I would say becoming a Pole dancer but I only have agility weaves poles and I dont think they could take it :smt101

Gawd I need more caffeine :smt104

I have read through most of this thread, and whilst I have found a lot of it interesting...I do also think a lot of it has gone off topic. There is a lot of tit for tat on this thread too

The OP says dogs and children do not mix. I strongly disagree on that one. I grew up from day one with over 10 dogs in the house. I now have my own family with 3 children of my own and have a dog - a bull breed - at that. My dog is a sbt x ab and out of my 3 children he is 101% dedicated to my youngest child who is only 2. He follows her almost everywhere, sleeps over her during the day if she has a nap, if she cries he sits and looks at her with a very puzzled look on his face - or he will come and get me. We go to the park, as being only 2 years old she doesn't walk as fast as me...Georgie will run on ahead but when I call him back he runs back to my daughter to make sure she is ok, he will run to her before he runs to me.
I remember as a child having 7 Jack Russells in the house. One of them, Lucy, was MY dog. She worshiped the ground I walked on. I must only of been about 5 at the time. My mum had a male JRT who was very human aggressive. If you went near my mum when he was sitting on her lap - he would growl at you. My memories of these dogs are worser than that of bull breeds.

So, I for one would strongly disagree that children and dogs shouldn't be mixed.

As for the debate on break sticks. I do not really have an opinion on them. Georgie has been taught 'LEAVE' from day 1, and he is very good at doing what he's told. If he growls in any way at all, even if playing he gets told 'OUT' and he litrally stops whatever he is doing and he will sit there and just look at me. If he ever got into a fight with another dog, heaven forbid he ever did, my instant reaction would be to shout 'OUT' I think.

My friend has 9 dogs - all bull breeds - and he doesn't own a set of break sticks. His dogs have had fall outs, but he is able to control them by commands. I am not saying in any way that I do not agree with break sticks, or that I find them unessecary (sorry can never spell that word ) I am just saying that they are not always needed and shouldn't be looked upon as the first port of call in a dog fight

i think now i see its just personal choice for break sticks, i personally it would be the only method i feel is the safest if god forbid there was a fight between my dogs!

Minihaha the point being a stafford that turned on the owner was not a true stafford!

Im now ending my part in this debate, we cannot all think alike, i feel passionate what i think as do you minihaha! But now i will not be debating with you anymore as i think this is so petty!

Read much of this thread and I think that sums it up for me!

The title and contents of the first post came across as patronising to owners that do recognise what they have and take steps to hopefully prevent a full on fight, but there are plenty of owners out there that have not got a clue, a recent incident involving an SBT and even a Boxer today highlighted to me some of the issues with fighting breeds (yeah I know a Boxer is not a true fighter but...)

I believe that you can never train any dog to be 100% in any situation, you just cannot think for your dog(s) and they can react to situations unexpectedly.

Given the fact that a dog is now dead and from an experienced handler, well to me that just drives home the point. Whatever the reasons for the fight and subsequent death is irrelevant.

Any dog owner should be aware of its breeds potential and be prepared for the consquences should it all go Pete Tong.

Its terrible that this has happened, but some people will stand back and say "You own a fighting breed what did you expect" others will point and say, "control, training, discipline, prevention, readyness". In truth its a chance you take, the responsible owner minimises the risk.

I like these dogs and do believe they make lovely family pets but would never own one as I could never feel completely comfortable with the breed potential.

Well, my friends Jack russels killed a little westie puppy and then ate him, and died because thy ate him -that's what she told me, don't know if that is why they died!

I think people just need to be careful. My brother has a staff, that I feel could never hurt anything, but the power it could produce isn't worth thinking about!

I think you may of hit the nail on the head there
All breeds can be capable of doing damage, but bull breeds have power and strength that other breeds don't. I believe a JRT could be more aggressive than a SBT, but if push came to shove the SBT would cause more damge, only through the power it has behind it, nothing else.

Is it safe to come out now, or do I still need my tin hat?

Snorri

This thread has reminded me of the evening I got a "lock-in" at my local pub in Edinburgh. The memorable bit wasn't the "lock-in" itself, but the spending of half an hour rolling on the floor with the landlord's Rottie pup (6 months old, but built like a brick outhouse!). Bandit was a great-natured lad, a fun-loving puppy (but a big one ) - it was obvious, though, that had he decided to hold a different point of view from me, he had more than enough power to make his point stick!


Snorri

P.S.

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.p.../article/2669/

Snorri

Excellent video and I like the title, sadly not every body's perception, two days ago a young boy who was out with his mum asked me if he could stroke my dog I said that he could, when he had finished stroking him his mother said to her son good boy you must always ask the owner if you can stroke these type of dogs you have to be careful with them.