My best guess is that Big Red is 1/2 English or boxer and there is a Redbone Hounddog in the woodpile somewhere cause he's got a deep hound dog bark. Big Red is also psychotic.
I may have to tell Big Red three times to go to the porch, but once he does, there he'll be regardless of how long it takes me to get there ... only God Forbid something odd happening. Anything that is out of the ordinary sets him OFF. Once I was returning from Memphis with him in a 4x4 Bronco, I hit a bumpy, slow down strip in the road, he jumped from the back seat into the front, maybe being protective of his 'mama', maybe just being crazy, he attacked the gearshift from which he thought the sound was coming and in the process knocked the transmission into reverse.
Dog Gone, here I was in the middle of unbelievable traffic with a deranged dog and vehicle I couldn't get out of the middle of the road. I concluded knocking it into reverse resulted in it going into neutral, but the motor had to be turned off before it could be put in gear again. It was more than a few minutes before I figured out what to do.
You're asking yourself how did she stop him from attacking the gearshift, I bellowed my 'demon from downunder' "NO" which stops all humans and most dogs in their tracks.. Instantly, Big Red returned to the backseat of the Bronco.
Scared the dickens out of me for sure!!! So I have had really long talks with two vets, research the internet, talked with trainers ... all data points to basically, if an animal is not predictable or in his case psychotic, serious consideration should be given to "putting it down", especially one as big and powerful as Big Red.
This one fact I believe, if ever I was in trouble, Big Red would be there for me. OK so maybe it's just an excuse but I couldn't do it, cause when he's not going off he is such a good, kind sweetheart. However we did make the decision to control his environment 100%. During the day and during mild temperature, he is confined to an outside 10x10 pen ..... since he attacked the tires of the electric meter reader's truck and pulled the electrician off the porch by his trouser leg because he didn't heed Red's warning to stop using the drill. Big Red barked at him when he started the drill the first time and when he used it the second time, he grabbed his pant's leg, NOT his leg and started dragging the man off the porch away from the house. I arrived on the scene within moments, bellow "NO" and he immediately let go. He's only allowed out when we can be with him which is twice daily. He spends the cold or hot nights inside in a crate. God forbid he go through a window after a wild critter in the middle of the night.......
(more to follow)
