Are people getting more narrow minded about dogs?

[decaff]

It is easily possibly for Chihuahua to "savage" someone of any size. Limbs need not be removed for an attack to be savage, it could be as simple as a finger, nose, or eye being damaged and the attack is savage.

 

Now i am not a believer of small dog syndrome, but i am a believer that small dogs have issues which stem from the fact that people tend to find it difficult to chastise a small dog for fear of hurting its feelings. The fact that people dress their dogs up in clothes, carry them in bags, feed them form the table, give them their own space on the sofa, don't set boundaries etc do intensify bad behaviour by making the dog think it can get away with doing these things and by nature when it is challenged (perceived or real) it will become aggressive. The small breeds Chihuahuas, yorkies, lhasa apso's, bichon frise's etc are the worst but by no means the only offenders here.

 

However offender is not really the right word as the dog only behaves how it is taught to and if a dog becomes aggressive without correction then it sees it as a good behaviour and it will escalate. Humans as dog owners are responsible for ensuring aggressive behaviour in their pets is not allowed to escalate.

[mojo1]

I was attacked by a sparrow when I was 11. (I kid you not)

 

As a result do I think all kids should be kept away from birds?

 

No! Because that would be extremely stupid.

 

I was bitten by a German Shepperd on my paper round. Not because it was nasty, but because it was snowing heavily so I didn't stop to throw his ball for him like I normally would, he went to grab my sleeve playfully and over shot. As a result of him getting yelled at by his owners I took him a bone to make it up to him.

 

My cousin had to have 30 stitches in his face after sneaking up on his family dog, an Akita. She was very old and deaf and he took her by surprise. As soon as she realised it was him she let him go, that few seconds was enough to scar his face permanently.

The Akita was rehomed to a farm to live out the remainder of her life.

She wasn't a vicious dog either, she was startled.

 

The only dog I've ever had an experience of real nastiness towards people with was a very spoiled Westie. He drew blood if you put your hand within three foot of him and he was in one of his moods.

 

Any dog can cause injury for a variety of reasons, breed has little to do with it and in some cases neither does the temperament of the dog. Sometimes stuf just happens.

 

To try and blame a breed for the actions of a few dogs and their owners is at best paranoid and pathetic.

[medusa]

I saw the mess made by a very beautiful cocker spaniel when it mauled a 6 year old child from its own family recently- it wasn't pretty and it certainly wasn't the sort of thing that I'd want any child to have to go through. He had wounds in 4 places, from leg to neck, which all needed stitches, and bruises over most of the rest of his body.

 

It broke the family's hearts to have the dog euthenased, but it was definitely the right thing to do if the dog is prepared to do that sort of thing without warning to a child.

 

No dog is automatically 'safe' just like no dog is automatically 'dangerous'. That applies to breeds just as much as individual dogs which you meet as a stranger.

[chem1st]

All dogs should be kept on leads in public areas, dogs not kept on the lead on land used for livestock grazing should be shot on site. i.e. in the peak district.

 

There should be dog friendly parks though.

[medusa]

And what do you suggest we do with a dog who is scared of other dogs?

 

We don't walk her in public without a lead but she comes off the lead for a run in the park (when there aren't other dogs around or people who are likely to be scared of her) and even then she's under control because she's fetching the ball or frisbee we've thrown for her.

 

She doesn't go anywhere unaccompanied, she doesn't steal food from anyone, she doesn't approach people unless we say she can and she goes to the loo on command so that it's in a place where we can pick it up easily. Is there any real reason why she should be restricted to a place where she's going to be shoved in with other dogs which scare her?

 

Before you mention it, she's a rescue dog and we aren't responsible for the first year of her life when she wasn't socialised properly with other dogs.

[decaff]

It is possible to socialise a dog at any stage of life they just need to be socialised with dogs who are stable (that is to say happy, balanced dogs).

 

A dog does not hold grudges, a dog does not dwell on the past, it is only owners which do that. A dog is more in tune with its instincts than humans are and dwelling on the past is not good for a dog. Your dog will pick up on the signals you send out, most notably the ones you do not know you're sending out.

 

The dog may be afraid but with some confident handling this fear can be overcome.

[Jonny5]

Are people getting more narrow minded about dogs?

--------------------------------------------

Possibly. But if they are could it be because certain dog owners are becoming ever more irresponsible?

[medusa]

It is possible to socialise a dog at any stage of life they just need to be socialised with dogs who are stable (that is to say happy, balanced dogs).

 

A dog does not hold grudges, a dog does not dwell on the past, it is only owners which do that. A dog is more in tune with its instincts than humans are and dwelling on the past is not good for a dog. Your dog will pick up on the signals you send out, most notably the ones you do not know you're sending out.

 

The dog may be afraid but with some confident handling this fear can be overcome.

 

And we're working on that and have been working on it for the last 3 years. If dogs were all pushed together in special areas then what would you have us do with a dog in need of exercise for the time that these issues are worked on?

 

Actually, cancel that question. The dog haters aren't likely to change their opinion no matter what questions are asked, so I'm going to stop asking them.

[Dozy]

All dogs should be kept on leads in public areas, dogs not kept on the lead on land used for livestock grazing should be shot on site. i.e. in the peak district.

 

There should be dog friendly parks though.

My bold

 

Why?

 

Dog friendly parks are a fat lot of good if you don't live near one and don't have transport to get to one!! Or if your dog is a bad traveller.

 

Having taken the trouble to buy a house that is conveniently close to a park, why should I suddenly need to go miles to exercise my dog?

[Scozzie]

Also you mentioned a 6ft bloke?! He would just laugh and pick it up and chuck it in the nearest bin!!

 

Edit - also to me 'savage' would describe horrific injuries such as face and limbs torn off, not just bitten/scratched.

 

who has a 6ft bloke?

I never said anything about a 6ft bloke.

 

a 'savage attack' in your opinion may be to lose limbs, but for a toddler to be constantly snapped at and bitten and come away with cuts and abbrasions - is -or was- savage to me, my sister and my cousins.