1/2: Neato doggo thing happened today. German Shepherd escaped from a house two streets up, and everyone on the neighborhood phone chain was on alert because GS has a *bad* reputation in re: humans. He darted out while recently hip-replaced tenant was being wheeled in through garage. Anywho, long story short...
GS owners and duplexmates found doggo in my back yard. We were eating extra sharp cheddar cheese (from a block) on my back steps, as one does.
Doggo's name is Hawk. He is mah fren...
2/2: ...and likes cheese. He ran over to his pet humans when they got out of their truck. They were very glad to see doggo and everyone else was okay. I received permission to wander by and visit when I am out of my walks, seeing as how I do see Hawk frequently in the fenced-in back yard on my way by.
So yeah. Nifty doggo thing happened.
@thedisasterautist
These are my daughter GS's. I helped raise them as pups. They once or twice ran off to the neighbors and guess what? Made friends and got cheese for snacks until returned home. 😂
@CinnamonGirlE: Hawk apparently is widely considered a menace. Basically, he really does look and act like he will not only kill you but all your friends when he's in the house or back yard and sees you. He's also a runner, every chance he gets, apparently despite the Invisible Fence and such.
He saw me from the alleyway behind the house and barked a lot. I went inside, got the cheese, and came back out. I ate some cheese, talked to him and approached him, which confused him. The cheese...
@CinnamonGirlE: ...spoke to him more convincingly than I, and he relaxed. We were hanging out for maybe five minutes before Robby, his gf, and their duplexmates came by.
Hawk is a little jumpy, yes. He's a rescue and had a hard time adjusting. He is *extremely* loud. I figure that like a lot of doggos he reacts poorly to humans' often sudden fearful reactions and body language to his presence. Doggos don't tend to worry me, and I don't tend to worry them. So we usually get along, even the...
@CinnamonGirlE: ..."attack dogs" and "problem dogs", even most strays and wild doggos. (Gotta treat them more like you would wolves and coyotes, more cautious and more space... and quieter.)
@thedisasterautist
Yes. It's a sense they have. And a respect we must give them.
@CinnamonGirlE: They're cagier, more led by non-domestic instinct, don't make as much noise indicators, and have a more sensitive fight-or-flight trigger.
@thedisasterautist
Yes. The cheese will do it. Stella and Stevie would run through the electric fence if the batteries were low enough. And then just run to whatever nearest neighbor would feed them. Big pet babies. But 2 German shepards, especially a kind of militant acting one (just by birth) and I could see they could be terrifying. Thank goodness they never have made even an attempt to hurt anyone.
3/2: Also, I am now on the neighborhood phone chain.