ok, another dog comment

I know people are scared of rottweilers, however, is anyone traveling with a rottie? I cannot imagine leaving mine behind or getting rid of him. I know a lot of places will not let me in, however, I am a big fan of boondocking anyway.

Just my thoughts

Mike

Some places don't allow rotties or dobermans, a lot don't allow bullies (aka pit bulls), you'll occasionally find some that don't allow german shephards. There are those don't allow anything over 20 pounds (what makes them better dogs and dog owners)? Personally, I don't want to stay anyplace that doesn't want my Gordon. So long as you're a responsible dog owner, keep your dog under control (ie on leash), pay attention to what the people around you think of your dog and pick up after the hairy kid, you're welcome around me.

Wendy

After being bitten by three dogs that the owners swore wouldn't bite or never bit anyone; I say find someone that will keep your dog, don't bring him/or her around me. sorry; I've been bitten two many times to like dogs. I have to add this, people keep their dogs on a leash, I'll call it a you really; they wind their dogs out about 20 feet to do their business on your lawn then press a button to real in their dog .
OK all you dog lovers you can attack me.

Sorry you've run into irresponsible dog owners but please don't paint us all with the same brush. I truly believe that most dog owners are responsible, keep their dogs under control and pick up after the beasties. As for retractable leashes, I use one, it's less than 10-feet long, and I rope him in when someone is nearby.

Just curious, were you in a profession where you ran across dogs? Perhaps a jogger? Not blaming you, just wondering what the circumstances were. Also curious about the perpetrators sizes.

Wendy

Sounds like the feeling has always been mutual.>>>Dan

I grew up with dogs and had two that I loved dearly as a child.  That said, I have grown to dislike dogs in general as an adult.  There are simply too many irresponsible owners these days.  Further, the prevalence of aggressive breeds in high-population areas is alarming.

I fully recognize that dogs reflect their owners, and that is the problem.  There are a ton of irresponsible nit-wits with deadly weapons (a poorly trained aggressive breed is a deadly weapon), running around in neighborhoods with children and elderly.  Just last week a 3 year old had her face torn off by an unleashed pit in the county next to mine.  I openly support the banning of all large/aggressive breed dogs as non-service animals in high-density population areas.  Sorry if that offends you, but there's just too much risk to keep these animals in close quarters with kids.

There are plenty of fantastic breeds that are naturally gentle and smaller that make great companion dogs.

As for campgrounds, so long as they aren't one of the mentioned breeds, just clean up the poop (no matter where it is deposited you should pick it up), and keep it quiet and I'm a happy camper. 

I know people are scared of rottweilers, however, is anyone traveling with a rottie? I cannot imagine leaving mine behind or getting rid of him. I know a lot of places will not let me in, however, I am a big fan of boondocking anyway.

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Mike, I don't travel with a Rottie, but I do with a Boxer, almost as big. There are places that won't let our Boxer in, if we say he is a pet. So, who needs those places? There are better places to go, and we'd rather go to those places.

Now, in our case, Jasper, the dog we travel with, is a disabled vet's Service Dog, and he goes where she wants him to go. That includes restautants, hospitals, any store, any public place or business. So far, with only a few exceptions, he has been enthusiastically welcomed, whereever we have taken him. We just sometimes use him as a "weather vane" to tell us where we would rather not be.

Go where your Rottie is welcome.  ;D

By the way, I have no idea how many Rotties I've met, but I've never met one I didn't like. Never met an aggressive one, except guard dogs. They are supposed to be aggressive. I'll stay out of their junk yard!   

Wow! What a thread this is! I had no idea there were so many dog-haters!  : :

There are no "aggressive breeds" of dogs. There are aggressive owners who prefer breeds that are larger and stronger than most other breeds. There are "untrained owners" of many types and sizes of dogs, and all of them, owners and dogs, are unacceptable company. The dogs could be saved, but I see no hope for untrained, aggressive, dog owners.   

We, Jasper's family, have been well and thoroughly trained. Jasper was born, knowing how to be a dog.  :

Oh, and in the event that someone broke into our home or RV at night, or threatened one of us, Jasper would attack. He has done that, once, so far, thankyou Jasper! So, yes, he bites...punches, too. They don't call them "Boxers" for nothing!  8)

Ray D 

By the way, Jasper's Mom is recovering from a badly broken leg, in a Rehab Center. I take Jasper down to visit her, occassionally. They both love the visit. When I do, sometimes a nurse will ask to "borrow" Jasper. We release him to the nurse with no reservations. She will accompany him around to visit other patients, defenseless, crippled, or otherwise infirm, and he has harmed none of them. They love him, and sometimes, I'm told, don't want to let him go, to continue his rounds. Remember, he is accompanieng an untrained handler, and trains them well and quickly while they visit. He is capable of terrible harm, should he be so inclined. He is not so inclined.

melvonnar said:

After being bitten by three dogs that the owners swore wouldn't bite or never bit anyone;

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Okay, I will bite <g>.

Why do so many doggies not like you?

BTW, were they small doggies? Usually it's the smaller dogs that bite, because of fear biting.

Trixie, the doggy on my avatar here, will snap at larger dogs that get in her face. But she is fine with smaller dogs and with all humans.

Go where your rottie is welcome. You can park next to me any time  I have two dogs and got the RV because I was tired of being told my dogs weren't welcome. Now they have their own dog house to travel in.

You will always find people scared of dogs. You will always find people that don't like dogs. you will always find people that LOVE dogs. As long as you're a responible dog owner, maybe you'll change a few mind sets along the way.

I have two solid white border collies. They both look soft and sweet and cuddly because they aren't part of the typical aggresive sterio type. I would HIGHLY recommend not opening my door or reaching in a window to pet one. I can guarentee you will be finding out how good the new health insurance is. Never judge a book by it's cover. The same goes for dogs and people.

Well no-one tell my dog he is supposed to be aggressive, he does not know he is a rottie, I never told him. hahahahaha He has never attacked anything. I was thinking of getting some shoe polish and dress up the common markings of a rottie, and pass him off as a retarded black lab, hahahahahahahah his short tail, that was a terrible door accident when he was little. 


I will stick to boondocking with my best friend. Certainly someone else must travel with a rottie, somewhere.

Ray D said:

There are no "aggressive breeds" of dogs.

Ray D 

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That is an inaccurate statement.  There are indeed certain breeds that have been bred to be more aggressive toward humans and other animals.  Ask any breeder and they will tell you that temperament is a consideration they evaluate when deciding whether to mate certain animals.  Almost every breed was engineered by humans for a certain tasks or trait, many of which are related to "fearlessness" or "intimidation."  Note that I am not saying any breeds are "bad" only that there are, in fact, breeds that are more aggressive toward people than others. 

An aggressive breed does not mean necessarily that the animal will be violent or a problem, as good owners can mitigate these traits.

To the OP, there are sound reasons that some campgrounds will have an outright ban on certain breeds.  While your particular dog might be a docile, sweet animal, others have ruined it for you by not being good owners.

Let me nip this in the bud before people over-react to my comments.  I don't "hate" dogs.  I do hate crappy dog owners, and there are lot of them out there.  More than there used to be. 

Let's take a hypothetical.  If 500,000 people a year showed up at hospitals for treatment of an injury from say, vacuum cleaners, you can be assured there would be a federal task force and 30 non-profits trying to either make vacuum cleaners safer or to ban them depending on their perspective.  By the way, 500,000 is the number of people in the U.S. who seek medical treatment for dog bites every year.  For some reason I don't understand, society seems to think that's okay.

SO, If you meet people who don't like your sweet little pooch, there is probably a really good reason they don't!

Some statistics on human/dog interactions:

-Each year, 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs. (There are 58 million dogs in the United States.)
-Children are three times more likely to be bitten than adults.
-Over 500,000 people per year receive medical attention for dog bites.
-There are about 30 dog bite fatalities per year.
-German shepherds and chow chows are more likely to be involved in biting incidents than other breeds.
-Male dogs are six times more likely to bite than females.
-Sexually intact dogs are 2.6 times more likely to bite than neutered dogs.
-Rottweiler and pitbull breeds account for 67 percent of human fatalities.
-The top 10 breeds involved in lethal dog bite attacks, accounting for four or more human deaths each over the last 20 years, are: pitbull-type (66), Rottweiler (39), German shepherd (17), husky-type (15), malamute (12), Doberman (9), chow chow (8'), Saint Bernard (7), Great Dane (7) and Akita (4).
-About 82 percent of deaths involved unrestrained dogs either on (58%) or off (24%) the owners' property

MC2guy,
Thanks for the factual data - it takes some of the emotion out of the issue.

No responsible person likes to be tarred with the same brush used on the irresponsible, but the frequency of dog bite (and dog bark and dog doo) problems surely indicates there are a lot of irresponsible owners out there.

Gun owners feel the same way, as do those who enjoy a few cocktails when they go out for dinner and then drive home. The persistent and widespread actions of those who do so irresponsibly tar all those who do not, resulting in odious regulations and public stigma against them.

RV Roamer said:

MC2guy,
Thanks for the factual data - it takes some of the emotion out of the issue.

No responsible person likes to be tarred with the same brush used on the irresponsible, but the frequency of dog bite (and dog bark and dog doo) problems surely indicates there are a lot of irresponsible owners out there.

Gun owners feel the same way, as do those who enjoy a few cocktails when they go out for dinner and then drive home. The persistent and widespread actions of those who do so irresponsibly tar all those who do not, resulting in odious regulations and public stigma against them.

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Very good point. I hate errant dog pooh. When I'm out walking in a park, it always seems like I'm the only one carrying a full poop bag  ??? I go out of my way to pick it because it's gross. My training group in MT has an adopt a pooh policy. If you see pooh, just pick it. It doesn't matter who it belongs too. I also go out of my way to make sure my dogs don't "ambush" people when off leash (this is verry scary to little kids and old people no matter how friendly they are), they are always put in a down stay when a jogger or bicyclist goes by, they sit politely when being petted and they don't sit for hours barking out a window for no reason. I refuse to be one of "those dog owners" and have actually convinced a few people dogs are cool  You wouldn't believe how hard it is to convince a person how dangerous a 5lb ankle biter is?! I try and tell them that if it was a bit bigger, AC would take it away and they just laugh and think it's so cute fido is "protecting" his owner 

By the way, Rotties are my all time favorite large breed dog. There are sooooo many that do therepy and sevice work. They also make awesome pillows when couch surfing and watching movies  ;D

Have been a breeder of dogs, met many other breeders and spent many years in obedience training I can tell you there are no puppies that are born aggressive...... How they are raised and their environment is what makes dogs different. Many times what is thought to be aggressive behavior is more shyness that confuses the dog, often dogs never meet little people until they are older and that confuses the dog. Dogs have a great sense of being and can sense when people are afraid, shy or confused.

Some of what people think are very cute little dogs are just that and no more. As grand pa always said "some are as dumb as a box of rocks".
The movie industry has labeled certain breeds as "attack" dogs. Remember dogs are classified into Groups as Herding, Working, Toy,Sporting, Terriers etc. Obviously if you want a dog to train for obedience work or utility work you should chose a working or herding breed. Before anyone jumps all over me, yes you can train other breeds but it's not as easy and as desirable.

Size has very little to do with aggressiveness. I have met many a Rottie that would rather lick ya to death than eat. Most large/big people are less aggressive than most little people; probably very true with dogs. The little man syndrome. ever heard of the gentle giant?

Owners are the ones that need to be trained on how to handle pets. The first 8 weeks of any obedience class is designed to train the owner, the dog catches on a lot faster folks if the owner catches on and works at it!

What ya wanna talk about next???

The little man syndrome. ever heard of the gentle giant?

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Many years ago I read that a dog is unable to tell the size of another dog. Any truth to this?

Thanks to all the people who replied, my Rottie (Bruno) is the kind that will lick you to death. In fact, I like filling up a fresh bowl of water when my Grandkids come to visit and dare them to lay on the floor, it is licking time. I guess dogs are like people in a way, if you treat them right they will respond the same way, of course there is always the isolated incident. That is why I am a responsible dog owner, I always clean up after my dog and keep him on a leash in public.  I will say this, I sleep well knowing my friend is sleeping just a few feet away.

Again thanks for the comments.

Wendy said:

. There are those don't allow anything over 20 pounds (what makes them better dogs and dog owners)? 
Wendy

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We encounter more undisciplined kids then misbehaving dogs. Why should the 'over 20 Lb' rule be limited to dogs?

You've forgotten a few other classifications ie non-sporting dogs and a couple of others I can't remember at the moment.  I see people choose a hunting or working dog as an inside small apartment dog and wonder why the dog is barking, chewing up things and unhappy.  People don't' consider or choose a breed or mixed breed that fits their life style.  This is probably the most important part of choosing a dog as a pet.

There is also another thing people can do when they pick out their puppies, along with taking them to obedience class.  It's call "temperament testing".  There are 10 things you can do to test the attitude of a puppy.  You can find that list on the web.  You do the test at 6 weeks, pick out your puppy, then pick it up when it's released from it's mom.  Another thing to think about: SOCIALIZATION. All dogs need to be socialized so they learn and figure out how to "get along".

Re campgrounds and dogs.  Remember that some insurance companies will not provide insurance if certain breeds of dogs are there.  So if they rule that dobbies are on the No-No list, then the campground will not allow you to stay.  This is the same with your home insurance, some insurances will not insure you if you own certain breeds.

We own a 70# standard poodle and have not been refused anywhere; although we haven't hit the over 20# rule yet.  If we do, we'll go somewhere else.

Tom:  The "Napoleon complex" applies to dogs as well.  They are very much aware of how big or little the other dog is.  They also know what gender and the age.  A lot can be gained from the "rear-end" sniff handshake.    I've seen adult dogs be very gentle with puppies.  They know they are young and don't know the rules.  They will turn around and put an adult dog in their place; but tolerate a puppy's actions.

Marsha~

tallyo said:

Size has very little to do with aggressiveness. I have met many a Rottie that would rather lick ya to death than eat. Most large/big people are less aggressive than most little people; probably very true with dogs. The little man syndrome. ever heard of the gentle giant?

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Very true, size and aggressiveness are not linked.  However, as the facts would show, a large breed that becomes aggressive is MUCH more dangerous than a small breed.  Think of it in terms of a gun.  A chihuahua is a bb gun, whilie a Rottie is a howitzer.  If one goes off it's going to sting...if the other goes off, someone is going to be seriously hurt.

I'll leave you with a passage from Merritt Clifton, a noted Dog Enthusiast and Editor of "Animal People"

If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.

Dog attack victims in the US suffer over $1 billion in monetary losses  every year. ("Take the bite out of man's best friend." State Farm Times, 1998;3(5):2.) That $1 billion estimate might be low -- an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that, in 1995, State Farm paid $70 million on 11,000 claims and estimated that the total annual insurance cost for dog bites was about $2 billion. (Voelker R. "Dog bites recognized as public health problem." JAMA 1997;277:278,280.)

According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bites cost insurers $345.5 million in 2002, $321.6 million in 2003, $317.2 million in 2005, $351.4 million in 2006, and $356.2 million in 2007. The number of claims paid by insurers was 20,800 in 2002, but fell to 15,000 by 2005, and 14,500 in 2007. The insurance payment for the average dog bite claim was $16,600 in 2002, but rose to $21,200 in 2005, and rose again to $24,511 in 2006. Liability claims accounted for approximately 4 percent of homeowners claims. Dog bite claims in 2005 accounted for about 15 percent of liability claims dollars paid under homeowners insurance policies

The clear reason these parks have bans is because of insurance costs/availability.  Several property insurers will not insure properties where certain breeds are housed.

The clear reason these parks have bans is because of insurance costs/availability.

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Yet another example of the growing and unrelenting power we have "given" to the insurance lobby.  AMG almost drained the whole economy, the health insurance lobby runs health care, vehicle insurance rakes in billions, muni bond insurance is killing the muni bond market; title insurance is an unregulated monopoly, the list goes on and on.  Does having insurance promote claims/lawsuits prompting even more insurance?  Amazing that we rollover and pay it year after year after year.  Sorry.