# General > Pets Corner >  Ignorance regarding dog breeds

## Crackeday

I do get really annoyed by some peoples ignorance towards certain breeds. I noticed oldmarine asking about pitbulls.Someone had the nerve to say that any1 who lets one near kids are mad and that a king charles spaniel was the way to go!!!!!! So a spaniel has nerv bitten????? :: 

I think pitbulls are a lovely dog its the OWNER who is bad. I watch shortys rescue and a few other pitbull programmes as I think they are lovely dogs often misunderstood.
I dont own one but absolutely love my staffies that i have (2 of them are rescues) and think they have a fantastic nature and are a great pet especially with the kids. In the US they call them the "nanny dog" due to them being so good with kids!!!!.

I personally dont "fancy" a yorkie or a poodle as generally i find them "yappy" but i wouldnt go the point of slagging the WHOLE breed off as thats wrong there is good and bad in all breeds.

Why is it that it seems to be small dog owners who seem to have a thing about staffies etc??
I wouldnt tar all yorkies etc as yappy just some of the ones I have met have been more likely to bite at my ankles than a staffie would!!!!! :: 

But do you hear much about this in the press??? NO because its all sensationalised in the papers, after all "small dog mauls child" doesnt have quite the same ring does it?? But it does happen.

I think maybe some people should educate themselves in the breeds that they slag off rather than blindly (as some have even admitted on a previous thread) judge a breed by prejudice.
I for one aim to find out more about the ones that bite my ankles!!!! ::

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## ducati

I agree about certain breeds being misunderstood. I think it is up to the breed lovers to educate though.

As for Pit Bulls I've no experience of them but I know of two instances where (in a multi Pit Bull house) in America, one dog has killed another. The owners seemed to treat it as a routine risk you take.

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## dbooth82

i agree 2 ,i have 3 staffys myself ,any dog no matter what bred can bit ,and its how you bring a dog up ,pitbulls,staffys,rottys, only get a bad rep because of their owers ,not trainin them prop or usen them in dog fights ect is a dam same,these are the ppl that give them the bad name ,(nanny dog) is 100% right my kids would be lost we out our dogs,i loves this sayin and its true ....put your kids in  garden with my staffys but then  try n take them back out ...you wont ,thats how a brillant dog they are ,thats way their the nanny dog,as for a routine risk you take that is bad ,i wish ppl would understand their dogs better and have to go to training classes the lot,they got pibulls band ,next will be staffys,rottys then what next after that jack russel ??

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## cat

just wondering,if i put my kids in your garden with your staffy then i wouldnt get them back out? is that what your post ment? if so why?
just trying to learn about the breed,not judge!

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## ducati

> just wondering,if i put my kids in your garden with your staffy then i wouldnt get them back out? is that what your post ment? if so why?
> just trying to learn about the breed,not judge!


Form an orderly queue  ::

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## starfish

i know some one that have 2 staffies and they are brillant with kids they play with them when the dog has enough they just go to they beds a no go area for the kids the kids understand the dog just wants a bit of peace i have a lurcher has to be watch with some people so is he now on the ban dog list you have to realise any dog is not to be trusted as if some one stands on there foot or tail by accident it will snap not to hurt but to say that hurt

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## dbooth82

hi sorry YES that shows they are the nanny dog,,,and  how much they love kids and are true to them, ,its a shame for ppl that are  treating them bad  and not training them prop and understanding thier dog ,and some things happen and they get a bad rep,my dogs are the best and 100% brill with any 1s kids ,and i would give you my lovely dogs  for a week and you would fall in love with the breed straight away ,its sad that pitbulls are band due to the fact of small minded ppl use thier trust and strengh and loyaty witch the poor dogs get put down and the ppl walk away......

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## donnick

I have had dogs all my life and totally agree its usually  the owner who do not understand what breed they are taking on .Owners need to understand the cacaistics of the breed you need to do your home work .excercise the mind not just the dog .But at the same time some dogs do have a bad side to them .I would NEVER leave a child alone in the company of any breed or well trained dog .

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## babybunt

Ignorance happens not only with pit bulls and staffies but small dogs too. I own a chihuahua and I hate the stereotypical image of a chihuahua yappy and snappy and they should be dressed in clothes, it makes me mad. When I am out a walk sometime the comments I get shouted at me are awful seriously big dog owners who think a chihuahua isnt a dog shouting 'what an ugly dog', 'your out walking your rat', mine is very much treated like a dog and gets daily walks although a lot of people think I shouldnt even be walking him  :: .

All dogs regardless of breed and size shouldn't be left alone with kids, simple as that. 

I am a moderator on a chihuahua forum and many of their dogs happily co-exist with much larger breeds.

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## carasmam

Crackeday - I totally agree with you  I have a Jack Russell and was sick to death of the cliches some people spouted about the breed.  They hadn't even met my dog and claimed she was a yapping ankle biting little rat.  I made sure that one particular person never did meet her then, as if they were so sure what she was like they wouldn't want to be in her company  :: .

 I believe that the kids have to be trained as much as the dogs have to be.  *No* breed is going to put up with rough handling or being constantly harassed by kids  They need to learn when to back off and give the dog peace too.  As another poster mentioned, the dogs bed is a no go area, they have to find solace somewhere and soon learn to go to their beds when they have had enough.

I was told a story the other night about a dog that turned on a kid and bit it.  The dog was immediately pts and it wasn't until afterwards that half a pencil was found in the dogs ear, having perforated it's eardrum.  Now if someone shoved a pencil in your lug I'm sure you'd retaliate as well.  I've no idea what breed it was, nor how much truth there is in the story as it was second hand, but it makes you think about the background behind the seemingly gentle, loving family dog suddenly turning on the kids for "no reason"

I have a nearly 4 year old daughter and from the start she has been learnt to have manners and respect around all animals, not just dogs.  Even now it is rare that her and the dog are left alone in a room as you just never know what might happen when your back is turned.

In my opinion it makes no difference what breed of dog we own, it's how they are brought up and some can obviously do far more damage than others if they do turn.  It is up to us as responsible dog owners (and in some cases parents) to do the best we can to train our dogs (and kids  :: )

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## GruesomeTwosome

Educate, educate, educate!!  You can never know enough about a type and breed of a dog.  I would love to see some education in schools and/ or aimed at educating bairns and parents so dog owners and parents can be happier to meet each other in public places.

I usually never have any problems whatsoever with bairns up to teenage, they just pass us by and never bat an eye, it is always parents/adults who sometimes voice an uneducated opinion, luckily I get more positive attention than any other which is brilliant.

Babybunt - is that you I meet out sometimes with your wee dog?  I meet one a lot who is just a wee star, so refreshing to see a wee dog being treated like one and he doesnt even notice my two are about twenty times its size.  Because he is so good my two dont bat an eye at him either, he's so well behaved.  Now I want one!!

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## babybunt

> Babybunt - is that you I meet out sometimes with your wee dog?  I meet one a lot who is just a wee star, so refreshing to see a wee dog being treated like one and he doesnt even notice my two are about twenty times its size.  Because he is so good my two dont bat an eye at him either, he's so well behaved.  Now I want one!!


Yeah it probably is there really isn't many chihuahuas in this town at all at least none I see getting walked much so yup its probably is me!! I hate the whole stereotypical image of them in handbags it drives me a bit mad, Rocky loves his walks and its good for him, he is a dog after all!!

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## ducati

> Yeah it probably is there really isn't many chihuahuas in this town at all at least none I see getting walked much so yup its probably is me!! I hate the whole stereotypical image of them in handbags it drives me a bit mad, Rocky loves his walks and its good for him, he is a dog after all!!


Rocky ::

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## balto

i dont think  its the breed of the dog thats the problem, but its the owners and they way they treat the dogs, i mind years ago a golden lab puppy, he was the lovleiest little boy at teh start, but because he wasnt excatlly well treated and the kids were allowed to treat him  how they wanted, he turned snappy and in the end they gave him away, so any dog can have its spirit broken by the treatment it recieves.  i have a staffy collie x and he is the most loveliest dog you could meet, we got him form balmore when he was one.

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## cat

im still not getting it!so if my kids were playing in your garden that would be ok?just if i was to turn up to take kids away then the dog would guard them???
i try to understand,but think breed comes into it.or why would guys trying to act tough not have a poodle?and as for blaming owners,the staffy im scared of is owned by a middle aged proffesional couple with no hard guy image to live up to(and they have dog owning experience)and no-one can walk past their house! is this acceptable as they are guarding?

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## Crackeday

I'll hold my hands up and say I was ignorant of staffs. I used to think of them as devil dogs who were only owned by drug dealers and numptys!!!!! That was until I got to know a staff and fell in love with how  soft and loving they actually are. I loved them so much I now have 3 of my own!!! Goes to show what a bit of education and opening up your mind can do!  :Smile:

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## bullielove

> I'll hold my hands up and say I was ignorant of staffs. I used to think of them as devil dogs who were only owned by drug dealers and numptys!!!!! That was until I got to know a staff and fell in love with how soft and loving they actually are. I loved them so much I now have 3 of my own!!! Goes to show what a bit of education and opening up your mind can do!


You are so right!  There is so much ignorance regarding the breed.  My staffie girl is a humans best friend, she would do anything to please you. That said she can be funny with other dogs.. Simple solution she doesnt get a free run when any strange dogs are about. To me it is about being a responsible owner, research the breed before you get one and if yours does have some unwanted behaviours take steps to ensure that they are not allowed to occur.  Now my bull terrier, the amount of people locally who have asked me if he is a pitbull, I dont mind as at least they ask and i can educate, and if they give him the chance, he wins everyone over who is willing to get to know him.  It does surprise me though how certain dogs are pigeoned holed into the apparantly dangerous pitbull label/ breed, though i dont recall reading anything about vicious bull terriers, if anything they are clowns who just love to have fun. 
There is research available to indicate that the most aggressive dog is the dachshund.. one in five dachshunds have bitten or tried to bite strangers, and a similar number have attacked other dogs; one in 12 have snapped at their owners. This is followed by chihuahuas then jack russells. |Interesting

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## Crackeday

I would love a bully, that's the wifes dream dog!!! Any kind of bully-bulldog, English bully, American bully but especially the English, she thinks they are gorgeous, if I won the lotto first thing shed want would be a bully!!!! If only  :Smile:

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## bullielove

> I would love a bully, that's the wifes dream dog!!! Any kind of bully-bulldog, English bully, American bully but especially the English, she thinks they are gorgeous, if I won the lotto first thing shed want would be a bully!!!! If only


you dont need to win the lotto for a bullie.. there are always loads of rescues needing homes..(the 3 in my avator are all rescues and all super)  I know where you are coming from though -I love bullies too, since getting my bull terrier I know there will always be one in our home.  - Our latest edition is a frenchbulldog.. Now he is super cute in a small package

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## dbooth82

cat ,yeah u  could put the kids in but they wont let you take them out ...its not just staffys ,my mate has a rotty in shes the biggest peted lump and would do the same , ,as for guarding what dog doesnt but not when you feel unsave walking past or any 1 else,that isnt on...yeah gets to me to ppl like that give staffys a bad name and rep just to be hard and cool,witch is so unfair.staffys are a magic breed ,i love them to bits and bullies are lovely to

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## cat

i just cant see how being so guarding is a good thing. i have four dogs(three dif breeds)and they are all true to their breed characteristics.all are great with kids,but you could take them back again! im glad you recognise your dogs problem with other dogs,something i wish others would do.
i am also aware that other breeds will bite,but breed usually comes into this too,as in how they bite,some nip,some shake and some just rip to shreds!
i do agree that it is often the owners fault,but i wish people would accept that certain breeds are bred for certain reasons and it is quite hard to remove that insticnt from them.

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## Carole

> i just cant see how being so guarding is a good thing.


I agree with you cat.  Any dog that is trained to think it can stop adults from approaching children is dangerous.  What if the child has had an a accident or is putting him/herself in danger?  Dogs cannot distinguish between well meaning adults and those who might harm their charges.  To use a dog as a nanny is just plain crazy.

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## daisychain

_I am the proud owner of an english bull terrier, a staffy and a basset hound, Bullielove is so right in saying that ebt's are clowns my one has me in stitches with his antics. I have only just got my staffy through KWK9 rescue and he is a very friendly wee man he is still very young and submissive. Now the basset hound is the dog that everyone wants to stop and talk to because she is so "adorable" and yes she is very friendly with people but she hates big dogs because she got attacked when she was a puppy by black labs and a huge alsation, she won't fight, she warns the dogs off vocally. what makes me laugh is that i've had two women tell me that pitbulls (ebt) are illegal in this country also that i should have a lead/muzzle on  him then say "what a lovely basset" oh if only they knew!!!. If anyone ever meets me out and about with them please stop and say hello and see that these dogs are not monsters._

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## unicorn

I remember when I got my first white boxer, they were not commonly seen at the time and he was a very big lad and the hassle I would get from other dog owners was ridiculous, I always put him on the lead if other dags were about and he was attracked regularly and the other owners would just say stupid things like "he will eat you" err no he won't he is on the lead, his answer eventually was to pee on other dogs that were aggressive to him and I remember a spaniel owner being furious about it. I told them be glad when your dog attacked him that it's all he did.
I was heavily pregnant walking him when a man with 2 alsation x went for him and the man came with the stupid comment that dog will you both, I was furiously trying to get them off 8 months pregnant and thats all he could do ....
The worst dogs I found for attacking him though believe it or not were black labs.

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## Leanne

> i just cant see how being so guarding is a good thing.


Agreed. A dog that feels it has to guard is an unhappy dog with too much responsibility on it's shoulders. A happy dog will not guard as it knows that it's owners will protect it. I have 4 dogs and 3 of them are so secure in their lives that they don't guard - they don't even bark. One of them does - he's a 10 month old pup who is a little on the timid side. So instead of thinking "great I've got a guard dog" I am socialising him more around people so he learns that people are good and he can feel safe and secure. I even took him to the pup the other night - he went from giving a low nervous woof, to lying calmly under the table watching everyone go by. Oh and gladly accepting tit bits...

Saying that though number 1 dog has defended our home from an intruder. Someone came over the garden fence in the back garden and he simply held him by his balls until I came outside to the shouts. Fortunately it was someone I know (a bit embarrassing). He didn't bark, he didn't bite - he just restrained the poor guy until I could deal with him lol

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## cat

he wont be coming to visit over the garden fence again then!lol.

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## Pooty17

totally agree with this Crackeday! Its the owners not the dogs. I myself have a staffy and have grown up with staffys all my life and they are the most loyal dogs ever, to be honest i wouldnt have any other type! My mum has 2 staffys and used to have a Lhasa Apso, they usually come across as cute and cuddly but he was the one biting so we had to get rid. Any dog can bite as i said its the owners, these young boys thinking there "hard" with a staffy need to grow up its them thats giving them a bad name!

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## pretty green eyes

I have a 10 mth Great Dane when he was smaller people would happily pet him but now alot of people cross the road to get away from him. I would welcome more people to pet him when we are out because he loves it and it would boost his confidence a little as he is starting to get nervous when people walk behind us as so many people avoid him  :Frown:  If you see a black Dane feel free to aproach us Thor would love it!!

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## The Music Monster

Changing the subject slightly, but...

All this talk of owners and dogs, how true do you think the statement is that people get dogs that look like themselves?  I would love a St Bernard and I'm not sure what that says about how I look if that statements true!!!

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## shazzap

> I have a 10 mth Great Dane when he was smaller people would happily pet him but now alot of people cross the road to get away from him. I would welcome more people to pet him when we are out because he loves it and it would boost his confidence a little as he is starting to get nervous when people walk behind us as so many people avoid him  If you see a black Dane feel free to aproach us Thor would love it!!


My dad had a Great dane, i love them. No need to avoid them, they will omly protect if they need to.

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