"I just wanted to warn you about your dog."

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Jenson

Jenson

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
816
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Location
Wales, , United Kingdom
I'm so angry! As you know, I recently bought the dog of my dreams, a Japanese Akita called Jiro.

I got a call from a relative today who I havn't spoken to for a few years, she heard from another relative that I had an Akita and thought she'd ring me to warn me about him around children as they "can be dangerous in the wrong hands". Excuse me?! :grumpy:

She has never even met my dog, she has no idea what he's like, and no idea how I handle him. Jiro is the perfect gentleman, he never does anything wrong and loves everybody. I asked her to come and meet my dog before judging the whole breed on things she had heard. I'm so mad. I've never experianced breed predjudice before.

Just when I had calmed down from that my neighbour makes a point of telling us about a story in the paper about an Akita attacking someone. :(

It's really upset me. I'm worried for Jiro now, and terrified of a breed ban against the Akita and such. I don't know how you guys with Pit Bulls cope, you must get this sort of nonsense all the time!

What do you say to someone with that sort of attitude to your dog?
 
I used to have a Pom and she would jump at new people. We taught her not to do it to children firstthen moved onto adults. Alot of people with children couldent come over because of her and that bugged me so much because they din't know what she was really like after we trained her.

Just go along with what they say. If someone says thats a bad breed, Pretend you care. If you don't they wont stop talking about it. Just say "Oh really, I would've never known, Jiro has good behavior' and eventually they will stop.
 
Aww, Poms are so cute! That's a shame that people didn't give her a chance.

That's probably the best way actually, I think trying to defend the breed will just start arguments. I learned very quickly during that conversationt that she didn't care what a good dog Jiro is, she wasn't going to change her bad view of the breed. :(
 
It will be hard on you , but you (and Jiro) will have to prove them wrong. The Akita is a most beautiful animal... but some people hear how the breed was developed and what they were used for and think they are all attack dogs.

You just have to rise above it. Make a point of educating people. People can be very narrow minded.

Good luck with Jiro. EveryAkita I ever met was reserved and refined, very well behaved.I used to work as a dog groomer and the only dog I dreaded doing was the Akita... Moo-shuwasn't nasty or mean, he was such a real sweetie... but that triple coat was a bully to get through! LOL! He'd lay there and let me rake him for hours! My shoulder would be sore by time I got done with him, but he was happy! Most groomers won't do a full coated Akita. And around us, most of them get shaved down for the summer.
 
Yeah, People who don't like a breed probably will never like it.

An Example is my mom,

Before I was born My brother used to always go to the neighbors and give their dogs treats. But the guys wife never let Eric give treats to one of the dogs she said he was bad with kids. I guess the dog rememberd it because my brother was walking down a street (On base, My dad was military) he walked right by the house and that one dog was behind the screen door. He jumped through the screen and attacked him. Thankfully my mom was cleaning the blinds (they were in the bathtub) and she was washing the windows so she saw it and called the guy owner. and Unfortunatly he was put down.

Now my mom wont let me get close to a german shepard.
 
bluegiants, thank you. I certianly intend to prove people wrong. Even if I can't get people give the breed a chance, they will have to meet Jiro before they say a bad word about him. He will prove them wrong!

I've been spending half an hour a day brushing him, his coat hadn't been brushed for a while when I bought him but it's starting to look nice now. I can see how much work it will be though, I'm dreading it when he's shedding, haha! :D

Have you got any helpful tips for grooming him?
 
Jenson wrote:
What do you say to someone with that sort of attitude to your dog?
Click to expand...

I have a T Shirt that says:

[align=center]HumanSnaps at Provocation[/align]
[align=center]DogsEarned Canine Good Citizen Training Certificates[/align]
[align=center]You Decide[/align]
[align=left]I loved wearing that when walking my Staffordshire Terriers.[/align]
 
I do,

Give him the 'poodle' look.

8aov4b4.jpg

 
Leaf wrote:
I have a T Shirt that says:

[align=center]HumanSnaps at Provocation[/align]
[align=center]DogsEarned Canine Good Citizen Training Certificates[/align]
[align=center]You Decide[/align]
[align=left]I loved wearing that when walking my Staffordshire Terriers.[/align]
Click to expand...
Perfect! I need one of those. :D

I think I'm going to put a "deed not breed" sticker up in my porch. Or maybe one saying, "Beware of my loving, gentle Akita...he may lick you to death." :grumpy:
 
The way I see it is that any dog, no matter the breed can be aggressive. I would be more worried about the Chihuahua in a purse that has never been socialized than a pitbull who has been well trained.

Most people who say stuff about your dog because of breed is ignorant. No one knows more about your dog than you. It is your responsibility to educate people about Akita's. Show then that he is a wonderful dog with all kinds pf people. If they are still the same way, it is their loss. Don't give people any leverage to use against Jiro. Take him to obedience school and make sure he is a very well behaved dog. I'm not saying he isn't now, but a course can be helpful.

No matter how much you try, people will always be ignorant about certain breeds. You should have some sort of snappy remark to tell them.
 
Oh wow...that's horrible how often people jump to conclusions.

I know mine isn't breed prejudice...but when I tell people we have nine rabbits, I always get the same responses...like a script. Their FIRST response is "So, you breed them? Is that why you have so many?" Then when I let them know that they're all either already altered, or soon will be, they say, "You have them outdoors, right? In hutches?" Then when I tell them we have them indoors, they say, "Oh! Doesn't that stink up your house?"

It's finally after reassuring them that every guest we've ever had in our house (and even those that are frank and will not just be pleasant in their answer) have told us our place just smells like hay...then they get interested in buns, and ask questions about their dietary needs, what they're actually LIKE, etc.

It's amazing to me how much people assume things about animals...:grumpy:

Hugs to you and Jiro...and much patience for you!

Rosie*
 
Some breeds are more prone to things than others(due to their nature) but that dosn't meen that YOUR dog will be the same. Its like juding people who come from diff countrys, e.g "the french have no manners", but thats really not true, well the ones I have met have been very polite.

At the end of the day I think its how you bring them up, if the dog no's its place it the pack it will be fine. :grumpy:people seem to pick on the bigger dogs, like I get a lot of stick from other dog owners about my Rhodesian Ridgeback just because shes big. But in actual fact as much as I love the smaller dogs, I tend to find that they get away with a lot more.

Ignore her, most big dogs get bad press, I doubt there would ever be a ban on Akita, there lovely dogs and have lovely temprements:)
 
Korr, I agree, I think there are no bad breeds, just bad owners! And Jiro is very well behaved, he was trained for showing in his first home. He really doesn't do anything wrong, bless him!

Rosie, I'm sorry people are so igorant about your buns. I have people asking me why I have rabbits, and then saying, "they don't do anything" quite often which makes me mad! It's so annoying. It is bizzare that people are still like this! Jiro and I will change the mind of anyone who meets him, I'm sure. :D

Hannah, I agree. I'm sorry you have to deal with it about your Ridgeback. I love them by the way, they're amazing. If I was ever to go for a different breed it would be a Ridgeback. I read on the internet that there is a British politician fighting for an Akita ban. Lets hope he never gets anywhere with it. :X
 
I have a deep love for Pit Bulls and bully breeds, and most people give me a horrifying look when I announce that I would love to save a death row Pit Bull or Pit Bull mix from a shelter one day.

Different breeds of dogs were originally intended to do certain things, no matter how much breeding....it will always be in their blood.

You can't blame a Beagle for attacking a rabbit. Does that make him vicious?
You can't blame a Rat Terrier for attacking a rat. Does that make him vicious?


Some dogs are dog-vicious....they just don't get along well with other dogs. Some dogs don't like cats because they were bred to "get rid" of small animals.

Pit Bulls, Rotties, Shepherds, Labs, Dobies, ect.....were bred to protect their human, somewhere along the line. Why blame a dog for attacking a child or a person that comes onto "the dog's" property, home, or near their "family"? The dog doesn't realize that the person isn't a threat. The reason for a dog attacking a small child that "is" apart of the family, is that the dog doesn't yet recognize the small child as "family", yet.



I deal with "animal predjudice" daily. "EWW, you have RATS as pets?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? THAT IS GROSS!"
 
I like Pit Bulls too, shame they're banned over here. A lot of people have a big problem with Saffies now also. I don't think you're mad for wanting to save one at all! After this thing with Jiro I totally take my hat off to you, I'm sure you'll get a lot of trouble for it but it's worth it to save a life. :(

I agree that you can't blame a breed for what comes naturally to it, but I think that's the reasoning behind breed bans. If it's always there in a dogs instincts to attack, isn't it safer to ban the breed? It's a double edged sword.

Attacks on people are most often caused by people I think, either from lack of training or not handling the dog properly. I don't know of any breed that was bred for hunting people, so for dog attacks on people, it can't really be passed off as instinct. If wolf cubs can be tamed and trusted not to hurt people, domestic dogs certainly can be. The owners are at fault the vast majority of the time I think, not the dogs breeding.

This is also true for the 'protecting' breeds you mentioned. Any breed with a strong protective and/or territorial drive needs careful socialisation so it's able to tell what is and isn't a threat to it. It isn't the dogs fault when it bites a stranger coming into 'his' yard, it's the fault of the owner not teaching the dog that it's not a threat.

With breeds that were bred to hunt or fight other animals, I agree that they can't be blamed for doing so. Although again I think the owners are to blame in a lot of cases of dogs attacking other animals too. Akitas naturally dislike other dogs, but if socialised from a puppy the dog learns to tolerate others.

I think breed bans are a waste of time. If people were better educated about dog training and safety we wouldn't need them. And if you have a dog that is a risk to other people or other dogs all it takes is a muzzle and a lead when it's off your property and a fence and warning signs when it's on it. :(

Do you have any rules about Pit ownership where you live? Will you have to pay more for insurance or anything?

And I'm sorry about your rats. I can imagine you get that all time! I've read a lot about them trying to understand the appeal of them, I was so shocked at how intelligent they are. One day I would like to get to know some and give them a chance, see for myself why so many people love them. I think they would have to be the Manx rats though, their tails freak me out!




 
I am not sure about the laws with Pit Bulls. There are tons in the Humane Society and the shelter here, in my town. There are even more in other towns....even Phoenix, which is 2 hours away. Pit Bulls are "big" here, because they make you look "tough", as sad as that sounds. We have a lot of "gangsters" and such in Phoenix. Arg, you just wouldn't beleive the amount of Pitties in that area.

I do know that when we adopt a Pittie someday, then we might have issues with renting a house. Of course, we will be renting before we adopt, so I would want to make it clear with a landlord that it would be okay to adopt a Pit Bull or mix. Insurance may be higher, I am really not sure.


I will be able to offend those who offend me about my rats now. I'm thinking I am going to order this one shirt that supports a rat rescue, and it says: "Don't worry, my rats think your gross, too!".

:biggrin2:


 
I read up on the Japanese Akita breed and found out why some are 'vicious' towards humans.

It says that they were first used to hunt. So their main instinct is to hurt. Altthough Jiro may not show signs of this some do and I'm justadvising you on why a family member of yours is 'warning' you.

Maybe people havn't gotten out of that they used to hunt. But that was decades ago and most of them changed.
 
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