You saying my dogs aren't 'proper' dogs? I'd like to know what your dogs can do that mine can't??? They may be small but they are all dog!

To get back to the OP, I personally am not worried about any specific breed, as pretty much everyone else on here has said, there is good and bad in all breeds (and sizes!) it's the rubbish owners that can be the problem.

However for my dogs safety I prefer to check with the owner before I let them play with dogs we don't know and we do have to be cautious around those large over exuberant dogs who could inadvertently cause my Affen serious damage.

J

You do have a good point about there being more aggressive little dogs, but I can understand why people are more wary of big dogs. For example tonight we were watching something on TV with a fear aggressive large breed - OH was commenting on how the owner can cuddle him and I pointed out that it was just the same as Stumpy; he then said "but she wouldn't be with us if she'd have been that size because as soon as the rescue told us that she didn't like men, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near her".

The point is, if something does go wrong and a dog should ever 'turn', it would be physically possible to protect yourself from a small/medium size dog, but far more difficult against a large breed.

Thanks for the discription of 'Chavs'. I feel much more educated now...and alittle frightened...they sound horrible! Don't worry, we've probably got them here too but maybe not in such numbers (small population, not much unemployment(yet)) that they deserve their own special name. They're not just teenagers then??

it seems to be more prudent to have a larg dog be more respectfull because of there size,smaller dogs seen to get lost in the respect department because there less of a threat and dont do as much damage as a larg dog ,if my dogos went on like my dads yorkies, you would feel dogos were demonic,but a yorkie,well isnt that what there suposed to be like?any dog that is nippy or aggesive is a handler problem,larg or small ,we just tolerate the small because they are ..small,my dad cant believe it when i correct his dogs for something he feels is fine ,nipping ,barking at the door and challanging me , i dont put up with it ,big or small.....

taken from the breed standard...
Temperament
Steady of nerve, loyal, self-assured, courageous and tractable. Never nervous, over-aggressive or shy

A well bred, well brought up gsd should be just as the standard says(just wanted to clarify that for others who may not really know the gsd and read this thread!)

But i do understand what you mean, about some not being as upfront if you like, with people as other breeds. but i think this is due to gsds being very 'one man dogs' my gsd bitch sadie does not even interact with my OH and we got her as a pup together but she only has eyes for me- she is accepting of other people saying hello to her but other than that wants nothing more to do with them- she refuses to let people like her lol. sorry for going off topic.

the only dogs i am nervous off are trhose with irresponsible owners.

I'm scared to death of spaniels.

Oh.

I've yet to meet one of these one man GSDs, but then the dogs I have been involved with have been bred for correct temperament & character-with the exception of my father's first one who was born in the 1950s & bred from popular "Alsatian"lines of the day & was a fear biter & was PTS after she savaged my brother(whilst he had his back towards her). My personal dogs have always been from German lines & could be walked-worked-shown by anyone.

I have a learnt mistrust of "pet"black Labradors having been attacked by one for no reason & also had so many problem ones through our dog training club that even from very young were unpredictable. I don't have a problem with show bred ones & most working bred ones in the right homes. BTW the one that attacked me was a working GDBA bitch !!

Er, no. No dog regardless of its size should be allowed to be aggressive. It annoys me no end when little dogs run up to mine aggressively as I know if it was the other way around they would be calling mine 'devil dogs' or similar. Every dog owner has the responsibility to bring their dog up correctly and just as my children don't get away with bad behaviour because 'they are small and cute' a small dog shouldn't either. A dog is a dog (as Cesar Millan says!) and whatever its size it should have manners.

me me me! I know a wonderful Akita. She's called Star and it's an apt description of her temperament. I know lots of garden fences with big nasty ones behind them though. Met some cracking Akitas at Crufts this year though. If they were all bad, they wouldn't be able to be shown at all! Sadly another victim of it's own popularity.

I have a germanshepherd and im inclined to agree that these dogs are a worry if in the wrong hands as there so big.Im yet to meet an agressive gsd as all the ones i have met are soppy things or maybe i just bond with this breed and personality in the dog.Rotties im ashamed to say scare me due to there recent press lately im ashamed to feel like this but sadly i do.Also bordercollies i dont trust as i have been nipped but not biten.
niki
xxx