Acceptable Levels of Dog Aggro

Something I've been pondering...

We all know dog aggression is to be expected in this breed, whether it is shown in certain circumstances or not...it's just a given. My question is this...for those who breed their dogs or place rescue dogs, where do you draw the line? What level of dog aggression is acceptable and what level makes a dog unadoptable/unsafe? A dog who will only fight same sex dogs? A dog who fires up at the sight of any other dog? A dog who doesn't start fights, but is very reactive if provoked?

(Of course I'm not saying "unsafe" referring to people, but rather to whether or not that dog could thrive in a normal household and/or neighborhood (that would invariably include other dogs, cats, etc.), of course assuming he has responsible owners.)

 

just becasue a dog has very high levels of dog aggresion does not mean it is no good to rehome!i think they people who take in a dog like this should be made aware that it is really dog aggresive...this is like saying a dog agressive dog is a savage dog and should be put to sleep .come on please

 

It is really hard to place dog aggressive rescues. I took in a 'PR' show bred animal that displayed EXTREMELY high levels of dog aggression. It prevented her from getting several great homes. Your most important task is to make sure the people adopting the dog realize the situation. I think too many people candy coat it and claim that the dog just needs training to get the dog to a new home. The new home can't deal with or loses control of the dog and the same situation repeats itself. The problem all falls down to too many dogs and not enough responsible owners. The underlaying message for everyone that reads this will be plain and obvious. DON'T BREED DOGS!

Regards,

B

 

I think any level is acceptable, but it depends greatly upon how prepared the potential adopter is. I think anyone buying or adopting an APBT should be amply forewarned about the potential for extreme dog aggression, up to the point that if they aren't ready to keep a segregated household, they shouldn't own more than one dog. Some folks have the space and experience to accomodate a super-hot dog. In that case, no level of aggression should be a bar. That said, if a dog is so hot they will excitement bite or whatnot to get at another dog, that's a different story.

My personal preference is a dog that wont attack unless pushed or challenged. I like appropriate aggression. Example: There was a sweet little Lab mix puppy hanging around my yard, and I took a chance and let her in the gate so she wouldn't get hit by a car. My dogs didn't attack her because she was no threat. But they will fire up at an aggressive dog. I feel like this is ideal for the breed, as it is a level of aggression that even non-bulldog people wouldn't find alarming. But I wouldn't discount a nice dog just because they were aggro. Animal aggression is easily controlled, IMO.

 

Bulldogs are bred to fight and win. Dogaggression has N O T H I N G to do with ability or gameness. Extreme Dogaggression you can find in nearly every dog....but if you talk about a dog that is able to fight for hours...well there is only one kind of dog....and sometimes he is a cold one. Surprising or?

 

I'm not a breeder, but I don't think dog aggression should even be considered when making a breeding.

However, I do place rescue dogs. Generally not bulldogs, but GSDs (Who tend to have high level of dog aggression). I do not "draw the line" anywhere, as far as the dog goes. I do however, draw the line on who can adopt the dog. GSDs have a huge range of temperaments: From laid back and gentle to nervy and spirited. The latter tends to do better in sporting homes, while the other end of the scale makes great housepets. Sometimes good dogs wait for years before finding a good home, and it puts a strain on the rescue.

Bottem line: Find someone who knows what their doing. Don't sugar-coat it. Don't deny the breed history. AND DON'T BREED.

 

Okie dokie...I'm not exactly sure what that had to do with the discussion but right-o.

I don't think dog aggro should be taken into account when breeding at all either (with this breed anyway). I'm thinking more along the lines of what kind of dog can be placed and which ones really can't. We've had very, very, very slow adoptions in my area recently (as in, some bulldogs have been in rescue for almost six months with not a single inquiry)...and that's probably the reason I ask. It seems unfair to the dog (and the rescue, as some of you mentioned) to keep a difficult to adopt out dog (extreme dog aggro, in this case) for years on end when other more moderate bulldogs (like baha's pups) could theoretically be in his place. Of course that comes with the territory when doing bulldog rescue, but reality has to come into play too...some dogs just have basically nill chance of ever getting into a home. Besides that, is it even responsible to adopt out a dog who fires up at the sight of another dog down the street? Of course we, as bulldog people, understand it, but the other 99.9% of the population would think "yep, there's another vicious pit bull."

Of course it's not the dog's fault and if an ideal home was out there, he shouldn't be put down or not considered for behaving like he was bred to behave. However, in all reality, those ideal homes just do not come around very often.

 

for me jc it is kind of hard to say what is suitable because everything you described in your original post describes everything that a bulldog can have as far as dog aggerssion,but i think that ones from rescue shelters that you know exactley what it is gonna do should only be rehomed to folks who have been dealing with this breed for at least 10 years and the reason i pick 10 years is they should have owned and handled at least 1 dog for it's life.that way they should know exactley how to handle a dog who will go after another dog weather it be provocked or not.and thats the key with a bulldog is you have to control it.

 

i will not take in over the top dog aggressive dogs who bust out windows to get at other dogs in yards or streets, its too much for the general public to handle.. i had a foster dog who went thru my basement window to get at my dogs.. then she tried to go thru my truck window to get at a dog in a gas station.. she was not adopted out. dog aggression is accepted when we place dogs, but not the over the top stupid i will kill myself to get to that dog type of aggression. where the dog is unmanageable for anyone, even a well seasoned owner.. i do go over and over with potential adopters on the possibility of resident dog and new dog not getting along, and i give them 10 websites and a booklet on what to expect from a pit bull. i grill and grill them, and only the ones that are really serious respond.. but to place an outof control unmanagable highly dog aggressive dog i will not do.. yes, some people will place these kind of dogs, and while they are good with humans, you basically have to live on an island or in the woods with no chance of another dog encounter. and what about the vets office? the foster i had when i took her to the vet i had to be the last patient there, as she tried to go thru a door because she heard another dog in another room.. tooo much liability.

 

Hey I didn't know you were here ME! That's kind of along the lines I was thinking to...what best represents the breed...even if someone can manage the dog, there is ALWAYS the chance that something will happen, and a dog intent on killing every other dog existing is going to get himself into trouble.

There's also the liability issue. What if the bulldog kills Fluffy Milo the Poodle down the street because Fluffy Milo's owners let him walk off leash? Of course it's THEIR fault, but we know who is going to be blamed for it...and then whose fault is it? The bulldog's owners or the rescue who placed him?

It's rough...fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately) there are millions of bulldogs to choose from when selecting for rescue spots, so if the initial evaluations are done correctly I would think this kind of dilemma can be avoided altogether. Then of course you get the split personality dogs who tolerate other dogs in the shelter, but once they are into homes, decide dogs are for eating.

(This discussion is all assuming everything is done responsibly...the potential adopters are well informed (not lied to or misled), the dog is sound, etc. etc. etc.)

 

Too funny, and too true. Hell, people have eaten other people before, and I'm sure they'll do it again. When the going gets tough, the tough eat the going. Nature at its most basic.

 

Hi all, I'm the newb here. I recently took in a female brindle that I believe to be an APBT or APBT/mix. She's only a few months old, maybe 4 months.

Anyway, dog-dog aggro is a big concern for me since I have 4 other dogs, none of which are bully-breeds. She is the first of this breed that I have had and so I have been doing as much reading and research as I can.

I guess my main concern is how she will socialize with other dogs when she matures. She's been with us for 4 weeks now and she is the most energetic and playful one of the bunch. She and the other 4 dogs get along wonderfully without any signs of aggression other than her being very energetic and persistent about playing, lol. Of I only allow them to be together when supervised, and when unsupervised she is in her dog run (15ft. x ~50ft. so she has plenty of space to romp around when I'm not home).

So what would you all say is acceptable? Although I would like to keep her socialized enough to be good around other dogs, I'm mainly concerned with keeping her and our other 4 dogs happy living together at home.

 

Jeremy..check your thread in the newbies FAQ

 

yeah JC its me its so hard to adopt them out anyway, and when you have an off the wall dog aggressive dog its even harder... while the dog would probably be good with new owners, its the off the wall aggression that puts a BIG damper on things.. hell the foster i had here was on leash in my house and while i was holding the leash went thru the basement window.. i tried everything with her, she even tried to fight herself in a mirror.. sometimes you have to make decisions that you are not happy with.

 

Excellent response!

 

Ok....first, you are COMPLEAT WRONG....just gimme some time to respond....