Re: OK I want to get a Pit Bull.. what do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kandie_kitten
^I'm not saying pit bull attacks don't happen (though most people can't identify a Pit Bull properly. They say a Boxer, Bulldog, or a Mastiff is a Pit Bull who attacked them.) I'm saying a well-trained Pit Bull will not attack.
Saying all Pit Bulls attack is just ridiculous. My dog was attacked by a Golden Retriever at a dog beach last year-it ripped my Pits' throat. Are all Golden Retrievers monsters? Of course not. It's owner was just a moron
The chances of a Pit Bull attack are small and not all Pit Bulls attack, but the viciousness of the attacks are what gets attention. I'm not a fan of Rottweilers, Boxers, Bulldogs, or Mastiffs either. A German Shepherd seems like a good compromise on being able to protect their owner and not being too vicious with other animals or people.
Re: OK I want to get a Pit Bull.. what do you think?
^German Shepherds are plenty vicious and are absolutely lethal, particularly now. Because they got way over-popular in the United States as guard dogs in the past 20 years, they are now so inbred and overbred, they are full of health and temperament issues.
In dog-people circles, German Shepherds are often referred to as "the crazy dogs", because of overbreeding, they are now more likely than almost any other breed to turn on their owner. Even among good ones, they are slightly insane-running while always chasing their tail, for instance. They're also called "tops" in dog circles, because they will literally just spin in place because poor breeding has resulted in mass amounts of mentally unstable dogs.
We used to train police dogs, but getting a good German Shepherd in the United States was next to impossible. We imported them from Germany for a while, and their versions were 100 times better, but the expense got to be too much.
If you're looking for a German Shepherd-like dog without the insanity or health defects, Belgian Shepherds are an excellent substitute. But they, too, require firm and constant training from someone who knows what they're doing.
Re: OK I want to get a Pit Bull.. what do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kandie_kitten
^German Shepherds are plenty vicious and are absolutely lethal, particularly now. Because they got way over-popular in the United States as guard dogs in the past 20 years, they are now so inbred and overbred, they are full of health and temperament issues.
In dog-people circles, German Shepherds are often referred to as "the crazy dogs", because of overbreeding, they are now more likely than almost any other breed to turn on their owner. Even among good ones, they are slightly insane-running while always chasing their tail, for instance. They're also called "tops" in dog circles, because they will literally just spin in place because poor breeding has resulted in mass amounts of mentally unstable dogs.
We used to train police dogs, but getting a good German Shepherd in the United States was next to impossible. We imported them from Germany for a while, and their versions were 100 times better, but the expense got to be too much.
If you're looking for a German Shepherd-like dog without the insanity or health defects, Belgian Shepherds are an excellent substitute. But they, too, require firm and constant training from someone who knows what they're doing.
OK, skip German Shepherds. ;D
Just get a big dog that can protect but that isn't too vicious.
Re: OK I want to get a Pit Bull.. what do you think?
^Again, there's no such thing as a breed that is "too vicious". Just stupid owners.
And any dog can and will protect you. This idea you have to get the stereotypical guard dog like Pits or Rottweilers for protection boggles my mind.
Any dog, if well cared for and well trained, will protect its owner when it's actually needed. More importantly, the biggest deterrant for crime is a dog with a loud bark-a Standard Poodle, while not exactly intimidating looking, has a powerful bark that would scare off most.
And for a more important point, getting a dog solely for protection is a ridiculous idea. Dogs can be expensive, and are extremely time consuming to train. They need constant care for up to 15 years.
If protection is your main priority, invest in a good security system or get a roommate, don't get some poor dog.
Re: OK I want to get a Pit Bull.. what do you think?
Just get a gun, :shoot: then you won't have to feed, train, and clean up after the dog. :sweep:
Re: OK I want to get a Pit Bull.. what do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kandie_kitten
If you're looking for a German Shepherd-like dog without the insanity or health defects, Belgian Shepherds are an excellent substitute. But they, too, require firm and constant training from someone who knows what they're doing.
I'm getting a Mal in 2 months!!! But, I am a self-admitted dog nut, and it's going to be my next serious competition dog.
Sorry for the threadjack. }:D
Re: OK I want to get a Pit Bull.. what do you think?
Pit bulls are great digs, but you gotta know what you're doing. They'er not a great starter dog. Nether are dalmations or dachshunds (which people always assume to be great family dogs).
You should probably research breeds more, find one that's easy to train and fits with a small child. Cost shouldn't be too big a factor here - there are tons of shelters with dogs who need homes desperately.
Re: OK I want to get a Pit Bull.. what do you think?
If you want a nice friendly happy dog that is great with kids, get a Labrador. So what if your friend has free puppies? It's worth 50$ at an animal shelter to be sure you have a friendly breed that is easily trained and almost guaranteed to be safe with kids. Even then you have to raise them correctly from the get-go, if you want a really good dog. Also labs will protect the kids well enough in most cases of scaring potential assholes away. If a guy has a gun your dog is dead anyway. Having a dead macho dog won't help save your kids.
Plenty of pitbulls make great pets even with kids, if they are raised absolutely the right way from the beginning and come from good stable parents. But it's not something to fuck around with, or save money on.