Sorry....take YOUR dog somewhere else (they say)

Well, 

Not sure if it fit into the travel section but I really wanted to speak my peace about these parks.

It has been a real chore to get us booked at some of these RV parks.  We, as many others, purchased our MH because not only were we fed up with second rate service and quality and the local Comfort Inn but we wanted to travel with our entire family.  This includes baby and our older kids......our 2 dogs.

Well NOT SO FAST!

I understand the need for pet restrictions.  I respect them.  Aggressive dogs, excessive barkers, untrained animals....sorry...you should go somewhere else!  Absolutely agree 100%

Where you loose me is to single out a specific breed because they have a "history of aggression".  History of aggression?  Like the Germans in WWII??  I mean seriously!  I think one statement is as asinine as the next. 

I will give you that still to this day many people still breed Pit Bulls and some Chows with very aggressive traits.  But Rottweilers?  I have not heard of an aggressive Rottweiler in almost 10-20 years anywhere in the news where BREED has had a thing to do with it.  Sure there are dangerous Rotties.  Any animal that can weigh between 80-140pnds can be dangerous but this has to do with ownership and how the dog was raised. 

Rottweilers are now prized additions to all AKC dog shows.  Breeders of pure bread Rottweilers are very careful on their breeding and Rotties are not known AT ALL for being aggressive (as a breed).

Why is it that my 9 year old Rottweiler is declined from a park just because of his breed?  As a park you already covered yourself in your policies and procedures. 

If you have an aggressive dog or your dog shows aggression to another person or animal while you are here you will be asked to leave without refund!

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In that statement alone the park is covered.  Im sorry, I was a K9 Police Officer for awhile and I never saw a Rottweiler K9.  Mine was a German Shepard.  He could tear a bad guy up like my Rottie would not even know existed.  We also use Malinois.  These high energy dogs will tear you up!  Whats funny.....the dogs we pick for apprehension animals are NOT ON THE LIST!!!!!  Yet they are the choice of 95% of Military and Police K9 units.  Where are all the Rottweilers on the force?  Oh, I know.....they are laying down in front of the fireplace!

My 8 year old Rottweiler with advanced hip displacia who needs assistance even getting into the RV is NOT A THREAT!  And before its brought up.....several have said its just their policy NOT because of Insurance requirements. 

Gosh this is upsetting.  My dog is loved by anyone who meets him.  Absolutely the calmest gentle giant you will ever EVER EVER meet.  I know aggressive dogs.  I am certified as an aggression animal handler.  A rottweiler is NOT THE CHOICE! 

Whats even more ironic is that when i called a place in Denver to see if they could board by kid I had to tell them not to let him play with other dogs.  WHY?  Because the little Yorkie might hurt my old frail Rottweiler.  And yes....he could.  My boy is only one dislocated hip away from being put to sleep.

UUUGGHH!!!

im with you on this i love!!!!! rottwiellers i lived in las angeles for 20 years and i saw all kinds of aggressive dogs pitt bulls, dobermans, chows, german shepherds and every type of dog was being ban so so people kept jumping from dog to dog and making then aggressive,  lastly it was the rottweillers choice for dog fighting pissed me off like you can imagine  at one time a had a total of 6 rotties and i can tell you with full honesty there was not a single one that was aggressive protective yes but very playful. this dogs would not just bark at anybody very quiet they were as if they were just looking at life passing by. unfortunately they have gotten a bad wrap as aggressive dogs. i would love to have a rottie but too many kids in my neighborhood and i just dont want to deal with the hassle of overprotecting parents reacting badly when my kids play with the dog outside. people have made this dogs aggressive and sadly have built a bad reputation for them  :-\

I understand the avoidance of people towards certain breeds. Maybe it had to do with the movie "Omen". EVERY rotty I have been in contact with has been gentle and affectionate.

Ours is 1/4 pyrnees, 1/4 lab and 1/2 doberman. We get away with calling him a lab-mix, not untrue but it has worked with everyone, he's 117 lbs+ and after an introduction as loveable as any.

After 15 yrs of inspections for the county, the only mean dog i encountered was a darned cocker spaniel, bit my ankle. I had an inspection in a rougher neighborhood and the owner had called to let me know her 2 rotty's were chained and not to go near them because they were mean. So to shorten up the story, I got there...closed gate...half-way across yard the big female had came loose from her chain and is running towards me...stuck my hands out and she ran up and wagged her nub...just glad to see someone and wanted affection. Chained her back up, petted the male and refilled their water bowls then called the owner. I have several stories just like that.

Our vet had Breaux listed a lab mix on his papers so we are official. Maybe you could make up a breed ie. European short haired black and tan  :

There were approximately 238 dog bite-related fatalities over the past 20 years. Approximately 25 breeds of dogs were involved in theses deaths; pit bulls and rottweilers were involved in over half of the reported deaths.

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http://www.edgarsnyder.com/dog-bite/dog-bite-statistics.html

http://www.edgarsnyder.com/dog-bite/dog-bite-statistics.html

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Yeah, says the law firm soliciting business. Dog behaviour largely reflects the animals upbringing along with, perhaps, some genetic content.

I completely agree with you. The country is not going to the dogs- it's going to the scared. Look at the number of hip shooting reactions in the country - scared of dogs, scared of higher speed limits, scared of firearms, scared of the size of your soft drink, scared of doing anything for yourself......
Profiling is still rampant in the canine world.  Pittbulls, Chows, Rottweilers, are on the top of the list in the eyes of the scared. But as you say, it's not the breed, is the owner. Look at the number of Pittbulls in the last few years that have publicly been removed from fighting rings and adopted to families who appreciate them as pets.
Our grand daughter has a Pittbull -  that's a big pussy cat. A Perfect pet. But then we raised her for the first 6-9 months. 
Their neighbor - a retired 'FBI agent' - is scared to death of her, but only because she's a Pittbull. The only thing you need to be worried about from her - is her tongue ! Just last week, I offered to properly introduce him to her - no way- he wasn't interested.
We had a Chow/Rott mix from post-Katrina cleanup - absolutely the best dog ever. 
Just look at all the chaos as our leaders attempt to pass new laws to passify all of the scared and uninformed.
Most of our donations now go to animal sanctuaries - they're much more deserving and appreciative.
So yes, vent all you want. I'm with you.

SeilerBird,

Im sorry but a "statistic" from an advertisement is not exactly going to be fact in my mind.  Especially when by its OWN MATH states that Rottweilers accounted for 59.5 deaths in 20 YEARS  That was from its own article.  And thats if you pin 50% of the deaths in that calculation on Rottweilers.  But do you really think they can be pinned with as much as a PIT BULL????  As I said......10-15 years ago Rotties were breed to be mean dogs by alot of people. 

FURTHERMORE.......Here is the NEXT LINE you omitted from the exact same advertisement that completely proves my point.........

ITS THE OWNER NOT THE DOG!!!

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This quote came from your advertising attorneys web page.  He admits full handily that a dogs aggression is molded from its owner.....not the breed.  My Rottie is harmless.  As another poster said...never EVER barks.  Just wants to love you.  People that discriminate by LOOKS ALONE are not giving that animal a fair chance.  If you are halfway educated about dogs you should know withing 10 seconds if that is an aggressive dog or not!  Im sorry.  No different then discriminating against a person.  A person does the crime...NOT a race!

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A dog owner?s behavior toward his or her dog will determine the dog?s personality. If a dog owner encourages aggressive behavior or abuses their pet, the dog will be more likely to attack or bite.

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Here are some very scary pictures.......if you have a faint heart or are frightened easily...please look away.  This is NOT FOR YOU!

Keep in mind the last picture was this past Christmas with my niece he has never met before and was having a very hard day with his hips because we just drove all the way to Grandmas. 

If this does not prove my point that policies should be made on individuals not discrimination I do not know what will.  I do not know many dogs that get dominated by cats and allow 40 pound children to sit on them and still be considered dangerous.  All I am asking for is for people to look beyond their own close mindedness and see the real picture.  If you own a dog and you see these photo's are you are NOT upset that Vinny is not allowed somewhere where other dogs are allowed you are no true dog lover. 

We have dedicated our entire time with this dog to training, and giving him a loving home.  This animal will not even go outside when its raining to use the restroom. 

If you have an aggressive dog of any breed you should NOT take it to a place frequented by dogs!!  If your animal causes harm....you are responsible.

Why does it have to go further then that?  I should be allowed to take my dog anywhere you are allowed to take yours.  The only way someone can look at these pics and still say my dog is aggresive is if they are just ignorant.  This is why it should be case by case basis.  I can PROVE my dog is not aggressive.  I should be allowed to do that. 

I understand that I have the burden of proof when it comes to dogs that have a bad name but I should be allowed to prove my case.  So far I have won with many places (mostly KOA) but as of right now Dakota RV Park in Denver Colorado refuses to allow my animal to stay at their park.  The fact he is a certified Therapy Dog should NOT make a difference and I should NOT have to play the "disabled" card just to keep my dog with me!!!!!

That's a gorgeous rottie!!  Always wanted one....maybe one of these days.

Had a Chow back in the 80's.  He looked ferocious, but was the sweetest dog ever.  If I had to stop at the store for 5 minutes, I'd leave him in the car with it running and the A/C blasting.  Never had to worry about it getting stolen LOL.  He loved kids too....neighborhood kids would play with him all the time.  Found out later the little girl next door was feeding him bologna sandwiches....that may have had something to do with his affection for her. 

While not disagreeing with anything above, let me say that the legal climate has made it near impossible for a campground owner to apply any judgement anymore. What used to be "good judgement" is now called discrimination and so legally supportable fixed rules have been substituted for judgement in most businesses. So the rule becomes "no pit bulls" or "no dogs over 20 lbs" instead of "no vicious dogs". Besides, by the time the owner discovers that a heedless guest has brought in an aggressive animal, it is often too late.

Nobody here ever has a nuisance animal, regardless of species or breed. One wonders where those bad ones actually come from?

I am curious as to who is really responsible for these disgusting prejudicial rules.  Is it the insurance companies, or the RV park owners?  This is even more of a problem to folks like us who are full-timers.  What are we supposed to do?  Luckily, we have one of the more accepted breeds - German Shepherd Dog.   
++Larry

Larry,

Like most of the things people are afraid of, the fear of dogs is based on news reports and the few episodes of aggressive dogs are blown out of proportion.  Similarly, the news over plays gun violence, etc., etc.  Have you ever listened or watched a typical broadcast on how dangerous a dog, gun, automobile, etc. is and actually demonstrated how really ignorant of the subject they are?

DakotaRed said:

I am curious as to who is really responsible for these disgusting prejudicial rules.  Is it the insurance companies, or the RV park owners?  This is even more of a problem to folks like us who are full-timers.  What are we supposed to do?  Luckily, we have one of the more accepted breeds - German Shepherd Dog.   
++Larry

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Larry,

What I find absolutely funny is I wouldn't take my dog within 100 yards of yours without your permission.  Dakota (which I assume is your dogs name) would probably tear him up but is allowed anywhere.  I cannot even get my dog to recognize a threat if we tried.  I have tried running several scenarios with him.  Everyone ALWAYS told me...dont worry....when he has to he will protect you guys.  BS!  I had a fellow K9 cop buddy who vinny NEVER MET put a bite sleeve on and pretend to break into our house with my wife upstairs......Vinny just watched him break in and ran downstairs wagging his nub sniffing the sleeve.  The only thing my dog is going to do is help the burglar carry out the TV!

My K9 partner was a German Sheppard.  His name was Drago (from Rocky 4)  Now that dog could bite like no other but he STILL was as gentle as could be.  He was completely socialized and my wife would care for him and he would play with my little dog.  Even as a trained "attack/apprehension" dog he STILL would have been fine in a park.  But he is allowed.



Like I said.....

If an RV park wants to say...."No dogs over 40 pounds" thats one thing.  That is generic and applies to everyone equally.  But what I am upset about is singaling out a specific breed.  And while myself do not have good experiences with Pit Bulls I know its because of the owners!  I work the inner city projects.  That is my beat.  Has been for 4+ years.  It is more common then not that people in my areas CHOOSE PitBulls and Chows on purpose and train them to be aggressive.  I would never say that a Pit Bull in itself is an aggressive breed.  These larger dogs just take more work.

I agree with another poster, the people that full time RV and people like us who travel every 6 days for 4 day periods are very respective of each other.  I am heavily insured and should be able to sign a waiver and show proof of financial ability when entering a park.

I will be responsible for my families actions and can prove ability to do such.  The problem in this country is nobody is responsible for themselves anymore! 

At the end of the day, I respect private property rights but on the flip side of a Capitalistic Advocate I will not only not go to a park that has specific restrictions (that includes breed of pet, color of skin, or age of RV owner, or anything else that singles someone out) I will do everything I can to raise awareness to other RV'rs of these policies. 

Dakota RV Park does not have insurance limitations.  They told me themselves.  They said it is simply their choice for the safety of their guests.  They will not allow me to show them my dog is not aggressive. 

Jim Godward said:

Larry,
Like most of the things people are afraid of, the fear of dogs is based on news reports and the few episodes of aggressive dogs are blown out of proportion.  Similarly, the news over plays gun violence, etc., etc.  Have you ever listened or watched a typical broadcast on how dangerous a dog, gun, automobile, etc. is and actually demonstrated how really ignorant of the subject they are?

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...or the traffic accident that always seems to involve an innocuous motor vehicle and the dreaded aggressive SUV. ???

Larry,

I thought you might like this picture....Drago (my old K9) is on the left and Vinny is on the right.

You can easily tell....one is ready to work (and one of the best biters in the PD)....the other is ready for a nap. LOL

I guess expected more from RV people.

One of the biggest reasons my wife and I got into this game is because we saw it as new "freedom".  My father-in-law is a true patriot and told me all about how owning an RV was like pure freedom and like America as it was.  My wife and I already ride a Harley...and in an MC (there's a whole new realm of stereotypes now) and felt that was freedom to us. 

But when we got our MH we learned what he was talking about.  It wasn't until I started planning this trip that I am starting to see that some of the same people and thoughts we are trying to escape are here as well.  I guess RV'er to RV'er I would just trust that if you are a true RV person and not some Cruise America dude that you already respect the grounds, the staff, and your neighbors.  I guess I just assume when I pull into a park that I am around "friends".  And "friends" would not put me in harm so I believe that if you brought your dog to a park then you believe your dog can behave at the park. 

I guess I will have to just start calling him a "mutt" or something.  I just should not have to hide the truth.  I guess we are the most hated people on the planet now.  Gas guzzlin RV owning, SUV Driving, Gun owning, Rottweiler Loving, Motorcycle Riding, America is #1 believing Christians. 

I know there are campgrounds that restrict breeds but I'm just curious how many you have run across that ban Rottweilers ? We have an 85-pound labrador and have run across a few campgrounds that refused us because of size. Personally, I've had more problems with little dogs than big ones and if a campground doesn't want my dog, I have no problem taking my money elsewhere. I know you're upset about this but I don't think you really want to slam all RVers and campground owners for the ones that don't allow certain breeds. Go to the places that don't ban you and your hairy kids and forget about the rest.


Wendy

Hey Wendy,

Not sure if something I said came out wrong but in no way am I trying to slam RV'ers or park owners as a whole.  My beef is only between parks and people that believe that specific breeds are the cause of aggression.  And even if that is the case, having a Rottweiler on the list is outdated.  As I said when i started, I know about 15-20 years ago Rottweilers were a problem but as another poster said.....once the attention got put on these irresponsible owners they moved onto a different animal.  And while I can understand (not agree) but understand about Pit Bulls and Chows as these are still breeds that are actively and currently being targeted by horrible people to make these dogs aggressive, Rottweilers are just not on the list anymore.  I cannot even find a Rottweiler for under $1,500 anymore!  They are mostly bred by very responsible and respected breeders now. 

And I guess the truth of it is the biggest reason this is a problem is that there seams to be very little acceptable camping locations in the Denver, CO area without being over an hour from the city.  The 1 recommended park we wish to be at refuses to allow my dog there. 

I guess you have to have one of these animals to understand.  And when people are sympithetic to it, I guess for me it is more painful because I know what a good boy he is.  Anyone would be very honored to meet him and would bring a smile to your face.  When thats your boy and you know this will probably be the last trip you take with him, I guess emotions just run a little higher.

Also, I grew up a cat person.  My mother did not like dogs as a whole (she didnt care what breed they were  ;D ) .  Vinny is my first dog.  He is my best bud.  I work a job where I strap on a vest that covers 30% of my body and kiss my wife, 7 week old baby, and rottie good bye and head out to Section 8 where I will spend the next 10 hours praying just to make it home alive.  When I come home and my family is waiting for me makes it all worth while!  My rottie has been such a comfort to me in times of absolute heartache.  I guess just like all of the other discriminated classes in this country I want my pup to be treated equally with as much opportunity to succeed or fail. 

People are people regardless of their hobbies, pastimes, or lifestyles. I personally don't have any problems with any well behaved breed, but I can appreciate the biases people carry related to large breed dogs. I had a German Shepherd Dog that was extremely well-behaved and yet she was always feared because of her aggressive look. We lost Dayka to age last year while we were out on a camping trip. I am now looking at a another large breed dog, the Belgium Malinous, as a family member whose job will be security.

If we run into a private park that doesn't appreciate a well-trained dog, then like others have said, I'll take my money elsewhere.