Hello Richard,   
      
   >RW>Yep, see that all over.  People are scared of my   
   >RW>Rottweiler. My Rottweiler is a good dog, but no, if you   
   >RW>broke in here I couldn't guarantee your safety, or if   
   >RW>she thought you threatened my lady.   
      
   >LL>A responsible dog owner will make sure that no "accidents" happen.   
   >LL>That is not to say that a burglar is safe from burglarizing a home   
   >LL>where a dog sets the rules...   
      
   RW>That's right, and I don't put her into positions where   
   RW>accidents will happen.  I understand her temperament, she's   
   RW>loving and friendly, but might not know/understand where   
   RW>limits are no matter how carefully trained she is.  That's   
   RW>why dog guide users are careful to tell folks that "when in   
   RW>harness don't pet dog."  Dog has to have the rule   
   RW>reinforced that in harness means working.  Play later.   
      
   Young and inexperienced dog owners may not be aware of what   
   it takes to handle a dog.  But I take it you are not "young and   
   inexperienced."  :)   
      
   >BK>All to many who want to own dogs considered dangerous are *NOT*   
   >BK>responsible.   
      
   >RW>Indeed, and usually they own multiple animals and aren't   
   >RW>that smart in either training the animals or interacting   
   >RW>with them.   
      
   >LL>The problem is, most folks who own pit bulls (and certain other   
   >LL>large breeds) do so for illegal activities (dog fighting).  The   
   >LL>vocal cords of these dogs are usually cut so the dogs will not be   
   >LL>able to make a sound when wounded in a fight.  The dogs that are   
   >LL>hurt too badly are usually either put down or set loose.  As well as   
   >LL>those dogs that are too old to continue fighting.   
      
   RW>Indeed this si true, and most of these people aren't real   
   RW>bright anyway.  We adopted our first rottie off the streets   
   RW>of New Orleans, when her original owner was gunned down she   
   RW>was given to his cousin who fought pit bulls.  When she   
   RW>wouldn't fight he "gave her her freedom."   
      
   Oh, some of those folks are very bright.  Bright enough to   
   know how to make money in a sickening "sport".  Also bright   
   enough to make themselves (and their dogs) scarce when the   
   law finds out about their nefarious activities.   
      
   >LL>That is not to say that pit bulls are "bad" animals.  They can be   
   >LL>excellent pets, as long as they are properly cared for and not   
   >LL>abused. For example, President Teddy Roosevelt had a pit bull that   
   >LL>he kept in the White House, the dog being well-mannered around   
   >LL>guests.   
      
   RW>INdeed, I've known some well behaved pitbulls, their owners   
   RW>are usually people of intelligence who properly trained the   
   RW>dog.   
      
   There is a big difference between *responsible* dog owners   
   and nincompoops.   
      
   >LL>Any dog can be abused and made into a vicious animal, including a   
   >LL>chihuahua.  It is people who raise a dog to be what it is.  With   
   >LL>rare exception, dogs (regardless of breed) that are properly trained   
   >LL>are not a problem.  Each breed does have a different temperament,   
   >LL>and each dog is unique.  But responsible owners of those dogs take   
   >LL>that into account.   
      
   RW>Indeed they do, and it's the irresponsible ones who give   
   RW>certain breeds undeserved reputations.   
      
   For the most part, that is true.  However, the only difference   
   between dogs that most folks are aware of is "big" and "small".   
   In that sense, all "big" dogs are dangerous, and all "small"   
   dogs (except for chihuahuas) are nice and friendly.   
      
   >RW>My rottie could take your arm off with one bite no doubt.   
      
   >LL>Rottweillers are an old breed, used extensively by Romans.   
   >LL>Just because they have the physical ability to eat you alive does   
   >LL>not mean they cannot be trained to serve man.   
      
   RW>MIne is very good.  If Kathy's blood sugar goes wacky in   
   RW>the middle of the night, she wakes Kathy.  if the   
   RW>electricity goes off and the oxygen concentrator no longer   
   RW>pushes air into her nose and i need to switch Kathy to a tank,   
   RW>the Rottweiler wakes me.  They were bred to be mountain herding   
   RW>dogs.   
      
   Not all dogs have a good temperament.  And not all dogs are   
   well-trained.  And some dogs are just plain stupid.  Labradors   
   often come to mind in the dumb category.   
      
   >RW>YEs I play and rough house with her a bit, but I'm also   
   >RW>very cautious how I play and rough house with her.  Just the   
   >RW>other day I threw away one of those rope pull toys because   
   >RW>she'd unraveled both ends.  Playing "tug o war" with her   
   >RW>using it would have endangered me.  I'll get her another at   
   >RW>the store, but that one was no longer a safe toy, for   
   >RW>neither of us.   
      
   >LL>It is the ball that dogs go nuts over.  Any ball.  As long   
   >LL>as the dog can pick it up with its mouth.  Used with discretion, the   
   >LL>dog can be trained to do *anything* an owner wants.  The ball is an   
   >LL>even better reward than a bone.  Really.  I kid you not.   
      
   RW>Indeed, play is a reward, as well as a way to "blow off   
   RW>steam" and we use it as such.   
      
   Daschshunds can jump high.  Very high.  One of my friends   
   had trained his daschshund to jump on command, to go after   
   a guy's family jewels.  I thought he was joking when he   
   told me about that.  Fortunately I was on some steps when   
   he had the dog prove me wrong, as I escaped becoming a   
   eunuch by a fraction of an inch.   
      
   It was a friendly dog, and I had never had any problem   
   being around it, the dog even allowing me and others to   
   pet it.  And, aside from cats, seemed to be tame and   
   non-threatening.  But it was trained to obey that one   
   command...   
      
   --Lee   
      
      
    * SLMR 2.1a * My name is Lee! I know Kung Fu!   
      
   --- Maximus 3.01   
    * Origin: Xaragmata / Adelaide SA telnet://xaragmata.mooo.com (3:800/432)