More interesting, but the scientist is just beginning his research, and has no results. The assumptions stated in the introductory paragraph could just as easily have been reached from anecdotal evidence. I’ll be interested to see the result of this study. Perhaps a good experiment would be to have an experienced trainer try to train a bunch of non-traditional breeds in sheep herding and see which ones perform better at the end. Hell, if a pig could be a sheep dog, surely a bloodhound or a lab could be.
That’s a very good starting point for a scientific study; it’s not a valid conclusion on its own, though. Another starting point, starting from the same information, is that owners of pits and rottenwilders are more likely to train-or allow–their dogs to be vicious than owners of other breeds. It would be interesting to see the conclusions of any research done on the subject.
Okay, you can deny the research if you prefer, but it’s clear that you’re working from superstition and bias, not science. I’ve made the prima facie case, showing that geneticists (not “amateur evolutionists,” whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean) accept that canine behavior can be inherited. If you want to claim that there’s such a thing as a geneticist who disagrees, it’s up to you to offer evidence.
Not that I expect you to; you haven’t shown much inclination to back down when you’re obviously wrong.
Ok, if people only train dogs to be vicious, and its not an innate trait that is untrained, then why don’t mean people train St. Bernards, or Great Danes to be vicious. Take a mean Bernie, it could kick any dog’s, and most people’s, ass. Hell, they both are 3% of the fatal attacks, although likely on very small people. Dog fighters use dogs bred to fight. So do cockfighters. Normal chickens aren’t that agressive. Both are trained to be more vicious (or more efficient). Nobody fights goldens. They do fight rotties, pits, and dobermans. They aren’t all trained from nice, cuddly, not a mean bone in their body puppies. They are trained from mean puppies.
Nah, lissener’s totally wrong :). Although some animal behavior is surely due to inherited physical disorders, not all is. The insane pit puppies we had at the shelter displayed no physical discomfort except from the bloody wounds they’d inflicted on one another. A Newfoundland doesn’t step in its first water bowl because it’s got inherited hotfoot.
lissener is rightfully embarrassed about believing something so silly, but he won’t back down from the silliness and instead insists on increasing it.
With regard to the OP, knowing that this vicious dog may be wandering off-leash near your door, I’d carry a weapon every time you leave the house. If it threatens you…kill the fucking thing. I refuse to be held at bay by a vicious animal whose owner thinks it’s macho-cool to have a live weapon terrorizing the neighbors. I wouldn’t think twice about it. Just kill it.
You do know we are on the same side, right? I do think that animals are bred for character traits, as evidenced by my other posts.
Hopefully you were talking to lissener again.
My humor is irreverent but I didn’t think that bad.
Shit, that’s a scary thought. The only weapon I have is the butcher knife I keep under my bed. I can’t exactly carry it out with me. I really don’t know what I’d do if the dog attacked. I guess I better figure it out.
Since I “tattled” on my neighbors and they know it, I’m now worried about the safety of my cats. I usually let them go outside, but I think they’re going to be grounded until I’m sure the dogs are gone. I hope the neighbor doesn’t decide to fuck with me because of this. I’m beginning to regret throwing a shitfit last night. Maybe if I had just waited until today he wouldn’t have known it was me who called.
I guess it’s too late to worry about that. This is such a pain in the ass.
Much more research has been done on the issue you mention than on dog behavior. In any case, you’re talking about individual “aberrations.” Dog behavior is more like saying all black people are aggressive, or all Asians are good at math.
What about getting a long, heavy choke chain to carry with you, you could leave it in your car once you are away from the complex, and bring it with you to your apartment when you arrive home? The chain could be used as a flail, or a garrote. You have a right to defend yourself against a large, vicious animal attacking you.
Sadly, it’s more often than not due to poor training on the part of the owners that is the pre-cursor to dog attacks. I believe that viciousness is a combination of things, breed/genetic heritage, and how it was raised as a pup, as well as how it’s owner(s) trained it. All of these factor in, and overlap.
