A dog you can trust or a dog that will kill?
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This.No breed is a bad breed when trained correctly.0 -
I don't trust pit bulls.
I don't understand the obsession in the US with breeding pit bulls. Most of the intact male dogs that I see at the dog park are pit bulls. It makes no sense to me.
It's not just the US. And yes, they're definitely the in breed right now for anyone wanting to look tough and cool.
I grew up with German Shepards and Dobermans, and my neighbour has the sweetest Rottie possible. These dogs have all been the bad guys at one time or another, yet I would happily own any of them (I have a Keeshond currently). But something about the "pit bull" does put me off. Maybe it's because the gang-banger wannabes and grow-ops that have gravitated towards them. The media also does a good job of painting them all as ticking time bombs and telling me I should be afraid of them.
Banning the breed is certainly not the answer, though. That just punishes the good owners and the dogs that truly do have the best of temperments.0 -
Don't blame the breed, blame the owners. ANY dog can be turned into a killer through abuse and poor training.0
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I have a staffordshire terrier and she is one of the calmest most gentlest dogs I have ever owned BUT I would never leave her alone around young kids and thats not because I don't trust her. Anything can happen! And it wouldn't matter what type of dog I had I would never leave them unattended around kids.
I have 4 grandchildren and my dog Jackie loves to play with them. When my youngest granddaughter is playing with her dolls, my dog takes one of her own toys and uses it as a baby. She will even cover it up with her dog blanket (copying what my granddaughter is doing).
Breeds I don't trust are poodles, cocker spaniels and chihuahua's.0 -
No breed is a bad breed when trained correctly.
^This. It's all about the training the dogs receive. It doesn't matter what breed it is, if it was trained aggressively, then that dog is going to respond aggressively.0 -
Yesterday in the newspaper in the UK was an article about a 14 yo girl that was killed by 4 dogs (although there were 5 dogs in this small house.
The dogs that killed the girl were 2 staffies and 2 bull mastiffs. The 5th dog was in another room. the police shot the 4 dogs that mauled the poor girl.
Here is a link to the secondary article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2300234/Jade-Lomas-Anderson-death-Jobless-single-mum-Bev-Concannon-dogs-mauled-girl-goes-hiding.html
On the radio there was a debate from 2 respected people in the `dog world` one of these people said that staffies are classed as `nursing dogs` and are recommended for people with small children?
Also during the debate was the fact that it had never been recorded that a poodle had bitten or attacked a child?
I have a little toy `teddy bear` poodle who is the sweetest thing but I am sure some of you have staffies and bull mastiffs?
What are your opinions as to the safety of dogs around children is there a breed of dog that you would not trust?
No. Dogs are reactive, learned creatures. With matters like these, the fault is always ours (irresponsibility and neglect).
Reactively, I'm seriously considering an Akita + a Turkish Kangal which'll suit me well for my outdoor runs, etc for I'm in bear and mountain lion country and I'm sometimes having to commute long distances.0 -
I lost track of Lennox's story. I had no idea they went through with it.
Yep, they did absolutely disgusting that they did, they had no grounds to. There was so much wrong about Belfast council, and to be honest, I'd never go there after what they done. It still sickens me to this day. If it was my dog, I'd be so heartbroken and I'd never get over it.
I agree, I would never go either. I really thought he had so much support that they would let him live. I cried at my desk reading that. I wouldn't be able to stay there if I was part of his family. I would harbor too much hatred.0 -
My bearded collie is a rescue dog. She failed her personality test in the shelter (approximately 9 years ago). The test basically, a dressed child mannequin (representing a child) was placed in a room. My dog growled at it, failing the test. She is a very sweet dog and has never growled at a child. Not a good test.0
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i would never trust any dog alone around a child.
my family has two golden retrievers, both of which are lovely, relaxed, and unendingly tolerant, but a few months ago as i was leaving for work, they started fighting and i had to kick them very hard to split them up. as soon as i did, they were right back to their usual 'we love everything' personalities, and completely snapped out of their aggression towards one another. i don't know what set them off, but for a second they just went all 'animal instinct'.
i guess that's my point. dogs are animals. i am an absolute dog lover, and i totally don't buy into this whole 'some breeds are just bad' thing - i mistrust all breeds equally in this regard! obviously training and their general socialisation will affect their reactions to situations, and it's the owner's responsibility to ensure their dog is safe to be around, but it's also everyone's responsibility not to be an idiot. don't leave your baby alone with any dog, no matter how trustworthy you think they are (i mean both the dog and the baby here), don't allow your child to pull the dog's tail, jump on the dog, yank it's ears, mess with it's food, or otherwise torment it, and for the love of God stop thinking 'it'll never happen to me'!!
i think all dogs have the capacity to attack, and no matter how placid the dog, something one day might just set them off.0 -
I reckon you can get dogs of any breed that just don't have a nice personality.0
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Otherwise, all the others were awesome but hands down my Black Lab is the BEST! He lets the kids do whatever they want with him and so long as he gets his treats, he's a happy guy.
this is what i mean. just because he lets them, doesn't mean you should let them!
you're responsible for protecting your dog from your children as well as the other way around.0 -
Dogs aren't born aggressive. People make them that way. Any breed can be aggressive, it's just the size and power of the dog that can make it more dangerous if it is aggressive. Pit bulls have probably the worst reputation out there but that's because people train them to fight and be aggressive. If you meet a well trained pit bull, you will fall in love.0
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Well...this is why I would rather have small dogs. If they go ballistic on me, I can kick 'em. Not that I would want to, but you can seriously protect yourself against a Chihuahua more than a Rottie or some other big dog. I have children and they are my life. I have two doggies and they are my babies too, but my kids come first and if they go nipping and biting, the dogs are gone. (My furbabies are sweeties, tho
).
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.0 -
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.
And if she was mauled by two labs, it wouldn't be the breed would it, right? It would just be those individual dogs.0 -
Well...this is why I would rather have small dogs. If they go ballistic on me, I can kick 'em. Not that I would want to, but you can seriously protect yourself against a Chihuahua more than a Rottie or some other big dog. I have children and they are my life. I have two doggies and they are my babies too, but my kids come first and if they go nipping and biting, the dogs are gone. (My furbabies are sweeties, tho).
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.
Well treated doesn't necessarily mean well trained.0 -
I lost track of Lennox's story. I had no idea they went through with it.
Yep, they did absolutely disgusting that they did, they had no grounds to. There was so much wrong about Belfast council, and to be honest, I'd never go there after what they done. It still sickens me to this day. If it was my dog, I'd be so heartbroken and I'd never get over it.
I agree, I would never go either. I really thought he had so much support that they would let him live. I cried at my desk reading that. I wouldn't be able to stay there if I was part of his family. I would harbor too much hatred.
I wouldn't either
I thought they'd let him live too. The warden was proved to be lying when she said she was 'so terrified of Lennox', yet was pictured soon after letting him lick her face, the conditions he was kept in and the scars left on him, the fact that they let his littermate live and determined him not a Pitbull yet called Lennox a pitbull! It makes me so angry and upset. 0 -
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.
And if she was mauled by two labs, it wouldn't be the breed would it, right? It would just be those individual dogs.
We had a Lab go buck crazy on my dad once. They can be fruity too. I am just saying I don't believe it is how the dog is always raised and THAT is what I was saying.0 -
Well...this is why I would rather have small dogs. If they go ballistic on me, I can kick 'em. Not that I would want to, but you can seriously protect yourself against a Chihuahua more than a Rottie or some other big dog. I have children and they are my life. I have two doggies and they are my babies too, but my kids come first and if they go nipping and biting, the dogs are gone. (My furbabies are sweeties, tho).
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.
Well treated doesn't necessarily mean well trained.
That is a very, very, very good point. Just like a child, a dog with no discipline (and I don't mean violence, at all) can be aggressive and unpredictable.0 -
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.
And if she was mauled by two labs, it wouldn't be the breed would it, right? It would just be those individual dogs.
We had a Lab go buck crazy on my dad once. They can be fruity too. I am just saying I don't believe it is how the dog is always raised and THAT is what I was saying.
I hear you, but so many other factors go into it.0 -
Two Pitbulls attacked and killed a 14 month old in Wisconsin. I don't trust pits around my boy and I never will.
So if a man kills a baby, do you stop trusting all males? Or if a baby dies in a car accident, do you never put a child in another car?
I'm not trying to debate. I simply don't trust pits, you won't change my mind.0 -
Well...this is why I would rather have small dogs. If they go ballistic on me, I can kick 'em. Not that I would want to, but you can seriously protect yourself against a Chihuahua more than a Rottie or some other big dog. I have children and they are my life. I have two doggies and they are my babies too, but my kids come first and if they go nipping and biting, the dogs are gone. (My furbabies are sweeties, tho).
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.
Well treated doesn't necessarily mean well trained.
You're right, but it also doesn't mean that these dogs were treated aggressively...which is what people imply when they say it isn't the breed but the owner. That is crap. There are crazy dogs due to breeding just like there are crazy people in this world.0 -
Also, if she was in the dirt playing and the dogs were there..who knows what happened to set them off. My very well trained dog freaked out and almost bit me once and I had no idea what was going on. Until I went near where she was playing and saw that there was a wasp's nest. They had attacked her and she freaked out....0
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Well...this is why I would rather have small dogs. If they go ballistic on me, I can kick 'em. Not that I would want to, but you can seriously protect yourself against a Chihuahua more than a Rottie or some other big dog. I have children and they are my life. I have two doggies and they are my babies too, but my kids come first and if they go nipping and biting, the dogs are gone. (My furbabies are sweeties, tho).
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.
Well treated doesn't necessarily mean well trained.
You're right, but it also doesn't mean that these dogs were treated aggressively...which is what people imply when they say it isn't the breed but the owner. That is crap. There are crazy dogs due to breeding just like there are crazy people in this world.
When people say it's not the breed, it's the owner, they're not just talking about people who mistreat their dogs. They're also talking about people who don't train their dogs at all/well enough, or people who don't prevent dangerous situations. Doesn't always mean they're bad people, but their dog is their responsibility.
ETA: And inbreeding and temperment issues down to breeding aren't the dog's fault, it's humans. Again.0 -
nurture over nature.
Also, fwiw, I have been bit by a poodle. Many times. My great-aunt owned a vicious one that used to go after us all as kids.0 -
Well...this is why I would rather have small dogs. If they go ballistic on me, I can kick 'em. Not that I would want to, but you can seriously protect yourself against a Chihuahua more than a Rottie or some other big dog. I have children and they are my life. I have two doggies and they are my babies too, but my kids come first and if they go nipping and biting, the dogs are gone. (My furbabies are sweeties, tho).
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.
Well treated doesn't necessarily mean well trained.
You're right, but it also doesn't mean that these dogs were treated aggressively...which is what people imply when they say it isn't the breed but the owner. That is crap. There are crazy dogs due to breeding just like there are crazy people in this world.
I didn't mean that they were treated aggressively. I just mean they weren't properly trained. I have an aunt who has two of the cutest little dogs but she spoils them so bad that noone else can go near them. Dogs need discipline just like children do. But most people don't know how to discipline a dog properly. Training a dog is not as easy as alot of people think.0 -
They're also talking about people who don't train their dogs at all/well enough, or people who don't prevent dangerous situations. Doesn't always mean they're bad people, but their dog is their responsibility.
The second time my dog went after our neighbors dog I went out and bought him a muzzle.
Since then he's been socially integrated with other dogs and is so much better!0 -
Judging a dog by its breed is just like judging a person because of the color of their skin. The reason that you hear of so many pit bull attacks is because it is sensational. I live in Colorado and the most common dog bites come from Labs, you don't hear about it because it isn't sensational. My husband and I own a vet clinic and I have been bit by more Yorkies, Chihuahua, and other lap dogs than I have been my "bully" breeds. Most of the time the reason for dog bites/attacks is due to the human. What was happening right before? Also, what is the state of the dogs? If you have a handful of in-tact animals, you are going to have a huge problem on your hands. Pit bulls are no where near the "killing machines" that people have labeled them. Remember, it's just a dog. They have the exact same anatomy as every other dog out there.
P.S. any dog can kill...0 -
Well...this is why I would rather have small dogs. If they go ballistic on me, I can kick 'em. Not that I would want to, but you can seriously protect yourself against a Chihuahua more than a Rottie or some other big dog. I have children and they are my life. I have two doggies and they are my babies too, but my kids come first and if they go nipping and biting, the dogs are gone. (My furbabies are sweeties, tho).
As for it isn't the breed, I have to disagree with this. My best friend all thru middle and high school was mauled when she was 5 years old by two very well treated family German Shepherds. She was just sitting in the dirt playing. They almost killed her. She was doing nothing to provoke and these pets had been in the family for years.
Well treated doesn't necessarily mean well trained.
You're right, but it also doesn't mean that these dogs were treated aggressively...which is what people imply when they say it isn't the breed but the owner. That is crap. There are crazy dogs due to breeding just like there are crazy people in this world.
When people say it's not the breed, it's the owner, they're not just talking about people who mistreat their dogs. They're also talking about people who don't train their dogs at all/well enough, or people who don't prevent dangerous situations. Doesn't always mean they're bad people, but their dog is their responsibility.
ETA: And inbreeding and temperment issues down to breeding aren't the dog's fault, it's humans. Again.
Opinions are like belly buttons
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Also during the debate was the fact that it had never been recorded that a poodle had bitten or attacked a child?
This is bull. No breed has a "clean" record when it comes to biting. That is hooey.What are your opinions as to the safety of dogs around children is there a breed of dog that you would not trust?
It's not breed you can trust or doubt, it's the owner/trainer and the dog. Some dogs don't do well with kids, some dogs do but that isn't a breed thing, it varies dog to dog.
My pitt has never bitten anyone, my yellow lab had. My best friend's pitt has never bitten anyone, but her brother's goldie has.
Don't go by breed, pick a good breeder, trainer, and watch the dog until you know how it will react. Also, teach your kid to respect animals, a lot of bites would have been prevented had a kid not ignored a dog's warning signs. Teach a kid to not pull, poke, or sit on a dog, and to leave the dog alone when it growls and it'll probably find that (most) dogs don't bite unprovoked.0
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