For something other than COVID.....

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 16, 2020 12:00:25 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I wouldn't worry about it more than any other dog I'd taken in and was getting along with as long as the insurance was fine and there was no city bans on the breed. 

I just missed out on a 3 year old yellow lab because I hemmed and hawed to long.  My SIL posted one on Facebook her friend had to get rid of because of bad allergies (her and one of her kids).  Pretty bummed.  She would have been perfect.  Well trained, loves kids and cats... But, by the time I posted I'd take her there were two people in front of me.  

We had 4 people ahead of us when we adopted Harriet.  I was sure that we weren't going to get her.  The guy immediately ahead of us scared Harriet too much (big, burly guy with a deep voice) and he didn't want a dog that was afraid of him.  That left 3 ahead of us and all 3 changed their minds.  

[andi9899]

Jul 15, 2020 14:09:21 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

My sister lost her dog about 6 months ago.  She is now moved into a new home and is currently fostering a dog - a small pittie.  She has had the dog for 2 weeks and he has been an utter jewel, smart as a whip, behaves, pees and poops where he is supposed to and doesn't destroy anything.  He has shown no signs of aggression.  Any other breed, she would be jumping all over this dog to keep but the fact that he's a pittie has given her pause.

She has checked into her homeowner's insurance and there is nothing in there about dog breeds, so that is clear.

I know nothing about dogs.  He does have some more training to better walk on a leash, he wants to trip my sister up.  He won't do stairs.  He's about 3 years old, and weighs 45 lbs so is not a full sized dog and not sure what he's been bred with.  He has shown no aggression, loves people.  

Does she have anything to worry about?

I assume you mean in regards to laws. She needs to check city/county ordinances. There may be insurance requirements or certificates of liability required. They're banned in my county or I'd likely have one.

As far as insurance goes, I've only ever come across one insurance policy (AAA) that specifically excludes them. They underwrite for them when you purchase, but they don't at renewal. That said, she may just be stuck with her insurer while she has the dog. If there is a bite to a visitor that the insurance pays for, she'll be canceled. This is regardless of breed.

As for the breed itself, it's the sweetest dog you'll come across. They're very loyal and would lay down their lives for their humans. They are not for an inexperienced owner or for one wibad intentions, which I'm sure she's not.

[andi9899]

Jul 15, 2020 14:26:45 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

I had a friend who adopted a pit bull from a shelter.  She was one of the most loving and loyal dogs I have ever seen.  Mostly wanted to snuggle on the couch with you.

This pit bull saved a human in the yard when a bear charged at him.  Great Dog that died of cancer way too soon.

This was my first experience around the breed.  I personally would not have a pit bull around babies or small children as I consider that too large a risk.

Pits were used for nannies back in the day because they are so protective and gentle with little ones.

No small child should ever be left unattended with any dog regardless of size or breed. Those that don't know that shouldn't own dogs.

[andi9899]

Jul 15, 2020 15:26:31 GMT -5 mollyanna58 said:

I have seen a lot of pits through my volunteer work, and I adopted a pit I fostered.  They are sweet, loving, goofy dogs.  My Liberty got a shotgun blast to the side of her face and she still loves people.  (A deputy sheriff in MS was sent out to "take care of" the stray pit bull. Fortunately he was a bad shot.)

That's so sad! I'm glad she found you after.

[andi9899]

Jul 15, 2020 17:04:45 GMT -5 haapai said:

A dog doesn't have to be scary or particularly protective of its owner to provide protection, particularly when the owner is asleep.  My own dog would wag his tail and demand pets from anyone who burglarized the home but that's enough for me.  I'd hear him getting up and I'd hear his tags jingling.  The extra seconds of warning are worth a lot.  I sleep much better knowing that he is around.

Jackson would probably run and hide if someone broke into the house and he's enormous. Macy is no petite little girl, but she'd protect me and my family and house with her life. Neither of my dogs has an ounce of pit in them.

[Deleted]

I firmly believe there are no bad dogs, just untrained and inappropriately paired dogs.  Case in point: Belgian Malinois make up 90% of the huge kennel of our private security service.  They are sourced from Europe, from bloodlines established 40+ years ago which produces a very consistent confirmation and temperament.  They receive initial training in Europe and arrive here as 2 year-olds for another 9-12 months of training before being matched with an officer.  When they retire from service around the age of 8, they are almost always adopted by the officer to join his/her family because the family is knowledgeable about the animal and what protections they must provide to prevent a problem.  The dogs simply will never attack a human without command (in Polish); they are highly motivated to chase and attack small things like squirrels, cats, Chihuahuas, etc. and will do so if they can.

Fast forward to my friend who adopted a rescue Malinois (claims he didn't know what she was).  The dog has now killed 4-5 caged rabbits, and repeatedly and very seriously wounded a feeble senior female dog in the household.  Is the dog at fault?  NO!  The owner today posted on FB for the third time that he "forgot" to close the gate separating the Malinois from the poor old bloodhound.  

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Intelligent breed + dumb owner = bad for the dog.

DH brings up getting a Husky or German Shepherd every once and awhile and I say absolutely not.   He showed no dedication to training our previous dogs and those were relatively low key breeds. .. look how well that went.  No way am I adopting one of those breeds and having them be out of control.   It's not fair to the dog to put them in that position.   

I could drop kick a tiny dog if I had to and have threatened to do so if the one neighbors don't stop letting their dog run loose and "attack" my dog (not that it could do much damage but that's not the point).   If a German Shepherd decided not to listen to me there would be very little I could do.

My former neighbors had Huskies and he told me they were A LOT of work.  They are excellent dogs if you know how to train them but if you don't it's not pretty.

I very glad the shelter screens for that though now that I think about it I could just say "yes" and they'd never know. . . I'd like to hope most people would be honest though and take the fact they want you to have previous experience as a deterrent.

[Spellbound454]

I grew up with German Shepherds....... They are bright and definitely need training. If you put the work in they are great dogs.

Ours were trained, quiet and well mannered...You could take them anywhere.

[andi9899]

Jul 16, 2020 17:28:10 GMT -5 Spellbound454 said:

I grew up with German Shepherds....... They are bright and definitely need training. If you put the work in they are great dogs.

Ours were trained, quiet and well mannered...You could take them anywhere.

Mine too. She would play with all the kids in the neighborhood and was even nice to the mailman. If she was wandering around and didn't know you and you were walking down my street she'd hurry and run back to the house and sit in the front yard so you knew which house was to be avoided. No one would hurt her family, especially the girls. They were her babies. Of course, that was a long time ago when you could let your dog wander.

I was specifically looking for a female GSD when I ended up with Jackson. I failed, but I got a really sweet boy. Then Macy came along and now I have the infamous twins.