Why DO people choose powerful dangerous dogs?

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
I love dogs, mine is a small friendly, gentle mixture - a lovely fur-baby. I chose her for companionship.

However, certain people choose the most powerful, frankly dangerous breeds. Many such people do not know how to handle and care for them. They do not train them, exercise them fully or understand what they are capable of. That's not on, as we know from the news stories lately.

I want to focus on motive.

I am reading a novel about a police tracker dog, cleverly written from the dog's point of view. What I pick up from the novel is, this powerful German Shepherd, despite intensive training, makes mistakes sometimes and has bitten his handler. The handler is a strong big highly knowledgeable police dog handler and can deal with it. Police would not use any dog I hope who displays the wrong temperament. Ordinary people would rarely be able to control these types of dogs that are used in military and police work. Yet they do have them. Why?

I know a woman who has a German Shepherd mix who she admits has dragged her along, disobeyed and bitten her a few times. This she laughs about, saying he's a 'naughty boy'. I no longer visit her home because frankly I'm scared of her two dogs - both huge. Why does she need such dogs? If she loses control at any time, they can and will attack. It's not fair on others.

So what do you think? Should we have the right to choose any dog we please?
 

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Rose65 said:
Have we all really got the right to choose any dog we please?
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Yes, it's your choice what type and breed of dog you'd like to own.

I've had many dogs over my lifetime. I mainly liked the larger dogs. Had German Shepherd's and Black Labs. They always went back and forth to work with me. Most well behaved dogs I've owned. I've never had anyone refuse to visit because of them.
 
I prefer a larger dog. I feel better protected. None of the doberman's I've owned have ever been aggressive or bad tempered. They've all been very lovable.

The smaller dogs always get under my feet, I'm either stepping on them or tripping over them. That's too dangerous for me. They are cute though.
 

Rose65 said:
I love dogs, mine is a small friendly, gentle mixture - a lovely fur-baby. I chose her for companionship.

However, certain people choose the most powerful, frankly dangerous breeds. Many such people do not know how to handle and care for them. They do not train them, exercise them fully or understand what they are capable of. That's not on, as we know from the news stories lately.

I want to focus on motive.

I am reading a novel about a police tracker dog, cleverly written from the dog's point of view. What I pick up from the novel is, this powerful German Shepherd, despite intensive training, makes mistakes sometimes and has bitten his handler. The handler is a strong big highly knowledgeable police dog handler and can deal with it. Police would not use any dog I hope who displays the wrong temperament. Ordinary people would rarely be able to control these types of dogs that are used in military and police work. Yet they do have them. Why?

I know a woman who has a German Shepherd mix who she admits has dragged her along, disobeyed and bitten her a few times. This she laughs about, saying he's a 'naughty boy'. I no longer visit her home because frankly I'm scared of her two dogs - both huge. Why does she need such dogs? If she loses control at any time, they can and will attack. It's not fair on others.

So what do you think? Should we have the right to choose any dog we please?
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No there should be a ban from owning what are known to be dangerous breeds, in the same way no-one is permitted to own a lion ..in a domestic setting...

I'm saying that as someone who has had several so called dangerous breeds in the family..Doberman, Pitbull, Staffie, and Cane Corso the latter who had brain damage after being treated cruelly by a previous owner ... but with great care they were looked after and trained well.... however those dogs generally which have attacked have either not been trained, or indeed trained to attack.. or had the attacking gene bred into them .. that must stop....... so as is always the case the majority has to suffer for the actions of the few..
 
PeppermintPatty said:
It’s pathetic that our species needs to use and abuse another species to try and make themselves feel better.

I’m all for the use of guard dogs and therapy dogs but not at the expense of purposely creating a breed that wants to attack anyone & everyone
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I think by "species" you mean, like, gangstas and steroid addicts and dudes with inferiority complexes, not the entire species called Human.
 
Murrmurr said:
I think by "species" you mean, like, gangstas and steroid addicts and dudes with inferiority complexes, not the entire species called Human.
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By species, I mean human. Insecure humans that put another species at harms way for their advantage. Humans are a greedy selfish species. Obviously not all humans go to this extreme but some do. I don’t know enough about gangs to comment.

I understand the want and need to get a big dog for protection. I’ve trained 2 shepherds for such a job. Working dogs like a work.
 
Murrmurr said:
I know quite a bit about them. And I can tell you they aren't scared of me, but then, I have a cat. And he's pretty lazy.

🤪
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Yeah. I’ve read enough of your posts to understand you live in a dangerous area that’s full of violence. In some ways I can relate yet don’t wish to explain. I’m actually considering getting a trained German shepherd or buying a puppy and training it myself. I need a guard dog. My insurance might even pay for one.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Yeah. I’ve read enough of your posts to understand you live in a dangerous area that’s full of violence. In some ways I can relate yet don’t wish to explain. I’m actually considering getting a trained German shepherd or buying a puppy and training it myself. I need a guard dog. My insurance might even pay for one.
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We've moved about 5 miles north of where my old apartment is. Only 5 miles, and it's totally different. Pretty peaceful, nice and clean, zero panhandlers, and everyone's pants are pulled all the way up.
 
If a person buys a larger breed dog it is for protection even if it is in their own mind ......
I have seen several mid size dogs be aggressive as well. so there is NO way to limit any potential by breed only. Older dogs can sometimes snap and bite if touched wrong or when they are stressed. My vet says some breeds become very cranky as they age and may have joint pain and such that put them in a defensive mood and more prone to bite.

This last summer after repeated issues i had to turn a neighbor in as her dogs (i do not know what breed look like small Shepard) tried to pull my daughters dog thru a fence by biting her head. They run up on people and although small..... they are very snappy and acted in a pack.
local animal control after viewing our videos from Blink device labeled her dogs as dangerous and she needs to add a 250k rider on insurance for each dog she has 3 ........ i doubt she has added the insurance but she never lets them out when we are home because she knows i will call the animal control.
 
Murrmurr said:
We've moved about 5 miles north of where my old apartment is. Only 5 miles, and it's totally different. Pretty peaceful, nice and clean, zero panhandlers, and everyone's pants are pulled all the way up.
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I’m sincerely happy for you. Murrmurr.
You deserve a decent, clean peaceful surrounding, free of pan handlers and drug addicts. Desperation seems to breed violence. It’s nice not ‘having ’ to look at bare butts. Lol I dislike that also. 😝
 
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