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Post by trippindaisy on Jan 29, 2008 23:07:21 GMT -5
So we currently have a German Shepherd mix who is 12 years old and a Chow mix who is 8 years old. We are thinking about adding to our family and adopting another one but aren't sure what to get.
Ideally we would like a dog around 30-50 lbs with short hair and we want an adult (over 2 years old). We will be getting one from one of the local animal shelters or rescue agencies but there are sooo many dogs out there.
I have seen a Rottweiler/shepherd mix that I loved but have never really been around Rottwielers. I also have looked at some Pit Bulls but my fiance is worried about that breed..... I have friends who have a Pit Bull who is the sweetest dog ever.
Post by viciouscircle on Jan 29, 2008 23:29:48 GMT -5
Pit Bulls are not inherently aggressive, and make great pets. Same for Rottweillers - it depends on the dog and, more importantly, the person who raised the dog. I've known incredibly sweet and affectionate pits and Rotties, and vicious Golden Retrievers. If you are adopting from a shelter or rescue organization, and adopting an older dog, you'll be able to find out if the dog you are interested in has aggression issues. Shelters do temperamnet tests, and those tests and how they're analyzed varies from shelter to shelter, so ask questions about what the shelter does and how the dog you're interested in reacted. Ask if the dog has been exposed to other dogs, cats, childeren or anything else that might concern you. Then adopt the individual dog that fits into your family, and don't worry about breed mythologies perpetuated by the media and a paranoid public.
Post by ziggyandthemonkeys on Jan 29, 2008 23:36:48 GMT -5
viciouscircle said:
Pit Bulls are not inherently aggressive, and make great pets. Same for Rottweillers - it depends on the dog and, more importantly, the person who raised the dog. I've known incredibly sweet and affectionate pits and Rotties, and vicious Golden Retrievers. If you are adopting from a shelter or rescue organization, and adopting an older dog, you'll be able to find out if the dog you are interested in has aggression issues. Shelters do temperamnet tests, and those tests and how they're analyzed varies from shelter to shelter, so ask questions about what the shelter does and how the dog you're interested in reacted. Ask if the dog has been exposed to other dogs, cats, childeren or anything else that might concern you. Then adopt the individual dog that fits into your family, and don't worry about breed mythologies perpetuated by the media and a paranoid public.
I couldn't have put it any better. While certain dogs do have tendencies to a temperament, i believe it is more influenced by how they were raised. And i always say the more animals the merrier.
Post by viciouscircle on Jan 29, 2008 23:45:54 GMT -5
Agreed, Ziggy (and karma for not being a breedophobe!), certain dog breeds do have certain tendencies to different temperaments. In temperament testing, the American Pit Bull actually does better than many other dogs that noone ever thinks about being aggressive - beagles and poodles both pass the temperament test at a lower rate than pits. AND THEY DON'T HAVE LOCKING JAWS!! Sorry to yell, but that lie has done so much to destroy the reputaion of this breed, which leads to breed bans (and the subsequent putting to death of thousands of innocent animals) and discourages people from adopting them - which also leads to them being put to death. GRRRR. This subject really disturbs me, sorry. Rant over! For anyone interested in more info on pit bulls specifically, check out this site www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.cfm And for a list of different breed's performances in temperament testing, check this out - www.atts.org/statistics.html
Post by mulcherry0420 on Jan 29, 2008 23:50:20 GMT -5
i would have gotten an adorable rottie mix from the Lex humane society here, but the apts have breed restrictions. so i settled with a basset. i think the rottie mix was a bit calmer than my basset is, and that says a lot. i love doggies
Post by ziggyandthemonkeys on Jan 29, 2008 23:54:56 GMT -5
It is also my understanding that pitbulls and rots are some of the most faithful to their owners, which i think is one of the things that gets misconstrued for being violent.
Post by viciouscircle on Jan 30, 2008 0:08:59 GMT -5
Yeah, both breeds are known for loyalty, and once upon a time Pit Bulls were actually celebrated for that. Then the bad behavior of shady breeders and aggressive OWNERS gave the media a ratings-grabbing villain in the breed, and all that changed. Personally, I think all dogs are inherently good dogs, and as long as they are properly trained and treated, that's how they'll act. I hate that the punishment for a dog being aggressive at all is usually death, while the punishment for the human who made the dog that way is usually nothing. I remember seeing an episode of Animal Cops, and the owners of a dog had starved it to death. The woman was charged with animal cruelty, convicted and sentenced - to one day in jail. ONE DAY.
Post by trippindaisy on Jan 30, 2008 9:14:04 GMT -5
I totally agree about Pit Bulls, my friend has one who comes to visit when she goes out of town and she is the sweetest dog. I am definitely not ruling them out because there are so many of them in some of the shelters I am however leaning towards the Rottie/Shepherd mix.
I will post a picture once we go and visit some and decide
In Mississippi, animal cruelty is a felony - unfortunately - that is not the case in many states.
As for the pit bull issue - I am a "breedaphobe" as you so nicely put it - but then again - that would be because Boz is an Animal Control Officer and my mother-in-law is the director if the Mississippi Animal Rescue League. I have seen first hand what a pit bull can and will do.
When he goes out on raids with the narcotics unit - I worry because I know he will be out there dealing with pit bulls and sometimes as many as 20-30 pit bulls. Not a good situation.
I am not saying that they are all bad - but they have been so inbred over the years that they are generally not safe around anyone that did not raise them and we have even had pit bulls turn on their friends with no provocation from the friend. Dalmations are the same way as far as the inbreeding goes - they used to be loveable trusting dogs - but - in general - (again - I am not saying ALL) they now have short tempers and are quick to snap.
Yes - dogs get most of their behavior from how they are raised and treated - but some breeds - through no fault of their own - have been inbred by people looking for certain tendancies and - unfortunately - the pit bull tendancy is agression to be used as a fighting dog.
Just my opinion tho - and I know not everyone thinks the way I do
...and keeping in mind that most, if not all of your experience with pitbulls came in the form of "bad owner" pitbulls....
True - but we do have friends that have them - my experiences just make me very wary around them and I would not own one.
But - I also would not own a Chow and I have owned them in the past and had great experiences with them - love the breed - but I have children and they are a very one person type of dog.
Just not willing to take the chance with my kids - pit bull, chow, dalmation.
Even when we get a boxer (which is what I want) - the dog will never be alone in the same room with my kids
Post by koyaanisqatsi on Jan 30, 2008 9:37:18 GMT -5
That's a shame. But i understand that just as dogs should not be stereotyped, nor should people. You may have very good reason to honor that paranoia.
My example is much to the contrary. Though we do not have kids, AND our dogs are very loyal to us, every time any of our dogs hear the shriek of a neighbor child, they instantly perk up on alert and make eye contact with us, as if to ask, " everythings cool with those kids, right ? " And I mean VERY CONCERNED about the childrens' welfare.
I'd be AS choosy with the PEOPLE i let around my kids as the dogs(if i had kids, that is).
Pitts and Rotts are great dogs and actually less hyper (and therefore less likely to be aggressive) than Chows. The only problem I'd look for is to make sure a pound puppy has not been abused and such by someone trying to make it mean. That's easily enough done just by spending a few minutes with the dog and seeing how it reacts to people and other dogs in the shelter.
I LOVE Rotts and Pitts. They are the most loyal dogs. They often strongly attach to a single person and males can be strong willed so you must remain the alpha male and be consistent in your discipline or they will try and get away with a lot (ie getting in the trash, not coming when you call, etc.) Females tend to push the limits less but neither is bad unless you slack off a lot.
Of course these are all generalizations and each dog is an individual.
Karma for getting a pound puppy. I have 7 and have never regretted a one.
Post by trippindaisy on Jan 30, 2008 11:14:00 GMT -5
troo said:
Pitts and Rotts are great dogs and actually less hyper (and therefore less likely to be aggressive) than Chows. The only problem I'd look for is to make sure a pound puppy has not been abused and such by someone trying to make it mean. That's easily enough done just by spending a few minutes with the dog and seeing how it reacts to people and other dogs in the shelter.
I LOVE Rotts and Pitts. They are the most loyal dogs. They often strongly attach to a single person and males can be strong willed so you must remain the alpha male and be consistent in your discipline or they will try and get away with a lot (ie getting in the trash, not coming when you call, etc.) Females tend to push the limits less but neither is bad unless you slack off a lot.
Of course these are all generalizations and each dog is an individual.
Karma for getting a pound puppy. I have 7 and have never regretted a one.
Thanks My other 2 dogs came from bad situations - one of them is a chow mix and she has shown some agression (not towards us) once or twice but nothing too scary. She was the dog of a friend who had cancer and because of the medical bills and long term effects was not able to take care of her anymore. No-one wanted her because she was 7 years old and a chow mix, so we took her in and she is a sweet baby with a very unique little personality.
Post by ramblinman on Jan 30, 2008 11:21:35 GMT -5
My roommates and I rescued a Greyhound from the track here in Mobile, AL and he is the best dog I've ever had. They're treated so poorly at the tracks but they have a mild temperment so any amount of love you give them they return 10 fold. He's great with kids and I've heard greyhounds are one of the best breeds when it comes to verbal commands. I've had dogs all my life including collies, a great dane, labs, and a golden retriever but our greyhound, trigger, is by far my favorite. The only disadvantage is you don't get them in the puppy stage but ifyou're looking to adopt i would guess that's not a huge priority for you anyway.
Post by viciouscircle on Jan 30, 2008 11:36:27 GMT -5
I love greyhounds! If you are looking for a dog that will always be willing to get on your lap, you can't go wrong with greyhounds. One thing though - they are trained to run at the sight of small moving objects, and run they will, so if you don't have a fenced yard it may not be the best choice. Although some friends of mine had one without a fenced yard - they just had to take her to a fenced area if she was going to be outside off-leash. I had a chow/German shepherd mix that was both very protective and completely non-aggressive. My current dog is a chow mix too (I think, pound dog so can't be sure) and a total sissy. My 5 pound cat is the boss of him, and his main issue with people is that they sit down so he can put his 70 lbs on their lap.
I highly suggest adopting a greyhound. My hubbie is a vet and in his spare time he does volunteer work with the greyhound adoption center here in louisiana. These dogs are some of the sweetest and most intelligent dogs out there. They are usually brought up in less than ideal situations and want nothing more to please it's owner. They are relatively inactive indoors and most well make do with a small yard. They get along great with other dogs and kids. If you have a cat I would take precautions because they are breed to chase small fury things. So, your cat would be the perfect target. hehe
Pitts are also great dogs. I have a friend who has a pit and it is one of the goofiest, most clumsy, cutest dogs ever. At the bottom is a picture of Samson. He is a big sweetheart. With that being sad, I would be a little weary of adopting an older pitt because you don't know about his prior living situations. He might seem fine at first but you have no idea what could trigger is aggression. Where as if you raised one from a puppy you know what you are getting.
After hurricane Katrina I did some volunteer work with Best Friends Animal Society. We worked to reunite dogs with their owners and to get the other dogs adopted. We had a lot of pit bulls and pit mixes. They were mostly sweet dogs. They were also very hard to get adopted. If you don't have apartment or insurance restrictions it would be great if you adopted a pit, because they don't get as many chances for adoption.
Post by trippindaisy on Jan 30, 2008 15:45:43 GMT -5
mojoworks said:
After hurricane Katrina I did some volunteer work with Best Friends Animal Society. We worked to reunite dogs with their owners and to get the other dogs adopted. We had a lot of pit bulls and pit mixes. They were mostly sweet dogs. They were also very hard to get adopted. If you don't have apartment or insurance restrictions it would be great if you adopted a pit, because they don't get as many chances for adoption.
Good advice - we own our house, but when we got our homeowners insurance we had to sign something that said we owned a German Shepherd mix and a Chow mix, because both are considered "agressive breeds". (calling my sheperd agressive is the silliest thing I have ever heard ). So we already have that clause in there - adding another so called agressive breed won't matter much
BTW I love the pic of Samson. The Pit bull I know is very goofy and clumsy also
Last Edit: Jan 30, 2008 15:47:01 GMT -5 by trippindaisy - Back to Top
If you have kids, I'm in the no pits camp as well. I hate to say it... I don't support BSL or anything and I grew up with a doberman who was the sweetest thing ever. And I've met some really nice pit bulls. The thing is that they are a LOT of dog to handle. I have an Aussie and he's very dominant and difficult to handle. Pits are the same way. It takes a lot of work to give them the sort of discipline and handling that they need in order to be well-behaved dogs. Most people are not able to give them what they need.
I used to be a vet tech and I've also seen them "turn" and have to be put down. But I've also seen a lot of aggressive small terriers and chihuahuas... It's just that when a pit bull decides to go bad, a lot of damage can be done. I also agree that it is a genetic factor and you just never know what's in a dog's genetic history.
Now, if you know what you are getting into, are willing to work hard on the dog, don't have kids, and willing to hire a behaviorist or dog trainer (and I'm not talking about Petsmart puppy classes) if necessary... then get a pit. I've heard they can be great dogs. And if you have a chow, you already have some experience with a difficult breed.
Breeds I like: herding breeds, greyhounds have been mentioned already... If you're going to the shelter, worry less about breed and more about temperment.
Post by viciouscircle on Jan 30, 2008 22:20:02 GMT -5
My daughter was attacked by a golden retriever in a park, and an Australian Shepherd at a friend's house. I wouldn't advise people with kids to avoid those breeds because of that, because anecdotal evidence is a contradiction of terms. Statistics on temperament testing give Pit Bulls a better temperament rating than either Aussies or Golden Retrievers - those are the simple facts. Any dog that you are adopting could have behavioral issues that aren't readily apparent, but the idea that pits are more likely to have those problems has been repeatedly proven to be a myth. For example, the American Temperament Test Society tested 542 pit bulls in 2006, and 84.1% passed the test. Australian shepherds - 571 tested, 80.7% pass. Golden Retrievers - 687 tested, 83.8% pass. Clearly, aggression is not a breed characteristic, which means that they are no more likely to "turn" than any other breed, and statistically considerably less likely than many other breeds.
So we currently have a German Shepherd mix who is 12 years old and a Chow mix who is 8 years old. We are thinking about adding to our family and adopting another one but aren't sure what to get.
Ideally we would like a dog around 30-50 lbs with short hair and we want an adult (over 2 years old). We will be getting one from one of the local animal shelters or rescue agencies but there are sooo many dogs out there.
I have seen a Rottweiler/shepherd mix that I loved but have never really been around Rottwielers. I also have looked at some Pit Bulls but my fiance is worried about that breed..... I have friends who have a Pit Bull who is the sweetest dog ever.
Any suggestions?
Yeah, its really all about the owner. Ive got a Catahoula with a little bit of Rotty in him and he's a barker but he doesn't bite and warms up to people fairly quickly.
Post by BrokenLight on Jan 31, 2008 0:22:45 GMT -5
my dachsund died a few weeks ago of old age and a bad heart. i really want to get another one but i'd feel bad because no other dog could ever be like "willie". if you go to bonnaroo's myspace and see a message posted by nate rosing, my dog is my profile pic.
something you might want to check is see if the shelter will let you bring your dogs in to see if they will get along with a dog you're looking at..... some shelters will let you do that...the one i would part time at does.... and meg was wrong about the felony animal cruelty except for livestock.... cats were just included 2 yrs ago on our cruelty law....
This word also has a underground meaning once you break it down. Let’s take “Bonn” for example and it actually turns into the word “Bone”. We all know gays use this word to describe the action of when they are fecal fisting their Cuban cabana boy at their sex bath house parties. Now let’s look at Roo, “Roo” is short for “Kangaroo”.So put the full true message together and you get“Bone a Kangaroo
Post by kaleidoscope kristen on Jan 31, 2008 3:41:46 GMT -5
bos1969 said:
In Mississippi, animal cruelty is a felony - unfortunately - that is not the case in many states.
As for the pit bull issue - I am a "breedaphobe" as you so nicely put it - but then again - that would be because Boz is an Animal Control Officer and my mother-in-law is the director if the Mississippi Animal Rescue League. I have seen first hand what a pit bull can and will do.
When he goes out on raids with the narcotics unit - I worry because I know he will be out there dealing with pit bulls and sometimes as many as 20-30 pit bulls. Not a good situation.
I am not saying that they are all bad - but they have been so inbred over the years that they are generally not safe around anyone that did not raise them and we have even had pit bulls turn on their friends with no provocation from the friend. Dalmations are the same way as far as the inbreeding goes - they used to be loveable trusting dogs - but - in general - (again - I am not saying ALL) they now have short tempers and are quick to snap.
Yes - dogs get most of their behavior from how they are raised and treated - but some breeds - through no fault of their own - have been inbred by people looking for certain tendancies and - unfortunately - the pit bull tendancy is agression to be used as a fighting dog.
Just my opinion tho - and I know not everyone thinks the way I do
I was going to put my two cents in, but you covered everything for me! I live on the Ms Gulf Coast, and it is unfortunate but there are many rings of dog fighting, and pit bulls and other pit mixes are generally the main types of dogs these people use for fights. It's disgusting to no end, and dogs that live a life like that only know uncontrollable agression.
Having said that, there was recently a case in Louisiana where a husband left his wife at home with their two pits they had raised since the dogs were puppies, and Kelly Chapman, who was 24, was attacked by her two dogs and bleed to death.
I'm not personally saying I believe that pits are just "bad seeds". I do not discriminate against breeds. But what I am saying is that there have been QUITE a few instances of this breed lashing out from aggression. That may be due to mistreatment like using the dogs as fighting dogs, or something else may be going on.
as soon as i buy my own house, my boyfriend and i are adopting a pitbull/mix from the local pound. He absolutely loves the breed. His 14 year old pit recently died and he really wants another. She was a birthday present when he was younger and one of the best dogs ever! She was pretty much his best friend. I really want a great dane though... it's a good thing we love dogs
I am however leaning towards the Rottie/Shepherd mix. 
). So we already have that clause in there - adding another so called agressive breed won't matter much 
&