All too often we hear people give certain breeds of dog a bad name. Breeds such as the Chow Chow, German Shepard, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls & Mastiffs just to name a few. I feel that a lot of people are afraid of these dogs either just simply because of their sheer size or because of the bad reputation that is given to these breeds by the media. While certain breeds do have a tendency to be more vocal than others, both large & small. What you need to realize is that different barks, growls & whines all mean something different. Enough about that, that’s a topic for another post.
The real problem lies in the handler of the dog & how he/she treats the dog. Another thing that will make a huge difference is, did the owner of the dog take the time to properly socialize the dog with other people & animals? Let me elaborate, what I’m saying is does the owner treat the dog like a member of the family or do they have the mindset that (it’s just a dog & who really cares about they’re feeling, thoughts or opinions). If you welcome the dog into your family with open arms & they feel loved, appreciated & they know that you will be there for them until they draw their last breath then in general the dog will be well behaved & will tend not to aggress towards other people and/or pets. Now on the other hand if you couldn’t care less about your dog & you treat them like they’re a burden on you because they always need something example food & water, walks, potty breaks & trips to the groomer or vet, then they’re likely to develop behavior problems because you’re doing little to nothing for them & they feel neglected & they don’t have anyone that really loves them.
The same is true if you have dogs that you abuse, if you have dogs that you beat when they misbehave or you are into Pit Bull fighting for instance. Sooner rather than later they will develop aggression either towards people or other dogs, or both! Volunteering @ Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, I work with a lot of dogs that have been abused or neglected. It breaks my heart to see how people treat their dogs. It takes months of rehabilitation to get these dogs to the point where they are adoptable.
There are no quick fixes when working with these types of dogs! You can only go as fast as the dog is willing to let you go. Everything must be done on the dogs terms. The idea is to convince the dog that not all people are bad & we are not all out to hurt them. They just need to learn who they should trust & who they should stay away from.
What I want everyone to take away from this is that just because you see someone walking their Rottweiler down the street & just because Rottweilers have been known to be aggressive, that’s not to say that, that particular Rottweiler is aggressive. Walk over to them & ask the owner if they would mind if you say hello to their dog. Just remember that most dogs would greatly appreciate the courtesy of a hand sniff. For the most part, if your good to your dog & you @ least take the time to socialize them & teach them basic obedience they will be a loving companion to you & your whole family, other people & pets include. Most dogs aim to please, they want nothing more than to make you happy.
If you treat your dog right, then your dog will treat you right. Regardless of what breed they are!
Bellow is a picture of Ella, one of the dogs that I worked with @ Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. She is one of the friendliest Rottweilers I have ever met.
