Ranting about stupid dog ownership

[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.

[MM_QFC!]

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.

- my response was consistent with this thread topic:Ranting about stupid dog ownership
- was agreeing that the issue is with the owner of the animal as well as adding my own voice in agreement with Mimi's request that people control their dogs.
- there was a response to Mimi's post that somehow morphed into a charge of anti-dog bias - whew! It seems to be something that happens here occasionally, when we're all contributing to an online discussion about stupid dog ownership...go figure!
- Is there disagreement with the opinion I expressed that I should be able to ride without encountering unattended, unknown dogs, who may/may not be friendly, territorial, attacking or otherwise?
- I'm still firm on the same: dog owners should take care of and keep control of their pets.
Peace!
Mary

[PamNY]

- my response was consistent with this thread topic:Ranting about stupid dog ownership
- was agreeing that the issue is with the owner of the animal as well as adding my own voice in agreement with Mimi's request that people control their dogs.
- there was a response to Mimi's post that somehow morphed into a charge of anti-dog bias - whew! It seems to be something that happens here occasionally, when we're all contributing to an online discussion about stupid dog ownership...go figure!
- Is there disagreement with the opinion I expressed that I should be able to ride without encountering unattended, unknown dogs, who may/may not be friendly, territorial, attacking or otherwise?
- I'm still firm on the same: dog owners should take care of and keep control of their pets.
Peace!
Mary

Chances are everyone posting in this thread is, or intends to be, a responsible dog owner. Several of them are involved in rescue and could tell "bad human" stories that would make everyone turn pale and faint.

So it's really not necessary, and really not conducive to productive discussion, to presume that people reading the thread are idiots in desperate need of advice.

Making an imperative statement (which technically Mimi did, not you) tends to turn the discussion in an argumentative direction. The polite thing to do is assume that the bad guys are "them", and the good guys are "us." Trust me -- it works. If "them" are reading, they will still get the point.

ETA: Just ran across a perfect case in point. I have a bulldog, and I moderate a bulldog internet group. So you bet I'm going to post about the bulldog I saw tonight tied up outside a store. No dog should be left unsupervised, especially not in Manhattan and especially not a bulldog (because they are well-known to be expensive). Partly I'll post to let off steam (this kind of thing makes me so mad I could spit) and partly in the hope that someone, somewhere might be educated (it's a huge group).

However, I wouldn't dream of posting in a lecturing fashion, e.g., "Don't leave your dog tied up outside a store." I shall write with the assumption that of course none of US would do such a thing (most of the people who post probably wouldn't; the lurkers I have no idea). We'll have a productive discussion (I have great anecdotes about the lengths I go to to avoid leaving my dog alone in a car) and possibly do some good.

[Tuckervill]

However, I wouldn't dream of posting in a lecturing fashion, e.g.,

Oh. hm:

I doubt if you are accomplishing much by posting about it here.

Karen

[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.

[teigyr]

It's difficult to show his size unless you realize that what he's standing on is about 2.5' long. He's a good boy but he knows his size (ie when he wants food in the morning he knows that sitting on my chest and staring at my face will usually get me up) and he's been known to accidentally hurt us

[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.)