pet store vs. dog breeders (Update, puppy is home)

[danzig6767]

The bark collar was 100% effective in less than 3 weeks, and once it was successful, they didn't even have to use the collar on him anymore.

Thanks for the idea TooLive and backup, i think i'll hit a pet store and check into one. I can generally shut up Tyson by going towards him and giving him a stern look once he starts barking at a person walking by or at a car parking close to us, but he won't listen to my daughter and it does get annoying for me on days with tons of people/car traffic passing by the patio window. Plus, for a small breed dog, he's got some lungs in that bark. The water collar might work great because he hates water with a passion, so much so he panics if i purposely make him walk through a puddle and he treats baths like the water is a tub full of anthrax.

(pared back long quote --1992)

[TooLiveBrew]

The water collar might work great because he hates water with a passion, so much so he panics if i purposely make him walk through a puddle and he treats baths like the water is a tub full of anthrax.

 

My family's dog was the same way. Gradually, the passionate resistance turns/ed into total passive-aggressive loathing. No more fighting to get into the tub, but just the smallest amount of compliance without actually getting herself into trouble while in the bath. Just looking into her eyes while being bathed is enough to know how highly she regards baths. And this is a Springer - a breed that loves the water (she's no exception to that rule).

[1992casey]

I can generally shut up Tyson by going towards him and giving him a stern look once he starts barking at a person walking by or at a car parking close to us, but he won't listen to my daughter

Does she yell at him for barking? I've heard that doesn't work well; the dog thinks you're joining him in the fun of making noise. I agree that the collar is probably the way to go.

 

[dadofandrew]

I'd never get a pit bull, issues abound with them.

[Roscoe Chill]

I hate to point it out to you Al, but you're contradicting yourself.

[TooLiveBrew]

I'd never get a pit bull, issues abound with them.

 

Issues abound with abused & neglected & troubled dogs. Pit bulls sell copy.

[danzig6767]

Lets not knock pit bulls. As an owner of 2 sister pitbulls, and 3 Children ages 4,6, and 10.......I would never ever get another breed.

 

Until you own a pitbull I dont think its fair to put them down.

I'd never get a pitbull because i simply can't help but fear something sometime could get it to snap and harm someone. To be fair though, i've known two people in my life who had a pit and both dogs were as mellow and well behaved as any dogs i've ever encountered. Both owners of the pitbulls also had kids and the dogs were great around them. Hell, my little terrier is 10 times more excitable around strangers than either pitbull was.

 

[dadofandrew]

I'm not contradicting myself at all. Pit bulls often attack for no reason, despite the fact many are fine. I'd be happy with any other breed.

 

Some folks need a super deluxe breed of the month. They will always come from breeders, until their time has past, and then in a year or two, the shelters will be full of them.

[TooLiveBrew]

Pit bulls often attack for no reason

 

Unless being mistreated & abused in their pasts is a "reason." You're making a gross generalization about any random sampling of pit bulls, when in fact the ones that attack are those who were used to fight and/or abused in some other way(s).

 

Any dog can attack for "no reason." It's just that people have the perception that pit bulls inherently do so more. It's nothing inherent, just that there are still a lot of these dogs being used to fight. Couple that with tons of poor breeding and crossbreeding, and you just have a larger sample of 'tainted' dogs than with many other breeds. There's nothing that makes a pit bull necessarily do this just because it's a pit bull - aside from incredibly poor breeding & management by humans.

 

When's the last time any breed of dog attacked (a child, perhaps) and there was a good explanation? It's not like there's ever a neat & tidy reason when it's another breed. You appear to be differentiating by breed as though certain breeds have mean streaks in them. Dogs may, but breeds certainly tend not to. Pits are the extreme, though, as they were originally bred for fighting (as were bulldogs) - but the irresponsible breeding/crossbreeding & horrid treatment of fighting dogs is to blame, not the breed itself.

[dadofandrew]

Every time my wife and I see a story on a dog attack, we raise our finger in the air and wait for the inevitable reveal that it was a pit bull. It's about 90% of the time over the last 15 years. I would not allow my 5 year-old within a mile of one.

[TooLiveBrew]

Every time my wife and I see a story on a dog attack, we raise our finger in the air and wait for the inevitable reveal that it was a pit bull. It's about 90% of the time over the last 15 years. I would not allow my 5 year-old within a mile of one.

 

Right, just because the media reports on dog attacks like it does missing children:

 

Pit bulls = cute little white girls

 

You can't honestly be under the impression that 90% of dog attacks are by pit bulls.

 

 

 

EDIT: To give my claims some teeth -

 

"According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study"

(-- Clifton, "Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006")

"The risk of attack from german shepherds, bull terriers, blue/red heelers, dobermans and rottweilers was four to five times higher than for other common breeds."

(-- Thomson, et al., "The public health impact of dog attacks in a major Australian city" (Adelaide) January 1990 to July 1993)

 

Also from the Thompson study... frequencies of dog attack, by breed:

25.3% - German Shepherd

13.6% - Bull terrier

13.6% - Blue/red heeler

11.7% - Doberman

9.1% - Rottweiler

 

 

The notion that pit bulls are the one breed to avoid/that attacks at an alarming rate is, quite simply, a complete and utter farce.

[dadofandrew]

I'd say this is much like folks who don't really think drunk driving is that big of a deal. Exactly how many people have to die before it's a problem. If you google "pit bull attacks", you'll find several in the last...week.

 

Many big breeds, especially rotweilers, are not what I would prefer around my son. That said, the many breeds commonly referred to as "pit bulls", if one of those were wandering around unleashed, it'd be a 911 call the second I see it...just like I would a drunk driver.

 

Take all the risks you want. I choose not to.

[TooLiveBrew]

Facts didn't do anything for you?

 

I'm not sitting here claiming it's the safest breed - just refuting the wild claims you made.

 

Pit bulls often attack for no reason

 

&

 

it was a pit bull... about 90% of the time over the last 15 years

 

 

There's no room for that if you want to have an objective discussion imho.

 

 

EDIT: it'd be a 911 call the second I see it...just like I would a drunk driver.

 

Except by that logic you'd call 911 when any breed was wandering off its leash... the equatable version here would be only calling 911 if the drunk driver was white/black/latino/whichever race you deem the most 'likely' to crash & cause harm.

[aracko]

Thats fine though really. Part of what makes owning a GOOD Pitbull part of such thing is that people are so surprised when they see how gentle and well behaved they are. Like anything - you get back what you put in.

[Roscoe Chill]

I wouldn't get a pit bull either, more so because of the strength of their jaws than anything. I know there are some good ones out there. Honestly, I've only been around one for more than a few hours, and you weren't supposed to look her in the eye...so I didn't. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

But even though I agree with you on the pitbull thing Al, I'm not the one preaching about how breeds of dogs don't matter...so which stance do you have if you honestly think about it? As of right now, you are definitely contradicting yourself.

 

Dalmations are known for not being good with children. Rottweilers have a bad rep too, although, as I stated I knew a great one (but I wouldn't get one myself). Border collies are smarter than hell, but will cause trouble if bored. I could go on and on and on about good and bad traits for different breeds of dogs. But that's the point, DIFFERENT BREEDS OF DOGS.

 

My labradoodle doesn't shed (poodle), doesn't have a mean bone in his body (lab), and was easily trained because apparently poodles are extremely smart. I got him for less than $200, and who knows, I just may have rescued him. I couldn't believe the ad and was skeptical of what he really was, but knew immediately that he was indeed a labradoodle. I wouldn't pay $1000 for one, but I found the right dog for me and I take offense when someone gets on their high horse about adopting puppies.

 

Adopting a dog from the Humane Society would have been more money. And they had almost all pitbull mixes or unknown breeds. And I didn't even mention the ridiculous screening process. But I did investigate that route, so I'm not a bad person for ultimately choosing my puppy. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Roscoe Chill]

But I'd also like to say that anyone who does adopt a dog from a shelter has my sincere respect. Just don't put the rest of us down for going in a different direction.

[Fatter than Joey]

A pitbull blew up the deathstar.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Well, thanks to Danzig, we found our dog, and brought him home friday. I'll post a few pics when we get a couple good ones of the little killer.

[Thurston Fluff]

Just my 2 cents worth on the pitbull thing. Pits are not more naturally prone to attacking like German Shepards are. They do have, I believe, the second highest bite pressure of any dog. For the record Akita's have the highest. Like Akita's the real danger isn't the frequency but the way they bite. They bite, hold and twist vs. bite, bite, bite thus they casue far more damage when they do bite. Pit's, like Akita's, are not for every situation. They require good traning with an expereinced owner. In the right situation they can be amazing dogs. My Akita certainly is and I don know several pits who are fun to play with. One has a bowling ball and 6" diameter, 10' long "stick" as his toys. I could sit and play with him for hours and he'd be ready to go pull my sulky afterward. Great dogs for scootering/sulky riding. My personal opinion is the primary reason for the pit's reputation has more to do with some of the type of people that tend to buy pit's. There is a segment (and only a segment) of pit owners who want the mean, junkyard dog. I think those people make a dog, who is naturally excitable with a dangerous bite, truely a dangerous dog.

 

Everytime we start a dog discussion it's always pages long. Maybe we should just have an all urpose pet thread or something. Heck I think we already have our mascot in Tyson. If he dites anynoes ear off though maybe a change of mascots would be in order.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif