-ue3tk]

❤

[@spiralrose]

I want to thank both the uploader and the commentators for everything that y’all have said. It never occurred to me that a dog with dementia would bite, but it makes so much sense once I think about it. Thank you for helping me realize how much more I have to learn. Y’all are awesome.

[@emmayonder]

I have an 11yo Catahoula (Travel N' Blues lines) and she holds a grudge with the best of them... I can't let her near brown and white female pitbulls, she will try to kill them. One attacked her as a 2yo. Best property protection dog I've ever met, she once jumped on top of a pile of our things and threatened someone whom she usually was all love for because we were at a campout with friends and had run to the gas station... Went to my job at a car dealership with me every day and would walk in off leash heel while I showed cars, and was the best judge of character around. Chased a habitual test driver/time waster out of the office once. She worked horse farms with me, went to 10k attendee festivals, and trained my Lab to be a great guard dog too. She's incredibly patient and protective of my 1yo. She's slowed down a fair bit, but even now she's more dog than most. I would guess they got between two females fighting over resources. Catahoula females are known for female dog aggression, and certain bloodlines are definitely grittier than others. They're very emotionally intense and have a somewhat primitive psychology. But if you earn their respect and they have a job and purpose? They're incredible.

[@joeowens8923]

Travel blues my first catahula best dog I ever had . Grudge now he would hold a grudge till it was settled

[@goblinofsharksnacks]

People like to say a dog will forgive anything and love you no matter what But thats not the case, theres a fair amount of breeds that will remember and hold a grudge, and using force on them generally just doesn't do the trick, because they dont trust the things that harm them, they may comply to demands but thats only to avoid being punished, that kind of relationship lacks in so much

[@joeowens8923]

@@goblinofsharksnacks exactly I have a male dog now just turn 4 and he minds but you can tell it might not be a good idea to get rough with him because he might get you . And I trust this dog I just know how he is just like people

[@OffGridDogs]

“Cooperative” is a GREAT word in dog relationships. I have a different viewpoint than your friend. I wouldn’t want a dog I could whip. I assure you my 140 pound GP can whip me but he doesn’t know that. “Never let your dog find out he’s stronger than you” was some similar wisdom I once got from a breeder. More importantly live with my dog in a way that makes him want to cooperate which comes naturally to dogs if you don’t screw them up. But cooperative doesn’t mean there’s any grey area about who’s boss.

[@jebVlogs556]

I can agree 100%. But I've never had that problem from any breed(idk maybe I was lucky but I also recognize "bad genetics or nervous or aggressive tendencies" even in early puppy stages. The only ones that was food or people aggressive was my Chihuahua,Jack Russel terrier. Don't get it twisted I know pits and other dogs like Presbyterians that have tendencies to "overwhelm" any owner,I've seen it first hand(again it's not either of the parties fault it's more or instinctual or primal thing) My last female Catahoula leopard dog(name Queenie) she ripped a my hole in my older male dogs back hip(who is not aggressive at all) just from walk into food area and it took me and my friend to get off her of him. Again she's never been abused by me or anyone else however these dogs were bred for hunting,guardian livestocks and have powerful guarding instincts. Don't let that spotted face lol fool for a moment Catahoula's are known for over powering wild hogs far bigger than they are ..

[@tammyschilling5362]

GP? Great Pyrenees? I had one for 12 years. That dog really taught me about genetics. She was so laid back and friendly to everyone, until the neighbor walked the husky by. Then her guardian breed brain scream WOLF! And she would go into total killer mode.

[@OffGridDogs]

@@jebVlogs556more aggression issues probably come from just poor leadership/relationship than from abuse.

[@OffGridDogs]

@@tammyschilling5362aren’t they awesome? So sweet until they need to go into “Great Pyrenees” mode lol. We knew what we had when our boy was still a skinny 9 month old puppy and a 3 year old 100 pound Rottweiler attacked him and got quickly pinned to submission by our puppy!

[@xXx-un3ie]

I think stronger is a wrong word here. You are stronger than almsot any dog out there. You can pick them up, throw them around, easily break their legs or whatever. But of course can you do that while it has bitten into you, overcome the pain and attack back? I don't think many will unless they decide to fight for real and not try to flee from the situation. Let's say they are better in a fight than you but not necessarily stronger...

[@pattiwright7837]

I had a Catahoula/Pit Mix. He was a shelter dog that I adopred at 8 months. I also have Multiple Sclerosis. The shelter told me he was a lab mix…ok so I thought, some Labs have big heads, but the spots (merle) threw me off. That dog gave me the best 10 yrs of my life! I went from using a walker and cane to walking without assistance. I took him out to run 3 times a day to ensure he would have the very best life. He was quite the challenge. I made a lot of mistakes with him and learned the hard way. Catahoulas are strong, independent alpha dogs. I took every training class I could and worked w/private trainers. Only to realize that I was not a good leader. I had to put him down due to his battle with cancer. I’ll never trade the heartache of losing him to all the gifts he gave in return. I realize that I’m the type of person who should ever have a Catahoula again. The dogs I have now all rescued from a junkyard , are a Wooly Siberian Husky a Pit/Maliona Mix and a Pit American Bulldog Mix. My Pit/ABD mix passed from cancer. He was the very best dog with people & other dogs. I just couldn’t leave them to suffer the life of a junkyard dog. And I’m still walking. I guess we all healed each other. 🐾♥️🐾

[@sparkycalico1698]

Im glad to find this group. The content of the video intelligently addressed a subject that we older dog and horse people should be thinking about. Thank you Stonnie for giving the information in a way that makes it easier to accept the concessions we elderly (that is anyone over 65 medically speaking) need to make, in order to age with dignity and grace without a burden to our loved ones.

[@jutaymfm]

Hey, Stonnie, you said something very interesting about GSD, Dutchies, and Malis. The same reason you switched from these kinds of breeds to retrievers motivated me to end up my Malinois (Mondioring) breeding program. I love your comments and how rational and pragmatic you are.

[@30dayride67]

Exposing dogs and horses to as many things as you can is always a good thing. I suffered a spinal cord injury in my 30's and that brought a whole lot of new "stuff" into my home during rehab. My dogs were fine with all of the stuff, but they still had to learn how to be safer around me. My current dog is old now and is used to going pretty much everywhere with me, but he can't jump in my SUV anymore. He's 100 pounds and I can't lift him without hurting myself. I've almost always had at least one German Shepherd in the home and usually 2. I am considering getting another, but at 60 I'm having to consider the issues I'm currently having with a larger dog that's also aging. Luckily he can still get in the backseat (with the seat folded up) of my truck with minimal assistance from me, so that works for now. I have to consider how old I would be when any future dog would also be susceptible to age related issues, not to mention if injured at a younger age. What vehicles might be a better choice that would work for both of us is another concern. I also have to think about what happens to them if something happens to me. I've been the person that was chosen to be the backup home for several pets of others and have taken in at least 3 dogs, a possessed cat and several horses over the years, so I know it happens. Can my backup person take on another big dog without regret? These are all things to give at least some thought to at any age, but as we get older and the body doesn't always agree with the brain, it becomes more important. For me, it's important to do whatever I can to prevent my pets from ending up in a bad situation should something happen to me. This is especially true with my German Shepherds as they are a breed that often doesn't do well in a shelter environment and many of the dogs that I've adopted over the years have come to me for that reason, so I don't want them to go through that again. Right now I'm seeing a lot of the animals that were adopted during the shutdown being given up again due to the owners going back to work or the economy not being what our resident thinks it is and it's heartbreaking.

[@mssmssmssmss]

I have been involved in rescue for years, and lately our local shelters have so many GSDs and huskies. When I was younger, I wanted another Irish setter like the one I got as a child. Then because of size, I was interested in the Welsh springer spaniel, a red and white dog.

[@TaraJanes57]

My previous dog, rip, was a lab. 97 pounds. Her hips got bad towards the end. She was 14. I used an old sweatshirt under her to lift her back end in. She would put front paws in, then I'd lift back end. It worked. Also used it if we came across steps.

[@Anna-iz1tt]

Could use fold up steps so the dog can step up into the vehicle and down from the vehicle if necessary. They have what are called foldable or collapsible vehicle dog ramps that will fit onto the back of your SUV or other vehicle. They take up little space and would save you from having to lift your dog.

[@TaraJanes57]

I had a ramp too. But she seemed to trust me more.

[@superpsyched5624]

I haven't checked recently, but I know that not too long ago our local shelters were overflowing and not taking anymore dogs. They were mainly large dogs. A few days ago I saw a video from a man who was down at the border in Texas. They have a huge problem with strays that people crossing just abandon there. It's heartbreaking to see dogs that protected and gave companionship just left like that. Several were in packs and walking on a busy highway. A couple were limping. Most were terrified. They're not spayed or neutered. He purchased dog food and water; feeding as many as he could. The dominant dogs kept the smaller helpless dogs away from the food. Many viewers donated money to help buy food also. Like everywhere, shelters and rescues were full and overwhelmed.

[@bobjarrard]

Must be a wimp but all my life I have owned dogs in the 10 pound range. Yorks, Silks, mixed breed small terriers, and now the sweetest little 16 year old Chihuahua that sleeps nose to nose with me. Not too bright, cannot fetch nor reliably return but likely all this 76 year old should own. You did not mention the travel issue, big dogs are tough to take on a vacation. We get by with ChaCha but even she is a bit of a hassle on the road (best truck dog I have ever had) as she still needs to go outside to pee and she has Mesoesophagus issues and has to be fed a special home made diet and sit in a Bailey Chair three times a day for thirty minutes. My day will come, hope I am as patient with my caregivers as this little dog is with me. Thanks Stonnie and know that many of us hold you and yours up in prayer. Bob Jarrard in Nevada

[@suzyseaweed9112]

I had a catahoula and pit bull mix, Charlie. Had him 17 years. Best dog I’ve ever had. Beautiful and sweet. Very protective. Smart boy.

[@PerilNotion]

I had one once, best dog I ever had, 20 years later I decide to get a Catahoula pup and wow what was I thinking idk.

[@DonelleWeaver]

I love how positive you are when explaining the situation no judgement whatsoever just discussion and being very clear. As I get older and I deal with leg pain I don’t get around like I use too. I so badly want another German Shepherd that I can train as positively as did my first German shepherd back when I was younger I was energetic always motivated never needed a lot of sleep and 💯 percent positive all the time. No aches pains or feeling tired more often. I never thought about those things until I ran into this video thank you!!! You gave me a lot to think about not only for me but for the dog thank you again. Great advice

[@mariagarciamarshall5994]

I would walk and talk with you and the dogs any day. Thoughtful discussion, interesting commentary, thanks Stonnie.

[@georges3485]

I have 3 Catahoula's, a breeding pair and a first born son under my roof. They respond to verbal input positive or negative. They absolutely do not...i repeat DO NOT respond to heavy handed discipline. My female was in heat and my big male would not get in his cage, long story short I was aggressive, he was aggressive and bit me twice because I tried to grab his collar and force him into the cage (warning shots on his end, could have done worse). They are extremely smart/good dogs but they should come with an owners manual and need to be treated like family for the best turn outcome.

[@tlsings55]

I tried to do this with our 6 1/2 y.o Catahoula/Lab mix rescue when I was attempting crate training shortly after we adopted him. He turned into a houla-gator! It was a losing battle and we both went backwards with trust for awhile. He’s almost 13 now and a sweet dog, although I have learned to be diligent and vigilant of his reactivity, resource guarding, prey drive and body language/signals. He does not like to be restrained. We have developed a deep bond and trust and man do I love that dog!

[@darlenelarochelle4011]

Alot like the Guardian breeds. Anatolian x Maremma female, and I was REAL careful to retain the upperhand, but in a non aggressive manner. At first, to Dr her, was a struggle. Had to wrap the leash around her snout and snap it back into sort of a halter/muzzle. Ears needed help, bad. I just went about things matter of fact, and now I can do whatever I need to do. She figured out I was helping, even when I kept stabbing her ear hematoma with a 16 gage needle and draining the blood out. Smart dog. I got that to heal, without expensive, painful surgery. 2 weeks of ear stabbing.... surprised the heck outta me she let me do it. Use a new needle, every time. Sharp, and sterile.

[@littleninjai222]

Stonnie, you have a lot of smart viewers clearly making smart decisions in their older years despite having a love/passion for a different breed. Your videos are always educational even if you're asking us questions.

[@bthe1doright462]

WOW - - - Your approach and thoughtfulness in considering how a dog could be triggered into mauling its owner with fatal results is very very well appreciated. You make excellent points and through this is a sad situation - - it is very important for people to consider everything when it comes to working with training and hunting with dogs. My sisters dog has a very strong prey drive - - and has to keep her cats upstairs while the dog lives downstairs. She never wanted to have a split household when it came to her pets - but she rescued a badly neglected and bullied young australian shepherd - - who continues to have very fast startle reactions - - herding with nipping on occasion - -extreme guarding of her around other dogs when walking - - a lot of difficult behaviors. It has mellowed somewhat in its older years - - but she knows she cannot trust the dog in certain situations. She KNOWS THAT - - and ACCEPTS THAT and Tries to line things up for success - - even through it's not quite the relaxed setting at home - - - I think you are spot on with them likely not preparing the dog for encountering odd obstacles and maybe being too hard on it.

[@MrStvwinks]

I am a first time viewer and don't know about those dogs, but, my wife told me a tale about a pack of Catahoula dogs her cousin owned on a cattle ranch in Texas. Her young teen cousins wanted to "show" her the dog packs' performance. She was asked to stand in the field and wait. To her consternation the two boys on horseback had started running the Brangus cattle herd toward her at full speed! She was in a panic, looking for somewhere to run; when, they whistled the dogs up and those 4 or 5 dogs headed off and turned that herd away from her ! She was so mad at the boys! Wasn't near as mad as their dad was when he heard about his herd of pregnant cattle had been run that way by the boys. I believe they got a good whupping for it and thank God those dogs were as good as they had claimed they were. Not only were these dogs very good with the cattle but they were also trained to hunt raccoons and hogs. They did not sell their dogs ever, though if they weren't suitable they would find homes for the few dogs that didn't do well for them. They were not very friendly dogs and not at all jumping on you or licking you. They were rather reserved dogs except for one old mama dog who wanted to mother everything.

[@margaretfleming3554]

We have a retired Police Dog living with us, a Malinois. She’s a non-typical pretty laid-back bitch for the breed. My husband is a retired Police Dog Handler and both of us are in our 60’s. We both love Shepherd breeds but it’s a Labrador from non-working stock for us next time, that’s if I can persuade my hubby to have another dog. Haven’t quite got the same charms I had in my prime so wish me luck!

[@michellelyman7092]

after my very intense GSD passed, I got a very mellow Golden Retriever (I"m 68 now and not wanting puppies either so I got a 3 1/2 yr old female - we're very well suited to each other)

[@charrison8882]

Thank you Stonnie. Well summed up. What bothers me about these incidents is the warning signs. I simlpy can't believe dogs attack without warning. Over and over, time and time again i meet people out with their dogs, and they have no clue as to what their dogs body language is saying. Zero. So i question how many early warning signs that 'things are going south' are missed prior to the horrible end result.

[@ColdestRage303]

You never seen a dog with ragesyndrome then

[@myke5696]

One commenter is saying this was a dog breeder situation with males fighting, and when the owner tried to intervene the dog(s) turned on them. If true, maybe no warning signs, more a lack of common sense

[@ColdestRage303]

@@myke5696 It's not always the owners their fault. Some even blame a baby above the dog. I hear this to much from people who parrot eachother. Some dogs just aren't wired right. Just like humans. Once in a while such a dog gets born as well.

[@froast574]

Noname came to check on you so fast when you fell!! Bless him

[@PaulPatterson-j7m]

You hit the nail on the head when you said that there are lots of fake dog trainers out there and I am seeing more and more people that think they are correctly training protection dogs and all they are really doing is building what could become a major tragic incident . I am a firm believer in people need to really think it through when they are going to bring any animal into their home by knowing that they can handle a certain breed of ( dog) , and i could list a number of things that people do not take into consideration when obtaining a new pet. I started training dogs at 12yrs old , with the Columbus all breed training club here in Ohio and I am 62 now , so I have been training , breeding and showing dogs of many breeds for 50 yrs and I still have so much more to learn . This is why I subscribe to to people like you , so I can continue to gain some wisdom . If people would realize that different breeds of dogs are different in many ways and not only do dogs learn from people , but they also learn from other surrounding dogs , then I can't help but to believe that there would be less tragic happenings

[@fairgreen42]

That video is a good reminder for dog owners to evaluate their situation. Thank you.

[@RebeccaAndTheCritters]

I love how when you fell down, the dog with you laid down so sweetly next to you. Then the concerned pups came to check on you. Definitely shows how it can quickly go one way or the other. They each looked to the dog with you first. That dog was calm and they mirrored that. I absolutely believe if that dog had been excited, they all would have been jumping into the game.

[@alainacallahan5030]

Thank you for pointing out an area of training that I failed for my high-energy dog. I'm finding a walker. I don't want my terrier to pay the price for my failures.

[@MongoFish1]

Uncle Stonnie just gonna rip around on that scooter like he didn't just admit to getting older 😁 Love the videos and your style.

[@glorisol3805]

I admire the very serious and responsible way you share all of your knowledge! Thank you so much!

[@StonnieDennis]

Thank you for watching!

[@timothyshaneschaefer8289]

I was brought one by a friend as a 5 week old puppy that decided I needed a dog years ago. I did not want the dog but reluctantly took him. John Henry became my best friend and my partner. He died old. I still miss him.

[@renebarish2098]

Terrible news. I looked at the articles and they didn't say much. Probably not a dog for the elderly or to have around small children. We can't know what happened or what the causes were unless the surviving owner speaks out about it. Thank you for passing this on.

[@krn2683]

My disabled 72 year old father lived just fine with his Catahoula. She was great with our neices and extremely gentle. My uncle and grandparents have both had multiple one. Never had any issues with kid or grandkids. They're absolutely a family breed. The problem is they've started to get popular in the lady decade and now you've got backyard breeders putting out dogs with crap genetics.

[@renebarish2098]

@@krn2683 Could be backyard breeders. Could be the particular dog and owner interactions. They do have higher activity needs than other dogs. Bred for hunting/herding they need the correct mental and physical outlets. Glad your relatives did well. I'd still be careful in general.

[@alexandraturnwald2286]

Never have seen a live Catahoula but loved how you brought up so many questions that I wish more ordinary dog owners were aware of. Have witnessed each single one of these situations and realised how critical they can become. Well done!

[@BelenReyes-Carrera]

People tend to forget that ANY dog can react and hurt or even kill its human. After all, they are still animal's.

[@squaretriangle9208]

The small can't

[@scottallan6770]

Excellent video!!! I've never had any recollection of this, but my mom told the story many times. When I was just a baby (64-yrs ago), still crawling, they had a Scottie dog who was apparently a great dog who never gave them any problems. One day I was crawling across the living room floor towards him. He was lying across the front of the fireplace enjoying his warm nap. When I got to him my next forward movement was my hand touching him somewhere on his belly. The next thing they knew, he had me by the head and was rag-dolling me. They immediately grabbed me, wrapped a towel around my head, and into the hospital we went. After a few hours of cleaning etc and whatever else they could do, they sent us home. A couple of hours later she said my head started swelling up like a basketball. So back in we went. It turned out that I "hit" him on a tumor they didn't know he had. That's as much as I remember her saying. I love dogs and have had several and trained them well, but what scares me is when little kids come up to a dog and try to hold it's face and kiss it, and the parents stand there saying, "oh how cute." Keep up the great work. ✌

[@canineguy672]

Good dog ownership requires constant vigilance. Dogs are constantly vigilant of their environment; as owners, we need to match that energy. Dogs sense that and respect it. They might even take comfort in that dynamic. I own Labs and have no experience with this breed. These situations are tragic, and we'll likely never know what happened.

[@SFormby]

Catahoula leopard dogs are very well known by the hunters in the deep south as boar hunting dogs and have bloodlines that are more aggressive. It is in my opinion that these dogs still have that raw aggressive instinct because of the breeding to hunt boar. But they still are just as vulnerable to mental health issues as any breed. Unless seen by a vet both things need to be considered.

[@annarborthenorris5455]

This video is so full of " getcha to thinken" info. I have a large rescue dog that will let me guide him, but I could never move him if he didn't want to. Even the big guys in the family find it hard to lift his big bulk into a truck bed. I really like that he protects me on walks when an aggressive dog rolls up on us, and that he never engages with the other dog physically, just keeps it away from me, but I am pretty sure from my past experience with farm dogs that if I wasn't there, a donnybrook would be. If a situation ever happened I didn't have a big guy to help out, I don't know if I could handle him. I know I own a dog I can't whip. I also have the sweetest golden retriever field bred male. The rescue has really mellowed since we got the pup, and use your methods with them. He often leads the big dog to show him how to do the things I ask, and it works... Hup, comeon, easy, wait, etc. Thank you Stony for your wisdom. We got gramas wheel chair walker and cane out last month, to socialize them before anyone needs them. Good to be ready. You are the best:-)

[@shaneymccoymusic]

This is the first of your videos I’ve seen, and it is perfect timing. We just had to return a dog to the shelter for aggression and it’s been tough but the bottom line was I couldn’t whip him and he knew it. We’ve had many big dogs over the years but none that were so dominant or showed any aggression at all. I still felt kind of guilty, especially when the vet at the shelter encouraged me to keep him and train him with a shock collar, but hearing about this story, hearing your comments, and reading many other viewer comments below reiterated that it was 100% the right thing not to take a chance having a very large aggressive dog especially around grandkids and my other dogs - or ME for that matter! I’m taking that wise old man’s advice from now on when considering pups. Thanks for this. I look forward to watching more of your videos. (Also, I really appreciate the respectful tone you took in questioning what might have happened)

[@FruitandNutStands]

My son worked at the local veterinary starting in high school and he was introduced to all different kinds of dogs. We live in California and Catahoula aren’t a common breed here but he had seen several come through the vets office and asked if he could had one. I was unsure but we went to see one the was 5 or 6 months old and after taking a look in his (we named him Hunter) eyes I melted. I can honestly saw he was an absolutely wonderful dog, with the best temperament ever. Hunter was a great family dog and loved everyone he met, though he had a bark that was very loud. He was protective not an in your face type of protective attitude but when I answered the door he would make sure he was positioned between me and whoever was at the door but retained a relaxed alert position. But all breeds can have that dog that just is unpredictable or has a screw loose. Being that we had him we also met others who had the breed and I never heard of an issue.

[@mssmssmssmss]

Maybe there are "pet lines" rather than the hunting and working lines that others write about here. I live in a city in Calif., and a beagle-owning apartment neighbor told me about another neighbor having a Catahoula. I saw the man and his dog outside one day and said "hi" in a friendly way. The man responded with a look of hate. I thought he was mentally off or something. In hindsight I wonder if he was afraid my saying "hi" might set his dog off.

[@Rubymoon286]

I am a dog trainer who focuses Least invasive minimally aversive training, but I appreciate this video a lot, and I specialize in aggression, fear, and behavior modification, and I think without knowing the full context of the mauling, there's not any way to actually know what triggered the event. Sometimes dogs do just have neurological or fear issues that aren't driven by anything the owner did or didn't do. As sad as it is, with working dogs in general, but especially gun dogs or guardian breeds, you have to know their communication and listen to it. There are so few occasions that a dog just escalates to mauling or biting without warning signs leading up to it. If this were truly out of the blue with no escalation, I would have to guess that it was neurological, or the dog had been trained to escalate to biting by being trained out of showing those warning signs. It's really tragic that it happened, but if this were a case of a truly out of the blue attack, I don't there was much they could have done to prevent it. If it were a case of not listening to the dog's communication, that's more a human problem than a dog problem to start. I have been training for 10 years, and have worked with a few reactive catahoulas, and of those, only one was a neurological issue. Some bloodlines carry Degenerative Myelopathy, and the current research tends to lean towards dogs needing two copies of the genes to show symptoms, but there isn't a whole lot of research out there. DM causes seizures which can lead to brain damage and an overactive amygdala which will lead to aggression. In the case of my client, he ultimately had to behavioral euth his dog because the dog became an unpredictable bite risk. When I say unpredictable, this dog would go from relaxed body language, lose and wiggly to bite - and THEN stiff, ears pinned etc. after the bite. I think with the direction dog culture is moving, regardless of if you are a balanced trainer, a positive trainer, or whatever, the public in general is losing a respect for dogs as animals that have the capability to kill. I think as trainers, it's our jobs to teach our clients how to read their dog, and understand what their dog is saying. However, I do think that dog culture has gone too far with some of the things we expect from dogs these days. Not every dog has the capacity to be in public, and it's concerning how the general public expects every dog they see to have a service or therapy temperament when there's a reason candidates wash out of those programs at higher rates than they pass.

[@chdao]

That is a good point. Especially in the US, there are so many folks who have been sheltered for generations who have never been exposed to danger of any kind and think that life is all fluffy and soft and completely controllable.

[@garygoins2280]

This is a very thoughtful video. I am not interested in catahoulas at all but I am 80 years old and have been thinking of getting a labrador . You have shown me that I need to think about this and I thank you for that. Keep up the good work.

[@susanmurrell635]

I have always had rescue dogs and at 73 still have two now. One is maybe a Mini Schnauzer(male) I've had 11yrs, and the other is a Chihuahua/Shihtzu mix (female) I rescued 6 - 7 yrs ago. They both have chronic health issues. ...my male became an insulin dependent diabetic almost. 3 yrs ago and my little female has IBD (Chron's disease). I love them so much but it's become a financial strain because of meds despite having pet insurance....which isn't cheap. These will be my last dogs that I adopt because I really don't want to put them or another dog through what would happen if something happened to me. At 80, you need to think of that as well. But maybe you have family or dog knowledgeable friends who would give your Lab the care he would need. Labs need to get outdoors, fetch in a stream. etc. Are you able to give that breed what it would need now? I don't even want to think about losing them but I would probably just foster for a shelter or rescue. This way I would be helping save a life and wouldn't have to worry about expenses....and they would have a backup care giver. I am glad you're going to rethink about the breed and hope you adopt an older pet, not a puppy. Wish you the best.

[@mssmssmssmss]

@@susanmurrell635 I've worked to rescue dogs for many years, mainly small breeds and mixes. Doing independent rescue was rewarding but frustrating because people are not always forthcoming about their living situations and their motives. So I worked more with a purebred rescue. I ended up being a foster fail for a few older dogs with health issues. After losing a few too many, I decided to get a younger dog from a breeder that seems to have good standards for health in their lines. So now I believe that if something happens to me before the dog passes away, either the breeder or the rescue group would help rehome the dog. I try to keep in contact with the rescue people and continue to donate to their work.

[@susinok]

I understand this. At 58 I bought and raised a Chocolate Field Lab. He is no problem at all, but I have already figured out that at 70 or so when this one is old, I will probably make a different choice. Though labs are easy for me to raise and train, they are large and could knock me over if I'm not careful.

[@JimBurwellsPetiquetteHouston]

Am 78 w/9 yr male black lab and I am downsizing after this one-maybe older but smaller herding breed

[@alycewich4472]

There's times when my little 8 pound Chi/Papillon comes close to knocking me down when she comes from behind. So she's the last dog for me...

[@TaraJanes57]

I had a black lab. She always slept on the first floor. Christmas Eve night one year, she decided at some point to sleep right in front of my bedroom door. Never ever did that before. I got up in middle of nite to goto bathroom, and BAM tripped right over her and broke my arm. Got her a light collar after that. And she never came back up to sleep. Just that one time.

[@2WOLFS]

I have one, male, received him the day he was 6 weeks old. He is a little over 3 years old now. They are powerful, strong dogs. And protective, but he was raised with my granddaughter, my son, and his wife. He has a hugh fenced run in my backyard where chickens, ducks,small dags, and rabbits run around. He receives loving attention every day and obedience work every day. We wonder how he would react if a duck flow into his run. And one day, it happened. He never made a move towards the duck. He looked to me, and i just said, "No, you do not hurt it,that's mine," and he never tried to. But we wondered if we wasn't there what would he do. So again, it happened,he couldn't see us watching. He looked at the duck, and part of his run came to one side of my deck. He came straight to the deck and barked in an alert bark. We waited, and again, he alerted. We walked out, and i said, " That's good, you have done good." he was waging his tail, and i slipped him a treat. Loved on him, and from that day on, he had never offered to hurt an animal that went into his run. I believe and have had large and small breeds. You teach them what is theirs and what is not. If someone comes that he's never seen before. I make it plain to him that that person is okay. If I don't, his eyes never leave that person. I saw him when he thought i was in danger, and i kind of was. He walked that run fence like it was nothing. As I looked up, i called no and his name to hold. He went back into the run. But he still was locked in and waiting. He is not happy when large dogs come into our backyard. He will alert and then show he will handle it. But these dogs have had no training at all. They belong half a mile away. Those dogs understand they needed to leave and did. He is playful with my granddaughter and careful. The only problem we have at times is that he gets to happy playing with the adults and wants to get a little rough. But that just takes a little stern command, and it stops. Gun shots, loud banging noise doesn't affect him. I can't really complain about his behavior. Is the way he responded to strangers to him. Once he sees the hand shake or the tone and level of our voices, he goes back to just watching and safeguarding the yard and animals. He is not perfectly what would be professional trained. But as fair as showing any aggression towards children and adults, he knows it all goes. Children are safe with him as far as aggressive. He has had tail, ears, a child hand full of coats grabbed, and he just stands. And a treat reinforcement is good, but the best playtime it for him to be off duty. He is a plastic 2 liter bottle he can bounce around and throw around. Im 65 years old and saying to him "easy" is the magic word. All other features are responded to with a wag of his tell.

[@WOLFIExBABYxSAMMIE]

Just stumbled across this and I am glad I did! You brought so much into perspective that a lot of us wouldn't have thought of. The way your pack listens and responds to you and your daughter just amazing! Subscribed A lot of true wisdom here.

[@smscraig]

I agree with what you are saying. Our family has raised Labrador retrievers for years. My husband and I are getting older, and I have a muscle disease and cannot handle a large dog anymore. We now have a Maltese that is the sweetest little dog ever, and the perfect fit for this stage of our lives.

[@justchevrotainrating]

I don't have a catahoula, but I have a no-joke corso and I had to throw out all the training advice I got from the corso community. It hinged on my ability to impose on my dog and I knew that wasn't an option for me. (I also knew I didn't need to intimidate my dog. I'm smarter than him, I can strategize.) So, I don't think it's aging that makes people less capable of working with big strong dogs, but the strategies we're using are going to fall apart if the dog figures out it can overpower its owner. I don't know what happened with the catahoula, but trying to alpha roll or yank and crank some dogs will just get you bitten. People have these big, ready dogs and think that willingness to bite people doesn't apply to them.

[@aaronwilcox6417]

Shouldnt rule out mental/neurological issues. Its just my thoughts but i believe this is an often overlooked and not explored condition. Its not always about training or socializing or the breed itself. Sometimes it seems nature throws a ditry trick and the wires in the brain just arent right or they become impaired. Not sayin its the answer but its something to explore.

[@lepdog2282]

something I think is very possible. The dog just literally went crazy. He was a good dog and well socialized and much loved.

[@lottatroublemaker6130]

What condition do you mean?

[@lululuna9573]

That's exactly what I was thinking. Just like they can have heart problems, diabetes, etc. I think they can also have mental problems, like we do.

[@christopheryale6867]

He did somewhat address that when he mentioned small dog options. They physically cannot kill you. There are also breeds in which aggression towards humans just isn’t on the menu of possible behaviors like a Cavalier. No cavaliers with brain dysfunctions have maimed a human to my knowledge and there is some prevalence of brain conditions in that breed. I take one of his main points is the really assess all the factors in your life when selecting a dog. If you get a dog breed with known violent capability in their genes with the physical power to kill/maim a human: first ask what is the clear significant benefit to your life (and others the dog will contact) of that particular type of dog. Second if there is a massive benefit then the required constant socialization/training level is much higher.

[@rebeccasford]

What a well done and thoughtful video. I'm so impressed by the way you socialise. I got cancer at 40, and became less able due to treatments. But I got a cattle dog puppy anyway. She's always trying to herd me, and weaving about. So i had to train her to give me some space. I can see that tendency being a problem for folks with mobility issues. I seem to see a lot of cattle dog/catahoula crosses out there.

[@eliasjosephsson3994]

While I may not be an expert in dog training, I do have a lot of experience in facilitating educational discussions that bring people closer to the truth. I must say, you've done an excellent job laying the foundation for such discussions. Thanks for caring more about the truth than being right!

[@ssmith5086]

Good questions. Charlotte has grown so much physically and did a wonderful in schooling/walking Hank.

[@StonnieDennis]

Thank you!

[@rebeccaoliver7977]

Charlotte, you're rocking those boots! ❤ You exude confidence handling that Catahoula.

[@WhistleRobinCottage]

I adopted a retired show dog when he was 3 years old. He was a beautiful 90 lb Blue Ribbon winning Brindle & White American Staffordshire Terrier, but he developed a slight dip in his back that made him lose to 2nd place. His had a wonderful personality, but his owner wanted a new dog in his breeding line, so Reb was up for adoption to a good home. I was tall, 50 at the time and sill very strong. Reb was a well trained dog and I kept up with it We did fine and he was so gentle with my 35 lb English Staffordshire Female (Trudy aka 'Tude') and even my neighbor's Chihuahuas that would come into my 1/2 acre fenced yard. The only bad habit he had was that he would get rowdy when I let him out in the morning and would come running toward me to play. Trudy would hang out with Reb but would only play with me. I had to make sure I was up against the porch pillar so he couldn't knock me down. It took a long time for him to stop doing this with me ignoring him and later rewarding his calmer approach. That's when I decided that I would not get another dog that was larger than 35 lbs.

[@Wagtale]

I just came across your channel and subscribed as I found the content first class. You can tell not just from your words but your actions that your a trainer that is a dog lover who wants the dog and owner to enjoy there life together. I love dogs and they impacted my life with warmth and love. You see so much evil and cruelty on the KZbin rescue stories because good socialisation and love and training together makes a happy dog and happy family. I really learnt somethings and you expressed perfectly the what if’s of this sad situation. Thank you

[@tina-w7p]

So great to get this information. I had a large rescue female German Shepherd when my son was young and growing up, and I was strong. We ran together, and hiked off trail on Vancouver Island, she was an amazing girl, listened for every sound I made for her to walk, stop before crossing etc.off leash. Beautiful family dog. after her passing, I was older, my son out of the nest, but I was still strong and active hiker and walker so I adopted a stray Siberian Husky. Again she became a gem. Then from a genetic issue I recieved a kidney transplant while at the same time she developed Liver cancer so I had her put down at home. Its been 7 yrs now in my late fifties and the drugs I must take to keep the transplant happy have weakened me. its been quite difficult to go from strong, to a weaker state, but I'm finally ready to turn the corner and accept that my next dog rescue will be a small breed, for long walking. Just an added bit here because it has contributed to my awareness that yes, in fact I am different now in the eyes of a big breed dog and I would't be fit enough ...moving to a new neighbourhood recently, on my long walk alone theres a very large Malamute who sits outside his home and when I walk toward to go past, he nicely gets up, stretches with his long legs out front and lowers his head with a big close mouthed grin and squint while he slowly trots over, so I don't think he's being unfriendly but he will push me and grab at my coat at the arms and jump up a bit. I keep walking, try not to look him stare when he look up at this point but he will keep pushing to keep me from leaving. For the first time, I feel weak..too bad because id like to spend more time with greeting. Instead I'm friendly, speak softly a hello, and then have to tell it to go home when all this pushiness and mouthing is a bit freaky. I think he can tell I'm weak and maybe not an aggressive dog but dominant? Not sure, I bring an umbrella now so I can continue to go on the walk, and meet him, but its not a deal breaker. Thank you for this video! real and not hard edged.

[@scharlaengland3382]

Blessings to you 🙏✌️❤️

[@christinemackenzie5454]

We’ve always had large dogs; German Shepherds, Doberman, Ridgebacks. But we had a 20 year gap of no dogs due to ‘life’ events including surviving cancer. So once we got well we decided to get a companion dog. We made absolutely the right decision.

[@dog_biter]

I run with my dogs in a large wild are near the Niagara river..there's a relatively small man with two HUGE Boerboels that we encountered once, on accident, coming over a large hill. I was very nervous and I'm rarely afraid of big dogs,,but these were so muscled and massive and the man was small didn't say much. They had prong and e-collars on but I cant imagine how he could restrain them if he had to. He said he usually makes sure no one is around ,which didn't put me at ease!

[@alycewich4472]

WOW!

[@teacup3133]

That sounds like one of my worst nightmares!

[@IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

I lived a couple doors down from someone who had two large male dobermans--one huge. Never saw anyone working them and the owner allowed them to run the fence (it was 6 foot at least and solid) in a small back garden. When I would walk my dogs, a small female lab and a large beagle, the dogs would bark at us through the fence as if they'd have us for lunch. One day I was out with my dogs when I realised the dobermans were across the street. They seemed as surprised to spot me as I spotted them. I lifted both dogs over the short iron fence of neighbors yard (my beagle who might normally bark at their barking seemed to know not to say a word) and made my way to the front. The dogs crossed the street at the side of opposite where they lived as we made shelter on the porch and begged the neighbor to let us in. The neighbor did temporarily but told us they were on their way to CHURCH and that we couldn't stay. They also didn't know the name or number of their across the street neighbor (I have the phone numbers of everyone living within a house radius of me). She and her kids believed the dogs were dangerous (not a simple bias against dobermans but these in particular). They abandoned us to the porch. We made ourselves small, hoped the iron fence would discourage them, and the dobermans wandered down the street. We made our escape. I will never ever forget the Christian lady who thought church was more important than our safety (or her fear of what if she left this 40 year old neighbor with her two dogs in her home long enough to feel safe). Mind you, she had her kids hurry to the car even though they were terrified of the dogs, putting them a road's width away from the doberman's she herself thought were dangerous. She was willing to risk them as well to get to Church. I wrote her an excoriating letter and told her if there had been legal remedies for her lack of concern for the welfare of others, I would have taken them. When I was a kid, friends of our family owned two great danes. They lived in the apartments where we lived but spent their weekends on a farm nearby that they owned. We later moved, as it turns out, to a set of an apartments nearer to their farm. One day as I was swimming I heard an announcement that we were locked into the fenced swimming area because there were two great danes on the loose that had attacked a small child. Those dogs, who had always been characterised as gentle, save for the excuses the couple made when one of them bit a childhood friend (I was there and how they described the behavior of children that contributes to biting was not how she was behaving), had killed some chickens they grew up with a week before. Then, they got loose and attacked two moms and their kids picnicking in a field, killing a 6 year old boy; those people experienced an unimaginable trauma. These people had signs that the dogs were a risk. Yeah, better believe that came to mind that day with that Christian lady putting us all at risk when she herself thought the dogs posed a mauling risk. I've never owned a dog I couldn't beat as the creator says (though I've never beat a dog), and I never would.

[@BrentTheGent1]

I live around 200 yards from a stoopid dog owner who has now got 12 dogs of varying breeds. Maybe 2 months ago i was slowly coming back from my local store using my walking cane as usual when i saw a silly little person being dragged across the busy street by a puppy Ovcharka. I could tell the dog was pulling towards me and as soon as i passed them this huge puppy went crazy and lunged at me just missing my arm. I got a real scare and could not help but shout WTF! to which the idiot owner said that her young dog could tell i was a bad guy. As the stoopid owner tried to control the pup which was bouncing up and down like a bear going crazy trying to get out of its leash. I told the woman i was phoning the local police and city dog warden for using an aggressive dog with menaces. They also have 2 Presa Canario that i cal Jekyle and Hyde as they drag her along the street stooped down really low and each time i have seen her with them both are trying to attack any other dog they see. Having so many dogs in a small city 1 bedroom home is mental and she has to take them out all at separate times due to all being of either "Bully breed" or Mollasser.

[@tpartisupporter]

There are probably rules on the county codes about how many dogs one can have. @@BrentTheGent1

[@gardeneroflight]

As much as I hate to admit it, the next dog I get will have to be medium to smallish medium. (I'm just NOT a small dog person) There comes a time when you have to face how all things change with age. It sucks.... but its truth! Have had everything from a 23 pound Beagle mix to a 110 pound Ridgeback ( that girl was my shadow for 11 years and 11 months. Still cry over that dog) Only had two dogs that turned on me. One was middle age and had always been aggressive. (She attacked my elderly Pit mix for no apparent reason. I wouldn't stand for that) The other was a 55 pound total mishmash mutt. Sweet and gentle as could be.... but then started having violent "spell". Turns out he had a large brain tumor. 😢 You never know whats going to happen. You have to be observant AND honest with yourself about things. I've been dogless now for almost ten months (except for a 2 month stretch. I've had a dog(s) since 1984) Its weird, a home isn't complete without a dog. But I will try and choose carefully when I welcome another. Oh hell, who am I kidding? The next dog to wander on to my property will probably stay. 😂🤣 Everyone take care!

[@Barbara-te7xz]

Careful, small dogs can be a tripping hazard. You don't want a broken hip. Happened to an aunt of mine and is common.

[@delivieverytome7368]

@@Barbara-te7xz EXACTLY! At least with a big dog you can see it and use it to stabilize yourself. Three of my berners are so quiet despite being 120 lbs. They come up behind me to be close and if I step back, I lose my balance and end up sitting on them! They don't mind, its just a quick surprise sit, and then I'm standing up again. LOL!!!

[@JanRobG]

Thank you so much for this conversation, presenting “food for thought” and starting a dialogue

[@NameOptional-p9u]

I had a coworker that owned a Catahoula Leopard and she was the sweetest dog. She was a lap dog, she was the "pack mother" dog (my coworker had several breeds) and was always looking after the eldest dog my coworker had. That dog made me think about getting that breed in the future because of how well mannered, sweet, and gentle she was.

[@debbiepalmblad7627]

we are in our late 60's and have a 1 yr black lab to accompany our 9 yr black lab. He has been quite a challenge for us! even tho we have had some type of lab our entire marriage, this one is faster, smarter, more athletic & busier than any ever before. I do know we've changed (more lenient) as we've aged and this pup is probably more highly bred than previous. But we are buckling down by more on leash training when doing chores at home and now a prong collar when out & about in local parks until he listens when excited. I do think we will end up loving him more than any other, but his puppyhood has not been easy and we are having to work harder than with others. I do so enjoy your page!

[@StonnieDennis]

Thank you! Stay focused on moving forward and I’m sure you will be successful!

[@debbiesmith2207]

I used to have GSDs , my "favorite mistake" was a GSD/Malinois mix I got from a rescue. Like Stonnie says, she always acted like she was in a kidnap situation. Even after 14 1/2 months, I always knew if she ever knocked me off my feet I'd be in big trouble. Now, at 65 years old, I have a Golden Retriever. I didn't fully appreciate how strong he is until he resisted getting his ears cleaned.First, I put a leash on him and he dragged me all over the house. Then, I put a harness on him and used my feet to stand on it. He struggled to get away but would never bite me. He just doesn't have it in him. I've thought about smaller less active dogs for when im older, but , settled on this guy to help me stay active. We walk and off leash hike everyday. I'm also training him as a stability dog and to "fetch" things around the house. After watching Stonnies videos on choosing the best breed, I know my next dog will be another Golden, a "show line " Golden That is! I think any dog that has the potential to be a guard dog has the potential to turn on you. I'm not familiar with this breed. I think Stonnie covered the most likely scenarios that lead to the tragedy. Only the survivor can tell what happened.

[@littleninjai222]

Very smart. I too have a black lab puppy that is giving me a hard time (currently 17 weeks), thought I owned a working line GSD. I also have a 9 yr old Yellow Lab that I fostered and ended up adopting before I had already committed to the black lab pup. It has been very hard doing double duty and keeping the apart until the puppy learns proper manners.

[@kuurakarppi7778]

It's possible that the younger lab is one which was specifically bred for hunting. They are usually much leaner and more energetic than the regural lab.

[@DOSU490]

I had to smile at what you said. When our field bred lab was a puppy I remember thinking that maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew! She was dynamite, black fur and razor wire -on springs. We persisted and she’s amazing-about to turn 4 and is a true therapy dog.

[@richardboyce8536]

It was because of advice from you that I took nearly a year and a half researching different breeds before I chose the dog I have now. I chose an English Springer Spaniel. I wanted a dog that I could hunt, loved people and was a good family pet. In the last two weeks I’ve had two bad experiences with other dogs trying to beat mine up. Both dogs were Bull Mastiff’s and neither owner could handle their dogs. I had to grab their dog and stop it from beating up on mine. Both owners looked to be in their early 30’s. I’m 69 years old and weigh 145 lbs. I kind of like the theory that you should choose a dog you can physically take on if things go south.

[@dog_biter]

Springer Rage!

[@TedH71]

Google Springer rage.

[@LCLand]

No kidding. My little havapoo is trying to take me on!

[@home_yes]

Great questions Stonnie. I got a malinois in my late 50’s & he’s a great dog, easily managed on our farm, but he’s my last high drive dog. Acknowledging age, strength, ability is essential as we age. Think next one will be a papillon or chubby english lab

[@Dogwithoutaname]

Im disabled and many dogs and kids have been spooked by my cane, wheelchairs. Thank you for desensitizing them to many types of items,materials,sounds,etc. This is what service dogs learn but I think its important for every dog!

[@marionnatale8230]

I like your style Stonnie…you don’t pull any punches and tell the truth. By the way…beautiful well trained dogs. 🙏❤️

[@dog_biter]

I have two Catahoulas,,both are rescues,l,my female is by far, much more "aggressive" and prey driven,,extremely hard headed, but a total lover,,,I have worked with her for 3 years..there have been many moments when if I hadn't been as strong as I am, she would have barreled off and attacked other dogs..like you've said in your video, Catahoulas remember everything,,they will hold a grudge if you are not to be trusted.

[@rcar9115]

As a middle aged woman, I would not be surprised if this was a case of being in a situation as an older individual and not having the energy to back up what you expect in the proper way and also having a dog that has some sort of block or was particularly dominant. I have had all sort of dogs throughout my life (many of them were on death row for behavioral issues before I got them). I have never had trouble working through issues and getting them right. I currently have three rescued Malinois and one of them can't break out of whatever trauma he went through.The other two are absolutely perfect now. I'm noticing that I don't have the physical stamina that I used to have and he knows it, too. They all get plenty of exercise and mental stimulation but somewhere along the line, this guy has been traumatized somehow. I'm adapting and doing things a lot differently than I used to and everything is working out. Maybe, the people that you are referring to just didn't adjust? It's just so hard to say. *Sorry this is so long. I'm working on my communication skills :D

[@Poohwinkle]

I'm in my late 50's and I've owned 3. I adopted the first one from the ASPCA . She loved all dogs, people and children. 2nd one adopted from a rescue group who was severely abused and neglected. She was indifferent towards people, was food aggressive and would occasionally fight with my other 2 dogs. 3rd one was a hunting dog who became afraid of gunshots after being exposed to a severe thunderstorm, then he was turned into a ranch dog. He took out many coyotes. I adopted him from the rancher because his other dogs began attacking him. Of the 3 I had, he was the one I had to keep an eye on. He did not like small dogs, puppies or anything coming onto the property. He killed possums, raccoons, too many chickens to count and several cats. He would gaurd his kill, which I politely let him do. He was fine with adults but I never allowed him to be around children. Every dog is different. I personally think that every once in a while you get one that's wiring is screwed up. Either because of mistreatment, or genetics. Most people who have the breed love them so I don't think this couple mistreated their dogs. I think it was a bad roll of the dice.

[@Truthseeker-jp4km]

Best informative video I've ever watched on dog training. 🐕 Thank you for sharing your thoughts and wisdom.

[@jakejohnson6120]

I can tell you that even a Labrador retriever can be too much to handle for a family. We had a lower energy lab who passed, but my 53 year old ex-wife got a very high energy male silver lab over two years ago. Even as a puppy he was displaying dominant behavior over her and my teenage daughters. He would growl at all of us and try to wrestle us. I told her this dog was too much for her to handle and recommended that she place him up for adoption. Since he was about a year old, I have been running him while I bike. He can run 15 miles per hour for over two miles non-stop. This has helped calm his personality down no doubt. But the effort needed to ensure he gets exercised is a lot. And I would recommend people strongly consider a dog they know they can handle!!!

[@Kate_Short-For-Bob]

My 10 month old working line fox red Lab is completely tireless. They defo need exercising ! He's in no way aggressive, but you can tell he's got pent up energy galore and is restless and whiney if he gets short-changed on walks for even just a couple of days (like the past few days where I've been a bit ill). But after a good day out in the woods and a play in filth, mud and water today, he's a contented angel. If a dog like him didn't get enough exercise for weeks on end, he'd be a right PITA for someone with no experience. I've always made a point with my labs of just scooping them up in my arms to cuddle them whilst showing them who's stronger).

[@kelleygolondzinier6059]

I also bought a silver lab after my mellow chocolate lab passed. This silver lab is so completely different . He is 18 months now and is tireless. I have worked very hard at obedience training with him because he is very strong willed. I'm 57 and am starting to wonder if I'm going to be able to give him enough exercise. He too can run at 15 miles an hour as my husband drives next to him and he Never quits ! I thought I had 1 more large dog in me before I got too old but I'm starting to wonder.

[@alycewich4472]

@@kelleygolondzinier6059 There's a KZbin channel, "The Asher House" that got some of the silver labs in as rescues.. According to him they can no longer be registered as the color has some inherent issues that cause life-altering problems. Maybe you could investigate to see if the problems you are having are due specifically to his color.

[@jakejohnson6120]

@@kelleygolondzinier6059 ha! I do the same thing sometimes…drive the car while he runs next to it! I live in Minnesota and this is the only way to get that intense exercise sometimes. I have also changed my personal habits and have begun to embrace his high energy and accompany him on hikes!

[@Kate_Short-For-Bob]

@jakejohnson6120 that's exactly WHY I've a working line Lab. Long hikes in the hills. He puts a smile on my face when I'm out with him, and he's exploring all the terrain.

[@TypicalStonely]

I adopted a 2yr old male pure Catahoula, best dog I have ever had! He knew all of the commands and was so obedient. He stayed on our farm property without issue. We did find one issue though that we could never train out of him, he was very attached to me, much more than my husband and anytime an adult would jog or run near me he would become very reactive, growl, bark and go after that person. We had him for awhile loose on 100 acres of farm land and he was great with the farm animals and our children. We trained him to hunt the groundhogs in our fields to the point that while sitting on the back deck, if we saw a groundhog we could just point and say "go get him" and he would take off in that direction and bring it back to show us, and so we could bury it. It was only when I started bringing him into town to walk with my friend and her dog that we had a female jogging towards us that he started growling and went crazy! Luckily I had him on his leash and was able to keep control of him. Later that day we were sitting on her front porch, and Cooper was laying at my feet when another female came running down the sidewalk. As soon as Cooper heard the running footsteps, before he could even see her he started growling and tried to take off. Again I was lucky enough to have snagged his collar before he tried to take off, but her was still snarling and aggressively barking, to the point that the jogger stopped in fear and looked at me to say that I better keep that "thing" tied up! Weirdly the kids all aged between 3 and 11 had been running around all day without Coop paying any attention to them. I tried desensitization and positive reinforcement training and eventually took him to the trainer from the rescue I adopted him from. After the trainer had a hard time breaking him from this he said that he thought it stemmed from some kind of deeply rooted trauma and for safety reasons he advised me to have him put down, they couldn't risk him attacking an innocent jogger. But I absolutely refused, as he was fine on the farm, it really just seemed to be when we were away from home, if he perceived anyone running towards us, he would react. Anyone could approach us while walking and he was fine, as well as anyone could run around at home on the farm and he was fine. The rescue had me sign a waiver releasing them from liability, and I took Cooper home and just stopped taking him away from the farm and he was fine with no issues and lived to 18 yrs old! Best dog I ever had, and he loved to swim!! I think Catahoulas are very deep thinkers with very deep feelings, mine was so eager to please so he was so very easy to train, other than for that one issue. I highly recommend them as working farm dogs, and for people who want a devoted pet. I will say though that they will pick their favourite person, and will prefer to be closest to that person when possible! I miss my Coop sooo much!! ❤

[@tuesdaypatience]

You act like the runner had no right to tell you to keep “that thing” tied up…it’s YOUR responsibility and she has no obligation to love your reactive dog 🙄.

[@swals05able]

@@tuesdaypatienceone of the dumbest responses I’ve ever seen on here and that’s saying quite a lot. You can’t handle someone speaking about their own experience without also reading their mind? Just hush, you have no business typing.

[@cherylcampbell9096]

I agree with you "never own a dog that you cannot whipp." I found that out the hard way. I adopted a male Amstaff and after a couple of weeks, I realized it was too much dog for me. The owner took him back, however, I felt terrible about the situation. I now have a much smaller dog that I can manage:)

[@nanettejames963]

Hi Stonnie, I wish I had stumbled on this video a couple of years ago. My partner and I adopted a "rehome" Catahoula. He is beautiful. However, my partner leaned down to pet him, and he lunged and bit my partner in the face. She had to have surgery on her lip. Thank god she is okay.

[@myboibill]

Thanks stony for another first class video. You are knowledgeable. Thoughtful , articulate abd intelligent. Best dog man on KZbin. I myself have always told friends I don’t keep a dug who could mail or kill me. As I get older I am about at my last did. Still contemplating the breed.

[@mssmssmssmss]

Research some of the spaniel breeds (other than English springers because of the rrputation for "rage syndrome"). For example, field spaniels. They still would be too heavy for some, though.

[@robbiegrant6036]

I've had Australian Cattle Dogs for over 35 years. My current dog I got when he was 2.5yo(shelter/pound) because I knew I just couldn't do the puppy stage again. I'm mid 50's, this is by far the best dog I've owned, but he will be my last ACD. I would like something smaller next time and am researching spaniel breeds, heck I might even get a Black Lab like Uncle Stonnie. But my high prey drive dog days will end with this dog.

[@alycewich4472]

I had Papillons for over 30 years. They're a toy spaniel. Smart, lovable dogs.