Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

yes, my dog is very large but he is not vicious....

110 replies

nothercules · 07/05/2006 14:07

Only had my dog for nearly 3 months and getting fed up of people accusing me of having a vicious dog. He's still a puppy and has never hurt anyone or attempted to. He is always on the lead in any areas where there are lots of kids and minds his own business on walks.

Why do people assume because he is large he must be vicious?
Actually I worry about him as he's already been bitten by a couple of small dogs.

OP posts:

Chloe55 · 08/05/2006 17:28

Not sure if your post was directed at me Wannabe (about having the superior POV ) but I did state that I don't trust dogs 100% but I think everyone should be aware dogs have the potential to bite (which I guess is just commonsense)

Chloe55 · 08/05/2006 17:30

What you say about the not trusting different breed things is true too. I particularly avoid Akitas (so sorry Buffy) but this is purely based on the fact that I have come across so many inmy profession that given half the chance would have had me for brekkie - their behaviour was influenced by their shitty owners though.

saadia · 08/05/2006 17:30

wannabe.. yes that must be a lifesaver, and I know that guide dogs also must be lifesavers too, but my point is that all animals have an instinct over which they may not have much control and in certain situations no-one can predict how they will react.

Chloe55 · 08/05/2006 17:32

I agree Saadia - in the same way humans are unpredictable too!

2labs · 08/05/2006 17:43

I totally agree with Chloe55 - my dogs have never shown any aggression and are ex guide dogs but I still think they're dogs and if a child poked them in the eye I wouldn't blame any dog for reacting in pain - therefore, I don't leave them alone with any child not mature enough to know how to treat them. Similarly in the dark and protecting their home a lot of dogs are more wary, especially if surprised - sounds like what happened to you, buffythenappyslayer. Mind you I once woke up my very gentle and peaceable sister in the middle of a nightmare and she punched me in the face so I apply caution to humans too in that situation...

2labs · 08/05/2006 17:44

I do also think it's important to judge the individual dog, not the breed - can be SO misleading.

wannaBe1974 · 08/05/2006 18:14

I actually think the issue of trust has been divided here. On the case of whether you can trust a dog 100% not to bite, I think that it is possible to trust a dog 100% not to make an unprovoked attack, however, I agree with those who say that you can’t trust a dog not to retaliate if it is provoked, i.e. if a child sticks its fingers in the dog’s eyes etc. Having said that, if a child came up and started pulling my hair or my ears, I’m not sure I could be trusted not to hit him either, lol. But I don’t think that a dog that retaliates should necessarily be ridiculed for doing so, again it comes down to training the child. And also do agree that it’s important to look at the individual dog and not the breed, although it can be hard not to see a certain breed in a bad light when you’ve had a bad experience with that breed of dog.

Airy · 08/05/2006 18:46

I agree with Saggar, I find it very hard to accept that anyone can 100% trust any dog.
I have a Labrador, I've had him for two years now, He's is the stupidest and softest animal I've ever come across, a real big baby. I could never imagine him ever attacking or biting anyone, but I'm not shortsighted enough to not realise he is still an animal and ALL animals can behave out of character in certain cicumstances.
I also had a retriever before him for 15 years, he was a brilliant dog, but again I'd never say I trusted either of them 100%.

dionnelorraine · 08/05/2006 19:11

Oh my good god!! This is getting blown WAY out of proportion here! All I said was that I trust MY dog 100% (which no one has the right to judge that as no one knows me or my dog!) Im still aware of other dogs that could possibly bite etc.. I wouldnt let my child go near a dogs face to pet it except for our family dog. so with this whole discussion about trusting a dog or not was not my point. I was talking about my own family.

Caligula · 08/05/2006 19:31

I met someone about fifteen years ago with whom I got chatting in A&E who was with her 3 year old child who had been bitten by her family dog (a collie) whom she had trusted 100% as well. The dog was old and gentle and absolutely lovely, by the owner's account. But it still bit her dd.

Dogs, like people can suddenly bite for no reason. My brother's dog had some kind of seizure when he was about five years old, where he completely and totally wrecked the room he was in - snarling, growling, barking, biting everything. Tables, chairs, cups etc., were all thrown on the floor, cushions were ripped to bits, had my brother been in the room he'd have been ripped to bits as well - the dog was a weimaraner and enormous. Up until that time, he'd been a beautiful, silly, floppy, loving, lovely dog - the fit came out of the blue.

Humans can have fits too, but they tend not to bite you when they do.

Caligula · 08/05/2006 19:33

Sorry I meant dogs like people can have turns for no reason, not that they can bite. Although some people do probably bite as well.

Airy · 08/05/2006 22:56

dionnelorraine, I'm sorry I wasn't trying to get at you. I wasn't judging your dog, I'm sure you know him as I know mine. My dd is best friends with our dog and I obviously trust him with her.
What I was trying to say is I think every dog owner has to acknowledge that any dog no matter how well you know them can just turn, no matter how docile they are, it will almost always only happen if the animal is provoked but it's not unheard of for a previously docile dog to turn for no reason.
No-one can possibly know for certain that their dog never will.

Serendippity · 09/05/2006 11:54

Isn't it funny? i've been thinking about this thread and, actualy, i have to say i've changed my mind...Spook, my Weimaraner, is also a huge soppy animal and yesterday i said i trust him 100% Tbh, i think i've been a bit blind. I do trust him at the moment, but he is an animal and animals by nature can be unpredictable. He's also only 9 months old.
I was planning to come back and say this anyway, and then i see a story about a weimaraner going nuts!
I think us dog owners look at our big floppy docile animals and just melt (i do anyway!) and can't imagine him or her doing anything even remotly dangerouse because we know and love them. Also having somone tell you it is a possability your dog could turn and injur somone makes us all protective and defensive.
Anyway i hold my hands up and say, i think i was wrong in saying people can trust their dogs 100%, perhaps 98% but always remember the remaining 2% and be aware of it.

Rhubarb · 09/05/2006 11:57

No matter how bloody docile your pet is, please keep them away from children! My dd is petrified of dogs and I'm bloody fed up of dog owners watching as their pet jumps up at her whilst she screams in fear and all they can say is "He's harmless you know!"

No, I bloody don't know and that's not the bloody point!

Though I'm sure all you lovely responsible dog owners would never do a thing like that - right!

OliveWhoIsNotHereOhNoNotAtAll · 09/05/2006 11:59

dogs stink

Rhubarb · 09/05/2006 11:59

so does my dh unfortunately!

Serendippity · 09/05/2006 12:01

If children want to walk up and stroke Spook i let them, but i would never, ever let him leap on a child or adult come to that.
I'm also quite certain if most peoples dogs did that and a child screamed in fear there is no chance we would be standing their just saying "he's harmless" I would certainly be mortifed. There is no excuse for that. Has that happened to you then Rhubarb?

Rhubarb · 09/05/2006 12:04

More than I can care to mention. Dogs here are not on leads, but even when they are, the owner does not make any attempt to remove the dog, they just say "He's so friendly! He's just trying to lick her!"

I have kicked a dog in the ribs before now to get it away from her - and I have spent a lifetime with dogs, worked and lived with them!

Serendippity · 09/05/2006 12:10

God Rhubarb, that's awful. That's not responsable dog ownership at all.
When Spook was very young and in training he used to like to leap at people, the consquence for him was to be yanked back on his lead- hard, made to sit and then taken back home immediatly. We then got a halti which has worked like magic on him- he would never dream of jumping up now even on us at home.

Rhubarb · 09/05/2006 12:18

There is a family who lived at the bottom of the road, 3 times a day they let the dog out to crap anywhere it likes, unsupervised. It's a medium sized poodle. It barks at people and chases them but backs off if you challenge it. A few weeks ago it did this to dd when she was collecting her friend for school, (opposite our house) she was hysterical. I took her to the dog owner's house, they could see the state she was in and I threatened them with the police. It has done it again since and now I have warned them that if I see their dog alone on our place again I will contact the police and insist the dog is taken away.

Rhubarb · 09/05/2006 12:22

I know it's not the dog's fault, but any dog that threatens dd I will react to violently against it. I see red. Whether or not it's on a lead, if it jumps up at her I do give it a good kick and I challenge any dog owner to say anything!

wannaBe1974 · 09/05/2006 12:26

rhubarb if those were my neighbours I'd have had words with them as well by now. My dog doesn't jump at people but if she did I would not allow it. If someone asks if they can stroke her she's made to sit while they do. She does have a habbit though of offering her paw to people who rub her chest (it's a lab habbit apparently) and I absolutely discourage it. And yet if she ever does, people think it's so cute "oh she wants to shake hands!". I stand by what I said in that not all dog owners are irresponsible.

Rhubarb · 09/05/2006 12:28

I know they are not, as I said, I've lived and worked with dogs. But irresponsible dog owners will have to accept that I will attack their beloved pooch if I catch that pooch jumping up at or barking aggressively at dd.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 09/05/2006 12:41

Havent read whole thread, but tell you story of my collie.

I had a male collie cross with a lab. We got him from a rescue centre. He was 10 yrs old and brilliant in the house, very gentle and submissive and very friendly.
As soon as he was outside he would attack any dog out there. He would lunge at any dog, male or female. We had to buy him a muzzle and we had a strong lead made! Sounds extreme but we were so nervous he would hurt someone.

We considered having him put to sleep.

The thing which annoyed me the most was dog owners who would let their dogs (off the lead) come over to our collie. They would say 'oh hes alright, he wont hurt you'!
er.. mine is the one with the muzzle and lead on!

All dogs are different regardless of breed. Collies are not renowned for aggression as far as I know.

northercules - Dont worry what people think, you know your own dog, you are keeping him on a lead (which I personally think should be compulsary) and the family are enjoying him, if I saw you out walking I would not see him as a threat, I would see a responsible owner!

Caligula · 09/05/2006 12:41

Rhubarb if you know for sure that their dog is regularly fouling the public pathway, they're committing an offence and you could report them to your local council.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Swipe left for the next trending thread