- Joined
- Oct 18, 2001
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- 20,978
I have owned dogs as far back as I can remember...all different breeds.
A few things I learned as a kid:
1 - A chained up dog will get mean and bite.
My German spitz (small white samoyed-ish dog) - I teased and tormented that dog and he was tied up all day. I would run back and forth just out of reach...couldn't touch me...and would trick him a lot. Eventually bit my grandmother (not a frail woman either) who was just reaching down to pet her....we ended up putting the dog down. Yes, I felt responsible and have never repeated the behavior.
2 - small dog or not, hyper dog will bite.
We had a small dog (probably a min-pin or similar sized) that we kept in the backyard. Sometimes would get loose. One day, neighbor kid let it out of the yard and it chased him down the sidewalk. Bit him in the rear end (the kid had been teasing it for months and honestly, the boy deserved it). Parents sued and won.
3 - dogs like to chase
I found out quickly that if I stood my ground, the dogs never chased me. They enjoyed the chase...the "hunt"....more than anything else. Even as a young adult in a foreign country...my buddies were often bit by dogs....I never was. One guy got bit in the same place twice...on the same day. I've squared off against some large, mean dogs too...I would just pick up rocks are start to throw them at 'em...they'd eventually decide it wasn't worth it.
As I get older...I'm less afraid of dogs. I play/wrestle with Jessie all the time and have taught her to back off if I say "ouch"...or even start to squeal. Works every time. I have the confidence that my dog will not be responsible for attacking someone else. The "dog just snapped one day" theory....I don't believe a word of it. Dogs don't snap. They build up frustration from neglect and need an outlet for it. Imagine putting a concert pianist in a piano store 24 hrs a day...he can listen, but can't touch....in fact, he has to sit in the corner and can't "cross the carpet line". When you finally let him approach a piano....do you think he'll be just a little keyed-up? (pun intended
)
So why would you chain up a dog and then be surprised when it rushes out the door/gate at the first sight of a good time?
I do agree than chaining up a pit bull is the worst thing you can do to it....and it affects it worse than other breeds. The curiosity, independence and problem-solving skills hard-wired into the dog just bottle up.
A well-socialized dog that gets exercise, mental tasks to perform and attention every day does not "snap". They are happy. They want to stay that way.
A further note (rambling): The I'm-Bigger-And-Scarier-Than-You attitude works great. For some animals (like bears) you play dead. For aggressive dogs...you make yourself bigger and scarier and more vicious and the dog knows to stay away. It's nature...evolution even.
A few things I learned as a kid:
1 - A chained up dog will get mean and bite.
My German spitz (small white samoyed-ish dog) - I teased and tormented that dog and he was tied up all day. I would run back and forth just out of reach...couldn't touch me...and would trick him a lot. Eventually bit my grandmother (not a frail woman either) who was just reaching down to pet her....we ended up putting the dog down. Yes, I felt responsible and have never repeated the behavior.
2 - small dog or not, hyper dog will bite.
We had a small dog (probably a min-pin or similar sized) that we kept in the backyard. Sometimes would get loose. One day, neighbor kid let it out of the yard and it chased him down the sidewalk. Bit him in the rear end (the kid had been teasing it for months and honestly, the boy deserved it). Parents sued and won.
3 - dogs like to chase
I found out quickly that if I stood my ground, the dogs never chased me. They enjoyed the chase...the "hunt"....more than anything else. Even as a young adult in a foreign country...my buddies were often bit by dogs....I never was. One guy got bit in the same place twice...on the same day. I've squared off against some large, mean dogs too...I would just pick up rocks are start to throw them at 'em...they'd eventually decide it wasn't worth it.
As I get older...I'm less afraid of dogs. I play/wrestle with Jessie all the time and have taught her to back off if I say "ouch"...or even start to squeal. Works every time. I have the confidence that my dog will not be responsible for attacking someone else. The "dog just snapped one day" theory....I don't believe a word of it. Dogs don't snap. They build up frustration from neglect and need an outlet for it. Imagine putting a concert pianist in a piano store 24 hrs a day...he can listen, but can't touch....in fact, he has to sit in the corner and can't "cross the carpet line". When you finally let him approach a piano....do you think he'll be just a little keyed-up? (pun intended
)So why would you chain up a dog and then be surprised when it rushes out the door/gate at the first sight of a good time?
I do agree than chaining up a pit bull is the worst thing you can do to it....and it affects it worse than other breeds. The curiosity, independence and problem-solving skills hard-wired into the dog just bottle up.
A well-socialized dog that gets exercise, mental tasks to perform and attention every day does not "snap". They are happy. They want to stay that way.
A further note (rambling): The I'm-Bigger-And-Scarier-Than-You attitude works great. For some animals (like bears) you play dead. For aggressive dogs...you make yourself bigger and scarier and more vicious and the dog knows to stay away. It's nature...evolution even.
