The Aggressive Dog List

Did you know that most apartment communities and even a few cities ban "aggressive breeds" from their premises? I wonder, what are the aggressive breeds? After learning a few breeds on the list, I had to reconsider people's positions on this. I happen to own a so-called aggressive breed, an Akita, and I do not see her as aggressive in any way. She is one of the sweetest, most loving and dedicated dogs I have ever met. Everyday she greets me with happy whines, a wagging tail and plenty of kisses. I've never seen her even hint that she would attack a human or other animal.

I'm sick of people giving certain dog breeds a bad reputation. Dogs are NOT born aggressive, nor is any one breed more inclined to behave aggressively. It is owners that determine the aggressiveness of their pets, not the dogs themselves. For example, many people fear pit bulls because of their larger size and reputation as fighting dogs or even attack dogs. However, every pit I've ever met is probably more loving and gentle than your average Yorkshire Terrier.

Also, I googled "aggressive dog breeds" and this is what I found. Now this website, may not be credible, but its on the first page of google search results, meaning it is easily accessible to many curious people. This may be giving the wrong impression about dog aggression. This is a list of dog breeds that are considered "potentially aggressive":

• Chow Chows are one-person dogs that tend to bite without any warning. They are also a bit ferocious around strangers, and can be quite a tenacious fighter. So make sure to discipline this dog and set right from wrong, immediately.
  
• The Papillon is fiercely loyal of their owners - to a fault. They can be quite possessive and standoffish to strangers.


• Old English Sheepdogs are very protective of their owners so they might be aggressive if anybody tends to be too close to its owners.


• A Llasa Apso often gets cranky around kids.


• Rottweilers are extremely protective of their masters.


• Chihuahuas aren't too fond of kids. They'd rather be with adults than play around with tots.


• Toy Poodles bite people and other animals out of self defense. Unfortunately, 'playing' according to you may be perceived as a form of 'attack' to them.


• Dachshunds aren't known for their patience.
  
• Jack Russell Terriers are feisty creatures who require early training to prevent long-term biting and digging problems.


• Giant Schnauzers are very dominant. They often challenge adults, particularly strangers.
  
• Cocker Spaniels often suffer from a dangerous genetic disease known as "rage syndrome." This syndrome causes spontaneous violent action against not strangers, but actual family members. Many Spaniels have been put down because of this unwanted behavior. Check with the breeder to ensure your Spaniel is free from this dangerous dog disease.


• The Pekingese isn't all that tolerant of strangers.


• Miniature Pinschers usually have aggression issues because they've got this "big dog-little body" mind set going on.

Now really, my Min Pin is just as sweet as affectionate as can be. She's never had aggression issues, in fact she is absolutely terrified of other dogs, strangers and anything else unknown to her. Maybe she just missed out on the "big dog-little body" thing, but I'm positive she understands her place as a little dog in a little body. Also, this don't sound like aggression to me, but just personality flaws.

Here is their list of dogs with unfair reputations. I totally agree with this list.

• Boxers are pretty good with kids. They are good watchdogs, but will only become aggressive


• Bulldogs are very playful and gentle.
  
• Great Danes, while considerable in size, happen to be kind and affectionate.


• Mastiffs are especially quiet and docile.


• German Shepherds are great with kids too. These are courageous, fiercely loyal dogs who, if trained properly, will be extremely gentle to family and guests.


• Rottweilers are also capable of tenderness and affection. They have a bad rep, but if they trust you, you'll never have to worry.

Personally, I would like to add something to this aggressive dog drama. Owners today are getting more and more irresponsible. If you raise a dog with cruelty and aggression, the dog will also be aggressive and dangerous. Its up to people to report bad owners, especially those who are raising their animals to fight or to be aggressive. This is not only potentially harmful towards humans, but also towards the dogs themselves. It isn't fair to abuse a dog and determine their fate. Most aggressive dogs who are removed from these types of homes will be put down because they can never function in a real loving home. They were bred to fight or attack at all costs, and it ended up costing them their lives. Every dog has the right to a happy home, proper care and the love they deserve. So lets help give them that.

I wish being naïve could last a lifetime

Unfortunately, I have recently discovered something I have feared all along. The dog meat market actually exists. Perhaps it was my upbringing, 10 years in a conservative Catholic school, that led me to believe that people didn't consume dog flesh. Or perhaps I had know the entire time, just forcing the facts out of my brain. I didn't want to believe that somewhere, a poor dog was about to be mercilessly slaughtered to feed a human.

It may be the cultural clash, but I don't feel like America is the only place where dogs are treated as companions. Even in Asian countries, families own and love their pet dogs. However, in these same countries, people abuse, murder, sell and consume their "beloved" pets. Could you even image feeding your pet table scraps of roast dog? The entire idea sickens me to no end.

When preparing for another blog, I searched, "caged dogs" to find a suitable picture for a shelter dog article. However, I didn't find what I had intended. Instead, I was delving deeper into my inner fears with each photograph and web link. Several broke my heart, showing dogs awaiting their unjust murder. I remember making an uncontrollable audible cry when I saw this photo.

Now, I understand that this image is shocking, appalling and downright sickening. I hate to see it, but its been permanently burned into my mind, reappearing when my mind wanders to the cruelties of this world. However, I feel like this image finally verified this horrible outrage in my life. I now have a much stronger appreciation for the animals in my life and a drive to stomp out this horrible treatment.

The treatment of these animals prior to slaughter is more despicable than can be imagined. Most are crammed into tiny cages or forced to share larger cages with multiple other dogs. They are also not provided proper food, water or any other necessity for that matter. Sadly, Koreans believe that dogs who die painfully will release more adrenaline into their flesh, creating a more potent and flavorful meat. This results in tortured and unbelievable cruel methods of slaughter. I believe that if the market cannot be destroyed, the dogs have a right to proper treatment and a painless death. The least one could do for an animal destined for death is to have the compassion to treat it with dignity and respect until its final moments. I find it absolutely disturbing that a human being could even do the things the butchers do to a live, helpless animal. The screams and struggles would haunt me my entire life and probably drive me into madness. However, this doesn't seem to affect the market supplies.

For a more detailed description of a dog meat market, consider this passage, describing the Xi Chang Market (Xi Chang, China) in December of 1997, taken from a Modern China website.

At the front there are puppies and kittens for sale as pets and further back are about 100 dogs waiting to be selected by customers. When selected the vendor puts the dog in a sack and weighs it. After a price is agreed the purchaser kills his dog and butchers it (sometimes in that order, more often in the reverse order). Business was brisk with a dog being killed about ever 5 minutes. There seemed to be two techniques. The one man technique was to hit the dog twice on the head with a wooden plank which dazed it sufficiently to make it safe for him to plunge his knife into its jugular without getting bitten. He then held the dog up by the tail until it bled into unconsciousness - he would then proceed to butcher it with the dog coming in and out of consciousness. With the two man technique, one man held the dog up by her tail while the other pulled the neck back with a wire round the dog's neck. The first man was then able to reach down, again without fear of being bitten, to sever the jugular vein. Since the dog was in no way stunned, she struggled and howled and urinated until passing out. The watching dogs were also shaking and howling. The dog was flung onto her back and the butchering began - consciousness returned on lying flat but she was too weak then to struggle much. One of the men laid down his knife and put his mouth to the inside of the dog's hind leg.

Now while reading this, I cannot deny that my eyes welled with tears for the poor animals. No animal deserves to be treated this way. Ever. Period. I hope that by reading this entry, you will consider how lucky our animals in our homes are and also help to put a stop to these barbaric customs. There are many petitions to sign or donations to be made to stop this abominable treatment of innocent, helpless animals.

When to go to the vet

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a pet owner is the inability to properly communicate with our pets. When we sense there is something wrong, we are left helpless, guessing at what the issue may be; your beloved pooch can't open his mouth and tell you he ate half a pound of chocolate. So what do you do when you're not sure if something is medically wrong with your dog? Many websites can help you to decipher your dog's symptoms and form a basic idea of what could be ailing them. However, there are certain times when information just isn't enough. Even a healthy dog may need an emergency veterinarian visit once in a while.

So how do you know if the condition is serious enough to take your pet to the vet? Some owners fear that if they do not take them in, they will be seriously harmed or die. However, other owners fear the sometimes expensive vet bill, even if nothing is wrong with their dog. There are some signs your dog will signal you in case of an emergency or medical issue.

If you notice any of the following, you should call your vet or go to an emergency vet clinic immediately(These are not the only signs! If you witness your pet acting very strangely, call your vet then too!):

• Blue, white or very pale gums
• Labored breathing
• Collapse / loss of consciousness
• Dizziness, imbalance, or circling
• Extremely bloated abdomen
• Seizures
• Signs of acute severe pain (such as crying out excessively)

Sometimes the symptoms may be less severe, but last for a few days. If your pet has any of the following symptoms lasting more than two or three days, contact your vet:

• Poor Appetite
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Lameness
• Weakness
• Excessive salivation
• Frequent and/or inappropriate urination
• Constipation
• Excessive scratching or dull, dry, or flaky hair coat
• Wheezing or frequent panting
• Nasal discharge or congestion
• Displays of mild to moderate pain (such as crying when a specific area is touched or action is taken)

As a general rule, you should contact your vet anytime you notice unusual signs for your pet. It is always better to be cautious than to wait too long to provide adequate care for your pet. In my personal pet ownership, I had a cat named Kitty who woke up one morning with a sour attitude. Thinking nothing of it, we let him be and moved on with our day. As the days went by, he kept seeming more and more upset, even moaning from time to time. He wouldn't let any of us touch him or pick him up. Finally, one night the poor dear collapsed near his food bowl and signaled that something was seriously wrong. When we would touch his stomach, he would meow louder but didn't put up much of a fight. At 4 in the morning, we took him to our local vet clinic where they looked him over and told us he needed surgery right away. He had a bladder infection that was near bursting. The lesson of this story is to always take care to notice any signs that may signal your animal is in trouble. If we would have paid more attention to his unusual actions, we would have been able to take him to the vet before he was in so much pain.

Taking an animal to the vet is never fun, but sometimes it is necessary. Don't put off calling for another day; think about how you would feel if your parents would have waited to take you to the doctor until you'd had the flu for a week or more. Love your pets!

A petition for love

Recently, I discovered an article online titled, Soldier Pleas For Pup to Leave Iraq. Naturally, the words pup and plea grabbed my attention. It touched me greatly and I feel it will you as well. So here's the story:

"Five months ago, Sgt. Gwen Beberg and a fellow soldier saved a little black and white puppy from a pile of burning trash in Baghdad. Soon, Beberg will return home to Minnesota and she requested that her beloved dog, Ratchet, return with her. The Army said no, according to Defense Department rules. Worried that Ratchet would not survive the streets of Iraq, or worse yet be decreed a "nuisance" by locals and killed, Beberg's supporters started an online petition urging the Army to reconsider. The petition has already garnered more than 12,000 signatures. Donations to help Ratchet and other Iraqi pups return home with their U.S. soldiers are gratefully accepted at Operation Baghdad Pups."

Being an animal lover and a supporter of our soldiers, I find this extremely disturbing. This soldier saved the animal and cared for him. He was her best friend and a light of hope in a horrible war that seemed endless. Now he is being taken from her, like her freedom was. I also discovered that Sgt. Beberg was forced to stay in Iraq 15 months after fulfilling her commitment due to a stop-loss. She had been forced to stay in that hell hole for over a year longer than she committed to, facing danger and unthinkable events every day. When she found Ratchet, she found a glimpse of hope for herself, her fellow soldiers and perhaps even the rest of the world. To abandon him now is to abandon everything else too.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/clemency-for-ratchet

Please take the time to visit the website and sign this petition and bring Ratchet home to his rightful owner. Five minutes of your day will help to save an animal destined for death in Iraq and bring joy back to a deserving veteran's heart.

Dog Astrology

Yes, as crazy as it may sound, Animal Planet offers horoscopes for your pets. At first, I was sceptical, but Dogs have feelings too, and are possibly more in tune with natural forces than we are as humans. Why do you think animals freak out before a natural disaster or run inland before a tidal wave? They are more sensitive to things that we could never be as humans. So why shouldn't celestial forces have just as much impact on their lives? Most of the symbols of astrology are even based on animals (Leo, Scorpio, Taurus, Aries, etc).

If you are unbelieving, just note your dog's behavior around the full moon. They often are more sensitive to it than humans. Using the principles of astrology, dogscopes can help bring you and your dog closer together. This month's feature is Libra (my sign too). It says of Libra dogs, "Libran pooches are the peacemakers of the zodiac, blessed with an innate sense of balance."

If you get a chance, go check out this site to find out more about your furry best friend. You might have more in common that you'd think!

http://animal.discovery.com/pet-planet/dog-horoscopes/index.html

The loss of a great friend

The absolute worst part of being a pet owner, is losing a pet. It is a crushing experience, not unlike losing a human loved one. However horrible this event is, it will never cease. It is difficult to accept losing your beloved pets, but every pet owner will face this grief time and time again. I personally have just lost a cat.

Oliver was my first childhood cat. He showed up on our doorstep, frozen and starving in the middle of a frosty January. My 8 year old heart felt so much compassion for this poor animal, helpless and without a home. My parents agreed to feed him and bring him inside to take the chill off. However, his loving personality touched all of us. Oliver stayed with us, a friendly and vocal cat, until last week. It would have been almost 11 years since we were blessed by his presence.

When Oliver came to us, he was already full grown, somewhere between 3 and 5 years old. By the time he disappeared, he would have been an elderly 15 plus year old cat. However, he never showed any signs of sickness, pain or other indicators of his age. He never once was taken to the vet for anything other than checkups. He was a strong, proud cat and one of my first best friends.

Now that he's gone, I feel abandoned, but also content that he lived a good life. He was happy, healthy and always loved. I feel like I was able to save him and provide him with a better life. All I wanted to do for him, was help him. I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to have him as a pet for so many years. I also think the most important thing is that he left and decided on his own to leave this world, as most cats do. I wouldn't have been able to see him suffer like he did when we first met in that wintry morning. I'm also thankful that he was able to go on his own time and not by the hand of another means. Oliver was very independent and I think this plan was important to him.

As a pet owner and lover, it is very difficult for me to let him go. He will always be a part of my life. This loss has taught me to appreciate the animals (and people) in my life, no matter how troublesome they may be. Oliver had a habit of jumping onto my head in the middle of the night for attention. This usually annoyed me, but now I see that it was just him showing his love. I have an older dog, Roz, and she barks all the time, which really gets annoying, but now I accept it, and pay more attention to her. She won't be here forever, so I need to love her now while I still can.

Animals teach us things that no human ever could. They love unconditionally, without worrying about social status, appearance, wealth or anything else humans hold important. They show us that we are capable of being loved and giving love. The provide companionship when there is no one else. Above all, they reach out to our hearts and teach us to be a little more like them. To spend less worrying about the material aspects of life, but to be more concerned with love and friendship. Everyday is one day less you have with those you hold dearest. I've learned that the only way to live is to live like you'll die tomorrow. Any day could be the last for you or someone you hold dear. Take time to show those you love that you care about them. Don't wait for tomorrow; do it today because tomorrow could never come.