Don’t blame the dog, blame the owner

Posted on Mar 08, 2010 in Opinion

In a tragic event on Jan. 31, the family rottweiler killed Ashlynn Anderson, the four-year-old stepdaughter of The History Channel’s Ax men star, Jesse Browning.

This has once again stirred up the misguided outrage of many Americans that fear what they do not understand. Ashlynn’s death is heartbreaking, but blaming the dog is not the correct course of action for two reasons.

First, if you have a four-year old child you should not own a rottweiler (in this case three rottweilers). These dogs can weigh 130 lbs. or more; just light play could be dangerous to a child with a dog that size. Considering that the child was out in the yard alone with two rottweilers puts the blame more on the parents than the dog. Little Ashlynn should not have been put in that perilous position.

Second, there is no such thing as a bad dog, just bad or uneducated dog owners. It appears this was a case of bad owners. Four months prior to the incident one of Browning’s other rottweilers was seized by the Clatsop County Sheriff Department because it had attacked an adult member of the family.

What is the truth about the powerful breeds of dogs like pitt bulls, rottweilers, dobermans and German shepherds? They are protective, loving, calm and confident with a natural desire and willingness to work. This is why they are the most popular breeds used for companion, police and rescue dogs.

By nature, they are typically not aggressive and pale in comparison to the ferociousness of dachshunds, chihuahuas and Jack Russell terriers. You are far more likely to be attacked and suffer a serious injury from an attack by an Alaskan malamute, husky, chow-chow or dalmatian. There are, basically, three reasons that the powerful breeds become aggressive, which I will address here.

First, there are estimates that more than 80 percent of attacks by one of the powerful breeds of dogs occur due to male territorial behavioral. Sexual aggression causes the dogs to be both territorial and aggressive. This is easy to fix by having males neutered females spayed. It is only successful if you have this done prior to the dog entering adolescence. This usually happens at about eight months, and it is recommended that you have the procedure performed when the animal is between three and six months. If they never experience their sexuality they, usually, will not exhibit aggressive territorial behavior — at least not at a dangerous level.

Second, they have worthless owners who do not deserve to have them. Some people — who apparently do not have any value in their own self-worth — take a beautiful animal and train it to maul and kill for nothing more than to satisfy their own sick perversion.

If you were to take a child when it was a baby and then for its only education you teach it how to kill then you are most likely going to raise a killer. That is not the child’s fault, and in the same situation, it is not the dogs fault, only the owner’s. The owner might as well leave a loaded shotgun leaned against their mailbox and hope that no one will be shot.

These owners should be put in a cage, not only for what they have done to the animal, but also for the jeopardy that they placed on society. When someone dies because that owner raised a dog to be a killer, that owner should be euthanized.

Third, do not venture into their territory and do not taunt the animal. Seventy percent of all attacks by the powerful breeds occur on the owner’s property. Teach yourselves and your children to respect other people’s property and not to enter a person’s yard without their permission. If you know someone who has a powerful breed dog, use that cell to let the owner know you are there, so that they can control the dogs before you enter.

People keep these dogs to protect their homes and families; there is nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, the statistic that is not kept is; how often they do protect their family from harm?

With that said, getting a powerful breed dog — like any other pet — is big commitment. There are several things that you can do to build a better relationship with your new dog.

One, before picking up your large breed dog, pick up a book on the breed and read it from cover to cover. Make sure you have a working knowledge of what you are getting into.

Two, unless you are experienced with the breed, do not get an older dog. Puppies are more fun, and if you get your puppy while he or she is eight to 16 weeks, it is easier to instill into the animal that you are the boss. You have to maintain authority with any dog because if the dog thinks he or she is the boss, they will become unruly.

The problem with older dogs is you have to convince your fully-grown dog that you are the boss. For this, you have to understand the breed and be willing to stand up to the dog with no fear. If you are scared, the dog will sense it and then the dog will be the boss.

Three, you have to make sure that they get plenty of exercise. When a dog does not burn off their extra energy, they become excited or worked up and tend to misbehave. They play to rough; they chew up shoes, extension cords and anything else they get their teeth on. When a lack of exercise is chronic, they also exhibit compulsive behavior such as chasing their tail.

Four, they need to be well-socialized, so while they are still puppies you should introduce them to the outside world. Take them to places where they can see other dogs and people, including children. The more they are around people and other dogs, the more accustomed to them they will be, and the less the possibility for conflict.

Five, discipline is the key, not physical punishment. If you hit a dog or physically manhandle it, you are challenging them. It is much more effective to use sharp, short, loud sounds to get their attention and pointing your finger at them and starring them down goes further than slapping them upside the head. You can calm a dog by staring him down; he will lower his tail, lower his head, sit and look you in the eye and eventually lay down. These are all signs of submission. This is how you establish that you are the boss, and it is important that every human in your home creates the same for themselves and that everyone uses the same guidelines for disciplining the dog in order to prevent confusion.

Six, do not neglect your dog. This can cause a dog to have issues and is one of the primary reasons that any breed of dog might attack its owner. Any animal will fight for survival and when you neglect them and they are not fed or contract illness, they enter survival mode.

If you cannot properly care for your dog, take him to the Humane Society. If it is a powerful breed, let me know because I know good owners who will take them.

I have had eight powerful breed dogs, one pit bull, one doberman, two German shepherds and three rotweillers. Currently I have a four-month-old puppy that is the product of a full-blooded rottweiler and a full-blooded German shepherd. I have never had any problem with one of my dogs. My last rottweiler (Madison) and my puppy (Kota) both had their lives run by 11lbs. of poodle. She barks; they run. These are truly dangerous beasts.

All of these dogs have been loyal and loving. They would all go into attack mode if you tried to hurt a member of my family, but every one of them would stop when I yell sit. As long as you did not threaten what was theirs, they were fine. Do you know how I trained them to be that way? I just gave them love every chance I could; discipline and knowing that they are loved is all the training they need to love and protect their family. You do not have to train them to be vicious.

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