eric Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Seems like we talk about our non-music lives quite a bit on this forum. Pets in particular. I know some folks are dealing with recent pain having lost their pets and I had a doozy of sorrow last fall when we had to put our beloved dog, Molly, to sleep. I had shared this story with you guys. I'm happy to report that our family got over the grieving and we have recently adopted a new homeless friend to become part of our brood. I don't have many great photos yet, but let me introduce you to Rocco. He is a 2-year-old Australian Shepherd (blue merle type) that we saved from a local shelter about 2 weeks ago. He is extremely smart and well-behaved. We feel very lucky to have found him and he seems to love us quite a bit.
ITGITC Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Congratulations Rocco. Eric will make an excellent pet. "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
Joe Muscara Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 "Actually, this is what I came for. Look at all these dogs. I love the little mutts. I love them to be stacked up high." "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI
Mike Davis Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 We have friends who have an Australian Shepherd. He's an extremely cool dog. And the 'shepherd' part is for real. At parties at their house, he's constantly trying to herd people into a circle. He'll even nip at your heels a bit, because, well, that's his job. You're gonna love him.
Dave Horne Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Congratulations! MIDI? USB? No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments.
eric Posted September 1, 2008 Author Posted September 1, 2008 Yes, he is quite the herding dog. We were told by some friends that have a border collie (very similar breed) that these pups need to have a JOB. We have not fully established that JOB for Rocco, but he has been having fun herding the kids and also running these crazy obstacle courses they build him in the basement! I kid you not, they create these things with multiple jumps, ramps, duck-unders and the dog learns it in 2 minutes and can repeat it over and over. Very entertaining. Here's another shot of Rocco and E.
scottasin Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Congrats Eric! Just from experience, Australian Shephards are THE most annoying dogs though, my cousins have one, and it never stops barking. Hopefully it won't be the same for you. Have fun with him.
eric Posted September 1, 2008 Author Posted September 1, 2008 Thank you Scott and I was sorry to hear about Snickers. I hope you and yours are coping ok and once you get over that loss, consider a new doggie friend. Aussies do have their quirks - obsessive compulsive behaviours and just plain being smart means they need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. Rocco is not a barker (thank goodness), but he does love to follow us around from room to room. His activity level follows ours and he does mellow out when we slow down. Considering he was a rescued dog, our complaints are very few.
Moonglow Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 .....obsessive compulsive behaviours and just plain being smart means they need a lot of mental and physical stimulation..... A little Prozac for the OCD and a Ritalin derivative for the stimulation issues should optimize those executive brain functions quite nicely! "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Bill H. Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Eric you and your family are to be commended for rescuing this beautiful dog. Our family has had several similar border collies and none of them were much for barking at people. But the distant howl of a ceyote will get them going at 2:00am like you wouldn't believe. Nothing sets them off like that. I live in a rural area (nearest neighbor is almost a mile away) and our border collies have all been very active. And yes they will try to herd just about anything. We've gone through several because they get run over herding vehicles. But we've stuck with the breed because they are such great dogs. Best of luck.
Ed Coury Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Nice dog, Eric! Sadly, we lost our golden at the beginning of the year...but we now have Sasha (another golden retriever): http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/2649/sashapics1pf2.jpg "Oh yeah, I've got two hands here." (Viv Savage) "Mr. Blu... Mr. Blutarsky: Zero POINT zero." (Dean Vernon Wormer)
DanS Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 He looks a little wild eyed & crazy like you Eric. How long before you take him gear shopping? What we record in life, echoes in eternity. Yamaha Montage M7, Nord Electro 6D, Hammond XK1c, Dave Smith PolyEvolver & Rack, Moog Voyager, Modal Cobalt 8X, Univox MiniKorg. https://www.abandoned-film.com
b3keys Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 All the puppies in this thread are just too cute! Congrats to the owners. I hope the pooches train you well!!!!
NoahZark Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Eric: Congrats on the new addition! As you may recall, my family also lost a dog last year -- our not-quite-two-year-old Australian Shepherd named Jasper who was hit by a car and killed. This summer, we were ready to move on, and we got another Aussie (a red tri) and named him Copper. Here's a picture of him when we brought him home in late July at about 10 weeks: http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o89/noah822/DSC02239.jpg He's a great pet (and growing very quickly), and the family couldn't be happier. All the best, Noah
NoahZark Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Couldn't resist . . . another picture of Copper: http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o89/noah822/DSC02488.jpg Noah
eric Posted September 1, 2008 Author Posted September 1, 2008 Noah - congrats on Copper! He is adorable. I do indeed remember the story and pics for Jasper. That was particularly heartbreaking to lose a pet that way and I'm glad you guys have a new one!
NoahZark Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 E: Thanks a lot. And, by the way, don't listen to anyone's horror stories about Aussies. Aussies definitely aren't the right pet for everyone. As you point out, they are RIDICULOUSLY smart animals, and they need both physical and mental exercise (sometimes seemingly copious amounts of both). For those who aren't prepared to deal with those needs, they may end up with animals that seem a little wild or hyper. To me, though, this reflects (as is usually the case with pets) a bad owner, not a bad dog. Peace, Noah P.S. Scottasin: Very sorry to read about the loss of Snickers. To me, it is a true testament to the joy that pets brings to us that we welcome them into our lives knowing that, in all likelihood, we will also have to experience the pain and sorrow of their deaths.
AUSSIEKEYS Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 nice looking dog eric...congrats As an Aussie...believe it or not I have never heard of an Australian Shepherd, so you have surprised me...obviously we dont call them that here in Aussie because we dont need to state ourselves....I think collie, i guess border collie . is the aussiename..I remember an ex girlfriend having a beautiful dog like that... always difficult hair in Australian bush.. its exiting having a dog named as Australian...that isnt a dingo. enjoy this new friend....does this stop your "GAS" for gear now.
AUSSIEKEYS Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Aussies do have their quirks - obsessive compulsive behaviours and just plain being smart means they need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. yes yes i know eric...but stop sucking up to us aussies.
wmp Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Congratulations Rocco. Eric will make an excellent pet. A man who knows how dog ownership works. I was adopted by a black lab named Gus when he was about eight and he was my best friend for ten years. Twenty one years later, I miss him terribly. He taught me a much of the useful stuff I know. --wmp
wmp Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 As an Aussie...believe it or not I have never heard of an Australian Shepherd, so you have surprised me... It's probably the same sort of thing as rich Corinthian Leather. Eric, great looking dog. Ed, that's quite a cutie you've got there. The dog too. You guys are killing me. I want another dog to own me, but my city digs just aren't good enough for a dog. They need room to run and be dogs. --wmp
AUSSIEKEYS Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 They need room to run and be dogs. mate come to Australia. we will even let you put the word Australian in front of Shepherd or maybe Boston...plenty of room here...lots of sheep to herd...but you"ll be forever deburing their hair. in Australia, "every man and his dog" has a dog...hee hee
eric Posted September 1, 2008 Author Posted September 1, 2008 nice looking dog eric...congrats As an Aussie...believe it or not I have never heard of an Australian Shepherd, so you have surprised me...obviously we dont call them that here in Aussie because we dont need to state ourselves....I think collie, i guess border collie . is the aussiename..I remember an ex girlfriend having a beautiful dog like that... always difficult hair in Australian bush.. its exiting having a dog named as Australian...that isnt a dingo. enjoy this new friend....does this stop your "GAS" for gear now. Not sure if the dog will stop my GAS! As for the name, I was just doing some research and found this nugget on WikiPedia: The Australian Shepherd is a breed of working dog that was developed on ranches in the Western United States. Despite its name, the breed, commonly known as an Aussie, did not in fact originate in Australia.[1][2] They acquired their name because of its association with sheepherders who came to the United States from Australia. [1] Australian Shepherds rose rapidly in popularity with the boom of western riding after World War II. They became known to the general public through rodeos, horse shows and through Disney movies made for television. For decades, Aussies have been valued by stockmen for their inherent versatility and trainability. While they continue to work as stockdogs and compete in herding trials, the breed has earned recognition in other roles due to their trainability and eagerness to please and are highly regarded for their skills in obedience. Like all working breeds, the Aussie has considerable energy and drive and usually needs a job to do. It often excels at dog sports such as dog agility, flyball and frisbee. They are also highly successful search and rescue dogs, disaster dogs, detection dogs, guide, service and therapy dogs. And, above all, they are beloved family companions. Aussies are very protective and may not be kind to strangers. Aussies will also try to herd anything that moves, including people and all other types of animals.
AUSSIEKEYS Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 great eric that clears up that... was surprised myself...but very interesting story, with interelationship of aussie sheep herders in America, so did you call him Aussie...oui oui oui
BluesKeys Posted September 2, 2008 Posted September 2, 2008 GREAT now I have PAS GAS :grin: Pet Acquisition Syndrome and Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Jimmy Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. Groucho NEW BAND CHECK THEM OUT www.steveowensandsummertime.com www.jimmyweaver.com
Mike Davis Posted September 2, 2008 Posted September 2, 2008 always difficult hair in Australian bush.. ?!
drawback Posted September 2, 2008 Posted September 2, 2008 Eric, FWIW I've had a few keyboards that were "dogs" so I think your topic is completely appropriate on this forum. Woof. ____________________________________ Rod Here for the gear.
Mr. Nightime Posted September 2, 2008 Posted September 2, 2008 Nice to see that there are others out there with "Children with Fur." I'd be lost without mine. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1411/1062603853_b4c1d2d0eb.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1400/1063464182_62a6c54e2b.jpg "In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome. So God helped him and created woman. Now everybody's got the blues." Willie Dixon
wmp Posted September 2, 2008 Posted September 2, 2008 GREAT now I have PAS GAS :grin: Pet Acquisition Syndrome and Gear Acquisition Syndrome. I thought about a clever way to say this, but came up empty. I just knew somebody would nail it. --wmp
stepay Posted September 2, 2008 Posted September 2, 2008 Nice looking dog Eric! Friends of our have two such dogs, and when we visited them a few years ago when my kids were much smaller, they herded them up against the couch, and my daughter kept saying, "Hey! HEEEEEEEEYYYYYY!" It was funny. Super smart dogs. Perhaps an agility class is in your future? Getting dogs from the pound is the way to go. Here's my dog Laney that we got from the pound 3 years ago. She's now 5. Mostly black lab mixed with who knows what. http://www.putfile.com/pic/7798443 http://www.putfile.com/pic/7798440 Steve (Stevie Ray) "Do the chickens have large talons?"
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