100% agree. As the owner of a dog with a severe biting issue, you are spot on about all of it. We were only able to give ours a home (after he was surrendered to the rescue we volunteered for because of his issues) because we had the right experience, the right lifestyle, AND he’s a small dog so he’s limited in the damage he can do. Even so it’s an incredible amount of work and sacrifice to keep him safe and keep the public safe from him, and it’s something we will have to manage for his whole life. We’ve made major improvements but he will never be “cured.” He was obviously, on paper, a terrible fit for his first family and better owners might have prevented some of the bad habits, but it’s also likely some of it is just plain bad genetics (I don’t know the breeder but the fact his first owners couldn’t return him tells you it was not a quality breeder). Most people can’t manage a dog like him and I don’t blame anyone who isn’t able to. Sometimes I question my own sanity for doing it. And yes if not us there would have been very few options for him, none positive. We love him, we don’t regret taking him, but it’s naive to think all dogs can just be re-homed.
Thanks! Like I said, sometimes I think we must be crazy. Especially when we’ve been having a good run and then we have a bite incident and it feels like back to square one. Or when well-meaning people say things like “oh but he doesn’t bite *you,* right?” and then get those horrified looks when told the truth. When we first got him it was a daily occurrence. Now it’s much less common but still a daily consideration when dealing with him. But he is also ridiculously sweet and a total Velcro dog, and it’s gratifying knowing we’re giving him a life he probably never would have had otherwise.
Excellent article. There is a lot of denial around the subject of dog ownership but for people who truly love animals, everything in this post needs to be considered carefully. Thank you.
Not sure I fully agree, though your heart is clearly in the right place.
When you say, "if you adopt a dog from a shelter you have less of an ability to predict their behavior because they aren’t purebred", your admitted lack of experience in dog ownership is seen. The issue with purebreds (aside from all the frequently stated ones like their inherent health issues and the often shallow human desire to associate with a specific breed while countless good dogs are overlooked and subsequently euthanized) is also that the lack of genetic variety present with inbreeding often results in less stability and balance of personality.
While many dog owners love the peculiar quirks when their dog does "pug things" or "shepherd things", the genetic diversity of a simple mutt frequently leads to less aloofness and even obtusiveness. I've had dogs my whole life and have gained all the experience which comes with that, and while I loved my purebreds, I can state unequivocally that the mutts were healthier, happier, more psychologically stable, more easily trained, and more loyal companions. They also didn't require eugenics-like breeding factories to create boutique, man-made breeds when we already have many more dogs than homes to give them.
While I agree that saying "there are no bad dogs" is certainly an exaggeration, the fact is that most "bad" dogs are indeed the result of their (mis)training. My wife and I have adopted dogs with questionable pasts, and every one has wound up being a well-balanced member of our family. Give them affection, attention, discipline, and exercise, and they'll almost never let you down. Few things are more rewarding than rescuing a damaged dog that nobody wanted, and watching it develop into your best friend.
Congrats on your adorable daughter, and for starting at 30 to give Hershi a good home. Best of luck.
Thanks for your reply! I definitely think it depends on the breeder. In-line breeding (breeding with too close of relatives) Will definitely cause problems. I know that because my grandfather bred Siamese cats, and yes if their parents are too closely related you can get serious health as well as psychological problems. I always recommend if you are going to get a purebred cat (or dog) to make sure you get “Show quality” (not pet quality) because pet quality has more health problems.
For example, my mother adopted two “pet quality” Siamese and one had an inherited twisted bowel, along with other problems.
That’s what I meant by responsible dog breeding needs to be a conversation, because any responsible breeder will not breed dogs that have psych issues.
I wanted to state all of this in the article but I ran out of room.
That being said I learned that you can actually give a dog psychiatric medicine (something that’s EXTREMELY difficult with a cat, nearly impossible).
I think once I get used to dogs I might try to rescue one, but I wanted to start off my dog adventure with a food motivated breed.
It does sound super rewarding, and I applaud and commend you for your efforts rescuing dogs.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment and kind words 😊
It is a complex issue, as are many things in life. You do as good as you can, deal with what can be dealt with then modify the situation to solve the issues you can't by other means. If anyone disagrees with you it is their issue, you have dealt with yours.
Protectiveness is natural, and if the mailman is cool and speaks to Hershi while walking at a steady pace and watch where his hands are, Hershi will learn to be more tolerant. If the postman isn't so cool , or a sub is working for him the lead or other restraint may be in order. Good luck, kids need dogs...LOL
Well, with all this home invasions and seems the alarm system is not good enough. The only common sense would make to have a dog and you don’t want some little Gippy thing you want something that’s at least 30 or 40 pounds and I’ll go after a stranger it’s in the house. I’ve had pound puppies in my house for over 40 years never had to put any of them down for being aggressive. The only time they got put down is if they got sick and usually that was somewheres between 12 and 15 years I’d rather four-legged buddy any day over some stupid alarm system .
100% agree. As the owner of a dog with a severe biting issue, you are spot on about all of it. We were only able to give ours a home (after he was surrendered to the rescue we volunteered for because of his issues) because we had the right experience, the right lifestyle, AND he’s a small dog so he’s limited in the damage he can do. Even so it’s an incredible amount of work and sacrifice to keep him safe and keep the public safe from him, and it’s something we will have to manage for his whole life. We’ve made major improvements but he will never be “cured.” He was obviously, on paper, a terrible fit for his first family and better owners might have prevented some of the bad habits, but it’s also likely some of it is just plain bad genetics (I don’t know the breeder but the fact his first owners couldn’t return him tells you it was not a quality breeder). Most people can’t manage a dog like him and I don’t blame anyone who isn’t able to. Sometimes I question my own sanity for doing it. And yes if not us there would have been very few options for him, none positive. We love him, we don’t regret taking him, but it’s naive to think all dogs can just be re-homed.
I commend you for taking him on!
Thanks! Like I said, sometimes I think we must be crazy. Especially when we’ve been having a good run and then we have a bite incident and it feels like back to square one. Or when well-meaning people say things like “oh but he doesn’t bite *you,* right?” and then get those horrified looks when told the truth. When we first got him it was a daily occurrence. Now it’s much less common but still a daily consideration when dealing with him. But he is also ridiculously sweet and a total Velcro dog, and it’s gratifying knowing we’re giving him a life he probably never would have had otherwise.
Excellent article. There is a lot of denial around the subject of dog ownership but for people who truly love animals, everything in this post needs to be considered carefully. Thank you.
Not sure I fully agree, though your heart is clearly in the right place.
When you say, "if you adopt a dog from a shelter you have less of an ability to predict their behavior because they aren’t purebred", your admitted lack of experience in dog ownership is seen. The issue with purebreds (aside from all the frequently stated ones like their inherent health issues and the often shallow human desire to associate with a specific breed while countless good dogs are overlooked and subsequently euthanized) is also that the lack of genetic variety present with inbreeding often results in less stability and balance of personality.
While many dog owners love the peculiar quirks when their dog does "pug things" or "shepherd things", the genetic diversity of a simple mutt frequently leads to less aloofness and even obtusiveness. I've had dogs my whole life and have gained all the experience which comes with that, and while I loved my purebreds, I can state unequivocally that the mutts were healthier, happier, more psychologically stable, more easily trained, and more loyal companions. They also didn't require eugenics-like breeding factories to create boutique, man-made breeds when we already have many more dogs than homes to give them.
While I agree that saying "there are no bad dogs" is certainly an exaggeration, the fact is that most "bad" dogs are indeed the result of their (mis)training. My wife and I have adopted dogs with questionable pasts, and every one has wound up being a well-balanced member of our family. Give them affection, attention, discipline, and exercise, and they'll almost never let you down. Few things are more rewarding than rescuing a damaged dog that nobody wanted, and watching it develop into your best friend.
Congrats on your adorable daughter, and for starting at 30 to give Hershi a good home. Best of luck.
ZL
Thanks for your reply! I definitely think it depends on the breeder. In-line breeding (breeding with too close of relatives) Will definitely cause problems. I know that because my grandfather bred Siamese cats, and yes if their parents are too closely related you can get serious health as well as psychological problems. I always recommend if you are going to get a purebred cat (or dog) to make sure you get “Show quality” (not pet quality) because pet quality has more health problems.
For example, my mother adopted two “pet quality” Siamese and one had an inherited twisted bowel, along with other problems.
That’s what I meant by responsible dog breeding needs to be a conversation, because any responsible breeder will not breed dogs that have psych issues.
I wanted to state all of this in the article but I ran out of room.
That being said I learned that you can actually give a dog psychiatric medicine (something that’s EXTREMELY difficult with a cat, nearly impossible).
I think once I get used to dogs I might try to rescue one, but I wanted to start off my dog adventure with a food motivated breed.
It does sound super rewarding, and I applaud and commend you for your efforts rescuing dogs.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment and kind words 😊
It is a complex issue, as are many things in life. You do as good as you can, deal with what can be dealt with then modify the situation to solve the issues you can't by other means. If anyone disagrees with you it is their issue, you have dealt with yours.
Protectiveness is natural, and if the mailman is cool and speaks to Hershi while walking at a steady pace and watch where his hands are, Hershi will learn to be more tolerant. If the postman isn't so cool , or a sub is working for him the lead or other restraint may be in order. Good luck, kids need dogs...LOL
Well, with all this home invasions and seems the alarm system is not good enough. The only common sense would make to have a dog and you don’t want some little Gippy thing you want something that’s at least 30 or 40 pounds and I’ll go after a stranger it’s in the house. I’ve had pound puppies in my house for over 40 years never had to put any of them down for being aggressive. The only time they got put down is if they got sick and usually that was somewheres between 12 and 15 years I’d rather four-legged buddy any day over some stupid alarm system .