The problem is the attitude that society has the all breeds are the same and they are not. Power breeds require very specific characteristics in their Alphas and 99% of dog owners today do not have the inner qualities needed to handle these dogs. I grew up in a wrecking yard and we were the dumping ground for dogs that couldn't live out in the world. I woke up to a dog chained to our front gate on more occasions than I can count. Dogs that had had aggression issues, had been abused or just got too mean for the family who owned it. Rotties, Dobermans, Sheppards, Huskies and Pit bulls made up our ever changing pack. Our alpha dog was a German Sheppard that had failed police training and was our constant but my father was THE Alpha. These breeds require tremendous physical exercise, work purpose and a firm, unwavering sense of order. It took time to integrate a new dog and there were times the dog was not salvageable and would have to be put down but most of the time we could straighten them out and rehome them to a place that fulfilled the dogs needs with owners who could handle them.
Power breeds are not city dogs, they are working roamers and if the owner does not understand the dog first then the breed, there are going to be issues. I have yet to meet a city pit bull owner that understands the amount of physical exertion it takes to keep their dog calm. Pit bulls are an extraordinary breed, intelligent, protective and very hard working. My dad would harness ours to truck tires once a day and make them pull until the dog was exhausted. He always said "tired dogs don't fight" and he was right. We never had fights once a dog had been integrated into the pack and he would wear them out daily during the "get to know you" period. A 20 minute walk doesn't work for any of the power breeds and if you don't have a job for these dogs to do, they will become unstable. They need 2-4 hours of physical exertion daily to keep them calm and centred.
Dogs are not babies, they are not people trapped in dog bodies, they are primal animals with genetic purposes that need to be respected and fulfilled. This is true for all dogs, not just big dogs. Poorly trained purse rats are as unstable as any dog and I don't doubt that the Pom caused the situation in Calgary. There is no excuse for aggression shown by any dog, no matter the size and if an owner knows their dog has aggressive tendencies they have a responsibility to keep their dog under control or away from dangerous situations. I have a small mix that I rescued and he is unstable. His trainer said that the SPCA should have put him down because I will never be able to trust him around other dogs. He is very well behaved until there is another dog in the mix and then I have to be hyper vigilant in the event he goes left. He socializes well with his trainers dogs now but trips to the dog park are few and far between because I will not put him or another dog in a position where one of them gets hurt. Anyone that has a dog that isn't impeccably trained has no business letting their dogs off leash EVER imho. I do not trust other owners to properly control their dogs and I never assume just because it's soft and furry it isn't dangerous no matter what the breed is.
People need to get real about what being a pet owner means. It's not something you become because you want something to pet when you are bored. It's a huge responsibility and when that responsibility is ignored we end up with these attacks. As a society we need to stop humanizing these animals; respect their inherent natures and fulfill our commitment as their owners to ensure their genetic drives are harnessed and satiated. Then the attacks will stop, not before...
cat
. Super smart breed. The only way he could kill you was with his gas.
