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I live out in the country and walk 5 miles a day. Some new people moved here and lo and behold, out of their yard and into the road came a pack of 5 snarling dogs- 1 Bull Mastiff the size of a pony, 2 crazed Autralian Shephard Pit bull crosses, a three legged Dachund and a Maltese. The three legger and the maltese were obviously the ring leaders and egging on the other three. Fortunately I carry mace and their party was shut down. On other times the same thing happened, but I didn't have to spray them. You have to spray from upwind by the way. Other times I saw them chasing bicyclists with frightful snarls and also chasing cars. I called animal control about those dogs and they went to "talk to the people". I have not seen anymore sign of those dogs for the past three months. I heard another neighbor filed papers too. I looked to me like those people 'rescued' unwanted dogs. Well, if their dog pack had bitten or killed anyone they would have lost their new ranch. One pit bull or other aggressive breed is bad enough. But packs of dogs- they change back into wolves.
The group of dogs is what seems to be the problem in these dog attacks.
It's funny you mention the two little yappers as being the ringleaders. In feudal Tibet, Tibetan Mastiffs were slow and basically lazy dogs, but put one with a Tibetan Spaniel (lil yapper) and the Mastiffs would get whipped into a frenzy by the smaller dogs. This was one of the ways Buddhist Monks protected their monasteries, back in the day.
actually, as a group, doxies bite far more often and tend to be far more aggressive than pit bulls......
they are little dogs, though, so their bites are FAR less likely to be reported......
My Grandparent's standard Dachshund bit me full in the face when I was four years old. Thank god I have no scars, but yeah, doxies are not good dogs with kids.
That said, I would never allow a PB around kids, or any large dog, for that matter. Years ago, I read an article in the Atlantic about owning a PB. The woman who wrote the article said that owning a PB is only for dedicated lovers of the breed. Her opinion was that you always have to show them who's the boss, and they require a strict schedule of daily walks, and regular obedience training, to reinforce to the dog who is the boss. (the human) Otherwise, they will constantly test they authority of their owners, and try to become the dominant one in the relationship. Most people just don't have the time or inclination to bother housebreaking their dogs properly, let alone all that other stuff. Hence, the problematic pitbull. Neutering is essential as well, and too many people can't be bothered to do that, either. :/
Too much work for me, no thanks.
true for MANY breeds.... including my red heeler girl (Australian Cattle Dog)
I don't think Pits are more aggressive than other dogs but what would you rather have chewing on your leg, a Pit Bull or a poodle? I don't expect an answer out of you.
they don't look much like hogs found on today's farms, so I can understand Gloria's confusion..... but not the defensiveness.... Tobacco Road??
feral hog colonies were started as early as the 16th and 17th centuries when hogs got loose from explorers or early settlers...... they are intelligent and very tough, so "hog dogs" must be the same....
Here's what Mississippi women do, when they're not competing in beauty pageants or hunting seven hundred pound alligators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_lkGPYa9ls I love the dog's body language. The dog is probably named 'Missy'.
Well, like I said, I don't know if the dog is a pit or not. But reality is this would not be unusual pit bull behavior. I've accidentally stepped on pit bulls I've just met (as they mill around trying to kiss me). They yelp (like any dog, they are *not* impervious to pain as some people say) and then they go on wagging their tails at me. I konk heads with jump untrained pits when I try to leash them up to walk them. We both forget about it. I play tug with my own pit bulls. When they play growl at me I growl back. We have a blast. They're DOGS not monsters.
Oh, and that's another mythbuster. I'm an average height, average weight, average strength woman, and yes I can play tug of war with a pit bull. No superpowered jaws.
You do understand that playing tug of war with a dog is a bad idea, right? It is your job
to be the pack leader. You do not let them play tug of war with you, and you do NOT let them get away with growling at you, regardless of breed, regardless if it's just for fun, and certainly with not with a powerful breed.
Just a personal observation on two pitbulls I saw while driving down the street one day.
The first was a large, white pit that appeared to be well-bred (read;expensive). He was very large. He
was walking just behind his owner, with very relaxed body language and a tongue lolling out of his mouth like he had just enjoyed a nice walk with his owner. He looked almost goofy (in a good way). There was plenty of slack in the leash and the woman had control over her animal.
Across the street, walking in the opposite direction was a woman walking a younger pitbull. This dog's body language was very tense, ears back, tugging at the leash. The owner did not have good control of this animal as it was practically dragging her along. Everything about this dog screamed aggression.
This was in an upper-middle class neighborhood and neither women looked like the thug, dog-fighting type. IMHO, pits are NOT for everyone. Waaaayyyy too many people have poorly bred, poorly socialized, poorly trained pitbulls. This dog is a victim of it's own popularity. I don't think they should be banned, but a specialized license may be in order.
By the way, the most obnoxious, aggressive dogs I ever met were my MIL's rotten cocker-spaniels. If they had been larger, they would have been dangerous.
Whoever upthread that made the comparison to owning a pitbull being like owning a loaded gun was dead-on. You'd better know what you are doing with a powerful breed like that.
Here's what Mississippi women do, when they're not competing in beauty pageants or hunting seven hundred pound alligators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_lkGPYa9ls I love the dog's body language. The dog is probably named 'Missy'.
so, some Eurasian hogs were introduced to 300 year old feral hog colonies in the last century.......
didn't watch your youtube video..... I already know what it contains and think it is barbaric......
btw.... a specially bred and trained hog dog is as different from a pet as a pet beagle is from Driller's hounds.... no comparison to be made.....
You do understand that playing tug of war with a dog is a bad idea, right? It is your job
to be the pack leader. You do not let them play tug of war with you, and you do NOT let them get away with growling at you, regardless of breed, regardless if it's just for fun, and certainly with not with a powerful breed.
Best of luck.
Many experienced dog trainers, who deal with all breeds, disagree with you. After 4 years with these dogs, and a lifetime with previous dogs (all larger mixed breeds), they all understand who is the boss. They know the difference between play and serious business.
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