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I know that most problems with behaviour can be attributed to the owner either choosing the wrong type of dog for their circumstances or treating the dog in ways that lead to problems, but are there a few dogs that are bad from the beginning? I have been lucky enough never to meet such a dog, but I have always wondered about it.
That is an interesting question, I think in most cases aggression and behaviour problems in dogs are down to the way the owner has treated the dog, but I really don't know the answer to your question.
You will very occasionally run into a bad dog. One with mental problems whose brain just isn't wired right. By far, the greatest percentage of dog problems are owners using the wrong approach or no approach at all.
I feel that the dog is going to act based on how well he or she is treated. If they are treated well and worked with there should be minimal problems.
Bad owners. I remember being at the shelter once and a man was turning in his 'old' dog who had become agressive. They questioned this, hmm, idiot repeatedly about changes and whatnot. He made it sound like the dog had just changed for no reason. They finally pulled out of him that they'd just gotten a new young dog and were giving the new dog a lot of attention. Bad owner, for sure.
Thanks for your responses. As well as the factors already mentioned, I think too many people choose to have a dog for the wrong reasons (eg to enhance their image) rather than thinking about the most suitable type of dog for their circumstances.
It is really too bad when people do this. We should see pets as family members, not just animals who we can control or choose to love when we want to.Quote:
Originally Posted by Justontime
luvtowrite, we should certainly see the pet as our responsibility for the whole of it's life. If people really thought like that they would be much more likely to choose their pet much more carefully in the first place.
Very true, I think many people take on a dog with good intentions, but without fully understanding the commitment required in terms of time, effort and expense.
Hello Forum, I think dog owners have a mis-conception about what defines a a bad dog or a dog with Aggression prolems. I think that we as dog owners don't allow our dogs to express themselves the way dogs are suppose to, we see Hackels up on a dogs back, or see the lips curled, or body posture changes and we automacially difine this as a unsound dog or an aggressive dog when in fact, I don't consider a dog aggressive until that dog has drawn blood from another dog. We have a tendacy to forget that everybody has a bad day and even dogs, as an example if I ask you how was your day and you respond that you have had a lousy day because on the way home from work the driver in front of you held up traffic but the reality is, is that you had experienced a combination of events in your day that lead up to these emotional feeling aand the same applies to our dogs it's a layer of stressful events that lead up to the behavioral chance, not just one isolated situation it's a combinations of layered stressers which create various behavioral changes in our dogs! Thank for allowing me to share my thoughts.
I agree with you K-9Trainer. I've had a couple dogs that way. I never thought of them as aggressive. It's an awful thing when a normally docile dog gets put down because of a misunderstanding in canine/human communication.
I also agree with K-9Trainer up to a point. There are many situations where you just can't take the chance of a dog drawing blood (it may not be another dog it could be a child). I think the owner can do a lot to reduce the chances of trouble, by making a sensible choice (for their circumstances) when they get a dog, by training the dog well and treating it properly, and by never leaving young children unsupervised in the same area as the dog. Parents should teach their children how to behave around dogs and never to approach a strange dog without asking permission
Yeah kernow, I have seen what happens when owners are careless with their dogs. My parents had to put down a dog because he snapped at a child and drew blood. Not one of my sibling's but a friend's toddler. I think it was both couples fault for not supervising the child and dog but I couldn't do anything about it since I wasn't home at the time. There were several ways to prevent the accident but none were taken and the dog is the one who paid the ultimate price. Prior to the bite, he had never been overly aggressive and I think that contributed to the carelessness on my parents' part.
That is very sad phoenyxstarr, it must be heart breaking to find yourself in that situation. I remember a nasty incident when my brother and sister in law made an unplanned visit to show us their new (re-homed) shih tzu. My baby son was crawling at the time they let the dog run into the room, before I could pick my son up he had grabbed the dogs hair and it snapped at him. He was not hurt too badly, but the dog hated him forever afterwards and it had to be shut away if we visited. In fact it seemed to have a problem with all young children. I don't blame the dog for snapping, I blame the owners for putting the dog in that situation. The episode had a worse effect on the dog than my son, he has no memory of the incident, he grew up with dogs and he has always been very good with animals.
I think alot of 'bad dogs' are the result of having bad owners. Owners that don't bother to train their dogs and socialise their dogs properly. Owners that feed their dogs rubbish and don't exercise them mentally or physically - JMHO.
Definately more bad owners than bad dogs in my experience, although there are cases when dogs - for a whole bunch of reasons - will be bad and this can be down to their own situations, depending on their ages, background etc and because they have - as someone mentioned - a 'brain-wire' issue, if I may paraphrase. But it's owners mainly and even many 'bad' dogs can be remedied with patience and good training - or so I believe
It is reassuring to know that even some of the so called bad dogs can be remedied with care and good training. It is a shame that many dogs do not get that chance.
Here is a little something i thought i would share.
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I believe that, by far, behavior issues by most dogs are due to bad owners. A lot of people do not know how to train their dogs and it creates a lot of problems for the owner and for the dogs!
I believe that there is a dog registration system in USA. I do not know exactly what it involves, but I was wondering if it makes owners more or less responsible?
Many breeders are respectable and reputable. But many are out to make a fast buck and don't care about the health or the temperament of the animal. Sadly some people breed dogs for the sole purpose of dog fights.
Yes, it is true that there are some bad breeders. Those wanting to buy a puppy should be very careful to buy from reputable breeders.
When choosing a breeder and buying a pet you need to be alert and trust your instincts, you should be able to see where the dogs are kept, meet the mother (and possibly the father), ask from references from previous customers. If it doesn't feel right trust your instincts and look elsewhere.
