Pet Advice Thread

[Mentalman]

It's all about the owners. no matter what dog you get if you're a bollox to the dog then you'll have a horrible dog.

Very true. My ex used to run dog training courses, but in fact they were owner training courses - a dog's behaviour is, in general, a reflection of how the owner rares it.

[The Iceman]

AZ I had a great doberman and know of loads of families who have them, no badness in them at all. They are a family dog if thats what you want. Any dog is an attack dog, they are a tamed wild animal. It's all about how they are managed, handled and treated.

[AZOffaly]

I agree Iceman, but a doberman that gets pissed off is much better equipped to do damage than a corgi that gets its tail pulled by a 5 year old.

[All of a Sludden]

Dobies are people dogs, they are extremely protective of their family and their property. We have a few, we rarely lock our doors, leave keys in cars etc and don't have a burglar alarm. They are great with kids, love to play, but footballs don't last very long, though an O'Neills match ball will take a lot more abuse than any other. Like any other dog they need to know their place in the pecking order, so a firm hand is needed. They work best in pairs.

[Rois]

My friends have an Irish water spaniel - crazy thing it is but so cute to look at, super-friendly bordering on hyper, but not agressive at all.

Looks like it has an 80s perm.

[Puckoon]

I agree Iceman, but a doberman that gets pissed off is much better equipped to do damage than a corgi that gets its tail pulled by a 5 year old.

You couldn't have picked a worse breed to make a point with than the Corgi! Shower of hateful, and agressive wee shites. I was bitten by two of the hoors as a youngster.

[Dougal Maguire]

Go for a cocker spaniel. Class dogs

[5 Sams]

Hard to beat the labs for all the above positive reasons...temperament, good with children, easy trained, great "personality", hoors need a load of exercise though....take them to water..they love it.

[The Iceman]

Only thing with labs is the breed has been very diluted and you have to pay big money to get a good line. they tend to have bad elbows, hips, eyes. Get scores on any dog you are buying and the KC family tree

[Eamonnca1]

Pet advice for dog owners: Keep your bloody hound under control.

Where I grew up there were some quiet roads leading down to Craigavon lakes that would have been great places to ride my bike on but they were effectively no-go areas because of irresponsible dog owners who kept enormous alsatians, as tall as a man, sitting the the yard outside their houses and not a lead on them nor fence around them.  There was one time I was riding past minding my own business and I heard these small footsteps behind me, there was this giant alsatian gunning for me and he let a roar out of him that was like the devil himself.  I sprinted like Eric Zabel and by god I was glad my gears were in good shape because if my chain had come off there I don't know what would have happened.  Imagine walking on that road with a small child, what would you do?

Terriers, spaniels, collies, border collies, and retrievers and what have you, I don't usually have a problem with them.

Dobermans, alsacians, pit bulls, rotweilers, every one of them gives me the creeps. In my mind they're like a bomb about to go off. 

I know it's not the dog's fault*, maybe it's something about certain types of dog owners that makes them put aggressive behaviour into them.

*I've heard that pit bull skulls shrink when they get older and it drives them a bit unpredictable, but I don't know how true that is.