my furchildren

[RayfieldsWRX]

It's not those Boxers' fault that they are mean to people outside their family. It's the way that their owners have raised/treated them. Dog behavior is 5% the dog, and 95% the owner. If you watch a few episodes of 'The Dog Whisperer', that will become abundantly clear. There was even an episode where a Boxer WAS mean to everyone outside the family.

Well than 90% of the owners of boxers in my neighborhood are a-holes.
Yeah, I know all about how owners influence a dog's behavior; pretty much common sense. Regardless of what you or other dog owners here say, I still believe that there's a predisposition for some breeds to be more aggressive than others. I've just seen too many friendly retrievers and mean Chow's to believe otherwise.

[WRXed]

You are correct Ray; there are breads that are more disposed to being mean that others (not too many articles in the paper about attacks from poodles). I have heard of dogs "turning" on their owners, etc. (dobermans, chows, etc.) I do think, though, that the biggest problem, by far, is the owner's way of "training" the dog, or lack thereof. The guy who helped us train our Dane specializes in Rotties. He had one (who has since died of old age) who was the biggest baby you ever met, unless you were up to no good! I also thing that a lot of it is how we as people perceive the actions of a dog incorrectly. This one is hard to explain, but I think a lot of times people mistake an "attack" for a reaction that the dog clearly broadcasts, or just does (for lack of better way of explaining it).

A prime example of the latter: a mom and her then 6 month old girl (or younger) went into the neighbors fenced and gated backyard to give their dog a "treat". I can't remember the bread, but it was a larger bread like a Rottie, Dobbie, Shepherd, etc. Anyway, the mom decided to give the baby the "treat" to give to the dog. Well, the "treat" was a raw steak and needless to say the dog swiped at the steak with his paw to knock it loose to eat it. In the process of swipping at the meat, he hit the child in the face. Long story short, the neighbors had to put their "dangerous" dog down because of the stupidity of that mom! (man that ticks me off every time I think about it - it happened many years ago)

[DJSHADOW7]

I have a dog now named Marley.....

Kingston is a cool name... it seems as though you are a bob marley fan.

[RayfieldsWRX]

I also thing that a lot of it is how we as people perceive the actions of a dog incorrectly. This one is hard to explain, but I think a lot of times people mistake an "attack" for a reaction that the dog clearly broadcasts, or just does (for lack of better way of explaining it).

And then there's my buddy's Chow, who he's had since puppyhood and has always treated kindly. There's been no aggression "trained" into this dog, but he's a scary animal nonetheless. He either likes you or hates you; there's no in-between. While on a camping trip, I watched while he pulled a grown man (who was in no way threatening him) off his feet, and put 4 serious bites into his leg. Hard to mistake what the broadcast was, there.

Thankfully, the dog knows and likes me, because I found him as a puppy on the Appalachian Trail 10 years ago. But I can't let him anywhere near my kids. He bears his fangs and acts like he wants to rip their throats out. Again, there's no mistaking his intentions.

Look guys, I love dogs; I grew up with them. But it's abundantly clear to me that there are some dog owners out there that are completely blind to their dog's behavior. I've watched my friend's dog be utterly aggressive, then been thorougly mystified while he tries to rationlize the behavior as some kind of natural reaction to a situation that he concocts.

Sorry, didn't mean to turn this thread about some great looking animals into a dog psyche thread.