[roselover772]

I see this thread has sort of gotten in a discussion of dogs. I have to add that pit bulls CAN be huge babies, they can also be extremely aggressive and I personaly have known of two in different families, that were raised as house pets/ companions that tried to attack ( yes attack) the children they were raised with. This is not uncommon. Please be aware of the breed you are considering for any reason. If you are not an experienced dog owner/handler ( and I do not mean that you had a dog as a kid) an aggressive breed is not the one for you. Also, pits have a BAD reputation in FL due to bad training/breeding and the crazy number of attacks. YOU will be judged by the dog. YOU will be denied housing. Pit Bulls are also banned in some counties due to the number of attacks. Just FYI...and NO dog should be left out in the heat. Consider also fleas and ticks....

[Old Man Winter]

Originally Posted by roselover772

I see this thread has sort of gotten in a discussion of dogs. I have to add that pit bulls CAN be huge babies, they can also be extremely aggressive and I personaly have known of two in different families, that were raised as house pets/ companions that tried to attack ( yes attack) the children they were raised with. This is not uncommon. Please be aware of the breed you are considering for any reason. If you are not an experienced dog owner/handler ( and I do not mean that you had a dog as a kid) an aggressive breed is not the one for you. Also, pits have a BAD reputation in FL due to bad training/breeding and the crazy number of attacks. YOU will be judged by the dog. YOU will be denied housing. Pit Bulls are also banned in some counties due to the number of attacks. Just FYI...and NO dog should be left out in the heat. Consider also fleas and ticks....

I am a dog lover, we have a min pin . I would recommend researching whatever breed suits your interests on the AKC website. They have pics and descriptions of every dog, what they were bred for, what individual breeds have as far as needs , etc. As for american pitbull bashing, please do some research. Ill compare it to this , guns dont kill people , people kill people.....
The american pitbull was the #1 breed in this country during the 20's around the depression. Soldiers were coming home from europe and starting families. These families enlisted the american pitbull terrier as the breed of choice due its ability to take a beating from children . Very few breeds have this resilence and tolerance. So my question regarding the american pitbull terrier is this, how can a breed go from #1 on the AKC list to most feared and hated? Easy answer- people mistreat and mistrain the breed. Education and responsibility need to be used with any dog breed. Ill end with Michael vick... are we to abandon the american pitbull terrier or football players that abuse, mistrain and mistreat the breed ? I say get rid of the football player , I love the breed

[PitBullMommie1206]

Originally Posted by roselover772

I see this thread has sort of gotten in a discussion of dogs. I have to add that pit bulls CAN be huge babies, they can also be extremely aggressive and I personaly have known of two in different families, that were raised as house pets/ companions that tried to attack ( yes attack) the children they were raised with. This is not uncommon. Please be aware of the breed you are considering for any reason. If you are not an experienced dog owner/handler ( and I do not mean that you had a dog as a kid) an aggressive breed is not the one for you. Also, pits have a BAD reputation in FL due to bad training/breeding and the crazy number of attacks. YOU will be judged by the dog. YOU will be denied housing. Pit Bulls are also banned in some counties due to the number of attacks. Just FYI...and NO dog should be left out in the heat. Consider also fleas and ticks....

I wasn't going to post anything, but when I read this I had to.. "I personaly have known of two in different families, that were raised as house pets/ companions that tried to attack ( yes attack) the children they were raised with. This is not uncommon." That is horrible that that happened, but you are very wrong about that not being uncommon. First of all, I have to say that "pit bull" isn't a breed, it's a term used to group three breeds, American Pit Bull Terriers (APBT), American Staffordshire Terriers (AmStaff) and Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Staffie). Now, APBTs are one of the most stable people-friendly breeds in existence and that is a fact. I have been around them my whole life and I currently own three, I have never known a mean "pit bull" and I have never known someone that has been attacked or bit by a "pit bull". In temperament testing APBTs always test above many popular breeds such as Goldens and Beagles. APBTs are one of the best breeds to have around children, but just like any breed, they should never be left alone with children. APBTs were the number one dog in the US in the 20's, 30's, 50's and the first part of the 20th century. "Pit bulls" are not born mean or bad and they don't just turn on people. If I "pit bull" attacks someone "for no reason" that's do to poor breeding, abuse, neglect, not being properly trained and/ or socialized, etc. These breeds are amazing and it is not as common for them to attack as the media would like people to believe! In fact, it's not a common occurrence period. There are a few things that contribute to the negative stories on the news. As often the case, negative stories always seem to get National coverage, where the positive stories only make the local news. The Media is not always very responsible with their stories! I have seen news reports of a dog attack by another breed and, yet the media had a picture of a "pit bull" on the TV while reporting this story. I’ve read many stories where the reporter obviously hadn’t done any research, when I asked about their statistics they choose not to reply. Also, many dog bites are never reported. There is nothing in place to track dog bites in the US accurately. There are 25+ breeds that are commonly wrongly identified as "pit bulls", Those of us who have been involved with the breed for years have trouble identifying them 100% of the time, so, we certainly can’t expect inexperienced people to be able to properly ID a dog. That said, it leads us to believe that many of the bites that claim to be from "pit bulls" are in fact, inflicted by other breeds.

Originally Posted by Old Man Winter

I am a dog lover, we have a min pin . I would recommend researching whatever breed suits your interests on the AKC website. They have pics and descriptions of every dog, what they were bred for, what individual breeds have as far as needs , etc. As for american pitbull bashing, please do some research. Ill compare it to this , guns dont kill people , people kill people.....
The american pitbull was the #1 breed in this country during the 20's around the depression. Soldiers were coming home from europe and starting families. These families enlisted the american pitbull terrier as the breed of choice due its ability to take a beating from children . Very few breeds have this resilence and tolerance. So my question regarding the american pitbull terrier is this, how can a breed go from #1 on the AKC list to most feared and hated? Easy answer- people mistreat and mistrain the breed. Education and responsibility need to be used with any dog breed. Ill end with Michael vick... are we to abandon the american pitbull terrier or football players that abuse, mistrain and mistreat the breed ? I say get rid of the football player , I love the breed

I had to say, wonderful post! I agree!

[kelly3120]

my parents keep their hienz 57 dogs(lab,bordercollie,chow,ect mix) outside.
They have a barn for shade, a fenced in running area,TONS of water and a pool to cool off in. They are "guard dogs" ...bark when strangers approach and would defend my parents if needed.
now, my parents are on 40 acres of land and work the land 4-5 horus of the day , so the dogs have tons of interaction and love. When my parents are outside the dogs are out of their pen and hang w/ them.

We keep our australian shepherd mix inside most of the the time, but when he stays at my moms he would rather be out running free.

before my parents got these pups I wasn't for keeping a dog outside all the time, BUT they are happy, healthy and loved. They are Never tied up by a leash or tether, but have full rein of their run and the barn.

They do keep their cocker spaniel inside, because she is small. Their big dogs are around 60 pounds each, are bro and sis and have only lived outside.

[chick]

If you are looking for an all weather ultimate guardian, get a Belgian Malinois from a reputable breeder/trainer in Florida such as Ivan Balabonov, owner of Ot Vitosha Malinois Kennel. Ivan hand selects imports and breeds.

These dogs are the favorite of European police departments and the Military in Iraq.

They are smarter, quicker to train, and more compact than a GSD, and have short hair. Many US police are replacing Shepard's with the Mal's.

I have 2 Mal's myself. With any breed of this type, know what you are getting into and have the time to devote to training.

[Dave_n_Tenn]

It's hot... and the dogs that are single coated, not thick bodies, dont mind water are good choices. I've had Boxers and they're good, Am Staffs a bit to thick and over heat easy when hunting, or running.

The Catahoula Leopard Quick Facts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weight: 20-44 kg 45-95 lbs
Height: 50-66 cm 20-26 inches
Coat: Short, smooth
Activity level: Very high
Learning rate: Very high
Temperament: Assertive, territorial
Guard dog ability: Very high
Watch-dog ability: Very high
Life span: 10-14 years

My experience is : it's one the best dogs for Florida... and is used in Northern Austraila (tropics) as a hunting dog with high marks for handling the weather. Their feet are webed, and are from a native Indian breed, probably one of the oldest breeds in North America.

[chick]

Oh yes those pics were great. Wonderful looking dogs.

With a Mal, your children will be guarded and you can leave your doors unlocked. They are very guardy of their own pack.



Just remember with a protective type dog, no matter what you get, you and the dog need training... especially you. The dog will feed of your feelings.

[ShepsMom]

Beautiful dogs Chick!

Mals are my second choice in breed after GSD (currently have two)

For OP:
If you considering a guard dog, make sure you have Properly Trained one. Any dog who barks at the door willl do, if all you want is to be allerted. German Shepherd, Mal or any protective breed WILL NOT protect you the way you think they will unless trained to do so. Yes, they will scare the hell out of whoever is bothering you, but it is not guaranteed they will fight to death for you. Also, owning a Trained Protection dog is a HUGE liability unless you know what you're doing and have trained along with your dog. They require a lot of control and guidence from the owner.
Just picking up a GSD or Mal from some backyard breeder will not guarantee you a good protection.
Why is that you need a protection dog in the first place? Is your life in danger?
The truth of the matter is, if someone is after you, they will get you one way or another, dog or no dog, i'll suggest to see cops.

PS: I always wanted to see Ivan do his seminars, never can make it. He's russian, we can find few things in common!

[chick]

Thanks ShepsMom. For me it was a tossup between the GSD, as they are a beautiful dog and the Mal, and I went with the Mal, mainly for the short hair (female on the left has been though some PPD training and is due for more)

ShepsMom is right, a dog can be a good deterrent but 95% of dogs will not bite and do not know how to bite and stay on target. They need training for that and most of them are not trained enough to be a 'man stopper' or take out multiple attackers at once, if that is what you need.

Dogs are reactive... people at the very least 10 to 15 seconds to access a situation and make a decision. A half trained dog, or good barker can give a person enough time to access a situation and make a decision to run if possible or place a shot and then hope it's the right decision. A good dog will do damage but can be called off, a bullet cannot be recalled.

Good luck with your choice and stay safe.

I think Ivan is actually from Bulgaria. Is that in Russia? I am not well travelled.

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by Dave_n_Tenn

It's hot... and the dogs that are single coated, not thick bodies, dont mind water are good choices. I've had Boxers and they're good, Am Staffs a bit to thick and over heat easy when hunting, or running.

The Catahoula Leopard Quick Facts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weight: 20-44 kg 45-95 lbs
Height: 50-66 cm 20-26 inches
Coat: Short, smooth
Activity level: Very high
Learning rate: Very high
Temperament: Assertive, territorial
Guard dog ability: Very high
Watch-dog ability: Very high
Life span: 10-14 years

My experience is : it's one the best dogs for Florida... and is used in Northern Austraila (tropics) as a hunting dog with high marks for handling the weather. Their feet are webed, and are from a native Indian breed, probably one of the oldest breeds in North America.

I have one of those Catahoula's but he's mixed with Lab. He will bark at a fly across the street but he's the sweetest, smartest dog I've ever seen (or had).