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Eco-Friendly Family
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My FFC/neighbor dog vent
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I have to admit, I can not stand certain types of dogs. Pitbulls and Rotties, as well as other aggressive type dogs freak me out.
I have two neighbors with these types of dogs. Those breeds bark and growl and snarl. They are "guarding" their yard, I get that. But when I see them through the fence and these dogs act like they want to murder me, I feel like I want to do the same to them. (I would not do it but in my mind I am mean like that when it comes to these dogs).
My guests get scared when they come over because the second they get out of their car they have aggressive dogs snarling at them.
I can only imagine what they would do if a child attempted to pet them through the fence *shudders*
I loooooooooooooooove animals, and have a dog of my own (basset hound). But I would NOT get an aggressive-by-nature type of dog. I believe that there are traits you can just not get rid of by obedience classes. I would not ever want these types of dogs near any child.
Yes, I realize there are some pitbulls etc that are "good with kids" but I wouldn't risk that....
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Re: My FFC/neighbor dog vent
in all honesty, while some breeds are more prone to aggression issues, it's all in their training and how they're raised.
More people are bit by poodles and black labs every year than by pit bulls and rotties.
And I think it's very ignorant to blame the breed and not the owner.
That makes me sad. There aren't aggressive breeds, there are only stupid owners. My life has been filled with Dobermans and I can assure you that none were snarly or aggressive toward neighbors, guests, or anyone else. Shoot - if someone broke into our house tonight, Dals would probably drop a ball on their feet and wait for it to be thrown. It is 100% in how they are raised. The meanest dog I have ever known was a Pomeranian, and that is all her owner's fault.
I hope you get a chance to meet some positive representatives of the breeds. There are TONS out there.
I am more afraid of little dogs than big dogs. We have a neighbor who has 11 Maltese dogs (little white ones) and they have bitten a number of people, myself included. The last time one tried to bite me I kicked it. Do I feel bad? Yes. But at least I didn't get bitten again. And I was in my yard.
That being said, I think it is more the owner than the breed. I'm sure there are perfectly nice Maltese out there. And one of the gentlest dogs I have ever met was a pure bred Rottweiler. All it ever wanted to do was be a lap dog and snuggle.
It is hard to get past breeds sometimes, especially when you have a bad experience with one.
Eh, we had a rottweiler that was really gentle and cuddly and a cocker spaniel that would nip you if you looked at her wrong.
Our neighbors have a German Shepherd who is pretty territorial, and although I would not allow DD unsupervised with their dog, I let the dog sniff her through our fence and when we are in the front yard together. She's never shown any signs of aggression - she's actually quite scared of DD.
So much uneducated fail and assumptions in this post.
Those dogs would be aggressive regardless of breed because of their environment. Stick a lab outside all day and be allowed to fence fight and you would get the same reaction.
You know what was demonized before pits? Rotties. Before that? Dobermans. Before that? German shepherds. Before that? Chows. And so on and so forth.
https://www.badrap.org
So called "pit bulls" test high on people friendliness and non-aggression tests. Much higher than golden retrievers or labs, which most people think are "safe."
Educate yourself before you keep on spreading lies.
I understand that the owners (nurture) have a TON to do with the behaviors of their animals, but I just personally would not want to invite the potential harm. It is a risk I do not want to take for my family.
Some behaviors are more typical of certain breeds and really when something sparks that natural behavior, you can not blame the dog for its actions because that is its instinct.
What I am trying to say, is that if one of these dogs kills a cat, bites a child, or kills an infant by shaking, it is its natural instinct coming out. This can happen regardless of obedience training (although I do think it is less likely if the dog has been trained well).
I equate it to being similar to lions in a circus. They have been trained. Sometimes something still sets them off and then something horrible happens.
I've never had a dog who DIDN'T bark to "protect" their yard. I understand being freaked out by "aggressive" breeds--my mom had taken our young dog to a training class and an aggressive rottie bit our boxer on the back, so badly that she had to have surgery. My mom can't STAND rotties ever since--but really, they are just breeds that need to be cared for and trained especially well (not because they are naturally more aggressive, but because they are very strong, so when something goes wrong, it goes WRONG). But I also grew up around big dogs, mutts mostly, so they don't intimidate me so much.
That said, I will NEVER reach over and pet a dog I don't know, and I will make sure D knows the same.
I am not spreading lies. I am talking about these dogs that I have encountered and experienced. I know not EVERY SINGLE DOG of these breeds is like this. Can there be good dogs that happen to be one of the singled out "aggressive" breeds? Of course! But do I want to take the risk? Nope.
It is my opinion based on my experiences. That is all.
Every dobie, pit bull I've come across has been really friendly and laid back and I'm actually more uneasy around little things.
I have a friend with a pug, a boston and some little white fluffy thing and DS has been bitten and/or clawed by each of them out of nowhere. Ie. he was walking past them. It's to the point where I don't allow them in my house anymore because they have not been raised in a way that I'm comfortable with them near him.
I have another friend with a rottie X and I have a dobie x and they're both amazing with DS...
I'm a firm believer that it's NOT the breed, but the way they are raised.
Then you should be running out and getting a pit bull immediately. They've been specifically bred to show NO human aggression at all. During the selective breeding process over the centuries any of them that did show human aggression weren't bred. This is their true nature. Not the stuff you hear sensationalized on the news.
You know what happened to a majority of Vick's dogs who were beaten and forced to fight? They are living in homes with families, some with *gasp* children!
How are these killers adjusting to life with families? Because that is NOT their natural breed state or natural behavior.
Again. Start doing your own research on the breed, and stop listening to the news.
So you're basing your whole experience on two breeds on two dogs. Then you continue to spread what you think is the truth based on this sample population tainting other's views on the breed as a whole.
Awesome. It's like saying I hate a Mexicans because I had a bad taco.
I had a friend who always has rotties, and honestly, if you know them, they are big babies (at least hers and another friends are). Max was a bit scary when you came to the door, but once they let you in or if he knew you, he was a lover!!!
I miss that guy!!!! 
I am sometimes intimidated by those breeds, and I don't trust any dog I don't know w/ DS, but generally, those dogs can be sweet lil' guys if they have good owners, and again, a lot of them, their bark is much worse than their bite.
Vick did something HORRIBLE and I think that is SO BAD. You should never treat animals the way he has, and dogs of any kind should not be trained to fight for the pleasure of humans. The fact that people can get pleasure from dog fights disgusts me.
I do think dogs have feelings and I hate to see them getting put in situations like Vick had done to them. That is pure evil. I am glad those dogs did find good homes and didn't have to be put down. That would have been even more sad.
I do not wish harm on any of these dogs, or the sensationalized aggressive breeds. I don't think it is their fault at all. I DO hate that they snarl and bark and growl when they hear the slightest sound. I hate that these particlular dogs (multiple neighbors have them) ALL show major aggression behaviors without provocation.
My experience with these particular dogs has colored my view of the breeds. I first heard about the news stories (yes, can be hogwash, but often there is a grain of truth in there), then my experience mimics the stories I have heard... of course I am going to naturally feel some of this to be true. But the rational side of me knows there are good dogs of these types as well. I just have never experienced it, and can not think that I would ever want one of these dogs for my family. I.just.can't.do.it.
My dog has never shown guarding behaviors over his teritory. But he does sniff the entire yard (which was encouraged for his breed behaviors). I agree that NO DOG IS ENTIRELY SAFE, even my docile hound could bite if provocated. You do have to teach your kids to never touch dogs they don't know, etc. I agree. But kids do not ALWAYS do what you want them to. Sometimes they wonder "what if" and they test the limits. It happens.
Anyway, this is my opinion based on what I have experienced.
PS- This not based on 2 dogs. This is based on many dogs in my neighborhood, not owned by the same people. I ranted most about dogs owned by my next door and back yard neighbors, but there are others as well.
And that's fine - you don't ever have to own one. But it kinda sucks for some of us when you say things like you can't stand certain breeds of dogs, or "I would not ever want these types of dogs near any child" because, to some of us, these breeds ARE our family. It is hurtful to watch a breed that you adore be wrongly villainized. It hurts my heart, and ultimately it makes it harder for a member of my family to be accepted.
It really does sound like you have some sucky neighbors. I'm sorry for that. But I would be much more concerned about my neighbors' lack of responsibility than I would the breed of their dogs. Stick a Lab in their yard and I guarantee you're going to have the same results.
Dobie- I'm sorry to have hurt your feelings, and I didn't mean to do that at all. Truthfully I am NOT thrilled with any of my neighbors. I was venting (the dogs set me off a little while ago) and I probably should not have come on here all moody like that....Starting to calm down now. I don't think you are a bad mama. I don't think that your particular dog is evil. I don't even know your dog. However, I would probably be hyper-cautious if I met the dog due to what I have seen. You just might be right about the Lab being the same way. It wouldn't surprise me a bit. My post probably comes off as mean. Maybe I should have titled it "neighbor dog vent". Either way, it sounds like I need to see one of these good dogs of those breeds!
Pixy- I am going to that site you gave me to read up. Thank you.
I am just reeling with emotion from this post so I admit that I was not able to read every word of every post. This post completely, utterly breaks my heart. It is this kind of misinformation that causes cities to ban certain breeds. We have the sweetest dog who is likely part pit and maybe something else and maybe not. She is completely sweet and such a lap dog. If you sit on the floor, she is right there in your lap within seconds. She would be on our laps on the couch too if we let her. She is sweet and snuggly which happen to be very typical characteristics of her breed. Her breed can be dog-aggressive because of how they have been trained in the past so we have put a lot of work into socializing her with other dogs.
When people come to our door, both dogs go ballistic. Our other dog is a *** hound/lab mix. He is the one that barks louder and is more "excited" yet people we don't know are "scared of that pit bull." Neither dog has ever hurt anybody and likely never will but the *** hound mix is more protective of the home with his bark.
I have a friend who's niece was literally attacked by her mom's black lab. I know it's not b/c of the breed and after they put the dog down, they found out he had some medical issues.
Fact of the matter is that you cannot trust any dog completely.
This...absolutely this.
Please read this. I wish the man would just disappear off the planet. His methods have done nothing but harm for dogs with owners that try to implement his outmoded dominance theory.
I actually read something about how the majority of dog bites are from certain breeds. That doesn't mean that some of those dogs aren't great family dogs, it just is a fact. Maybe some of these breeds are just more likely owned by negligent owners. I really don't know, but any dog barking at the fence is not a good thing.
So is this info I found below really true? I mean the guy who started the website only represents dog bite victims, so maybe it's skewed?!
"The deadliest dogs
Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has conducted an unusually detailed study of dog bites from 1982 to the present. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006; click here to read it.) The Clifton study show the number of serious canine-inflicted injuries by breed. The author's observations about the breeds and generally how to deal with the dangerous dog problem are enlightening.
According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:
If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price. "
https://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html
The Big Sky Country Welcomes Us Home!
I can't get the study clicky to work, but if it's the study I'm thinking of, it was proven to be invalid because of several methodology flaws ... a large part of which is the classification of "pit bull type" dogs as a breed.
dogbitelaw.com gets cited frequently, BUT is a biased website. As dobie said the statistics are completely flawed in their methodology.
There's been studies where people bitten by different breeds have incorrectly identified the dog as a pit bull. Among breeds misidentified: Lab, golden retriever, poodle, and chi. Yes, a chi.
The Big Sky Country Welcomes Us Home!
Our white boxer got out and chased a pizza guy once (she wanted to PLAY and as soon as she got out the door, he RAN, so she followed, she never even growled or barked at all), and the next time we got a pizza from them it said "beware of pit bull" on the receipt next to our address. People need to act around animals with respect, not fear. Don't go woolin' all over some animal you don't know, but don't freak out and cower, either. Yeesh.
Also: I think a lot more dogs bite than are reported, and I think a greater number of the ones reported are from larger, stronger dogs, because they can do more damage a lot of times, IF it happens. So Mrs. Smith's mean little pomeranian doesn't get reported but Mr. Jones' big old chow does.
Anyway. Dang I miss having dogs.