Stalker...patman made a comment about reaching over the fence and petting the dog. Which is why I said that.
I'm not feeding off the stereotype. I have been working in the dog business for a while now. I've been through extensive training about reading a dog. A dog's head is an indicator, the stance of the legs, the hackles. All are part of the bigger picture. The argument that just because this is a bully breed we should tip toe around it is idiotic at best. The fact remains that a parent is concerned that there is a dog next door to where their kids will be watched and somehow they are the bad guys.
Do you mean to tell me that the jaws of a dalmation are more powerful than that of a bully breed? Have you ever been bit by a bully breed? There's a reason that they are trained to fight, and it has nothing to do with the lack of brains in their head. They are powerful animals. Again it's all dependant on the training that they have had, but just like any other dog has the ability to protect its territory and bite someone who enters it, a Bully breed does too. The difference is that I guarantee you that that dog can do a ton more damage in a shorter time frame to a kid who wanders into his yard looking to get the ball that went over the fence than if my dog attacked them. So a parent being concerned about it is not a bad thing.
Obviously you need to do more training on reading a dog. I can lend you someDVD's which are awesome and show the dogs while active displaying behaviors. Raised hackles really mean nothing. Yes they CAN be an indicator of aggression. But they CAN ALSO be a sign of excitement. You can not judge a dogs behavior from 1 picture. That is the point there are MANY indicators that show fear, stress aggression. But it is the package of the behaviors all together that will read the dog. You can not tell that from 1 picture. You also can not tell that from a dog who barks in its yard as almost all dogs do.
FYI pit bulls are not "trained" to fight. They can be conditioned to be better fighters, but not trained. Their drive to fight starts in the genetic make up of the dog. That is why winning dogs are breed more. WHich does not make a difference because dog aggression has nothing to do with people aggression and wouldn't be an indicator that the dog would bite a kid. actual real fighting dogs are breed to be loving and tolerant of humans as they have to be handled by the other dogs owners and split up during fights.
I am not saying whether the people do or do not have a right to be concerned about this dog. Just expressing my frustration that it is almost definitly based on the fact they believe it is a pit bull. It is very frustrating.
Can a pit bull do a lot of damage. They most certainly can. They are an incredibly strong, muscular and athletic breed. Just because they can,doesn't mean they will. Also...rottwielers have a stronger jaw than a pit bull
I guess my point is if they have a concern about the dog why wouldn't they go over there and talk to the people!
As an owner of a Bullmastiff and as of recently an American Bulldog I have to say that it is my humble opinion that you're statement about medium/large breed dogs and the amount of damage they can inflict is ridiculous. You and I both know these breeds tend to very muscular and are capable of inflicting (in most cases) a lot more damage then most other dogs. Personally, I feel turning a blind eye to that fact is simply reckless. Yes the breeds are demonized and plagued by peoples fear to the point of extreme ignorance but we have to keep in mind why. The media and ignorant owners do a damned good job of making sure people are scared of the breeds. Yeah some of us know and understand it is largely the result of propaganda and mass hysteria but we also have to understand why so many people feel this way. It's difficult not to get annoyed by peoples ignorance since "everyone knows about dogs" (yeah right!) But at the same its our job to not show our frustrations so much as it is to try to educate people without seeming to have an agenda to "push". Sorry for the rant. That all being said my best dog ever was a rottie that was a certified therapy and cgc whom also brought home a ton of medals from obedience trials. On the other hand my most aggressive dog ever was my flyball dog who was a blue heeler and tried to kill anyone that wasnt me. LOL
As I said above....I can understand the concern and am quite familar with the hysteria. I spend countless hours educating people about the breed.
I have a right to be frustrated and sometimes I show it. Sometimes I don't.
also see above regarding the the damage that can be done by the breed. YEs they can, doesn't mean they will. There are numerous breeds that can do alot of damage...actually way too many to list. I don't think it is reckless to say that other breeds can and do bite and do damage.
OMG! A bully defender that is a realist and not an extremest know it all!
+1 to you sir!
Call me whatever you want. As of late I don't even bother with this bullshit. Too many of you living under the cover of media hysteria to bother with.
hmy: better man than me, if i dont know the dog then its :flip:
