#he goes from livestock guardian to like a puppy | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

meowmeowriley · 2 months ago

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Ghost wants a dog. He's thought about it for a while, done some research, put out feelers. He's allowed to have a dog where he live, has a house to himself not five minutes from base. Waste of space, he used to think, but space enough for a dog.

He needs a big dog. He's a big lad. When some people think "big dog" they're thinking of a German Shepherd Good dogs, he's sure. But only 40 kilos, max. He needs something bigger, he thinks.

At first, he thought he'd like himself a Rottweiler. Hefty. Big bodied and boisterous. Easily trainable if you've got the time and the grit, both he figured he had in spades, so long as he wasn't on an op. But then he read about tail docking and, well... he couldn't bring himself to think about it any more. Those poor puppies, he thinks.

He goes home with Soap, visiting the MacTavish farm. They're friends, he wants to see the sheep, he tells Soap. Tells himself. He won't admit that he just wants to spend more time with Johnny.

The MacTavish's have Border Collies to herd their sheep. Practical. Cute, he likes the pups, but much too small for him. Not to mention intelligence to rival the rookies he had to whip into shape on base and tripple their energy. He wasn't sure he'd want to deal with that.

But while out, on their way into town, he saw it. A huge dog standing amongst someone else's flock, head heald high and nose in the wind. Soap knew the farmer from his childhood, drove them up the lane when he caught Ghost staring. Due to his staring, Ghost had missed the sign they passed, though Soap didn't. 'Pyrenees puppies 4 sale' it read.

The farmer smiled when he noticed John, the boy who left the fields to play soldier and came back a man. John introduced him as Lieutenant 'Ghost' Riley. Ghost rolled his eyes and stuck out his hand. "Simon. Saw your dog in the field, never saw one like it. Wanted to know more." A short introduction, straight to the point.

The response was the opposite. The farmer gave him what felt like his life's story. Took what seemed to Ghost to be a year before he got to telling him about the dog, a Great Pyrenees, apparently. A large bodied, heavy white coated livestock guardian breed. He had two, the one in the field was the sire, the dam was in the barn. As he spoke, he lead the two men towards that very barn.

The farmer entered first, to separate the mother from the pups, for their protection, he said. In the barn was a sight that melted the hardened Lieutenant into a puddle of goo: a litter of snow white, fluffy puppies. Huge puppies. Sticks and hay and debris were stuck all over their fluffy bodies, Simon picked out what he could from the pups as they wallered and slobbered all over him.

Soap took over speaking to the farmer as Ghost slowly accepted that he would never again have crisp black clothes. That everything in his future would be covered in white fluff. The life expectancy of his washer and dryer had just been halved, he suspected.

The farmer explained their personality: that females tended to be more protective, they'd be a home body, not exactly a jogging companion. Loyal but brutish, often misconstrued as lazy. The beast out in the field with the flock would lay about and let the sheep climb all over him, wouldn't even bother to get up if someone hopped the fence like. But if he heard a sound he didn't like, or saw another dog or a predator in the field, he'd let loose a bark that'd freeze a man's blood, and hunt the perceived threat down come hell or high water. "And you should see her in action," the farmer laughed and shook his head. "Almost killed the male over getting too close to his own pups. Protective to a fault. 'S why I had to turn her out, you see."

Ghost saw an oversized cotton ball trip over it's own feet as it tried to get to his fingers because it needed to be pet. It was the only one without any tan or grey patch. Ghost saw his future best friend.

The farmer started to explain that these pups ought to be sent off to other farms, they wouldn't do as family dogs, but John walked him out of the barn. Explained that the man they'd left behind had no family to speak of, needed something other than work to focus on, and if anyone were able to handle the instincts and behavioral issues of a livestock guardian without livestock, it'd be Simon. The farmer agreed, so long as he made sure to choose a male, for safety reasons.

The two drove off another twenty minutes later, after Simon had listened with rapt attention to the farmer detailing everything about what the pups had been through up to that point, and what he'd need to do moving forward to make sure his little guy was happy and healthy, Ghost holding young Spirit to his chest.

From that point on all of Ghost's belongings had long white fur and drool on them, courtesy of his personal polar bear.

On the day of their wedding their ring bearer was their own pseudo-bear, and nobody left the venue without drool or fur on their clothes.

#ramblings #a love letter to my own pyrenees #call of duty #modern warfare #ghoap #ghostsoap #soapghost #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish

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doberbutts · 4 months ago

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You've spoken some about the dammage being done by breeding all breeds for a similar temperment. I feel like I've seen this too, people want a dog for the look and then want all dogs to just be companions. Are you willing to talk more about why we don't want all breeds to be chill companion dogs?

Well, I'm not really sure if I don't think all breeds should be chill companion dogs, but I do think all dogs aren't correct being so.

You have to understand, we domesticated dogs not just for companionship but also to help us accomplish tasks. And sometimes, the temperament that helps us accomplish these tasks... make it more difficult for the dog to be a do-nothing couch pet that gets maybe a walk on the weekends. It's not a bad thing, necessarily. Different strokes, different folks. But it does mean that trying to force dogs which are bred to not do that to fit into that mold is not really feasible if we also want the dogs to be able to continue doing the job we asked them to do.

A friend of mine had a great pyr, who she got from someone who kept their dogs the way pyrs are traditionally kept. Outside, with the sheep, guarding the flocks with their livestock guardian bond day and night. She got this dog as a puppy. This dog grew into an adult that was absolutely miserable in the house. Everyone's lives got a lot easier when they fenced their lot and gave the dog the option to be in or out during the day. Suddenly, the dog's annoying and destructive behavior (largely barking and also trying to get outside) disappeared practically overnight when he discovered he could just. Go outside. She had no sheep, she lived halfway to the middle of nowhere, and he was usually found just hanging out on their back porch watching the world go by around him. Occasionally barking if a car came down their driveway (like my mom's car, to drop me off at her house, because we were kids).

The problem is that the thing that makes them really, really good at guarding the sheep can also sometimes make them not so good at being house pets that sleep on the couch. He did not want to sleep on the couch. He wanted to sit outside and watch for predators so that his "sheep"- the humans inside the house- could be protected by him. To take this urge away from him, would also make him be bad at guarding sheep.

I have a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. They, too, were bred to hang out outside all day, helping with various chores as their humans worked on the farm. Sushi's favorite activity is, you guessed it, following me around the yard as I pull weeds and rake up sticks and take a hedge trimmer to my never ending war with woody invasives. She loves when I take her to her breeder's house to chase the sheep or pull the wagon. She goes absolutely bananas in my car when we pull up to a hiking spot to go climb a mountain that day. These are things that make her a good mountain dog.

Now I actually think that Swissies are slept on but otherwise great pet dogs if their needs are met, but I have been part of swissy pet groups ever since getting Sushi and I can see when people have problems with their Swissies as a direct result of their needs not being met. Once again, barking and destruction from boredom. Dogs that throw around their body weight with zero regard to the humans involved. Dogs that refuse to recall, or that make their owners chase them down to come inside. Pulling like a freight train on leash. Chasing down and nipping at running children. These are behaviors that, while annoying in their worst forms, are often stemming directly from instincts that make them good at the job they were meant to do.

Sushi doesn't do any of those things- but then Sushi gets to do fun things that are mountain dog adjacent, so she is able to be a mountain dog without being a bad pet.

As long as we want to have dogs that have jobs, we will also have dogs that maybe don't belong in the hands of those who want chill companions. And, similarly, as long as people's idea of a pet is the most low effort dog ownership possible and anything even slightly more difficult is too much to ask, breeding these working dogs to not work will only result in dogs that can no longer work.

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shadowthorne · 7 months ago

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I guess it's a good time to announce that I got a puppy! We adopted her three days ago. She's fourteen weeks old now, and allegedly a germen shepherd/ leonberger mix. She's already about 30 pounds and huge.

He name is ATV, or Attie for short 💕

She was from an accidental litter on a hobby farm, her momma is an outdoor livestock guardian, so at 14 wks old, she has never been in a house, played with toys, rode in a car, gone to the vet, worn a collar or walked on a leash, or taken a bath, nor is she used to all the sounds that come with city living. She was extremely shut down when she got home, but she's already blossoming and opening up so well!

She's silly, she's sweet and gentle. She has started following me around like a little shadow and she's getting so brave and gaining confidence so fast. We went from having to carry her in and outside, to her walking on a leash the entire way and sniffing and exploring. At first, when she saw someone or something scary, she would try to bolt, now she sits down and looks up at me, sees that I'm calm, and proceeds to watch calmly too. We ran across the same maintenance guy (a big guy in a reflective vest with little flags and a noisy walkie) a couple of times and the most recent time she even gave him a little, covert sniff while we were walking by. So she's doing great!

She's also figuring out that toys are really fun! She likes to gather them all into one place and proceed to play with all of them in turn. She figured out that if she steps on one, it'll squeak, and she squeaks back at it 😂

She's curious about the cats, but afraid of Marble, who gave her a good growl when she first got here, so she's very respectful of his space. They've shared a few covert sniffs when the other isn't looking. Sinn got a little too excited and ran right up to sniff her nose on the first day and she got scared and helped, and he's been taking that personally... But he's venturing out of the room he was hiding in as we speak to observe from that cat tree.

Our biggest hurdle right now is potty training and sleeping through the night. I expected potty training to be rough, since she's lived outside her whole life. What I wasn't expecting is that she would hold it literally until she can't hold it anymore, even if we're going outside every other hour so she can try... She can definitely hold her bladder all night, which is impressive for a baby, let alone one used to peeing wherever and whenever, but it makes it really hard to figure out when she needs to go and how to encourage her to go outside instead of inside. Plus she has no vaccines on board, so we have to be very careful where we take her, so longer potty walks to help encourage her to go aren't an option right now.

The crate is also very scary... She's happy to go in it during the day, but at night she freaks out a little. She's ended up sleeping locked in the bathroom both nights, which isn't the worst set up, and somehow much less scary to her?? She settled down on the tile and goes to sleep pretty fast honestly. So we're feeding her in her crate and giving her treats and toys in there and trying to make that a fun spot for her

#ATV the baby dog #dogs #puppy #German shepherd #shadow's zoo #ignore me

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atiny-piratequeen · 5 years ago

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Character Analysis: Jeong Yunho, ‘Father Earth’

Name: Jeong Yunho

Languages: English, Korean, Gaeilge (Irish), Spanish, French, Dutch, Egyptian (Post Transformation), Arabic (Modern Day), Japanese (Modern Day), Mandarin (Modern Day)

Crew Position: Surgeon/Doctor

Powers: Terrakinesis/Earth (Inherited from Egyptian God, Geb)

Compass Position + Arrowpoint Stone: North Eastern Facing, located on his left hip, Green Zircon

Eye Color: Honey Brown (Natural)/ Ice Blue (Demonic Form)

Hair Color: Brunette (Natural)/ Blonde, Dark Roots (Demonic Form)

Tattoos: A Robin, Cerasee, the Rod of Asclepius, an Amaryllis Blossom, and a Cup of Tea, all across his upper back/shoulder area.

Likes: Animals, Making Fruit Teas, Tending to Gardens, Reading, Capoeira, Cuddling

Dislikes: Greedy Doctors, Bitter Food, Neglectful Authority Figures

*The above artist rendition of Geb used courtesy of the game, Smite

Jeong Yunho.

A kind child from a loving family of four guardians. The son of Lloyd, Robin, Valeria, and Mei, Yunho spent his childhood learning how to make tea, gardens, and medicinal salves from plants, all while learning about the human body and the illnesses that plague it.

His smiling face is a treat for the people in town when he and his parents travel to gather supplies. His kind demeanor and the calm, earthy mixture of floral and fruit scents that cling to him often lead to him being inviting enough to all animals. He can befriend any animal effortlessly, something his mother Valeria often teases lightly about.

Surgeon Jeong Yunho

Having sought out the man that helped save his loved one, Yunho has dedicated himself to both Captain Hongjoong and the entire Utopia crew. He provides emotional and medical support to everyone in their time of need and his office is often an escape from the hardships that come with being out at sea, all with his serpentine friend Atlas usually wrapped around his neck.

Yunho may be one of the few men who are fully in touch with their…’other’ selves, and as such, he’s been looking into the true nature of their powers and where they come from. Perhaps the gentlemanly voice in his head can provide some answers…

-Mythology-

Geb, also known as Seb or Keb, is the Egyptian God of the Earth. He is the son of Shu and Tefnut, and his wife is sister Nut, the Goddess of the Sky. Geb and Nut bore four children; Osiris, Isis, Set (Or Seth), and Nephthys. (Though some myths will credit Geb with being the father to the god Horus, as well)

Though his name apparently translates to “weak one”, Geb is highly respected and often seen as one of Egypt’s mightiest gods. A protector and a guide, Geb has had many instances in his lore where he is often the support to an allied god through their own journey.

Despite being the God of the Earth, Geb also aided the deceased to the afterlife, and would provide them with food along to ease their long journey into the afterlife. Geb’s name is a powerful one, said to be spoken to heal the sick if their affliction was caused by a natural cause such as a cold or a poisonous sting from a scorpion.

Geb’s laugh is also powerful, said that the sound of his laugh alone can cause earthquakes. The god can have his moments (as most others do), where he will seemingly cause strife for his followers, just because it is within his power to do so. From droughts without warning, to being the reason there is a huge, near uninhabitable desert isolating Egypt from the ancient world, Geb was no stranger to flexing his power and causing hardships.

Despite this, he had his kinder moments, such as the fertile lands surrounding the Nile River. Just as he would cause a drought without warning, Geb would also bless followers with bountiful harvests, with a surplus to keep their livestock alive and healthy for day to day life.

In ancient depictions of the two, Geb and his wife, Nut are depicted with him lying below her as she stands above him in the shape of an arc, covering him, but never touching him. Geb is reclining, often with his knee pulled upwards, as a show to represent the intimacy between the earth and sky. His limbs are often metaphors for the valleys, mountains, or hills.

The most common depiction of Geb himself is that of a dark skinned man with a crown. Sometimes his skin is green. This is to represent the fertile soils of The Nile and growth of crops in the area. He is also often depicted with a goose on his head, as it is his sacred animal. He was also said to be able to transform into other birds, leading to the name “The Great Cackler” (which, given his earthquake laughs, watch out with that one-).

He is also associated with snakes, and less common depictions will have him as part man, part snake. In the Book of the Dead, Geb was credited with giving birth to the serpent Nehebkau.

-Power Applications/ Demon Transformation-

When Yunho unleashes his full power, his dark brunette hair will become mostly blonde. His eyes will go from their honey brown color, to an icy, nearly whitish blue color. A discolored triangle appears over his right eye and his smile is elongated, with earthy, root-like veins appearing around his lips and the edges of the triangular mark. He can see better out of his right eye, as his ‘Demon Self’ can see fully from it and assist during combat.

With the uniqueness of still being able to communicate with his ‘other’ self, Yunho is attuned to the Earth and uses his full body for combat. He mixes Hapkido learned from mother Mei and Capoirea learned from his father Robin with his plant powers to attack with every part of himself, using his powers for extra attacks, or to keep himself steady as he goes on the offensive.

Alongside his strong offensive capabilities, Yunho uses his powers for defense, raising thick trees and slabs of earth to block attacks or keep enemies at bay. He also can wrap vines around enemies to crush them, much like a constrictor would do to prey.

When not in combat, Yunho’s plants have a number of other applications, with the most notable being the ability to grow medicinal and essential plants on the ship for his salves and other medical needs. He can also grow a number of flora for his teas or for Yeosang’s food.

Plants also have a natural bioluminescence, and the kind doctor often uses his powers to brighten the normally undetectable light to a degree where they can be used to illuminate his room without the need for lanterns. His plants also have a strong scent, and are used for aromatherapy, thus turning his quarters into a calm room for the crew to freely enter to destress at any time.

Ideally, Yunho fares the best with his powers in an area that is heavily wooded or has little to no man-made structures to keep the destruction levels low. If the area is too dry, on fire, or cold, he has difficulty summoning plants, as they will often be brittle or too weak for attacks, but he can use his more defensive stone-type fighting, or hand to hand to compensate for the potential loss.

-Character Song Breakdown-

All of the main boys have a song assigned to them in the AtT playlist to go alongside their origin chapters. Yunho’s character song is Voices In My Head by San Holo. I will go over some spoiler things, but if you made it this far, you may know this already.

Unlike some of the other boys’ breakdowns, Yunho’s is rather simple. The song was picked as a hint to the fact that Yunho is the first of the boys to interact with his ‘demon’ self in a manner that wasn’t self-destructive.

Impressed by his nature and lack of strong negativity within him, his demon self grants him full control of their powers and as a result of their mutual understanding, he’s actually stuck around instead of being ‘overcome’ by Yunho taking control. As a result, he is one of the only boys that has the ability to still hear the previous embodiment of his powers. Ever since he realized his transformation and relationship with his ‘demon’ self were different from the others, he’s been trying to dissect why exactly he was different from the others and provide aid to the other boys.

He can hear the voice in his head. Get it?

-I've got voices in my head

What to say when all is said?

I'm still try to understand

Sometimes words don't just make sense

-You've got voices in your head

What to say when all is said?

When you try to understand

But my words just don't make sense

-I say, "Don't make my heart ache

Don't make my heart ache now"

I say, "Don't make my heart ache

We'll find a way somehow"

-Character Blurb-

“Breathe.”

“I am, Yunho-”

“No. You’re not. Look at me.”

Yeosang held his head and shook as Yunho lifted his chin, frowning at the tears running down the smaller pirate’s face. He was headed to the galley when he found him crying, curled up on the floor, in the middle of a panic attack. He wiped his cheeks and picked him up, barely flinching as Yeosang clung to his form, biting his lip hard.

The walk to his room was quiet as Yeosang cried. Yunho set him down in his lap, thumbing away more of his tears before he looked him in the eyes.

“Tell me what happened.”

“I had a dream about her and...and…”

“Say no more. Come here.” He pulled Yeosang against his chest and hummed a low tune, rocking Yeosang as he shook. As he hummed, he raised a few plants to his bedside, the vines embracing the wood of his ceiling, drooping down to bathe the two in a gentle glow as the now-neon blooms let out a collection of scents that made Yeosang’s shoulders relax.

The gentle scent soothed him and after another half an hour he smiled and wiped his eyes, kissing the underside of Yunho’s jaw.

“Thanks, puppy.”

Yunho grinned and pulled him back against his chest, moving to lay down with Yeosang still by his side.

“No worries. I’ll protect you, okay? Rest easy, she can’t hurt you.”

Yunho wrapped his long limbs around the smaller pirate, nuzzling his soft hair as he exhaled gently, the earthy scent of the room relaxing both of them.

-M.List-

#fie writes #against the tide #att character analysis #jeong yunho #Yunho

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honeylikewords · 7 years ago

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(I lied, my mind hijacked itself and made yet another essay-long headcanon. Please 🐻 with me, if you catch my drift)

All the children had been raised not to venture too deep into the forest. You had been no exception. But the reasons as to why one shouldn’t step a toe too far beyond the tree line varied from generation to generation. When it was your grandparents’ day, it was simply due to the woods being regarded as part of the great Unknown. When it was your parent’s day, it was due to the increase of skin-changers and other frightening beasties that begin prowling along the area. By the time your generation came, the reasons had changed yet again: The woods were home to one big, solitary beast. “Big as a church,” they said, “with teeth the size and sharpness of hunting knives.”

How could such a being, therefore, be referred commonly as the Guardian of the Wood?

“Because he guards the woods from everyone and everything,” they would reason. “Doesn’t matter if you’re good or bad – he’ll either chase you off or gobble you up. We’re all too impure to enter too deep into his forest.”

But you still didn’t get it.

In your storybooks growing up, guardians were typically fae-like creatures: Beautiful and grand with hushed but nevertheless powerful voices. You had never seen the Guardian of the Wood itself, but the descriptions offered by the older folk definitely made it harder for you to believe that it was anything like the ones you’d read about. And every so often, a low, frightening roar would rumble from the trees, sending birds into a frenzy and causing the livestock to cry out as the ground beneath them quivered and the grass would flow against a sudden gust of wind.

“That’s the Guardian warding off trespassers,” parents would tell their children as the glasses in their homes would rattle. You had been told the same thing, and in enough times and ways so that in spite of your perplexity of the Guardian’s nature, you, too, found yourself steering clear of the brush.

… For a while, anyway.

You were an adult when you’d first stepped a toe into the forest – as in, the very throat of the thing, and not the mouth where enough villagers and a few daring children felt comfortable enough to venture. However, it was not necessarily out of rebellion: It was out of concern.

It was supposed to be just a simple trip to the forest’s edge to pluck the nuts and berries necessary from the surrounding bushes. Just a simple task you had performed many times before. But in the many times before, there were usually others picking alongside with you. Today, being a dreary, rainy day, was not a time where most would even care to be outside if they could help it.

Also, in the many times before, there generally weren’t noises coming from beyond the trees. Heavy, yet somehow airy noises. Like heavy breathing. Your eyes widened as they dared to look upward toward the incline further in. An icy gasp flew about your mouth: You could’ve sworn that you saw the silhouette of – Of what exactly?

Perhaps your paranoia had influenced what you saw, but when you first laid eyes on what you thought you saw, it was enormous. Beast-like in form, even, with clumps of wild hair noticeable against what dim lighting you could make out.

But upon blinking a few times and rubbing your eyes to clear out anything that might have distorted your vision, you found the suspected silhouette to appear different. It was still large, no doubt about it, but it was certifiably less hirsute and less animalesque. In fact, it appeared to be almost like a man. But this confused you: You’d never seen a man of such size before in your life for one thing. But the other thing, the thing that caused you even more curiosity, was the fact that, if it was a man, he was far deeper into the woods than you’d ever seen anyone but the bravest of hunters go. He also appeared to be wobbling. And in the quiet air, your ears could just pick up the faint sound of labored breathing.

Was he hurt? He needed help!

You were considering the pros and cons on whether or not to try calling for the silhouette when the giant thing collapsed unceremoniously. Immediately a cacophony consisting of branches breaking, twings snapping, dust rumbling, and grunts of pain sounded, causing any nearby birds to flee the scene. You weren’t even thinking when you dropped your basket and began making a run for the area where the figure seemed to have fallen. Initially, you were a bit worried: What consequences may follow you entering such a forbidden area, for one thing? If the man really was as big as he seemed, how would you be able to get him out of the area and into the safer pastures before something came to attack the two of you. Would you even be able to find him in time at all?

As you came to rest by a pile of shattered wood, that last question was promptly answered: There, laying amongst the woodsy rubble left by his own path of destruction, was the biggest man you had ever seen… . In more ways than one.

You squeaked with embarrassment, hands flying to cover your widened eyes and burning face. He was naked! What fool goes wandering into the Unknown naked!? You created a small gap between your fingers as you wearily opened your eyes again. If you played it safe, you could spare your maiden vision some too intimate details and at least determine whether the big idiot was alive or not.

Based on the barely noticeable but still present movements of his broad chest, you determined that he was. But he was also very injured. Scars and scratches, both old and new, smeared his body at random intervals. In fact, you swore you saw a bite mark or two along his shoulder and torso. Just what was this man doing before he fell down?

Was he perhaps banished from a neighboring village? You scanned his features for any clue of his origins but found none. Based on the wild mane of dark curls and facial hair framing his face, you suspected that this man had probably not been an openly accepted member of society. Maybe he was a wild man …

You considered taking a step forward but immediately retracted that consideration. Your face crinkled with disgust: He smelled awful. Definitely a wild man. But should you leave him? Should you run to the village and return with help?

You didn’t notice the wild man’s big nose twitch at first, but you certainly noticed it when his eyes flew open, revealing their dark irises. You didn’t mean to release a yip at the sudden movement but it was too late: He now had his eyes trained on you. They weren’t feral, much to your surprise; instead, they were quite focused on you. Much like a regular human being’s.

… A little too focused if you had to say anything, though. And after an awkward eternity of this stare, you had to.

“Uh … Are – Can you understa – … Are you okay, sir?”

He blinked once. Then twice. His dark eyes widened before his massive form jolted upright and began scrambling to gather as many leaves as possible. He said nothing but judging by the little noises he made and the fact that every leaf he gathered served the sole purpose of covering his unmentionables, you took it that the wild man was embarrassed. In fact, him having the decency to cover up made you reevaluate whether or not he was truly a wild man at all.

But as his sudden movements caused his surrounding stench to waft up into a cloud, you put that thought on hold. No amount of groinal coverage was going to mute the smell of rotted meat that slide off of this man’s person. He seemed to notice this as his actions slowed, his big brown eyes occasionally glancing up at you as his furry face began to sink in shame like a scolded puppy.

You tucked your lips in to bite at them with thought. He said nothing.

“Soooo …” you attempted. Nothing. “… You got a place to clean yourself up at or …?”

At this, the man slowly raid his head to stare up at you before glancing back into the woods. Thunder rumbled up ahead before releasing a fat drop of water right on the man’s forehead. It cut a clean line down the splatter of mud on his face.

“Are you okay in there, sir?” you asked from behind the door. He grunted what you thought was a “no.” A small smile graced your features, even though you knew he couldn’t see it. “Okay, well … If you need me, just yell!” As you wandered back down the hallway toward the kitchen, you couldn’t help but mutter, “Or speak at all.” You knew you probably shouldn’t have said it, much less so close to the bathroom, but to be fair he really hadn’t actually said a single word since you’d found him. Not when you offered him your pinafore to wear as you dragged him back into town, not when you scooched him into your house, not even when you ran him a nice, hot bath and gave him a set of nice, fluffy towels to bathe himself and dry off with.

You were beginning to come to one of three conclusions: That he was rude, that he couldn’t talk, or that maybe he just didn’t like talking. You were leaning more towards the latter, given that he didn’t seem to possess any malice towards you, and he at least made the effort of offering you grunts in response to your queries. All except for, of course, who he was. Every time you asked, he would open his mouth by a crack, as if to reward you with the answer. But it was always so fleeting: His mouth would close up, his expression becoming nervous.

But then, he always looked somewhat nervous so far: When you grabbed his hand to lead him around, as he surveyed the streets of village while you ducked corners and took as many scarcely populated routes to your home as possible, as you shoved all his bath things into his arms. You surmised that he may have taken a buster to the head either before or after he fell and that’s why he seemed so scrambled. Maybe if you promised him food in exchange for information, you’d get what you wanted sooner …

You learned the hard way that the man could, in fact, make more than just anxious expressions. The attempt to withhold from him a bowl of stew you’d thrown together fell apart mercilessly when you looked back at him. The expression on his face could have only been worn by the world’s saddest puppy. You could’ve sworn he released a silent “yay” when you gave in and plopped the bowl before him. You sighed through your nose, displeased that your well-thought out plan had failed at the expense of something so pitiful.

Based on the noisy slurping and constant gulping, however, you felt he was pretty pleased with himself. Or your cooking.

Defeated and irritated, you figured the least you could finally do was tend to some of those wounds. Then you gulped: Some of the worst ones lay below the makeshift robe you’d given him. You lived alone, so it wouldn’t make sense for you to own any clothes that would suit him, much less fit him. An old quilt wrapped about his large frame would have to you.

Exhaling quietly, you said, “I’m gonna have to clean some of the wounds a bit better. But some of them are little … beyond what’s typically allowed to be seen. Do you mind, or …?”

At that, the man stopped gobbling up his meal and froze. From what skin you could see encompassed by his hairier features, he was beginning to blush. This, in turn, made you blush.

“Or – or I could not!” you cried, posing your hands in defense. The man, of course, paid you no response but a dark-eyed look over his broad shoulder. You heard the gentleness of his heavy breathing in the moment of silence. Your brows furrowed as you lowered your hands. Was he against it or …?

Turning his attention back to the corner of stew left in his bowl, he raised a hand to the corner of blanket still covering his shoulder before pushing it downward. Soon, his back became bare to you, revealing a host of old white scars and red new ones. Claw marks, bite marks, scrapes and bruises … and a tattoo. A big black cross.

… Maybe he wasn’t as feral as you’d thought.

You gingerly dabbed a cloth covered in alcohol against his back, bracing yourself for the sudden jerks he would likely act upon. To your initial surprise, they never came. You then supposed that, given the extent of his blemishes, he probably experienced far worse than a couple of stings. He seemed far too focused on finishing his bowl, albeit far quieter and more composed than before.

In fact, aside from the occasional grunt of displeasure and the soft hums accompanying his nudging of an empty bowl (clearly asking for a refill), the man didn’t seem to show any signs of true pain. Not even when you had to use a needle to stitch up particularly bad wounds. He kept still and followed whatever instructions you gave. But he still never spoke, even as you asked him if it was okay to be attentive to any of his lower apparent wounds.

No matter where you began cleaning and patching him up, however, any embarrassment you would have had didn’t feel as strong as it normally would have. Your attention kept returning back to the black cross on the man’s back. Maybe he was a monk? Thrown out of the monastery for reasons he could not speak of? Had he been a part of a group of religious zealots before striking them the wrong way and risking banishment?

All these things you wanted to know so dearly. But you asked nothing. You had given up trying to pry an answer from this beaten stranger. Best to just give it a rest. Clean him up, send him on his merry way, and try to get on with life as you had before him.

“D … fd …” It was quiet. Barely qualifiable as a whisper, with only enough strength to just rustle a hair on a mouse. It still startled the bejeezus out of you, causing your much smaller frame to jump back nearly a full foot. It was as your heart calmed down that you realized: He had actually said something! You had to fight the urge to startle him right back by zooming to his side. Composing yourself, you inched closer.

“Excuse me?” you queried quietly. You couldn’t help the excitement tingling within your words. “You said something, yes?” You licked your lips with anticipation. The man said nothing.

You tried not to hide your disappointment, save for a slightly heavy sigh. You returned back to his side in full, once again cleaning the cut against his shoulder than you had been working on. You were about to pluck up the needle to sew this particular cut up when you’d heard it again.

“D…vid …” It was clearer this time. Louder by a fraction. Your breath caught itself in your throat.

Leaning forward, as close to his face as you could get while keeping a semblance of sensibility, you whispered once, “What?” You feared he wouldn’t clam up again. Hoped to the God suggested by the cross on his back that he would, just this once, offer you something to work with.

“M…y … my name … ‘s D… Da…vid …” His voice was low. Deep. Husky from perhaps a lack of use. There probably weren’t very many things to speak to in the wood, especially so far in.

You found yourself finally able to release the breath you had been holding in, causing one of his many stray curls to flutter.

“You … Your name is David?” you asked quietly. The man didn’t speak, but he nodded slowly. You nodded right back. You regained your posture, returning back to your stitching once more, this time with your mind buzzing with a new flurry of questions. But you decided to save them. For now, knowing his name was a good enough start.

i am lost for words and can only publish this as it is because i am. moments from death.

#submission #FAVE #mega fave #SUPER DUPER MEGA FAVE #AHHHH #long post /////#the mute #beorn!au #I AM THIS CLOSE TO LOSING MY MIND MY MAN I AM THIS CLOS E

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rangersdoguk-blog · 5 years ago

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Understanding and dealing with common dog behaviours

All dogs exhibit general canine behaviours patterns. Some dogs exhibit breed-specific behaviours such as extraordinary tracking ability, a heightened sense of territorial, a desire to run or uncanny ability to round of livestock so you find dogs are designed to hunt, chase, kill and eat. Dogs will be dogs and as much as the jobs done by dogs have largely disappeared. Have been replaced by careers as pets or participants in a variety of sport or service jobs but canine predatory instincts are alive and well. If you are looking for help treating your dog’s behaviour issue or just curious about why your dog does what he does. Read our article as it is explained well below. Development of behaviour varies in individual dogs as well as between breeds. Dogs with a high degree of predatory behaviour are a challenge to train, especially if the family includes small children or other pets. Find more in the article about common dog behaviour issues to help you and your pup address some of our canine friends’ behaviour and habits.

Aggression

To say that a dog is aggressive it encompasses a range of behaviours that usually begins with warnings and can culminate in an attack. Aggression is the most common and most serious behaviour problem in dogs. If your dog is aggressive it can get to a point where you seek professional help from behaviourists, trainers and veterinarians. Some of the intense behaviour that aggressive dogs exhibits are a growl, lunging forward or charging at the person with no contact, quick nip that leaves no mark, quick bite that tears the skin, bite and shake. They are so many but most dogs often do several of the behaviours outlined. Most pet owners will discover the aggression behaviour before it goes out of hand and also dogs rarely bite without giving some type of warning. When trying to get answers on why your dog is aggressive find out what is triggering the reaction to give an accurate diagnosis before you can hope to help your dog. Depending on the type of aggression your dog can be cured or managed to a certain percentage. We have several aggression types:

Territorial aggression-some dogs will attack and bite an intruder whether is a friend or foe.

Protective aggression-dogs may show aggressive behaviour when they think that one of their family members or friend is in trouble.

Possessive aggression-many dogs show the tendency to guard their possessions from others.

Fear aggression-dogs do not like fear because a fearful dog may become aggressive if cornered or trapped.

Defensive aggression-closely related to fear aggression but defensive aggression difference is the strategy adopted by the dog. Defensively aggressive dog instead of retreating when fearful they react by attacking.

Predatory aggression-some dogs show canine predatory behaviours like chasing, hunting, grabbing on things or small animals and birds.

Food guarding

Guarding possession is very normal even with dogs, from toys to territorial space to food. These dogs can survive in the wild as they know to protect their own. Some dogs can guard by chasing a person away, or biting you or running away with the item they are protecting to hide. This is considered dangerous especially with children around. The dog might guard food on the table, dishwasher or leftovers and children do not know the warning signs of the dogs. It is advisable for pet owners to feed their dogs in a different room away from kids or outside in their crates. To avoid any harm to your children keep the feeding place outside as it is impossible to prevent the guarding behaviour. With some dogs, treatment for food guarding is tricky. If you try and your dog appears stressed and refuses to eat but guards his bowl discontinue the exercise immediately and seek help from a behaviourist or qualified trainer. Do not punish or intimidate your dog when he guards food.

Barking

Barking is a form of communication from your dog. It can alert you when someone is approaching your house, or your dog needs something. Barking can be a problem if it is excessive. Identify the cause before treating it. Continuous barking form your dog can be a way of getting your attention when he wants food, to play, or want to go for a walk. You can train it to sit instead of barking when he wants something. Some dogs like barking, so your goal should be to decrease barking instead of eliminating it. Dogs have unique barks for different needs like wanting to eat, coming into the yard or wanting to go for a walk. Ensure you understand the bark first to meet your dog’s needs.

Territorial barking- dogs can bark excessively when strangers and animals approach their territory.

Alarm barking- these dogs are more for security watch. They are still and launch forward with each bark. They bark at any and every sound to alert you.

Frustration induced barking-some dogs bark excessively when restricted or confined in a space and cannot move freely.

Injury barking-dogs sometimes bark in response to pain or injury. If this occurs let your dog be examined by a veterinarian in case of any medical needs.

For barking treatment determine the catalysts or causes of the barking to know how to best treat the type of bark. Do not tie your dog’s muzzle closed with rope, cord, rubber band or anything to stop barking as this could be dangerous.

Separation anxiety

Some dogs can show distress by urinating, barking, howling, chewing or trying to escape when left alone. All these show the dogs need to be trained house manners. Your dog might have separation anxiety if when you want to leave it has distress behaviour like drooling, it is chewing on toys and tearing everything. Separation anxiety is triggered when dogs become upset because of separation from their guardians, the people who care and show them love. Escape attempt can be hurtful to your dog especially the exit points. When treating a dog with separation anxiety, the goal is to resolve the dog's underlying anxiety by teaching him to enjoy or at least tolerate being left alone. It is believed that loss of an important person or group of people in a dog’s life can lead to separation anxiety. These mostly is observed in adopted dogs from a shelter because of change of family, schedule, residence or passing of a household member the dog was used to. Counterconditioning might reduce or solve the problem where the fearful, aggressive reaction of the dog is changed to a pleasant, relaxed one by putting the dog with the person it fears in a place it loves or with an object that the dog loves. Over time the dog learns that whatever he fears actually predicts good things for him.

Whining

Dogs mostly when they are seeking attention or want desired objects from their owners. Dogs can whine during greetings, it is brought about by excitement and may be directed at dogs or people. Some dogs are submissive and when adopting a submissive posture, for example, head down, tail tucked will whine a lot when interacting with people and other dogs. Separation anxiety can contribute to whining. If your dog does not want to be left alone it will whine. Injury can cause whining and if you notice this in your dog take her to the vet to rule out medical causes. Whining can be reduced by building your dog confidence. Try taking her to an obedience class that use reward-based training techniques. In dog training UK in just three weeks you will be able to see 98% success rate with your dog obedience level. The consistency behaviour and training will give you good rewards. They have a team of lady trainers who can care for your dog or puppy regardless of whether it is small or large, timid or bold. They are just a phone call away. Check their website for more details. http://www.dogtraininguk.com/

Howling

Howling is one of the many forms of vocal communication used by dogs. Dogs how to attract attention, to announce their presence and make contact with others. A dog can howl due to separation anxiety if left alone by its owner for a long time and can be distressed. The dog can howl if hurt or sick. If the howling is more than usual visit your veterinarian to rule out illness or injury before any treatment. If the dog howls because of a trigger, remove the trigger and the howling will stop unless the trigger is frequent. You can also use desensitization and counterconditioning to help your dog learn to be quiet. Some dogs howl because they are lonely, especially if left alone for long or are kept outside. Dogs are social animals like human and need love and attention and if your dog howls try to spend more quality time together to stop this behaviour, bring him indoors often and play with him to reduce the attention seeking tendencies. Take him to a fun training class that focusses on rewarding good behaviour. Several organisations do this: Kindly check the websites for more detail. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers was founded in 1995 by John Fisher to offer pet dog owners a guarantee of quality when looking for a puppy and dog training class in their area. The APDT UK are proud of the fact that they assess all members according to a strict criterion which ensures they have appropriate skills to teach dog training. They are required to keep their education up to date and adhere to a Code of Practice. Training dogs has changed a great deal in the last few years. It is no longer necessary, or acceptable, to use harsh methods in training, and the use of gentle, motivational methods are as successful as they are enjoyable to use. Dog owners looking for local trainers can check their local area listing on this website. For more information check http://www.apdt.co.uk/ In fun dog training-Dogs need to know when they are doing the right thing and fun dog training ensures this is done by their numerous dog activities, and one on one training. Training is done through playing and made fun for your dog. For more details check http://fundogtraining.co.uk/ When you must leave your dog home alone, be sure to leave him plenty of attractive toys to chew and play and he will enjoy. Check out our dog toys selection.

Biting and nipping

Puppies like playing a lot and chewing on things. They want to discover more in their lives and use their mouth and teeth to this benefit when investigating. As puppies slowly develop into bigger breeds they begin chewing, biting on your hand, limbs and clothing start becoming dangerous instead of pleasant. Train your puppy to have good mouth behaviour and bite gently when playing with it. Encourage more non-contact form of playing such as fetch and tug of war instead of hand biting or wrestling. This will encourage him to look for toys when he feels like mouthing. Keep plenty of attractive toys for this at home. The canine behaviours are many our article has just highlighted a few. If you have questions you can contact us for more details and directions for more information pieces you might want to read about. Some treatments of dog behaviour might require the help of a professional certified professional dog trainer (CPDTS) and the websites in the article have more information on the help they offer, just have a visit at the pages and get assisted.

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josephkitchen0 · 7 years ago

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Adding New Dogs Into an Existing Livestock Guardian Dog Pack

By Brenda M. Negri

In my previous article (“The Aging LGD: Caring for Senior Livestock Guardian Dogs,” sheep!, September/October, 2017, p. 36), we saw how important it is to bring in younger dogs to replace elder Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD) before “old timers” get past their prime.

Many operators incorrectly start their LGD experience by purchasing, training, and using just one dog at a time. They usually find out sooner than later, they should have bought two dogs or more to start. To be used successfully as guardians of livestock, LGDs should be run in pairs or more.

A ravenous wolf pack or bear will make a short order meal of just one LGD. Bottom line: There’s strength in numbers.

Eventually the shepherd realizes he must add more dogs but often is afraid to, or confused on how best to do it.

I’ve run as many as 25 adult LGDs at one time. That’s an exceptional number of dogs to be running together safely and cohesively as a family pack. It has offered me a wonderful opportunity to learn about canine pack life, canine body language and understand dogs more deeply.

In my dog pack, lactating females will often assist in babysitting litters and allow pups from another litter to suckle them. Puppies mingle with adults and other litters. There’s very little conflict and no separation of dogs in a well-adjusted pack.

This depth of intermingling is similar to what’s seen in wolf packs. It only comes about when a domestic dog pack is a content and confident family unit. That comes about when owners, in the role of pack “parent” and leader, trust their dogs.

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The Pack as a Unit

A pack provides support, security and psychological and physical development for growing pups. It also provides safety for all, from newborn pups to aged, elderly dogs. The shepherd must understand that the groundwork for adding a new canine to an established LGD pack begins with preparation that starts long before the new pup arrives.

The biggest problem I see with LGD owners today is that they’re afraid to trust their dogs. One often fails to grasp the true nature of a Livestock Guardian Dog breed, good specimens of which are highly intelligent, perceptive and work heavily off of their innate nurturing instinct. They don’t need constant obedience commands and direction from the owner.

It’s all too natural for human beings to feel responsible and to micro-manage and over-control one’s guardian dogs by issuing commands for the simplest tasks. A command to go through a gate for example, instead of using direct, simple body language that would facilitate the action in an easier, straightforward manner: If we fail to trust the dog, the dog never trusts us. It’s a vicious circle and causes confusion, multiple training issues, and other problems.

An older Great Pyrenees male tolerates and protects a young Pyrenean Mastiff pup. Acceptance like this from an adult male is the norm in a stable, family pack of LGDs.

Dog Adding Tips

From years of experience, here are my tips on how to successfully add new pups or adult dogs to an established pack of LGDs:

1. Buy and use only legitimate LGD breeds.—This cannot be stressed enough. Purchase only legitimate LGD breeds or crosses of LGD breeds. Not much need be said about this obvious fact to the experienced or lifelong shepherd, who knows what “real” LGDs are—and what they aren’t.

However, there are squadrons of relative neophytes in for example, the hobby farming world who are convinced their “Samoyed x Great Pyrenees cross” or “Labrador x Chow cross” is a “legit” LGD. They aren’t. And they can pose serious threats to livestock because of prey drive and lack of guarding instinct.

Risky crosses like those and others have no place in a guardian dog pack and cause more problems than they solve.

2. Respect the dog family pack dynamic.—A healthy, working dog pack is a family. It’s not stagnant. It changes through aging, births, and deaths. That’s what makes adding a pup or an older dog possible and totally natural. It’s not based on an “alpha” ruling the pack.

3. The shepherd as pack parent and leader, not “alpha.”—The “pack parent” (that is, the owner, who is also the leader) sets the tone that will determine if this is a content, confident, well-adjusted family pack of solid, balanced dogs, or a dysfunctional family of frightened, confused dogs, afraid of their own shadows, afraid to be touched by humans, and suspicious of and aggressive towards any new additions. (Recommended reading material at the end of this article has a lot to say about this).

4. Owner as wise, benevolent leader.—A strong pack leader doesn’t bully or raise his voice. He speaks to his dogs in a normal tone. A strong pack leader is calm, confident, quiet and respectful. There are no “alpha rolls” or the use of cruel gimmicks like PVC pipe “yokes” or shock collars.

Adding to a pack can be done with little if any drama and stress when a shepherd practices compassionate and magnanimous leadership. It’s important to be a part of their pack family, not a harsh disciplinarian who only commands and rebukes.

5. Understand and correctly interpret canine body language; learn how to use it to communicate with your dogs.—Body language, tone of voice and facial expressions from the shepherd will be what sends the right (and wrong) signals to dogs.

Shepherds need to learn to understand their dogs’ body language and be mindful of the signals sent by their dogs and by themselves.

Don’t know about canine body language? It is fascinating. Learn about it, because understanding it can make all the difference between failure and success with LGDs.

Books highly recommended for learning about canine body language are included at the end of this article.

6. Importance of patience and trust.—Give all dogs time to adjust. And be willing to adjust expectations. Be flexible and understanding.

This means letting go of controlling and micromanaging every move the pup or the pack makes during introductions. Let the dogs show what they can do on their own. Give the dogs the freedom to move around and send the right body language to each other in order to effect a calm introduction with the new addition.

Many people fail to trust their dogs, and by not trusting their dogs, in turn their dogs do not trust them.

The shepherd must trust his dogs, and the dogs must trust the shepherd, or it is all for naught. Remember LGDs are independent thinkers of a nurturing nature, that by instinct protect stock from predators. Learn to trust that instinct.

7. Timing is everything; bring the new dog in on a calm day with as few distractions going on as possible.—Choose a day when the weather is calm (i.e., no howling winds, extreme heat or cold, storms, etc.). Pick a day for introductions that is not rife with special projects, visitors to the farm, drama or work pressure. Choose the best time of the day, based on when dogs are rested and not overly exhausted from working.

8. Chose an open area in which to make introductions.—Dogs will feel uneasy and trapped in a small, closed-in area and may have the urge to flee. Bring the new pup or dog into an open space area of the front yard or barnyard that’s open and clear when bringing in the new pup to greet the pack. Don’t begin introductions against a building or a wall or in a corner. Make sure that any dog in the pack can easily move away or leave at leisure without running into a closed gate or a wall that impedes its exit.

9. Sit down.—One of the most efficient ways to show dogs calm and trust is to use the right body language. Grab a chair and sit down in the open area during introductions; this powerful calming signal will assist in relaxing the pack and the owner.

10. Let the pack come to the new addition.—Don’t take the pup to the pack. Let your existing dogs come to the new pup on their own time and terms. Most dogs will immediately, if not very soon, come investigate a newcomer in their world. 11. If a reprimand is needed, try my “Mr. Miyagi grunt.”—In the popular movie The Karate Kid, Pat Morita plays Mr. Miyagi, the humble, unassuming black belt karate master who teaches his protégé, “Daniel-san” the martial arts. I have a special way of rebuking my dogs here, a deep, short guttural growl, or as I refer to it, “my Mr. Miyagi Grunt”—the deep guttural noise Morita made in the movie when admonishing Daniel-san.

Learn how to tell a dog it has done the wrong thing by using what I call “the hard eye”: Staring firmly at the dog, in the eyes, with a hard gaze. Combined with the guttural grunt, my dogs know this means business and stop immediately what they are doing that merited the scolding.

12. Adult dog additions to an established pack are where the owner’s calmness, trust, and previous groundwork will pay off.—I reinforce trust in my dogs by letting the new dog intermingle with the pack immediately. No separation for hours, days or weeks, no tethering up and no kenneling apart from the pack. This requires trust on the part of the shepherd.

Learn to let go and trust; for some operators, this is very difficult to do, but makes all the difference in the world. Do not micromanage or try to control every move the adult dog makes.

Understand that ritualized aggression—that is, play-type aggressive behavior that’s played out under strict rules of engagement within a pack of dogs, only goes so far. Allow pack members to exercise this right. If aggression between the pack members and the new dog goes too far, step in with “the hard eye” and a “Mr. Miyagi grunt”.

13. Once the new LGD has met the pack and it is obvious they are accepting the new addition, allow the new dog to accompany the others to livestock.—The owner needs to go into the livestock with the pack.

Take a walk with the pack around the perimeter of the paddock or field. Do this at least once daily, preferably more, so the new addition understands what its new turf is and knows that the shepherd is part of the team.

Encourage the new pup when it shows affection with livestock, with positive reinforcement. Keep it casual, let the dog meander and explore with pack members.

Fresh from Spain, a Spanish Mastiff pup is allowed to mingle with a litter of Pyrenean Mastiff puppies, and several adults. She adapted immediately.

Summary

The shepherd’s current pack of dogs and how they were raised from puppyhood will dictate success or struggle in bringing in new pups and dogs. The time to begin planning for new arrivals is before the operator needs more dogs—not the day they arrive.

Build that foundation of trust with patience and respect.

Take the time to learn and use canine body language and how to communicate using physical signals to dogs.

By doing advance work, the shepherd can make adding dogs to an existing pack a “non-event” instead of a stressful drama.