What do you think is the most intimidating dog?

[AsperDragon]

The most dangerous dog is the one whose human cares little about your welfare. ...Dogs act on the alpha's intentions. .....i was mauled in the face by a rottweiler and i never blamed the dog. It was the human that wanted to see me bitten.
Facial scars and a big boost to my anxiety complex were the downside....
The upside is that my animal ken (ability to empath with and exert alpha control over) with dogs has been boosted as well.
Since my mauling, i had someone set two pit bulls on me to run me off (i was serving a collections notice at the time).
When i knocked again they opened the door wide eyed to find their vicious guard dogs sitting to either side of me happily wagging their tails.

 

[Warmheart]

Fear the Turbo-Tongued Doofus! Fear it!

 

[Jacoby]

I guess pitbulls if I am going to be completely honest

I know these dogs can be loving but I grew up in a poor lower class area and most weren't. A lot of dog fighting going on unfortunately.

 

[Ste11aeres]

I guess pitbulls if I am going to be completely honest

I know these dogs can be loving but I grew up in a poor lower class area and most weren't. A lot of dog fighting going on unfortunately.

Yeah, if dogs are kept for a certain purpose, most of them are going to fit that purpose. My dog is a pet, and so far as I can tell, was always raised and socialized for the purpose of being a pet.
But I can easily imagine that in a different environment, he could have turned out differently.

Statistics show that almost all dog-attack-caused deaths are caused by a dog who was an unneutered male, kept on a chain, and who was kept outside with no significant human contact, and no opportunity to form real relationships with any human being.

Spoiler: Graphic story about an abused dog

There is a poor lower class area in the city where I live, and in that area dog abuse is rampant.
I was reading about a particular dog....(He was a mixed breed with no physical features that could clearly tie him to any particular breed, but his story still illustrates what can happen to other dogs, including pitbulls). He was "rescued" just in time to give him a bit of medical treatment right before he died. His owner's family had poured gasoline on him and lit him on fire to kill him-not knowing that it would take days for him to die. Upon further investigation, it turns out that it wasn't just a random act of cruelty. His owner's family was trying to "euthanize" him. They tried to do it themselves because they were afraid that if they took him to a vet to be killed, they would get in trouble for not having gotten him vaccinated against rabies. The reason they wanted him put down was because he had bitten a child, severely, causing a hospital visit. Now, although their method was horrible, one can say, yes, if a dog attacks children, maybe that dog should be euthanised. Fair enough. However, upon further investigation into the details of his past life, it became more clear how he had become the kind of dog that would attack a child.

His owner's boyfriend had found a litter of puppies, birthed by a stray mother, living in a shed. He picked out this dog, to be a guard dog. They kept him behind the house, to frighten away other people. He was kept outside in all weather, with owners that showed neither affection nor authority. (Dogs need both. They need our affection, so that they will love and trust us. If that foundation of affection is in place, they need us to also be authoritative, because we know more than they do, and left on their own, they will make the wrong decisions.) He was definitely never taken on walks. Walks are another thing dogs need-it provides a) additional bonding between them and their human, b) the chance to meet new people and be socialized, and c) structured exercise. This exercise is very very important. Dogs can't adjust to having less exercise than they need, and in some dogs, the lack of exercise itself can cause an ongoing frustration which can itself morph into acts of aggression.

Raised with no human relationships, no socialization, severely neglected. His owners wanted a guard dog, and a guard dog was what they created. Judging by his story and circumstances, he fit all the parameters of a dog most likely to kill someone. And judging by his story and circumstances, none of it was really his fault.

 

[AspiePie]

U

Yeah, if dogs are kept for a certain purpose, most of them are going to fit that purpose. My dog is a pet, and so far as I can tell, was always raised and socialized for the purpose of being a pet.
But I can easily imagine that in a different environment, he could have turned out differently.

Statistics show that almost all dog-attack-caused deaths are caused by a dog who was an unneutered male, kept on a chain, and who was kept outside with no significant human contact, and no opportunity to form real relationships with any human being.

Spoiler: Graphic story about an abused dog

There is a poor lower class area in the city where I live, and in that area dog abuse is rampant.
I was reading about a particular dog....(He was a mixed breed with no physical features that could clearly tie him to any particular breed, but his story still illustrates what can happen to other dogs, including pitbulls). He was "rescued" just in time to give him a bit of medical treatment right before he died. His owner's family had poured gasoline on him and lit him on fire to kill him-not knowing that it would take days for him to die. Upon further investigation, it turns out that it wasn't just a random act of cruelty. His owner's family was trying to "euthanize" him. They tried to do it themselves because they were afraid that if they took him to a vet to be killed, they would get in trouble for not having gotten him vaccinated against rabies. The reason they wanted him put down was because he had bitten a child, severely, causing a hospital visit. Now, although their method was horrible, one can say, yes, if a dog attacks children, maybe that dog should be euthanised. Fair enough. However, upon further investigation into the details of his past life, it became more clear how he had become the kind of dog that would attack a child.

His owner's boyfriend had found a litter of puppies, birthed by a stray mother, living in a shed. He picked out this dog, to be a guard dog. They kept him behind the house, to frighten away other people. He was kept outside in all weather, with owners that showed neither affection nor authority. (Dogs need both. They need our affection, so that they will love and trust us. If that foundation of affection is in place, they need us to also be authoritative, because we know more than they do, and left on their own, they will make the wrong decisions.) He was definitely never taken on walks. Walks are another thing dogs need-it provides a) additional bonding between them and their human, b) the chance to meet new people and be socialized, and c) structured exercise. This exercise is very very important. Dogs can't adjust to having less exercise than they need, and in some dogs, the lack of exercise itself can cause an ongoing frustration which can itself morph into acts of aggression.

Raised with no human relationships, no socialization, severely neglected. His owners wanted a guard dog, and a guard dog was what they created. Judging by his story and circumstances, he fit all the parameters of a dog most likely to kill someone. And judging by his story and circumstances, none of it was really his fault.

Yet the dogs are punished when they misbehave rather then the humans who raised them... The fact I have read and listened to people say that 90% of misbehavior in domestic animals is cuased by human influence and the amount people have to abuse the dog is amazing.. I literally roundhoused with my tiny toy poodle all the time and she turned out fine... The fact is dogs are some of the lovingest animals out there... And we kill them sometimes over bitting once.. There was this redneck who shot a poor little puppy for bitting his kids... He left the poor thing to die out in a field and it took hours for it to bleed to death and according to the story it was possible to get it gassed?

 

[Adora]

Pitbull aficiandos-of whom I am one-all agree that pitbulls are usually very very sweet towards humans, but inclined to fight with other dogs, and often have a strong prey drive in regards to non-human non-dog species.

My own dog is a good example of this. He is the most loving dog in regards to humans-all humans, friends or strangers, any age (he really loves one year olds, although of course I exercise commonsense caution where small children are involved, as I would with any dog).

Many dogs treat other dogs differently than they treat humans. My boy used to get in fights with other male dogs, til we worked with a behaviorist. Now he is friendly towards dogs that are friendly, but if another dog shows aggression, my boy would be very happy to take that dog on in a fight. (That's why I will never just let him loose in the chaotic environment of a dog park).
Sadly, he clearly sees cats as prey animals. This is based on body language, as I've made the judgment not to give him a chance to interact with them. I never let him off leash outside, and when outside, he is under my control at all times. I will never let him interact with a cat.
But the sweetest dog in the world when it comes to humans, especially kids.

You are right, the fighting genes have not been bred out. But those genes were oriented towards other dogs, never towards humans.

He looks so much like my dog sprocket but he is a English Staffordshire bull terrier.

 

[AspiePie]

Fear the Turbo-Tongued Doofus! Fear it!

Is that a German Shepherd.. As a German it is interesting how the Holocaust affected perception of that breed?

 

[Jacoby]

Is that a German Shepherd.. As a German it is interesting how the Holocaust affected perception of that breed?

I don't think many people associate German Shepherds with the Holocaust, our cops use them as police dogs and they're a pretty well thought of breed.

 

[AspiePie]

I don't think many people associate German Shepherds with the Holocaust, our cops use them as police dogs and they're a pretty well thought of breed.

Maybe not but for a while they were seen as a violent breed... I remember the Movie Ruthless People... The bad guy gets one to kill his wife's poodle...

 

[Warmheart]

As is evident from his mug shot, Grimm is the epitome of doofocity.

 

[ancusmitis]

The Pariah dog from Fallout II, hands down. Cannot get rid of that bastard.

 

[AsperDragon]

All it takes is one ignorant person to start a bad rumor about dog breeds. Unfortunately, ignorance is America's National pastime.

 

[Ste11aeres]

All it takes is one ignorant person to start a bad rumor about dog breeds. Unfortunately, ignorance is America's National pastime.

What I was thinking was....if you have been hearing about the badness of one group (whether of dogs or of humans), even if you are on the fence about whether or not to believe it, all it takes is one (possibly minor) negative encounter with one individual from that group to "prove" to you that everything you'd been hearing about that group is true.

Granted, if you are a reasonable rational individual, you can still say "I only had one negative encounter with one individual-that doesn't prove anything about that group as a whole. I'm not going to overgeneralize". But most people don't operate that rationally.

 

[Ste11aeres]

Yet the dogs are punished when they misbehave rather then the humans who raised them.

And sometimes dogs are punished when they never have misbehaved, never have hurt a human being.
When dogs are confiscated from a dog fighter, they are often automatically killed. Even if they have never hurt a human being. Even if they have never been in a dog fight. Even if they are a puppy. Even if they were born after the raid on the dog fighter.
http://www.semissourian.com/blogs/1452/entry/33295/

 

[AspiePie]

And sometimes dogs are punished when they never have misbehaved, never have hurt a human being.
When dogs are confiscated from a dog fighter, they are often automatically killed. Even if they have never hurt a human being. Even if they have never been in a dog fight. Even if they are a puppy. Even if they were born after the raid on the dog fighter.
http://www.semissourian.com/blogs/1452/entry/33295/

Well **** that is sick!

 

[Omega]

I have been around dog people all my life. Different breeds from around the world and out of all of them the most intimidating one to me is the Fila Brasileiro or Brazilian Mastiff.

 

[Ste11aeres]

Turkish dog breed: Kangal.
Judging from the fact that no animal was hurt, I would guess that they were roughhousing.
Still, any dog that would take on a tiger...

 

[AspiePie]

Turkish dog breed: Kangal.
Judging from the fact that no animal was hurt, I would guess that they were roughhousing.
Still, any dog that would take on a tiger...

Turks.. They have some cool stuff for a bunch of people who committed Genocide then covered it up?

 

[VenomousAlbino]

 

[Alaska]

My family's half coyote dog seemed to scare a lot of people. He guarded my parents' country place very well. He bit anyone who came across the creek without permission. He never growled. He just bit without warning. He also held on until a family member told him to let go. The only other way to get him off of a victim was by leaving behind a large bite of flesh. People stopped coming across the creek bridge without a family member holding the coyote dog first.

He was fine with guests, once he knew they were approved. He was really pretty and looked exactly like a coyote, except for being red.