if you're a dog person you know better than to rush up and jab your hand into a small dog's face. a well adjusted hunting dog will back off, but a small dog will defend itself with a nip.
hotdamn
· 1 year ago
It took a long time to train him to do that...Barney's a slower learner than his master.
publicsteele
· 1 year ago
Hitting a dog that is defending itself is very confusing to the dog and can actually reinforce the urge to nip. The reporter came at Barney with an open hand holding papers and a Blackberry. The correct way to approach a dog is to offer the top of your hand, fingers curled under, so it can sniff your hand and let you into its zone. Problem biting is when the dog attacks unprovoked.
tacitus
· 1 year ago
Imagine the outpouring of outrage if the handler had slapped the dog at it was broadcast on TV. No way was she going to discipline Barney in front of the cameras.
Jessica54
· 1 year ago
Why did the handler even let strangers approach the dog after it was snapping at people?
sukabi1
· 1 year ago
I'm actually surprised that Barney is a "snappy" dog... with all the people that have to be coming and going I'd think he'd be used to being approached like that.
But if he was feeling "crabby" or was "not being himself" why did they have him out with people to pester him?
And the reporter was a stupid shit with how he approached... unless he had already been accepted by Barney he shouldn't have thought his approach with papers wagging and blackberries flashing was ok...
castellan
· 1 year ago
Dogs feel stress too. This tells me a lot about the level of tension around the White House these days. If the dog is on the defensive, it must be pretty wired because of general emotions of its handlers.
vkobaya
· 1 year ago
Poor Dog! Hope it is being treated for rablies since that is almost endemic among White House reporters nowadays just as it is among bats. Wouldn't want the poor dog to die because they didn't treat it.
Now, if it had been Bush who had bit the reporter then they'd need to treat the reporter.
vkobaya
· 1 year ago
Frankly, I don't believe the story is true. Poor Barney was bitten by that rabid reporter. You know that sweet dog would never bite anyone, unlike the damn press vicious corps. That's why so many in the press corps wear muzzles.
FiOnion
· 1 year ago
That reporter is an idiot. Either he's never owned a dog (or paid attention to one) or else he thinks they're fluffy people. I watched this with the sound off and it's clear from the dog's body language that he's not happy (I own terriers).
JohnInTexas
· 1 year ago
I would expect my dog to bite him if she was on a leash and he just barged up and stuck his hand in her face, or at least snag that blackberry and run with it. I KNOW what she can do with a cell phone in only a few seconds already.
boloboffin
· 1 year ago
I agree with everyone else here. Barney was clearly out of sorts if you know dogs (stupid handler), and the reporter was an idiot in the approach. If you want to pet a dog not yours, you squat down further back from the dog and offer your hand as described below. Let Barney come to you, and if he is in the mood, he will.
I recently got bit by a dog because I was an idiot (impulsively tried to take something out of a Jack Russell's mouth with my fingers -- and I knew better). I developed a serious staph infection which took about two months to finally let loose, after a herculean antibiotic regimen. That reporter should have gone straight to the doctor, because dog bites don't play around.
JohnInTexas
· 1 year ago
He said towards the end that the white house doc gave him antibiotics and is who put the bandaid on it...
JohnInTexas
· 1 year ago
Wonder how much the first family dogwalker makes a year?
curlytoes79
· 1 year ago
Barney was thinking, "Take that, liberal media!" hehe
hawkseye
· 1 year ago
Bush has drawn plenty of blood and he will just walk away unless a war crimes group gets going.
heraclitus
· 1 year ago
Agreed.No fan of Bush (or Scotties), but the reporter had it coming. If you're going to mess with dogs you need to understand their language a little, and that dog was saying "Leave me alone" from the beginning of the clip.
When you think about it, it's pretty offensive to think that it's a dog's duty to submit to fingers being poked in their personal space over and over.
Now if children could bite too (thinking of cheek pinching and 'isn't s/he cute ...'
Milli
· 1 year ago
You can't blame Barney for the bite. First, Scotties tend to be stand-offish as a breed. Second, If you look at his body language before the reporter reached for him, he was very still, his tail was down, and he looked stressed and on edge. He was either sick, in pain, or felt threatened. You just don't reach out to a dog like that. The person handling the dog should have sensed this if they were paying attention and knew about dogs.
And slapping the dog after the bite would just traumatize him and make him all the more scared of people. He wouldn't interpret the slap as a reprimand, he would interpret it as an attack on him (thereby validating his initial inclination to bite the reporter in the first place). Dogs are not humans who can be "taught a lesson". They need responsible owners who know what the hell they're doing.
And if I lived my whole life with George Bush, I'd lash out too.
Bubbles
· 1 year ago
My best friend had a Scottie growing up. We had a German Shepard. We used to play fetch with our dog all the time. His dog never interacted with us. He knew me for years, yet I was never able to pet him. Nor did I ever see anyone else pet him. He was mean.
Why does anyone ever get a Scottie. They're terrible dogs to interact with. Cat's with an attitude.
loona_c
· 1 year ago
Regardless whose "fault" it is, it is unacceptable. (And this from a former Scottie owner, who's dog bit her toddler son). Everyone's making it a big joke. But in the real world having a dog bite a human is a big deal. Rabies concerns, medical concerns, medical bills, lawsuits, sometimes having the dog removed, etc., etc.
bbock
· 1 year ago
Hitting a dog is fucking low, Dude. Watch the video. The body language of the dog was not "Come, pet me!" Anyone who knows dogs knows that you don't reach out to pet a dog that's not yours. You crouch down and have the dog come to you. If he does, you can probably pet him. If not, don't. The guy had papers in his hand, which Barney was looking at when the other hand came in and startled him.
JohnInTexas
· 1 year ago
The person holding Barney's leash pulled him before he snapped at the guy. He evidently knew it was coming and didn't bother to tell the idiot reporter "don't' try to pet him"...Barney was exiled from the WH for quite awhile over the last few years, now we know probably why, he wasn't into all the poking and prodding from the lower help.
Dianne_in_DC
· 1 year ago
I say GO BARNEY! Seriously though think what you'd been saying if he was a pit bull. PETA would be calling for him to be PTS.
via
· 1 year ago
However, we are allowing our criminal resident to draw blood and just walk away.
LimaBN
· 1 year ago
As a lifelong dog owner (and former USPS Letter Carrier), I saw a dumb handler and an even dumber reporter. 1. Strap was looped around the dog's neck, rather than attached to a collar, resulting in strangling the dog anytime the leash is pulled.
2. Handler had dog positioned so the dog had no chance to retreat. Fence in back, handler's legs on one side; third side is invaded by reporter who is clearly and overpowering physical presence determined to invade dog's personal space.
3. Reporter closed in on the dog even further by shoving that sheaf of papers along right side of dog's head, blocking any escape in that direction and blinding the dog on that side.
4. Reporter then shoved his hand directly at the dog along the only remaining field of vision available to the dog.
5. If I had done that, I would have been pleasantly surprised to still have that finger. I would also be extremely reluctant to expose my own stupidity to the world at large.
6. My first thought was the recollection of our Post Office Training guy, telling us to observe the attitude of the owner as much as the attitude of the dog. Much as I despise the results of W's deferral to idiot ideologues, I have to say I don't see anything wrong with his dog.
7. One would assume it must be terribly difficult to keep any competent help around during these last days in office. If he needs someone to look after his dog for the next couple of months until their upcoming move to Dallas, I'm sure he'll know how to find me.
Dave Porter
Damned_at_Random
· 1 year ago
You nailed it. Also, Barney is no longer young and my experience is that older dogs are slower to warm to strangers. Also the dog did not seem to have a trusting relationship with the handler. My dog was timid by nature, but would greet anyone when she was on the lead.
LimaBN
· 1 year ago
Haven't gotten my expected phone call from young Mr. Bush yet, but we both seem to agree that the brains were on the wrong end of that leash.
Sphy
· 1 year ago
I can only assume the "handler" is not a dog trainer. The reporter made a couple a boneheaded moves. First he misread the dog's body language. Barney's ears were back and his tail was not wagging. Second he came in from above. Barney's got some pretty furry eyebrows and his field of vision is limited from that direction. And lastly, perhaps more importantly he came in much too fast. He didn't give Barney a chance to accept/shy away from contact.
All that said, I did find it mildly amusing that barney wagged his tail AFTER biting the guy. He looked a bit pleased with himself.
skwcw2001
· 1 year ago
as a owner of small breed dogs, i must point out that most small breeds are at a high sense of everything bigger than them is a predator, yes this dog is trianed and yes has been around a long time, but to the dog a total giant stranger walks up and brings its hand down to above his head while being held by a person that is tense, is a combination for man being bitten. I know many dogs that are trained and good with people that if you came at them like this you would loose a finger. My dog has done the same i asked the person that did it if they would just reach their hand out if it was a pit bull they say no, then i ask what is the difference in the end mine is a just a dog just like the pit a dog.
frizbeesf
· 1 year ago
I am sorry, but I have to side with Barney on this one.. having raised 3 Scotties I can tell you they are wonderful dogs but you never come at any dog lunging from the top down. You approach dogs from the side or straight on at their level . The reporter was a idiot .
LanceThruster
· 1 year ago
Clouseau: Does your dog bite?
Hotel Clerk: No.
Clouseau: [bowing down to pet the dog] Nice doggie.
[Dog barks and bites Clouseau in the hand]
Clouseau: I thought you said your dog did not bite!
Hotel Clerk: That is not my dog.
vkobaya
· 1 year ago
Actually, that was Bush in his natural form. He bit the reporter because that is Bush's nature.
cowboyneok
· 1 year ago
It was all a staged event as metaphorical performance art. LOL
Bubbles
· 1 year ago
I'm a dog lover, but if all dogs were that particular breed, I wouldn't be.
I like big frumpy ones, and sled dogs. My favorite dog was half Alaskan malamute, and half very small and thin German Shepard. So shy, gentle, quiet and intelligent sometimes you thought you were talking to a human. The only small dog I really like are beagles.
Those scotties are like cat's with a bad attitude. I've never known why someone would have one. In my mind, FDR's dog Falla was his only flaw.
That Bush has one is no surprise to me.
LawMichigander
· 1 year ago
Sorry John I am on Barney's side on this one. I thought it was funny as heck.
All Comments
But if he was feeling "crabby" or was "not being himself" why did they have him out with people to pester him?
And the reporter was a stupid shit with how he approached... unless he had already been accepted by Barney he shouldn't have thought his approach with papers wagging and blackberries flashing was ok...
Now, if it had been Bush who had bit the reporter then they'd need to treat the reporter.
I recently got bit by a dog because I was an idiot (impulsively tried to take something out of a Jack Russell's mouth with my fingers -- and I knew better). I developed a serious staph infection which took about two months to finally let loose, after a herculean antibiotic regimen. That reporter should have gone straight to the doctor, because dog bites don't play around.
When you think about it, it's pretty offensive to think that it's a dog's duty to submit to fingers being poked in their personal space over and over.
Now if children could bite too (thinking of cheek pinching and 'isn't s/he cute ...'
And slapping the dog after the bite would just traumatize him and make him all the more scared of people. He wouldn't interpret the slap as a reprimand, he would interpret it as an attack on him (thereby validating his initial inclination to bite the reporter in the first place). Dogs are not humans who can be "taught a lesson". They need responsible owners who know what the hell they're doing.
And if I lived my whole life with George Bush, I'd lash out too.
Why does anyone ever get a Scottie. They're terrible dogs to interact with. Cat's with an attitude.
an even dumber reporter.
1. Strap was looped around the dog's neck, rather than attached to a collar, resulting in strangling the dog anytime the leash is pulled.
2. Handler had dog positioned so the dog had no chance to retreat. Fence in back, handler's legs on one side; third side is invaded by reporter who is clearly and overpowering physical presence determined to invade dog's personal space.
3. Reporter closed in on the dog even further by shoving that sheaf of papers along
right side of dog's head, blocking any escape in that direction and blinding the dog on that side.
4. Reporter then shoved his hand directly at the dog along the only remaining field
of vision available to the dog.
5. If I had done that, I would have been pleasantly surprised to still have that
finger. I would also be extremely reluctant to expose my own stupidity to the world at large.
6. My first thought was the recollection of our Post Office Training guy, telling us to observe the attitude of the owner as much as the attitude of the dog. Much as I despise the results of W's deferral to idiot ideologues, I have to say I don't see anything wrong with his dog.
7. One would assume it must be terribly difficult to keep any competent help around during these last days in office. If he needs someone to look after his dog for the next couple of months until their upcoming move to Dallas, I'm sure he'll know how to find me.
Dave Porter
seem to agree that the brains were on the wrong end of that leash.
All that said, I did find it mildly amusing that barney wagged his tail AFTER biting the guy. He looked a bit pleased with himself.
Hotel Clerk: No.
Clouseau: [bowing down to pet the dog] Nice doggie.
[Dog barks and bites Clouseau in the hand]
Clouseau: I thought you said your dog did not bite!
Hotel Clerk: That is not my dog.
I like big frumpy ones, and sled dogs. My favorite dog was half Alaskan malamute, and half very small and thin German Shepard. So shy, gentle, quiet and intelligent sometimes you thought you were talking to a human. The only small dog I really like are beagles.
Those scotties are like cat's with a bad attitude. I've never known why someone would have one. In my mind, FDR's dog Falla was his only flaw.
That Bush has one is no surprise to me.