Pit Bull Apology

[susiestar]

Growing up I had a friend with a poodle and a german shepherd. The german shepherd used to pull us back up the hill after we sledded down it in winter. He LOVED doing that. This friend was the youngest of 5 and in second grade I was spending the night before Halloween at her house. Her older sister was supposed to be there with us. Her sisters all told each other to watch us and went to parties. Then her older bro broke into the basement to scare us and to get to the liquor cabinet down there. We called my parents because hers were at a party for their anniversary (adults only party). My dad and uncle came over and couldn't get into the house.

NOT because the german shepherd but because the POODLE was attacking. My friend couldn't even get to the dog so my dad got leather gloves from the car and grabbed the little thing and put it in a bathroom. The shepherd was standing up licking my uncle's face, lol. Then my dad found her bro inthe basement taking all the bottles of booze and gave him what for, and took us back to our house. That poodle thought the shepherd was her baby and you did NOT go near that shepherd when he was sleeping. HE didn't care but the poodle would hurt you. They finally put it down a few years later and every friend the family had was glad. I was the only one it wouldn't bite. Mostly cause I bit it back one day. I don't like being bitten and my friend got all angry with me but was amazed later because the dog was sweet as could be to me no matter what. I still didn't get too close if I could avoid it.

Poodles are strange. But that is just my view and I am not that well versed in care and nature of poodles.

 

[Hound dog]

I avoid poodles. I don't like them much. They tend to be vindictive. And they certainly can be mean of temperament. Ok, so the small ones, I can't speak for the standard size i've not been around one.

But my bro had a miniature toy poodle that was the most amazing dog, right up there with Molly in the brains/temperament dept, not to mention loving as all get out. She also thought she was ten feet tall. lol Maybe that had something to do with it.

I asked him once why he took her everywhere with him. (he never did that with any other dog) I mean people never minded because she was so awesome, but still it was odd for him. He said cuz if he didn't she would destroy the house or whatever room he locked her into, she was too smart for a crate, she could get herself out every time.

She's the only one I ever liked. But I suppose that is why there are so many different breeds.

Careful Heather, if this Rottie is anything like the ones I've met and known it won't take you long to fall head over heels in love. lol

 

[Nancy]

What I'm getting from this is that we all have our preferences for dog breeds and everyone is different. My easy child has a cross between a shih-tzu and toy poodle and that dog is smart as a whip. I love her, she's my grandfurrbaby, she looks like a teddy bear. My shih-tzu is dumb as they come but I love her too and she is my buddy. My previous dog was a shepherd/collie mix and while I loved her I did not like the shedding or that she barked at everyone. Poodles are getting a bum rap here. My vet raises poodles and they are awesome creature. I don't like pit bulls, nor do I like any other bull dog or chows and there are probably others that fit that category too. I don't like dogs that have jaws that look like they can rip your leg off with one bite. But I'm sure there are people who do like them so I shouldn't have said that. I would feel bad if I had a chihuahua here, I'm sure some people must like them.

I think the most important thing is that if you own a dog, make sureyou live in the correct environment for the breed.

Nancy

 

[Kathy813]

Nancy, I laughed when you said that your shih tzu was dumb as they come. My two shih tzus have been very hard to train. I'm not sure if it is dumb or stubborn but they are also very affectionate and I can't imagine loving a dog more than I love those two.

I am thinking of a shih tzu/poodle cross next time since I have heard poodles are the smartest dogs and easiest to train. If you look at the trainability list, our little shih tzus are way towards the bottom.

~Kathy

 

[Nancy]

LOL Kathy you are so right. My husband says she's not very smart because her brain is so small. I don't know what I would do without my shih tzu either, she is the most affectionate loving dog ever. She sleeps on our bed and has to either be sitting on the couch next to husband or with me in the chair.

I would love to get a shih poo next time. She has the smarts of a poodle and the lovable personality of a shih tzu. I love her to death. And her fur is so soft and curly. She was potty trained in a few short weeks and has never had an accident.

Nancy

 

[flutterby]

My bff has a chihuahua, among other dogs including really large ones, and I like her (the chi) a lot. Her best friend is the english mastiff (140 pound dog). Personally, I'm speaking in generalities. While I'll go up to a strange rottie or pit, I'm not so quick to go to a strange chihuahua or chow (though I will do it, especially if I think it's lost or a stray). On a case by case basis, though, I like them. I love animals. All of them. Except for the ones with more than 4 legs.

I spoke to the guy about the rottie and he was supposed to call me back tonight. He didn't. So, I guess it wasn't meant to be.

 

[susiestar]

I laughed at the different shi-tzu descriptions. My inlaws had an amazing poodle for a long time, just as sweet and wonderful as they come. They waited five or six years to get another dog after she passed away because they just couldn't imagine one as special as she was. Then they got a cross between a Llasa Apso and a Shi-Tzu. I have NO idea what you call that cross but she is the most amazing sweet smart little thing. They practically have to wrestle husband's sister for her when they come home after a trip. She is so very smart funny.

It may be strange but we always give her a Christmas gift because otherwise she pouts. She gets jealous when they go places for a day or weekend trip because they have something and she doesn't. I found a cool thing that is a container for food or treats for a pet and has a bowl that snaps on the top over the lid and on the bottom so you have the food container and bowls for food and for water. The dog was so tickled and they put a bit of food in it and them used it to put some water and food itn and a couple of days later they took a day trip and she actually wouldn't leave until she saw them pack it! When they got out at the rest stops they had to get it out even if seh didn't want a snack right them, lol!

husband calls her his other sister, lol.

 

[DammitJanet]

I have had tons of dogs. Mostly mixes. Just happens right now I have purebreds. My first dog was a miniature poodle because of allergy issues. He was a good dog except for his extreme behaviors. He simply thought he owned us. We were to do what he wanted and when we wanted. When we groomed him he would pout for days until we convinced him he was so pretty. He ate the inside of our car when we left him inside it alone. He honked the horn relentlessly. If we tied him to a tree in the shade next to the car, he would chew up his water bowl. He got out of the car at one rest stop and spied a pig farm across the road and took off after them and we had to chase him and the pigs for over an hour! The poor owners thought it was the funniest thing they had ever seen. TG. Rufus was one of those dogs who would act like he was ferocious and bark like heck when someone knocked at the door then as soon as we opened the door he hightailed it behind us and peeked around us like...ok...I barked...now you guys do the saving of me! A chipmunk got in our house one time and he was found standing on a kitchen chair barking like mad but refusing to get down on the floor.

My bigger dogs have been more laid back. We had a chow that let Cory learn to walk using his tail. He was a wonderful dog. He knew he couldnt eat off the kids plates but he would follow them around to see if they would drop food. Once in a blue moon he would nudge the plate from their hands...lol. We got him when Cory was 3 months old and Jamie was 27months old. He looked like a teddy bear at first but grew fast. By the time Cory was learning to walk he was about full grown and he was a gentle giant and he let the kids climb all over him. Cory could pull his fur and he would just pull his tale and the dog would stand up and they would take tiny steps around the room. It was like the dog knew what his job was. Sad that someone stole him not long after that. I have had rotties, rottie doberman crosses, a dog we think was a type of border collie mix that was amazing, one that we think was a bull dog/basset hound cross!, and several more over the years that were just plain mutts but were beloved dogs that we loved to death. We even had one in the very beginning that we tried to adopt that would stay with us until we had a thunderstorm then she would manage how to get out of the house and make her way back to the shelter every single time. That was home to her. She had lived there for 3 years before we took her so when thunderstorms came, she was so scared she had to go home. We bailed her back out once but after the second time, we just left her there.

 

[Lothlorien]

Pitts have such a bad rep because some breeders were specifically breeding them to fight, but also because of their ability to do so much damage. Those jaw muscles are fightening. I've met several very sweet pits, including my brother's, but I would not want to own one.

Since we are on the subject of dogs turning....The only dog that I really don't like is a dalmation. I know that might be odd to most of you, but they are a breed that as they age, they are prone to lesions and can turn. A friend had to put his down because the dog turned on him one night and I was actually malled by a dalmation when I was about 6 years old. I realize this can happen with just about any dog, but since I've had such an intimate event with one, I cannot be around dalmations. They just freak me out.

 

[DammitJanet]

Ive heard that about dalmatians too Loth.

 

[donna723]

A lot of problems come when people have the "wrong" dog for them too. Dalmatians need a tremendous amount of exercise every day and if they don't get it, you can have some real issues with them. Also, because of their coloring, it is very common for them to be deaf, which can bring even more problems.

 

[greenrene]

I have a Rottie. She is 10 years old. Basically a 100+ pound speed bump. My toddler crawls all over her. She just rolls over.

Our other dog is a pit/lab mix - about 7 months old. He and my toddler snuggle and sleep together quite often. It's the cutest thing you've ever seen.

 

[DammitJanet]

We had a rottie that thought she was a 125 pound lap dog...lol. She was my middle son's best friend. She actually thought he was her puppy we think. She went everywhere with him and if she thought anyone was being too rough with him she would get their jeans or pants in her mouth and drag them away from him. (He was in middle school when we got her so these werent little kids she was mouthing)

 

[InsaneCdn]

A lot of problems come when people have the "wrong" dog for them too.

The good shelter (several hours away, where we got our dogs) told us that this is the single most common reason for dog adoptions to go sour.
We weren't prepared to have a "little" dog around... our first was mid-sized, I grew up with mid-sized... so we stuck with mid-sized.
Energy... well, that's why we wanted the dog(s)... to burn steam off for the "other pups" (the kids).

The other reason dogs get turned back? People really don't know what they are getting into in terms of the time and effort it takes to bond, to settle in, to establish routine. You won't really know where things are at, for at least 6 months.

All our dogs have been working dogs. We're used to it. But if I become a little old lady living on my own, I'll have to consider getting a smaller dog, because there's no way I can keep up with dogs like these, by myself!