That's a ridiculous argument. I have been punched by toddlers and punched by a six-foot mugger--only the six-foot mugger sent me to the emergency room.

I don't think any dog breed should be banned but large aggressive breeds like pit bulls and German shepherds should require a special license and should be required to train for a Canine Good Citizen certificate.

Well,well what a coincidence.
Dachshund gnaws off toe.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/07/07/wtf/doc486e331098929367264354.txt
Remember the "Pit Bull" that gnawed off a baby`s testicles (probably attracted by a dirty diaper) while the mother was sleeping.
Very different headline and I`ll bet reaction by the public.
There were no allowances made for that dog.
There were no excuses offered up by any Vet.
But this Dachshund might have been enticed by a hangnail.
I`ll bet there will be no calls for a ban on Dachshunds but you may be warned about hangnails.
About the temperament testing.
I really do wonder if people think they`re bringing home a "perfect" dog that needs no further training because it passed a temperament test.
It`s an ongoing lifetime commitment folks.
If you don`t grasp that,get a stuffed dog or a robotic dog.
Humans need to start looking in the mirror.There`s your answer for the dog problems.

I just got bit the other day by a 10 lb poodle. I'll deal with a big dog over a little dog any day of the week.

Dogs are not born aggressive or "bad." Thanks goes to humans for making them that way.

I can't believe chihuahuas weren't #1. When I remember that nasty little bugger that used to tree my sister and me when we were little . . .

(Hmmm . . . afraid tone may not convey here and someone will get all uptight about it. There *was* a mean little chihuahua next door to us who did tree us every time he was let out without a leash, but I laugh about it now. Even if were were only about 5-6, that must have been quite a sight, us running hysterically from an ankle-high dog.)

After working several summers in a vet clinic/boarding hospital, I can't disagree with these findings. Every chihuahua I saw there tried to bite me (unprovoked) at one time or another, even if they were friendly and loving at other times. Terriers too, though I've never had a dachsund go for me.

Rotties and pits remain among my favourite dogs: never had one of them take a shot at me yet, and my best buddy was a 125lb rottie who'd lay his head in your lap while he got his vaccinations (no one felt like lifting him up onto the table).

Well, hello from Paris, where everybody loves dogs but nobody scoops up poop. My mother bred and showed longhaired Dachshunds when I was a youngster, and I've had a lot of exposure to them. It doesn't pay to underestimate these little guys. They were bred to hunt the badger, an animal that can be vicious and aggressive in its own right. The reason they're so short and so long is that they will go right into the badger's underground den to get it out. They can be tenacious--and, yes, aggressive if not properly trained and handled. They also can tend to give their loyalty to one person or one family, and they can be very dubious of strangers. The Jack Russell has many of the same traits. These are big dogs in small packages, bred to do a certain job, which involves hunting and killing prey.

MG, I agree with you completely about the "cuteness" thing. We tend to view small dogs as being cute little toys--but they are dogs nevertheless, and the small ones have all the same traits that we find in the big ones. The Pit Bull has a bad press, the Dachshund has a cute press.

You're also right about looking in the mirror. As with any dog, if you don't have what it takes to be in charge, to provide the right loving discipline, and to correct wrong behaviors consistently, a dog is not a good idea.

I've enjoyed a lot of very loving relationships with Dachshunds over the years, and I think they're great dogs. But their cute appearance cannot be relied on for cute behavior. They're predators.

Actually, I think the "'Pit Bull' that gnawed off a baby`s testicles..." that you are referring to was a Cairn Terrier/Poodle mix.
http://www.wsbt.com/news/regional/19985354.html

pit bulls arnet large, there smaller than labs their medium sized dogs at best, and there dog argessive not human agressive

and your logic is silly too,

its logical that a 6cm long knife could do damage more easily than a 1cm long knife, but does that make it acceptable to go round stabbing people with 1cm long knifes, when even a 1mm long kiffe could cuase a fatality

1. In the dog & baby testicle case- the mother was charged. Doctors said the wound was not consistent with animal bites, but with a sharp object.
2. My aunt has a large scar on her face from a childhood dog attack. The culprit? A spitz.
3. ANY animal can be aggressive if not respected and not socialized properly. My 6-month pit mix (a rescue) once spent an hour trying to make friends with a 3 1/2 lb. chihuahua who kept trying to bite her! She eventually gave up, but she was never aggressive.

My mistake it was a Cairn/Poodle.
"Pit Bulls" usually get blamed for everything.
I guess the dog that did it didn`t have a square enough head,short enough hair or a whip tail therefore it could not be blamed on a "Pit Bull".
For those people that think small dogs aren`t capable of killing,perhaps you need to read Pit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise.
This book should be compulsory reading,especially for Politicians and the Media.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0972191410/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
More than 50 Breeds/types have killed worldwide.
Those include JRT,Westie and Pomeranian.
Size really doesn`t matter if you`re a baby or a toddler.

As Karen`s research shows
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/canineaggression.asp
[quote]Extensive research and investigation using 40 years of data has conclusively identified the reckless and criminal ownership practices that can cause a dog to become dangerous:

OWNER MANAGEMENT & CONTROL OF DOGS

Owners failing to humanely contain, control and maintain their dogs (chained dogs, loose roaming dogs, cases of abuse/neglect), and owners failing to properly supervise interaction between children and dogs.

FUNCTION OF DOG

Owners maintaining dogs for guarding/protection, fighting, intimidation/status, or as yard dogs. Such dogs are resident dogs, not family pets.

REPRODUCTION STATUS OF DOG

Owners failing to spay or neuter animals not used for competition, show, or in a responsible breeding program.

91% of all fatal dog attacks from 2005-2007 were due to one or more of these critical factors.[/quote]

Don`t delude yourself into thinking certain Breeds are "safe" Breeds.
Fatalities are rare,bites are not.
They are ALL capable of causing serious injury.
I`ll bet the parents of the baby killed by the JRT will think twice about leaving a baby unsupervised around ANY dog regardless of size.
Harsh lesson to learn.
Unfortunately more and more parents learn that the hard way.
The Media needs to teach people responsibility around ALL dogs and get off the "Pit Bull" bandwagon.
The majority of dogs of ALL Breeds are fine and cause no problem.

Well, Here is the problem with the argument big dog versus little dog and relative danger. If this study is true and pit bulls do rank lower than that means some dogs that are trusted by the public could be rated the same or higher. If you say, it is okay if a little dog is aggressive b/c it can't do much damage then where do you draw the line? Surely a Retriever or hound dog could deliver more bite than a Scottish terrier. A black lab more than a cocker spaniel. If the public is more at risk of severe injury from Labs than small dogs should we take any risk at all? Also, if a dog isn't predisposed to biting they are a "gentle giant" and thier size is of little consequence. There are cases where small dogs have seriously injured children b/c they bite the face and a small bite can cause a clot or complication in the elderly. Responsible ownership and education is all that will sove this problem.

All you people who think you know about pit bulls- try to pick the right one in the quiz below. I OWN a lab/pit mix and I couldn't do it at first glance.

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Ignorance is very unattractive.

Another thing about Dachshunds: I know the initials "AKC" constitute a dirty word in some circles, but the breed standard for standard Dachshunds says that they should weigh between 16 and 32 pounds. I've known a couple of good-looking males (good-looking by breed standards) that came in at close to 35 without an ounce of fat. That's not exactly tiny, especially when you can find plenty of descriptions of Pit Bulls that state that they weigh in starting at about 30 and up. So the "cute little wiener dog" could actually outweigh the "large, vicious Pit Bull" by a respectable few pounds.

To quote fellspointer: "but large aggressive breeds like pit bulls and German shepherds should require a special license and should be required to train for a Canine Good Citizen certificate."

Wow, where do I even START with this! Except to say that this line of thinking is exactly the problem, and it's sort of hard to have a logical discussion when it is started with fiction...neither of these are "aggressive" breeds. "Large" I will give you, to a degree, if you consider 50 pounds "large". Out of 76 dogs, guess who attempted to attack my Pitbull during his Therapy Dog evaluation? A Lab. It also went after a Rottie. It got kicked out of the exam center. Neither the Pitbull nor the Rottie even so much as glanced at the obnoxious, poorly trained Lab. Both the Pitbull and the Rottie passed without the slighest problem, including foolish people with small dogs stepping OVER my Pitbull as he lay by my feet....even having their small dogs JUMP over my dog rather than walk around. My dog got growled at by these leaping canines on their way over. He didn't react in the least. People need to get away from this "breed" crap, and focus on the "dog" crap (wow, that came out funny!)...mandating any special license or requirements by breed is absurd and doesn't work. Mandating dog by dog (if there is a history of problems) is what fixes problems. The research/facts/data supports this when looking at FAIR data/facts.

Now to quote emm: "...and there dog argessive not human agressive...
its logical that a 6cm long knife could do damage more easily than a 1cm long knife, but does that make it acceptable to go round stabbing people with 1cm long knifes"

I love the knife analogy, great point! And you are absolutely right, Pitbulls, by nature, are not human aggressive...in fact they are the original Family Dog of the U.S., also referred to as the Nanny Dog due to their great skills with kids. Some of them are not great fans or other dogs, as they are terriers, and terriers by nature may not be as tolerant of other dogs as compared to other breeds as a whole...but I caution you about saying they are "dog aggressive"...I am surrounded by many at any given time at the rescue where I volunteer, and I think out of 25, maybe one could accurately be labelled "dog aggressive". In fact, I use an apparently purebred Pitbull to test out new dogs' tolerance towards dogs...the Pitbull is so tolerant and well trained, I have every faith in him holding it together no matter how the new dog reacts (always done knowledgably and safely of course!). My Pitbull at home is another one the rescue uses to socialize new dogs and puppies. And my Foster Failure, Gunny, has yet to meet a dog he doesn't like, even if they snap or growl at him....and he was most likely used as BAIT in a dog fighting ring. Again, it is all about the individual DOG, not the general BREED.

Here`s another ID the Pit Bull test
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Findthebull/findpitbull_v4.swf

This is one of the major problems with BSL aside from the fact that it does nothing to reduce bites because owners not dogs are the problem.
Experts have testified that there are 20+ Pure Breed dogs that look like the 3 Breeds normally targeted by BSL and then you have all the mixes including mixes like Boxer/Labs who may throw pups that look like "Pit Bulls".
I would hazard a guess that most of the public and Media wouldn`t know a "Pit Bull" if they tripped over one.
So all these so called "Pit Bull" attacks reported by the media could be any of those 20+ breeds or assorted mixes that have no Pit in them at all.
Highly unlikely that many,if any, are Pure Breed
Staffordshire Bull Terriers
American Staffordshire Terriers or APBT`s,the 3 Breeds targeted by BSL.
If the Public could just grasp that fact,perhaps the hysteria around "Pit Bulls" might subside.
When I read "Pit Bull" attack all it means to me is that the dog had a certain look.It means nothing as far as Breed goes.

The dachshund was most probably removing the owner's toe because it was killing her & he was saving her life. I hardly think he suddenly ate her toe without cause.

how about this...

All dogs suck.

I got my upper lip ripped off by a (deleted) huge mastiff mix. Unprovked. I now have nasty scars, and huge self confidence problems. I haven't trusted dogs since. I'd much rather have a cat.

thnxbai.

I caution touting this research paper as being a gift of sorts to those that fight BSL on the front lines.Genetics play a small role in what the temperament and disposition will be of any dog breed or mix.One has to always remember the single biggest difference will always be the owner!Small dogs with a tenacious temperament found in most terriers coupled with dog ignorant folks that laugh off warning signs of increased aggression and treatment of said dog as a fashion accessory= a seriously out of control dog.

No doubt there are those that choose the media maligned breeds to bolster their flagging body parts.For them these dogs are also fashion accessories of a different sort.

Law makers must tailor laws that condemn negligent dog owners and prevent them from ever owning another animal.Its time to stop and think about our rights being sacrificed for those who should have their rights denied.

I agree with most of the comments here,I am glad the media has put the spotlight on the other breeds for a change and maybe in the process shed a little light onto the subject.However I worry that we should be careful and not buy into the "fact" that a dogs genetics is the most important factor into why dogs display aggression.

I have rescued over 600 dogs over the last 15 or so years and NEVER been bitten by a maligned breed,which by the way comprises over 75% of the dogs I rescue.I have been seriously scarred by media freindly breeds.

I work at a dog boarding facility and I do admit that many of the pitbull/pitbull mixes I have seen tend to be a little more dog agressive. Aside from that, they are all loving towards people--some of the sweetest dogs I have seen. There are even some that are extremely good with other dogs as well!

as for the other "more agressive" small breeds? I completely agree. I have heard first-hand horror stories about doxies and my aunt has a chihuahua that is always ready to go at larger dogs (she has to muzzle him when she's camping and there's other, bigger dogs around). And, JRTs? the only dog I have EVER been bitten by at work was a JRT--and I see hundreds of dogs there. little bugger drew blood. But again, we go back to the fact that most of the "problems" with dogs are problems with the owner, the dog can't really be blamed for much. There is also the individual personality of the dog to take into account.

I think an important thing to point out is that in some unfortunate instances, pitbulls are bred for their agression. This, combined with improper training, is a disaster waiting to happen.

To all of you who say that dogs are not born aggressive... well a lot of them are born aggressive; not all breeds; but there are certain breeds that are just aggressive by nature because of the specific traits they are bred for. I have a JRT; they're bred to hunt anything from fox to cape buffalo in Africa. They have been bred to be aggressive for the nature of their work therefore they are born aggressive. I do aggree though that dogs are not born bad this is something that I believe is developed.

To quote Dunn: " but there are certain breeds that are just aggressive by nature because of the specific traits they are bred for. I have a JRT; they're bred to hunt anything from fox to cape buffalo in Africa. They have been bred to be aggressive for the nature of their work therefore they are born aggressive. "
This is another problem in this "issue"...the use of terminology. What Dunn described is not "aggression"...JRTs have a prey drive/hunting instinct. That does not equate to aggression. People need to be very careful how they throw terms around...non-animal-folks get a very different picture when hearing certain words. I would say about 99% of dogs are not born 'aggressive'...that remaining 1% probably has a "wiring issue" equivalent to some mental disorder in humans...I do agree that MANY individual dogs of DIFFERENT breeds absolutely ARE born with traits that help them do the jobs for which they were created. It is up to the humans to manage those traits and use them in a positive way. I have been told that ALL breeds had jobs originally...recently learned that Pms used to be a LOT bigger (like 35 pounds) and were used to pull sleds in teams. Never knew. Not fair to expect a Border Collie to live happily on the couch 23 hours per day...thus all the outlets that the lovers of those dogs pursue----agility, frisbee, herding trials, etc. No outlet= creating an outlet of their own. If that same Border Collie started "herding" the family's kids and their friends with barks and nips, some people would be quick to label him "aggressive".

Too many times, small dog owners think it is "cute" when their little dogs attack either act in an aggressive manner toward or attack larger dogs or excuse their aggressive behavior to humans. While a big dog may deliver a larger bite than a smaller dog, all dogs, no matter what their size, should be trained and CGC is a good place to start.

I disagree with the comment about dogs not being born aggressive or bad. I have been doing rescue for one of the so-called aggressive breeds for almost 25 years. I and my fellow rescuers have come to believe that temperament on an individual, not breed basis, is 50-70 % hereditary. Some dogs are born more aggressive than others in all breeds. Their tendencies can be blunted but not eradicated. But as with some dogs who are "on the fence" temperament wise, a knowledgeable owner who trains and socializes such a dog can tip it over into the well behaved dog category, or at the very least make this dog livable. A irresponsible owner who does not train, and leaves the dog outside all the time will find the aggressive dog more so, and the "on the fence" dog will be tipped over into the "dark" side.

I think all potential dog owners should be required to take a class on being a responsible dog owner and then get "licensed" to own a dog.

I work at an animal hospital and The big dogs are the ones I would rather full with.....Those who say little dogs don't have a big bite hahahahha get bit. It hurts. The only big dogs that are aggressive are trained to be that way and are usually aggressive to other dogs, taught to them by careless owners!!!!!!! I have a 120 rott and 2 chihuahua's you guess which goes in the kennel when the little kids come over you guessed it my mean natured chihuahua's BEST WATCH DOG EVER. The rott just watches on the front porch and sleeps.

Don't forget Bouviers. Some Bouviers are big and dangerous. Should they all be banned?

http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2008/07/08/6093996-sun.html

Darren Gibb heard his pregnant wife Joanne screaming in terror in the backyard of their Carp-area home as he put their toddler to bed Wednesday.

He saw the neighbour's Bouvier, which had crossed their three-acre property, biting his gentle mutt Ike's throat before sinking its teeth into his wife's leg.

Gibb had to twice tackle the animal, which at 130 lbs. was twice the size of their dog and outweighed his wife.

--------------

It's the people, not the dogs. Dogs are not inanimate objects to be acquired like a child's teddy bear or a piece of furniture. They need to be selected carefully, trained and handled with care, compassion, and knowledge of the breed.

Breed specific legislation is foolish, it accomplishes nothing, and lets ignorant or lazy pet owners and animal abusers off the hook.

Spay/neuter, education, and zero tolerance of animal abuse and neglect is key.

it's funny that everyone assumes that any dog involved in anything horrible just must be a pit. the baby testicle thing. that was a six-month-old Poodle/Cairn Terrier mix. read something sometime. oh wait. don't because the media is just as retarded as all the other people that like to blame non pitbull related incidents on pitbulls.

I saw a Chihuahua drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.

His hair was perfect...

I completely agree with Amy; I've worked with several different breeds volunteering at our humane society and being a foster parent. I throughly believe that certain dogs are born agressive because of the traits they are bred for. JRT's are aggressive by nature for the hunt/prey drive they must be aggressive; they aren't your typical hunting dog. We have a german shorthair pointer that is completely non aggressive just like all the other pointers we come across because it's a completely different type of hunting than a terrier hunt. My JRT has been very well socialized and has been through beginning and intermediate training classes and has taken and passed the Canine Good Citizen test; but still has her hereditary aggressive behavior even though we've tried to curb it because we don't think it's cute. She is going to be hunting so we do want to keep some of her aggressiveness in her though; so it's kind of hard trying to find the balance.

To the average, general public, (not necessarily dog-saavy or animal-saavy folks) "aggressive", when used in reference to a DOG, tends to conjure up a very certain image...they think aggressive towards humans---so thoughts of bites, growls, chasing, or down-right attacks on humans is in their minds. So, even saying that a dog is "dog aggressive" may not totally sink in with these folks, if they are not dog saavy or familiar with that term. Lots of people hear that term and think it also means aggressive to humans, not to dogs exclusively. And we all know that is just not the case. Thus, me saying that I wish that word was used less liberally, as so many times, it is not accurate and it can do lots of harm when thrown around so casually.

To clarify, to ME and IMHO only, an "aggressive dog" is one that shows a desire to hurt a human. To intentionally hurt a human. A "dog-aggressive dog", well, substitute another dog as its target instead of a human. This is the same line of thinking/definitions I have run into with the trainers and rescue folks with whom I have worked over the years. So, that is why I mentioned that I don't define certain traits, like a prey drive or a hunting instinct, as "aggressive". However if that drive is just so intense and a dog is so maddened by it that he starts biting at humans in the vicinity whenever he is working or hunting, then sure, I could see how would be an appropriate time to label him as "aggressive" in his work/sport situation. He is intentionally trying to hurt a human. I don't have a history with many JRTs or daschunds or other small hunters, and the ones I have knows were not in situations where they hunted or used those instincts, except to play frisbee or run agility. So, I haven't seen that drive flip over into the aggresson realm---does that happen regularly with those guys when they are put to work or sport as hunters? Do they actually go after humans at that time or even at other points in their day? Lord knows I am far far far from any sort of expert and always have tons to learn and am thrilled to have the opportunties to learn!!

To clarify what I said about such a small percentage of dogs really being born "bad", I was referring to dogs that come out of the womb and are just not fixable, no matter what, just have a screw loose. I can't imagine that this happens very often at all when you factor in the entire population of dogs...that's why I threw out "1%". I believe that a HUGE percentage of dogs are born with certain traits (either breed related or personality quirks) that set them up to be 2 very different dogs depending on who ends as their owner is. Every dog I have ever owned, with the exception of the family's stuffed-animal-come-to-life-angelic-Golden Retriever, could have been downright rotten if they had been allowed to rule the roost. They were all fantastic and well-behaved dogs for me, but if someone else had taken them in, oh yea, things could have turned out differently for sure. But none of them were actually born "bad" or born "aggressive". They were just dominant personalities, and in one case, a very very frightened dog due to rituatlistic torture. Very different that being born "bad" or born "aggressive".

Just wanted to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading both this post and the ensuing commentary!

I'll take a big dopey slobbery dog over an anklebiter any day. No dog should be banned on the basis of breed, and those areas that do have bans should have to pay for the DNA testing to be certain that the dogs they are banning are infact the breed they think they are (that'd slow them down at least and maybe make them think twice).

I was bit by a dog as a child. In my memory it was a HUGE BLACK BEAST ... in reality it was an AMERICAN ESKIMO. Stereotypes, superstitions, bias - they do wonders for us, don't they? Of course, I now own a "big black beast" and I couldn't be more in love with her.

we are owners of a purebred miniature doxie and a shar pei-pit bull-austrian shepherd-chocolate lab mix, as well as 3 other large dogs...the two I specifically mentioned, both males, greet anyone and everyone who comes to our house and would just as soon lick a hand off than bite it off...it is all in the upbringing

I really wish for once, journalists would focus on the REAL issues at hand, which is people.

The problem with dogs is not the dogs, not matter what the breed or size, it's about people failing to learn how to properly work with, socialize and own a dog. It IS about people and will always be about people and it's high time we start making HUMANS responsible instead of always punishing the dog.

Dogs are dogs are dogs.

The core problem is uneducated canine enthusiasts who 'enable' the max out of their dogs due to ignorance or misunderstanding or misapplication of a simple concept.

So please journalists, please stop writing about aggreesive dogs and start writing about stupid dog owners.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I am in line with the thinking that each dog is an individual personality - and that personality is heavily influenced by it's upbringing/socialization and a smaller percentage of influence is genetics.

I couldn't agree more with the statement/opinion that just because a dog is small and fluffy or small and cute - that it'sokay for bad behaviour to be laughed at or downplayed. My aunt owns 5 chihuahas and 1 Long haired doxie. Her doxie is sweet and submissive. Her 5 chi's on the other hand are horrendous. They're locked away when company comes over because in her words, "They like to think they're big bad dogs and they protect Momma. Isn't that cute?" No! It's horrible! By cooing them or laughing when they snarl/snap/bite/attack - she's giving them positive reinforcement that their behavior is ok. This same woman thinks *I'm* insane because I own an APBT girl (who tops out at 42lbs and has yet to meet a stranger - they're all just people she hasn't gotten to kiss yet). I also rescued an ACD-mix dog who is over a year old and weighs 13lbs. He is my "aggressive" dog - he's a shepherding dog and terrier - so he has high drive/energy and he's also very protective and territorial. When he came to us he would snap and growl and try to lunge at strangers who came into the home or approached us on a walk. We've worked with him because I know his behavior is unacceptable no matter how small he is.

It sad that small dogs are forgiven more easily than a large dog, when the fact of the matter is it all boils down to the home. Just like children; animals are a product of their upbringing. A reflection on their parents. An unruly and obnoxious child lends one to believe they're spoiled and pampered. A well behaved child is looked upon as a product of a good rearing.

I like this article for shedding light on the fact that ANY dog at ANY time can snap and bite.

As a few have already said, it is not the breed, it's the owner.

I have both a weiner and jrt as pets and yes they are meant to do one job and that is to kill prey but not at my house. both are great dogs and never would hurt anyone and FYI pitbulls are larger than most labs just look at the size of their heads.

Michelle- actually Pitbulls come is a HUGE range of sizes these days. They were originally in the 35-45 pound range when the breed was the family dog of the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's. Nowadays, that insane range exists due to the crazy breeding practices of those that are not breeding for the breed, but rather for "fad" or even unsavory reasons. The largest Pitbull I have ever met was no more than 100 pounds. And that is not very common. The "average" these days is between 55 and 65 pounds, I would estimate.
I have 2 Labs living just in my neighborhood who are well over 100 pounds. I have met MANY that are that size. Though I believe their average is probably more like 75 pounds. So, actually Labs are not bigger than Pitbulls, and have some pretty big heads of their own! : ) Not that size matters...just wanted to fill you in. People do seem to have a "larger than life" impression of the dear PBs! : )

I was sent this link by a friend and have read everyone's comments with great interest. I am in Australia and we also have a high number of "pitbull" attacks in the media. I am always amazed at how many "pitbulls" there are around, as I don't believe there are too many of them here in Australia! As has been said before, it is the owner, not the dog! Some dogs are born less confident and therefore start growling and barking earlier, they need special attention by a knowledgable trainer, not left in a backyard and learn by experience that barking or growling stops people and dogs from coming near. This leads to "aggressive" behaviour out of fear and self protection. It is a learned behaviour and very often reinforced by their own families, let alone anyone else. Punish the people, not the breed! Any dog can injure, maim or kill but rarely for the same reasons some humans do!!

hi my name is nicole and I have a rottie and 2 jackrussels and a little 4 week old puppy (mut) the rottie cleans kisses and sleeps with the puppy and plays very gentle with her everyday, although my jackrussel Wishbone bit me once which I never expected. your always afraid of big dogs, people should watch out for the little ones. I do think that pit bulls can be a dangerous breed BUT its all in how you care for the dog the owners personality refects on the dog just like a child.

Dachshunds were bred to do things from attacking aggressive and violent badgers to hunt wild boar in large packs. These dogs are compact soldiers who are bred to be courageous,passionate and vivacious. As the owner of two AKC registered dachshunds, I would describe them as little soldiers. Always up for a challenge but loyal to the end. Most people choose this breed because of the breeds cute little legs and exaggerated back. They forget that these dogs were bred for battle and are shocked when they realize that there is much more to Dachshunds than their looks.

More people are probably killed in this state by males than females! Let's make a law for that! How about all the gang bangers - they're usually young, males - - make a law for that.
Oh, yes - - killing is already illegal!!! SO is bad parenting - so, then, why are people still being killed????

EDUCATION!!!!!!

I own 4 german shepherds and i have 3 young children under the age of 10. I trust all of my dogs with my children at all times. I took the responsiblity as a responsible owner to properly socialize my dogs and teach them right and wrong from a puppy, not allowing them to get away with anything unacceptable and encouraging the proper behavior. If every dog owner took the time and responsiblity to socialize and train their dogs properly no matter the breed, there wouldnt be problems like these.

Pits aren't bad when the are properly trained. My neighbor failed to properly train her pit and my daughter has 4 puncture scars on her thigh because of it. She wasn't provoking the dog, another dog did did that, but the pit couldn't get to the other dog. Lucky for the pit there was a small child near by to take out his frustrations. I find this article irresponsible.

I'm appalled by the commentators who seem to believe that "spay/neuter" is a solution to aggression in dogs. Spay/neuter, while preventing a dog from reproducing, does NOTHING to curb aggression. It doesn't even prevent male dogs from being attracted to females in heat, or to attempting to breed them. To anyone who believes that a dog's desire to bite will be resolved by spaying or neutering, I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in purchasing. ALL dog owners need to be VERY VERY careful in agreeing with proponents of spay/neuter, as this is a major goal of animal-right extremists, who believe that animal ownership is a form of slavery, and who are behind a lot of the draconian legislation being pushed in many communities, which attempt to FORCE dog owners to spay/neuter their pets. Animal rightists are also behind a lot of breed-specific legislation; with the thinking that if they can get certain breeds banned, they can get their foot in the door to ban more and more breeds. Dog owners need to get their hands on Nathan Winogard's visionary book "Redemption", which explodes the myth of "animal overpopulation" in this country and explains why there is NO need to kill "surplus" dogs in shelters. Peta, for instance, operates a shelter in Virginia with such a high kill rate that although it took in thousands of animals in 2007 (and millions of dollars), it only adopted out 17 dogs and cats!! Dog owners need to be VERY VERY careful not to fall into the animal-rightist trap of believing that certain breeds are bad, or that spay/neuter is the solution to biting dogs. Once laws are in place that forbid certain breeds, or forbid dog owners from owning intact animals, it takes many law suits to force towns to rescind these terrible laws. Law-abiding American citizens who do NOT allow their animals to breed indiscriminately, or to bite people, are certainly in the majority, but need to be ever-vigilant against animal-rightist's tunnel-vision.

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german shepards are not aggressive in the slightest... ive grew up with them.... the 1st one we got when i was 8 or 9
and we never had a problem with her... however the next one was male and when i was 16.... the male was more trouble.... not aggressive... he was stronger and more playfull than our female... hence more trouble... i dont think any dog is aggressive!! unless it is treated unfairly then all most all dogs are fine! so if u come across an aggressive dog then its probably had a bad past... its not their fault...dogs are mans best friend... but man cannot love unconditionaly like dos.... theres no better pshcologist than a dog licking your face

FINE NO PROBLEM WITH NOT BANNING BREEDS. BUT LET PUNISHMENT FIT THE CRIME. LET THE OWNERS OF DOGS WHO KILL AND MAUL DO THE SAME TIME HUMAN OFFENDERS WOULD AND PUT DOWN THE DOGS. AND FOR SERIOUS BITES LET THE OWNERS HAVE AN ASSUALT CHARGE. MOST GOING TO JAIL WILL STILL BE PIT, AND ROTT OWNERS. LET A FEW DO LIFE AND SEE HOW MANY WILL RISK THESE BREEDS. AND PLENTY OF PEOPLE HAVE LOVED THEIR PITTS ONLY TO SEE THEIR OWN KIDS KILLED. PUT THEM IN JAIL...

Twenty Five years ago, my life changed drastically. My first child at 8 months of age was mauled and her carotid artery was severed. by a pittbull. The dog was not leashed as local statue required he be. The wounds were fatal needless to say. I have spent a large part of my life blaming the breed until a neighbors saved me from a stafforshire terrier hell bend on invading my yard. Although certain breeds may hold a predisposition for aggressive behavior, it is the owners who are predisposed to ignorance. I own a 130 lb american bulldog 21 months old that has been properly socialized and while territorially prottective has been taught to demonstrate aggression towards humans and canines only in case of danger to his person or a family member. Ignorance and lack of common sense are two diseases that affect many unsavory dog owners. CHAIN AND MAINTAIN

Steve, I'm so sorry for what your family has gone through. Thanks for sharing your story and for your insights. MC

Last summer we rescued a one year old pit / shepherd mix. He was the staff favorite at the shelter, and passed all their temperament tests with flying colors. We loved him. However, before he came to the shelter he must have gone through some horrible abuse. He became aggressive towards children, other dogs, and one time went after my boyfriend. After working with a behaviorist, we determined that he needed to be put down. It was the hardest decision and the worst day of my life. He was not aggressive because he was a pit mix - he was aggressive because of some bad treatment early in his life, and we were too late to save him.

We have since adopted a rottweiler puppy, and he is the biggest teddy bear you could ever imagine. He loves every dog and every person he meets. If another dog in park is aggressive towards him or snaps at him, he just turns away. More often than not, it is the dachsunds, labs, terriers we encounter that are dog aggressive. Bottom line is, you can't discriminate based on breed. Owners have the responsibility to properly train and socialize their dogs. A well-trained dog can bring so much joy to your life.

Well I would like to say that my husband and I have five dogs all together. Out of those five dogs we have four pure bred pitbulls two reds, two blues, then we have one mutt. Out of our dogs our only mean one is the mutt. Pitbulls are the best family dogs, the best with children and when you raise them right they are very friendly with other dogs.Pitbull loyalty is unsurpassed in my opinion. If anybody would read up on pitbulls they would realize the only thing that they need is a good chance to socialize with other dogs from a young age. Any dog could be vicious, it just depends on how they were raised. Please learn as much as you can and pass the knowledge onto others who might not care about pitbulls. Remember fight the fight with knowledge.

I don't think any dog breed should be banned. Aggression is a major problem, but it Can be prevented. Dog owners just need to be more responsible for their pets.

I think before acquiring any dog, the owner should have to get a licence.

Especially if the dog is over 25kgs, as this size of dog cannot be tackled easily by a human. However, as someone said, size doesn't much matter if you're a baby or toddler, a small/medium dog can kill.

When I was two, my family bought a purebred female Rhodesian Ridgbeack, and I lived with her until she died (wobbler's) at thirteen. I was taught to be terrifed of Pit Bulls,but then I found out that there have been fatal ridgeback maulings, and that really opened my eyes. I'd never have dreamt that a ridgeback could do it, because ours let the cat clamber all over her, and let me sit on her like a horse (when I was five). Any breed of dog can be a crazy, horrible, aggressive creature, or a well-balanced pet, but owners need to tain them and make allowanced for their inherited characteristics.

I worked in the Pet industry for 8 years. Like I told everyone looking for any animal for a pet, if it has a mouth, it can bite you.

I cant stand people who think its okay for little dogs to bite. Biting should not be allowed in any breed, but its obvious that little dogs bite more than any large dog.

Shame on owners with little dogs that bite.

I went to the dog park and a lady's two bichons bit my great dane. My dane did nothing.

Let's put them to sleep since they bit my dog!!!!!!

I work in a grooming salon. The most vicious dogs that I have dealt with were Dachshunds and Min Pins. I was recently bit by a Dachshund. I had to send the dog home without being bathed. The dog was too evil for me to even pet him. I've never had a mean pit bull though! I had one that liked to chew on a rubber brush while I worked on her. but she never tried to bite me. They've always been playful and hyper, but not aggressive.

I have owned a Dachshund for over a year now. We got Bella as a 12 week old puppy and she has not once tried to bite or gnaw me or any of the 7 other people in our household. She was shown nothing but love from the second she was brought into our house and she now gives love in abundance. It's all in the way a dog is raised. when taught to be fierce and confrontational any dog can be dangerous but if shown love any dog can be fit for a child's pet.

No wonder my 140 lb Great Dane is terrifies of chihuahuas! The DOGS KNOW!!!!

As the owner of 3 lab/spitz mix dogs and previous owner of a rottie & 3 full blood labs, I have an afinity for large dogs. While any dog will show aggression when threatened or protecting his people, I have found that large dogs in general do not show the meanness of small dogs. My neighbors and another friend have multiple terriers (rat and miniature somethings) all have bitten, snapped, lunged and growled at me. All are aggressive toward other dogs and most have bitten my dogs. My dogs have totally ignored them for the most part, although at times will turn and snap when the little things bite their hind quarters. In every case my dogs were leashed and the little ones allowed to run free.

When my kids were small, my rottie played nanny to them. She would alert me if they tried to leave the yard, she would put herself between them and anyone who entered our yard, never growling or barking, just keeping a barrier. She would put herself between me and the kids if I raised my voice. My lab (mother to my lab/spitz mixes) was extremely protective of my youngest especially, but all of us and would gently move anyone she saw as a threat away from her family...using her nose to push or her mouth, softly-never using her teeth in 13 years- to remove a hand she saw as a threat. She tolerated things from children she would not with an adult, she always was gentle with small children, even as a puppy would tone down her playfulness if children were around. My friends with little dogs who bite or growl or go to attack mode laugh it off. They by the same token are afraid of my dogs who have never shown aggression toward humans and rarely toward other dogs--(cats are a different story as are squirrels, snakes, rats, armadillos and possums!)

I think anyone who has a dog should have to take classes on proper dog training and care and if they can not pass they should not be allowed to have a dog. Also anyone who gets dog after dog and "loses" them either to they disappeared or they got ran over or we had to get rid of him, should be not allowed to have a dog after 3 such instances. I know a lady who has had 5 small dogs, all ran over within a block from her home in the past 3 years...my thought is, why after the first one were the others off leash EVER. My husbands ex has had at least 7 dogs in the past 9 years, none for more than a year--they all got given away because they did things like bark, mess on floor, chew something or get on furniture. I have had 2 dogs disappear, both in a 3 month period, both lab puppies and both taken from my yard. At the same time I know of 6 others that disappeared. Shortly after a ring of dog fighters were busted for stealing large breed dogs to train their dogs on. It makes me ill to think my 2 gentle natured lab pups were used for this, but all indication is they were. We filed reports to police, paper, animal shelter and posted fliers, all within hours of the dog being discovered missing--responded to many calls, but none my dogs.

"That's a ridiculous argument. I have been punched by toddlers and punched by a six-foot mugger--only the six-foot mugger sent me to the emergency room.
I don't think any dog breed should be banned but large aggressive breeds like pit bulls and German shepherds should require a special license and should be required to train for a Canine Good Citizen certificate."

I have some questions for you....why shouldn't this be the case for ALL dogs and ALL dog owners??? Why should there be any discrimination based on breed?? I'd like to see your evidence that supports your claim that "large aggressive breeds" actually exist anywhere but in mainstream media. I'd also like to understand why you compared a small dogs bite to a toddler punching you, yet you compare a larger dog of a specific breed to a mugger?? This is exactly why breed specific legislation is allowed and in some places encouraged. It's no wonder people are OK with passing such narrow minded legislation to outlaw these dogs. Most people's only exposure to these breeds is seeing them vilified every night at 6 and 10, along with the muggers. You'll never see the thousands of dogs that are good therapy dogs, or search and rescue dogs. You won't hear about how the pitbull woke it's deaf elderly owner during a house fire. ALL you'll ever hear about pitbulls, rotties, etc. is that one mauled a child someplace, or attacked another dog. Why is media coverage so slanted against these dogs??

Would we ever pass any laws stating that anyone over 6' tall should go to anti-mugging, or "good citizen" training, due to the fact that if they punched someone it would do more damage?? If that sort of legislation were presented to any governing body it would be laughed at a deemed unconstitutional. Civil Rights attorneys would have a hay day. Yet we see it as OK if it applies to an animal....WHY? It's not the animal that's the problem. Its the PEOPLE that are responsible for the care and protection of the animal. It seems to me that selective enforcement may benefit the uneducated majority, and hurt the responsible minority. Why wouldn't we want ALL dog owners and their dogs to get training on how to be responsible owners and good members of society??
We need to be focused on how to prevent ANY sort aggressive behavior by ANY dog, not selectively enforcing rules on a small minority merely because of the breed.

We boarded a Miniature Dachshund a year ago & that little spoiled mutt attacked me & my whole family! My brother had a huge hole in his thumb when he tried to push the dog out to the porch because it sh*t in our house & was stepping all over it. That little bugger did not let anyone lay a finger on it. If you do, she will bite hard. She does not care.

We've also noticed when the owners came back to pick her up, they wrapped her in a towel & carried her. The owner gave it a really fast peck/kiss on the head like she's so afraid of her own dog biting her. Can you imagine, the dog's owners are terrified of their own dog? They told us that their dog snaps at them everyday. Gosh, if that was my dog, it would have been put down a long time ago. The thing is, the owners have approved her horrible behaviour for 6 years. Already way too long to be able to be corrected unless you do the "helicopter" method on it. That would definitely break the dog's bad behaviour.

I have come across many Chihuahuas that are aggressive too. Infact, I have not met one that is friendly yet. Those buggers are really nasty.

It's the same for JRTs. I have not come across one that is stable & friendly to everyone. I know a few people who own JRTs & they train together. Their dogs are always fighting over a tennis ball. Gosh!

I will never ever own these breeds or any small dogs. They really turn me off...

I am glad my 4 GRs & Dalmatian are well bred, well brought up, well trained & well socialized. They have very stable temperaments, independent & just overall, wonderful dogs.

Hi. I own a dachshund AND a chihuahua (mixed with a terrier, probably JRT!). Dachshunds can be seriously aggresive.
Hamish (my dachshund) wants to be aggressive towards other dogs but I won't let him. I take it very seriously. He's very loving with people but I still wouldn't trust him 100% because he's a bit uptight.

My Chi mix, Lupe, is the sweetest dog I've ever had. She is very very good natured, very friendly, loves everyone. And she was abused before I got her. So genetics can play a part.

For some reason my pure bred dachshund who's never suffered a day in his life (except training if you can call that suffering) is more of a handful than Lupe who had some horrendous things happen to her. However, I'm fully aware of the rep for both of these dogs.

As an owner it is my responsiblity to train them and not inflict their bad behavior on others. For their safety as well as others.

Most pits I meet are very sweet, loving, big babies. I look forward to adopting one one day. Same with Rotties. I know there are aggressive dogs in any breed. Some dogs, regardless of breed aren't quite right in the head from the get go- just like some people. Probably neurological, maybe genetic.

Either way, owners must train their dogs just as people must raise their children to be civil (now don't get me started on THAT subject! lol!).

I have a Rottie given to us when she was several months old. She doesn't start fights, but if barked at, will not back down very easily. I think it is a matter of instinct and pride with her...she is a very courageous dog. BUT...I feel it's my duty NOT to take her to the dog park where dogs run free, as she is WAY too big for me to wrestle down if another dog made threatening noises, etc. She is just too big and powerful to take the chance, given her 100 pound body, well developed muscles and way bigger than normal teeth. Her head is so huge and strong there is just NO WAY I could restrain her in a dog fight, short of a muzzle. She is the sweetest, most intelligeent most loving dog I've ever had (just DEMANDS you pet her and make eye contact--she'll just sit in your way and make goo-goo eyes with you)and she loves ALL PEOPLE incuding kids...but would I trust her --or any big dog---with my three year old grandson? Not in a million years! It's not worth the risk.
Facial scars, torn carotids,or just a smashing injury if a big dog knocked down and walked over a small child...just NOT worth it! I shuddered reading what the woman wrote about letting her rottie watch her young kids. Sometimes I'm not real sure these big dogs know that kids are little humans...as opposed to perhaps big hams? I give my rottie bigger bones than my toddler grandson is tall! Be smart, people: don't really trust ANY dog around a baby or small child!

i never thought that Chihuahuas are aggressive because of their cuteness... well i should believe that small dogs are not to be trusted. ..

I love small dogs they are so, cute and yeah some dogs bite but, thats a good thing though. so, if they need to keep out for their owners. I dont have a problem with big dogs. I LOVE ALL DOGS I AM A ANIMAL PRESON

Interesting that someone suggested that "all dog owners" should have to take a course. I wish we had that requirement for all people who had children!

Of course, I do own two Dachshunds, who have never bitten anyone in their lives, but I guess you should all run for your lives...

My four year old was bit by a german shepard today. broken bone resulted and 10 stitches. Cops or Humane Society did not respond.
3 months ago, my blue bull bit someone that jumped into the back of my suburban where he was tied. It was on the news that night. He has since been put down thanks to pit haters at the local humane society. He was a show dog. never treated aggressively, never trained to be aggressive.
BLAME THE DEED, NOT THE BREED!

I adopted a wonderful, overweight, smooth,standard,brown lady dachsund and she brought so much happiness to my life...every day she made me laugh..she loved to have her belly rubbed with baby oil...She loved to be held, petted, sitting on my lap in bed. About a month ago she suddenly bit me..not much of a bite at the time, She started to refuse to go for a walk and used her puppy pad - three weeks ago I went to take her leash off and she nearly bit my right index finger off,,,subsequently biting my arm (small bites). Last night she attacked me for no reason,,she bites and pulls - this is very serious bite, heavy bleeding, terrible pain, again my right hand. I refuse to go to the hospital because they will report thus, I can't face losing her and wonder if someone has a suggetion...We can't get her in my van as we can't lift her.She has never been agressive to us, has never by hit or verbally abused, Nothing about our living arrangements has changed. We are together all the time since I do not work. I am brokenhearted because my family insist she be taken to a vet.
I lost my 22 year old son some years ago and she made me smile and laugh when I never thought I would never smile again.

So now I understood why Paris Hilton has a chihuahua. It can protect her from paparazzi!