Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundancefisher
Aunt is a very experienced dog handler. Most problems are owner derived problems...however some dogs are unique insofar as the fight or flight or aggression instinct is far higher. Pitbulls are one as an example. Triggers are usually sudden and can be noise or movement related.
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This is similar to my thoughts. I can't stand bleeding hearts who say large and typically aggressive breeds are complete angels and its the solely the fault of owners for why it decided to snap and attack one day. That's just blatant ignorance and a big part of the reason why so many people/animals have been injured/killed by dog attacks. Yes, MOST of a dog's behaviour problems are owner derived. No question about it. But most owners are not capable of training a dog--who has been selectively bred to be prone to aggression when challenged and have a strong fight over flight instinct--to be completely docile. And even then, regardless of how well you train your dog, there is always a chance that something suddenly triggers it to attack. Yes, this can be found in all breeds of dogs, small to large, but I haven't heard of a lot of Shih-Tzu's killing people when they decide to snap. Large breed dogs such as Pitbulls or Rottweilers are capable of that.
Worse yet, it seems like there is some large trend to be "counter-culture" and own a dog like a Pitbull terrier (just search #pitbullmom on Instagram...) just to prove that the dog really is an angel. Then every time they're so blown away and shocked when their dog viciously attacks someone or something.
I love dogs, but I don't foolishly view them as big cuddly creatures and not animals that are capable of being highly dangerous and unpredictable. It's not much more different from owning a firearm. You need to respect it for what it is capable of, and treat it in a way that reflects that. Being ignorant and belligerent is when people get hurt or killed.