R is for RosieOur ever faithful guard dog and friend, she's half Rhodesian Ridgeback, half Border Collie, the latter part making her a very busy dog but she is beautiful!
She was named by Joel though he has no idea why he chose the name or where it came from.
We were warned before getting a dog that it wasn't possible to have a dog operate as a guard dog and a pet. Now I've never had a dog before and thought this advice was a bit suspect. Happily I can now confirm that the advice was complete bunkum!
Rosie is most definitely my dog. She cries when I go out but ignores the departure of other family members and Paula tells me that when I am out and especially if I'm away overnight then Rosie steps up her guarding duties and even sleeps outside our bedroom.
Rosie is a very good guard dog, so much so that most friends who come to the house are very scared of her, at least until they've met her properly and trades people tend to be very scared of her!. Rosie is however, a very good pet and is very good with the boys and their friends. It always fascinates me watching how she behaves so differently with Joel and Eli. Rosie is very respectful of Joel and never jumps at him or does anything silly with him whilst she views Eli as a fellow dog/puppy and plays very roughly with him which resulted in a trip to the emergency room once. He'll learn!
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This post is part of a series in the Blogging From A To Z Challenge, April 2012.
Awww--Rosie's totally awesome! So glad you decided to get a dog, and give your kids the experience of growing up with one. She sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteI think what people meant about guard-dog/pet-dog incompatibility applies only if you train your dog as a guard dog (I know a bit about this). All dogs have the instinct to protect their territory and their pack (i.e., you and your family), and some, especially if they're of a certain size, can be intimidating without further training. But when a dog is trained for security purposes, the training requires that they answer only to their handler, which means they don't bond with anyone else--and can thus pose a danger for a family.
I'm glad Rosie feels enough a part of your "pack" that she's protective of it. She's a lucky dog, to have found such a great home.
Rhodesian Ridgeback sounds intimidating from the name.
ReplyDeleteLee
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I'm glad you didn't take that silly advice. She sounds like a super dog all around.
ReplyDeleteAwww, thanks guys. Glad you love Rosie too.
ReplyDeleteLee, Rhodesian Ridgebacks were bred specifically for hunting lions. They would hunt in packs of 10 or 12 and often one would lay down its life to allow the pack to kill the lion. Truly amazing and very faithful dogs.
Oh, there are always naysayers about. I have had a pet that was a great watchdog (English Bulldog). It was growly mean when someone banged on the door. lol But once someone was on the inside, especially kids, she was friendlier than a box of kittens. lol
ReplyDeleteI am glad you care for your dog so much. They are awesome creatures who depend on us for their love and support.