Originally Posted by
DaneDodger
I don't know a thing about cars so all I can say is best of luck with that one
I DO know dogs though! In running a rescue for about 11 yrs I worked with all sorts of breeds and mixes with a huge variety of behavoural and physical problems. I then went on to be a professional trainer and am called on very often as an unlicensed behavourist. I love all animals and had to jump in on all this...
This is completely incorrect. In my years running a rescue I didn't hold a job outside the home so rehabilitating and training the animals was all I did. I knew that in the condition they were usually in these animals would need the VERY BEST in nutrition so I set out learning all I could about canine nutrition. I found that there are very few commercially prepared dog foods on the market that met my high standards as being nutritionally complete and best plus the few I found were prohibitively expensive and so I prepared my own. It was based loosely on the BARF diet (biologically appropriate raw foods - you can find tons of websites out there about it with a quick search) The main ingredient in this diet is raw meat! Every dog that came to me was fed a diet which consisted largely of raw meat. Not a single one of them turned viscious and even the ones with aggressive problems were successfully trained and socialized to become well adjusted, sweet, friendly pets.
Space Geek, very nice on info on pits and common myths!!
This is also completely incorrect. It may indeed be your opinion but it is not fact nor is it even a very well researched, well thought out, fair opinion. Even when dog fighting was more prevalent than it is today and in places where, sadly, dog fighting still continues dogs that show aggression towards HUMANS are generally put down. An owner still has to be able to control their dog, after all! Even dogs that are known and proven to be "viscious" are not "mean" in any way! You would have to understand dog psychology. Many breeds of dogs are selectively bred and trained for having high prey drives, such as breeds commonly used for hunting. A high prey drive does not equate into "mean".
This is not an issue of nature, it's a problem with nurture. For example, why was the pup left unsupervised with the chairs? Puppies chew, they NEED to chew, and anyone getting a dog should understand that. Until you train a pup to know what's acceptable to chew (and provide him with his own things he can chew of course!) they should not be left unsupervised. That's the only reliable way to end problem chewing and not have things like expensive chairs ripped up.
AMEN The sad part is that most of what was said was looked upon with blind eyes.
