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Dog breeds
Jokes, Polls & Anything Else / 4:13 PM - Friday November 14, 2008

Dog breeds

I saw a question on here last night asking what you favorite dog is. I am not really curious on what you fav dog is, but more curious as to why everyone thinks that certain breeds are aggressive and dangerous.

I have a rottwieler that is the sweetest dog ever. Loves kids with all her heart and is a major people person. Don't get me wrong, she is protective when she needs to be but not aggressive at all. I have a friend who has a pit bull and he is like a puppy. Always wanting to play and loves everyone. It really bugs me that people pass judgement so quickly on dogs just cuz of the breed.

- Asked by ferree, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 29-35, Salt Lake City, Other Profession

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I think that happened just from the amount of people who use those breeds in the dog fighting world.

Our human society here is overrun with pit's and rotty's - and I suspect it's from abuse & dog fighting. It's a real shame because if these breeds haven't been "trained" to be overly agressive they can be very sweet dogs. I actually find many of the "tiny" dogs to big bigger problems with little kids than either of these breeds.

It's getting to the point now that it's difficult to get homeowners insurance if you have some of these breeds - and that's just too sad :(

- Response by missingaz, A Married Girl, Female, 36-45, Artist / Musician / Writer

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There is no bad dog breed there are bad dog owners! Lots of people ate just to naieve and believe everything they hear or see on TV and Movies.

I love Raja she is a sweetheart and she already has Ariel's heart too :)

- Response by melodyalise, A Thinker, Female, 29-35, Salt Lake City, Managerial

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I don't believe in bad breeds.

- Response by bikerchick1, A Life of the Party, Female, 29-35, Atlanta, Financial / Banking

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I've had two Rottweilers and they were both FANTASTIC dogs. Both adopted through rescue, so they had a rough start to life but ended up passing the AKC Canine Good Citizen test and ATTS temperament test.

I think the ignorance about some breeds is based on the media's love of stirring things up and give people something to be afraid of. And, sad to say, some Rottweilers DO end up in the hands of really ignorant owners who do NOT care for or train them properly. . .and people who have no business owning a large, intelligent working breed. Those are the dogs that make the news, and suddenly ALL Rotties are labeled bloodthirsty monsters.

I wouldn't want any other breed, though.


- Response by saucywench, A Creative, Female, 29-35, Cincinnati, Other Profession

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Well, unfortunately, the dogs that are involved in the most cases of maulings of people & other dogs, are going to get a bad rep, and irresponsible owners just exacerbate the problem.

I am a tad hesitant about rotties, German shepards and pit-bulls. But that said, I think it's prudent to be cautious with any dog - they ARE animals first, domesticated pets second! But it's easier to pry a Yorkie off your ankle, than a 1000psi clamped-on pitbull.

- Response by justpassingthru, A Thinker, Female, 46-55, Financial / Banking

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I think it's all in how your raise them. The other day, I was at the gas station, and a pick-up truck with 2 pit bulls pulled up next to me. I kind of did a double take, but the dogs were so well-behaved. While their owner went inside the store, the dogs just sat there in the back of the truck, patiently waiting for him. They did not bark or show any agression toward any of the many people who were nearby, and they even let one woman pet them.

- Response by uniquelyme2, A Creative, Female, 46-55, Artist / Musician / Writer

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They arn't aggressive and dangerous breeds but they ARE power breeds, dogs that were bred for fighting. The source of the problem, however, is not the dog but the owner and the training (or lack thereof) the dog receives. All dogs want to be happy and balanced but it takes someone taking the lead and showing them that they can be.

- Response by number22, A Life of the Party, Female, 18-21, Toronto, Self-Employed

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I could not agree with you more. I have an Akita and it is the same deal. When we moved to Florida we had a hard time finding home owners insurance because of her. Because she is labeled an aggressive dog much like pits, rots and a few others. I say it is bullshit!

We did our research before we got her and we know the bread very well. We are very responsible with her. She is awesome with our kids and everyone for that matter but when we have other kids over and they are rough housing with our kids we put our dog away just so she doesn't feel our kids are being hurt (because she will respond!) The other thing that we did is provide her with a fenced yard and when we take her for a walk we do not walk her around our neighborhood because with her breed once they walk an area that is her area and is she would get out on her own she would attach another animal and maybe another person that is in her area. So we take the steps to protect her and everyone else.



- Response by 1bigdaddy, A Creative, Male, 29-35, Tampa, Self-Employed

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If you train your dog to be tame and kind, it will be.

- Response by astockham1, A Thinker, Female, 22-25, Seattle, Medical / Dental

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We hear it on the news.

- Response by bluebird300, A Creative, Female, 36-45, Pittsburgh, Farming

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Certain breeds of dogs are genetically predisposed to aggressive behavior. That does not mean that every dog of that breed will be aggressive, but the majority are. Rottweilers & Pit Bulls are perfect examples. I have met some that are sweet and gentle, and others that are aggressive. I have also met some that are sweet and gentle one minute and man eaters the next. I do not blame the dogs at all because they have no control over it, it is all instinct. People are to blame because the more aggressive breeds are bread to be aggressive.

Where I am Pit Bulls and any offshoot of the breed are illegal. You cannot breed or import them. If you owned one before the law was in effect, it had to be fixed and must be muzzled in public.

Every dog has the potential to be aggressive, some more prone to it than others. It is unfortunate that people blame the dog when it is the people who are at fault.

- Response by A Creative, Male, 26-28

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I agree with you. A dog will react to the way it is raised. I've raised chows before, and a lot of people think they are mean. The chows I've raised wouldn't even bite a fly. Dogs, in my opinion, are a lot like people: if you treat them right, they will do the same in return.

- Response by tortureu2, A Thinker, Female, 36-45, Other Profession

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I agree it is not the breed but the people who are their care givers. I have a part Bernese Mountain Dog...looks exactly like one without the brown. I picked him up at the Humane Society the day he was to be put down. I love that dog, I have never loved a dog this much. If the idiots who abandoned him had only had him neutered...He would have been the best dog of their life!!! Their loss...my gain!

- Response by 1pghpafemale, A Sweet Sarah, Female, 36-45, Pittsburgh, Artist / Musician / Writer

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Dog attacks cause approximately 4.5 million injuries annually, 800,000 of which require medical attention. That is roughly 1 out of every 5-6 attacks.

At least 25 different breeds of dogs have been involved in the 238 dog bite-related fatalities in the United States. Tennessee is one of the top 10 states for dog related deaths in the United States.

****Pit bulls and Rottweilers**** reportedly account for over half of these deaths. This does not mean these types of dogs are more prone to bite, but quite simply because of their pure strength, when they do attack they generally cause more damage.

During 1995-1996, at least 25 persons died as the result of dog attacks (11 in 1995 and 14 in 1996). Of the 25 DBRFs, 20 (80%) occurred among children (three were aged less than or equal to 30 days {neonates}, one was aged 5 months, 10 were aged 1-4 years, and six were aged 5-11 years), and five occurred among adults (ages 39, 60, 75, 81, and 86 years). Most (18 {72%}) DBRFs occurred among males.

Of 23 deaths with sufficient information for classification, seven (30%) involved an unrestrained dog off the owner's property, five (22%) involved a restrained dog on the owner's property, and 11 (48%) involved an unrestrained dog on the owner's property. Of the 25 deaths, nine (36%) involved one dog, nine (36%) involved two dogs, two (8%) involved three dogs, and five (20%) involved six to 11 dogs. All the attacks by unrestrained dogs off the owner's property involved more than one dog. Of the three deaths among neonates, all occurred on the dog owner's property and involved one dog and a sleeping child.

During 1995-1996, rottweilers were the most commonly reported breed involved in fatal attacks (Table_1). Fatal attacks were reported from 14 states (California {four deaths}; Florida and Pennsylvania {three each}; Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, and South Dakota {two each}; and Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Washington {one each}).

From the Center of Disease Control.


- Response by rhunt0210, A Mr. Nice Guy, Male, 46-55, Other Profession

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I dont judge dogs on the breed. Its the way the dogs are raised on how their behavior is.

- Response by leeann, A Sweet Sarah, Female, 26-28, Who Cares?

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