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

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  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    The problem is the owners, not the dogs.
  • InnerFatGirl
    InnerFatGirl Posts: 2,687 Member
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    So let me start off by saying I love dogs! I am a dog person. There are certain breeds of dogs that have been bred for aggression and protection. These are animals not people, you cannot train breeding out completely. You can suppress it but its suppressed not gone. Beagles howl, Labs fetch things, Collies herd, Pitt Bulls and others like them guard their territory fiercely. It is simply their breeding. It does not make them bad it just makes them poorly suited for houses with small children.

    Pit bulls were bred to fight bulls, then other dogs. They were never bred to be people aggressive. In fact, the opposite is true. The breeders would often be in the pit with fighting dogs. I suggest you read 'The Lost Dogs' and visit the canine research council.

    And, in fact, before their fighting history they were bred for something else. Can't remember what it is though.

    Also, that's assuming we're talking about pure bred APBTs. Most pits are mutts.
  • tanashai
    tanashai Posts: 207 Member
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    "There's no such thing as a bad breed; only bad owners."

    My son has lived his life around all manner of dogs; we had a German Shepherd/lab cross (with a bit of rottweiler thrown in) when my SIL lived with us. She was incredible; even as a puppy, while she'd nip us, she would never harm a hair on my son (then an infant)'s head. We also had a corgie cross who was a grumpy, territorial git and she never harmed him either (though she's occasionally bare her teeth at him when he went too far). He's also been exposed to bull terrier crosses, pit bull crosses, labs, 'toy' dogs and many others and not a single one harmed him. We taught our son how to be around dogs and owners have taught their dogs how to be around people!

    In short, I think the idea of 'bad breeds' is hokum. Many of the 'bully breeds' were actually bred to be around children and guard families; it's only humans who have trained them to fight and be vicious. And many people just neglect their dogs so they end up bored and ill mannered.
  • nenacakesxo
    nenacakesxo Posts: 118 Member
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    The Dog Whisperer was bitten by a dog. can we really trust dogs now? lol jk
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    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...

    Evolution has shaped humans. Humans have shaped dog breeds. So there is a difference between judging a human by skin color and a dog by breed. At no time in history that I know of have people been bred for any specific purpose. If that has ever happened it has never happened consistently and for any length of time.

    Yes, other humans have influenced who lived or died in their societies (often by doing horrible horrible things to each other, but that's humans for you), and people have segregated themselves off into groups and created customs and laws that made intermingling with other groups rare at times, but there has never that I know of been a people who were bred long-term (or maybe at all) to, for example, be gladiators.

    While dog breeds have been bred deliberately for fighting, for war, for killing other animals, and to hunt.

    Also the most common dog bites come from labs because labs are more numerous than pit bulls. If you adjust for population the most common biters (who cause serious injury in any case) are not labs.

    People who work for insurance companies tend to be a level headed, statistics-loving lot (even if I'm not sure I'd risk turning my back on one). Here are the breeds Forbes says they don't like to insure:


    Pit Bulls & Staffordshire Terriers
    Doberman Pinschers
    Rottweilers
    German Shepherds
    Chows
    Great Danes
    Presa Canarios
    Akitas
    Alaskan Malamutes
    Siberian Huskies
    Wolf-hybrids

    Of course again a lot of this has to do with how much damage these dogs can do, not their general temperament, but a lab is a fair-sized dog, too and statistically speaking, I'd be willing to bet with the insurance companies on this one that your average lab is going to attack someone with serious intent far less often than your average...well, let's stop picking on pit bulls and go with one of my favorite breeds: German Shepherd.

    Does this mean I say put these dog breeds down? Hell no. I'm just arguing with you because I think you're wrong and I'm pesky that way.
  • InnerFatGirl
    InnerFatGirl Posts: 2,687 Member
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    :heart: adorable!

    I have a German Shepherd that is the biggest baby. But don't you dare try to hurt his family. He no likey...

    Thank you!

    I bet he is. I love Alsatians :heart:
  • InnerFatGirl
    InnerFatGirl Posts: 2,687 Member
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    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...

    Evolution has shaped humans. Humans have shaped dog breeds. So there is a difference between judging a human by skin color and a dog by breed. At no time in history that I know of have people been bred for any specific purpose. If that has ever happened it has never happened consistently and for any length of time.

    Yes, other humans have influenced who lived or died in their societies (often by doing horrible horrible things to each other, but that's humans for you), and people have segregated themselves off into groups and created customs and laws that made intermingling with other groups rare at times, but there has never that I know of been a people who were bred long-term (or maybe at all) to, for example, be gladiators.

    While dog breeds have been bred deliberately for fighting, for war, for killing other animals, and to hunt.

    Also the most common dog bites come from labs because labs are more numerous than pit bulls. If you adjust for population the most common biters (who cause serious injury in any case) are not labs.

    People who work for insurance companies tend to be a level headed, statistics-loving lot (even if I'm not sure I'd risk turning my back on one). Here are the breeds Forbes says they don't like to insure:


    Pit Bulls & Staffordshire Terriers
    Doberman Pinschers
    Rottweilers
    German Shepherds
    Chows
    Great Danes
    Presa Canarios
    Akitas
    Alaskan Malamutes
    Siberian Huskies
    Wolf-hybrids

    Of course again a lot of this has to do with how much damage these dogs can do, not their general temperament, but a lab is a fair-sized dog, too and statistically speaking, I'd be willing to bet with the insurance companies on this one that your average lab is going to attack someone with serious intent far less often than your average...well, let's stop picking on pit bulls and go with one of my favorite breeds: German Shepherd.

    Does this mean I say put these dog breeds down? Hell no. I'm just arguing with you because I think you're wrong and I'm pesky that way.

    Labs are more numerous than pits? Eh....?
  • krissy_krossy
    krissy_krossy Posts: 307 Member
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    It's not the breed, it's how the dog was raised. Ignorance about this frustrates me because I have a pitbull. BSL can prevent us from living in certain places because of my "vicious" dog that knows what to do when you ask for kisses. Idk how to upload photos from my phone, but if y'all have instagram mine is kristinanicole90. Most of my pictures are of my terrifying beast. My mother has an untrained chiuahuah and that thing is more dangerous than my dog. One time I took my dog to play in a park and a pug attacked her because it wanted her ball. My dog was scared, bleeding all over her snout, and she just stood there. Didn't fight back.

    Oh, and one more thing. My mom was attacked by someone's dog while she was working. Ripped out the back of her knee. It looked like she was bitten by a shark and now, years later, she can hardly walk. is in constant pain, and is now considered physically disabled. What breed? A labrador.

    Don't blame the dog, blame the human attached to the dog.
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
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    Pack mentality
  • Tw1zzler
    Tw1zzler Posts: 583
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    Dogs are a product of their environment. I don't believe any breed should be automatically considered dangerous. I've known some incredibly sweet Rottweilers. I'd love to have a well trained dog, good with the family and good for defense.
  • smaugish
    smaugish Posts: 244 Member
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    As the owner of a (probable) Staffy-Jack cross boy, and a gorgeous cuddle-monster full Staffy girl, I've been following this story and the ludicrous 'phone ins' with intent.

    From what I can gather, the dogs were hideously treated. They were left alone in the house and the girl went round to wait for her friend to return home. On the way, she bought a meat pie to eat for her dinner. It's all speculation, of course, but it's thought that it was whilst eating the pie that the dogs attacked her. This to me screams of the dogs being incredibly hungry. Also, from the state of the garden, they weren't looked after very well.

    A bleeding Shih Tzu would probably go for you if it was starving and you had a delicious smelling meat pie.
  • Bill49659
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    The toddler that was killed in the backyard recently was killed supposedly by five pit bulls and there were more pits in the house but did nit participate. Again supposedly she crawled out of the house through a doggie door and several adults were in the home when she was attacked and killed. A neighbor saw the dogs dragging the body around the yard and notified the family.

    I did not allow trust any unsupervised dogs around my kids and still do not allow any unsupervised dogs around my grand children while I am present. Since my kids and grandkids do not live with me I can not dictate what goes on when I am not around. My youngest son likes pit bulls and has had three over the past few years. One female was put down because she was very aggressive with everyone. The two intact males he has had, not at the same time, were very friendly and good with kids from babies to teenagers and I still don't trust them or any dog unsupervised around the grandkids in my presence..
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
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    I'm surprised about those Mastiffs. They're typically very relaxed and chill animals, despite their menacing appearance.

    Yeah they're generally very good natured dogs. Huge teddy bears.
  • LayerzOff
    LayerzOff Posts: 25
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    I have a little jack russell cross and if you walk past the garden when she is peein she barks her head off.. To a stranger she looks and sounds like a bully but she is harmless.. Infact if you were to enter the garden she would roll on her back and expect a tummy tickle (i have seen her with my own eyes do it).. Unless its the boy upstairs who winds her up.. Then.she will bark till his gone but will never bite. I trust my dog with my life and believe it is down to poor training when dogs attack and maybe a new law of vettin dog owners should come into play. I'm tired of the breed gettin the bad name.. Look @ ceasar millan in america (he has no problem) infact it is the little dogs in his oppinion that are the worst lol

    What I would like to know is why the frick was that young girl in that house alone with all those dogs as it was not her home. I would not mind bettin somethin else has gone on and we ain had the full story.. Im from the uk ... infact just over half hour away from manchester. It is a shame what happend!
  • stephanieluvspb
    stephanieluvspb Posts: 997 Member
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    @ Innerfatgirl: I just want to tell you that you are an AWESOME person! I have 2 pittie's and I have lecuted/educated complete strangers over the pitbull subject! very well said!! Perceus and Athena (my dogs) say thank u!! :)
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,244 Member
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    An article about a child being attacked by a "Pit Bull" (even if it might have been another breed... not many people can correctly ID a true Pit by looks alone) will sell more papers then an attack by a "Lab". The statistics are there and it shows a bias against specific breeds by the media and by society.

    There is a wonderful documentary called "Beyond the Myth". You can stream it on Netflix. It is about how Pits are protrayed by the media and by local governments. Is it biased? Yes. But some of the statistics are pretty crazy.

    BTW, I know 2 people who have been attacked by dogs. One was a Mastiff. The other was a Golden Retriever.
  • LayerzOff
    LayerzOff Posts: 25
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    As the owner of a (probable) Staffy-Jack cross boy, and a gorgeous cuddle-monster full Staffy girl, I've been following this story and the ludicrous 'phone ins' with intent.

    From what I can gather, the dogs were hideously treated. They were left alone in the house and the girl went round to wait for her friend to return home. On the way, she bought a meat pie to eat for her dinner. It's all speculation, of course, but it's thought that it was whilst eating the pie that the dogs attacked her. This to me screams of the dogs being incredibly hungry. Also, from the state of the garden, they weren't looked after very well.

    A bleeding Shih Tzu would probably go for you if it was starving and you had a delicious smelling meat pie.

    I never knew why she was there so thanks.. Well said by the way as I saw the garden on the news and those owners need to take responsibility for what happend. Those sort of people should not be able to have one dog never mind more!
  • dbkrantz
    dbkrantz Posts: 138
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    No breed is aggressive. A dog will turn aggressive if he has a bad owner
  • marthajo1
    marthajo1 Posts: 68 Member
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    It is not the breed people. It is the owner. It is the environment. Pits used to be the nanny dog in America.They were revered as the most loyal and loving of all of the canine companions. Ever seen Little Rascals? That dog was a PIT. Now everyone seems to be scared of them only because an irresponsible media has to make it front page news when someone gets bit by one. I have known more people to get bit bI smaller dogs than any of the so-called dangerous breeds. Check the facts before you start talking about banning breeds.
  • LayerzOff
    LayerzOff Posts: 25
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    It is not the breed people. It is the owner. It is the environment. Pits used to be the nanny dog in America.They were revered as the most loyal and loving of all of the canine companions. Ever seen Little Rascals? That dog was a PIT. Now everyone seems to be scared of them only because an irresponsible media has to make it front page news when someone gets bit by one. I have known more people to get bit bI smaller dogs than any of the so-called dangerous breeds. Check the facts before you start talking about banning breeds.

    Agreed!!!!