I love America. I saw this picture on Reddit with the explanation that the New York subway system bans canines unless they can fit in a small bag.
I wonder how long it took this guy to train his pit-bull to sit in his small bag. I just want to see him get on an elevator with one of those Paris Hilton foo-foo dogs.
I love to see the misconceptions about Pitbulls flying around. I am a lifelong Pit owner and trainer, and many of the breed’s most ardent advocates do more harm than good when they attempt to make them out to be just like other dogs.
Dogs have been bred for a specific purpose, whether it is herding, retrieving, hunting, whatever. That is the sole purpose of breeding dogs, to subjugate the less desirable traits while emphasizing the more desirable traits. We have done an outstanding job of this too I might add.
Pitbulls were bred to fight. From the dawn of their history they were bred to fight first bulls and later other dogs. They do not typically go through the other signals that dogs use to warn each other that a boundary is being crossed, or they do so in a way that can be hard for the untrained eye to recognize. And they are bred to fight to the death. They were also bred to be exceptionally loyal and gentle with humans.
That being said, not all dogs (or people or birds or fish) are of sound mind. While Pitbulls test consistently at the top of the temperament scale, the unsound ones will be as unpredictable as any other unsound creature. That’s where the breeding issue comes in. Greed ruins everything.
Barbra – lets get right down to it. Pit Bulls were bred to fight in pits, either bulls or bears. They were not bred to be a foo-foo dogs for ladies to carry in their muffs.Later they became fighting dogs to fight each other. The only dog I have ever had come after a dog of mine was a Pit Bull. They also have a tendency to kill anything their size or smaller, like infants.
That being said, it would be possible, over time, to breed the aggressiveness out of the breed
Beldar here. I saw a dog driving a car down here in New Orleans. It had a license plate on the back which said Live Free or Die. If a dog can drive a car on this planet then why cannot a dog ride a train? Inquiring Coneheads want to know.
Aridog, thanks for the lesson.
Dang…guess I kilt another thread. I was hoping at least one soul would have corrected me and said that the 1st dog on the right was also exhibiting predatory body language…notice the ears turned to the front and head slightly down? Notice on the other dogs except 4 & 7 the ears, while erect and mostly forward, are slightly to the side and you can see in to the ear cavity? Where’s Mr Milan when I need him 🙂 ?
PS: In that photo posted above, there are two dogs in the line who are exhibiting a predatory body language, but stay restrained due to training…but not aloof, which is the ideal. Can you tell which ones? They are the 4th and 7th from the right side of the photo. Training makes the difference, simple as that, or that cat might be toast. The position of the head and the ears is the giveaway…and in GSD’s the ears are a bit confusing since they usually face front, but when tilted more to the front they reflect a predatory mind set. Training is what gives the dog confidence to NOT attack. I guarantee you that every dog in that line had 3 hours plus per day for at least 3 years, then close to that thereafter.
Sandi Hemming …. here is an example of how GSD’s can be taught. At major Schutzhund Trials the dogs must, repeat must, exhibit such aloofness or they will be disqualified.
Sandi Hemming ..I presume “Aridity” = “Aridog”. I’m very sorry to know that a GSD killed your dog that way. I’ve owned and trained “other dog agressive” dogs and never let such a thing happen, but I’m still learning, and I’m paying close attention to the writing of Temple Grandin as well as what Cesar Milan does with this problem. Just about the time I think I know most everything, wham, reality mugs me! My avatar is of our late dog “Ari” von Herrman Haus, bred in Fitchburg, Wisconsin He was a prince in every way, gentle yet a fierce protector and caretaker of children, except one…he was ultra other dog aggressive. WE decided he had to have a companion dog to help absorb some of his energy and take his mind off protection all the time per se…so we acquired “Dera” the ultimate “Omega.”
Don’t be fooled, Omegas are not punks or weaklings, they are the court jesters and never give up trying to instigate play…they never give up period … very tough canines wild or domestic….they ‘d not survive in the wild if not tough. Anyway, it took us 9 tense suspense filled lock down living days to acclimate “Ari” to “Dera” and get them to play instead of Ari trying to fight…8th day night, Ari (still muzzled) did puppy bows and instigated play with Dera, so on the morning of the 9th day we let them met in a hallway unmuzzled and no restraints (Judi handled Ari I handled Dera and figured I’d be the one to get between them if it went south = ouch!)…they acted just like social dogs, and we let them out to play which they did with extremer vigor for at least 2 hours…and continued until Ari’s last day, literally.
But my experience with Ari and Dera is not enough to solve the riddle of dog aggression to other dogs. I need to learn more, thus my renewed interest in Grandin and Milan. I will give Milan credit, cable TV star that he now is, because he admits failure when it happens and proposes solution for the animal rather than the humans. That’s my kind of animal guy. My admiration of Grandin is without question, and if I had to pick someone I’d love to meet for a hour, she’d be on that list in the top 5. That might be because I am someone who also sees visual stimulus as at least as powerful as any of the other senses…I don’t think I am autistic, but a tint of Aspergers maybe.
I’d need to know a lot more about the circumstances the event occurred in and how the dogs got together in the first place…e.g., was one or both off leash and on or off your property? If you can tell me those things I might understand better how it happened. It is always sad, and usually avoidable if the handler of the larger powerful dog knows what they’re doing. I’ve managed it for years now, harming no one else’s animal (save a few unfortunate squirrels) but still do not have a “cure.” I would really like one…my old dog “Zoya” (mentioned before) was the most all around dog bar none, no aggression but massive protection instinct, and “Ari” too for all but the other dog aggression whihc we moderated by introducing “Dera” to his life, and she was his main playmate thereafter.
Please know that I am always saddened when one dog kills another. Man made the dog from the wolf, so we retain responsibility for their lives and behaviors.