I had 3 dogs back about 18 years ago, a big Yellow Lab, Joe, a Beagle/Lab mix, Blackie, and a Pit Mix, Gus. Joe was the boss, and Blackie, who was never quite "right" was the bottom dog.
One day it was windy and drizzling, and I put the dogs out for a few minutes before it started raining. It starts raining a little harder 10 minutes or so later, and I open the back door, and Gus and Blackie run in, and there's no Joe. I look out the door, and he's frozen looking through the fence. I call him, and he twitches an ear, and then starts barking. He's all worked up about something, and refuses to budge. I finally go out and bring him in, and I don't see anything except a brick sitting on the other side of the fence. My mother gets up and, while I was in the bathroom, puts them back out!
Like before, Blackie and Gus come in, and Joe is out there. He won't come in, and it's starting to rain now, and he's got his hair all raised up, he's snarling and is really angry. I go out there and he's staring at this brick and foaming at the mouth, and he's got his muzzle all torn up from trying to get the brick through the fence. The other dogs are not impressed with the brick, but are getting worked up beacuse Joe is. I took a stick and poked the brick and Joe goes nuts, it's raining pretty hard now and so I just drag him into the house.
A few hours later, it's sunny out and I let them out again, and Joe goes nuts about the brick. It's all muddy, and he's getting all loaded with it, and so I decide to get the brick and show him what it "really is". I got a 2x4 and shoved the brick up against the fence, so I could grab it. I pull it though the fence and Joe's ready to attack! I held it right in front of him, he sniffs it, and got this look of embarassment, it's the only way to describe it, and then takes off. I showed the brick to the other dogs and tossed it back over the fence.
The next day, it happens again, and I got the brick and showed it too him again. The next day, he runs over to the fence, and starts nosing the brick, I set it up against the fence so he could touch it and hopefully not tear his face up anymore than it already was at this point. The neighbor comes out and asks me what he's doing, and I tell her about the brick. She picks it up and he goes nuts. She lets him sniff it, and he instantly walks away. I finally ask her for it, and tell her as soon as he gets tired of it, I will put it back in her yard. She laughs and says ok, and leaves.
Well, it didn't work, he went nuts over the brick for at least two months, and would duck and weave like it was going to attack him whenever he was outside. I finally went and put it back into my neighbor's yard, and blocked access to the mud along the fence. This seemed to solve the problem. He was permantly scarred from all the "brick attacks" and would give anything sized and shaped like one a wide berth while walking for the rest of his life..
I never figured out what it was all about. Anytime we see someone, such as a cop that is on a case and ignores all other suspects but one, we say, "He's doing a Joe and the brick here!", and always chuckle at it.
I really wished I knew what it was all about.
One day it was windy and drizzling, and I put the dogs out for a few minutes before it started raining. It starts raining a little harder 10 minutes or so later, and I open the back door, and Gus and Blackie run in, and there's no Joe. I look out the door, and he's frozen looking through the fence. I call him, and he twitches an ear, and then starts barking. He's all worked up about something, and refuses to budge. I finally go out and bring him in, and I don't see anything except a brick sitting on the other side of the fence. My mother gets up and, while I was in the bathroom, puts them back out!
Like before, Blackie and Gus come in, and Joe is out there. He won't come in, and it's starting to rain now, and he's got his hair all raised up, he's snarling and is really angry. I go out there and he's staring at this brick and foaming at the mouth, and he's got his muzzle all torn up from trying to get the brick through the fence. The other dogs are not impressed with the brick, but are getting worked up beacuse Joe is. I took a stick and poked the brick and Joe goes nuts, it's raining pretty hard now and so I just drag him into the house.
A few hours later, it's sunny out and I let them out again, and Joe goes nuts about the brick. It's all muddy, and he's getting all loaded with it, and so I decide to get the brick and show him what it "really is". I got a 2x4 and shoved the brick up against the fence, so I could grab it. I pull it though the fence and Joe's ready to attack! I held it right in front of him, he sniffs it, and got this look of embarassment, it's the only way to describe it, and then takes off. I showed the brick to the other dogs and tossed it back over the fence.
The next day, it happens again, and I got the brick and showed it too him again. The next day, he runs over to the fence, and starts nosing the brick, I set it up against the fence so he could touch it and hopefully not tear his face up anymore than it already was at this point. The neighbor comes out and asks me what he's doing, and I tell her about the brick. She picks it up and he goes nuts. She lets him sniff it, and he instantly walks away. I finally ask her for it, and tell her as soon as he gets tired of it, I will put it back in her yard. She laughs and says ok, and leaves.
Well, it didn't work, he went nuts over the brick for at least two months, and would duck and weave like it was going to attack him whenever he was outside. I finally went and put it back into my neighbor's yard, and blocked access to the mud along the fence. This seemed to solve the problem. He was permantly scarred from all the "brick attacks" and would give anything sized and shaped like one a wide berth while walking for the rest of his life..
I never figured out what it was all about. Anytime we see someone, such as a cop that is on a case and ignores all other suspects but one, we say, "He's doing a Joe and the brick here!", and always chuckle at it.
I really wished I knew what it was all about.