Pit Bulls

[Kayleigh]

Thanks, JoB, but I didn’t blow my cool. Having someone who doesn’t actually work for a living talk about what’s professional was pretty funny.

But now I hope everybody sees what some of us have been saying: she/he is here because she has so little going on in her own life that she needs to create Internet drama. That makes her a troll (ie trolling for reactions and discord.)

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[Anonymous]

Barmargia – I was thinking the same thing. If this is a real person, they seem to be getting closer and closer to the edge….On topic, I’m still worried about the “we will use any force necessary if an aggressive dog comes near us” comment. Since we’re obviously dealing with a very unbalanced person, does this mean she’s going to shoot my dog if it growls? What’s her definition of aggressive? Her threat was stated for a dog on the street , in a park, or even passing her house. This kind of paranoia really unsettles me.

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[Anonymous]

Got ya!!! LOL!! LOL!!! LOL!! LOL!! LOL!! LOL!! LOL!! LOL!! LOL!!

HEH! HEH!! HEH!! HEH!! HEH!! HEH!! HEH!!

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[JoB]

lattemom.. who got got here? Your part in this conversation is over unless you are on topic.

There are people who actually want to talk about dogs

Bertha.. the truth is that i don’t think any of us really knows what we are getting into when we adopt a dog… it’s worse with a rescue.. but the basic concept is the same.

And people are no different. A cousin of mine was shot in her bath and two of her children murdered by a disturbed teenage boy she had taken into her home… his note said he was removing them from misery because he loved them so much.

Bad things can happen to good loving responsible people… the child that killed her could as easily have been her own.

i think at some point you have to open your heart and do what you can and simply hope for the best.

When you take an animal into your home, you have to remember that it is an animal and has needs/perceptions other than your own.

Training isn’t nearly as important for the animal as it is for the humans who own the animal.

Dogs that attack humans do so because they have been trained (generally by humans) to see people as predators.

Dogs who attack other dogs do so because they have been taught that they have to attack to survive… by other dogs or by people.

And some larger dogs will hunt small dogs because the people in their lives used small dogs as bait to teach more aggressive dogs to fight to kill.

And of course, some dogs.. like people… just have problems and can’t be saved. I had to put one dog like that down for the safety of those around it.

Those of us with our own little cujos are well aware of the risks we take… but are very careful to be sure that anyone interacting with our animals are also aware of the risks they are taking.

A lot of really well meaning people just aren’t aware of the risks they take… or that the largest risk is to their unleashed dog.

There is more danger that their unleashed dog will be attacked by another dog or somehow injured by humans (unleashed dogs are exceedingly vulnerable to poisoned bait) than their dog injuring another…

And a lot of really well meaning people don’t understand basic canine behavior … dogs correct one another or show their displeasure at being disturbed by biting. Any human who interacts with a dog is risking being bitten… and most dog owners will at one time or another be bitten by their dogs. thankfully it usually doesn’t have as bad an outcome as your nephew’s.

No dog … regardless of their breed… is the terror inducing nightmare of cujo.

dogs have to be taught to be hostile to humans and to do real damage to other dogs… and that is done by their owners.

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[Anonymous]

Bertha’s post makes me assume she has actually MET lattemom. Is this true?

It is very obvious that lattemom’s post’s are intended to get people riled up. I can’t help but notice how many times she brings up her husband’s and her enthusiasm for hunting and mounting things on their wall. I’m really enjoying that no one is responding.

Berth – I’m sorry to hear about your nephew. And you have a point about the little dogs. We have a tiny chiuahua (s?) and a lot of people don’t trust her because she’s little and they have that reputation. She’s, of course, the sweetest dog ever, just don’t take her to get her nails trimmed!!

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[JoB]

it occurs to me that a little basic dog 101 might be useful here…

dogs don’t really like to be petted. at least not the way most people approach and pet a dog.

reaching out to touch a dog’s head without an invitation from the dog is seen as threatening behavior by most dogs.. especially if you are taller than they…

dogs don’t really like to be hugged… at least not the kind of bear hug around the neck that most children give dogs… it is seen as a challenge to dominance.

that many dogs will submit to this behavior from their humans is a testament to how much they want to hang out with us.

in most cases, their acceptance of that kind of behavior is simply showing submission in their pack.. and anything that upsets the pecking order in that pack could signal to the dog that they do longer need to put up with that behavior.

dogs don’t like to fight. dogs will threaten and cuff one another around and soft bite to show dominance… but the moment one dog shows submission … the mistreatment ends.

dog fights generally only happen when neither dog will submit… and even then are generally short lived.

smelling each others hind ends is what dogs do… they don’t touch noses. if they do, it is likely you are about to witness an altercation.

most dogs are all bluff… they make themselves as big and fierce sounding as they can to avoid a fight.

a wagging tail doesn’t always mean a dog is glad to see you. it could also signal distress and a desire for you to back off.

a wise person ignores any new dog until that dog comes up to them and sticks their nose under your hand.. then back petting or belly rubbing is preferable to head petting.

Don’t ask people to pet their dogs. If you must, don’t just ask the owner… ask the dog… and if the dog doesn’t come to you.. don’t go to it.

If you fear dogs.. don’t try to overcome your fear by approaching them. dogs will read the tension in your body language as a threat and are likely to react in negative ways.

overcome your fear of dogs by going to a dog park and standing outside the fence and watching dogs play.

sooner or later some dog will come to the fence to see who you are and if you are fun. keep your hands to yourself and just talk to the dog.

after you are had lots of conversations with dogs some human will wander over to see what his dog is up to. talk to them and still keep your hands to yourself.

Once you have made friends.. this may take days or weeks… sooner or later you will relax and will find a dog’s nose poking through the fence to touch you….

unless you want to be around dogs badly enough to take the time to get comfortable around them so they can be comfortable around you.. leave them alone.

if you get a dog.. get some good training. the local animal shelter (or your breeder) is a really good place to get referrals for reputable trainers. There are a lot of people training dogs these days who don’t even like dogs. you are unlikely to learn anything more than a few commands from them.

Don’t buy dogs from pet stores unless that store can provide you a pedigree and you check out the breeder (this is unlikely to happen so you will be unlikely to buy from pet stores). Pet store puppies are generally too young and unsocialized when they are separated from their mothers and don’t get the kind of care and exercise they need for healthy development. (there are exceptions.. but they are rare). Go to an animal rescue organization, the local dog shelter or a breeder for a dog.

don’t buy a dog unless you will be able to spend a considerable amount of time with it. dogs are social animals and do not like being isolated.

and don’t buy one pet as company for another you are willing to spend time with them as puppies. All you are doing when you stick two puppies in a house alone is creating an unsupervised pack… and an invitation to mischief…

Owning pets is sort of like marriage. Unless you can’t live without them… it’s not a great idea.

But, if you are like me and can’t resist those soulful eyes.. and have time to spend with them… they add a lot of delight to your life…. even if they are your own tiny cujos:)

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[Anonymous]

Btw – barmargia – Thanks for making me laugh out loud!! You hit it right on the head with the description “maniacal”!! It really is freaky.

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[Anonymous]

JoB I agree with you. My point (not very well made) is that most people do not know understand the ‘pack mentality’ and because of that we end up with poorly trained dogs.

I wish that elementary schools would include dog safety training in their curriculums. I think it is just as crucial as fire safety. This would give children the much needed dog info and probably reduce a lot of the problems between dogs and kids.

Sadly, I think most of these incidents are unintentional and result from a lack of understanding by all the people involved and the poor dogs suffer. People like JoB sharing their knowledge with the rest of the world sure does help.

In reference to Lattemom…I have interacted with her in the past and can only say what you see in this blog is what you get. Any innocent comment can be seen as a threat. Sad really.

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[JoB]

bertha.. real time or internet? either way, you are right, it is sad.

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[Anonymous]

JoB.. real time. The post from OMGnotagain is sadly all true. Keep good thoughts for her daughter.

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[ALS]

JoB, thanks for posting that. All too often people don’t take the time to understand how dogs communicate. We assume that because they live in harmony with us that they communicate by our rules, and that’s often where we get into trouble by doing things like hugging dogs, patting them on the head, or pursing our lips in a kissy face to them (all of which are generally not liked by dogs or even seen as threatening).

I would recommend reading “The Other End of the Leash” by Patricia McConnell – she discusses a lot about how dogs communicate and what us humans often do wrong.

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