A dog fight that shouldn't have happened:

[The_cavalierman]

The Scenario:

I have a 2.5 year old, 130 pound male Akita (named Kodi) that does not have an ounce of fat on him according to the vet (my sister). Since it is just me and my fiancé (who couldn't walk this dog with a 100 pound weight strapped to her @ss) I am the one who makes the 3 daily relief trips the around the neighborhood.

The Issue:

My daily route with Kodi takes me along a path where other folks walk their dogs and generally most people are competent dog owners. Today I found the king of the idiots! This guy has an overweight Boxer and a snappy little mut that he never has on a leash. Of course my county has leash laws and poop-scoop laws.

Kodi and I were minding our business walking along the path when this little yapper of a dog (minus a leash) comes up to me snarling and it lunges at me catching my pants but not me. Kodi immediately starts snarling back and procedes to take a chunk out of that little ****er. I have never seen Kodi angry but he was on a mission to break that mut in half. The little mut went squealing off and this fat guy comes running over screaming that he's gonna sue me for harming his dog and that my dog is dangerous.

I told this waste of skin owner that my dog attacked his dog only after his dog tried to bite me. Fortunately for me their was another couple out walking their dog that saw the whole thing and have complained about this guy never having his dogs on a leash. I got their names and information as witnesses just in case this nut job decides he wants to sue. I also have a nice rip in my pant leg where his dog got my pants. At the advice of my witnesses I called animal control to file a complaint to make sure I was on record first.

The Aftermath:

I checked Kodi and he didn't have a scratch on him but I started to feel bad for the little dog because he has a dumb owner. This whole scenario got me to thinking. Are their bad dogs or just bad owners/breeders? Do any other Extreme Skins pet owners have to deal with idiots like this?

[stevenaa]

Both. And there's nothing more annoying than a dog that is annoying. Maybe it learned it's lesson.

[twa]

Both...and you were wise to report it and lucky there were witnesses.

[mjah]

Every so often you just get a bad dog, regardless of the owner. But a "bad dog" is usually a result of a bad owner, if you ask me.

Sounds like that other dog owner is a damned fool, having an aggressive dog like that off its leash at ANY time. It's a real shame that pets have to suffer sometimes as a result of their idiocy.

[Stew]

Any dog owner that lets his dog off the leash in a public area not designated for dog play (Dog parks, puppy play area's, ect) is a poor pet owner. He put his dog in the position and situation. Had he obayed leash laws, his dog would have been securely at his side, and nothing would have happened.

I have a 5 year old St. Bernard/Pitbull mix that does well off leash, but he is only off leash in my yard, at the dog park, or in the woods when we go hunting. Take pictures of your jeans while they are on your leg, its just detail to the documentation, and the pants on the leg, illustrate how close the dog came to biting your leg. Good job on calling animal control and getting documentation through them. Neighborhoods are no place for dogs to roam offleash. With kids, neighborhood traffic and other homeowners walking their dogs in the area, it isnt fair to the dog for him not to be on a leash. Everything out there can be very stimulating and exciting to them in that kind of environment, and the minute they are offleash, their "territory" becomes much larger. Im sure the boxer saw you coming and wanted to protect what it thought was its territory, and his territory was larger because he was offleash, and you coming into the territory with your dog probably felt like a threat. That is why this is all the owners fault. He wont say anything though because he was in the wrong in the first place disregarding leash laws. Be proud of your dog, he wanted to protect you.

[TMK9973]

I had this Black lab before. He was the greatest dog. Got him from the lab resuce, great with people and kids. Very eaisly trained. Very smart dog.

However -Somethign happened to him at the pound and he hated dogs. If he saw a dog, he turned into a crazy dog and would try to kill them. I took him to the best trainers and they could train him to get along with any one dog, but it never transfered.

However -While I would get nasty looks when he started barking and trying to attack - I ALWAYS had him on a leash, and would ty to take him to places that didn't have a lot of dogs around.

We were at a dog beach once (Not a offical off leash one, just one that was hidden, and lots of people used as a dog beach), and my dog was having fun. Then another dog came by, so I quickly put my dog on a leash, moved over to a area and had him sit. He was under control. The other dog was playing, and soon, the other dog started walking up to mine. I told the owner to get him, my dog was not friendly.

The dog went back and played, and then the dog came up again. Again, I told his owner to get the dog. Told him we would leave (But the guy still had to get his dog, since he was blocking the path). The owener told me "Not to worry. HIS dog was super friendly".
As he was saying that - The other dog ran up, and jumped on mine.

Wasn't even close. In about 3 seconds of very loud barking, my dog used his teeth to take a chunk of skin off the other dogs cheeks, I used my hand to put my hand in my dogs mouth (He would never bite a human, and always released), and the dog ran back, bleeding, to his owner.

The owner started yelling at me. Telling me he was going to report me, and have my dog put down (Luckly, there was another couple who told the park offical that my dog was on a leash, under control, and I warned the owner 2 to 3 times that my dog was not friendly and he should get his dog).

[The_cavalierman]

Any dog owner that lets his dog off the leash in a public area not designated for dog play (Dog parks, puppy play area's, ect) is a poor pet owner. He put his dog in the position and situation. Had he obayed leash laws, his dog would have been securely at his side, and nothing would have happened.

I have a 5 year old St. Bernard/Pitbull mix that does well off leash, but he is only off leash in my yard, at the dog park, or in the woods when we go hunting. Take pictures of your jeans while they are on your leg, its just detail to the documentation, and the pants on the leg, illustrate how close the dog came to biting your leg. Good job on calling animal control and getting documentation through them. Neighborhoods are no place for dogs to roam offleash. With kids, neighborhood traffic and other homeowners walking their dogs in the area, it isnt fair to the dog for him not to be on a leash. Everything out there can be very stimulating and exciting to them in that kind of environment, and the minute they are offleash, their "territory" becomes much larger. Im sure the boxer saw you coming and wanted to protect what it thought was its territory, and his territory was larger because he was offleash, and you coming into the territory with your dog probably felt like a threat. That is why this is all the owners fault. He wont say anything though because he was in the wrong in the first place disregarding leash laws. Be proud of your dog, he wanted to protect you.


I will get my fiance to snap some pics of the pants with me wearing them (good call). Kodi is a neighborhood favorite because he is great with the neighborhood kids. I am very proud of Kodi he is a hell of a dog. I just feel bad that the other dog got hurt becuase the other owner is a flaming idiot.

[The_cavalierman]

I had this Black lab before. He was the greatest dog. Got him from the lab resuce, great with people and kids. Very eaisly trained. Very smart dog.

However -Somethign happened to him at the pound and he hated dogs. If he saw a dog, he turned into a crazy dog and would try to kill them. I took him to the best trainers and they could train him to get along with any one dog, but it never transfered.

However -While I would get nasty looks when he started barking and trying to attack - I ALWAYS had him on a leash, and would ty to take him to places that didn't have a lot of dogs around.

We were at a dog beach once (Not a offical off leash one, just one that was hidden, and lots of people used as a dog beach), and my dog was having fun. Then another dog came by, so I quickly put my dog on a leash, moved over to a area and had him sit. He was under control. The other dog was playing, and soon, the other dog started walking up to mine. I told the owner to get him, my dog was not friendly.

The dog went back and played, and then the dog came up again. Again, I told his owner to get the dog. Told him we would leave (But the guy still had to get his dog, since he was blocking the path). The owener told me "Not to worry. HIS dog was super friendly".
As he was saying that - The other dog ran up, and jumped on mine.

Wasn't even close. In about 3 seconds of very loud barking, my dog used his teeth to take a chunk of skin off the other dogs cheeks, I used my hand to put my hand in my dogs mouth (He would never bite a human, and always released), and the dog ran back, bleeding, to his owner.

The owner started yelling at me. Telling me he was going to report me, and have my dog put down (Luckly, there was another couple who told the park offical that my dog was on a leash, under control, and I warned the owner 2 to 3 times that my dog was not friendly and he should get his dog).

Wow!

One of the first rule of Dog ownership is not to assume anything. This guy thought because his dog is super friendly that your dog was to.

Akitas are generally friendly but they are bred for hunting bears. I always keep that in mind regardless of how nice kodi is generally. If people want to meet him I tell them that I will slowly bring Kodi to them so he is not surprised.

Until today I've never had any problems with anyone.

[AdamB]

I voted both, simply in that there can be bad dogs, just like there can be bad people, cats, etc. That being said, the number of irresponsible owners and breeders are very much on the rise, whether it is intentional or just ignorance/lack of common sense.

My APBT is now 3 years old and still treats other dogs like her best buds (especially those smaller than her) The few times we have been charged by strays/off leash dogs, she backed down and actually hid behind me in one case. That being said, it does not mean the next one that charges her is going to prompt the same response, and I have to assume that the next time that stupid blue heeler down the street comes ripping out of it's yard, Shelby is gonna decide enough is enough. Or, like in your case, if it goes after me that she will stand by and watch.

And with that in mind, she is never off leash when outside of our fenced yard, no visits to dog parks, etc. Would she be fine off leash? Yah, I am sure she would be, but it is not worth the risk especially in today's enviroment.

[Koolblue13]

As proud Akita owner myself, your dog did the right thing. My lil mama bear is very well mannered. When I got her she was already about six. At 120lbs she is as amazing looking as she could be dangerous. I had a 75lbs Pit dumped on my lap the same week, who was completely untrained and I was already helping to take care of. Two large headed females is a full time job. After I picked up a second job and came down with Lymes, it got very stressful for both dogs. Lucy(the Pit) started to get protective and more demanding and after picking a fight one night I saw just what an Akita is cappable of and it was down right frightining. I'll never look at the girl I jokingly refere to as "Miss Dainty" again. The Akita is only removed frm the wild side as of WWII and you can definitly see the wolf look in thier eyes at times. They are nothing like any other dog, that's for sure. I don't leash her unless in public and have had very few problems. She usualy just wants nothing to do with other dogs. I blame the ******* with the untrained and unleashed dogs for not knowing or respecting what dogs are capable of.

BTW, this thread usless without picks(of the dog).

[edgun88]

That is rediculous. How is he going to argue that YOUR dog is dangerous when HIS freaking dog was the one that tried to bite you? The guy sounds like a dumbass.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

My family had a male Akita when I was 7. He was enormous. 140 lbs at age 3. My dad ran over him with a station waggon, and the dog was stuck under there for 30 minutes. Got free and frolocked away.

He bit our neighbor, who didn't heed our warnings not to pet him. Broke some bones in his hands. He tackled a guy that was chasing my sister. Luckily my sister saw it about to happen and met the dog right at the tackle. She pushed him off and started kicking him, he got the message, just in time.

One day I go down to feed our dog, I have a bone in my hand looking for him. I turn the corner in to my brother's room and BAM! It felt like I got punched in the face with a spoon. But it was his tooth. I ran out of the room crying and my parents both went ape**** (which scared me more). Blood was gushing out, right below my eye. Ended up getting 7 stiches and a scar you can see to this day. But at least it wasn't my eye. My parents had the dog put down and we've stuck with Border Collies ever since.

[Skins247]

Dog owners are just stupid, in general. Especially the idiots that take their dogs outside to do their business and they end up doing it on their neighbor's lawn. And to top it off, that guy has a fenced-in backyard! My advice to dog owners. If you take your dog out for a walk/poop you damn well better be prepared to scoop it up! I'm the guy whose yard you don't want to let them take a dump on. Not a pretty scenario.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Cats >>>> Dogs

[The_cavalierman]

As proud Akita owner myself, your dog did the right thing. My lil mama bear is very well mannered. When I got her she was already about six. At 120lbs she is as amazing looking as she could be dangerous. I had a 75lbs Pit dumped on my lap the same week, who was completely untrained and I was already helping to take care of. Two large headed females is a full time job. After I picked up a second job and came down with Lymes, it got very stressful for both dogs. Lucy(the Pit) started to get protective and more demanding and after picking a fight one night I saw just what an Akita is cappable of and it was down right frightining. I'll never look at the girl I jokingly refere to as "Miss Dainty" again. The Akita is only removed frm the wild side as of WWII and you can definitly see the wolf look in thier eyes at times. They are nothing like any other dog, that's for sure. I don't leash her unless in public and have had very few problems. She usualy just wants nothing to do with other dogs. I blame the ******* with the untrained and unleashed dogs for not knowing or respecting what dogs are capable of.

BTW, this thread usless without picks(of the dog).

Man...you are brave,

A pit bull and an Akita...that is a recipe for plenty of fighting unless you have a very firm hand. I have plenty of pics but I don't know how to post them.

Kodi is black-brindle with white paws. He looks like he is wearing a tuxedo. My fiance and I joke that Kodi will be the only person in our wedding that does not need a tux.

[The_cavalierman]

Cats >>>> Dogs

Kodi tries to eat cats....

Their is a neighborhood cat that we call Charles that goes from house to house getting spoiled. Kodi saw him one day while my fiance was trying to walk him and Kodi dragged her around the neighborhood trying to eat charles the cat.

Because of that we try to keep kitties at a healthy distance.

[Park City Skins]

I say both, but with a leaning more towards bad owners. We owned a dog, (Half Doberman, half German Sheperd ), that was a bit mean from the get go, (Hence why we called him Tiger), but it was his training on the base by friends of the family that made him a bit meaner. We were good owners though, so he was fairly safe. That said, I believe more in bad owners. Known a few and the dogs reflected it.

[trio]

i also say both....

I just adopted a Mastiff puppy (i say puppy, but he is a little over a year, we guess, and already pushing 120, on his way to probably 160 pounds) from a kill shelter in West Virginia....(fyi, his name is Cooley)...

I cannot imagine someone abandoning this dog....he is a Brindel Mastiff, which is one of the rarer types, and is about as sweet as a teddy bear....he was actually adopted and brought back....the reason given on the return form (the AC officer let me see it)..."Not mean enough")....so there are some breeds that tend to be more aggressive, and some that just aren't....

Having said that....in my second life I taught school in a variety of settings....none of them good....detention centers, specialized schools for incarcerated kids, prisons, special classrooms, Emotionally Disturbed kids, etc....you get the picture...(you can also guess why, after 7 years I said **** that and went to law school)....anyway, I used to do "home visits"....which in some incidences meant me driving my very, very large, very white rearend into some neighborhoods where, well, put bluntly, someone with those characteristics likely shouldn't go....

i remember one time, in such a neighborhood, as I was leaving, after visiting a student of mine (a disturbed and abused 5th grader) there were 5-6 teenage-young adults standing in the parking lot of the project with a puppy between them, stomping all around its head (not on it, just near it)...the dog was obviously terrified...the kid just looked at us and said "people do that all the time to make the dogs mean so they will fight...." (for the record, it was no wonder a lot of the kids were the way they were either)...

I guess that is my way of saying that the answer is nature and nurture....

[edgun88]

Cats >>>> Dogs


Monkeys>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Cats >>>> Dogs

[The_cavalierman]

i also say both....

I just adopted a Mastiff puppy (i say puppy, but he is a little over a year, we guess, and already pushing 120, on his way to probably 160 pounds) from a kill shelter in West Virginia....(fyi, his name is Cooley)...

I cannot imagine someone abandoning this dog....he is a Brindel Mastiff, which is one of the rarer types, and is about as sweet as a teddy bear....he was actually adopted and brought back....the reason given on the return form (the AC officer let me see it)..."Not mean enough")....so there are some breeds that tend to be more aggressive, and some that just aren't....

Having said that....in my second life I taught school in a variety of settings....none of them good....detention centers, specialized schools for incarcerated kids, prisons, special classrooms, Emotionally Disturbed kids, etc....you get the picture...(you can also guess why, after 7 years I said **** that and went to law school)....anyway, I used to do "home visits"....which in some incidences meant me driving my very, very large, very white rearend into some neighborhoods where, well, put bluntly, someone with those characteristics likely shouldn't go....

i remember one time, in such a neighborhood, as I was leaving, after visiting a student of mine (a disturbed and abused 5th grader) there were 5-6 teenage-young adults standing in the parking lot of the project with a puppy between them, stomping all around its head (not on it, just near it)...the dog was obviously terrified...the kid just looked at us and said "people do that all the time to make the dogs mean so they will fight...." (for the record, it was no wonder a lot of the kids were the way they were either)...

I guess that is my way of saying that the answer is nature and nurture....


That is an absolute tragic story about what people do to make dogs fight. I think law enforcement is justified in coming down hard on idiots who do stuff like that.


I absolutely love Mastiffs but my fiance can't handle the 130 pound (and growing) Akita now. I can only imagine the the comedy of her trying to handle a Mastiff. Do you have an English Mastiff or a Bull Mastiff?

I imagine your dog gets a lot of attention in the neighborhood.

[The_cavalierman]

Monkeys>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Cats >>>> Dogs

Dogs, Cats, Monkeys, Coat Hangers>>>>>>>>Some Humans

:D

[trio]

That is an absolute tragic story about what people do to make dogs fight. I think law enforcement is justified in coming down hard on idiots who do stuff like that.


I absolutely love Mastiffs but my fiance can't handle the 130 pound (and growing) Akita now. I can only imagine the the comedy of her trying to handle a Mastiff. Do you have an English Mastiff or a Bull Mastiff?

I imagine your dog gets a lot of attention in the neighborhood.


Yes, the story was bad....my co-teacher (who was with me, a woman, very PETA-esque) immediately started across the street to "stop" the activity....needless to say I stopped her....that was a very good way to get shot....she then wanted to call the cops, and I told her we couldn't do that either, which she really howled about...

but the cold, simple fact of it was this:

no one in that neighborhood called the cops for stuff like that EXCEPT for the two white folks that were there (and yes, EVERYONE noticed us)....so had the cops shown up that day EVERYONE would have known who called them....and EVERYONE knew whose house we were there to visit....and the student we were there to visit had already been sexually abused as a 2nd grader, he didnt need to get stomped by a bunch of teenagers because his teachers called the cops......the co-teacher only taught that year...she received a very unfortunate lesson in reality versus idealism...


Cooley, btw, is a Bull Mastiff (not English, Lord he would end up at 240 pounds)....and yes, we get some looks....I am 6'6, 350, former college lineman, walking a dog whose head pretty much is at my waist.....people take notice....

[The_cavalierman]

Yes, the story was bad....my co-teacher (who was with me, a woman, very PETA-esque) immediately started across the street to "stop" the activity....needless to say I stopped her....that was a very good way to get shot....she then wanted to call the cops, and I told her we couldn't do that either, which she really howled about...

but the cold, simple fact of it was this:

no one in that neighborhood called the cops for stuff like that EXCEPT for the two white folks that were there (and yes, EVERYONE noticed us)....so had the cops shown up that day EVERYONE would have known who called them....and EVERYONE knew whose house we were there to visit....and the student we were there to visit had already been sexually abused as a 2nd grader, he didnt need to get stomped by a bunch of teenagers because his teachers called the cops......the co-teacher only taught that year...she received a very unfortunate lesson in reality versus idealism...


Cooley, btw, is a Bull Mastiff (not English, Lord he would end up at 240 pounds)....and yes, we get some looks....I am 6'6, 350, former college lineman, walking a dog whose head pretty much is at my waist.....people take notice....

Yeah...that reality pill is a bitter one for our idealist friends. You certainly did the safe thing in keeping your friend from bringing heat on the kid you were there for.

Is Cooley healthy? I ask because I hear Bull Mastiffs have more health problems than English Mastiffs because of the bull dog mix. At 6'6 350 I'm not sure who gets more attention...you or Cooley? People must mistake you for a Redskin pretty often especially if you wear any gear.

:D

[rachievegas]

We have this one neighbor here that we hate, quite a lot. He tells us what to do with OUR lawn, to put our trashcan up basically at 6am, as soon as the trashman leaves, all sorts of crap, as if he paid our mortgage.

Anyways, he has this TINY yappyyap dog and it's constantly coming into our yard, taking a ****, then barking at us as if we invaded his territory. This dog is NEVER on a leash and one day, by accident, it ran out infront of our car and we ran it over. Amazingly enough, it ran off and was totally fine. The owners yelled at us and were going to call the cops on us until we told them that their dog, yet again, wasn't on a leash and we have NO fault in this whatsoever.

So, I pity anyone who has to deal with stupid dogs and even more dumber owners who won't take their dogs out on a leash.

[trio]

Yeah...that reality pill is a bitter one for our idealist friends. You certainly did the safe thing in keeping your friend from bringing heat on the kid you were there for.

Is Cooley healthy? I ask because I hear Bull Mastiffs have more health problems than English Mastiffs because of the bull dog mix. At 6'6 350 I'm not sure who gets more attention...you or Cooley? People must mistake you for a Redskin pretty often especially if you wear any gear.

:D

actually, it has happened a few times, not a ton...I got harrassed on vacation once because one guy swore I was a Carolina Panther (ah what might have been were it not for broken legs and blown knees...)


the last time I got mistaken for a redskin, sadly, was at the Sean Taylor vigil in Ashburn....i was there in my Redskins sweats with my hoody up...when I was standing around a circle a girl said to her friend "I wonder if any of the Redskins are here" to which her friend replied "there is one right there".....

anyone who "knows" the Redskins doesn't make that mistake....at 34, less of the bulk is in my chest and more of it is in my gut than once was...before I had shoulder surgery 3 weeks ago I could still do 225 between 25-28 times depending on the day....have to see how shoulder reconstruction effects that....i do get jokes about the O-line injuries and suiting up from the folks that sit near me at the games :D

Cooley had his first vet trip on Thursday and seems in perfect health (according to the vet)..he is still very young, and very new to us (i just rescued him this week...he was scheduled to be euthanized this past Friday....:( )

he is so amazingly sweet....I have been around Mastiffs before, and he absolutely fits the profile...gentle, easy going, loyal to a fault.....already part of the family....

[Koolblue13]

Man...you are brave,

A pit bull and an Akita...that is a recipe for plenty of fighting unless you have a very firm hand. I have plenty of pics but I don't know how to post them.

Kodi is black-brindle with white paws. He looks like he is wearing a tuxedo. My fiance and I joke that Kodi will be the only person in our wedding that does not need a tux.Sounds like one hell of a looker. I am absolutly sold on the breed. So damn smart.

The pit and the Akita thing, my roomate was in Utah and suppst to come home for the dog and move back out the week I got the Akita and he didn't. So for 8 months my only life was the girls. It was great at first, but once I lst the free time, it got scary.

[Koolblue13]

Cooley had his first vet trip on Thursday and seems in perfect health (according to the vet)..he is still very young, and very new to us (i just rescued him this week...he was scheduled to be euthanized this past Friday....:( )

he is so amazingly sweet....I have been around Mastiffs before, and he absolutely fits the profile...gentle, easy going, loyal to a fault.....already part of the family....Dude you rule, that's awesome. My girl was a rescue as well, with only a day to go. Best thing i've ever done.

[The_cavalierman]

Dude you rule, that's awesome. My girl was a rescue as well, with only a day to go. Best thing i've ever done.

Make that 3 rescues because I got Kodi from an Akita Rescue.

His previous owner was a DC lady that had no knowledge of the breed and purchased him because he was "cute". She had a cat and was shocked to find out that Kodi was getting so big. She turned him in because he was getting too big for her to handle.

We had visited 3 other akitas prior to visiting Kodi and my fiance really liked an all white Akita at the last place we went. She said she was just being thorough by going to see Kodi.

When my fiance and I walked in the door Kodi was the only dog of three that started barking and it scared my fiance. I started talking to the lady who was fostering Kodi for no more than 2 minutes and when I turned back around Kodi was lying on his back and my fiance was rubbing his belly.


That was all she wrote. My fiance looked at me and said this is our dog. That was the end of our selection process as the woman wins. As I sat and watched Kodi interact with us I fell for him as well. Kodi was a high quality pet Akita and the lady who purchased him from a championship breeder paid $1000 for him. I got Kodi for $200

Kodi proved yesterday to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I do a lot of traveling and I feel a lot better knowing that Kodi will defend my fiance if he needs to.

The ARMAC (http://armac.rescuegroups.org/) Akita rescue is awesome and they are big on educating you on the breed. They will not give you a dog unless you know what you are doing and are capable of handling it. If anyone is interested in getting an Akita I would certainly reccomend ARMAC (http://armac.rescuegroups.org/) before you spend a ton of money at a breeder. I would also reccomend that you do a little homework on the breed because Akitas require a firm hand and consistent training.

Jodi Marcus was my point of Contact in Virginia but their are people in Maryland that are a part of ARMAC (http://armac.rescuegroups.org/) as well.

[The_cavalierman]

Sounds like one hell of a looker. I am absolutly sold on the breed. So damn smart.

The pit and the Akita thing, my roomate was in Utah and suppst to come home for the dog and move back out the week I got the Akita and he didn't. So for 8 months my only life was the girls. It was great at first, but once I lst the free time, it got scary.

Akitas are without a doubt the smartest breed I've ever encountered. They are always situationally aware. I cannot speak for other Akitas but Kodi does not bark unless something is wrong so when he does we take notice.

[Koolblue13]

Thats cool. I got mama because a family was losing thier home to foreclosure. I knew the woman buying the house and she was asking me if I wanted he for two weeks. My two roomates each had Pits, so I kept saying no. I finally asked one day and she told me she had been put down. When I responded saying I would have taken her instead, she made a call and found out she was going in the morning, so I went to meet her. I walked into thier house and mama came around the corner barking and pinned me in the corner. She was all mine.:)

The Akita breed is not safe for people. They (I think) have the highest bite per breed ratio. Ain't a lot of them around, but they are always high on the list. They're so damn cute and good looking, way to many people end up with them, that shouldn't. Almost the entire breed was ferile less than 70 years ago. I'm glad most people don't know about them, because they are not a domestic animal by nature IMO, only because they know better and it takes a very strong person to keep them friendly.

[Koolblue13]

http://a597.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/119/l_2ea7b97a4d52b78c2603a427d84d0e0c.jpg

Here are a couple of pictures of the young ladie I call my lil' mama bear. Her name is actually Kieshia, but that is kind of ghey. I love to post pictures of her.



http://a913.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/108/l_396048a086b114e98f90b05533b6e940.jpg

[The_cavalierman]

http://a597.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/119/l_2ea7b97a4d52b78c2603a427d84d0e0c.jpg

Here are a couple of pictures of the young ladie I call my lil' mama bear. Her name is actually Kieshia, but that is kind of ghey. I love to post pictures of her.



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She is a beautiful lady!

How old is she?

[Koolblue13]

She is a beautiful lady!

How old is she?about 7. The people I got her from, originally got her from a rescue themselves. She was found around one year old, wandering the streets of north Philly all alone. Makes me sad. I've had her for almost exactly a year now.

My roomate just got a dalmation/pit puppy(8 months). Brought her hme this morning as a suprise to me. I know mama wants a friend to play with, but she has gotten a little dog agressive in her old age. It's really hard to tell if she is trying to play or fight. Any time she has had a prblem with being agressive, you don't find out until she has the other dog pinned down with her forearms. She doesn't bite, just likes to pin the other dogs down. I've seen her fight and it's abslutly frighining and when she does go from playing to attacking, it happens fast and quite, so i'm very cautious. I hope it works out. He tryed to bring in a female Rotty who was agressive and mama wasn't having it. She likes puppies so I think it'll go a little better this time.

[mjah]

We have this one neighbor here that we hate, quite a lot. He tells us what to do with OUR lawn, to put our trashcan up basically at 6am, as soon as the trashman leaves, all sorts of crap, as if he paid our mortgage.

Anyways, he has this TINY yappyyap dog and it's constantly coming into our yard, taking a ****, then barking at us as if we invaded his territory.
I would have SUCH a good time messing with this guy.

[Koolblue13]

I would have SUCH a good time messing with this guy.

Did y'all ever see the Reno 911 when they shot the dog? Funny as hell.

[The_cavalierman]

about 7. The people I got her from, originally got her from a rescue themselves. She was found around one year old, wandering the streets of north Philly all alone. Makes me sad. I've had her for almost exactly a year now.

My roomate just got a dalmation/pit puppy(8 months). Brought her hme this morning as a suprise to me. I know mama wants a friend to play with, but she has gotten a little dog agressive in her old age. It's really hard to tell if she is trying to play or fight. Any time she has had a prblem with being agressive, you don't find out until she has the other dog pinned down with her forearms. She doesn't bite, just likes to pin the other dogs down. I've seen her fight and it's abslutly frighining and when she does go from playing to attacking, it happens fast and quite, so i'm very cautious. I hope it works out. He tryed to bring in a female Rotty who was agressive and mama wasn't having it. She likes puppies so I think it'll go a little better this time.

I'm sure you know this but....

Be careful there buddy because Dalmations have a completely different energy level than Akitas and older Akitas tend to be dog aggressive. Your akita does not want to fight the puppy but she does want her space. Unfortunately the puppy wants to play and that's a bad combination.

Akitas are low energy dogs while Dalmations are high energy dogs even as they mature. Both of you are gonna have to keep close eye on both dogs for the safety of the Dalmation mostly.

In a perfect world your roomate should have gotten a low energy and more mature dog.

Just be careful
:)

[Koolblue13]

I'm sure you know this but....

Be careful there buddy because Dalmations have a completely different energy level than Akitas and older Akitas tend to be dog aggressive. Your akita does not want to fight the puppy but she does want her space. Unfortunately the puppy wants to play and that's a bad combination.

Akitas are low energy dogs while Dalmations are high energy dogs even as they mature. Both of you are gonna have to keep close eye on both dogs for the safety of the Dalmation mostly.

In a perfect world your roomate should have gotten a low energy and more mature dog.

Just be careful
:)Oh I know and i'm not very happy about it at all. It was a christmas present from his parents. I've tryed to explain this to him. His last dog got shot by the cops for attacking a cow. I don't like the way he trains his dogs either and I know I have a prblem on my hands. Just what I needed.

[The_cavalierman]

Oh I know and i'm not very happy about it at all. It was a christmas present from his parents. I've tryed to explain this to him. His last dog got shot by the cops for attacking a cow. I don't like the way he trains his dogs either and I know I have a prblem on my hands. Just what I needed.

Well...

You certainly cannot control what your roomate's parents do, but what you can do is control the interaction between the dogs. You know that your lady can be dog aggressive so it might be best to limit and supervise their interaction.

Have their been any aggressive gestures? barking? growling? etc.

I love dalmations but that 8 month old, high energy puppy was like lighting a match in a room full of dynamite. Let us hope that your roomate is a very active sort that will give his Dalmation a firm hand and the hour plus exercise it needs daily to keep it calm and balanced.

[edgun88]

Dogs, Cats, Monkeys, Coat Hangers>>>>>>>>Some Humans

:D


Agreed. :cheers:

[The_cavalierman]

Does anyone own a pitbull?

I was just talking with a guy that owns one outside and I came away very impressed with his dog behavior wise. The Dog was well behaved and very nice even with Kodi.

I've only heard bad things about the breed but obviously this guy I just met did not raise his dog to fight and it seems (at least to me) to be a wonderful dog/breed.

The guy also has small kids and say his dog is a model pet. Kinda convinces me that bad ownership and bad breeding are more the problem than the animals. The Animals only become bad after interactions with jacked up people.

[AdamB]

Does anyone own a pitbull?

I was just talking with a guy that owns one outside and I came away very impressed with his dog behavior wise. The Dog was well behaved and very nice even with Kodi.

I've only heard bad things about the breed but obviously this guy I just met did not raise his dog to fight and it seems (at least to me) to be a wonderful dog/breed.

The guy also has small kids and say his dog is a model pet. Kinda convinces me that bad ownership and bad breeding are more the problem than the animals. The Animals only become bad after interactions with jacked up people.

I own an APBT.

There are alot of bad breeders who are cranking out puppies no matter the temperment, or intentionally producing ill tempered/unstable dogs to fit with an image. I have had individuals just walking down the street try and convince me to breed Shelby, and actually get pissed when I tell them no, and that she is spayed anyways. I am always finding people selling pit bull puppies via Craigs List, ads on power poles, outside of grocery stores, etc.

As far as bad owners, it is not just the idiots who want a big, tough dog, etc. who are more interested in what they perceive a pit bull to be and not what they actually are. There are also alot of owners who mean well but just are not the right household for a pit bull (I am sure it is the same way with Akitas, and I know it is for dogs such as bullmastiffs). And unfortunately, the combination (breeders, bad owners, wrong owners, etc) of these has led to alot of problems. In the right hands, they can be wonderful, loving, faithful companions. In the wrong ones, they become headlines.

As far as aggression towards other dogs, that is not necessarily something that as taught. APBTs, AmStaffs, and Staffordsire Bull Terriers do have a higher tendacy towards aggression against other dogs, but it varies greatly from dog to dog within the breeds. You can have dogs such as mine that get along fine with other dogs, or one that just tolerates them, or one that cannot be left uncontrolled around other dogs.

[The_cavalierman]

I own an APBT.

There are alot of bad breeders who are cranking out puppies no matter the temperment, or intentionally producing ill tempered/unstable dogs to fit with an image. I have had individuals just walking down the street try and convince me to breed Shelby, and actually get pissed when I tell them no, and that she is spayed anyways. I am always finding people selling pit bull puppies via Craigs List, ads on power poles, outside of grocery stores, etc.

As far as bad owners, it is not just the idiots who want a big, tough dog, etc. who are more interested in what they perceive a pit bull to be and not what they actually are. There are also alot of owners who mean well but just are not the right household for a pit bull (I am sure it is the same way with Akitas, and I know it is for dogs such as bullmastiffs). And unfortunately, the combination (breeders, bad owners, wrong owners, etc) of these has led to alot of problems. In the right hands, they can be wonderful, loving, faithful companions. In the wrong ones, they become headlines.

As far as aggression towards other dogs, that is not necessarily something that as taught. APBTs, AmStaffs, and Staffordsire Bull Terriers do have a higher tendacy towards aggression against other dogs, but it varies greatly from dog to dog within the breeds. You can have dogs such as mine that get along fine with other dogs, or one that just tolerates them, or one that cannot be left uncontrolled around other dogs.

It is really sad that APBT's get such a bad wrap. I was very impressed with both the owner and dog I encountered today. Is there anything the AKC, animal control, PETA and the humane society can do to stop bad breeders and come down on bad owners?

[AdamB]

It is really sad that APBT's get such a bad wrap. I was very impressed with both the owner and dog I encountered today. Is there anything the AKC, animal control, PETA and the humane society can do to stop bad breeders and come down on bad owners?

As far as breeding, some states have been trying to get stuff passed to crack down on backyard breeders and puppy mills, but it usually ends up not going anywhere. California tried to do this in the past year, but the proposed bill went from keeping breeding in the hands of responsible individuals to actually hurting small, fancier breedings (show dogs, etc) and doing nothing to stop puppy mills, etc. The bill lost most of it's supporters, such as Bad Rap, and died in committee.

The AKC runs alot of educational programs, but they do not recognize the APBT as a breed so they do not pursue it as much as with AmStaffs (which originally were ABPTs, about 70 years ago or so), but they do try. PETA wants to end all pet ownership, and their president has called for the extermination of all pit bulls, so hoping they do anything is very much a double-edged sword.

Animal control agencies are generally overworked and understaffed. I remember reading somewhere that the city of Dallas only had 4 full time ac officers (it may have been 6). They try their best in most cases, but there is only so much they can do. Alot of problems, including injuries to people, etc., would decrease if more communities provided their AC units with more manpower and tools. Same goes for animal shelters and rescues.

As far as bad owners, there is things that can be done. I am against any form of ban, and against BSLs in general, but would support ordinances which better monitor owners of some breeds and restrict (but not ban) breeding. Some states, such as Texas, have placed heavy penalties for owners of dogs that seriously injure or kill another human unprovoked (up to 15 years in prison in Texas), and states like Virginia have setup a monitoring process for individual dogs deemed vicious (prior history of aggression, injury to livestock, etc). None of this really matters until we improve our local AC units though.

[rachievegas]

Does anyone own a pitbull?

I was just talking with a guy that owns one outside and I came away very impressed with his dog behavior wise. The Dog was well behaved and very nice even with Kodi.

I've only heard bad things about the breed but obviously this guy I just met did not raise his dog to fight and it seems (at least to me) to be a wonderful dog/breed.

The guy also has small kids and say his dog is a model pet. Kinda convinces me that bad ownership and bad breeding are more the problem than the animals. The Animals only become bad after interactions with jacked up people.

My brother owns a pitbull that we have had in the family for about 13 years and he wouldn't hurt anything. He's one of the most loving dogs I've ever been around. My neighbors also have two pitbulls and they are sweet as could be. They have two young children and their two year old is ALWAYS interacting with them and I've never seen the slightest bit of aggression.

As long as you can really take care of your dog and show it love, I'm sure things would be good. I wish pits didn't have such a bad reputation. Sometimes it is the dog that is no good, but 98% of the time it is an owner who wants to make a quick buck or just thinks it'd be badass to have a mean dog.

[rainmkr]

I said both.. because just like people there ARE dogs who pop out with messed up wiring in the brain. I've raised 2 mutts I got from the shelter the same way (got them 2 months apart) at around the same ages (they were 2-4 months old) both act differently around people and other dogs. Neither are vicious but one sure doesn't like strangers/unknown dogs, but the other falls over herself to be pet by anyone and plays with other dogs well.

Of course there may be something that happened to each before I got them at shelter that shaped their young minds profoundly..

[The_cavalierman]

I said both.. because just like people there ARE dogs who pop out with messed up wiring in the brain. I've raised 2 mutts I got from the shelter the same way (got them 2 months apart) at around the same ages (they were 2-4 months old) both act differently around people and other dogs. Neither are vicious but one sure doesn't like strangers/unknown dogs, but the other falls over herself to be pet by anyone and plays with other dogs well.

Of course there may be something that happened to each before I got them at shelter that shaped their young minds profoundly..

IMO puppies, like kids are a blank slate

If you have good owners you will likely have a good dog

If you have bad owners you will likely have a troubled dog

Maybe their is a DNA or Gene based componet that makes dogs destined to be troubled because their parents were.

[Coach Williams]

Akita's are big but no match against my puppy.....

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