Positive experiences of owning 'dangerous' breeds please

[GladysKravitz]

Please be gentle with me as I am already smarting from an altercation with dm over our new dog.

Ds who is an adult but lives at home has a puppy that is a cross between a Serbian defence dog and a presa canaria. This dog will be our family pet, will be trained and socialised well etc. I will be at home with dog all day and it will be walked by my dh and three adult ds's so will get lots of exercise.

My dm has made me feel very anxious about the situation as she keeps on about it being a banned breed in some countries, will be huge and uncontrollable etc. The rational part of me believes that with obedience training (we have already taught him to sit and not nip or jump up at 7 weeks) careful socialisation and plenty of exercise and firm boundaries he will be a lovely gentle family pet (although huge probably). I have been encouraged by the professor green documentary on dangerous dogs which describes how attacks are down to upbringing rather than breed but I would really love to hear of your positive experiences of owning such a breed and any advice you can offer. This is our first time owning a dog and he is not a breed we would have chosen, but we are determined to make the best of it now and raise him responsibly.

As PP have said, please ignore CM and anyone who spouts similar bollocks.

Dogs are not born as blank slates any more than people are. Genetics play a huge part. My heart sinks when I hear people say things like "It's all in how they're brought up". No it ISNT! 🙄

I would agree that this is definitely not a dog for the novice owner, and would also say good luck in getting insurance for him - I imagine most companies won't touch him with a bargepole unless you lie!

Another agreement that no dog is a blank slate, you are dealing with years of breeding to go towards temperament and his parents' temperaments don't sound encouraging.

Early neutering may also not be a good idea, if his temperament is not right for it, you could make things worse.

If you are lucky and with sensible handling and training he grows to be a sensible family pet, NEVER under-estimate how he is likely to guard your family and make sure you understand that he may see things as a threat that you don't, such as squabbling/fighting children.

Your puppy looks wonderful! (Looks like a staffie, actually, but I imagine he's a lot bigger.)

I agree that training is very important, and I'm glad you intend to take him to classes. I would be more worried TBH that this is your first dog and it is likely to be a very challenging cross. Most of the Eastern European guarding breeds are not recommended for novice dog owners and as others have said, the fact that someone has crossed two large and powerful breeds suggests that they are in it for money and have no thought for the health or temperament of the puppies. I know this must sound very depressing for you, but you need to go into this with your eyes open and be aware that you may have to deal with more challenges than you would with many puppies.

Start his training with kindness, consistency and confidence - you must be confident to properly train a dog - from the moment you get him. Don't be cruel, just be firm and consistent and he will learn very quickly .

I haven't had a dog of this type, but I have met a few presa canaries and in the right hands they are wonderful dogs - stunning to look at and real gentle giants.

I would suggest that when he his fully mature you have him neutered to ensure that you don't accidentally contribute to the many puppies in rescue.

Best of luck within, and please keep us updated. He looks lovely.

You'll also find you will be banned from taking your breed of dog to many places - make sure you check first.

Pup is getting on well and is no trouble, his play biting has almost completely been eradicated by my ignoring him and stopping play. He's 11 weeks now and has been on his first trip to the park, where he met numerous friendly dogs, adults and little children. I am feeling much more positive about the future as he is very calm and confident for such a young boy (we are regularly visited by his siblings and there is a marked difference in how they behave!).

What kind of places might we be banned from? We are keen to take him on holiday to dog-friendly places.

Well done, Gladys. Keep up the good work. Any dog is only as good as its owner.