62 replies to this topic

[joc]

AquilaChrysaetos, on 03 January 2013 - 03:24 AM, said:

I personally don't like dogs in general, and this is just one of the many reasons why.

All dogs are basically re-tooled wolves.  I have a Lab and two small Havanese dogs.  The Lab is so sweet...and she is sooo big!  But, I still keep in mind that she is a wolf in Labs clothing.  Animals are animals...but some animals just have bad genetics...Pit Bulls are one of them.

[AquilaChrysaetos]

joc, on 03 January 2013 - 04:24 AM, said:

All dogs are basically re-tooled wolves.  I have a Lab and two small Havanese dogs.  The Lab is so sweet...and she is sooo big!  But, I still keep in mind that she is a wolf in Labs clothing.  Animals are animals...but some animals just have bad genetics...Pit Bulls are one of them.

I agree. I grew up in a house full of dogs and had to do 3 times as many chores just simply due to them. A dog doesn't say please and thank you, it doesn't keep anything clean or orderly, and it doesn't connect with you like a human can. To me it's just an animal, and animals belong outside in the wild, not bred into human culture for no further purpose but to pee on everything chew on everything and leave a huge empty space in your wallet for doing so. I'd rather just be alone.

[joc]

AquilaChrysaetos, on 03 January 2013 - 04:36 AM, said:

I agree. I grew up in a house full of dogs and had to do 3 times as many chores just simply due to them. A dog doesn't say please and thank you, it doesn't keep anything clean or orderly, and it doesn't connect with you like a human can. To me it's just an animal, and animals belong outside in the wild, not bred into human culture for no further purpose but to pee on everything chew on everything and leave a huge empty space in your wallet for doing so. I'd rather just be alone.

Ah, but dogs can and are one your best and most loyal friends.  They don't judge you.  They don't back stab you.  They don't manipulate you (except into giving them a treat)  and they will protect you against an aggressor.  And if you train them to chew bones, they won't tear up your stuff and they are easily house broken with some patience provided...and treats.  I love dogs...I just have no use for Pit Bulls and a few other breeds.

[glorybebe]

joc, on 03 January 2013 - 04:41 AM, said:

Ah, but dogs can and are one your best and most loyal friends.  They don't judge you.  They don't back stab you.  They don't manipulate you (except into giving them a treat)  and they will protect you against an aggressor.  And if you train them to chew bones, they won't tear up your stuff and they are easily house broken with some patience provided...and treats. I love dogs...I just have no use for Pit Bulls and a few other breeds.

I agree.  I also would never own a Doberman, a Rotty or a German Sheperd.  One of the nastiest dogs I ever met was part dingo, and it scared the crap out of me.  Even if they are cross-bred or raised in a nice, loving home like the afor mentioned, doesn't mean that you can trust vicious breeds.

[Michelle]

I'm glad no one ever told my Malamute he was on the most dangerous dogs list. After rescuing dozens of dogs in my life, he was the gentlest dog I ever adopted. He led me to abandonded kittens, baby rabbits and birds that were in distress so I could take care of them. He did his share of babysitting them too....waking me up during the night to see to their needs.

In my experience, the nastiest dogs weigh under twenty pounds. The only reason they aren't considered "dangerous" is because they can't cause much damage when they bite.

[Darkwind]

Ya my chihuahua really goes against breed standard when it comes to temperament, she is very quiet, gentle and sweet, but I have had to work with her when it comes to other dogs.   People  are surprised but the dog that bites the most is the golden retriever. A lot depends on what you do when they are pups. If you play rough with them you're teaching them to bite.  I really like Victoria Stillwell's training methods. They were a big help with my dog when I got her.

[The Unseen]

joc, on 03 January 2013 - 03:07 AM, said:

As much as I like you ...and I do...I VEHEMENTLY disagree!  Pit Bulls will chase down and kill anything that runs!  Regardless of how they are 'trained' or not.  Anything running is an invitation to chase it and kill it.  That is just the way their brains work.  You can train your PB to be sweet and obedient...and if the little girl next door starts running down the street...it will chase her and kill her!  It is just that simple.

Man,I disagree,Id say more but Im not going to make an arguement out of what we think about dogs or pits in general, Some people dont know squat about them but think they do.Oh well believe what you want,Just my opinion.

[joc]

The Unseen, on 03 January 2013 - 11:42 AM, said:

Man,I disagree,Id say more but Im not going to make an arguement out of what we think about dogs or pits in general, Some people dont know squat about them but think they do.Oh well believe what you want,Just my opinion.

I know, I know.  People who have PitBulls love them to death and you cannot overcome the Love factor with any kind of evidence.  I will say that Pit Bulls do get a bad rap.  But it is because they are a bad breed.    There are plenty of cases of Pit Bulls in good loving homes that wind up killing the kids.  Do this:  Google Pit Bull attacks/Images....I can guarantee you that if you Google Lab attacks/Images...you will not find any pictures of Labs who have mutilated the face of a cow!  or horse!  They are dangerous dogs...I'll leave it at that!

[aztek]

blame backyard breeders,  and next time you adopt a puppy from a shelter, think who might be its parents, most likely product of such breading.  it might be your best intentions, but it might end up bad
you wont see labs tearing up kids faces cuz those breeders not interested in labs.

[Walter White]

joc, on 03 January 2013 - 01:22 PM, said:

I know, I know.  People who have PitBulls love them to death and you cannot overcome the Love factor with any kind of evidence.  I will say that Pit Bulls do get a bad rap.  But it is because they are a bad breed.    There are plenty of cases of Pit Bulls in good loving homes that wind up killing the kids.  Do this:  Google Pit Bull attacks/Images....I can guarantee you that if you Google Lab attacks/Images...you will not find any pictures of Labs who have mutilated the face of a cow!  or horse!  They are dangerous dogs...I'll leave it at that!

The problem we have in Britain is that, in the absence of guns and long blades, dogs are the next best thing in weaponry (preferably Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Rottweilers).  These things are taught to be vicious for a purpose and breed for that purpose, and the owners just have no clue how to be responsible owners, this leads to a lot of cases of bulls attacking children, because they're brought up to view anything and everything as a potential threat.

I do suscribe to the teachings of Cesar Milan.  He teaches the owner to become the pack leader, under these circumstance no matter what the breed, it won't act unless on the authority of the owner.  Dogs are by instinct pack animals and they act as such.  The problem with a lot of owners is that they're not percieved as the pack leader and it's obvious to see who they are.  They're the ones being dragged down the pavement behind they're dog.

It works, I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier-Bulldog cross and she used to drag me all over the place, because she thought she was in charge and chased anything which moved cars, bikes, people, animals, anything.  I had to put her on a lead everywhere I went.  Now I've become pack leader and she understands this too, she won't go for anything anymore, because worrying about threats isn't her problem to deal with, it's mine.  I love her and now others get to see what a sweet dog she is, which she always was, unfortunately she just had the tendancy to lash out.

As much as I hate the term "dangerous" dog, until owners start to treat their dogs the same way, the term deserves to stick because in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they're doing (and these people are legion) they are dangerous.

The most viscious dogs I've ever come across are Chihuahuas, savage things when they need to be, the only difference between them and a pitbull/rottweiler/mastiff is bite radius.

Edited by Walter White, 03 January 2013 - 09:56 PM.

[Lava_Lady]

~ sigh ~

Sad... just sad.

It's true that Pit Bulls are naturally agressive, their bodies are built tough for a reason, they are pack animals and they will not go over the leaders heads.

In order to control a large aggressive dog (any dog really), you need to be a pack leader.  My boss has 2 English Mastiffs that are 250 lbs. each.

Firstly, she knows not to take 2 by herself, she's only 5' tall. Secondly, she knows the language of the species which is all about body stance and energy levels and attention.

she is always aware of what the dogs are doing on a walk and she stays calm so the dogs know there is no threat, if she notices the dog is getting nervous or antsy, she gives him the "Cesar Milan" tap to get his attention and calm him down.

People think they can talk to dogs like they are talking to humans... sorry, but they haven't evolved that much.  We have to adapt to them and use their language to our message across.

Edited by Lava_Lady, 03 January 2013 - 10:28 PM.

[draugr]

Ah, it's sad to see so many of you feel that way, especially about some of the bigger breeds.

One of the smartest, most loyal dogs I've ever had was a German Shepherd named Auron, who learned to let himself in and out without a doggie door.  At 120lbs, he was the gentlest, most accepting dog of people and other animals I've ever seen.  I often joked that if you tried to rob me, he'd help you tote my things out the door if you gave him scritchins, and that was just about the truth, when it came to him.

I was also once friends with a half Husky, half wolf named Wolf that loved kids and loved to swim.  He really was just a big lap baby and loved to snuggle, and never had anything but a tail wag and a smile for anyone.  And several people I've known have had pibbles, and I've never seen a bad one in my life.  Seriously.

But you have to look at breeding factors here, big time.  Backyard breeders overbreed them and then don't socialize them properly when they're still nursing, so of course they won't know how to interact with humans.  And some things, after that young age has passed, can't be changed.  Which is why if you MUST have a full-blooded whatever (and it goes for all breeds, not just the ~scary~ ones) do serious research into the breeder.  Go to their homes or where they keep their dogs.

Because I know some lovely pibbles and rotties, and some absolutely horrible daschunds and jack russells.

EDIT TO SAY:  And if you think labs won't rip a kid's face off if they've been handled wrong, think again.  Depending on the bloodline, they can be HIGHLY neurotic and high strung, to that point.  Not all lab breeds/bloodlines are laid back.

Edited by draugr, 03 January 2013 - 10:43 PM.

[AliveInDeath7]

Pitbulls are also very intelligent. Some people don't know how to handle them though.. they're not supposed to be where they can tear things up.

[Princess Serenity]

Trinity, was the first pitbull I've ever met. (She's gone now.) But darn! She was the sweetest, nicest, gentlest pitbull I've ever met. I don't know what my brother-in-law did but he did a good job! She wouldn't hurt a fly. One day she did something that showed my mom her protectiveness.

If your'e going to train a dog to be a attack dog. IT WILL BE A ATTACK DOG. If you train the dog to be the nicest dogs. It will be a nicest dog.

Another my mom's German Sherpherd dog was the biggest baby. The only thing he really did was give my nephew (and probably my necies; I can't remember) kisses. Of course when that happened, someone was there to watch both the baby/babies and the dog.

Edited by Princess Serenity, 03 January 2013 - 11:20 PM.

[supervike]

NikkiAidyn, on 03 January 2013 - 11:05 PM, said:

Pitbulls are also very intelligent. Some people don't know how to handle them though.. they're not supposed to be where they can tear things up.

So, that would be anywhere in a city, or around other animals?