Guilty By Dog Breed Alone

Why do we think a dog is mean or gentle just because they are born into a certain breed?

Should we not consider the upbringing of the dog as a possible reason for its behavior?

I have been around animals all my long life and I can't ever remember seeing a mean puppy. They are all cute, cuddly, playful and loving.

And if you think about it the same is true for human babies; sweet, precious and giggly.

If a child is abused then it is likely that it will grow up to be an abuser.

The same is true with dogs. If a dog is mistreated then it reacts by defending itself. If a dog is trained to be a fighter, then it is a fighter.

If a dog is treated with love and affection then it returns love, affection and wonderful companionship.

A dog can be a good natured dog yet become aggressive if it is necessary to defend its young or its owner. However, we praise and reward this action. If the dog defends itself from human aggression then we blame the dog.

If you chain a dog to a tree or post then its ability to run away has been taken away and its only choice is to stand and fight when danger presents itself.

People abuse dogs in so many ways because they think “it's just a dog”. Well the dog feels pain just like we humans do. How would you react if you were chained to a tree day and night and could move about 10 feet if you didn't get your chain all tangled up.

People leave their dogs in the house for 12 hours or more and then whip the dog because it peed on the floor while they were gone.

I had a neighbor who would leave a large dog in a small fenced in area without water all day long in extreme heat while they were gone for ten to twelve hours. They would fill the dog's water bucket each evening and then the dog would turn the bucket over trying to cool off. The owner could easily have strapped the bucket to the fence to prevent the dog from turning it over. In addition to this, they never cleaned the pen. The poor dog had to live in a muddy area filled with its own poop. I would carry a bucket of water and hold it over the fence for the dog to drink on really hot days.

People leave their dogs outside in extreme cold and severe storms, chained or fenced, with no way for them to find shelter on their own. They think they have the dog to protect them but what can it do but bark when it is confined by a chain to a small area.

These are just the abusive type things that “good people” do to their pets. Then there are those who do much worse; too horrible to even mention here.

Then we wonder why they are mean. It is usually the larger dogs that are kept outside and treated with these deplorable conditions. The smaller dogs are usually kept inside and treated to a much better living condition and life style. So, is it really the breed that is mean? Or, are certain breeds treated better than others by their owners.

I have a neighbor who took in a Doberman Pincher which is a breed that is generally viewed as an aggressive, dangerous dog. This dog would come to the fence and ever so gently take treats from me.

I once caught the neighbor's grandchildren shooting my small dog, through the fence, in the eye with a high powered pump water gun. Even after being taken to the Vet, he still lost some vision in one eye.

There was a news item recently about a child that was mauled when he was playing close to the chained up family pet and got tangled up in the chain. The dog was blamed and put to sleep. When the child was tangled in the chain did this cause the dog to be choked? What was the dog doing on a chain in the first place?

Maybe we should put to sleep those that do horrible things to dogs?

I currently have a friend who has a bull dog. You couldn't ask for a sweeter dog. He has a loving family and a good life. But his breed is viewed by many as a dangerous dog.

Maybe it is not the breed of the dog that makes the dog, but its life circumstances.

The author is a lover and admirer of all God's animals. If you are one who really pampers your pooch come visit her site: Designer Dog Collar and if you want to pamper yourself then visit: Gourmet Chocolate Gifts.