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Sophie Acted Strange

1K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  3 goldens 
#1 ·
I have been taking Sophie out front on leash to do her last business of the day. I want to make sure she goes so she doesn't wake one of us up at 2:00 to go. We have a nice flood light on our garage and another light on our porch and neighbors on both sides have lights, so is well lit and I don't have to have a flashlight to see where I am stepping--at 71 I do not need a fall.

She had such a horrid time the week she was on phenobarbital and even several days afterwards,. She would fall when trying to sue the bathroom, even just walking and then couldn't get up without help. Well, no that she has been off it for a week, she is much better and the last tonight's she has actually wanted to go for a short walk and investigate everything. Of course this makes me happy and I just let her take the lead.

Tonight we got down in front of the house next door and she stopped and barked, and I mean barked, 4-5 woofs. She had not barked in weeks. If shut outside she would stand at the back door and let out a single woof. She doesn't bark at door bells or knocks. Anyway, I could not figure out why she had stopped and was barking, ears perked up. Then I heard my next door neighbor call out. She came out from the other side of her car. I could make out that there was a dog or something there--bad vision, night, and the car block light. I thought it must be one of her 3 dogs and Sophie was barking at it, tho I have never known her to bark at a dog. I asked if that was one other dogs and she laughed and said no, it was Josh. That is her 19 year old son and was sitting there just behind the car but thelight couldn't hit him. He stood up and spoke and Sophie backed up and barked again. Donna and Josh started towards us talking and Sophie almost pulled me off my feet headed back to our house.

Now she has seen Donna numerous times and Donna has petted on her. She always loves to have people pet on her, but for some reason, she wanted to get away from Josh. This kid has totally wrecked the house with fits of temper when things don't go his way. He put holes in walls, threw and broke computer, microwave, broke all shelves in fridge, etc. He has hit her and two years ago pushed her backwards onto the cabinet and broke 2 ribs. But he has been on meds and has been doing good. Tonight is the first time I have seen him in a year as he never comes out. Do you think Sophie sensed something about him? I will admit he is the only human I have ever been scared of. He stabbed his older brothel in the arm 4 years ago His dad lives in Oklahoma--they divorced when he retired fro the Navy about 7 years ago. Jim remarried about a year later and had the boys come up, but the month ended up being less than two weeks and he has never had Josh come back. I suspect Josh tried to treat the new wife the way he treats his mother and he threw fits and damaged things.

But at any rate, Sophie would not even stay in our yard and do business and I ended up having to take her into the backyard with flash light. She was truly scared of Josh, something I had never seen in her.
 
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#2 ·
Wow. Gave me chills. Perhaps she's heard his voice before during some outburst of anger. If so, and she heard his voice again, I think that could definitely do it. Of course her night vision is much better than ours too. I generally feel that when you get a feeling about what your dog is trying to tell you...it's usually right. Maybe test it again in the light of day? As Donna if Sophie could come by to meet him again? If she repeats, then I certainly wouldn't push it.
 
#4 ·
Not trying to over-react but I agree with Puddles. I had a dog, Shannon, who was trained as a therapy dog. She was quiet and gentle. I had never heard her bark. Ever. I worked at a locked facility as a psychologist for persons committed as mentally ill and dangerous. Our residents were convicted of some of the most heinous crimes in the state that I lived in at the time. One of the residents had a crush on me. When he was released he somehow discovered where I lived (this was before the internet) in spite of the precautions I had taken for my safety. One night Shannon stood at the door, barking and growling. She was clearly angry and she sounded large and very frightening. I looked through the peephole and discovered that resident standing at my door. Obviously a quick 911 call was made and he was picked up by the cops. He had a gun and rope in his possession. This time the courts sent him to prison. So I say trust Sophie's judgement. They sense things we humans do not.
 
#5 ·
It is very true what everyone said. With my golden and my buddy's golden, they don't bark for no reason. Usually its their way of telling us something isn't right. They would bark if they sense something's off with a person. Or they bark to warn you to get out of a potential dangerous situation.
 
#6 ·
When Josh was hunkered down behind the car, I could see there was a form there but could not tell it was a human, thought it was one of Donna's dogs. He is s gangly kid with long hair. Never goes out in the daylight, and as I said, I had not seen him in a year and that was just a glance. But Hubby had said him and said he is white as a sheet for lack of going out. After the time he blackened her eye, the side of face was swollen bruises all over her arm, Jerry told her that he needed to be locked up and she said 'But he is my baby". Jerry told her "and when he kills you I will have it put on your tombstone "He may have killed me but he was my baby."

she has a brother and two sisters living right here in our little town and we got to know them when the boys wre little, even tho Josh was a handful back then. But since he has gotten older, not one will come to the house. We ran into one at the grocery store and she called Josh "the Devls Spawn." Said they ahd all tried to talk Donna into getting him into a Boot Camp or mental hospital, anything as her life was in danger, especially after the older boy went into the army 2 years ago.

When you think about it, Sophie loves attention and will even push in on 115 pound Moose if anyone is giving him attention. But she would not let Josh touch her. She didnt' growl at him, but just pushed against me and tried to get back home. She all but drug me down the sidewalk and she didn't even finish her business. I took her out in the back yard later on and she peeded.
 
#7 ·
I am not familiar with the laws in Texas but if your neighbor is an older woman and he continues to abuse her and you, or her family members, become aware of it he can be reported to your county social services for elder abuse. It is handled similarly to a report of child abuse. Even if his mother refuses to press charges against her son in most states the report will still be investigated. If you or her family are concerned about her safety it is something to keep in mind. Whether it is the case in Texas I do not know, but where I live the names of those reporting both child abuse and elder abuse can be kept confidential.
 
#8 ·
Wow. It really makes sense that dogs have good senses.
My Jon loves going to walk but he always stopped in front of one of houses and never wanted to pass that house. He would sit just right before that house & refused move forward. I didn't know why, until I heard the guy who lives there is very aggressive person toward to his wife & kids. They left him middle of night when he wasn't at home last week. Once I saw him in front of his house, Jon's tail was all tucked and tried to pull me on opposite direction. Jon would love to lick any strangers to death but not that person.
 
#10 ·
Caution

Sad to say that Texas is a red neck place to be. There is an Adult Services dept. but wouldn't expect it to be anymore effective than the child services dept. I'm sure you have all read about so many children harmed or killed in Texas... and almost every instance child services was already involved with the family but did nothing to protect the kids.

They must be caught in the act of abuse before they intervene, even then they will ask you what did you do to piss them off. And you MUST file charges. Doesn't sound like your neighbor would be willing to do that.

But you can shoot them if they enter your home. Just be smart and listen to your pup, she will let you know if he comes to your door...
 
#11 ·
The mother will not press charges no matter what Josh does. At one point when he was 14 she had the computer in her bedroom and he wanted to be on there all night. She had to work and locked him out--and he knocked the door in. She had to get one of those steel doors like we for our outside door. She also let him put the computer in his room. Then he got mad because it was running slow and threw it and broke it.

The above happened Monday night. Tuesday night we went out and she started down the sidewalk and got almost to their house, stopped looked towards the house and turned around and all but drug me inside. I had to take her out back to do her business. Last night she would not even go to our driveway, but did go out on this side of it and did her business and then hurried back in. She HAS to know something is wrong over there. I use to go over and drink coffee or tea with Donna, But now have not been in that house for about 4 years. If I see her sitting at the picnic table in her front yard drinking coffee, I will go over and sit and talk with her. Jerry has been in the house a couple of times to help her with something and has told me what a wreck it is--Josh even ripped the counter tops off. Only furniture in living room is a chair. She has sold her big TV, really nice entertainment center, etc, Josh broke all the chairs to her beautiful dining set. She had a job with police department over in Corpus, but had to leave so often due to Josh acting up in school or skipping that she lost that good paying job. Had to keep paying fines for his missing school. Had to sell some stuff to pay some of the fines.

Then when Josh stabbed Jamie, he was arrested and she had to post a $2000 to get him out. Borrowed some and sold more stuff. She was at work when the incident happened. Jamie, older by 3 years was trying to get Josh to get ready so he could take him to school, but Josh didnt' want to go. Jamie told him tht 'Mom has paid out to much in fines, you are going to school", so Josh went to the kitchen and came back with knife and stabbed him in the arm. Jamie called the cops. How in the world Josh evaded going to jail over this, we have no idea. But Sophie just has to sense this evil in Josh...enough so she doesn't even want to be hnear the house.
 
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