ohhh Oakley, hahah!

[Buddy'sParents]

Also, i was very surprised that many people here said that if Oakley had landed in their yard, their dog would've 'ripped him to bits.'
Sounds like there is a lot of vicious dogs owned here, you'd think people who joined a forum dedicated to the care, training and love of their dogs would prioritise socialization high on their list. Obviously not.

(With the exception of guard dogs... but personally i think guard dogs are in a league of their own, they're not generally loved family pets like most people's dogs, so why would an owner of a guard dog join this forum??)

I have three dogs and one of them is a guard dog. Not trained that way, she came that way. It's her breed. We chose her because we admire the breed and we wanted a guard dog. I know, without a doubt, that she would protect her house, her people and the other animals if a perceived threat were to enter our house or yard. So yes, if she were in the backyard and some strange dog landed right in the midst of it, she would do what she felt needed to be done in order to protect us.

Now, it would be a totally different story if I or my husband were outside with her. Even though she is a guard dog, she is *gasp* trained and highly socialized. So before you go around calling our dogs vicious, unsocialized, unloved, uncared for, and untrained, I suggest you read a little about those of us that said Oakley would have been in danger had it been our yards so that you can be educated instead of insulting.

And as for your rude comment about guard dogs not generally being loved family pets and the asinine assumptions that an owner of a guard dog NOT join a dog forum... my vicious attack dog is currently laying at my side, with her head on my chest, snoring. Yup, that's right, this unloved, uncared for highly unsocialized monster is in our house, laying on my bed, snoring. The horror!

 

[Hillside]

IliamnasQuest, I totally agree with you. I think you're completely right in everything you said. (sounds a little kiss-ass but true lol)

Also, i was very surprised that many people here said that if Oakley had landed in their yard, their dog would've 'ripped him to bits.'
Sounds like there is a lot of vicious dogs owned here, you'd think people who joined a forum dedicated to the care, training and love of their dogs would prioritise socialization high on their list. Obviously not.

(With the exception of guard dogs... but personally i think guard dogs are in a league of their own, they're not generally loved family pets like most people's dogs, so why would an owner of a guard dog join this forum??)

*Looks like we posted at the same time BP.

There are some dogs that simply don't like other dogs, regardless of how much socialization they have had. There are some breeds that are known for a tendancy towards same sex aggression. I know quite a few dogs that can walk through show grounds quite fine, but can't play with other dogs of thier gender. They can control themselves quite well in that situation due to training and socialization, but having a strange dog just fly into THIER territory is a whole nother story. I don't know if anyone here has a guard dog per se, but quite a few people have guard BREEDS. One of the reason that those dogs are guard breeds is due to a decent amount of natural, instinctal guarding capabilities. Nuture can only do so much against nature and when it boils down to it, dogs are animals and have instincts that they WILL act upon. No dog is 100% reliable, because they are not automatons.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

I don't know if anyone here has a guard dog per se, but quite a few people have guard BREEDS. One of the reason that those dogs are guard breeds is due to a decent amount of natural, instinctal guarding capabilities. Nuture can only do so much against nature and when it boils down to it, dogs are animals and have instincts that they WILL act upon. No dog is 100% reliable, because they are not automatons.

Thank you...

You've raised another question for me as well.. *off to start another thread*

 

[Dizzy]

Posting on the other thread gave me food for thought for this one.

You know, I take PRIDE in the fact that Bodhi wouldn't destroy another dog that came into my garden - NOT the other way around.

She is a very aware dog, and she can perceive a threat - and I have NO doubt that she would intimidate anyone genuinely out with bad intent.

However, saying your dogs "are protective on their own property" is no justification that your dog would happily chew up another one if it strolled by. You should have complete control of your dogs on your own property or not. And you should live to EXPECT the unexpected - like random dogs dropping in - and NOT the other way around.....

If I thought Bodhi would attack another dog on my property I would be in intensive training RIGHT NOW.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

You can't train natural tendencies out of a dog. If a dog is meant to protect, it will protect. I could waste thousands of dollars on training, but I won't.

I certainly would not take pride in my dogs attacking another dog or being, I would feel badly. But my dogs WILL protect our home and the people/animals in it. There's a reason we have a guard dog. Originally, we didn't feel the need to have her protect and guard and now that that opportunity has arisen, she will do what she was bred to do.

I would much rather have a dog with a warning growl and bark then have a dog who openly accepted all creatures/people onto our property.

And, in all honesty, I don't know that Oakley would have been killed, he would have been scared ****less, that's for sure. I train my dogs and I protect my dogs, it should only be fair that OTHER dog owners do the same for their dogs.

 

[Dizzy]

How is training you dog NOT to hurt another a waste of money?

Also - if you speak to ANY pitbull enthusiast they will tell you you CAN curb a dogs natural instincts - a fighting bred dog and be brought up NOT to fight.... Who is correct?

Bo has a very deep bark, and isn't afraid to use it, and she alerts me to ALL kinds of noises and people. But there is no way on this earth she would harm another dog that plopped in our garden - unless it posed an actual threat.

I shouldn't have to worry about other dogs appearing -but this is life, and I should be safe in the knowledge that is one DID my dog wouldn't rip it to shreds.

If I thought she would, there is NO way she would be out there alone and I would be "wasting" thousands of quid on training her, because I do NOT want that law suit on my hands or that blood on my conscience.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

My dog has a natural instinct to guard, I will not train that out of her because of how you feel. She *is* trained and she knows when a situation is okay or not, but should any thread be perceived... that is on the threats conscious, not mine. I would never put any of my dogs in a harmful situation, I expect the same responsibility from other dog owners. It's not rocket science.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

Hopefully, people who have guard breeds have CHOSEN them because of their guarding instincts--and then would not WANT to train that out of them. I do not have a guard breed--couldn't risk it in my house. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate that some people want them, own them, love them for what they are meant to be.
As for dogs ending up in someone else's yard--I'm not sure that my oh so loveable beagle wouldn't go after a strange dog in our yard--he is protective too.

 

[shadowfacedanes]

My dog has a natural instinct to guard, I will not train that out of her because of how you feel. She *is* trained and she knows when a situation is okay or not, but should any thread be perceived... that is on the threats conscious, not mine. I would never put any of my dogs in a harmful situation, I expect the same responsibility from other dog owners. It's not rocket science.

Thoroughly agreed.

Hannah is fine with other dogs, but woe betide the ignorant fool who wanders onto my property intent on doing harm.

And for the record, before the "socialization" card gets tossed out there, Hannah is probably one of the most socialized dogs anyone could ever know. Which is why she doesn't randomly attack folks...but she does know a threat when she sees one, and she will act.

 

[Labra]

if you speak to ANY pitbull enthusiast they will tell you you CAN curb a dogs natural instincts - a fighting bred dog and be brought up NOT to fight.... Who is correct?

You can curb instinct through training but you can't get rid of it. You can raise a Pit Bull as a loving family pet and socialize it intensively but that instinct will still be there. If you socialize intensely, there is a fair chance that the Pit will never show a shred of aggression towards man or beast for the duration of its life. But there is also a chance, no matter how small, of instinct tapping in and the Pit reverting back to what it had been bred for centuries - dog aggression.

Trying to train out instinct that is so ingrained in the dogs genes is like telling a sheepdog not to display herding and stalking behavior or a retriever not to retrieve.

I shouldn't have to worry about other dogs appearing -but this is life, and I should be safe in the knowledge that is one DID my dog wouldn't rip it to shreds.

I agree. Those kind of dogs take a specialist owner and 99% of people shouldn't own one. They are NOT pets, and why your average Joe in suburbia needs a fully blown guard dog is beyond me.

I too could never own a breed I knew was capable of inflicting such harm. Then again, my breed is one of those happy-go-lucky types who has never met a stranger. But I suppose variety is the spice of life and if we all owned the same breed the world would be a pretty boring place.

 

[Dizzy]

I think your misunderstanding.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to protect your house, and Buddysparents I am not actually talking about YOUR dogs (even if you wish I was ).

What I am saying - to those people who said it is a good job that dreezas dog didn't go in their yard because of the consequences - is that if that was the case, I would be SERIOUSLY worried.

Like I said, you should expect the unexpected when owning a dog. To not do so is to risk an accident and is irresponsible.

If your dog barks and does nothing more - then cool. Mine does. She will WOO WOO WOO at people, and HAS done at people on our property.

But she would not attack another dog or person on our property that is not posing a threat.

If you are openly admitting your dog would attack another dog or person that came onto your property - you are basically admitting you have done a **** poor job of training your dog and your dog is a liability.

Whether the other dog or person wandering on IS AN IDIOT or not.

 

[RD]

Dizzy, you'd EXPECT another dog to drop into your backyard if you have a 6 foot fence? My dogs leave other dogs alone but if a dog jumped into our yard in an assertive state of mind (which is exactly what Oakley would've been in since he was chasing a squirrel at the time) the dog wouldn't be welcomed with open arms.

If you knew my dogs you'd know they're ridiculously social and friendly, but it's a different story when we're not around and they're in the yard. When they're left alone, they're in charge and they're more inclined to react like the DOGS they are rather than how they've been trained. This is why they're not left alone in the yard often.

I don't think I've done a poor job training or socializing them. They just act like dogs..

 

[Dizzy]

No - but I expect the unexpected.

Most dogs won't welcome others onto their property with open arms, and assertiveness is one thing.

But to admit your dog would ATTACK another is saying something else - and that dog should NOT be left unsupervised outside!!

 

[Mayasmydobe]

is everyone still picking apart every little thing everybody else says and trying to tear people down?

 

[Dizzy]

is everyone still picking apart every little thing everybody else says and trying to tear people down?

It is chaz remember It's what this place does best

 

[Mayasmydobe]

Dizzy- just checking... wanted to know if everybody was still acting immaturely or not.

 

[Zoom]

You mean beyond the compassion, the understanding, shoulder-to-cry on if you need it, chock-full of knowledge free for the asking part?

 

[Dizzy]

That happens too?! Well blow me.

 

[shadowfacedanes]

I think your misunderstanding.



But she would not attack another dog or person on our property that is not posing a threat.

If you are openly admitting your dog would attack another dog or person that came onto your property - you are basically admitting you have done a **** poor job of training your dog and your dog is a liability.

Whether the other dog or person wandering on IS AN IDIOT or not.

No, YOU are misunderstanding.

Hannah will act upon a threat. Not a casual person walking down the street. Not the mail lady. Not the cute puppy who ventured into our yard.

You need to understand what a guardian breed is before you spout out that I've done a **** poor job of training my dog. And you also need to know that I'm not some dimwit who is not fully aware of the dog bite law in my state and what my rights as a guardian breed owner are.

And you also need to understand that my dog is fully contained, and never outdoors without my supervision. Ever. She's on a leash when we go outside.

She is extremely socialized. We go places, we do lots of things. She willingly accepts folks into my home that she knows, if I say it's okay. I know my dog, I know her body language, I know her cues.

She is not a loose cannon. She is, however, very protective and does exactly what I want of her in that manner.

 

[Dizzy]

No, YOU are misunderstanding.

Hannah will act upon a threat. Not a casual person walking down the street. Not the mail lady. Not the cute puppy who ventured into our yard.

You need to understand what a guardian breed is before you spout out that I've done a **** poor job of training my dog. And you also need to know that I'm not some dimwit who is not fully aware of the dog bite law in my state and what my rights as a guardian breed owner are.

And you also need to understand that my dog is fully contained, and never outdoors without my supervision. Ever. She's on a leash when we go outside.

She is extremely socialized. We go places, we do lots of things. She willingly accepts folks into my home that she knows, if I say it's okay. I know my dog, I know her body language, I know her cues.

She is not a loose cannon. She is, however, very protective and does exactly what I want of her in that manner.

So clearly my posts don't apply to YOU do they