the_original_Retro t1_itbkmiv wrote on October 22, 2022 at 11:48 AM

Reply to comment by SwiggityStag in Bad Dog, Me, Ink, 2022 by franciscoaldeao

It's a two part problem dude.

People that want to be the "alpha" owner of an animal companion that accentuates their tough-guy image or in their mind offers them the security of helping to defend their home are absolutely part of the problem.

The breed of dog and its greater susceptibility to overly brutal attacks is the other contributor.

SwiggityStag t1_itbol95 wrote on October 22, 2022 at 12:30 PM

Oh yeah no doubt that the breed is capable of doing a ton of damage, but they can also be trained properly to be docile from an early age by an experienced owner, which happens to not be the demographic pit bulls are most popular with.

There are other breeds that could do a lot of damage and tend to have an aggressive temperament if they're not trained properly. For example, German Shepherds are bred for jobs that require aggression, and you're almost twice as likely to die if you're attacked by a German Shepherd due to the pulling and tearing action they're bred for. However, they're not popular for dog fighting, and they fell out of popularity as guard dogs too for various reasons, and people generally understand that they're not a dog for inexperienced owners.

While what the breed is capable of is definitely a factor, I think if it was mainly about the damage a dog can do and the nature of the jobs they were bred for, we'd be seeing a lot more attacks from guard dog and hunting dog breeds.

the_original_Retro t1_itbvjxt wrote on October 22, 2022 at 1:33 PM

I agree with your some of your points but not with others.

There are documented attacks by some extremely well trained pit bulls from loving families that focused on discipline and good rearing. The issue is ALSO GENETIC. Sometimes that cannot be overcome by any amount of training.

And I don't agree about your listing of hunting dogs in the same category of guard dogs. I have many friends with retriever hunting animals. They are not the same as guard dogs in either breed or function. I don't know enough without research to talk about general temperament, and can only speak anecdotally on this so will refrain.

SwiggityStag t1_itc2bii wrote on October 22, 2022 at 2:27 PM

Pretty much any breed has had incidents where a well trained, well cared for dog can bite. Even family labradors have cases like that. Usually they're caused by high stress situations, pain or illness, not some random decision to become violent for the sake of it. Maybe some breeds have an inclination to be more short tempered, but that doesn't mean that they're attacking for no reason. It just means that they need an owner who understands how to handle their dog in those situations.

I included hunting dogs because certain breeds of dogs bred for actual killing of prey animals can be fairly aggressive. Jack Russel Terriers for example are among some of the highest rates of aggression as a breed, but because of their size they can't do a lot of damage to a human. They do harm a lot of other dogs and pets in general when not properly trained though, which is why a good owner will make sure to introduce them to other dogs at an early age.

the_original_Retro t1_itc330n wrote on October 22, 2022 at 2:33 PM

>It just means that they need an owner who understands how to handle their dog in those situations.

Proven incorrect many times over.

I'm sorry you don't understand this. There is no such thing as 100% perfect discipline in all possible situations, and not everyone uses a 100% effective restraining mechanism all the time for 100% of the dog's life. That just isn't reality.

And some breeds are more susceptible to breaking discipline than others.

SwiggityStag t1_itc3sol wrote on October 22, 2022 at 2:39 PM

No, there's no such thing as a 100% chance of prevention for anything, but there's mostly preventable. There's still a chance that your perfectly docile family dog will get stressed and bite regardless of breed. You can lower that chance by choosing a breed of dog you're able to deal with, training it properly and being aware of its needs.

Different breeds require different levels and styles of discipline, that's why certain breeds of dog aren't good for inexperienced owners, and every dog has boundaries that need to be respected. That doesn't make them "bad".