A dog you can trust or a dog that will kill?

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Replies

  • Terryism
    Terryism Posts: 314 Member
    As a former vet assistant for 13 years, I say if it has teeth, it can bite. I trust no dog with my son, including my own. I have two mini schnauzers and I trust the timid one more than the outgoing one, but I believe either one will bite if provoked. I also truly believe that I am more likely to be bitten by a 3# chihuahua than a 60# pit bull, because it's happened.
  • asnnbrg
    asnnbrg Posts: 34 Member
    Sure breeds have traits... just like horoscopes type people... eg.. scorpios are hard headed and stubborn...

    Horoscopes aren't real. Breed traits are. People spend decades breeding in or breeding out specific traits. Terriers, for example, have been bred to be tenacious hunters. I've had terriers nearly my whole life, until my last one died nine years ago. They all have their own *personalities,* but they also most certainly do have specific traits. Does that mean every terrier in the world is stubborn? Of course not. Just that they're more likely to be stubborn than a dog who wasn't bred to hunt that way.

    In the end, though, it still comes down to what people have done to dogs, i.e., deliberately breeding in or out specific traits. And to my knowledge, no dog has ever been bred specifically for aggression. That said, sloppy breeding of so-called dangerous breeds is what's gotten us here. While responsible breeders are breeding to improve lines, BYBs aren't. They're in it for the money, and they'll use any dogs, regardless of temperament or traits, and what you end up with are poor examples of the breed. Mix that with a bad owner, and you get an aggressive dog.
  • asnnbrg
    asnnbrg Posts: 34 Member
    I have a Lab/Rottie mix and a St Bernard I don't leave kids alone with either of them.
    Not that I don't trust my dogs but kids are brats.


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    Which is why when my husband had his old dog and had small nieces and nephews he made sure he "pulled" her tail and ears and did everything a small child would do to a dog to get her used to it and it worked. She never bit, snapped at or did anything to his kin but when she was tired she sure as heck let them know with a low, menacing warning growl.

    I can't imagine pulling on my cats' ears (or my dogs', when I had them) just to get them used to kids. I'd rather stay on top of the kids until they learned to act right.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    Any dog bred to truly guard is going to have to have some aggression in its nature. Just barking to warn won't always cut it.

    Any breed trained to go after something bigger than itself (especially lions, bears, or other predators) is going to have aggression-the willingness and confidence to attack a dangerous creature much larger than itself and bring it down.

    And poor pit-bulls, I figure they are less likely to warn with barking and growling first (if what I read is true) because they were bred also by cruel idiots using them for sport. No point in barking or growling at a bull or bear trapped in a pit in hopes it will turn and flee and present an easier target. Might as well just charge right in. How many pitbulls come from that particular breeding line though and how many come from the line used in general to hunt or guard livestock? No telling. But they were sometimes set upon their bear or bull victims in packs, so that also might make them more likely to be pack aggressive.

    Anyway, watch out for those dachshunds. A vet study shows that small dogs are the most aggressive, with wiener dogs topping the list. So if you see one, run! They're toothy, short legged little missiles fueled by pure hatred! What we really need to fear isn't pit-bulls, it's the day some breeder gets it into her head to cross breed dachshunds with irish wolfhounds until they get the ultimate, leggy killing machine. :laugh:
  • ukheather
    ukheather Posts: 66 Member
    I absolutely hate it when people say a whole breed is evil and should be banned because of what one dog did. It happens all the time and makes me so angry.

    It is down to how the dog is trained.
  • jsiricos
    jsiricos Posts: 340 Member
    Somethings missing..

    She was eating, and they attacked? were they hungry? was she teasing them?

    As others have said, it's in the breeding, the socialization they get at birth, a LOT of factors weigh in here.

    Not all dogs are bad, just like not all dog owners are idiots, there is always the exception to the rule.
  • hamiltonba
    hamiltonba Posts: 474 Member
    To MeMyCatsandI-where in the world did you get toddler from????
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
    It's not the breed, it's the owner.

    My pitbull is an absolute doll with my 3 year old. He can do whatever the F*** he wants, she will ignore him. If she's had enough she will walk away.

    I can't help but laugh at the idiots that are afraid of my 30lb puppy because she's a "pit bull'. The most damage she will do is walking up you to lick your face off.
  • MeMyCatsandI
    MeMyCatsandI Posts: 704 Member
    To MeMyCatsandI-where in the world did you get toddler from????
    If you keep reading you'll find out.
  • DeeJayTJ
    DeeJayTJ Posts: 355 Member
    i would NEVER leave a big dog with a small child

    my grandparents have a doberman, a huge doberman named Herman. hes the sweetest big dog ive ever met. hes giant but hes very very gentle, hes GREAT with my uncles 3 year old baby girl and she plays with him and he appears to be absolutely no threat.

    but would i leave him alone with the kid? absolutely not. because you just never know what could happen.
  • n2thenight24
    n2thenight24 Posts: 1,651 Member
    I think this is probably a pretty textbook case of "pack mentality" alone, these dogs probably would have never touched the child. But all you need is one vicious dog in a large group and it can turn ugly very quickly. What a terrible situation.
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
    No breed is a bad breed when trained correctly.
    No dog should be left alone with a small child.

    And children need to be educated about how to act around dogs. I love my dogs to death and I would do anything for them. I trust them and they protect me or alert me to potential danger. However, I will not ever mess with them while they eat and I have taught my 8 y/o the same. I dont attempt to touch their bowl or anything around it. I love them but Im not dumb- they are still animals with instincts.
  • Silver_Star
    Silver_Star Posts: 1,351 Member
    ive seen really nasty little poodles before and really gentle pitbulls and mastiffs...so its part of the dog's personality too i think, not just the owner's control over it and the ability to train it.

    Edited to Add: I was left alone with our dogs several times during my childhood...and we had huge German Shepherds and Rottweilers in the house. Outside, we had a Golden Retriever and the biggest "mutt" dog ive ever seen....
    they were the most gentlest dogs ever.
  • n2thenight24
    n2thenight24 Posts: 1,651 Member
    No breed is a bad breed when trained correctly.
    No dog should be left alone with a small child.

    And children need to be educated about how to act around dogs. I love my dogs to death and I would do anything for them. I trust them and they protect me or alert me to potential danger. However, I will not ever mess with them while they eat and I have taught my 8 y/o the same. I dont attempt to touch their bowl or anything around it. I love them but Im not dumb- they are still animals with instincts.

    You should be able to touch your dogs food bowl, and so should your children. My dog won't even go near her food bowl if I'm even in the vicinity, and if she's eating when I walk into the room, she will back away from her food. It's not that she is afraid of me, it is out of respect. I could also set my own plate of food on the floor, leave her alone with it for any period of time and know that it will be untouched when I return.
  • leiloob
    leiloob Posts: 49 Member
    Blame the deed not the BREED! I trust my pit around my 4 kids and she is a rescue that came from a horrible situation! My husbands aunt was visiting from Philadelphia and my pit Leiloo was on her lap(she thinks she is a 50 pound lap dog) enjoying the attention. She was going on and on about how much she loved her and wish she could have a dog "this sweet". She then asked what type of dog she was????I thought she was going to have a heart attack when I told her "pit/with a little Shar-Pei we think!!!! Also, she is protective of my children if anyone new comes into the house she will stand between them and the person it is so sweet. When I brought my youngest home from the hospital she would position herself ALWAYS between the front door and the baby. And would whine at the door if I kept it shut to the bedroom...she wanted to curl up as close to the crib as she could and if Kingston made even a coo she would run whining to me and pace til I would go and check. We had someone try to break-in our house a few months ago and that is the first time I've ever seen any aggression....she barked with a bark I have never heard before and woke us up to someone trying to break the front door in. I called 911 and they got the guy...he had moved on to our elderly neighbors house. When the cops came to tell us what happened she didn't even get off the couch....he said "a lot of good the dog did"....I said "acually she did...she is the one that alerted us"....he said well she must not see me as threat as he sat down beside her and she rolled over for a belly rub!!!
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    that's so sad, i feel terrible for that family.

    i'm very lucky i have such a sweet dog, who i've taken the time to train, and who respects me and my position as leader of our "pack".

    however i don't think i would ever have more dogs/animals than people in a house. i just wouldn't be able to give them all the love, care and consistent training they need. seeing such a tiny backyard for four huge dogs may explain why they were so aggressive and energetic. i know my dog 70% ignores me when he's with other dogs, until he becomes tired then he wants to snuggle and be pet.

    a tired dog is a good dog
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Hey, take a look at my killer dog.

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    I suggest you visit http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/

    LOVE HER!
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I have a Lab/Rottie mix and a St Bernard I don't leave kids alone with either of them.
    Not that I don't trust my dogs but kids are brats.


    o5nrlj.jpg

    Which is why when my husband had his old dog and had small nieces and nephews he made sure he "pulled" her tail and ears and did everything a small child would do to a dog to get her used to it and it worked. She never bit, snapped at or did anything to his kin but when she was tired she sure as heck let them know with a low, menacing warning growl.

    I can't imagine pulling on my cats' ears (or my dogs', when I had them) just to get them used to kids. I'd rather stay on top of the kids until they learned to act right.

    It wasn't like he was yanking on them hard and being mean. He was doing what any normal kid would do. She was the sweetest, loving dog out there but he didn't want to risk her snapping at a child because they got a little aggressive with her. You can't watch a child all the time.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    And for the record just because a dog is gentle with YOU doesn't mean they will be the same way with someone else. And while it's awesome that a dog is "protective" of a family, children etc and will place themselves between you and someone else if I were that "someone else" I'd be more than a little scared to go near you even if you said "Oh don't worry! He's such a sweet boy! Wouldn't hurt a fly! Just being protective!!"

    I have a friend who has a golden and she bit his BIL in the face and he had to get stitches. The BIL knows the dog. Knows she's sweet however the dog was in the car, he leaned in to pet her and she bit him because she was being protective of the car. So yeah, it's awesome that they can be that way just understand that they have the potential to bite someone which could turn very ugly very fast.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    yesterday, a 2-year old toddler was mauled and killed by her family's 7 pit bulls.
    The family said there has never been an issue with the dogs before and they never felt the child was in danger with them, although they admitted at least one of the dogs killed a cat one time.

    http://www.live5news.com/story/21816646/2-year-old-girl-killed-by-seven-pit-bulls-in-ellabell
  • PeachyKeene
    PeachyKeene Posts: 1,645 Member
    Just the day before yesterday, a 21 month old little girl was killed by 7 pitbulls here where I live. These lived in the house with her. Grandmother fell asleep and the little girl and the dogs went out thru the doggy door. The detective I know, said it was the most gruesome thing he has ever seen, and he has worked on the force for over 30 years. All of the dogs were put to sleep. He told me they ripped her clothes off and ripped them to shreds, they found pieces all over the yard. I won't go into detail, but it was really bad. I know the grandma was negligent, needless to say, I wouldn't turn my back on them. Just Sayin!!
  • PeachyKeene
    PeachyKeene Posts: 1,645 Member
    yesterday, a 2-year old toddler was mauled and killed by her family's 7 pit bulls.
    The family said there has never been an issue with the dogs before and they never felt the child was in danger with them, although they admitted at least one of the dogs killed a cat one time.

    http://www.live5news.com/story/21816646/2-year-old-girl-killed-by-seven-pit-bulls-in-ellabell

    Oh this is the one. I live just outside of Ellabell.
  • crazyellybean
    crazyellybean Posts: 999 Member
    No breed is a bad breed when trained correctly.

    enough said = close thread!

    I have 3 dogs, 2 of which are on the top 10 dangerous dogs, and they have never bite a single person or animal, they are the sweetest dogs ever..they were properly socialized at a young age and well trained.
  • Krizzle4Rizzle
    Krizzle4Rizzle Posts: 2,704 Member
    It's all about the training. I have a Shorkie, whom is supposed to be sweet and great with kids. Guess what? He's not. It's my fault because he was not properly socialized. I have now enlisted a professional trainer and we are working on his issues.
  • docssj
    docssj Posts: 39 Member
    First of all im a vet and i do k9 training

    U actual have to think dogs are wild its us as humans tht domesticate them and further more when man kills a child he doesnt get shot not always do they go to jail i think tht they cd be an enquiry there are few breeds on the dangerous dogs list and certain rules must be followed but sd look alot into how people treat their animals

    Okay so rant over
    I will say this one last thing try to be kind to ya wee animals give them the love and remember their cant talk to u although i do get nicknamed doctor dolittle my wee resuce staffie hasntspoke to me yet

    Give all ya animals wee kiss n hgs

    S.J
    Xx
  • catinohio
    catinohio Posts: 82 Member
    There are some KIDS that I would not trust around any breed of dog.
  • PeachyKeene
    PeachyKeene Posts: 1,645 Member
    There are some KIDS that I would not trust around any breed of dog.

    hahaha! true!! for sure
  • Rivers2k
    Rivers2k Posts: 380 Member
    I have been bitten by 3 different dogs all cocker spaniels. Cockers spaniels hate me !!!! LOL don't know why.

    That being said I believe breeds do what they have been bread to do. Beagles were bread to chase rabbits let a beagle go in the woods and it will chase some animal. Retrievers naturally want to fetch. Pitts and Rotties were trained to fight they are going to fight quicker than say a retriever.

    They have a quicker temper and I don't trust them just like I don't trust a human with a short temper.
  • jessicas082409
    jessicas082409 Posts: 75 Member
    My son and I have been bitten more by my mom's dachshunds and my old cat then any other dog...we have a Great Dane(German Mastiff if ya'll want to get all technical and such) that my son can basically treat like a big teddy bear and he won't even bat an eyelash at...We've had Salt Artemis since he was 6wks old and I made sure the kid was involved in the training...Same thing with our 10month old Pitty that died last year, the kid could do whatever he wanted and that dog was always right there by his side.

    Now, do i leave the kid alone with the dog....no...he weighs nearly 200lbs and could hurt the kid on accident or my son could hurt him on accident and I'm not willing to let the unthinkable happen, but he's also not allowed to be alone with my parents dachshunds.

    Bottom line is that people are going to be bias one way or another and you can't change minds easily...it's all preference of breed..that's why we all have different dogs, you couldn't get me to love a chihuahua or any other yappy toy breed no matter how hard you tried, just like some people will always see bull and staff terriers as malicious killers. I do feel empathy toward the family though, no parent deserves to bury their child.
  • Mel2626
    Mel2626 Posts: 342 Member
    Hmm A sensitive subject for me being a lover of bully breeds. Any dog can bite~ that's just the facts. Too many people own big large dogs but they don't properly train them and that leads to so many problems for the dogs (and subsequently the owners). I myself have been bitten by a Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix on my face, as a child my brother was attacked by two beagles and a few other smaller dogs if I remember correctly (he has bad luck lol) and I have a wiggle-butt of a pit mix that would probably lick someone to death if they let her. This is the first bully breed I've owned and I went into it full-well knowing that she would require extra training even if merely because of her size and strength (which are oblivious to her since she thinks she's a tiny lap dog lol). Also, the problem with the term "pit bull" used to describe dogs is that many times it's based simply on the appearance of the dog. There are so many types of dogs and mixes of dogs that resemble "pitties" that they all get lumped together and causes major confusion for most people. I just don't care what type of dog attacks, they should be judged on an individual basis~the same way we do for crimes that humans commit. Could you imagine if we started prosecuting entire chunks of the population of people based on individual crimes that one or two people committed? Punish the DEED, not the BREED!

    Edited to add: I just remembered during a hike last weekend with the chi/pom mix mentioned above and my pit mix, we came across lots of dogs. The only "mean" dog we encountered was a golden retriever~ yes, the media's vision of the perfect family dog. The owners were responsible enough to pull the aggressive dog off the trail FAR away from us before we even got close to us and our dogs because they knew she'd attack. Just goes to show, you never know what type of dog can attack.