Dog Lovers: Do you love a breed which is not for everyone?

[Ste11aeres]

In my time as a personal lines insurance underwriter, our company logged more dogbite claims involving Labrador Retrievers than any other breed that I can recall. However we never made any individual decisions regarding dog breeds themselves.

I was reading an article by a behaviorist who said that Lab owners with an aggressive dog have an especially difficult time, because the breed's reputation is so good that other people don't take the owner's warnings seriously. For instance, some other person's naively friendly dog will be coming up to the lab, and the lab's owner will say: "Don't let your dog come any closer. My dog doesn't like other dogs." And the other dog owner will be like: "Oh it's okay. Just let your dog off leash, so they can play together."

One wonders how many bites come about because somebody assumed they could do anything with a strange dog because it belonged to a "gentle breed."

I don't think any breed is automatically aggressive or automatically sweet. Breed is real, but species is more important. Dogs, as a species, have aggressive potential, and sociable/sweet potential.
After all, this is a species that is both a predator, and a social animal. So it is in the nature of dogs to have both a fierce side, and a sweet side. The question of which side manifests itself when, is largely the responsibility of us humans.

 

[Judge]

I was reading an article by a behaviorist who said that Lab owners with an aggressice dog have an especially difficult time, because the breed's reputation is so good that other people don't take the owner's warnings seriously. For instance, some other person's naively friendly dog will be coming up to the lab, and the lab's owner will say: "Don't let your dog come any closer. My dog doesn't like other dogs." And the other dog owner will be like: "Oh it's okay. Just let your dog off leash, so they can play together."

One wonders how many bites come about because somebody assumed they could do anything with a strange dog because it belonged to a "gentle breed."

I don't think any breed is automatically aggressive or automatically sweet. Breed is real, but species is more important. Dogs, as a species, have aggressive potential, and sociable/sweet potential.
After all, this is a species that is both a predator, and a social animal. So it is in the nature of dogs to have both a fierce side, and a sweet side. The question of side manifests itself when, is largely the responsibility of us humans.

On a tangent, CBS' "60 Minutes" had a great segment recently rebroadcasted on the origins of certain dog behaviors:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/smart-dog-anderson-cooper-60-minutes/

 

[zurb]

It's not my dog, but I saw this on fb, and thought Ste11aeres might like it.

 

[Dirtdigger]

The only kind of dogs I love is the ones that don't drive me crazy with their persistent barking. I guess that is why I don't have one.

 

[Dirtdigger]

I have noticed that one sees a lot of fat labradors. Maybe my dog needs to hang out with a few of them in the hopes that that trait will rub off on him. He's as picky as an Aspie in regards to food. Don't judge me if some of his pictures show his ribs...



I've certainly enjoyed these posts, everybody. In fact, some of what you've written makes my dog seem almost easy. Almost.
Correction: He is easy, as long as I do everything correctly and am consistent about it.

I'm glad that you are aware that your dog is a bit on the thin side with his ribs showing and in your case because he is a picky eater. Admitting there is something wrong is the first step to recovery for your dog and hopefully you will find a food that he likes.

But the dog next door needs to be taken away because I can see every rib on her and the poor thing isn't getting enough food. It is safe to say that she eats everything in sight These irresponsible pet owners even leave their dog in the sun for hours and the poor thing is seeking out shelter and panting hard. Their dog has very light hair where this dog would become sunburnt. I have dropped some very strong hints on their facebook page because if I get their fill I will start taking videos and try to have that dog taken away.

 

[Ste11aeres]

I'm glad that you are aware that your dog is a bit on the thin side with his ribs showing and in your case because he is a picky eater. Admitting there is something wrong is the first step to recovery for your dog and hopefully you will find a food that he likes.

But the dog next door needs to be taken away because I can see every rib on her and the poor thing isn't getting enough food. It is safe to say that she eats everything in sight These irresponsible pet owners even leave their dog in the sun for hours and the poor thing is seeking out shelter and panting hard. Their dog has very light hair where this dog would become sunburnt. I have dropped some very strong hints on their facebook page because if I get their fill I will start taking videos and try to have that dog taken away.

My dog's appetite has improved and he is now at his ideal weight-which is noticeably fatter than in the picture.
The picture was taken shortly after I got him from the shelter, and he was skin and bones in there. I think it was because of stress, since I volunteered there, and they gave him lots of food.
He lives indoors, except for our walks, but I put dog-safe sunscreen on parts of his body with thinner or especially short fur.

 

[AsheSkyler]

It's not my dog, but I saw this on fb, and thought Ste11aeres might like it.
View attachment 20836

I rate your post with a heart because that is just too cute!

 

[Ste11aeres]

It's not my dog, but I saw this on fb, and thought Ste11aeres might like it.
View attachment 20836

I rate your post with a heart because that is just too cute!

My dog has a stuffed animal that he likes, too. It's the only dog toy that he didn't destroy.

 

[BigTimber]

In regards to the original post...

I've done quite a bit of research over the years on Pitbulls. What I've found is that it's not clear if there's even a 'American Pit Bull Terrier' breed and that the term 'Pit Bull' in general, is used as a catch-all label given to breeds/mutts that have a generic look. The vast majority of these dogs come from shelters and their ancestry is completely unknown. I don't think people realize that for the majority of the dogs that go through shelters, if they don't have a pedigree, the dogs breed is a guessing game and the person playing that guessing game is a volunteer.

Genetic testings puts more of a shadow on the "Pit Bull" breed. The companies I looked at don't even recognize ABPT as a breed, because the 'genetic markers' are all over the place and the tests comeback positive for the breeds the ABPT is supposedly to be related to. I remember one even mentioning that they've tested several dogs that were adopted as Pit Bull, and we officially known as such, and they found not a single trace of terrier or bully breed in them.

With that said, I don't think a person shopping for a new dog should worry about breed and they should worry more about personality and temperament of the individual dog. It's a lovely thought shopping for a pure breed dog and trying to find that one that fits all things Hollywood-esqe stereotypes, but in reality, even in pure breeds, dogs tend be individuals. They might share certain physical traits or certain behaviors (like, for example, herding or eating a steak in one gulp), but they're mostly going to reflect the owners personality and how much work the owner is willing to put in. Bad/stupid owners try to get around this by getting certain breeds and in the end, someone gets bitten. Truth is that in order to have a great dog, you have to be a great owner.

 

[zurb]

We used to have a German Mittel Spitz which is halfway between a pomeranian and a keeshond. She was a very beautiful dog with a lot of admirers. But she was also a little excitable, and like all Spitz, an independent thinker. She also lived up to her breed reputation of barking which we never really managed to deal with.

We had this wonderful training harness called a Gentle Leader (or Halti). But people would mistake it for a muzzle. "Oh what a beautiful dog, may I pa... Oo, it has a muzzle. Your dog bites." as they back away. No, if it was a muzzle, its mouth wouldn't be free to open like that!

She also detested swimming!

My impression is that little dogs tend to overcompensate for their size with noise. Big dogs don't need to put on a show. So next time we plan to get a bigger dog. I still love Spitzes, so will probably get a chow chow, samoyed or eurasian.

 

[clg114]

My wife and I have a Chihuahua infestation. They are a lot like great big bugs. But they are our babies.

 

[Ste11aeres]

I came across the following words in this article: http://www.semissourian.com/blogs/1452/entry/33295/
"You see I am not one of these new wave types that tries to deny the history of my chosen breed. I never try to paint a picture of a wimpy, angelic dog that would never do wrong. On the contrary, I can not stress enough the extra responsibility that goes along with owning this breed. This is not the dog for everyone any more than a Labrador Retriever or a Pomeranian is right for everyone. When choosing a dog, you should always research and choose according to your lifestyle and abilities. What I can say about Pit Bulls is that when bred correctly by standard, and owned by responsible people, they are a most amazing dog.

Pit Bulls were bred to be the ultimate athlete. The old dog men had no desire to mess around with dogs that had orthopedic problems. Originally, these dogs were in the 45 pound range. Today the standard allows for males to be between 45 and 65 pounds. There is a proven coorelation between the white pigment and deafness. The standard reads no dogs over 80% white. Blue is still being advertised as "rare" and desirable. Blue coats have some definate skin issues in most breeds. The point to all of these aesthetics and build descriptions is that dogs with any health, foundation or sense disability were culled. That is why there was so little genetic infirmity in the breed. That is, until the uneducated decided that simply having two purebreds made it alright to breed.

The temperment of the Pit Bull came from the desire to produce a power house that was absolutely docile to its handler. The gameness, or desire to fight, is a natural instinct in most Terriers. Terriers are a group of dogs that were bred to clean out varmint infestations without hesitation. The standard for Terriers as a group mentions they are fearless, tenacious and incredibly intelligent. This natural instinct has been exaggerated through selective breeding. The small Terriers are still set to spar, or face off, in the American Kennel Club show ring. This is a trait of the Terrier group. This is not to say they are mean. There is a world of difference between gameness and meaness. Gameness can easily be understood by observing the way humans deal with adversity in their own lives. Some people fall apart, but others face what life throws them head on. They are considered "game".

In the case of the Pit Bull, the old dog men could not have a gladiator that would turn on its handler or that was a danger to his family. That meant that ANY Pit Bull that showed human aggressive tendencies was killed and was NEVER bred. This selective breeding has produced a dog that is so thoroughly humanized it does not know to fend for itself when dumped or lost. That is why I get so many phone calls about Pits that have shown up in school yards or on front porches. Their instinct tells them to find people and they will survive. How sad that people have become their greatest enemy."

 

[Garry63]

I came across the following words in this article: http://www.semissourian.com/blogs/1452/entry/33295/
"You see I am not one of these new wave types that tries to deny the history of my chosen breed. I never try to paint a picture of a wimpy, angelic dog that would never do wrong. On the contrary, I can not stress enough the extra responsibility that goes along with owning this breed. This is not the dog for everyone any more than a Labrador Retriever or a Pomeranian is right for everyone. When choosing a dog, you should always research and choose according to your lifestyle and abilities. What I can say about Pit Bulls is that when bred correctly by standard, and owned by responsible people, they are a most amazing dog.

Pit Bulls were bred to be the ultimate athlete. The old dog men had no desire to mess around with dogs that had orthopedic problems. Originally, these dogs were in the 45 pound range. Today the standard allows for males to be between 45 and 65 pounds. There is a proven coorelation between the white pigment and deafness. The standard reads no dogs over 80% white. Blue is still being advertised as "rare" and desirable. Blue coats have some definate skin issues in most breeds. The point to all of these aesthetics and build descriptions is that dogs with any health, foundation or sense disability were culled. That is why there was so little genetic infirmity in the breed. That is, until the uneducated decided that simply having two purebreds made it alright to breed.

The temperment of the Pit Bull came from the desire to produce a power house that was absolutely docile to its handler. The gameness, or desire to fight, is a natural instinct in most Terriers. Terriers are a group of dogs that were bred to clean out varmint infestations without hesitation. The standard for Terriers as a group mentions they are fearless, tenacious and incredibly intelligent. This natural instinct has been exaggerated through selective breeding. The small Terriers are still set to spar, or face off, in the American Kennel Club show ring. This is a trait of the Terrier group. This is not to say they are mean. There is a world of difference between gameness and meaness. Gameness can easily be understood by observing the way humans deal with adversity in their own lives. Some people fall apart, but others face what life throws them head on. They are considered "game".

In the case of the Pit Bull, the old dog men could not have a gladiator that would turn on its handler or that was a danger to his family. That meant that ANY Pit Bull that showed human aggressive tendencies was killed and was NEVER bred. This selective breeding has produced a dog that is so thoroughly humanized it does not know to fend for itself when dumped or lost. That is why I get so many phone calls about Pits that have shown up in school yards or on front porches. Their instinct tells them to find people and they will survive. How sad that people have become their greatest enemy."

Interesting piece. As the owner of a neglected rescued Bull Terrier I appreciate how these dog's can be misunderstood.
They're not for everyone for sure, the natural dog-aggressive drive must be tempered by a great deal of exercise and socialization, but this dog has helped me socialize in a world that usually frustrates me.
I can get a bad reaction from some but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages , the brief conversations with strangers are dog oriented I'll admit, but not so much about small talk and more a shared interest.
I know people on the spectrum who will avoid dogs for lots of reasons, much the same as NT's.

 

[Garry63]

A

Interesting piece. As the owner of a neglected rescued Bull Terrier I appreciate how these dog's can be misunderstood.
There not for everyone for sure, the natural dog aggressive drive must be tempered by a great deal of exercise and socialization, but this dog has helped me socialize in a world that usually frustrates me.
I can get a bad reaction from some but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages , the brief conversations with strangers are dog orientated I'll admit, but not so much about small talk and more a shared interest.
I know people on the spectrum who will avoid dog's for lot's of reasons, much the same as NT's.

Please excuse spelling on the above. Woof.

 

[artfull dodger]

I myself love Siberian Huskies. Being high strung and massive shedding twice a year, he is alot of work. But I love him. Mike