Why do you keep an aggressive dog?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It is an ego thing for a lot of them.

Honestly, what the hell is wrong with DCUM women? I wish I could send my aggressive dog in your direction right now lol.

Are you literally trying to demonstrate the point that it's all about your ego? You are a perfect example.

No I just think it’s hilarious how frigggin judgey DCUM women are. They just sit around and judge judge judge. I hate judgey people more than aggressive dogs.

Call me whatever you want. If I had my way, if your dog injured or killed someone, you would be charged with assault or manslaughter and get actual prison time.

I can’t believe people keep these huge, aggressive dogs. It’s like keeping a loaded gun in your front yard. Oh, it won’t hurt you because you know how to use it. And most of the time it’s just sitting there. But then some child comes along thinking it’s a toy, and...

Talk about a drama queen.

I don’t think so. I posted earlier on this thread that my housekeeper’s six year old grandson is in the ICU following an attack by a neighborhood dog. He has injuries to his trachea and aorta, and his scalp was torn off. They are having difficulty getting him off of the vent right now. The owners are SOO sorry.

The feelings that you have that keep you from putting a dangerous dog down because you loooove it, or you have some obligation to provide it with a home are dramatic, illogical, and not at all in keeping with the facts of the situation. And comparing adopting an abused dog with adopting an abused human child is absolutely ridiculous. If you have similar sympathies for both dog and child, then you need to rethink how much you are anthropomorphizing dogs or how little you care for children that you consider to be animals or lower than animals.

I have always had dogs. I care for my dogs. But they are not, actually, my children. Or even my neighbor’s children. Keeping a large, aggressive dog is twisted.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Some people (not me) like aggressive dogs. They'll talk as if they don't and will say they're sorry if their dog scares you, but deep down inside, they don't give a damn if you're scared. They're selfish and entitled and as long as it's someone else who is worried, they'll continue on as if nothing was wrong.

You have serious issues if you think anyone beyond a very very small minority of people like aggressive dogs. Ridiculous.

A very, very, small minority of people is still "some people". So the previous comment is not ridiculous.

You can find exceptions to every rule, but that doesn’t help move the discussion. It’s a ridiculous comment just the same.

You're very picky.

Oh cmon. To respond to the question “why do people keep aggressive dogs” by essentially responding “because they secretly get off on it” is a stupid ass response. We all know that’s not the reason.

Thinking of breeds like pit bulls, that’s exactly the reason people have them. NP.

[Anonymous]

An idiot brought his pit bull to the dog park today with his two pre-teen sons. The three of them together had a hard time keeping their pit bull in check. That dog barked at and scared the crap out of everyone there. They cleared out the place within 15 minutes. Everyone took their dogs and left because it was unsafe. The poor kids looked upset. They clearly love their dog but they also seemed to understand that the dog was being unnecessarily aggressive. The father was just a oblivious goon.

Don't bring your pitbulls to the dog park when it is packed. ugh.

[Anonymous]

We had a sweet purebred lab that but someone who reached inside our fence to steal a bike. She broke skin and the guy left a trail of blood as he ran off.

Was he a thief who shouldn’t have been doing what he was doing and asking for trouble? Yes, but still shouldn’t be bitten. We could have gotten in trouble if this person had pressed charges.

Dogs are animals. They’ll all bite under certain circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people (not me) like aggressive dogs. They'll talk as if they don't and will say they're sorry if their dog scares you, but deep down inside, they don't give a damn if you're scared. They're selfish and entitled and as long as it's someone else who is worried, they'll continue on as if nothing was wrong.

You have serious issues if you think anyone beyond a very very small minority of people like aggressive dogs. Ridiculous.

A very, very, small minority of people is still "some people". So the previous comment is not ridiculous.

You can find exceptions to every rule, but that doesn’t help move the discussion. It’s a ridiculous comment just the same.

You're very picky.

Oh cmon. To respond to the question “why do people keep aggressive dogs” by essentially responding “because they secretly get off on it” is a stupid ass response. We all know that’s not the reason.

Thinking of breeds like pit bulls, that’s exactly the reason people have them. NP.

Aggressive dog owner here and you're absolutely right. There are some aggressive dog owners, certainly not all, who specifically have them because they like the intimidation factor and think it makes them look like a bada$$. I live in NE DC and I encounter these people every day - they let their dog lunge at you and just barely keep them out of biting distance all the while grinning from ear to ear knowing that they've terrified you.

Not all of us are like that though. I've had an aggressive dog for nearly 10 years now. He was surrendered to me by a coworker who said they had to give him up to focus more time on their newborn (totally fair) and they swore up and down the dog was perfectly well behaved. The first few weeks/months I assumed the growling and teeth baring and lunging was just an adjustment phase since the dog was originally a rescue, then a foster, then given up to me so he had been through 4 different owners and was only a year and a half old.

By the time I realized the aggression was a permanent issue, I was already too attached to give him up, especially since I knew the only realistic option was putting him down. He is the sweetest, most loving and protective dog when it's just me and my wife, but all bets are off with strangers. It has turned out to be a very expensive and stress-inducing commitment, but if you offered me the chance to go back and change my mind I'd never take it in a million years. We've worked with trainers, vets, behaviorists, and many others and improved his behavior and quality of life to the fullest extent possible, but it still requires constant vigilance and never, ever letting him off leash near other people or animals or even on leash anywhere close enough to them where it could be interpreted as threatening.

Some people don't understand having that level of commitment to an animal. That's fine, I don't understand having kids so to each their own. However, it is absolutely possible to responsibly keep an aggressive dog. It's just sad that many people want to have their cake and eat it too by keeping an aggressive dog and not putting the work it takes in to do it responsibly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people (not me) like aggressive dogs. They'll talk as if they don't and will say they're sorry if their dog scares you, but deep down inside, they don't give a damn if you're scared. They're selfish and entitled and as long as it's someone else who is worried, they'll continue on as if nothing was wrong.

You have serious issues if you think anyone beyond a very very small minority of people like aggressive dogs. Ridiculous.

A very, very, small minority of people is still "some people". So the previous comment is not ridiculous.

You can find exceptions to every rule, but that doesn’t help move the discussion. It’s a ridiculous comment just the same.

You're very picky.

Oh cmon. To respond to the question “why do people keep aggressive dogs” by essentially responding “because they secretly get off on it” is a stupid ass response. We all know that’s not the reason.

Thinking of breeds like pit bulls, that’s exactly the reason people have them. NP.

Aggressive dog owner here and you're absolutely right. There are some aggressive dog owners, certainly not all, who specifically have them because they like the intimidation factor and think it makes them look like a bada$$. I live in NE DC and I encounter these people every day - they let their dog lunge at you and just barely keep them out of biting distance all the while grinning from ear to ear knowing that they've terrified you.

Not all of us are like that though. I've had an aggressive dog for nearly 10 years now. He was surrendered to me by a coworker who said they had to give him up to focus more time on their newborn (totally fair) and they swore up and down the dog was perfectly well behaved. The first few weeks/months I assumed the growling and teeth baring and lunging was just an adjustment phase since the dog was originally a rescue, then a foster, then given up to me so he had been through 4 different owners and was only a year and a half old.

By the time I realized the aggression was a permanent issue, I was already too attached to give him up, especially since I knew the only realistic option was putting him down. He is the sweetest, most loving and protective dog when it's just me and my wife, but all bets are off with strangers. It has turned out to be a very expensive and stress-inducing commitment, but if you offered me the chance to go back and change my mind I'd never take it in a million years. We've worked with trainers, vets, behaviorists, and many others and improved his behavior and quality of life to the fullest extent possible, but it still requires constant vigilance and never, ever letting him off leash near other people or animals or even on leash anywhere close enough to them where it could be interpreted as threatening.

Some people don't understand having that level of commitment to an animal. That's fine, I don't understand having kids so to each their own. However, it is absolutely possible to responsibly keep an aggressive dog. It's just sad that many people want to have their cake and eat it too by keeping an aggressive dog and not putting the work it takes in to do it responsibly.

I'm not the person you were responding to, but wanted to let you know we are in the exact same boat. Our dog's aggression did not surface until we had him for a year, and he is the sweetest animal on earth with just the two of us but leaving the house or having any guests over requires extreme vigilance. I wish I knew you in real life - it is a very isolating experience that most people don't understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you know your dog is a biter, why do you keep it?

shamed on this board.

[Anonymous]

Do you have kids, OP? Imagine one of them having special needs.

It’s not that dissimilar really. You make a personal commitment to a living creature you love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people (not me) like aggressive dogs. They'll talk as if they don't and will say they're sorry if their dog scares you, but deep down inside, they don't give a damn if you're scared. They're selfish and entitled and as long as it's someone else who is worried, they'll continue on as if nothing was wrong.

You have serious issues if you think anyone beyond a very very small minority of people like aggressive dogs. Ridiculous.

A very, very, small minority of people is still "some people". So the previous comment is not ridiculous.

You can find exceptions to every rule, but that doesn’t help move the discussion. It’s a ridiculous comment just the same.

You're very picky.

Oh cmon. To respond to the question “why do people keep aggressive dogs” by essentially responding “because they secretly get off on it” is a stupid ass response. We all know that’s not the reason.

Thinking of breeds like pit bulls, that’s exactly the reason people have them. NP.

Aggressive dog owner here and you're absolutely right. There are some aggressive dog owners, certainly not all, who specifically have them because they like the intimidation factor and think it makes them look like a bada$$. I live in NE DC and I encounter these people every day - they let their dog lunge at you and just barely keep them out of biting distance all the while grinning from ear to ear knowing that they've terrified you.

Not all of us are like that though. I've had an aggressive dog for nearly 10 years now. He was surrendered to me by a coworker who said they had to give him up to focus more time on their newborn (totally fair) and they swore up and down the dog was perfectly well behaved. The first few weeks/months I assumed the growling and teeth baring and lunging was just an adjustment phase since the dog was originally a rescue, then a foster, then given up to me so he had been through 4 different owners and was only a year and a half old.

By the time I realized the aggression was a permanent issue, I was already too attached to give him up, especially since I knew the only realistic option was putting him down. He is the sweetest, most loving and protective dog when it's just me and my wife, but all bets are off with strangers. It has turned out to be a very expensive and stress-inducing commitment, but if you offered me the chance to go back and change my mind I'd never take it in a million years. We've worked with trainers, vets, behaviorists, and many others and improved his behavior and quality of life to the fullest extent possible, but it still requires constant vigilance and never, ever letting him off leash near other people or animals or even on leash anywhere close enough to them where it could be interpreted as threatening.

Some people don't understand having that level of commitment to an animal. That's fine, I don't understand having kids so to each their own. However, it is absolutely possible to responsibly keep an aggressive dog. It's just sad that many people want to have their cake and eat it too by keeping an aggressive dog and not putting the work it takes in to do it responsibly.

I'm not the person you were responding to, but wanted to let you know we are in the exact same boat. Our dog's aggression did not surface until we had him for a year, and he is the sweetest animal on earth with just the two of us but leaving the house or having any guests over requires extreme vigilance. I wish I knew you in real life - it is a very isolating experience that most people don't understand.

Well come on over to Battery Kemble some day and maybe we'll see each other in real life. I'll be easy to spot because I'll be literally the only other person with their dog on a leash!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people (not me) like aggressive dogs. They'll talk as if they don't and will say they're sorry if their dog scares you, but deep down inside, they don't give a damn if you're scared. They're selfish and entitled and as long as it's someone else who is worried, they'll continue on as if nothing was wrong.

You have serious issues if you think anyone beyond a very very small minority of people like aggressive dogs. Ridiculous.

A very, very, small minority of people is still "some people". So the previous comment is not ridiculous.

You can find exceptions to every rule, but that doesn’t help move the discussion. It’s a ridiculous comment just the same.

You're very picky.

Oh cmon. To respond to the question “why do people keep aggressive dogs” by essentially responding “because they secretly get off on it” is a stupid ass response. We all know that’s not the reason.

Thinking of breeds like pit bulls, that’s exactly the reason people have them. NP.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have kids, OP? Imagine one of them having special needs.

It’s not that dissimilar really. You make a personal commitment to a living creature you love.

Wait...so you think of my child with special needs as an aggressive animal that should probably be put down?

Do a lot of people feel this way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have kids, OP? Imagine one of them having special needs.

It’s not that dissimilar really. You make a personal commitment to a living creature you love.

Wait...so you think of my child with special needs as an aggressive animal that should probably be put down?

Do a lot of people feel this way?

No. Numbers-wise, pit bulls are the aggressive dogs in this country right now and their owners show themselves to be aggressively stupid and offensive. Dismiss them as unworthy of your time; they’re not called “pit nutters” as a term of endearment.