Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: midnight Target on August 20, 2002, 10:16:09 PM
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2 people in the last 2 days were mauled by Pit Bulls near my home. I know that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners and all that other crap, but I'm not buying it any more.
These animals are a menace. Sure some may be nice, but they are too dangerous to be kept as pets. Maybe have a special license for potential owners. You need a special permit to keep a mountain lion or any other exotic beast. I think the "American Stafordshire Terrier" belongs in a cage! :mad:
One of those 2 people was a 2 year old. Walking with his Grandmother. She was not strong enough to pull the dog off the boy. Some bites went through his skull and into his brain case.
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A product of irresponsible breeding. I think this breed should be put down and stamped out like the disease that it is.
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Petey from the Lil Rascals was a pit bull. :)
It's almost always the dog not the owner. I'll bet the owners of these dogs were punks using their dogs to make themselves look like badasses. My neighborhood is full of such dirtbags. Pitbulls and Rotweillers are their favorites.
Pitbulls are not bad dogs, but a lot of human scum have started buying them in the last 10 years or so. Every decade has its 'killer dog', now it's the pit bull.
Granted, a bad pit bull is worse than a bad collie.
ra:
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No Petie was an American Bull Terrier... there is a big difference.
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No. Petey was a Bull Terrier. It's not the same thing as an American Staffordshire Terrier or Pit Bull.
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Simo post!!
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My sister-in-law had a Stafforshire. Nicest dog you'd ever want to meet. So dang friendly I thought he had the personality of a Lab.
Just tough to generalize, isn't it?
Now, the owners? Repsonsibility & Accountability? Kill the dog? What happens to the OWNER is my question.
Yep, this stuff is BAD, especially when little kids are involved.
"The Centers for Disease Control study dog bite incidents, including the types of dogs most likely to bite. The breeds that the CDC considers highest risk are pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas.
Owners of such dogs should be aware that if their dogs attack a person, the attacks may be scrutinized by law enforcement. The reason is that irresponsible behavior with or toward a dog whose breed is known to bite has caused a rising and unacceptable injury and death toll, which authorities are determined to stem."
(just put in "dog bite statistics breed CDC" you'll get more than you want to read)
So, what will they do to the owner? Is it better to exterminate an entire breed or just kick some serious owner *ss and work on the problem that way? Or both?
I sorta side with the dogs. :D It's usually people that are forked up.
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A reasonable assesment Toad, but the reason the breed exists is due to short sighted people. Not the dogs fault, but they sure don't need to be around AFAIC.
Tendency to bite is only 1/2 the story. It is the ability to inflict fatal wounds that concerns me.
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Have you ever dealt with a boxer or a bull terrier?
A pit bull has almost the exact same disposition as those two breeds. VERY OFTEN the people who breed pits raise them to be VERY violent, usually in the privacy of their home.
Some of the techniques:
when they are puppies, put them inside a room, put heavy music, turn the light on and off repeatedly while hitting it in the face with a broom to make him get aggressive. Do this every day.
after they have grown a bit and have stronger teeth, feed them raw meat, but before serving it, HIT THEM IN THE FACE VERY HARD WITH THE MEAT.
And other very humane techniques.
When you raise a dog this way, of course it will be a killer, no matter what breed. Worse, when you take these killers and breed them with each other, the puppies keep getting more vicious.
Truth is, pit bulls if raised like any other dog are very loving mutts, very good around children, playful... just like a boxer.
Pit Bulls are just unlucky that the amazinhunks chose them as their pets. If you kill all pit bulls, these amazinhunks will simply find another favorite breed and diddly them up too.
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Didn't they have a program to eradicate all American Pit Bulls in England?
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Originally posted by Animal
If you kill all pit bulls, these amazinhunks will simply find another favorite breed and diddly them up too.
There ya go MT. Not exactly the way I might have phrased it but cuts to the chase very adequately!
Is the cause the breed or the trainer/owner?
Ability to inflict damage? Don't kid yourself.. that Lab of yours could inflict probably just as much damage and there are some Labs (thankfully few) that have done so.
Some dogs of any breed are unstable and need putting down.
I believe we could say the same about OUR BREED, eh? Homo Sapiens Derangus :)
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I've recently seen this 10-year-old Lab crack a big old beef shinbone in his jaws and have the time of his life chomping it up.
Any dog can do damage. I believe Charlie could remove my hand at the wrist with one good "clomp" if he ever chose too.
(Fortunately, this he's a big old Teddy Bear with everyone. He might lick ya to death but that's the worst he'll do. We don't call him "The World's Happest Lab" for nothing ya know!)
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Certainly... any large dog can inflict a huge amount of damage on a human. It's not about capability. It's about temperment.
The pit bull is a warrior breed. It serves absolutely no useful purpose in a modern society.
EDIT: When I grew up, we had Border Collies... we lived in the country and the dogs helped with livestock. You can bet your bellybutton that these dogs would bite. They instinctively protected the herd. They were fiercely protective of everyone in the family. It's just not quite the same as a fighting dog.
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i have had a 100 lb + american rottweiler for almost 6 years. best dog i have ever had. only things hes attacked in all that time are a Pit Bull ( who knows the type just ugly) and a jack russle .the pit bull he got by the neck and just held for me. pitt was angry but didnt have the skin to get a piece of him.(or his teeth were in its neck meat) the jack russle bugged him for three days till he bit it on the bellybutton and walked around the yard beating its head aginst various things it lived and is still just as obnoxious in contrast a lab almost killed the same dog . both had a single bite with four punctures. and both instigated. hes never been abused (you dont strike them it offends them) knows about 17 tricks (roll over and play dead when you go bang bang being his best). and i will go in morning when he dies. after i will get another just like him if im lucky.
his name is lord dolf vader :)
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Sandman, no, you are wrong.
The Pit Bull is not a naturally aggressive breed. It LOOKS aggressive, and it has the potential to do damage (like any other breed with such a big jaw) but it is naturally a very peaceful and loving breed.
Just like the Doberman, the Bull Terrier, the Boxer, so on.
They are misunderstood breeds, and maybe thats why I like them.
I grew up around boxers, and they were the most playful loving breed I have ever experienced. I also owned two pit bulls. They were the most loving of all. My 3 year old nephew used to ride one of them like a horse, and all the dog did was stand there with his tongue sticking out like a tard, and when he was finally too tired, he just collapsed on the floor and rolled around playfully.
The other pit bull was also a character. Loved jumping into the pool in hot days. All he did was sit around enjoying the tropical breeze, and if any person came around, he just raised his paw so that you would shake his hand.
They never, ever bit, or even growled at anyone. I am sure with proper training they would have made great guard dogs, but we didnt even bother with that. If any thief broke in, they would have probably welcomed him. They were tards.
I have owned a beagle who bit ocassionally, a dalmatian who simply could not learn any discipline, and a chihuahua, wich was a real biter.
If you want a pit bull to be aggressive, you have to either train him to be that way, or just be abusive to it.
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pit bulls are one of the smartest (reasoning, not ability to learn tricks) most loyal, and dependable breeds out there. I've had several (some pure bred some mixes). I've also had many other types of dogs (hunting dogs, hounds, house dogs, guard dogs) well over 50 not counting puppys. so I've had alot of opertunity to compare.
the only real problem with them (other than bad publicity & moron owners) is they are the ultimate over-acheiver.
if you teach them to be a part of your family, raise them in the house with the kids, ect. they will be the most loyal family pet and protector of your children and family you've ever seen.
you can teach them to do stupid things, like bite a rope and swing from it until you tell them to stop. and they will hold until you tell them to stop or they pass out, they don't know quit.
but if you are a stupid, insecure, want to be toughguy(if you only had the guts). and you buy the bad bellybutton dog to prove something about yourself, chain it in the yard and abuse it to show off to your freinds just how tough and sycho-crazy you & your dog. that dog will over-achieve and be the most unpredictable and dangerouse dog you've ever seen.
but it doesn't just happen, you really have to work to make a pit freak out like that. put him on a chain, random beattings, or if the owner has a stability problem they will pick up on that too (most dogs take on their owners personality after a couple years.
there are dozens of breeds that are much more unstable, the difference is that the are mostly small and you don't go to the hospital when they freak out.
of all the dogs I've owned and been exposed to, poodles are by far the most unstable dogs out there.
some dogs are naturaly mean (as in more than 50% are unstable) but pits aren't one of them
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Originally posted by Toad
"The Centers for Disease Control study dog bite incidents, including the types of dogs most likely to bite. The breeds that the CDC considers highest risk are pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas.
strange how only the big badass looking dogs have a tendency to bite.
Think anything leads up to this report?
I wonder how many people report chihaua bites or dauchsund (can't they just name the freakign dogs like joe and bob and toejam??) bites..
prolly very little cause people hardly notice them and it prolly doesn't do much damage...
If you were going to get a dog and teach it to attack...what would you get?
there are alotta bad people out there doing bad things to animals because they are ignorant or because they are mean.
Instead of stamping out the breed why not have rules about who can have them. People who won't teach them to kill other people for example..
there are alot of these types of rules that could be made..who's allowed to have kids...who's allowed to drive (if you've been pulled over for being drunk 10 times you shouldn't freaking be driving EVER) and who are allowed to own animals.
reacting to the dog itself it's really not getting to the source of the problem..
Like with most things..
It's the humans screwing everything up.
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Originally posted by Animal
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Truth is, pit bulls if raised like any other dog are very loving mutts, very good around children, playful... just like a boxer.
Pit Bulls are just unlucky that the amazinhunks chose them as their pets. If you kill all pit bulls, these amazinhunks will simply find another favorite breed and diddly them up too.
Exactly, Animal. In Sacramento they cracked down on the gang bangers for breeding violent Rottweilers and Pit Bulls, and you know what they did? They started training Lasa Apsos to fight. Hey, I know these dogs LOOK cute with their cute silky long ears and cute little hair ribbons- red ribbons for those Lasa Apsos belonging to the Bloods, blue ribbons for the Lasa Apsos beloning to the Crips- but don't be fooled, once the Gang Bangers get ahold of these dogs they're a menace to the public safety. They tease them with rubber squeak toys and use sling shots to shoot kibble at them to make them viscious. Lasa Apsos is a breed that we should eradicate.
And I'll tell ya ANOTHER breed of dogs I don't like and that's any little dog that humps your leg. I'm sorry, but that's some nasty stuff there. I used to have a girlfriend in High School and whenever I picked her up for a date she always made me wait and I had to sit and talk to her parents while this little dog would hump my leg like he was Ron Jeremy and my shin bone was Jenna Jameson. Of course I tried to do the polite thing and ignore him, and either her parents never noticed what he was doing to my calf muscle as they were asking me what I planned on doing with my life after I got out of High School or else they also were too polite to acknowledge their dog Sparky was glued to my leg. Personally I thought they got off on watching Sparky hump my leg because they never once made him stop, but whatever, I found out real quick not to wear short pants whenever I had to wait for her in her parents' living room with Sparky on the make.
I'd rather be bitten by a Pit Bull than humped by a Poodle.
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I agree with Animal.It's not the breed of dog,but how well they're trained...:)
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I've heard all my life that pit bulls were a very dangerous and agressive breed of dog. Just like sharks- some sharks, such as the nurse shark, are docile and non-agressive. Others, like the hammer-head and bull shark are very agressive.
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Dogs are all the same species, it's not the disposition of the pit bull that makes it dangerous, it is it's capabilities that make it dangerous .
Oh and best dog I've ever been fortunate enough to know was a Rhodesian ridgeback .
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From dogbreedinfo.com (http://www.dogbreedinfo.com) an EXCELLENT online resource on dog breeds, I recomend you take a visit if you want to learn a lot about different breeds:
That sly smile, those determined eyes, that unwaning pleasure to please... the mere quality and characteristics of the APBT have evoked more human emotional, rational, and irrational response than any other breed that exists today. By no means are these dogs people-haters or people-eaters. Their natural aggressive tendencies are toward other dogs and animals, not people. However if they are properly socialized they will not even be aggressive with them. These are truly quality companions for quality owners only! The American Pit Bull Terrier is a good-natured, amusing, extremely loyal and affectionate family pet, which is good with children and adults. Almost always obedient, it is always eager to please its master. It is an extremely courageous and intelligent guard dog that is very full of vitality. Highly protective of his owners and the owner's property, it will fight an enemy to the death. It is usually very friendly, but has an uncanny ability to know when it needs to protect and when everything is okay. The American Pit Bull Terrier can be willful and needs a firm hand. They are generally okay with other pets if they are raised with them from puppy hood. For the most part they are very friendly, but not recommended for most people. Excellent with children in the family, they have a high pain tolerance and will happily put up with rough child play. As with any breed, they should not be left alone with unfamiliar children. Originally used as fighting dogs, the powerful American Pit Bull may go for the throat of strange dogs. A minimum of training will produce a tranquil, obedient dog. Socialize very thoroughly when young to combat aggressive tendencies and be sure to keep the dog under control when other dogs are present. It has given outstanding results as a guardian of property, but is at the same time esteemed as a companion dog. When properly trained and socialized, this is a very good dog and a great family companion. Unfortunately, some choose to promote the fighting instinct in the breed, giving it a bad name.[/b]
They also have this picture of a real pedigree Pit Bull Terrier:
(http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images4/PitBullDomino.jpg)
Notice how beautiful a pedigree Pit Bull Terrier is, not those retarded mis-breds you see idiots walking around with.
Another problem with the breed is that the thugs who have been giving it a bad name are also awful breeders, wich mean that most common Bull Terriers you see around are inbred retards of the dog world. They are not true American Pit Bull Terriers anymore.
Same thing that happened to Dalmatians. Have you ever had to deal with a very awfully stupid dalmatian? its because of inbreeding that the once graceful fire dog is now a cheap, stupid dog unless you buy it awfully expensive from a reputable breeder.
So, in summary, the American Pit Bull Terrier is one of the finest terriers you can find, and the ill reputation they have is because of abusive owners and inbreeding.
All human fault.
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Animal: Have you ever dealt with a boxer or a bull terrier?
Most any dog encyclopedia will tell you that boxers are the best breed to have around children - better than collie even.
Boxers are very stable and tolerant towards actions that would make another dog snap. Unlike many other breeds boxers are much more uniform in their disposition - you are much less likely to have a surprise.
Samm: Dogs are all the same species, it's not the disposition of the pit bull that makes it dangerous, it is it's capabilities that make it dangerous.
In the statement "Dogs are all the same species, it's not the disposition ... that makes it dangerous" the conclusion does not follow from teh premice. Do you assume that being the same species, all dog breeds would somehow share a similar disposition? Despite every other attribute being widly different? There is absolutely no reason to believe that even without knowing the facts.
Dogs breeds were successfully bred for many different qualities - including disposition. The disposition of the breeds differ no less than their appearances.
Some breeds are agressive, some are less stable, some are brave, some are fragile, some are smarter, etc. Therte are sub-breeds of course - like english vs american boxers) and there is a variation withing each breed. Even amount of that variation is often determined by breed - some of them are amasingly uniform in certain aspects (due to narrower gene pool, I guess).
As for capabilities rather than disposition being more dangerous, a visious fox terrier is about as dengerous to a child as any pit bull.
miko
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Knowing where you live Target, I can imagine there are quite a few "Status Dogs" around with the youthful criminal element. Nothing says "I'm a tough drug dealer" quite like a couple of mean Pit-Bulls. Especially if you can't afford, say, a lion. Or a BMW.
-Sikboy
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Like humans or other animals, their personality and disposition to society is shaped by experiences from birth not genetics .
I believe there are still breeders that believe mistakenly that aggressive or docile tencancies of canines can be imparted to their offspring via genetics .
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irresponsible dog owners (and downright criminal ones) are another excelent reason to allow concealed (or open) carry of firearms. It is the new danger to the new frontier along with all the new savages. Just a tool is the sidearm. Just as much needed today (more so maybe) as on the frontier.
Any dog not in it's yard is fair game. You really can't tell. Before you get all upset... I had a boxer that would routinely leap 6 foot fences and was the gentelest dog around but.... I would not blame someone who thought they were protecting themselves or loved ones by shooting it during one of it's escapes. It would run up to people and it was hyper and fast and muscular and.... kinda scary I would imagine to some.
I work on large acerage and have shot quite a few dogs. the farmers (and gentelmen ranchers) let em run wild and they "pack up". Had to shoot three at one time. one was gut shot and managed to get away. Hope he died on his owners porch.
lazs
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leave the dog alone, destroy the owner
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eagler... fortunately it seems that it has become easier to hold owners responsible lately. I see no problem with destroyng the owner if a dog kills a person tho.
lazs
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Originally posted by Samm
Dogs are all the same species, it's not the disposition of the pit bull that makes it dangerous, it is it's capabilities that make it dangerous .
You can breed disposition. Even Animal's post from dogbreedinfo speaks to it...
"Their natural aggressive tendencies..."
"Almost always obedient..."
"...can be willful and needs a firm hand."
These are all descriptions of disposition. Certainly, an owner can can train to reduce or increase the behavior, but the underlying tendencies are there to begin with.
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Yeap, and the Pit's natural disposition is very meek.
Just like you can train and raise naturally aggressive dogs good behavior, you can also very easily take a naturally gentle dog like the pit bull and turn it into a monster.
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Originally posted by Animal
Yeap, and the Pit's natural disposition is very meek.
Now, you're disagreeing with your own post from dogbreedinfo.
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Have a 3 yr old Siberian Husky never had a problem. Most people walk on the other side of the street, not realizing the worst thing he would do is lick them to death. If ignorance was bliss.
It is the OWNER not the DOG. Wolves don't count either.
Karaya2
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Originally posted by Masherbrum
Wolves don't count either.
You've got that right. Wolves/Hybrids are illegal inside of the metro city limits around here. I saw one once, it was beautiful... the owner was walking it down the street on a very short leash when the dog straightened up. It was huge. A boxer had come running from a nearby shop straight at the hybrid and I don't believe I ever saw the hybrid move. I only saw the boxer turn and run away yelping with half of his face tore up. The boxer instigated the fight, but that hybrid was born for it.
AKDejaVu
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BTW... no Rotweiler breeders here? I've heard there's an agression classification assigned to them based on parents classification. Something about a scale of 1-4. Something about the parents not being able to add up to more than 4. Agression can be bred into a dog. But it can also be bred out of one.
AKDejaVu
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I was actually curious as to whether the responses on this thread would echo the responses in a gun control thread. For some sick reason I expected a correlation.
Sure labs are strong and bloodhounds are big and Newfies have strong jaws etc. etc.
None of these were bred for fighting though. The purpose of the Pits strong jaws and tenacious demeanor is to KILL. Now you may be a perfectly good owner and have a perfectly good dog, but dogs get sick, dogs get injured, dogs get lost from their yards. If I happen upon a lost, sick lab my chances of receiving permanent injury from this dog are slimmer than if I were to happen across a lost sick pit.
Many times in the news we hear about a family pet that went off, or that the dogs were great around the family's kids but attacked a friend that came over. I don't think it is always the owner.
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Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
Now, you're disagreeing with your own post from dogbreedinfo.
The site points out that they may be aggressive towards other dogs, thats not the point of the thread.
According to the site and my own personal experience, the pits are very meek towards human, unless trained to be otherwise.
Their natural aggressive tendencies are toward other dogs and animals, not people. However if they are properly socialized they will not even be aggressive with them
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Originally posted by midnight Target
I was actually curious as to whether the responses on this thread would echo the responses in a gun control thread. For some sick reason I expected a correlation.
Sure labs are strong and bloodhounds are big and Newfies have strong jaws etc. etc.
None of these were bred for fighting though. The purpose of the Pits strong jaws and tenacious demeanor is to KILL. Now you may be a perfectly good owner and have a perfectly good dog, but dogs get sick, dogs get injured, dogs get lost from their yards. If I happen upon a lost, sick lab my chances of receiving permanent injury from this dog are slimmer than if I were to happen across a lost sick pit.
Many times in the news we hear about a family pet that went off, or that the dogs were great around the family's kids but attacked a friend that came over. I don't think it is always the owner.
That is roadkill, you are comparing a living animal, each with its own individuality and personality, to an inanimate object.
Apples to bananas buddy.
You are just plain uneducated on the subject.
A strong adult lab is just as capable of hurting someone as a pit bull, probably even more due to its size (a pit is a dog killer not a people killer, therefore it was bred smaller for balance)
A German Shepperd is MANY, MANY more times capable of killing a person on a viscious attack than a pitbull (considering both animals are extremely aggressive)
And the German Shepperd has the most naturally aggressive tendencies towards people of the both, by the way.
If your kids are unlucky enough to encounter a rabid aggressive pit on some alley, they will meet the same fate as if its a lab, or a german shepperd, or a great dane.
The pit bull will make more news though.
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By the way the 'American Staffordshire Terrier' is NOT the same as the Pit Bull, do some reading.
(http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images6/ASTredMVC-223F.jpg )
!=
(http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images4/PitBullDomino.jpg)
The AST is naturally a more aggressive breed than the Pit Bull.
In a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest level of aggressiveness, the AST should be a 4, while the Pit Bull should be a 2.
We are talking generally, not taking into consideration killer gangsta dog training.
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I retract my statements regarding pit bulls. From what I've been reading, the media calls all sort of breeds pit bulls. They make no distinction between pit bulls, staffordshire terriers, bull terriers, etc.
I'm probably wrong and defer to Animal.
WRT to the german shepherd biting people. You bet. Herd dogs are all prone to bite and they don't make distinction between human or dog. Herd dogs can be dangerous, but they are working dogs. It's part of what they are.
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I'd be more worried about HTC sheep than Pit Bulls.
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I wasn't comparing the pit to a gun Animal. I was just expecting the responses to my post to fall along similar lines. Big difference bud.
I visit our local animal shelter often since it is right next door to my job. I would estimate that 40 - 50% of the male dogs in the shelter are AST's.
If you say AST is different I will accept your expertise. In that case most of the trouble seems to be from AST's. So should that breed be eradicated then?
But I did find this: "The AKC eschewed breeds called "pit bulls" until 1936, when it recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier under the alias Staffordshire Terrier, named after the miners of Staffordshire, England, who had a hand in developing the breed for the fighting pit. "
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Dangerous dogs act 1991 in the UK:
1. The following dogs, and also cross-bred pit-bulls, are dangerous dogs under the meaning of the Act:
Pit Bull Terrier
Japanese Tosa
Dogo Argentino
Fila Braziliero
It is illegal to possess such a dog without a certificate of exemption, which is granted once the dog is neutered, insured, and has a transponder implant. These dogs cannot be "in a public place without being muzzled and ... being securely kept on a lead by a person who is not less than 16 years old."
introduced after a pit bull did this to a small girl in Bradford
(http://www.thisisbradford.co.uk/bradford__district/100_years/jpg/1991.jpg)
Sorry, the picture isn't very nice. Some of them are a lot worse though.
Gatso
1991 dangerous dogs act in full (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1991/Ukpga_19910065_en_1.htm)
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We have a weekly TV show here called "The Hawaiian Moving Company." It showcases ppl, events from or about Hawaii like actors, other tv shows, local homes. A couple weeks ago there was one segment about a local dog show. They were all pit bulls (the real ones I assume) who were trained to pull weight on wheeled sleds using a special harness. One dog was able to pull a sled full of weights and really big guys (it was about 4000 lbs) to the required distance (looked like about 8-10 feet). However, the show was about dispelling the myths behind the breed and showing how great a dog it is. It was a family outing with many dogs around different people. The owners didn't whip the dogs to make them pull, instead held a toy or something while kneeling in front of the dog and encouraging it "come on boy/girl.. come on." The dog would then be rewarded with a vigorous rub/hug and a snack. When I first heard about pit bulls it was through the news and of course it was someone getting attacked. But with a little more knowledge I began to wonder whether it was more poor ownership than the dog itself. The owners interviewed on that show said similar things to what Animal has been saying about the breed. But I'd still be wary when seeing one b/c you never know who the owner was; but this is true for any dog, not just the pit bull.
Personally, I'd like a greyhound (I guess most would think they look funny, but they're kinda graceful looking to me) or a husky (beautiful dog, esp the blue-eyed light furred ones). Collies are nice too. Dobermann if I wanted to be like Higgins in "Magnum P.I." but would prefer raising those types from pups so I'd have more control over how they end up. My soon to be wife likes the look of lab pups and beagles but due to the way she lost her dog when she was a child, she has a fear of handling animals (her dog was run over). Can't own one yet though, since we're apartment dwellers and will be for a while.
Interesting tidbit: Here in Hawaii, we're used to seeing stray cats around. When I went to Thailand to visit my fiance's relatives for the summer (Chiang Mai city), I found that stray dogs were common instead. They generally didn't bug you, but you'd be wise to stay away (possibilities of rabbies, other diseases).
mauser
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You cant own pitbulls in the city where i live. There was a rash of horrible attacks about 10 years ago and one little girl was even killed.
And lots of dogs were killed in dog on dog attacks too. The reason? bad owners.
And this is really fediddleed up. The reason there was so many dog on dog attacks was because the owners heard about the odd attack and thought, "hells i better make sure my dog can defend itself so i will train it to be aggressive and violent so it can protect itself."
Using the same techniques as described by animal, pit bulls were "de-domesticated" by a bunch of bellybutton clowns.
Then the dog on human attacks started happening and the city basically just said "enough is enough, we are getting rid of these dogs." They didnt round up and destroy them, because that would be hella wrong for reasons which are obvious. They just made it illegal to buy one. So the existing pitbulls owned by resposible people just got old and died naturally.
Hasnt been one pitbull attack since.
Lastly, have you ever seen two cats who dont know each other in a room or outside in the same area? Talk about violent and unpredictable!
My one friend has a purebread abysynian (sp.) And one day we were hanging out back of my friend's garage when some dumb assed stray black lab walked by. The dog made the mistake of coming up to sniff around and that cat finally got pissed off that there was a dog on "his turf."
The aby runs at the dog full tilt, makes one pass over the dog kinda flying through the air biting and scratching...extends...and the dogs is bleeding everywhere. The dog didnt have time to crap its fur before it had its bellybutton kicked.
My point? get a cat. They are tough as nails, can kick ass, make ten times the guard animal of any dog (as far as alerting you,) but are gentle as all hell to kids, never attack when not provoked, and they are predictable! (eat, sleep, eat sleep :) )
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You are right Sandman, the media will call the staffordshire terriers, bull terriers, american pit bulls, and even bulldogs! as Pit Bulls generally. The AST and the Pit Bull, even though they may have SOME physical semblance to the Pit Bull, has a VERY different natural character. They are dangerous dogs if not trained well. The Pit Bull however doesnt require training, just a lot of love and attention.
The reason why there are many attacks coming from the fighter terrier breeds its because the bellybutton clowns, as loser eloquently put it, prefer them because of their mean, manly look.
And most "Pit Bulls" you see the gang retards around with are not even a real breed, but inbred mixes of staffs, pits, and a horrible attitude. Yes, maybe these inbreds should be "eradicated" and I'm all for controlled breeding of the pit bulls and other fighter terriers, mainly because that way they can lose the monster reputation, and no more inbreeding.
gatso,
That girl would be just as mangled if she were attacked by any other big dog.
By the way, the only time I have been seriously biten by a dog, it was a trained, adult German Shepperd, wich attacked me for no aparent reason. German Sheppers are working dogs, yet they are sold at any pet shop. A poorly trained and raised GS is a dangerous dog.
Maybe yes, the Pit Bull should be controlled because its reputation, people are terrified of them, too bad, because its a great family dog.
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Animal, I too have been attacked by a German Sheppard... OK that sounds bad. It was at an RAF base and the Military police dressed up one 'idiot' (me) in the protective suits that make you look like a michelin man and gave me a toy gun to wave about, The dog actually just punctured the skin on my wrist through about 2 inches of padding. I know how strong they can be.
BTW I don't understand how you can pull Pit Bulls out of the rest of that list you put up as needing 'no training, just love and attention'. Pit Bulls, Staffies and a few other breeds were specifically bred as fighting breeds. I can't believe that one breed is significantly more docile than the other. Most of the dogs that perform these attacks are familiy pets that up till the point they attack someone have shown no previos inclination to do so.
If you get someone good enough you can train anything, you've all seen tame bears/lions/tigers/whatever that do film work. What you probably don't see is the guy with the rifle there to shoot the thing if it goes nuts.
The point is you can't sit a dog down and talk things over with a beer. It decides to go mental, it will and there's nothing you can do to stop it. The case I brought up in my previous post there were 5 people trying to pull the dog off the girl. They couldn't. Fine keep em but if I had kids I wouldn't want to see one in public without a muzzle, In fact if I was making the laws I'd make all large dogs wear muzzles, and that includes it wandering round in the owners back garden. Neuter all the males sold as pets too, there's lots of attitude benefits and no reason not too.
Gatso
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You are correct.
However, from personal experience (owned two bulls, both with no training) I have yet to see a Pit Bull go berserk for no apparent reason. In fact, I have yet to see a Pit Bull go berserk. I have dealt with about a dozen Pit Bulls and all of them were docile as cows and playful puppies.
It is a fighting breed in that it is physically very strong and bred specifically for fighting dogs. But the American Pitbull is not a naturally viscious dog. Just like the boxer. I dont know how many times I will repeat this, but the American Pit Bull is not a naturally aggressive dog, and even provoked, it will hardly attack, unless it was RAISED and TRAINED to react that way. Generally. There are exceptions obviously, like any other breed.
The American Stafordshire Terrier however, just like the German Shepperd, is a more naturally aggressive breed, and requires a good trainer, or it can be dangerous.
Maybe what you are seeing on that streets is the AST.
Here is how you can identify them:
AST: usually a serious wary attitude, bulkier build, with a slimmer snout than the Pit Bull.
Pitbull: playful attitude, slimmer more athletic build, with a broader snout. Small "asian like" eyes.
Generally in attitude the AST resembles more a German Shepperd thats why I compared them. The American Pit Bull is more like a Boxer.
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oh and by the way, both my pit bulls died at the age of 7, poisoned by someone. the reason they did it was probably fear and ignorance.
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I just wanted to relate an interesting experience I had with a rott one time. (just because I'm still amazed after all of these years/ this was while I was in highschool)
I was working at a Vet and there was a Rott in one of the kennels, his name was Truck and he was REALLY large.
two cages down were "homer" and "sally" two completely obnoxious goldens.
I had to take truck out of his cage for the vet and upon walking past homer and sally's cage they started barking like crazy.
His response was to turn and snap at them.
the only problem was my arm was in the way.
That dog opens his mouth and turns to snap...sees my arm shuts his mouth in time but the momentum of his headmoving fwd he couldn't stop..
his muzzle punched my forarm with so much force that blood came thru my the pores of my skin but not a toothmark on me.
(btw I had no previous experience with him, he didn't know me at all)
but he immediately looked apologetic and was super easy to get out to the vet with no fuss..
he just had made a big mistake.
Now if a tiny dog had done that, I would never have remembered it.
Originally posted by AKDejaVu
BTW... no Rotweiler breeders here? I've heard there's an agression classification assigned to them based on parents classification. Something about a scale of 1-4. Something about the parents not being able to add up to more than 4. Agression can be bred into a dog. But it can also be bred out of one.
AKDejaVu
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Some dogs can be very agressive towards other dogs but lovely to animals. The Bull Terrier is a good example. And so is the Rott.
That situation seems about correct. A rott and a goldie would hardly get together.
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Only time I've been seriously bit by a dog was by my Uncle's German Shepherd when I was 5 yrs old.
Owned dogs all my life, from Brittany's for hunting (gun reference for MT :) ) to a lab, to a Keeshound (great dogs btw) to Australian Blue Heelers for herding cattle (another great dog, IMO).
All of my cousins were around the same age, so the dog was very accustomed to being around small children.
He turned on me without warning, and as best as I can remember, I don't think I provoked him. Damn thing went right for my head...I still have a scar from one of his teeth in my forehead, and he chewed off the tip of one of my ears.....that hurt!
Anyway, my Uncle (took place on his farm) see's this and makes an instant decision.....heard a "bang" (another gun reference for MT) and my dog problem was solved.
Think what you want of it, but I have never feared another dog since that day.
Years later, I was driving down the street going to work and see a bunch of kids scatter across the street...I look over and see a German Shepherd has this little girl basically pinned against this tree.
I slam the brakes, jump out of the car, just beat the dog's owner to the dog, and friggin nail that dog with a swift kick....dog yelps..owner graps him and doesn't say a word. He knew I just saved him a huge lawsuit by getting to the dog before the dog got to that little girl.
And just so Elfie knows, I wouldn't even think of abusing animals. Eating them is another matter entirely :)
Cobra
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"The AKC eschewed breeds called "pit bulls" until 1936, when it recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier under the alias Staffordshire Terrier, named after the miners of Staffordshire, England, who had a hand in developing the breed for the fighting pit. "
Now I'm getting confused here.
My understanding was that the American Bull terrier was the one that looked like the buster brown dog / Petie / the dog in the remake of Incredible journey.
While the Pit bull / Staffordshire looked like this?
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Nevermind, I think the Buster brown / Petie Dog is an American Bulldog like this one:
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There is big confusion between the AST, Pit Bull, and Bull Terrier.
Pictures pulled from dogbreedinfo.com:
American Pit Bull :
(http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images4/PitBullDomino.jpg)(http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/choiceshirts/PitBullA6205A-lg.jpg)
They look fearsome dont they.
American Staffordshire Terrier
(http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images/AmericanStaffMack_Crispino.jpg)(http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images6/ASTredMVC-223F.jpg)
The brown one is a puppy, they get much stronger than that.
Bull Terrier
(my favorite dog breed):
(http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images5/BullTerrierZola.jpg)
(http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images/BullTerrierdogs2.jpg)
The media will usually call any of these different breeds Pit Bull.
They are different breeds and dont have much in comomn.
The Bull Terrier the most intelligent, Pit Bull most playful, AST the one you want to leave alone.
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Originally posted by Kanth
...That dog opens his mouth and turns to snap...sees my arm shuts his mouth in time but the momentum of his headmoving fwd he couldn't stop..
...
Had the same sort of thing happen with my Jack Russell... No, not the damage part... the biting part. I was playing with both of my dogs and the older one, Petey bit me going for the other dog. As soon as he did it... within an instant he knew he did something seriously wrong. I didn't even raise my voice but his tail was between his legs and he immediatly went to a submissive position. I could almost hear him say, "oh toejam".
Was rather impressed by it.
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What most here dont understand is that most (Pit Bull) attacks are not Pit Bull but cross breeds. Ive owned 4 American Pit bull Terriers in my life and all where well behaved. They have an excellent temperment toward people, and this is from the resean they were breed. In the Pit there is nothing more than about a 2 foot wall seperating the dogs from the spectators and handlers. There has never been a recorded attack (ever) about a Pit Bull attacking anyone when its fighting another dog. Also, it people who take care of the dogs after the fight.
As for biting, the Pit Bull has a jaw pressure of 2500psi compare this to a Shepard or Rottweiller with 650 to 800psi. So i a Pitty bites it does more damage.
I spent 6 months reading up and learning everything about the breed before i decided on buying one. Pound for pound the American Pit Bull Terrier is the strongest dog in the would. And if you decide to own one as a pet, raise it as a pet. If you raise it as an attack dog or gaurd dog you now have a lethal weapon.
There are to many idiots that no nothing about the breed or the history of the breed, but seem to want it banned because some idiot owner didnt raise it as a pet.
I have owned 4 since 1974 and i will not consider any other breed of dog.
The only real danger is that they will go after another dog its own size or bigger, If and only if it thinks there a challenge. When walking mine i allway keep a short leash. This is an instinct and easy to control.
FDR own a Pit Bull in the 40s, many sport star in the 50s also owned them. This was the 1st breed registered with the AKC in the late 1800s. A damn good breed and i hate to see it go extinct because of small minds and lack of knowledge.
Nothing pisses me of more than people who have no idea of what they are talking about.
Dog out...........
Also, ive had my handle since AW-DOS 1989. And yes, i came by it because of my dog Ranx at the time. He was my 3rd Pit.
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please give a cite for the jaw pressure . rott is bigger overall has a bigger head larger jaws more muscle on its head and approxamatly twice the psi of a german sheppard. most of the stats on bite pressure dont even include pits.
just a quick search on rottweiler bite pressure showed a police site clamiming 2700 lbs for rott ( the most powerfull bite dog )
sorry man you got a mean little dog bred to be thrown in a pit and kill. dont make it to be what it is not.
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man that stuff's not even fresh..
Originally posted by lord dolf vader
sorry man you got a mean little dog bred to be thrown in a pit and kill. dont make it to be what it is not.
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"BTW... no Rotweiler breeders here? I've heard there's an agression classification assigned to them based on parents classification. Something about a scale of 1-4. Something about the parents not being able to add up to more than 4. Agression can be bred into a dog. But it can also be bred out of one.
AKDejaVu"
ohh yea you never lose you edge do you . I dont breed them but hope to somday . agression with a rottweiler is more like aggresion with a human . they think i mean really think and have a range of emotions that no other breed i know of displays. ( i have had about 5 dogs prevously all except one a mix ) the breed has been around for centurys and is bred to be a general all perpose usefull dog. it can heard 2400 lb animals. catch a frizby out of the air ( ok you only get about 20 throws till frisbee is tattered) take cold to the extent a husky can and still take texas heat no prob. baby sit a infant and haul them back in the yard when they try to run off. not to mention killing pit bulls in record time. and pull a cart with two grown men riding in it with ease.
if you want a meat missile with killing on its mind you can get it out of a rott easly and nothing in the dog world can stop one if you do. but that is not its nature. ( some percentage of dogs are born aggressive but rotts have this no more than any other breed that is abused by breeding defective animals).
mine sits by me now and no man need fear him unless attacking me or mine. you cant say that about pits for the most part. they were bred for aggresion originaly and while in the family unit they are great dogs. most become psyco in situations involving strangers or another dog on his percieved territory. I know pit owners will probly dissagree but i have seen it in them over and over. their little brains write checks their teeth cant cash when a rott is around.
there are no bad dogs of any breed ( excepting the defectivly bred) but a dog bred solely for being thrown in a pit and fighting to the death is gonna be a pain in the bellybutton what ever you do.
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Vader, as far as i can tell someone is filling your head with crap on the PSI of the Rottie.. Ive read more info on all the large breed than i care to remember. Have never seen a Rottie jaw (Bite) pressure listed over 800psi...
http://www.edba.org.au/courier.html
There are a lot of books out there, ive read all of Richard Strattons on the APBT. Reading one article on any breed does you no good. You need to read evey bit of availible material. Like i said in my above post, 6 months of reserch and reading before i concided buying an APBT.
A game Pit Bull will dispatch a Rottie in under an hour. Size makes no difference. Game, tenacity and will does. The japanese love gambling and they bet on dog fights with there breed the Tosa. These are 140+ LBS dogs breed for fighting in Japan. An American brought 4 APBT to Japan and entered all into fights against the Tosa. The dogs ranged from 35 to 49lbs. All 4 won there fights.
Dog out............
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If I see either one of those sweethearts out in the field with me I'm gonna put a bullet in em. You wanna keep em then leave em in your yard or house and act responsibly. No excuses. If you are crippled or stupid then you probly need some attack dog to defend you but don't let it get around me if you don't wanna have to buy and new one.
Personally... I think you look stupid picking up dogshit.
lazs
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Originally posted by lazs2
If I see either one of those sweethearts out in the field with me I'm gonna put a bullet in em. You wanna keep em then leave em in your yard or house and act responsibly. No excuses. If you are crippled or stupid then you probly need some attack dog to defend you but don't let it get around me if you don't wanna have to buy and new one.
Personally... I think you look stupid picking up dogshit.
lazs
Wow, you sure dont take a break to announce what a tough macho-man you are! :rolleyes:
Go back to your den you popsicle. You bark too loud.
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hmm... a pit bull owner calling me a popsicle? life just keeps getting stranger.
lazs
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There are to many idiots that no nothing about the breed or the history of the breed, but seem to want it banned because some idiot owner didnt raise it as a pet.
I may or may not fall into that group of to many idiots who no nothing.
I just know what I see in the news and in the shelters. But your post seems to back me up more than not.
For instance assuming your numbers are correct, why on Earth would anyone want a dog with a bite strength like a shop vise? No good reason. As has been mentioned many times in this thread, a Lab or a Shepard can do plenty of damage with their paltry (comparative) bites.
Then I see 2 people arguing who's dog would kill the other sooner! Are you freakin blind? Who cares! You guys sound like a couple of little boys arguing over who's daddy can lick who's daddy.
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Unless you get a Pit from birth and raise it yourself, chances are it's been taught to fight.
All animals have instincts.
Pits, Rotweilers and I think one other dog are illegal in Washington, DC, MD, and VA.
You can't have 'em because too many people were using them for dogfights.
Recently they cracked down on it, found something like 20+ dogs at this one particular training facility. Most of them died from dehydration and lack of food.
When you place an animal in these kinds of conditions, and train them to fight, exactly what do you expect?
Give me 3 years with a Shar-Pei and I could turn him into worse than a Pit. They were, afterall, Royal Chinese guard dogs... extremely loyal, but extremely vicious when trained properly.
Point being, you can't blame an animal for what it's owner did to it. An animal is no different than a child, you can program them whichever way you want to.. and as long as no one else comes along to reprogram them, they'll be just the way they were trained to be.
Pits aren't going to just one day kill a baby, but the ones that were trained to fight, and/or raised aggresively, probably will.
So if we are going to destroy Pits, I want the owner(s) to get the same. Otherwise, you are just a hypocrite and only solving less than 1/8th of the problem.
-SW
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IMO it's how you raise your animal.
It's similar to kids. Parents that don't take the time/effort to teach their kids the right way to do things end up with problem kids. Of course these same parents are blaming the schools, or TV or whatever when it comes down to what is taught at home.
Same with dogs. Generally speaking they will pick up the traits of their owners... good or bad.
That's not to say Animal had any choice with his upbringing.. so I guess we can't fault him for being and FDB. However.. maybe we can blame the FDB's....
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imo too many laws are being made because of mean/stupid/lazy people already.
I'd rather those people just be identified and punished individually but there's just too many of them so we all have our lives limited by their handsomehunk mistakes.
This thread really isn't about a dogtype it's about more stupid humans who screw things up because they are mean/ignorant/lazy.
Identify them, limit their freaking rights as individuals or ship them off to France.
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and no i dont want my dog to fight pits or any other dog. the last time he did it attacked him. but i get tired of pit bull owners acting like it is a war dog when its not. and that it has the most powerfull bite when its not even close. and that they are loveing when i have people try to give them away to me literaly weekly because they keep attacking everything that is not family and are as trainable as a lizard.
cite on the 2700 lb figure from a police dog trainer. googled from "rottweiler bite pressure"
http://snapper.millersv.edu/Stories/19980424%20/News/Hero_Ryan.html
p.s. same google with pit claimes 1600 and 2000 :)
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most pit bull owners aren't smart enough to realize that the dog lives many years but the lease for their rental is only for a year.
I really love it when some 30 year old talks about the 6 or 10 dogs he has owned.
lazs
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Originally posted by lazs2
I really love it when some 30 year old talks about the 6 or 10 dogs he has owned.
lazs
Amen brother. I turn 45 next week and I've had 3...... total!
well 4 if ya count that part coyote squeak in my back yard that my wife and daughters seem to like.
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And BTW, I love watching those Dog Shows on Animal Planet because it is the only time you are bound to hear "That is one fine squeak." on regular television spoken by a guy with a straight face.
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most pit bull owners aren't smart enough to realize that the dog lives many years but the lease for their rental is only for a year
sadly too true where I live. Many people here in the mountains own dogs. Many more that move here want to join the crowd".
Very few have permanent residences and our Animal Services gals always have to put down otherwise good animals.
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IWill agree that I wouldn't take a pit that is over 3 months old. But not because they have been trained to fight, just because the usually haven't been trained at all.
Most people have no idea how to train a dog. I the people in the house behind me have 7 Chihuahua's (sp?) they got all 7 on the same day as puppies, no older dog to show the puppies proper behavior and no way to train all 7 at the same time, without some serious time on your hands and some way to separate them so you can do it one at a time.
As far as all people who own pits being wimps or trying to prove something (para-phrased from several posts before) there are many good reasons to own one.
Current dog is a chow/pit mix. 3rd of this mix I've owned. Great dogs, and the pit gives them an excellent disposition, great reasoning brain, and amazing loyalty to her family, also calms down some of the intensity natural to chows.
While the chow in her gives a longer velvet like hair that hides some of the muscles so as not to advertise the pit in her (bad publicity, ya know). Plus chows are very clean, excellent if you are having the dog in the house.
My dog is here for security, bought her when the youngest was 6 months old and would never hesitate to trust her with the baby. She would run and hide from small children because they chew on her ears, and climb all over her.
If an adult would annoy of mess with her she may growl to warn them off but she has never growled at a child (she is 12 years old).
She also is the friendliest dog you've ever seen if you come visit (as long as a family member has let you in).
However if you come into my yard over the fence, or pop the door on your own, God help you.
I bought her because I often travel out of town levying my wife and kids at home. It’s very comforting to know she's there.
In the 12 years I've had her she has bitten twice.
When she was 2 I had ridden home from out of town with another guy (my car had broken down). I had been working night shift and couldn't sleep, so was working in the basement at 2am with no car in the driveway, so it appeared that I wasn't home. I heard a crash (thought one of the kids had knocked something over, turned out to be the back door busting open) so I headed upstairs. Then I heard the second door open and the dog take off from where she sleeps. Then a struggle as I ran up the stairs. As I got to the back door I see the guy roll over the fence, a blood trail leading from the middle of the living room to where he jumped the fence. The next morning when I looked around outside I found muddy footprints on the back porch where the guy had stood outside my bedroom door and looked in to where my wife had been sleeping alone. This guy had more than robbery on his mind and my only regret is she didn't tear him up more.
She also chewed a guy up who was in the yard after midnight stealing tools from my shed.
Basically pits are very easy to train (it's not the chow in her, I've owned pure breds of both breeds and pits are much easier to handle) and the are IMO the best guard dog you could own if it needs to be in complex situations, like being friendly to someone if you let him in as a guest but willing to take him down if your visitor comes back to burglarize you the next night.
If you just want a dog to turn loose inside a fence and bite anyone who enters (to guard your business or whatever) get a rotty but if it also needs to be part of your family, and know it's place without challenging your kids for a more dominant position go with a pit. rot's are good dogs but they are often willing to challenge others in the family to go for a higher position. Dogs are primarily a pack animal and need to be related to on that level.
But if you don't have the time of knowledge to train your dog properly please do them, yourself, the people around you, and all us pit owners a favor and pick another dog, or better yet just get a statue of a dog.
The issue really isn't breed of dog it's training. Any dog, when untrained or trained improperly is a menace.
Btw- I am one of the 30++ owned dogs, guys in my 30's. And while some of you may find that odd. I find such strong opinions on breeds by guys who have owned 2 or 3 dogs of 1 or 2 breeds and also petted a friends dog occasionally and where scared once by a pit to be ridiculous when they have such expert knowledge on what makes a dog bad. It’s a lot like guys who watch 'saving Private Ryan' and 'black hawk down' all of a sudden becoming experts on military tactics
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I will admit that a well trained dog is no problem for me but.... I rarely see a well trained dog. Hooligan has 5 of em and other than slobering on me they are no problem. they don't get loose and they don't bark all day and night and none of em will ever end up in an animal "shelter" or end up hurting someone.
He is by far the exception to the rule in dog owners tho. Most haven't a clue. they leave their large work dog breeds outside in a postage stamp sized yard day and night and don't care if they bark constantly... or .. they let em escape and terrorize the neigborhood... when they have to move they drive the dog out to country and "free" it to starve slowly to death. the "shelters" are jam packed with these dog lovers fruits.
I get along well with dogs. I have also shot more than a dozen of em out in the country. The ranchers hang the dead dogs on the barbed wire fences to rot.
as for the myth of protection.... bull. most small dogs are much more alert and will warn of intrusion. Even old and feeble as I am.... being warned is all I need.. I can do the rest. I certainly don't need some dumb mutt complicating things by getting in the way and/or causing legal problems.
My guess is that 1 in 20 current dog owners should be dog owners. I got nothing against owning dogs but it is a big responsibility and a lot of drudgery and most are not up to it. Besides... if I wanted something slavishly following me around with lovesick eyes I would chjange my 1 hour rule for girlfriends.
lazs
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Originally posted by Samm
Like humans or other animals, their personality and disposition to society is shaped by experiences from birth not genetics .
I believe there are still breeders that believe mistakenly that aggressive or docile tencancies of canines can be imparted to their offspring via genetics .
Thats a crock. You ever see a pointer point? It doesn't have to be taught.
You ever see a lab swim? Head for EVERY puddle in sight? The owners didn't have to repeatedly throw the dog into the water to get it to enjoy the water.
Wolfhounds don't go into burrows chasing badgers.
Instinctual and basic behaviour in a dog are genetic. They are inherent to the breed. It is bred into them.
You can change a breed or create a new one by using selective breeding and some basic genetics.
You can change its height, color, size, coat length and type as well as just about any attribute you can think of in a dog. This includes disposition.
Pit bulls are bad dogs, a bad breed. They have been bred to fight to the death and kill what the can. They may not have started out thata way, but that IS what they've been bred for for many years.
Dalmations aint on my hot list either. The only dog that ever bit me, and the F'er didn't even have the decency to bark first.
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I had a DAl.. what work !
they can be very agressive if not raised correctly or if left alone too much. Definately a dog that needs a lot of attention.
However, if raised correctly they are great.
I wouldn't have one around children though.
And that damned movie.. sheesh. So many people went out and brought lil' dal puppies home.. only to dump them in the pounds later. sad.
btw. I agree about breeding.
The dalmaition was bred to 'protect' the carriages and run between the legs of the horses. Later firemen used them to protect the fire-engines from being stolen as the fought fires.
very protective and territorial (read aggressive tendancies)