@edgarblythe,
Quote:I once did work inside a house that featured a pack of trained Dobermans. Police officer's. I had already learned how they trapped a meter reader in the back yard for some hours...
Those wouldn't be my idea of well trained dogs, Edgar. They shouldn't be randomly intimidating everyone who comes to the house, and the owners, knowing how their dogs act, should have made sure they were supervising them, and controlling them, when workmen were around.
In response to a burglary, when the family was at home sleeping, a friend of mine bought a trained guard dog. At the time, she had two young children and I asked her whether she wasn't afraid to have a trained attack dog near her children. She said, "Not at all," and went on to explain that the dog was very well socialized, and not at all overly aggressive by nature, he had simply been trained, and well trained, by a professional dog trainer, to attack only in response to certain commands, and only when those commands were given by her or her husband (and the dog's original trainer). And the dog never did anything remotely aggressive or intimidating to anyone in the family, or anyone who entered the home, he acted like a normal loving pet, but an especially well behaved one. His size and appearance alone would have given an intruder pause about breaking into that house, and, fortunately, he was able to live out his days as a happy family member who never had to be commanded to attack a burglar.
People who like dogs who act aggressively, of their own initiative, are asking for trouble. If you want a guard dog, or a dog for security, you have to be sure you're able to control that dog at all times--that the dog is trained. And, if you have a pet with aggressive tendencies, you'd have to be crazy not to get professional help to get those under control if you can't do that on your own.
Princess Anne seems to be known for her badly behaved aggressive dogs--one of her dogs even killed one of the Queen's dogs. She's not a responsible dog owner.
Someone else, been through the diabetic dog life... It's worth it though huh.... I thought the kidney beans were a way of making her feel full longer, though I do recall reading about oat bran. I haven't checked out holistic dog food, I was given a variety of ideas from a Vet specialising in diabetic dogs. We just couldn't get the measurements right at first with her insulin. She would be we think around 10 now we think, she's gained a shirt load of energy the past few months but also, thinner, muscle loss I guess, which is scary... Anyways.. Same, she refused the commercial stuff, and last month I started adding a tad of salt as it appeared she was short on sodium.. Tough huh. Can you send me your recipe? Via Pm or something... I'd love to try to make a meat/veg loaf, sounds so much easier. Ruby eats the same food so we are making like two huge pans of it every 4 days............. Thanks FF ... 
