"Way Back Jack" home.net> wrote in message
news:4752d18c.11605453@free.teranews.com...

Almost any dog can be dangerous when owned by the wrong people. In most
cases, it isn't the dog, it's the owner. Various breeds of the Bull Terrior
have been around for centuries, but it's only been the last 20 or 30 years,
since dog-fighting and drug dealers and gang members decided they wanted
'bad-assed' dogs, that they have been topping lists of statistics.

***The Rottweiler is a dog of many talents: he's rough and tumble, ready for
anything; easy to train, if treated with respect and consistency; loyal and
protective, at times to a fault; strong, yet gentle; aloof and dignified
with strangers and playful and loving to his family. In short, the Rottie is
the typical "tough guy with a heart of gold."

***

It is in breed temperament that the Rott is often misjudged. A well-bred
Rottweiler is calm, confident, and courageous with an inherent aloofness
towards strangers and a reserved attitude in new situations. Combined with
his fierce devotion to home and family, these characteristics can be
subverted from their original purpose by poor breeding practices, lack of
socialization, and failure to teach basic good manners. Rottweiler owners
without a strong grasp of the breed's nature can find themselves in trouble
if the dog has been badly bred or assumes leadership of the family.***

Pit Bull Terrior:

Temperament

When treated well, APBTs typically have sunny personalities. They are very
sweet, curious, intelligent, and clownish. They are noted for their
outgoing, affectionate, eager-to-please disposition and their fondness for
people. They adore attention, often relishing the company of humans and are
notorious for their loyalty to their masters, even giving their lives for
them. When raised with a firm but fair hand an APBT can make a wonderful
family pet, however, APBTs can also be stubborn and prone to display
aggression towards other dogs. Thus, they should not be the first choice of
dog for a novice dog owner.

Many APBT have stable and dependable temperaments.[citation needed] However,
a firm, even hand and early obedience training are musts for this breed.
Inexperienced owners tend to find them to be too much to handle - APBTs can
be quite "bouncy". They generally have a lot of energy and high predator
drive; they need exercise and stimulation in order to channel that energy
properly and not become frustrated, bored, and destructive.

Despite the stereotype, the average, sound-minded pit bull is not a threat
where children are concerned. Though the AKC and UKC recommend that no child
be left alone with any adult dog, the APBT, like many of its relatives, is a
breed far more likely not to know its own strength and knock a toddler down
in its exuberance by accident rather than by force. Generally, this is a
breed that loves to play. It is also a breed that is very strong for its
size and weight, so adults and older children are better recommended to take
the dog on its leash.

APBTs often display some level of dog aggression, especially towards strange
dogs of the same sex or level of assertiveness.[citation needed] Early
socialization and good training can mean that many individuals of the breed
never display this trait. However, it must remembered that this breed has
been developed from both Bull-Baiting and later on Bear-bating stock. The
popular notion that "Pit Bulls" were ever bred for dog fighting could not be
further from the truth. The term "Pit Bull" was earned after the deplorable
bull and bear baiting sports were outlawed, and dogs of this same stock were
involved in Ratting sports. A responsible APBT owner does not let their dog
interact with strange dogs unsupervised, knows how to avoid a dog fight, and
has trained their dog to heel.

APBTs were never bred for human aggression or guarding behavior;[citation
needed] generally they only will attack if they perceive an immediate threat
to their masters or families rather than seeing every person as an intruder
upon their territory. They were originally bred against human aggression
because in the pit fighting days the handlers had to be able to handle their
dogs as well as treat their wounds, and if necessary, quickly pull the dog
out of a fight for various reasons. Any dog that did show the slightest sign
of human aggression in that day was 'culled', and therefore, not allowed to
carry on its bloodline. For that reason stable examples of the breed are
generally not suitable as guard dogs. It is important that APBTs who display
any sign of human aggression are not bred, in order to preserve the stable
and friendly nature of the breed, and equally important that man aggressive
dogs are never kept.

When selecting an APBT puppy, it is paramount to find a breeder who selects
puppies for their good temperament and not for aggressive tendencies towards
other dogs or towards humans. A good breeder should know the UKC standard,
and should both health test and temperament test their breeding stock. A
breeder who boasts about their dogs' "guard dog" skills or "protective"
behavior is a giveaway that their dogs are bred for improper human
aggression. It is a good idea for prospective APBT owners to research the
breeder, ask for references and ask to see their facilities and other dogs
they have raised. It is also a good policy for owners to have their dog
microchipped where possible as this breed is often stolen in and near urban
areas for ill uses; in the U.S. a dog license is recommended as well as most
areas require them.

Adult pit bulls are frequently also available from animal shelters.
Reputable shelters will temperament test their dogs before adoption, so that
only dogs with stable temperaments are available for adoption. The advantage
of obtaining an adult dog from a shelter is that its temperament is already
known, and a dog with low dog aggression or low prey drive can be selected
if desired.

As bright, athletic dogs, American Pit Bull Terriers excel in many
activities, including weight pulling, search and rescue, dog agility trials,
flyball, and can even do well in some advanced obedience training. In the
United States they have been used as narcotics detection police dogs, Border
Patrol dogs, hearing dogs and Search and Rescue dogs because of their
tenacity, high energy drive, and versatility. In a home they make wonderful
dogs to go on a morning run with, take out on errands, and play fetch. They
do best in a home with a backyard and a tall fence as they do "vertical
jumps" much like any terrier breed, especially the Parsons Russell Terrier
(formerly Jack Russell Terrier). APBTs will also do fine in an urban setting
so long as they are walked and exercised often.