Rotweilers, dobermans, and pit bulls, OH MY!!

[MrFun]

Every day I go to my internship job on campus, I walk to the place from my apartment -- it's a ten minute walk, no biggie.

However, a couple of weeks ago, I found out that a neighbor (house owner) on the same side our student apartment buildings are on, owns this medium sized pit bull.

The house and dog owner does not have any fence and the pit bull is not restrained in anyway. Me and the pit bull got "acquianted" for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

I was walking home from work, and he came running up to six inches away from me, barking loudly. I got a heart attack -- I did not see him coming.

He could have bit my leg off he wanted to, but for some reason, he stopped at the edge of the yard next to the sidewalk, without attacking me -- just scaring the sh*t out of me.

So now, I walk across the street from that place, figuring the dog was only guarding its "territory." But then a few days ago, some neighbor kid was walking opposite direction from me, and I asked him if he knew the dog and its owner(s). The kid said that Major -- the pit bull -- would lick you to death before biting you.

I'm not taking this kid's word for it -- I'm just going to walk past the house on the opposite side of the street.

So, are there any Apolytoners who would like to share any encounters they have had with a doberman, pit bull, or rotweiler?
Or, are you an owner of one of these breeds? Owner or not, what is your opinion about these three breeds?

I think they can be potentially more dangerous than other breeds -- call it survival instinct, prejudice, or whatever, but I want to stay alive and well.

[Solver]

I soooo support the German ban on this breeds (and some others!). After being bitten by a dog as a small child, I have a pretty bad fear for these... especially scary when a big dog just shows up two metres in front of me... gee.

[MrFun]

That's nothing -- two meters!? HA!

This pit bull came within six inches of me!!!!!!!!!

[Solver]

Six inches, well, I may have a heart attack then .

I should mention that over here, dogs never have laces (ties, or whatever the rope is called).

[MrFun]

We call it a leash, usually in this country.

[Whaleboy]

Burn them all!!

Seriously, I cant stand them, and besides, its cruel imo to breed dogs that are different from the way they should be evolutionarily speaking. Not so much of a problem with the wolf-like dogs, but what about the poodles and sausage dogs ?

Why do people insist on owning them anyway?

[MrFun]

I like other breeds of dogs -- I'm just weary of the three breeds in my thread's title.

BUT, there was this doberman my best friend's aunt had. She had this cool country home that he and I would house sit when his aunt and husband would be on vacation somewhere.

That doberman was friendly, and rarely if ever, barked.



If I find out that an Apolytoner secretly had this pit bull placed near where I live . . . . .

[Solver]

Wolf dogs are great, even with my hate of dogs. They look beautiful, are very clever, and really faithful friends. Just cool.

[Whaleboy]

These vicious animals are a great risk, I was bit as a kid, as was my 5 year old brother only recently.

We have to rely on intensive training and, fundamentally, it boils down to the owner to train and look after these pets, and the quality of that training will obviously vary immensely. From a public safety point of view, that is unsatisfactory, and besides, no matter how good the training or the pedigree, these animals will always be the wolf/hunter/killer just under the surface, and that is not hard to bring out, especially in packs.

This is one risk to people we can eliminate, and pet dogs in my mind pose a greater risk to children than terrorists.

[Whaleboy]

Solver: Great friends that are lethal, efficient killers just under the surface. Its like getting married to a sociopath.

[monkspider]

I strongly prefer my half-toy poodle, half-bichon to these big dogs. He's pretty vicious when he is trying to hunt grasshoppers though!

[DinoDoc]

Re: Rotweilers, dobermans, and pit bulls, OH MY!!

Originally posted by MrFun
So, are there any Apolytoners who would like to share any encounters they have had with a doberman, pit bull, or rotweiler?

Yes. I had the pleasure of a Doberman's company for over 10 years before cancer took her from me.

[Whaleboy]

KILL IT!!

[MichaeltheGreat]

Dogs are generally excellent judges of character, or the lack thereof...

In one place I lived in San Diego a while back, my next door neighbor had a pit bull who thought it was my lap puppy. It was rather entertaining to see those sad puppy-dog eyes (it was fully grown) asking if it could curl up in my lap.

I've had dobies run up to me to check me out, but they just wanted to make friends and get petted. I have no fear of dogs, and I've been around them enough to have a clue as to how not to appear hostile or threatening to them, so I've never had a problem with any trying to bite me other than for play.

[Whaleboy]

I've always been terrified of dogs, I guess they can pick up confidence or loathing.

Either way, we have to pick up the crap.