Ranting about stupid dog ownership

[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.

[MM_QFC!]

+1 on all of the comments re: responsible and humane dog ownership.

Also, as a bike rider, nothing can get the adrenaline going like a dog on the loose, bounding toward me! If there is a leash law, people, it means that also includes you! I can't tell you how many times, I'm riding along and see people walking the trail with their (sometimes great big) dog on the loose. I don't much care if their dog is friendly, as it should be on a leash, so it's a moot point, right? Why should any nearby riders or walkers have to be concerned about an unleashed dog?
I was enjoying a ride on a local trail recently, especially a lovely downgrade, when I spotted 2 dogs up ahead - no humans in sight and both were wandering w/o any leashes. I slowed as I was taking in the whole scene and deciding whether to continue or turn around. There were no other riders in sight, from either direction either. Hmmmm, I stopped and noticed that both dogs were looking in my direction; since, I'm just getting back to riding and recovering from injuries, I have neither the strength nor the speed that I could count on previously, so I decided to turn around and get away from a situation that presented too many threatening possibilities to me.
I am guessing that the owner of the dogs lived adjacent to the trail and it was their habit to let their dogs wander near their home; it all sounds so easy, pleasant and carefree, doesn't it? NOT! It's not for me to have to determine if a loose and unattended dog is friendly and not a threat; everyone has the same rules and this is so unnecessary.

Please note: this isn't anti-dog bias; it's more a rant against people who do not care for, nor keep their dogs under control as our communal laws require. I agree with Mimi on this issue. Leash laws aren't just for some dogs; they're meant for all to avoid unnecessary incidents and unsafe situations.
P.S. I don't have a dog living with me, as my schedule doesn't support the caretaking that I feel is necessary to have a pet. However, I am crazy about my 'granddog' and have her visit often. She's a mini-breed, so she can get nervous about lots of people around or big dogs looming over her too. For that reason, I don't usually take her to the off-leash parks, as I've had the experience of her cowering when dogs bound over to her and are too big, even if playful. She's always on a leash when we go out and I've had a couple of scares when we've been on a trail in a nearby county park (leash and scoop laws in effect) and had encounters with loose dogs who were nowhere near their jogging owners - whew!

[PamNY]

+
Please note: this isn't anti-dog bias; it's more a rant against people who do not care for, nor keep their dogs under control as our communal laws require. I agree with Mimi on this issue. Leash laws aren't just for some dogs; they're meant for all to avoid unnecessary incidents and unsafe situations.!

What issue? Did I miss something? No one in this thread has advocated allowing dogs to run loose. I doubt if you are accomplishing much by posting about it here.

[Dogmama]

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.

Unfortunately, pit bulls and rottweilers are the dogs that inflict the most damage. It's difficult to find a reliable source citing which breed actually bites more. I suspect that we'd find they are mixed breeds. And, as we know, people often mistake one breed for another - like a border collie mix for a pit bull.

GSD's are being replaced by the Malinois because American GSD's have health problems. Many of the GSD's used by police are imported from the Czech border. The Malinois have not been tainted (yet) by irresponsible breeders. Unfortunately, many GSD's I see these days are difficult to handle because people won't take the time to train. This is a breed that needs guidance - early and often.

As an aside -- I don't know one cop who likes the Malinois. They call them "mayonnaise dogs" because they are hard to warm up to.

[PamNY]

As an aside -- I don't know one cop who likes the Malinois. They call them "mayonnaise dogs" because they are hard to warm up to.

Interesting -- I saw an explosive-sniffing demo with a Malinois and the guy raved about his dog (but it was a public presentation, so of course he did). I do notice the police here still have GSDs, but had heard they are going out of favor as you said

I can't determine any preferred breed among the dogs that sniff for explosives. They are handled by private contractors, not police. There's such a variety of dogs, and I've wanted to ask the handlers, but usually have my dog with me when I see them, so I can't.

[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.

[sundial]

I have yet to meet a sweet Pomeranian.

Lol! I once transported a senior citizen pom named Gizmo. He was the ONLY sweet natured pom that I've encountered.

[HappyTexasMom]

Lol! I once transported a senior citizen pom named Gizmo. He was the ONLY sweet natured pom that I've encountered.

Awww...one of our dogs is named Gizmo. He's some sort of Corgi/Chihuahua mix. Really sweet dog...we found him as a stray and I didn't want any more dogs (trying to keep it down to 2), but the kids fell in love with him.