If you go just about anywhere in the world there are certain breeds that are feared by populations. The most specific example of this is the American Pit Bull, which is feared and even banned in many countries around the world, including this one. There are a few people here that have them and I don't have any idea how they got them here, perhaps by doctoring the paperwork because they are technically not legal to have in Thailand.
The two Pitts that I have met here are docile as can be and this is going to be true with any dog breed. If you raise your dog to be a killer, that is exactly what it is going to be. If you train your dog to be a good boi, the same is also true.
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The Pitts I know are pussycats and actually cower away from other dogs much of the time. The owners try to socialize them as often as possible but because of the stigma surrounding the breed, it can be a bit difficult especially in Thailand where if you just take your dog for a walk, there is a good chance that there is going to be some sort of territorial dispute with roaming street dogs.
These massive dogs have never bit or hurt anyone and I think if you look around the world they are no more likely to turn on their owners or attack someone than any other breed, they are just viewed as dangerous because they are one of the most capable breeds of causing harm.
On the flip side there is a friend of mine that has a Chihuahua that probably couldn't even break the skin if it did bite you but this thing is an absolute terror that must be moved into another room when anyone comes over.
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My friend will admit that there are several reasons for this and agrees that they are his fault. When the dog was young he barely ever socialized the dog with other dogs or humans and he also didn't reprimand the dog whenever it would act aggressive. This is a bad mistake. Your dog needs to know that you are the Alpha and your commands are not optional. This takes some time of course, but if you don't do it, you end up with an older dog whose temperament is going to considerably more difficult to change.
I think a big part of the reason why Pitts are so feared is because anytime any of them do something bad, the media latches on to it and really makes a show of how capable they are of causing harm. This much is true, this breed is very capable of hurting other creatures and humans as well but then again, they are not alone. Do you fancy your chances against a Doberman or Rottweiler? Both of these breeds are perfectly ok in just about any country in the world.
While I don't necessarily think that Chihuahuas are bad dogs, their tiny stature makes them more noticeable.
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Just a joke, Chihuahuas can be trained to be sweethearts, just like any other dog. It is still funny though.
Just remember that when you have a dog this is a decade-long or more commitment on your part and if your dog ends up with "bad" traits this is almost always the fault of the owner. Dogs learn very slowly, but they can learn. I've never met an "untrainable" dog and I have worked with hundreds of them.
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เป็นผู้สนับสนุนรายเดือนหรือบริจาคครั้งเดียวได้ที่:
Lamentablemente en Venezuela la raza Pitbull también tienen esa fama de perros peligrosos, tengo dos amigos que tienen esta raza y apesar de que son perros que al tenerlos en frente dan terror son muy cariñosos y dóciles, en cambio estos perritos de razas pequeñas en sus mentes se creen unos leones 😅
I couldn't agree more, especially if it's a puppy it should be easy.
Love, patience and consistency go a long way.
I don't agree with the alpha term though, that's a thing of the past.
Be your dogs friend, not the boss, but let them know what is acceptable and what isn't with rewards and they learn in record time..
good words and yes I agree that training a dog in most situations isn't difficult it just takes time and a lot of people don't realize that raising a dog isn't like raising fish- you have to be a lot more dedicated and realize the time commitment before ever getting involved.
Patience is key. Friend of mine talk about how my dogs are so well behaved without realizing that it took years for them to be that way. Cheers.
That's funny about the Chihuahuas. I always want to pet them because they look so cute but they can be little terrors. I've accidentally had "good dogs" my entire life so I must be doing something right. My dog knows I am the boss but I don't know if I got lucky or what but she just never has done anything bad in her life. I did screw up a little bit with not having her be around many other dogs in her life because she basically hates all other dogs but doesn't attack them, she is scared of them and runs away.
I sometimes wonder about the connection between owners and their dogs as well. I believe dogs are capable of reading us a lot more than we are aware of and they mirror the behavior of their owners as well.
Oh yes the doberman is definitely another breed which is often portrait as an evil dog that will attack you, for anybody who thinks that they should re-read this post again.
I know people with Dobermans, Rotts, and even the "dreaded" American Pit Bull and their dogs are all pussycats who would sooner roll over for belly rubs than ever hurt anything. It's all because their owners raised them to be kind and therefore, they are!