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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

You have serious issues if you think anyone beyond a very very small minority of people like aggressive dogs.  Ridiculous.  [/quote]
A very, very, small minority of people is still "some people". So the previous comment is not ridiculous.[/quote]

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

You're very picky.[/quote]

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. [/quote]
Thinking of breeds like pit bulls, that’s [i]exactly[/i] the reason people have them. NP.[/quote]

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. [/quote]
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.[/quote]

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