Close Call

[madman4570]

Had a close one last night.
After taking the dogs on a hike about 6pm for about an hour or so(started raining)came back and cleaned Charlie(yellow Lab)off because he was all mud from being in the creek.

Just barely got this done(now its totally dark and raining like all get out)can hear him scratching at the glass on the sliding door.
Now, Charlie just loves going outside and when he scratches like that it doesn't always mean he has to go to do(doggy do)

I tell him "come on Char,lay down" nope he whines and keeps scratching.(and it's really raining)
Ok, grab the rain jacket/flashlight and tell wife will be right back. I leave the gun it's pouring and I am thinking this should be quick.

Out the door we go,I got him on the Flexi-leash and have my Maglite. soon as the door opens he about jerks me off my feet.
He runs around the yard next to the house nose to the ground while trying to pull the stuff out of me.(anyone that owns a big lab knows how they pull)he pulls me over to the metal dog run that is 40'X 12' X 6' high which on one side is attached to the house.

With Charlie we usually don't use it because he when wanting to come back in chews on the house and jumps/slams against the walls.(he's young ,were working on him )

When I get over by that area,I hear this faint sound like something brushed against the fence?(shine my light-- nope)
Charlie is right up against the fence growling,I double check----Nothing?
Because we usually don't use this area for our dogs and half of it has a nice concrete slab,I had my Yamaha 250 dirt bike and my big ATV dump trailer parked there on the slab.(cover over bike) dump cart tilted up.
The dog keeps freaking out,it's pouring,I say ok---hurry up come on in see there's nothing.The door on the dog run is a self closing door/gate and around that area of the metal door posts there is some spacing but not small enough that Charlie could fit through.

The door opens and Charlie is off sniffing the ground huffing/popping his cheeks etc.pulling like a madman.
Door closed behind us.we get down to the other end of dog run where bike and tilted up dump trailer is.WHAM!
The dog sounds like Cujo and I see this flash of light brown.Charlie is so fast for a 90lb+ dog its insane.
Dragging me after he hits the end of the leash,bang he hits the house and I hear this screech,and then right towards me this flash and bang right in the leaned up trailer is this growling.(ITS A FRIGIN BOBCAT)
I let go of leash,Charlie while slamming into cart and bobcat takes off again Charlie (knocks motorcycle over)going after the big/bad mean kitty.
Screw it,I head towards to door and wham the bobcat finally scales the 6ft fence door.Gone!
All Charlie had was a couple long scratches on his right side along belly,and several small ones on nose.(just put a few marks on bike)
Even if I had a gun, don't think I could have shot it without getting the dog or house? Close call!(Big bobcat)

[.45colt]

Glad to hear that You and the Lab are O.K. just another reason that I have got to get another Dog.

[Pitchy]

and bet ya didn`t sleep much the rest of the night. Glad it ended well.

[J Miller]

Poor kitty ...... mean old dog probably scared him out of one of 9 lives

Joe

[madman4570]

The difference whats blows my mind is the difference in a breed of dog.
That dog run I originally had built for my two Dobermans(red)that were brother/sister(brother was fixed)
People think Dobes are intimidating etc.
But this male Lab (IF,he wanted to)could kill both Dobes in a NY minute.(He is just so much physically superior)
This dog will kill anything that poses a threat.

Back when the Dobes stayed in the run part of the day(we had a special dog house built for them,and on several occasions had just a plain old barn cat get in their house,and the Dobes couldn't get them out???? (I had to use a broom)

My Lab??? would kill that cat in 5 seconds!

[Blaine]

I'm glad you had a good friend along My little terrier is fearless, which is going to get him hurt someday...he will, and has, ripped into big dogs that were aggressive towards one of his people.

[gak]

My Lab??? would kill that cat in 5 seconds!

I hear what you're saying, but...might exact quite a toll on him! They say there's *nothing* like a cornered bobcat (maybe a badger is right up there)...and that, like your Lab, a mountain lion could take the bob too--sheer mass and strength--but more often than not would choose not to, especially if it didn't absolutely have to!

[2ndovc]

Glad everyone's ok.

Labs are a lot tougher that most people think. Mine was the most docile girl but
she had her limits and she was big and very strong.
My former inlaws had a young and slightly aggressive husky and a really big dog.
She liked to push my dogs around until one day I hear a squeal and turn to find
my lab has her down and by the throat and wont let go!

All i said was "Tasha, no" and she let go. Didn't hurt the husky but she never bothered her again!

jb

[madman4570]

My Lab??? would kill that cat in 5 seconds!

I hear what you're saying, but...might exact quite a toll on him! They say there's *nothing* like a cornered bobcat (maybe a badger is right up there)...and that, like your Lab, a mountain lion could take the bob too--sheer mass and strength--but more often than not would choose not to, especially if it didn't absolutely have to!

That one meant the barn cat! The bobcat---------they are indeed TOUGH! (and actually per lb those little barn cats aint nothing to sneeze at.



Joe,
Now, was that before or after the bobcat almost scared me too death??????????

[gak]

When my folks lived out in the desert, we had two half bobs (the other half Maine Coon and Persian, but were pretty big, had the big feet, great spots on the chest and ear/face tufts). They were real pussycats but great jackrabbit hunters and rattlesnake killers (but only after one learned by getting nailed in the armpit "toying" with one when young (first strike), and I wouldn't have wanted to cross them. Our Springers didn't quite know what to do with them as the bobs wouldn't give flight, but fighting was out of the question! Funny to watch the dogs just stand there nervously when the cats insisted on rubbing up against their chest. More than one time got a face-full of claw when they backed off!

This video's been played before but it's great and I couldn't resist--so reminiscent of our bobs.
rtsp://v7.cache4.c.youtube.com/CjgLENy73wIaLwneFYcCZyfzFBMYESARFEIJbXYtZ29vZ2xlSARSB3Jlc3VsdHNg-veBsOSbnphODA==/0/0/0/video.3gp

[J Miller]

madman,

There is nothing more startling than the sudden shriek of a terrified, mad, hurt, or just PO'd cat.
We have one little bitty female that when she get cornered by one of the others she makes more sudden noise than a car with locked up tyres.

I suspect your encounter with the bob cat cost both of you a life. Your dog probably just thought it was all in good fun.

Joe

[madman4570]

Think your right!

[jeepnik]

You know, folks that haven't seen a bobcat in action would never believe the damage they can do in a very short time. I'm glad you and your dog got out rrelatively unscathed. Had that cat decided to stand it's ground, Charlie would be lucky to get out alive. And I'd hate to think just what it could do to an adult man if cornered. They, like all cats become a whirling blur of teeth and claws, shredding and biting anything within reach.

[Mac in Mo]

Make sure to keep a very good eye on those scratches. Maybe even take him
to the vet. I nearly lost my dog several years ago when he got ahold of a stray neighbors cat in our yard. The other neighbors heard the commotion and saw my dog with the cat pinned down, when they yelled at him he relaxed and the cat jumped up and after some vicious slashing ran off.
I tended to the scratches on his face and thought everything was OK. I told the neighbors to mind their business, because I have a problem with cats running loose everywhere and killing everything in sight(another topic for another day). My boy was defending his yard.
Several days later I come home and can't find the dog. I locate him inside his house, covered in blood and fluids, seems to be near death. Get him to vet and the cat had scratched him in the underbelly and through the thick fur, I had not seen the wounds and they had festered up very fast. He pulled through, barely, and we had to pay a pretty penny in bills for numerous visits for several weeks after.
I felt horrible and felt that I had let him down by missing the cuts that got infected. I found out who owned the cat and confronted her, she never owned up to it, and I couldn't prove it was hers to any legal standard, but the circumstantial evidence was good enough for my liking. She won't even look at me to this day. The cat continued to run loose for a few more years and I got PO'd every time I saw it. At any given time we have cats running loose from several different neighbors, I don't get that.
That cat scratch fever is some bad stuff. I don't know if bobcats can cause it but I wouldn't play it cheap.

Kevin

[hightime]

Just got this one on the game cam.

Owen

[Malamute]

Um, sounds like much of the problem was the dog dragging you into the trouble.

I've had dogs that pulled badly. I bought a pinch collar (the individual links with the prongs that go in) for a large Malamute cross that would pull my girlfriend off her feet, and almost did me several times in snowy conditions. Jerking to brake him didn't get his attention, simple bracing and stopping certainly didnt, but working with the pinch collar did. I simply won't tolarate a dog that pulls severly, its dangerous. I rarely even have my dogs hooked up, but when I do they are not allowed to pull hard. Training starts all over if they do, a fun walk becomes a tedious training walk, they remember quickly. A dog that pulls badly can pull you off your feet, into traffic, disturb your aim, or any number of things.

Glad things turned out as well as they did.

[Warhawk]

I used to do a lot of coon hunting when I lived in Kansas. I had a little female Walker that we couldn't break from running bobcats. Thing is, she was so fast on track that she would usually tree the kitty. And they were worth a lot of money.

One night there was snow on the ground and she took off after one. We got most of the dogs caught and only her and my big male Walker Flint were still on the bobcat's trail. Pretty soon they treed, the little female was not a fighter but Flint was. I took one shot at the treed bobcat, turns out it was a superficial hit (22 pistol) in the left front leg (I was shooting for the chest and hit an inch or two low). The kitty bailed out of the tree, Flint grabbed it and the fight was on. A minute or so later the bobcat was dead, and Flints head, chest and front legs were covered in blood. I was prepared for a long night doctoring my hound, but he only had a few scratches, it was the bobcats blood.

Here's the cleaned up kitty.


And this is Flint (on the tree with the little female Annie behind him)

[Blaine]

Good looking hound....

[cz93x62]

Bobcats are the real deal--not to be messed with, for certain.

[madman4570]

Um, sounds like much of the problem was the dog dragging you into the trouble.

I've had dogs that pulled badly. I bought a pinch collar (the individual links with the prongs that go in) for a large Malamute cross that would pull my girlfriend off her feet, and almost did me several times in snowy conditions. Jerking to brake him didn't get his attention, simple bracing and stopping certainly didnt, but working with the pinch collar did. I simply won't tolarate a dog that pulls severly, its dangerous. I rarely even have my dogs hooked up, but when I do they are not allowed to pull hard. Training starts all over if they do, a fun walk becomes a tedious training walk, they remember quickly. A dog that pulls badly can pull you off your feet, into traffic, disturb your aim, or any number of things.

Glad things turned out as well as they did.

Kevin,

Yes, I will keep an extremely daily close eye on his whole body.
It "appears" like his nose has scabbed over already and his 3 long scrapes are healing ok)no redness etc.)
We cleaned any marks and applied Polysporin ointment right after it happened.
Thanks!


Malamute,

ya, its partly my fault---I kinda have a thing about how hard he pulls.Thing is he doesn't usually cheat it(I mean he doesn't lunge taking uo slack and jerk) he just pulls like no dog I have ever walked??? Its insane.It should not be so.

Example: couple months ago was at my brother-in laws.He has a absolutely level couple hundred foot concrete driveway.His brother(that lives next door to him) has a male Jack Russell and he brought it over.His dog when he got over to us started to sniff my dog(everything seemed OK)then he sniffed me---my dogs hair along his back immediately came up and he started with this low deep growl and raised his lips.(I said, ya better grab your jack cause of my dog).I told Charlie "no" but he still was kinda doing it.
He took his dog back home.

So we got talking about dogs and about how this dog pulls. I said can we try something? Do you have a piece of nylon rope about 15ft long ,a piece of bread,and a some peanut butter?
He said,let me check----came back with a long rope(he cut off 15ft)and his wife brought out bread and peanut butter and a knife.

I said to him here hold the dog(tight)and got in and moved the Ford Escape back away from the carport back about 75ft in the driveway.(tied the rope to my front end)put it in neutral(its a 5 speed)called Charlie over and tied his wide black nylon collar to it(not the choker)went back grabbed the peanut butter/bread/knife and went back to Charlie,I slobbed on a great big huck of peanut butter on the bread and then gave him a bit of it from my finger which I swiped off from the bread.Walked back about 30ft and said "Hey,look peanut butter and set it down" come here get it"
He walked up towards it till rope tightened sat down and looked at it.he barked,I said "get over here"get it"
He stood up and started pulling,it took about 4 seconds and my Ford Escape started rolling
Next thing I know he is chowing down on it. We just laughed. I said,told you he can pull.
About a week later,get a call.It's the brother-in law he said(hey,I looked up dogs and pulling and I think your dog pulled as much as the dogs that pull at those contest and they even use a chest harness,not just a collar.(think he said, on a level concrete slab the dogs that pulled up to 100lb weight class pulled 3000lbs on a rubber wheeled trailor.

I looked up what my escape weighs(3312lbs)

I knew that was a good dog when I got him as a pup.
Both parents were on site and came from Deer Lake,Newfoundland)The father was huge(about 120lbs)not an ounce of fat(mother was about 90lbs)
The owner was born and lived most his life in norhern Quebec (last name was poireau) think he had his green card? and said these are the strong Labs?????

First time we went there(you should see where they live)this huge yellow dog runs up to our Maxima with a deerskin in his mouth growling at us through the car window.owner came out and yelled "Molson" OK and the dog dropped the skin/sat down and the big burly guy said---its ok now"
I told wife----were getting one of these dogs!

I asked him "what's better male or female"? They had 4 males and 3 females(all beautiful)
He said with a french accent " Don't matter much to me "what ya get,all I can say is the male when I call him---he comes.
And with him we don't have no other dogs crapping on our land. $1000 either sex(firm)
I chose the biggest male pup. They put a blue collar on him,next day brought daughter up(was suppose to be her dog)she goes to College and gave her a chance to change her mind which pup----she said you did good Dad---that's the one!
Sold!
This 8 week old dog rode back on her lap for 125 miles and never pee'd or anything on her.He has done wewe in all 2 times in house since 8 weeks old (first week)and has NEVER/EVER once crapped in the house,or lifted his leg.

I will next year find a suitable female/breed them and take the biggest male and name him after his Grandfather(Molson)

Daughter says I am obsessed with this dog(its your dog dad)so she bought a Standard(the big one)apricot poodle.