Ranting about stupid dog ownership

[Aggie_Ama]

I have the same friend! My Heidi isn't perfect but we deal with her flaws that are mostly our own. For instance, I got her as a student and she didn't have obedience class. She also didn't learn to scratch the door to go out, she sits there and hopes you notice. Pets are a huge commitment that some people don't think about. My DH was nervous to let me get a cat because it is additional expense, time, energy. We had just spent over $1,000 getting 4 extra months for poor Maggie Bear. If she had claws she would be tearing up my furtniture right now. She also gets on the corner which we hate! Not everyone thinks the cute dog will need so much work.

On a different vein, pits are evil by genetics. They (and rotts and mastiffs and every other big dog) are strong and can be trained to hurt. My parents rottweiler is 9 years old and has always been the world's biggest baby. She doesn't even bark often. Strangers puzzle her, then she likes them just fine. But my home owner's insurance would be higher if I had her. Of course I got bit by two pomeranians and one chihauhau working retail, luckily I always wore jeans.

[TsPoet]

On a different vein, pits are evil by genetics.

NO they are NOT. American Staffordshire Bull Terriers are "happy, outgoing, stable, and confident dog"
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanstaffordshire.htm

They, like almost any other dog breed can be trained to be aggressive. They are strong dogs, so that can be a very bad thing. One of the two counties around here requires that "pit bulls" get CGC certifications, so our CGC classes are generally 50% pit bulls. Of all of the classes I've assisted (I don't have teaching cert, so I assist), I have never run across a pit that was aggressive. Even Baby, the 1 year old Pit that had been owned by a man training her to fight, a man who'd tried to crop her ears using garden shears and no anesthesia, was a sweetheart. The man was pleased with her potential to fight, but didn't like how her ears turned out, so he dumped her at out local rescue group.
We always have 1 dog that we know isn't going to pass - those dogs are almost always dachshund, small terrier mixes, or poodles. My pug-x hasn't passed, and never will, I can't take the chance on the evaluator getting close enough to him. I think every pit we've ever had has passed (but I might be mistaken).

[sarahspins]

Honestly.. a BC mix could be a lot for a new dog owner to handle... I wouldn't blame her for taking the dog back, regardless of what the vet told her.

[OakLeaf]

My pit mix was animal-aggressive. We did our best to socialize her, taking her to obedience classes and walks around the neighborhood. Didn't help. She was very maternal and got on fine with puppies, and with our other dogs whom she met as pups. I think with more work she could have been better socialized, but we did what we could as two working people. I could add that she spent her first six months with less responsible owners, but I'm 100% positive they never trained her to be aggressive.

That said, she was the most gentle and sweet animal you could imagine, around humans of any age. Loved babies, children and adults, never so much as growled at a human.

A couple of times she did get into fights - either because she escaped, before we learned what an escape artist she was - or because she was approached by an unleashed dog that wouldn't back down from her growling. The best way to break up a fight, we learned, was to simply put your hand in her mouth and pull her off the other animal. We might (and did) get bitten by the other dog, but never by the pit mix. Human flesh = no bite, simple as that.

I've read that both traits - animal aggressivity and an extreme aversion to hurting humans - were bred into pits. From my limited experience, I think that's credible.

[tulip]

Dogmama, maybe your friend should volunteer at a shelter instead of taking on a dog when she's not ready to.

[badger]

Having volunteered at the spca hospital now for 10 years, I see plenty of loser owners who should never be allowed to have pets.

Just last week, a German Shepherd was picked up as a "stray". The owner was contacted through a tattoo and she said "oh, just keep him for now, I'm camping".

As for pit bulls, my heart breaks for that breed. I can't tell you how many idiots I see out there who gets them as some sort of "threat accessory". Crop their ears and not train them properly and you get one frightening looking thing.

I've come across so many pit/pit crosses that are such sweethearts it really makes me angry that people just lump them all under a bad label. Even a co-worker said to me that if I got a pit bull I'm not welcome at her house She's not the only one who's expressed the same sentiments when I told them I might get a pit bull.

There are plenty of people out there who shouldn't be animal guardians. Like others have said, it's probably better for Joey to have been returned to have another chance at a proper home.

[Biciclista]

ok, I wasn't going to get into this.
I have cats. Sometimes cats will unexpectedly "misbehave". they might bite or scratch you. If you're really really unlucky, that cat scratch or bite might get infected, but probably it will heal quickly.

Then there are dogs. I have been attacked by dogs twice in my life. Once, by a spaniel. I was 5, it was my fault. i pestered the animal and it bit me - small puncture wound..
Second time, I was working in my yard back beyond the fence line. My neighbor's dog thought I was infringing on the property line. This large mongrel dog bit me and bit hard - left me with a bruise as big as a melon. Then he let go and ran off.

Thank god he wasn't a pit bull.

Every time a pit bull attack makes the newspaper, the owners say the same thing "He's never done this before... he's such a sweet dog"

And I believe them. They are apparently sweet, loving dogs. But just like my cats, they don't always act the way you expect them to. Humans don't always pick up on the signals that our pets give when we are crossing a line... even appearing to be like prey. (Sometimes when I wiggle a toe under the blanket, my cats will attack it... Sometimes large dogs will attack people without provocation... that's prey instinct. If it's a pitbull, at this point, thanks to their genetics, you might end up dead or torn up.. If it's a pomeranian, you might get the ankle of your pants torn.

Elephants are sweet loving animals too, but that doesn't make them good pets. Please control your dogs. thank you.

[lph]

If it's a pomeranian, you might get the ankle of your pants torn.

Oooh. Don't get me started on pomeranians

There's a pom pup in my neighbourhood that gets away with murder because its small and cute and "harmless". I feel like booting it across the fence when it starts yapping at me, because the owner does NOTHING.

I know, I know, it's the owners fault, not the dogs, but man, that's annoying. Small dogs need just as much disciplining as big dogs!

[Owlie]

Oooh. Don't get me started on pomeranians

There's a pom pup in my neighbourhood that gets away with murder because its small and cute and "harmless". I feel like booting it across the fence when it starts yapping at me, because the owner does NOTHING.

I know, I know, it's the owners fault, not the dogs, but man, that's annoying. Small dogs need just as much disciplining as big dogs!

Cops in a nearby town back home shot a Chihuahua/JRT mix (well, no one seems to know what it was). It had bitten a jogger, and it bit the officer 17 times on one hand and 9 on the other. The owner didn't have the a license for it, nor was it up to date on its shots...

[WindingRoad]

First and foremost, I love animals... all of them. There are some that do get a bad rep and Pitbulls are definitely that breed. I can't say it is completely without some justification. There are a lot of people who have been attacked by Pitbulls. Unfortunately all intentions and stupid owners set aside, the fact remains that these are the attack dog stories we read about in the paper most often. I have met some very sweet natured Pitbulls but I am distrustful of them because of the way they can turn on people at times. I'm not saying they all do I'm just saying it can and has happened. I'm sure the fact that my father was recently attacked by one while riding his bike hasn't spurred my confidence in them either. But I know they are dogs and I love dogs. I guess to me it takes a very special person to be able to own a Pitbull responsibly.

It may sound like I am against Pitbulls, I'm really not, if fact I will consider adopting one when I have a more stable living arrangement. I think it would be beneficial to have a good example of a pitbull for me and especially my father to see and love.

[OakLeaf]

But if you look beyond the media hype and see what breeds are actually biting, Pits do not stand out.

When I was a kid, it was GSD's. "Oh, they're vicious, never approach a GSD." Now I'm hearing that they're so gentle they're not the best breed for police work. After 20 years I'm just starting to get over my fear of Weimaraners. One walked over to me, sniffed my leg like it was going to be friendly, didn't growl, didn't display any aggressive signals, and just took a bite. It barely broke the skin, but bit hard enough to leave a hematoma deep in the muscle that gave me pain for months afterward.

Granted a Pit can do more damage in a shorter time than a Pom, but there are a lot of larger breeds that bite as often or more often.

[Dogmama]

There are a couple of pit bull adolescents in our dog park. They love to grab the plastic "chucker" I use to throw tennis balls. It can be unnerving because they are VERY STRONG and they DO NOT LET UP.

Unless I'm dealing with a reputable breeder of American Staff. Terriers that can show me an AKC lineage, I would not own a dog of that ilk. If I'm dealing with a backyard breeder, I don't know what's in the woodpile in terms of temperament. These dogs are STRONG, both in jaw strength and in body. I think I'm a pretty good judge of dog character (obviously I need work in the human component - especially friends who wants dogs...grrrr...) but frankly, I don't want to be constantly vigilant around my dog. I had one German Shepherd who was dog aggressive - never again (it was my own stupid fault though for not socializing a puppy that desperately needed it.)

[Selkie]

ok, I wasn't going to get into this.
I have cats. Sometimes cats will unexpectedly "misbehave". they might bite or scratch you. If you're really really unlucky, that cat scratch or bite might get infected, but probably it will heal quickly.

Then there are dogs. I have been attacked by dogs twice in my life. . Please control your dogs. thank you.

I wasn't going to get into this but the anti-dog bias is too much.

Umm, I've been bitten by dogs and cats. First and foremost, cat bites are puncture wounds and USUALLY get infected. The cat that bit me was my sister's cat. The thing attached itself to my hand (the first time it bit me) and I had to whack it against the wall to get it off of me. Ended up in the ER and on antibiotics. The same cat bit me another time, same hand---ER and antibiotics again. Both occasions, my hand swelled up and was painful immediately after being bitten. The reason both times? The cat was pissed off that there was another cat in the house. I did nothing to provoke it.

A neighborhood dog attacked my dog and the attacking dog bit me twice on my leg. The dog had aggression issues and his owner did not have him under control. I probably provoked him by kicking him to get him off of my dog, but rather me injured than my pup. Again, ER and antibiotics. The bites did not get hot or as painful as the cat bites, perhaps because of the location of the bites (calf vs. hand).

So you see, cats and dogs can both bite and hurt humans. Even cats that are "pets."

And no, I am not anti-cat. Before my husband's allergies precluded cat ownership, I had several cats whom I loved.

[Biciclista]

LOL Anti dog bias? give me a break! No, you missed my point. My point, which i thought was strengthened by the pomeranian anecdote, was that ALL LIVING ANIMALS can be unpredictable, no matter HOW SWEET they are.
and the bigger the animal the more damage they can inflict. Particularly when they have been bred for JAW STRENGTH and not letting go.
I haven't ever heard of a house cat or a Pomeranian ripping someone's ears off.

I wasn't going to get into this but the anti-dog bias is too much.

Umm, I've been bitten by dogs and cats. First and foremost, cat bites are puncture wounds and USUALLY get infected. The cat that bit me was my sister's cat. The thing attached itself to my hand (the first time it bit me) and I had to whack it against the wall to get it off of me. Ended up in the ER and on antibiotics. The same cat bit me another time, same hand---ER and antibiotics again. Both occasions, my hand swelled up and was painful immediately after being bitten. The reason both times? The cat was pissed off that there was another cat in the house. I did nothing to provoke it.

A neighborhood dog attacked my dog and the attacking dog bit me twice on my leg. The dog had aggression issues and his owner did not have him under control. I probably provoked him by kicking him to get him off of my dog, but rather me injured than my pup. Again, ER and antibiotics. The bites did not get hot or as painful as the cat bites, perhaps because of the location of the bites (calf vs. hand).

So you see, cats and dogs can both bite and hurt humans. Even cats that are "pets."

And no, I am not anti-cat. Before my husband's allergies precluded cat ownership, I had several cats whom I loved.

[tulip]

I have yet to meet a sweet Pomeranian.