breeds of dogs your scared of...

[IliamnasQuest]

This is such a lousy topic, in my opinion. It gives people the opportunity to bash a particular breed which is kind of sad. Basing opinions on a limited number of interactions isn't a logical thing to do, but evidently it's what many choose to do.

I've been bit by many dogs over the years. The breeds include dalmatian, Saint Bernard, Australian cattle dog, Australian shepherd, German shepherd, lab, border collie, husky type, jack russell terrier, various other small breeds, various mixed breeds. The worst bite I got was from a redbone coonhound with food issues.

But I don't dislike any of these breeds because I can see that it's generally a people problem, not a dog problem. Each dog should be assessed on its own merits and not grouped together because of a bad experience or two. This is like racism in the dog world.

As far as the discussion regarding chows .. I have three currently. All are very sweet and have never acted aggressive towards people or towards other dogs. My older chow has been attacked numerous times, though - by OTCH border collies (twice), labs (more than twice), a golden retriever (grabbed her HARD), a great Pyrenees type dog, various little dogs, a rottweiler, and once another chow. In every single incident, Kylee did not initiate the attack other than just walking by or glancing at the other dog. The stance of the chow, unfortunately, tends to be very upright with an upright (tightly curled tail) and Kylee has a very direct look, although it is not meant to be challenging. More than one of these dogs attacked her from the side or behind when she wasn't even looking at them.

She fought back when grabbed but as soon as they were separated she stopped. That's a solid temperament.

I've been to chow nationals twice. There were 300+ chows there, and I walked through the various dogs, stopping to greet and pet dozens, and I was never even growled at. Good breeders are breeding for temperament, good owners are working on keeping those temperaments sound. This goes for ALL breeds.

All three of my chows have visited the local nursing home, too, and will gladly accept handling by strangers. This is not a breed that is inherently mean, but it IS a breed that has what is considered an "aloofness" that is normal. Bad temperament is not an acceptable trait .. yes, there are some bad ones out there, but by the list of breeds I've been bit by I'd say there are bad ones in many many breeds.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

Kylee visiting at the nursing home

 

[solidstaffs]

This is such a lousy topic, in my opinion. It gives people the opportunity to bash a particular breed which is kind of sad. Basing opinions on a limited number of interactions isn't a logical thing to do, but evidently it's what many choose to do.

I've been bit by many dogs over the years. The breeds include dalmatian, Saint Bernard, Australian cattle dog, Australian shepherd, German shepherd, lab, border collie, husky type, jack russell terrier, various other small breeds, various mixed breeds. The worst bite I got was from a redbone coonhound with food issues.

But I don't dislike any of these breeds because I can see that it's generally a people problem, not a dog problem. Each dog should be assessed on its own merits and not grouped together because of a bad experience or two. This is like racism in the dog world.

As far as the discussion regarding chows .. I have three currently. All are very sweet and have never acted aggressive towards people or towards other dogs. My older chow has been attacked numerous times, though - by OTCH border collies (twice), labs (more than twice), a golden retriever (grabbed her HARD), a great Pyrenees type dog, various little dogs, a rottweiler, and once another chow. In every single incident, Kylee did not initiate the attack other than just walking by or glancing at the other dog. The stance of the chow, unfortunately, tends to be very upright with an upright (tightly curled tail) and Kylee has a very direct look, although it is not meant to be challenging. More than one of these dogs attacked her from the side or behind when she wasn't even looking at them.

She fought back when grabbed but as soon as they were separated she stopped. That's a solid temperament.

I've been to chow nationals twice. There were 300+ chows there, and I walked through the various dogs, stopping to greet and pet dozens, and I was never even growled at. Good breeders are breeding for temperament, good owners are working on keeping those temperaments sound. This goes for ALL breeds.

All three of my chows have visited the local nursing home, too, and will gladly accept handling by strangers. This is not a breed that is inherently mean, but it IS a breed that has what is considered an "aloofness" that is normal. Bad temperament is not an acceptable trait .. yes, there are some bad ones out there, but by the list of breeds I've been bit by I'd say there are bad ones in many many breeds.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

Kylee visiting at the nursing home

I do agree with you that this topic leaves all of our favoured breeds open to "bashing" and your points on asesing each dog on their own merits are so true. However as some have expressed fear is not something that is easily controlled and certainly isn't logical. I'm sure we all have fears of some sort that may not be dog related, and if you ask someone else with experience in what it is we are scared of they will probably find your fear unfounded, just as we do when someone is scared of the breed of dog we love so much.

How many of us are scared of spiders,snakes..etc...with no real locic to the fear ? Sometimes the fear of the unknown is stronger than the fear of the known. A little odd really lol.

Without jumping on the bandwagon here, i would suspect that "bull breed" owners encounter this more than any other breed.

 

[Red_ACD_for_me]

Sorry for my ignorance, but is this breed really that protective ?

If you want to take a minute sometime and look up the ACD, you will read how protective, loyal, and suspicious they are. I grew up with German Shepards most of my life and the ACD has proven to me that they are a little better in the protecting area than any GSD I ever owned. Don't get me wrong my guy isn't aggressive towards anyone or any other dog because he is well socialized but protective they are and it is just in them to do so and take it very seriously, they are not a dog for just anybody. My boy is 65lbs of muscle and is a little on the larger side for an ACD some weigh in at 35 - 55lbs, but his dad weighed in at 67lbs and is a finished champion in the AKC so I like the bigger size better. They are an incredible breed and aren't very common where I live in Massachusetts. Hope that helps with your thoughts on them. * smiles *

 

[Bailey+Ralph]

Without jumping on the bandwagon here, i would suspect that "bull breed" owners encounter this more than any other breed.

I wouldn't agree that we encounter it MORE than any other breed, but there is alot of critisism (sp) over the "Bull" breed.

I wouldn't say that i am all that scared of any particular breed of dog but do shy away a little from alot of smaller breeds.
Not b/c i don't like them (I love all dogs) but b/c these are the breeds that i find are very "stand-offish" with me.
But saying that, are they this way b/c they sense that i can't take to them too well?

Oh and just for people here with smaller breeds, that wasn't aimed at one breed in particular.......Just generally across the board.

I would rather be put in a room with ANY breed of dog...........than a SPIDER

 

[solidstaffs]

If you want to take a minute sometime and look up the ACD, you will read how protective, loyal, and suspicious they are. I grew up with German Shepards most of my life and the ACD has proven to me that they are a little better in the protecting area than any GSD I ever owned. Don't get me wrong my guy isn't aggressive towards anyone or any other dog because he is well socialized but protective they are and it is just in them to do so and take it very seriously, they are not a dog for just anybody. My boy is 65lbs of muscle and is a little on the larger side for an ACD some weigh in at 35 - 55lbs, but his dad weighed in at 67lbs and is a finished champion in the AKC so I like the bigger size better. They are an incredible breed and aren't very common where I live in Massachusetts. Hope that helps with your thoughts on them. * smiles *

Thankyou i have always liked the look of them but have never met one and i know very little about them. They sound like a fantastic breed, i am going to go and see what i can find out about them

 

[solidstaffs]

I wouldn't agree that we encounter it MORE than any other breed, but there is alot of critisism (sp) over the "Bull" breed.

I wouldn't say that i am all that scared of any particular breed of dog but do shy away a little from alot of smaller breeds.
Not b/c i don't like them (I love all dogs) but b/c these are the breeds that i find are very "stand-offish" with me.
But saying that, are they this way b/c they sense that i can't take to them too well?

Oh and just for people here with smaller breeds, that wasn't aimed at one breed in particular.......Just generally across the board.

I would rather be put in a room with ANY breed of dog...........than a SPIDER

The ammount of people we get making uneducated comments like "look thats one of THOSE dogs" as they are dragging their children across the other side of the road, just incase my dog savages them is crazy. I'm not saying everyone views them in that way, but we do encounter it alot,anyway i dont want to take this off topic and start a debate about whether Bull breeds get treated unfairly because of the way they look or what they were bred for

You say you would rather be put into a room with any bred of dog than a spider.............But how many spiders have you actually been bitten by ? LOL.

 

[Bailey+Ralph]

You say you would rather be put into a room with any bred of dog than a spider.............But how many spiders have you actually been bitten by ? LOL.

I haven't been bitten by any..........but that just shows that fear is irrational behaviour

 

[solidstaffs]

I haven't been bitten by any..........but that just shows that fear is irrational behaviour

Yes, that was my point exactly

Just out of curiosity, how many people here are scared of dogs that are the same breed s they own ? Do you think that you lose fear of something,if you own the same breed ?

 

[Lexus]

I have to say even though they are in my top 3 favorite breeds, and I have owned many of them in my lifetime, I do tend to be hesitant with GSD's. They are so overbreed and too many people that should NOT own them do, I have seen so many of them from my time as a vet tech, that were fear biters, they didn't even give any warning. Including one of mine when I was a kid. (stepdad liked "mean" dogs, so this gsd, while being a fabulous family pet did not need a reason to bite a stranger, there just had to be one in striking distance sadly) I'll probably end up with one again in my life one of these days I'm sure. But a friendly GSD is one of my favorite dogs to be around, if they didn't shed so much, there would be one laying at my feet right now .

I do blame the people 110%, but at the same time, even though it doesn't make sense, if I have an unleashed GSD running at me and an unleashed pitt (that's happened to me before, it ended quite badly with about a million sloppy dog kisses ) I would tend to have an apprehention with the GSD.

 

[Amstaffer]

The most dangerous breed out there (Kills way more people than any other)....Homo sapiens!

 

[casablanca1]

I didn't explain myself well enough. Typically people who own little dogs (don't flame me ) are elderly, or the "softie" type. They allow their dog to be the leader and in doing so, the dog thinks it can act out aggressively towards anyone it pleases.

Well, I'm not going to flame you, but I do think that this is a repetitive sterotype on this board. I agree there's some truth to the 'small, pampered, nasty, out-of-control toy breed' image. But in my area, I see many, many more large breeds (Labs, Rotties, GSDs, pit bulls, Great Danes, etc.) and many are owned by people who are exactly what you describe above - essentially, over-indulgent parent-types who have no respect for other people or pets. Indulgent, self-involved ownership is by no means confined to the little old lady with the Peke. Nowadays, it's just as likely to be the 35-year-old family man with the Lab or the 26-year-old single woman with her 'protection' Fila.

 

[casablanca1]

Hi Do you have a breed of dog that u are scared of?.....
or dislike?

At this point in dog ownership - 20+ years, 3 dogs - I'm afraid of any dog - well, any big enough to hurt or kill my dog. People with human-aggressive dogs tend to be at least partially aware of the danger, and to keep the dog under some control. People whose dogs are inclined to fight and kill other dogs are much less likely to keep their dog leashed, confined, etc., and you often come across their aggressive pet running free. There is no way to tell right off the bat if the dog charging you in a park is a clueless overgrown puppy who doesn't realize that he should be more polite, or a seasoned fighter who is analyzing your dog's weak points as he runs. I still like dogs in theory, but when I have my dog with me, I am skeptical of anything over 12lbs. When I have my sister's Yorkie with me, I'm worried about both our safety. I've heard way too many stories about toys killed at their owner's feet, and about people who got mauled because they picked up their toy and thus 'got in the way' of the attacker. I'm not entirely sure which is the worse outcome.

I suppose I should say that the fighting breeds worry me the most. They were bred to not only be dog-aggressive, but also to be largely immune to efforts to break their hold. I've seen first-hand how difficult it is to get one to let go of a killing hold on another dog, and it completely changed my attitude toward pit bulls.

 

[Lexus]

The most dangerous breed out there (Kills way more people than any other)....Homo sapiens!

Excellant

 

[Buddy'sParents]

This is such a lousy topic, in my opinion. It gives people the opportunity to bash a particular breed which is kind of sad. Basing opinions on a limited number of interactions isn't a logical thing to do, but evidently it's what many choose to do.

It's not a bashing contest... we're all answering a simple question, which breeds we are scared of. It so happens that there are a couple of us who have a fear of chows or certain other breeds and people are taking offense to that because they either own chows or don't agree with someone's fear.

A person is going to base their opinion on what they have experienced and even if it's a limited amount of interactions, if all they had were bad experiences it can lead to fear, an irrational, yet very persistant FEAR.

So, to all people bashing others for their *fears* get over it... it was a simple, honest question, people have the right to have fears and just because it's not the "norm" of what other chazzers feel doesn't mean they should be hung out to dry.

 

[Dobiegurl]

Preach it doggy lady. My sentiments precisely. Anyone condemning others for their *feelings* really didn't bother reading the question before sticking their opinionated selves into the fray and criticising honest people. The question was breeds which you **are** afraid of, not which you *should* be afraid of. A perfectly valid question. And anything is a perfectly valid answer... anything except criticising people because you don't agree.

See, people only see what they want rather than whats written. I said numerous times that the only thing I am opposing is the dact that GAddy said that she has met enough Chows to make a general assumption of the WHOLE Chow breed. Then she lists all the Chows she met and it was no more than 10, compared to how many are in this world. YOU don't have to like them, but meetiing a few does not mean that you can make a general assuption that all CHows are evil. Then go around complaining how evil they are. Well, maybe thats a good thing. Keep people away from Chows, Only those who are responsible and love the breed should own them. Keep them out of the spotlight and reserve the breed.

 

[Melissa_W]

Dobiegurl, Gaddy didn't say all Chows were evil. In fact she said:

I can't say I'm a fan of Chow Chows after almost being attacked by one. I just don't like their tendency to be aggressive, nor their extreme wariness.

I have met plenty of chows to base a general opinion on the breed. I do not think they are horrible, vicious beasts, but do I like them? No. Like I said, I don't like their wariness and their aggression. And almost being attacked hasn't made me like them much more.

I don't see why you're picking on her about this. Many people, including myself, stated that they are afraid of various breeds because of certain experiences. Is it irrational? Of course. But that wasn't the question. She was just sharing her thoughts and experiences just like everyone else.

 

[Red_ACD_for_me]

Thankyou i have always liked the look of them but have never met one and i know very little about them. They sound like a fantastic breed, i am going to go and see what i can find out about them

Your WELCOME Solidstaffs! And just for the record ACD's have Bull terrier in the history of their lineage so some look more bullyish like my guy and I always get asked if he is a pitbull or pitbull cross from people who don't have a clue about the breed. People think that any dog that has muscle is a bully breed and some people have crossed the street and pulled there children away when they see me and Cai coming. People are just ridiculous! All the bully breeds are great dogs and we all know who screws them up and there reputations *UGH*!

 

[Dobiegurl]

I have met plenty of chows to base a general opinion on the breed. I do not think they are horrible, vicious beasts, but do I like them? No. Like I said, I don't like their wariness and their aggression. And almost being attacked hasn't made me like them much more.

Yes, and she also said that she has meet enough to classify them all as bad. Thats all I was saying. You dont have to like them, but meeting a VERY few does not mean that the few bad ones that you met should represent the breed. When you go out and meet over 50% of the chow population then you say whether they are bad or good.

You can fear a breed all you want, but when you go around saying that you met ENOUGH to make an assuption then you better have met over 50% of thats breeds population to generalize them. A few dogs here and there do not mean that you know enough of them to classify them in one category.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Yes, and she also said that she has meet enough to classify them all as bad. Thats all I was saying. You dont have to like them, but meeting a VERY few does not mean that the few bad ones that you met should represent the breed. When you go out and meet over 50% of the chow population then you say whether they are bad or good.

You can fear a breed all you want, but when you go around saying that you met ENOUGH to make an assuption then you better have met over 50% of thats breeds population to generalize them. A few dogs here and there do not mean that you know enough of them to classify them in one category.

Only according to your standards? ^

Gaddy said:

I have met plenty of chows to base a general opinion on the breed. I do not think they are horrible, vicious beasts, but do I like them? No. Like I said, I don't like their wariness and their aggression. And almost being attacked hasn't made me like them much more.

YOU are the one who is saying she thinks they are bad. She is not bashing the breed or saying how horrible they are... mearly that she does not like them.

Geez...anyone understand written English around here?

 

[Giny]

I don't fear any breed but as others mentioned I am respectfully leery of any new dogs I meet. As a groomer the most common breed in which I've been bitten by most often has been poodles, not bad bites, but as you can see it hasn’t scared me away from this breed. I know that these particular dogs bit due to poor breeding and/or upbringing. I also was pounced on and almost severely bitten by a GSD as a child but that was my fault and it only taught me to respect strange dogs.