Dogs as trainers?

[loopybunny]

I love all dogs except the ones with square heads.
All the bike chasing country dogs I encounter seem to be of this variety.

That's hilarious!

On a drastically less humorous note: My biggest fear is being chased by a dog and having it get hit by a car as it runs out into the road. I would be seriously scarred for life, square head or otherwise.

[badger]

I think the square head varieties are an extension of the owners who have that type of dog for whatever mistaken ideals they have. It's usually bad owners, not bad dogs.

[beccaB]

There's a lot of square heads around where I live.

[tiva]

Square heads?

If you mean pit bulls and bully breeds, please don't generalize. We have 2 pit bull rescues, and they're among the world's most wonderful dogs. They're far less likely to show human aggression than guarding breeds, and far less likely to chase than a herding breed. Any dog can be a brat if its owners are clueless--and I agree that idiotic owners that let dogs roam free on rural roads are a menace.

If a loose dog catches up to you, spray them with your water bottle, or better, with citronella spray (sprayshield is the standard brand). Citronella spray doesn't hurt their eyes or sting, but it smells bad to them and they'll turn away. Plus, if the bugs get bad, it makes a decent bug spray.

[badger]

Square heads?

If you mean pit bulls and bully breeds, please don't generalize. We have 2 pit bull rescues, and they're among the world's most wonderful dogs. They're far less likely to show human aggression than guarding breeds, and far less likely to chase than a herding breed. Any dog can be a brat if its owners are clueless--and I agree that idiotic owners that let dogs roam free on rural roads are a menace.

If a loose dog catches up to you, spray them with your water bottle, or better, with citronella spray (sprayshield is the standard brand). Citronella spray doesn't hurt their eyes or sting, but it smells bad to them and they'll turn away. Plus, if the bugs get bad, it makes a decent bug spray.

It's amazing what a "good" job the media has done to make these wonderful dogs so hated. I fostered a pit bull puppy not long ago and even my father was saying "pit bull!? but they're so dangerous!"

The general public really does fear them, and it's such a horrible shame because, like you say, they are such wonderful dogs. It's the stupid, irresponsible owners who give the breed a bad name.