No breed of dog is born to be a fighter, biter, etc. whether it be a pit bull, doberman, german shepherd, etc. BUT IT IS THE OWNERS WHO RAISE THEM THAT WAY and ultimately the animal may have to pay the piper based on how they were raised....the owners need to be held responsible but that will probably never happen
I don't agree w/ the list, but you're right, it's what the insurance companies use to bill you even more if you have one of these dogs (if they'll even give you insurance) When we looked for a dog we had to overlooks any Pit mix b/c we'd loose our homeowners insurance : (
That Presa is a beautiful dog though
Hubby, Wife, 18yo twins boys, 7yo boy, 4 yo girl
'04 Chevy crew cab 8ft bed
'07 Prowler 32ft bh
JRTs (and other terriers) are born to kill vermin.
Spanish mastiffs, Kangals, Akbash, etc. are born to fight off preditors like wolves.
Lurchers (and greyhounds, deerhounds, etc) were born to hunt and kill small game.
Some breeds of dogs are born to fight or kill. Breeding the right temperaments and training are used to balance and control these instincts.
The reasons these breeds are listed above are: over-breeding, poor breeding, and owners not training.
Maybe that list should have been titled: "Dogs who can do the most damage if they decide to bite"?
I think the "danger" is in the combination of:
1. Poorly socialized dog (or God forbid, it's been trained to BE aggressive)
2. The tendency of the breed towards biting
3. The strength and type of bite (nip, bite, or grab-and-hang-on)
4. WHERE the dog is inclined to bite
So a poorly socialized Chi is rather likely to bite - but lacks overall strength. A poorly socialized Cattle Dog is HIGHLY likely to bite - but will nip your ankle to shreds. And the breeds who make the "sensational" news are the poorly socialized dogs with powerful jaws and an inclination to go for the face/upper body and simply bite-and-hang-on :-(
downtheroad wrote: Not trying to start up anything...
Wink wink, nod nod.
Walter & Garland - Camp Canine caretakers
Gen. Gretchen - 9 y.o. GSD - Special Forces/Seal/DOTL Cloudbusters
Gen. Missy - GSD/Aussie - Joined Special Forces/DOTL Rainbow Division, June 11,2006
Miss Inga - 9 week old GSD. Still a civilian at this point.
Big Katuna wrote: Presa's are on the list. I have known three Akitas that were totally vicious and unpredictable, all raised by caring, responsible owners that did nothing to encourage the viciousness. I don't buy the "It's how they are raised" argument. Some dogs are born mean.
BRAVO! Right you are. Just like some children from the best of homes raised by the most devoted parents, turn out to be sociopathic cold blooded killers or, at best, con-men and scammers ripping people off for everything they can.
But dogs, unlike people, are selectively bred. There are breeds developed, bred, selected for many many generations for fighting and aggression. These dogs were never meant to be house pets. This breeding and selection for aggression, the genes for these traits, aren't going to disappear because someone wants one for a family companion.
Even a little poodle or Lhasa can turn and attack someone, but the chance of the aggressive breed doing it is much greater.
So an insurance company might not provide insurance if you own one of those breeds. Maybe insurance companies need to better examine who they are insuring and ask dog owning clients how they treat their dog, do they exercise their dog enough, do they train their dog, etc.
Rather than exclude a type of dog, insurers need to exclude a type of dog owner.
According to Wikipedia:
Malamutes are quite fond of people, a trait that makes them particularly sought-after family dogs. Malamutes are nimble around furniture and smaller items, making them ideal house dogs, provided they get plenty of time outdoors meeting their considerable exercise requirements.
Siberian Huskies are highly intelligent, which allows them to excel in obedience trials, though many clubs would like to keep the Husky's instinct by doing sled-racing. However, because of their intelligence, they can easily become bored and may stop listening to commands.
Every Siberian Husky I've met has been a lovable fluffball. Although these huskies were also well-exercised and well-cared-for and well-socialized sled dogs. The malamutes I've known are much the same ...
Interestingly, the biggest mooch pooch I met was a Rottweiler, who was lost and found its way to our house. It took three days to find its owner and that Rottie was a real sweetie the whole time.
Our Ursa is a Maremma/Cane Corso cross. Yet, she is the biggest lovebug in the world and takes it personally if someone won't greet her.
Every dog has its own personality, just as humans do. Some are nice, some not so nice.
sue t.
Pictures from our manyRV Adventures to Yukon & Alaska
Travelling with either the 25' fifth wheel or the 8' truck camper.
I am not going to mention a particular breed, I want to keep the forum civilized. I have always heard "it's not the dog but the owner". However, I had a relative who "had" one of the top ten breeds listed. She was a responsible owner. One day her dog and another dog was playing "catch the Frisbee". The other dog got in the way and her dog killed it.
OK, so she chalked it up to the game and an accident. Flash forward a few months and another dog gets too close and the dog runs over and kills it. This time she put her dog down.
She was a very responsible owner in regards to training, Love, care,etc.. Some dogs were bred to hunt and come with certain characteristics and deep traits (think killer whales in captivity that have killed trainers or the like) and these can be suppressed with proper training but NEVER COMPLETELY REMOVED IMHO.
Insurance companies will do whatever they can to keep from having to pay out a settlement. Neighbor up the street had 2 rotties-both passed away. Asked him the other day why he never got another and said that his insurance company would drop him if he had them. It has nothing to do with breed OR owner, just the perception that media outlets like to portray of them. Last Friday nephew's lab just bit his buddy's lab's ear and tore it-for no valid reason that anyone could figure. So sometimes it's just the DOG, breed irrelevant.
Subscribe to the 3 "L" rule-don't stop livin', lovin' and learnin'
RV-less for now but our spirits are still on the open road.
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