would you own a dog-aggressive dog?

[Squishy22]

would you be willing to own a dog-aggressive dog?
I have an APBT, and I was very aware of possible DA behavior. So, yes... as long as they get along with the other dogs in the house. I live in a multi-dog house.


would you adopt a dog already known to be dog-aggressive?
No, because I have multipal dogs, and they have to get along.

what would you do if your own formerly unaggressive dog became dog-aggressive?
Reggin is not full blown DA, but he does not trust certain strange dogs and he makes it very clear. He doesn't tolerate other dogs getting in his face. As long as he gets along with my other dog, then I could care less that he dislikes other dogs. Its not like he roams the street or we go to dog parks, so DA is not any kind of inconvenience for me. He is AMAZING with the other dogs in the house, so thats not a worry.

what would you do if your dog attacked another dog while your dog was off-leash in a public place?
Do the responsible thing and pay for the vet care. The only time reggin felt the need to attack and defend himself is when another dog gets in his face and doesn't back off when reggin warns. Stray dogs run up when Reggin is ON A LEASH.

I do not agree with putting a dog down just because he is DA and has attacked due to the negligence of the owners. Accidents DO happen, but if more people would be responsible, attacks would be a rare occurance ...

 

[mrose_s]

I probably wouldn't adopt a dog I already knew had DA, after Buster, I just don't want to deal with that for a while. But, my favourite breed is very prone to DA, knowing I will have a lot to dow tih rescues of them in the future, I know DA will probably be part of my life. I just want to make sure that next time it pops up, I have the foresight to control it before 5 years of age and the skill to train proper reactions when the dog is younger.
If my dog attacked another as a one off, I'd be asking why the hell it had happened, was it medical? Was the other dog provoking it etc.
If I had a dog that became dog aggressive yes I'd keep it and work as hard as I could.
It really depends on the individual situation

 

[Chewbecca]

smkie,

Yes, when Ella attacked that boxer, why, I was right there.
Do I ever want to see it again? No. I do my hardest to make sure that it NEVER happens again.


Will I ever go out purposely trying to adopt a DA dog? No. Who goes out purposely looking for a DA dog to adopt??

But if I fell in love with one, its DA wouldn't keep me from adopting it.

 

[Squishy22]

As far as not trusting a DA dog around kids. I absolutely do not agree with that. I trust Reggin around my 6 month old WAY more than a lot of dogs. Reggin is amazing with my 3 year old cousin. They love to play together.

My ex boyfriends mom had a healer/lab mix that hated other dogs with a passion. She took off across the street attacking the neighbors dog once, but yet she was the sweetest little thing with people AND kids!

There is a fine line between DA and HA. Although some dogs can be both.

 

[elegy]

i was going to stay away from this thread but i didn't and needless to say i am shocked at how many of people here feel they would adopt a DA dog. I have to wonder of those people how many of you have experienced a real dog fight, not just a b!tch slap fest. have seen throats torn open, eyes punctured, ears torn off, or have been bit trying to break up a fight.

and what about all the dog-aggressive dogs who are responsibly and carefully owned and never end up in a situation like that? we should kill them all just in case? like dekka said, there are many levels and styles of dog aggression. because my bitch can't run loose with other bitches, i should kill her? really?

and yes, i've seen the horrors of dog fights. i've seen dogs die as the result of dog fights. i've seen gaping chest wounds, i've seen broken legs, i've seen torn faces.

i have no illusions about the potential damage that one dog can do to another, but i also know that with reasonable amounts of training and management, it doesn't have to be the end of the world for the majority of garden-variety dog-aggressive dogs.

 

[Squishy22]

The dog and its dog aggression is not the problem, regardless how severe it is. DA could be easily handled if taken the right precautions, its not that hard. The OWNERS are the problem!!!!

 

[Renee750il]

Are you counting those of us with a dog-aggressive breed?

1. Yes. I accepted that risk when I decided to own APBTs.
2. That one is a no, since I don't bring in adult dogs.
3. I would deal with it.
4. I would kick my own rear for letting it happen. But the only time my dogs are off-leash in public is at the lake, or at a trial. In one case, its secluded and the risk is minimal. In the other case, they'd better be ready for the pressures of off-leash work.

LOL! Well . . . considering Elegy lives with The Harve, Shroom and The Eeeevil RedDog, Luce . . . .

I'll have to admit, I LIKE sharp dogs. The easy ones don't really hold any appeal for me as far as living with them goes. They're lovely, and I appreciate them, but I don't want to live with one.

 

[corgi_love]

If I had no other dogs and did not know before hand that he/she was DA, I would do what I could to keep the dog and try to learn how to work with him/her- but I really have no experience with that sort of thing and I really believe those cases should be left to the experienced. So, no, I would not knowingly adopt a DA dog, especially not while I had another dog.

 

[smkie]

and what about all the dog-aggressive dogs who are responsibly and carefully owned and never end up in a situation like that? we should kill them all just in case? like dekka said, there are many levels and styles of dog aggression. because my bitch can't run loose with other bitches, i should kill her? really?

and yes, i've seen the horrors of dog fights. i've seen dogs die as the result of dog fights. i've seen gaping chest wounds, i've seen broken legs, i've seen torn faces.

i have no illusions about the potential damage that one dog can do to another, but i also know that with reasonable amounts of training and management, it doesn't have to be the end of the world for the majority of garden-variety dog-aggressive dogs.

THat certainly was taken out of context to what i said. I said it scares me that so many mildy experienced people would adopt a DA dog. I also said that hats off to those of you that can and do keep your DA dog's under lock and key. ITs hard to do. ANd obviously you are willing to take the risk. I am not. I never said people should come kill your dog. I really have never met a garden-variety dog-aggressive dog..it isn't a carrot. And making light of it doesn't change the potential for great harm. What one posted here was

who goes out and purposely looks for a DA dog.....no kidding. BUt IF one does pluck your heart strings you best be able to take hard and mean look at your lifestyle for it is about to change. And if a DA dog comes into my yard and harms one of my dogs, and that has happened i will have no other choice but to call the animal control, which i have done in the past too. Too many people take DA as a minor problem. IF you have seen all those injuries up close and personal i am really surprised you are willing to take the risk. If anyone's DA dog ever harms one of my dogs, all hell will break out of me. I can promise that. Paying me a handful of cash will not replace an eye, or ever make up for the experience "someone's willing to take the risk" makes on everyone else. I had to grab Logan two summers ago and whip him around and tell him NEVER EVERRRRRR REACH INTO A DOG FIGHT he was so scared, it was so wrong. He could have been injured for life. People have that first reaction to reach for a collar. ANd that is when you get nailed, i have been bit through the hand on three seperate occasions, tooth all the way through one side to the other. FIeld trials, hunters, loose dogs, blood, it's ugly. I love Pepper with my whole heart but if she was DA she would not be here. I feel very strongly about that.
IF she hot headedly attacked provoked a vicious attack like the one i saw at the guild the other night, she would be pts. THat dog imo that attacked another dog that it knew well, and played with, that dog flew into a rage because it coudln't get to Virgo. THAT was a DA dog. A dog of rage.

ANd to be very honest most of the DA dogs i know were not properly trained to begin with, and are not being worked with on a daily regular basis. People say they will but very seldom follow through. Instead they lock their gates, watch their doors and hope that nothing will happen and THAT is why we have the dog accidents we do have. INcluding the one that put two holes through Mary's ear. WHen someone writes garden variety DA dog..it gives a lighter impression,, Mary fought ONyx if anyone remembers those threads...she actually pushed Onyx off the property. THAt is not DA. THat is protecting yourself. DA is the one that starts it. THe one that keeps it going, the one with the hot head and the trigger temper. THat is a dangerous animal and everyone best understand that. If you go into a shelter and big ol eyes make her heart go thump a thump and you bring that dog home, and it harms the next door neighbor's good dog of long standing...who is to blame? IT isn't the dog, not in my opinion. It will lie on teh shoulders of those that think they have that right and that money can fix it all. IT won't. If that happens i won't rest until i feel a law suit = the amount of heartbreak afflicted on the one i love most.

 

[Chewbecca]

THat certainly was taken out of context to what i said. I said it scares me that so many mildy experienced people would adopt a DA dog. I also said that hats off to those of you that can and do keep your DA dog's under lock and key. ITs hard to do. ANd obviously you are willing to take the risk. I am not. I never said people should come kill your dog. I really have never met a garden-variety dog-aggressive dog..it isn't a carrot. And making light of it doesn't change the potential for great harm. What one posted here was

who goes out and purposely looks for a DA dog.....no kidding. BUt IF one does pluck your heart strings you best be able to take hard and mean look at your lifestyle for it is about to change. And if a DA dog comes into my yard and harms one of my dogs, and that has happened i will have no other choice but to call the animal control, which i have done in the past too. Too many people take DA as a minor problem. IF you have seen all those injuries up close and personal i am really surprised you are willing to take the risk. If anyone's DA dog ever harms one of my dogs, all hell will break out of me. I can promise that. Paying me a handful of cash will not replace an eye, or ever make up for the experience "someone's willing to take the risk" makes on everyone else. I had to grab Logan two summers ago and whip him around and tell him NEVER EVERRRRRR REACH INTO A DOG FIGHT he was so scared, it was so wrong. He could have been injured for life. People have that first reaction to reach for a collar. ANd that is when you get nailed, i have been bit through the hand on three seperate occasions, tooth all the way through one side to the other. FIeld trials, hunters, loose dogs, blood, it's ugly. I love Pepper with my whole heart but if she was DA she would not be here. I feel very strongly about that.

And not to have Pepper there would be YOUR decision.
DA dogs are NOT demons.

What about those of us with DA dogs?
When my dog attacked that boxer I didn't expect paying the bill to be end all be all of the situation. AND BELIEVE YOU ME, it was NOT.
YOU have no idea what I endured after that. And you have NO IDEA how I let MY dog down.
I didn't "pay a handful of cash" and expect the problem to go away.
DA is seriousness. Don't think for a SECOND that those of us that own DA dogs take it lightly or shrug it off like, "Oh you know, it's no big deal that my dog is DA, look, I'll just take DA Fido to the off leash dog park to romp for his next prey".
The majority of us, here, with DA dogs are NOT idiot dog owners.

And, uh, I don't keep my dog locked up in some dungeon for DA dogs, either.
Nope. We take walks and I even have people over (because she's DA, not HA). OH! And she has one dog pal that she can play with.

Don't worry, smkie. My dog is well taken care of and I am very careful with my dog. I've seen what she can do and it is permanently branded into my brain as to what she is capable of doing and WILL do, if given the opportunity.
Fortunately for me, she doesn't get the opportunity.

 

[smkie]

Never said you were an idiot...but i will say good luck, and i am glad you don't live next door.

 

[Dekka]

Smkie. In many ppls definitions Dekka is DA. But she will only react if she feels threatened. A BC staring at her from a few feet away, a lab bouncing up to her right in her face etc etc makes her feel threatened. She is amazing with the fosters (as long as they don't want to start something) She is fantastic with children and sits on the booth at the Toronto sports man show and literally gets pet by thousands of people, as other dogs go past.

My point is in Dekka's view all she is doing is protecting herself. She is just a bit proactive about it. For a JRT she is remarkably willing to stop if the other dog 'learns' its lesson. (she made Smudge pee himself and give Mafia Princess a heart attack when Dekka taught him that you do not try to walk under dogs repeatedly that are smaller than you. She didn't harm a hair on him-but she sounded like she was going to kill him for 2 seconds)

Most JRTs I know are mildly or more DA. Does that mean as a breed they should not exist? They are very sharp dogs. I have witnessed 'real' fights as you say. And some of those fights were between dogs that are fine with pretty much all other dogs.

I guess I will have to disagree with the painting of all reactive/aggressive dogs with the same brush.

 

[Dekka]

Never said you were an idiot...but i will say good luck, and i am glad you don't live next door.

Why? my dog reactive dog would not bother yours if yours didn't come over to our place and get in her face. All dogs have the ability to decide they don't like another one. As I said one of the dogs that I had the greatest trouble with (fights in my house) loves all other dogs except small white female dogs that posture back. Would you be afraid to live next to this dog? Oh and this dog is a HIT obed dog that would ignore all other dogs when working, so I had no 'fear' in the sit and downs that she would go start stuff.

Perhaps it is your lack of experience with dogs like this that makes you so fearful of them? Its not like the majority of these dogs are ravening lunatics out for your dog's life.

 

[Chewbecca]

I should have KNOWN not to join this thread.

Very heated subject for me.

No, smkie, you didn't HAVE TO say that I am an idiot. Your general expression of your GENERAL concern of GENERAL DA dogs, and GENERALLY lumping all GENERAL DA dogs and their owners into one group, implied that you think I/we am/are idiots. Dangerous idiots, at that (er...is there really an idiot that's NOT dangerous?).


You don't need to worry about MY DA dog or if we lived nextdoor. WE'RE not the ones you NEED to worry about. You need to worry about all the ones out there with DA dogs that ARE NOT members here or on other dog forums soaking up as much dog education as they possibly can.
THOSE are the more dangerous ones.


Sheesh.

 

[smkie]

A DA dog..is a dog that is dog aggressive. A dog that reacts to other dogs by flying into a rage and starting a fight. WE are not talking alpha behavior here. WE are not talking about turf protection. A DA dog is a dog agressive dog. I think some people don't get that. DOgs that slap around and do not welt or tear flesh are using some modem of control. THey warn, they stiff leg, they try to avoid the situation by communicating. A DA DOG will fly into a rage and attack any dog near by if it can't get to the latest one that has pissed it off. THere is a difference, in territory and property protection. In alpha control which usually ends up in a tussle and a bit of noise, and a dog that sees another dog and flies at it in any attempt to remove it from the surface of the planet. THose dogs are what i am discussing. EVEn with all the experience under your belt i don't think those dogs can truly be trusted ever. WHich leaves modifying life style. THose of you that have dogs like i just discribed know what i am talking about.

I will never take that lightly and want to warn anyone that reads this thread that goes out and says yeah it can be trained out of them has both sides of the issue. YOu can only provide so much protection and if your willing to go that extra mile your going to have to be very very careful.

I have known many labs and i have known DA labs. Not all labs are DA so no one said a breed shouldn't exist. A DA dog is a unique a singular unit of life and should be looked at that for what it is. Not the breed...the dog. Please do not imply i have said something i did not. NOt all pitties are DA. Pepper is not DA. But some are, and there in lies the responsibility to your community with your decision. Someone here i don't remember who said their dog alreayd harmed a boxer. SO damage is done and regret doesn't remove it either. It happened and if you bring a DA dog home you ARE taking that risk. I think it should best be left to the pros and NOT a large percent of the readers here at Chazhound. IT will take a goodly amount of money and time IF it works, miracles do happen, but most people do not realistically have that kind of access and money or determination.

 

[Juicy]

Chew I rather have you as a neighbor than have some of my neighbors who have non-da dogs, but keep there dogs run amok and don't take the precautions ou do as a dog owner in general.

One time my neighbor's dog was outside like the usual and pepe darts out the door, their dog goes after my dog. Thankfully I caught him before their dog did, but what if this non-da dog [pit bull/gsd mix] prey drive kicked in at that moment? I doubt it I would of had that encounter with Ella as a neighbor.

Its irresponsible owners, NOT the dogs faults. These da dogs need to be rescued out of these homes, so incidents don't happen.

 

[Dekka]

Oh Smkie I know what you are talking about. I had to have one dogs gums restitched onto her jaw. And another time her throat stitched up and drainage tubes put it. This was the JRT who was the HIT obed dog. And who happily has lived with other dogs and gotten along with non small white female dogs. SHE did not stop till she was choked off in a fight.

Dekka was almost killed by her littermates at ~14 weeks. Interestingly all the pups grew up just fine and most are not the least bit DA (well snip who is intact wants to take on kaiden who is intact...) and none had a further issue after that 'period' of time.

So I do know of 'real' fights. But even the dogs who did that are not 'blanket' DA.

 

[SisMorphine]

would you be willing to own a dog-aggressive dog?

would you adopt a dog already known to be dog-aggressive?

what would you do if your own formerly unaggressive dog became dog-aggressive?

what would you do if your dog attacked another dog while your dog was off-leash in a public place?

I would love it if I NEVER again owned a DA dog.

I would never purposefully adopt a DA dog because my dogs live in a pack.

I do not believe that a dog can simply turn like that. If it is a breed known for DA that is a WHOLE different issue. But if my well socialized dog, who's breed is not supposed to be DA suddenly turned DA I would be VERY worried about it's health.

My dogs are not offleash in public even though they're non-DA. But if for some reason I dropped a leash and they attacked a dog I would absolutely pay all vet bills but would not put my dog down. I can handle DA if I have to, I just don't want to.

 

[Chewbecca]

A DA dog..is a dog that is dog aggressive. A dog that reacts to other dogs by flying into a rage and starting a fight. WE are not talking alpha behavior here. WE are not talking about turf protection. A DA dog is a dog agressive dog. I think some people don't get that. DOgs that slap around and do not welt or tear flesh are using some modem of control. THey warn, they stiff leg, they try to avoid the situation by communicating. A DA DOG will fly into a rage and attack any dog near by if it can't get to the latest one that has pissed it off. THere is a difference, in territory and property protection. In alpha control which usually ends up in a tussle and a bit of noise, and a dog that sees another dog and flies at it in any attempt to remove it from the surface of the planet. THose dogs are what i am discussing. EVEn with all the experience under your belt i don't think those dogs can truly be trusted ever. WHich leaves modifying life style. THose of you that have dogs like i just discribed know what i am talking about.

I will never take that lightly and want to warn anyone that reads this thread that goes out and says yeah it can be trained out of them has both sides of the issue. YOu can only provide so much protection and if your willing to go that extra mile your going to have to be very very careful.

Well, I can only truly speak for myself and I KNOW what a DA dog is. I know a DA dog isn't a dog that just gets "snarky" with another dog until that other dog submits in the approving fashion that the "snarky" dog requires.

No one is denying that DA is seriousness. No one is saying that completely trust their DA dog. That's why EVERYONE HERE that has claimed they have a DA dog, has stated that they do not let their DA dogs near other dogs and they don't allow them off leash in public or on land that is not fenced in.
NO ONE in this thread has CLAIMED that they can train the DA out of their dogs!
They have simply said they can train them so that their DA is manageable.
If you do not believe me, ask ANY pit bull owner with a DA dog who has passed their CGC and become therapy dogs.
It CAN be done and HAS been done. But those very same people will tell you in a heartbeat and in ALL honesty, that they would NEVER trust their DA dog off leash or even ATTEMPT to put their dogs in a situation where they can fail.

 

[Dekka]

Very true Chewbecca. Also its a matter of knowing your dog's triggers and working on them. Ferret (the JRT) as very specific in her DA. Dekka is worse around big black dogs. Kaiden does not like (does not attack but puts up with NOTHING from) yellow retrievers.

What about cat 'aggressive' dogs? ALL of my dogs will kill rabbits (even the whippets) some kill cats, rats, mice, etc etc. Is that different? Or would those of you who 'would never...' be ok with those things?