Which breed of dog would you classify as dangerous?

vax2002

Some breeds of Dog have inherent instincts to attack other dogs, once that dog has decided to attack another dog, no amount of "training" will help, as many owners quickly find out.
If you own a dog that is regarded as a dangerous breed, you need to make allowances for it going off on one.
However very many people like to own fighting dogs, it makes them feel hard.

rising_from_the_ashes

Any dog that's been unfortunate to end up in the wrong hands ...... doesn't matter what size or shape or breed.

It's how they're brought up and trained that is important - and if this isn't done properly, or the dog is taught to be aggressive .... then this is what makes it dangerous & completely the owner's fault not the dogs.

elsien

From personal experience, large numbers of people regard my english bull terrier as dangerous, because of how she looks and because of some completely over the top headlines about "devil dogs" in the red tops. Crossing the road so they don't have to walk past her, the odd loony shouting abuse. But on the other hand there are also some people who think she's lovely and are all over her like a rash - they tend to be people who've had EBT's themselves, or have seen the film Babe. All complete strangers who are mainly reacting to her looks from media impressions, both positive and negative.
There are also cultural aspects to this - in my predominantly pakistani
neighbourhood where historically and culturally keeping dogs in the house as pets generally doesn't happen, people are wary of most dogs anyway and scary looking ones like mine in particular.
Personally I don't regard any breed as inherently dangerous. I like staffies, but am cautious of some due to the eejits who like status dogs and haven't got a clue how to handle them. However I judge that not from the dog but from the owner - there's a definite type and they go for dogs that have more of a pitbull/mastiff look to them with lots of harness and studs. (that's the owner as well as the dog!)
And they either don't know or don't care how to handle their dogs, seem proud that people are scared of them and are happy to let them off lead, out of control, and generally giving the breed an unwarranted bad name.

I'm also nervous around gsd's (sorry getting ready and rising!) and rotties when off the lead due to bad past experiences. Having said that I've met some lovely ones so, once I've met them and they're fine which most are, I'm happy around them. I think with GSD's it's because of the police dog thing - having met the wrong end of a few on assorted demonstrations, I've seen more of their aggressive than their cuddly sides.

So for me, some breeds make me more nervous than others, but overall it's the individual dog and it's owner not the breed.

Fosterdog

elsien wrote: »

I think with GSD's it's because of the police dog thing - having met the wrong end of a few on assorted demonstrations, I've seen more of their aggressive than their cuddly sides.

Interestingly a few months back somebody made a prank call to the police and they turned up at our door with an armed response unit as the the prankster said there was a mad gunman in the house. When the police arrived and came in to look around they were fine until they say my german shepherd and they both freaked out and started shouting for us to "stand the dog down" and lock her in a secure room while they did a search. They were fine with the American Bulldog x mastiff that I was fostering, and made a big fuss of him when their search was complete.

My GSD is the softest thing you could ever meet, she just flops at people's feet for a belly tickle and licks your arm while you're doing it but the police are so used to them being police dogs and have seen the damage they can do and the fact they usually only respond to their one handler that they were terrified of her.

BitterAndTwisted

What makes a dog dangerous? People. People who acquire animals without the faintest idea of their needs and never make the effort to learn. People who think acquiring a working-dog will automatically make it a good house-pet and be safe with children. I suspect under-exercised and under-stimulated Border Collies give members of the public more cause for worry than most pitbulls kept on leads do.

vax2002

example of a thick owner getting a lesson in the behavioural instinct switch of a "staffie".
Its never done that before, why does it disobey me ?
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=45c_1341173404

mammyof7

I have a Great Dane who I myself would class as a "dangerous dog". This is in the sense that she is dog aggressive (not people!).

I have had since she was 8 weeks old and she is now 7 and a half. She has been brought up around my kids whom I trust her with impeccably. They love her to bits and she can often be found sitting on their knees or asleep on the sofa with them.

However... she is also a 10stone + muscular giant breed dog. And this is the exact reason that she is never walked without a muzzle. We live in what seems like dog world, and I wouldnt trust her an inch without the muzzle.

We also used to have a Newfoundland who was a similar size and the most gentle dog ever. She also used to lie in the garden with our rabbits and never batted an eyelid. So I guess what i'm trying to say that you cant tar all dogs with the same brush.

A dogs breed or size dose not automatically make it un/safe. They are individuals just like us!

faerie~spangles

1: Miniature poodles.

2: Jack Russell terriers

3: West Highland terriers.

The above are the breeds that I avoid when out with my Labrador as I'm sick to the back teeth of hearing. " s/he doesn't like black Lab's" from the owners of those yappy mutts.

Erm, your mutt on the extended lead is barking/going for my placid Lab' .......On deaf ears:rotfl:

My next dog will be a rescue Staffie/Greyhound

mark55man

Oliver14 wrote: »

No breed of dog is dangerous. There are badly trained dogs that are dangerous. There are dogs that are bred with aggressive tendencies it does not though mean that breed is dangerous.

*There are dogs that are bred with aggressive tendencies *
* It does not mean the breeed is dangerous *

being from a breed that is "bred for aggression" exactly means "that breed is dangerous"

I am very tired of listening to the doggie danger apologists - I think you need to be honest and say there is always danger.

I'm not trying to protect the world from dangerous stuff - just I hate all the fluffiness and willfull disbelief.

Person_one

vax2002 wrote: »

Some breeds of Dog have inherent instincts to attack other dogs, once that dog has decided to attack another dog, no amount of "training" will help, as many owners quickly find out.
If you own a dog that is regarded as a dangerous breed, you need to make allowances for it going off on one.
However very many people like to own fighting dogs, it makes them feel hard.

You do talk some utter tripe.