[ergyuu]

Should the Corps do more to limit aggressive dog breeds in family housing areas?

[gueremaisse]

Hold the owners accountable. Dogs need to be trained, not just penned up in a yard. All dogs are supposed to be registered when the owners live in base housing. Part of the housing checklist should be periodic inspections of the fencing penning the dogs in. As far as respective breeds, I've known good pit bulls and bad pit bulls that needed a bullet in the head. Same applies to other breeds. There is no such thing as a breed specific "aggressive" dog. I don't care what the popular media says. I, personally, have never had a negative encounter with a pit, a rott, a dobie, or a shepherd. I can't say the same for friggin' poodles, chows, or cocker spaniels. I hate cocker spaniels. They bite more than any breed I know. Try going on a run through base housing sometime and count the number of aggressive little dogs and the number of aggressive big dogs. You'll find the little buggers are meaner than snot. I live out in the country, so this is a non-issue for me. My shepherd, while intimidating as hell, is a big lover and will drown you with slobber from licking you to death. My mini-pinscher, on the other hand, is all attitude and has resisted all efforts to train him to be less aggressive. Definitely a "little-man" complex.

[Gilowero]

Make it harder for people to get dogs in general. People do not realize how much work animals are, and ignore their most basic needs. Large, high-energy dogs need exercise and disipline. Most problems with aggressive dogs are easily fixed with a daily regimine of guided exercise. Many owners can see improvement in their dogs behavior after as little as one good long walk. Keep the dog tired and well exercised and he'll want to sleep more than chew up furniture or dig up the yard. People who do not fully understand what they are getting into should not have dogs.

[KimLinbert]

The Marine Corps needs to make an MCI on Animal Parenting that every Marine needs to complete in order to keep/obtain an animal. (I'm being sarcastic here. But No one else is posting on this thread so I thought I would just throw things out.)

[jobsfancy]

Well we already have one for spelling, (Whitch I wus prowd to have compleited, miself). I could see them requiring some sort of training course before allowing you to have certain kinds of pets.

[ovenco]

I don't know where you people are coming up with making people complete training in order to own a dog. No one requires training before you start having a children. Granted that having a child is a much higher responsibility, it is still the same basic function in taking care of and teaching. Some people are just better "parents" than others, and just as it would show in the behavior of a child, it shows in the behavior of pets. There is no such thing as an aggresive breed, just poor training.

[kiosokkn]

Aggressive breeds are becoming an issue all over the US. Folks are being attacked at work and at play. Base Housing should just create a list of breeds not allowed in their housing areas. I know it sounds like I'm dumping on certain rights of the individual but adjustments needs to be made. There are certain items a person can control and animals can turn on their owners as well on a stranger.

[Zdmlscid]

Aggressive breeds are becoming an issue all over the US. Folks are being attacked at work and at play. Base Housing should just create a list of breeds not allowed in their housing areas. I know it sounds like I'm dumping on certain rights of the individual but adjustments needs to be made. There are certain items a person can control and animals can turn on their owners as well on a stranger.

Breed restriction is stupid. I'm sorry to say it bluntly, but if someone can't train/raise their dog appropriatly, no matter what the breed it, there will be problems.

[palantownia]

Dogs are the owner's responsibilities. They should answer to any complaints about their dogs.

[Efksqhyu]

Aggressive breeds are becoming an issue all over the US. Folks are being attacked at work and at play. Base Housing should just create a list of breeds not allowed in their housing areas. I know it sounds like I'm dumping on certain rights of the individual but adjustments needs to be made. There are certain items a person can control and animals can turn on their owners as well on a stranger.

I disagree I hope it never comes to this a list of breeds that are not allowed on base. I would try to fight a idea like that to be made it goes back to education and responsibility.

[ephennaCypota]

I was out walking my dog one day and she was attacked by a Golden Retriever. The dog's owner told me later that his dog had been attacked the year before and became very aggressive from the experience.

If a dog is cared for with love and treated well it will usually respond in kind. I've had dogs all my life and would never have believed that a golden retriever would attack another dog unprovoked.

All dogs should be surpervised and kept in a confined area. I don't think that there should be a ban on particular breeds. My daughter has a Rottweiller that is the most gentle dog on the planet.

There are way too many rules to abide by to live on base as it is. If neighbors believe that a dog is a menace to the neighborhood then the issue should be addressed. But to add another rule to those of us who practice responsible dog ownership is unfair.

[oliverlogo]

To a certain degree...I think dogs are like kids...at some point they have a mind of their own regardless of how well they are brought up.

Nevertheless, I don't think you can ban a certain breed of domestic dog because of this.

I've seen a person that had a dog that was half wolf...and that dog was banned from base...rightfully so I think, it was just irresponsible to keep that as a pet...yes, it was a vicious dog.

[ConoMadura]

Just for the record, I've known many Wolf Hybrids that were not viscious dogs. With any breed of dog a lot depends on the breeder, the owner, how well the animal has been socialized and trained. While there are breeds that are more inclined toward aggressive behavior, any dog can become problematic when you have lack of ethical breeding, lack of socialization and lack of training.

[zoolissentesy]

Which is more irritating? A disobedient dog or some juvenile delinquent who brings down the property value of base housing? I'd rather see the DoD set some rules on the ineffective parenting I see going on instead of whether or not you can own a Rottweiler named "Satan".

[ticskebasse]

I am personally not a pet person. I'm not against pets, but neither am I for them. I had plenty of pets growing up. Now that I'm a little older, I find they are not something I am particularly fond of. My wife is scared of dogs, in fact. On that note, neither of us feel that dogs should be banned or regulated.

If owners treat their dogs as they should be treated. If they are cared for, trained, and watched, then there won't be a problem. I do understand however that sometimes something might cause a dog to do something out of character. I had a loveable dog that was scared of my cat (while I was younger). My dog was just adorable, but one night I was trying to get a midnight snack and the dog was asleep on the floor. I tried to step over the dog and got bit for my efforts. It never happened again. I didn't think my dog is "aggressive" or anything like that. You have to hold owners responsible. If you do, then you won't have any problems. If a dog becomes a problem, and the owner is held accountable, they will either find a solution or have to get rid of the dog, which is a solution itself.

[Necedofer]

by the way, you should always assume a big dog , especially, Rottwweiler,
Doberman, German Shepherd, Pit Bull, is UNFRIENDLY. Treat them with respect and keep your distance.

the owners should always keep them on a leash unless they are in a designated dog park or similar closed off area. The leash law in public areas is meant to protect everyone, including the dog owner, who does not need a lawsuit.

I have had many people stick their hands out to pet German Shepherd dogs I have been walking. So far, fortunately, the dogs have always been cool about it. But someone the dog does not know, walking toward a dog, with their hand stuck out, especially if the person has an object of some kind, in the other hand, is going to alarm the dog and the dog may react in a hostile fashion.

[avappyboalt]

My experience with pit bulls is that , while walking my dog, either I or my dog have been attacked by pit bulls on 3 different occasions. I keep a pepper spray in my pocket. On two occasions I was able to spray the pit bulls and keep them from locking on to my dog. On the third occasion the pit bull got a grip on my dog and would not let go even after I emptied the entire can of pepper spray in its face. FYI it was a small smith and wesson can , with about 12 shots in it. Thereafter I got some FOX pepper spray, and also , a can of bear spray, which is higher concentration and higher volume with a much longer range. And I got a long handled stun gun, a shock baton as used by prison guards. The reason for carrying this is because if you shock a big dog with a hand held stun gun it will turn and snap down on your wrist and you will be torn to pieces. The upshot of my experience is that pit bulls are extremely dangerous and unstable. They have been bred for fighting and I do not care how many people talk about their lovable pit bulls. One day their lovable pit bull is going to attack their child,
or someone else´s child, and seriously injure or kill that child, Or for that matter an adult.
Or someone else´s put. These dogs lock on and can not be compèlled to unlock their jaws.
Now, I could always go for a walk, carrying a large handgun, with a round in the chamber, and that would be a solution for my pit bull problem. But I would prefer not to be in that position for the obvious legal reasons. Also, why should I, the innocent pedestrian, or innocent person walking my dog, feel compelled to be armed, because some person with a
defecient self image has to compensate for their problems by owning a dog that is bred to be vicious and that they will never be able to control ? The onus should be on the dog owner. However, since so many owners have proven themselves to be irresponsible, I will have to join the city of Miami and many other sane municipalities, in saying, all pit bulls
and similar breeds should be banned. I regret to say, that many Rottweilers, also fall into this category, they attack people and other animals for no reason. And because they are larger than pit bulls they can do a lot more damage.

Police departments want to use German Shepherd Dogs because they are stable and predictable. They can handle provocation without flying off the handle. They can discern between a real threat and something that might appear threatening (a jogger or skateboarder) without flying off the handle and ripping the innocent person to shreds.
Police departments know very well they can not afford the lawsuits that would be raining down on them, if they had Rottweilers and Pit Bulls attacking people at random (including other police officers !!!!) So that is why they stick to proven breeds from proven breeders.

The Rottweilers used to be more stable but has been well known , at least since the early 90s, that they have attacked people all over the country for no reason, with many serious injuries, some deaths, children mangled, etc. So now a reasonable person looking for a Rottweiler has to do a full on investigation to make sure the breeder is not some puppy farm quick buck operator selling them an inbred dog that appears to be normal but is a monster .

Before any of you flame me, think seriously about what these dogs were intended for, how they were bred, and why they are so dangerous. You do not want a dog you have to lock up all the time because it is such a threat to passers by. You need a dog that can keep its cool. A really good dog can handle being provoked (by foolish children for example) and it won´t bark, snap, or grow. A good dog is smart. Do not be fooled because it is not acting aggressively all the time. It will be able to recognize a serious threat and act in a microsecond, faster, than you can pull a gun out your holster. Well gee, where do I start. First off German Shepherds may be the “chosen” dog for policing in YOUR local however, there is a set criteria for recruitment of police dogs as follows and the breed of dog is most definitely not set. Whist the police dog squad looks specifically for Shepherds and Rotties, they will look at any large breed if they have the right qualities. The reasons they look for both these breeds specifically is because the male and female of both these breeds display the same "guard" qualities, unlike most other breed of dog, where the female of the breed are more plasid.

The Dog Squad is always looking for potential dog recruits
Criteria for a potential police dog includes:

• German Shepherd or Rottweiler (male or female);
• aged 12 months to 2 years;
• active retriever;
• sound temperament;
• not overly aggressive but will stand their ground when challenged;
• physically fit with good conformation; and
• alert.

Each dog is assessed by experienced police dog personnel. If the dog is suitable for further assessment, subject to agreement with the owner, it will be thoroughly assessed by the WA Police Dog Squad. I hate to break it to you mate but ALL dogs are killers and all dogs will bite if a kid sticks its fingers in its eyes for long enough. There is not a dog alive that can not be provoked. Dogs never attack for no reason. You may not see the reasons but there sure as hell are reasons for dog attacks. Dogs don’t think like humans. Humans need to understand this. Dogs have been part of our lives for literally thousands of years and its people like you advocating BSLthat really peeve me off. If the authorities enforced the legislation ALREADY in place then there is no need to introduce BSL.

Your comment about inbred dogs means what? You breed a shepherd with a shepherd you are in fact in breeding yet we call these dogs thorough breds. Registered breeders can be just as responsible for breeding bad traits as backyard breeders are. You need to do your homework on the blood lines of your chosen dog BEFORE buying it.

But we are getting of topic here. You say we should ban certain breeds but this doesn’t help the problem this thread is trying to address. What about that annoying little chow who runs out at you every morning snapping at your heels? Do we ban them too? NO BSL is not the answer. If you want to keep pets in military housing then it must be kept in YOUR allotted space not community space. If the military have rules on this issue then the military must enforce these rules. If they don’t then they should. If they don’t have the “man power” to enforce these rules then they should simply ban pets in military housing outright. Simple as that.

[dodsCooggipsedebt]

i think for the most part it is silly that we are arguing about dog breeds on base, the base is considered a gated community with set rules and guidelines, follow them or get out! you are in the military, obey the orders you are charged to follow, there are plenty of dog breeds to choose from ,why do you have to get a dog that you are not allowed to have??
i was reading the Marinetimes and some fool was talking about banning all breeds from base, that is stupid too! i have a wiener dog and it is the nicest dog you will ever meet and she weighs only 8lbs! how are you going to put a weiner dod in the same category as a pit or a rot, for real!?!

I agree, follow the rules that are in place. But its not about putting a "weiner dog" in the same category as a Pit or Rot. The rules are for all dogs and if they are followed then there are no problems. If the military cant enforce these rules it seems to me from your post that you are advocating that what you call silly.

Why do you have to get a dog that you are not allowed to have? What are you talking about. Are you saying that military housing have restrictions on the breed/size of dog you are allowed to have?

Your "weiner dog" only wieghs 8lbs and is the nicest dog I will ever meet. I have met 60kg dogs in that very same category yet because of its size alone you want to ban them?

People need do the right thing by thier pets and the community around them and if the can not follow the rules, the privelige of pets in military housing should be removed for that individual.

[Matajic]

everybody is trying to justify owning aggressive breeds talking about how cute and cuddly they are, you can almost compare the debate to some punk kid trying to justify how marijuana should be legal because it can be used for medicinal purposes. there are nice pits and rots (for example) that i have seen but for everyone of those there are a whole bunch that are not, do your research and look up the statistics, that is why they are not allowed on base.

[AAAESLLESO]

Should the Corps do more to limit aggressive dog breeds in family housing areas?

Dogs are only aggressive if improperly trained, all dogs can be loving sweet pets or vicious cruel killers it all depends on how you raise your dog. I think that if a dog bites someone the owner should be put down not the dog.