I hate breed specific laws so much! Not all dogs fit the horrible stereotypes of their breeds! Punish shitty owners not the poor dogs & breeds! Kudos to him & his family!
I had a once-a-week afternoon paper route in high school. I had Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Chows, a wolf mix on that route. All of whom I trusted more than some of their human neighbors.
The dog I tiptoed around? A brown and white rat terrier who would have had to be dunked in batter and fried to accomplish ten pounds. She'd come to the door snarling and slavering like goddamned Cujo. The screen wasn't securely fastened, and I thought if she ever got in her furry little brain to come at me, her escape trajectory would take her straight into my face. I had hope my glasses would protect my eyes, but I knew the rest of my face depended on my own reaction time.
God I've had so many of the dangerous breed growing up & the meanest & feared ones were the effing Chihuahuas who had no problem attacking anyone. Yes I get the bigger breeds do more damage to a body but no one complains about their viciousness!
Chihuahuas and poodles are actually the most aggressive and their bites hurt like hell because their teeth are like little needles, but they don't have strong enough jaws to actually break skin so no one gives a fuck about them.
I have to disagree with you about poodles and chihuahuas not having strong enough jaws to break skin.
My next door neighbor's chihuahua bit through the toe of my Keds and left a nice scar on two of my left toes. The same neighbors also had a standard poodle that bit me on my right thigh and tore a chunk out of it. The chihuahua attack was totally unprovoked-I was playing with my friend in their yard. The poodle bit me as I was running down their driveway to catch the bus. (I usually cut through their yard and Midnight never did that before).
OTOH, they aren't as likely as bigger dogs like Cocker spaniels, Goldens, or other bigger dogs to do a lot more damage either. And Pits have the worse rep because people are stupid.
I was about to jump in to defend poodles too. Poodles are fantastic dogs. I'd love to rescue a Standard Poodle. They're smart, smart, smart. Unless they've been inbred they are generally pretty mellow. I've never met a poodle I didn't like. (Although that's not saying much - There aren't many dogs I don't like.)
As for the rest of the small breeds, you're correct, most of them have behavior problems because they aren't trained. The problem is that the owners don't treat them like dogs. They treat them like playthings.
Some people are just so brain-breakingly stupid about animals. ALL dogs can be trouble if not properly socialized, even if the smaller ones may not have quite the same capacity for damage. Just makes me want to Gibbs-slap people when I see them *encouraging* their puppies to behave aggressively, or not disciplining them when they do. It's not going to be the least bit cute when they grow up, and if they do attack someone who's going to pay for it? Usually the dog, who gets put down as a menace.
This! My pomeranian had aggression issues when I first got him. Fortunately, I got him young enough, and was able to work with him and my roommate's two young girls, until he learned he was not the alpha dog. It doesn't take long, and it's actually easier to train small dogs out of nipping, since they are smaller, but too many people think its cute when the puppy plays aggression games. It also helped that my roommates were willing to train their children as much as the dog.
I have a terrier and I can rarely let her off the leash on walks because of that maniacal terrier brain. I wish she'd just chill out but I know she can't. Never again.
Prey drive. My mutt lost most of it when she was around ten years-old. She's got a fair bit of terrier in her. I was never able let her off-leash, which is unfortunate, but ah well. If she was off-leash and saw a small animal, she would have been gone forever.
She's fourteen now and going blind, so she hardly ever does the maniacal thing anymore. Unless I open the back door (we have a 6-foot fence) and say "Squirrel!" Then she still takes off like a shot straight for the tree in the middle of the yard.
I used to work in a vet clinic in high school and my early college days. Some of the nicest, sweetest tempered dogs I ever had the pleasure to meet were Dobermans, Rottweilers, German Sheps, Pit bulls and wolf mixes. My own dog was a wolf mix and she was the best dog I ever knew.
The nastiest most foulest tempered dogs I ever met? By far, Pomeranians. I was bit by more of those than any other type. Second were rat terriers. I was also attacked six months ago by two rat terrier/beagle mixes, who tore through my jeans, and my thick wool socks. I had to get the sheriff involved to make sure they were vaccinated against rabies since they broke skin. It was a completely unprovoked attack too. All I did was walk down the street, minding my own business when they ran at me.
Yeah, I'll take a Rottie over that anyday, thanks.
I would say MOST pitties don't fit in with the stereotype of their breed. Only pit bulls that have been trained to fight or descend from lines that were trained to fight are like that; most pit bulls are just dopey and sweet :D
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The dog I tiptoed around? A brown and white rat terrier who would have had to be dunked in batter and fried to accomplish ten pounds. She'd come to the door snarling and slavering like goddamned Cujo. The screen wasn't securely fastened, and I thought if she ever got in her furry little brain to come at me, her escape trajectory would take her straight into my face. I had hope my glasses would protect my eyes, but I knew the rest of my face depended on my own reaction time.
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My next door neighbor's chihuahua bit through the toe of my Keds and left a nice scar on two of my left toes. The same neighbors also had a standard poodle that bit me on my right thigh and tore a chunk out of it. The chihuahua attack was totally unprovoked-I was playing with my friend in their yard. The poodle bit me as I was running down their driveway to catch the bus. (I usually cut through their yard and Midnight never did that before).
OTOH, they aren't as likely as bigger dogs like Cocker spaniels, Goldens, or other bigger dogs to do a lot more damage either. And Pits have the worse rep because people are stupid.
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As for the rest of the small breeds, you're correct, most of them have behavior problems because they aren't trained. The problem is that the owners don't treat them like dogs. They treat them like playthings.
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She's fourteen now and going blind, so she hardly ever does the maniacal thing anymore. Unless I open the back door (we have a 6-foot fence) and say "Squirrel!" Then she still takes off like a shot straight for the tree in the middle of the yard.
It's great.
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The nastiest most foulest tempered dogs I ever met? By far, Pomeranians. I was bit by more of those than any other type. Second were rat terriers. I was also attacked six months ago by two rat terrier/beagle mixes, who tore through my jeans, and my thick wool socks. I had to get the sheriff involved to make sure they were vaccinated against rabies since they broke skin. It was a completely unprovoked attack too. All I did was walk down the street, minding my own business when they ran at me.
Yeah, I'll take a Rottie over that anyday, thanks.
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