Possibly controversial: "dangerous" dogs

babyaustin725 · July 2011

We have a lab, so this is just out of curiosity. Does anyone have a dog that has a reputation (false or not) for being "dangerous"? Do you ever feel nervous with the dog around your child?

James said that if we were to get another dog, he'd want a German Shepherd. Although I don't really believe that a dog's breed makes them a bad/aggressive/dangerous dog (more the way they are raised and trained), I will admit that I did have a momentary twinge of imagining it snarling at Tman.

MissLauraQ · July 2011

Now that Tilman is older I'd say I'd have less worry - but don't you live in a condo? It would be hard with twobig dogs. And do you walk everyday? That was the hard part for us - getting all the kid stuff and school stuff done plus bedtime routine AND walk the dog.

We fostered a dog last summer - who became dangerous and even nipped Willow's face - so we gave him back to SPCA.

babyaustin725 · July 2011

MissLauraQ:
Now that Tilman is older I'd say I'd have less worry - but don't you live in a condo? It would be hard with twobig dogs. And do you walk everyday? That was the hard part for us - getting all the kid stuff and school stuff done plus bedtime routine AND walk the dog.

We fostered a dog last summer - who became dangerous and even nipped Willow's face - so we gave him back to SPCA.

Oh, we aren't looking to get another dog right now, we were just chatting about it.

IdahoGirl · July 2011

My inlaws have a Rotty. And while he is the SWEETEST dog on the planet. He's still a dog - instinctual by nature. And Madelyn is still a toddler - who will do whatever she wants to without understanding the consequences.

Both of those are reasons why I watch her VERY closely when Bear is out.

CDMay2006 · July 2011

The dog breed doesn't play into my perception of how dangerous a dog is, except in terms of its general temperament. Based on breed alone, a herding dog is more likely to nip a child it's trying to herd than it is to bite/react out of aggression. On the other hand (in my experience) a small terrier or chihuahua (etc.) is more likely to bite/ act with aggression than a larger dog. All dogs around children make me a little nervous, because both dogs and children are unpredictable and have limited communication and impulse control skills.
On that last note, i think training has a lot to do with it -- people who choose very small dogs also seem not to value training and/or feel it's important for their dogs. I think the "type" of person that is more likely to have a certain dog based on its breed's characteristics (bully breeds, "yappy" dogs, etc.) has a lot more to do with how the dog will act than does its actual breed.

Alli923 · July 2011

I think it completely depends on the dog. We have 2 pugs and while I trust 1 of them completely with Lucy, the other one is monitored at ALL times because he has a history of aggressive behavior. The thing is, most people who meet him think he is harmless because he is a pug and because he is SUPER friendly 99% of the time. But, put food in front of him or startle him while he's sleeping and he is a different dog altogether and not a nice one.

We do just as much training with Lucy as we do with the dogs. It is important to teach kids appropriate ways to treat animals, approach them, when to leave them alone, etc. I no longer judge based on breed, I judge on each animal individually.

stacylu · July 2011

Alli923:

We do just as much training with Lucy as we do with the dogs. It is important to teach kids appropriate ways to treat animals, approach them, when to leave them alone, etc. I no longer judge based on breed, I judge on each animal individually.

This exactly. We have 2 labs and work with both dogs and kids to make sure they know how to treat each other.

ChubbyCheekiesMom · July 2011

All dogs have the ability to be dangerous and frankly I don't trust any dog (yes even my own) around my son. We all do live under the same roof, but T isn't left alone in a room with our dogs. Both have pretty good temperaments, one being a Chihuahua but even after training you can't necessarily KNOW for a fact how a dog will react to something. My biggest pet peeve when it comes to dogs in general is that it's all put on training them. When I do believe that "training" your child is key in having a happy house hold. I can train my Chihuahua until she is blue TO NOT bite T, or snarl but if he is continuously pulling on her ears or being rough he needs the training just as much.

We are in the same boat as you, we have 2 "smallish" dogs right now, and have talked about getting a German Shepard after both dogs have passed (which is many years down the road). I love the breed, like any big dog breed, especially those in the "aggressive" category you will get mixed feed back on them.

breebree13 · July 2011

I generally think of ALL dogs as having the potential to be dangerous. To me breed doesn't matter since any breed can be aggressive. I have a friend who has a pit bull and it has never showed any aggression towards her children. Another friend has a chihuahua that will bite anybody! My husband was attacked by a chow when he was kid and to this day he still is nervous around dogs. I think everyone not just children should learn how to safely approach and treat a dog.

itskacie · July 2011

breebree13:
I generally think of ALL dogs as having the potential to be dangerous. To me breed doesn't matter since any breed can be aggressive.
I think everyone not just children should learn how to safely approach and treat a dog.

I totally agree with both of these points.

I have a 200lb English Mastiff who is just as sweet as can be and at the end of the day just too damn lazy to actually hurt anyone or anything but he is considered a "dangerous" breed because of the people who use their size as an intimidation factor and breed them as guard dogs. We signed a contract w/ the breeder when we got Baker that he would be a house dog and a part of our family, and if for any reason we could not take care of him or treat him as a member of our family we would return him back to the breeder no questions asked. That too me spoke volumes about the environment that my dog came from and played a huge part in his very gentle temprement.

Our other dog is a Chesapeake mix who was abused as a puppy. She required a lot of love and training at the beginning and luckly is a very sweet dog - though a little skittish and not much of a fan of other dogs. She loves kids though.

BUT- no matter how well I know my own dogs, and how much I love them and trust them, we have taught Cam that she needs to be careful around ALL dogs and treat them as though they COULD hurt her. Even our own. It reminds me of the rule that I was taught about guns- always treat them as if they are loaded.

That got a bit rambly... As you can tell- I think that big dogs get a bad rap... Small dogs bite and are aggressive just as often (if not more) than small, but since there is considerably less damage done, people ignore it.

Mama_v2.0 · July 2011

Totally depends on the dog (not breed). My parents have a German Shepard and it is very clam and collected. I totally trust it around my kids. Once in a while my kids will bother him and he will just leave and go to another room. (I think my parents might have paid to have it professionally trained or something though.)

Before this they had a very sweet and loving female Rotwhiler. Another dog I would totally trust around my kids.

preston18 · July 2011

ChubbyCheekiesMom:

All dogs have the ability to be dangerous and frankly I don't trust any dog (yes even my own) around my son.

I?m a bit more relaxed now than I was a in the past, but N has learned a lot about how to behave around Zoe. We do not tolerate any sort of tugging or rough play with her. She?s older and is not up for it; she tolerates N at best.

I?ll say it?there are breeds l would never consider as a family pet. I know it?s 95% training and owner behavior, but certain breeds make me more nervous than others so we would not be a good match. GSD is not on my list, but I?ve pretty much limited myself to the lab/retriever range.

Nancy_Drew · July 2011

CDMay2006:
The dog breed doesn't play into my perception of how dangerous a dog is, except in terms of its general temperament. Based on breed alone, a herding dog is more likely to nip a child it's trying to herd than it is to bite/react out of aggression. On the other hand (in my experience) a small terrier or chihuahua (etc.) is more likely to bite/ act with aggression than a larger dog. All dogs around children make me a little nervous, because both dogs and children are unpredictable and have limited communication and impulse control skills.
On that last note, i think training has a lot to do with it -- people who choose very small dogs also seem not to value training and/or feel it's important for their dogs. I think the "type" of person that is more likely to have a certain dog based on its breed's characteristics (bully breeds, "yappy" dogs, etc.) has a lot more to do with how the dog will act than does its actual breed.

I agree!

We have a herding breed..a Border Collie, and she doesn't bite, but she will nip. Not out of aggression, but if she is being tugged on to hard, she'll let it known her dislike.

Our dog has never been to friendly to children. (stemming from a single eposide as a pup) Play with them all day, but let them love on her.. not having it. Adults can man handle her though. She loves her kids to pieces and vice versa, but we do watch them very closely when there is hugging going on or a situation where Kelty could be tempted to show aggression.

Knowing Border Collies are THE smartest dogs in the world, and can be very hyper, so we did a TON of training with her. WHile they are THE smartest, they are #2 for training behind the poodle. They are just to smart and "question" the training. (LOVE Positive Dog Training in Woodinville) and I would hope that ANY breed owner should take their dog to some sort of training class. It's such a benefit. (not to mention that we can control our dog via hand signals from across a field)

I also do think there breeds that are not suited for a family pet. Perhpas I am sterotyping, but when you hear of an family pet turning, it is usually amongst particular breeds. I do not think a German Shepard is among them. Germans are the #3 smartest dog in the world. This is what DH wants if we went with another breed.

MSTie24 · July 2011

We have a practically toothless 12 year old Chihuahua, and a sweet as sugar, super gentle 10 year old Italian Greyhound. The Chi is temperamental- partly because he is a grumpy old man, and partly because he's blind in one eye and he gets worried about being snuck up on. Frankly, C could do more harm to them than they could to her, so it is to everyone's benefit that they are either kept apart, or closely supervised. (Same with her and our cats.) But I am not at all a believer in certain breeds being dangerous. As PPs have said, good training is imperative, and understanding dog body language and communication is extremely important. I don't think most people have a good understanding of speaking the dog's language, which can be dangerous because you don't know how to respond properly at times of stress/worry.

DH has expressed a desire not to get another dog after ours pass on, but I don't see that happening. And I would absolutely, 100% consider a bully breed- provided we felt we had enough time and energy to put into regular, continuing training and obedience, along with fighting stereotypes. MIL would probably have a heart attack, though, since she is breedist against them. Regardless, you never leave a vulnerable child alone with a dog of any kind, so to me it is something of a moot point. Based on bite statistics, Goldens and Dachshunds are really more of a worry than pitties, Rotties or Dobies. Charlie will be taught to respect all dogs, of all sizes, and to obey proper etiquette and safety when meeting other dogs. With DH's and my background with animals, perhaps we have a different perspective on this, but I just don't see it as a cause for concern beyond the norm.

pinktulips · July 2011

We have a Pit mix that I would never be nervous about my kids being around. But, she is a dog first and foremost, so we always supervise. Breeds don't bite, Dogs do.

jcyahne · July 2011

We have a bulldog, half American and half English which makes some lists. However, he is the laziest dog on the planet. The girls crawl all over him and he tries his best to ignore them. Until it is meal time at which point he becomes their best friend.

McJen715 · July 2011

We have two dogs, a pit bull and a lab. I will fully admit that I had a moment of panic the day we came home from the hospital. I even cried in the car on the way home b/c I was worried Duke (our pit) was going to 'eat my ba-beh!' (effing hormones!!).

He has been wonderful with her. He is still a puppy at heart (though he's 6), and easily excitable, but he does great (as does our lab). However, we never ever leave her alone with either dog, and have zero plans to. Ever. We keep a very close watch on their interactions, and make sure she doesn't invade their space too much as well as them not invading her space. As others have said, a dog is a dog, no matter what breed they can bite.

ChristineVet · July 2011

I currently have three dogs - a rottweiler, a chihuahua, and a pomeranian. I also had a german shepherd until recently (she passed away at 12). My rottweiler is the SWEETEST, most gentle dog I have ever met. He's our own good dog carl. He lets me do anything to him by myself - draw blood, place a catheter, whatever. The shepherd was also a sweetheart, although I worried about her getting snappy in her old age (she never did, but she was really arthritic and I wouldn't have blamed her). I worry much more about the small dogs snapping at Colton than I do the big dog, although all of them are great with him so far... the chihuahua LOVES him! That being said, I am a big believer in never leaving even well mannered dogs alone with children - there's too much risk, and in teaching children how to interact with dogs once they are an appropriate age.

Most of the time children get bitten by ANY dog, the child is doing things to antagonize the dog. True, unprovoked agression towards children is actually pretty uncommon. While I was pregnant I went to a veterinary conference with a lecture on children and dog bite prevention. They showed several videos of 'agressive' dogs who had either bitten or come close to biting the family's children, and in almost all of the videos none of the dogs were 'dangerous' breeds, and the kids were antagonizing the dogs and the dogs were giving many warnings prior to the biting. If you knew what to look for, it was like watching a horror movie - the dogs were giving more and more signals to STOP, while the kids kept pushing and pushing and the parents are in the background laughing at the kids 'playing' until the dog finally snaps.

I am a veterinarian, and sometimes do have to euthanize animals for biting people (if they can't be rehomed - which can be really hard to do). The most common breed I've been called to do this with is the lab. Maybe it's because they are so popular (so we see a lot more of them in general), but even the most friendly of breeds can and will bite. We do see many more small breeds that are prone to biting than large breeds. I have never had a pitbull try to bite me - most of the ones I see are REALLY sweet dogs.

I am a HUGE believer in socializing the heck out of puppies when they are young to different situations, people, and to being touched, prodded etc. all over. All dogs should get at least basic training and also have an area in the home where they can 'get away' from the kids to relax and not feel threatened or pestered. I'm also a big believer in teaching kids how to interact with dogs and in parents monitoring all interactions between the dogs and kids.

jennlin · July 2011

i'm really late in the game, but i thought i'd mention that i have a 120lb rot/german shepard/malamute/lab mix. 3 of the 4 are considered aggressive and dangerous, but my dog is 100% love. always have been. i full heartedly believe that aggression (and love) is trained and not bred. i also used to have a full bred pitbull, who was even more lovey than my current dog.

i think in order to be comfortable with having a "dangerous" breed dog around my child, i would need to know the owners very well, or in your case raise the dog from a puppy. you'll know what is safe if you've seen the dog in every scenario.

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