Check this out

[madmax]

Dogs are not people which is likely why I like them better for the most part...'cepy those little yappy ones in a purse.

[WolfVanZandt]

LOL.

I once met an elderly lady with one of those yappy dogs. I reached down to pet it while the lady exclamed, "My little dog is very friendly. She would never bite anyone."

You could tell that she had very poor vision. She couldn't see all the blood.

Anyway, maybe ya'll can tell me why you don't think dogs are people, since that has a lot to do with how we should treat them.

[rebel]

Every repairman we've had has said it's the little dogs that'll sneak up and get you. My boys will come at you doing mach 3 then lick you to death.

[Rick]

Everyone that ever told me their dog would never bite were always the ones I kept an eye on.

[rebel]

You can't trust an animal, humans included. Just ask a former bull owner. You don't know what they're thinking. However, the dog in the video wagging his tail was not a threat. Like I said before, it's a polarizing subject. Some think a cop can do no wrong. Others look at the event objectively.

[kyratshooter]

Looking objectively???

Apparently when dogs are involved that is impossible.

[WolfVanZandt]

I dunno. There are some bad dogs just like there are bad humans. I personally believe in capital punishment - not to punish but to prevent the risk or certain people circulating in society. Talk about a polarizing issue!

But I take a personal position there. I'm a psychopath that decided in my early twenties that I would enjoy a life where I helped people get their lives started back up and I've had a great time with it, but if I had decided to go the other direction or, even if I went bad now, my suggestion would be to get me out of everybody elses lives. I know for a fact what a horror I would be.

So a bad dog most certainly should be treated like a bad human, but a good dog deserves to be treated with respect just like a good human does.

K9 cops get an honorable burial when they're killed in the line of duty. I've trained professionals how to act around working dogs. The dogs themselves are professionals and deserve to not be interfered with when they're on duty. Even in the Bible, oxen whose job it was to tread grain was to be treated fairly. Some folks say that that was because God was concerned about the owners, who would suffer if they lost their oxen, but that wouldn't explain Paul equating his ministry to the oxen treading grain. The Bible had quit a lot to say about fairness to animals. I'm not so sure you can be fair or unfair to a nonperson.

[rebel]

One thing is for sure, we're not going to change each other's opinions.

[hunter63]

What?... the interweb is going to change an opinion?...because someone took the time to type something...The horror!...

[WolfVanZandt]

Heh. I like debate - not argument - debate. Debate is how people cooperatively develop opinions on issues that are not cut-and-dried.

There are still logical positivists that believe that, if it can't be represented logically, or potentially proven, it shouldn't even be considered. That was a very short lived movement. Many of the most important questions in life have no cut-and-dried answers. To take the logical positivist's stance, you might as well ditch more than eight tenths of the Dewey Decimal system. There is still plenty of room for philosophy along side science.

There are always three kinds of people on any forum. There are the people who are pro on an issue, people who are con on the issue, and then there are a lot of people who haven't made up their minds yet. If I'm debating, I'm not trying to change the first two groups - I'm really talking to the last group.

[Rick]

I was in and out of people's home every day for about a decade. I could usually read a dog's intend pretty well. You enter into a dog's territory. You are the interloper. It should come as no surprise that the dog might just take offense to you being in their home. If they get the slightest sense from you that you are subordinate then they will let you know real quick who the boss is. That was generally when there was trouble. When the dog wanted me to know where I was on the hierarchy and I wasn't in agreement with his placement. Then I had to ask the owner to put the dog up. Some dogs have a very high opinion of themselves. Not unlike some people.

[WolfVanZandt]

Aye. That was a good tact.

I will usually recognize a dog's primacy in their territory because, well, it's their territory. When I talk to a man or woman with a dog on the trail, I'll usually speak to the dog but no more. After that, I ignore the dog unless it acts like it wants attention (which it usually doesn't). I'll have my conversation with the human and go on my way. If it's just a dog alone and shows aggression, I'll dominate it pretty quickly. Most dogs submit when I growl. I'm a lot bigger.

I think the reason most people that are killed by dogs lose the fight is that they don't know how to deal with the attack but people can fight back with dogs as well as with other humans. It's not that much different. I'll punch a dog out as quickly as I will another human. I'll gouge eyes. If it's more than one - I'll beat one to death with the other. I ignore the bites and claws until the fight's over.

When I hike in the neighborhood, people might think I'm nuts because I talk to all the dogs. It's not that I think they know what I'm saying. I just want them to know my voice because, if one ever gets out of their fenced yard, I want them to know me. Then, if they already know that I'm friendly, we're jake. If they want to fight, they already know I'm not afraid of them and I don't mind doing what I have to do.

I also make sure I understand the other animals I might run into. I'm particularly careful not to startle horses on the trail. They tend to be skittish animals. I give all animals plenty of clearance on the trail. Big cats generally won't approach you as long as you're facing them so I wouldn't show one my back. And I carry bear spray in bear areas.

[rebel]

4 am, another storm and my dog is afraid. He doesn't like the thunder. So, he thinks sitting his 98 pound behind on my head will make it go away.

[crashdive123]

I encounter quite a few dogs in my work. (There's a joke someplace in there about my bar days long, long, long ago - but for another time) Yesterday at one customer (been a customer for 15 years) Bella, their Pit Bull came to greet me. I dropped to my knees and was playing with her for a bit (the owner was there) and I said at least you don't want to eat me like Smokey does. The owner kind of chuckled. Smokey is a trained guard dog. The wife was having some problems with a stalker. Since Smokey arrived the problem seems to have disappeared.

[madmax]

Funny I had a stranger's dog encounter this morning. I was waiting for the elevator at our motel. Too close to the door. It opened and a lady with a 50 lb something or other was standing close to the door on the inside. The dog made eye contact, tail wag but real slow, but it was a little frightened of the unknown man. Talk soft. Back off. No incident. Smiles and good mornings. On our way.

[rebel]

LaQuinta hotels are dog friendly.

[Wildthang]

When I was a kid, and had just got my first apartment, there was an older lady that lived right across the street from my house. She had the biggest pit bull I have ever seen named Baby. The dog was truly a big baby and wouldn't hurt a fly, even though he had never been neutered.
So I was sitting on the front porch one day, and along comes the water meter reader. He went through her gate, opened the lid to the in ground meter, got on his knees and was reaching into the meter well I think to wipe off the little glass window on the meter.
Well Baby came around from the back yard and spotted the meter guy with his face in the meter well. Baby ran over there and mounted that guy, which immediately sent his entire head down into the meter well. Baby had a death grip on this guy and was really working him over if you know what I mean.
I could hear the guys muffled voice screaming help.......help........help, get me out of here! All the while Baby was having the time of his life. I was laying on the porch laughing hysterically, and the lady came out on the porch and she was laughing so hard she could'nt call Baby to get him off of this guy. Baby had him nailed for at least ten minutes before he let go of the guy. By this time the meter guy was scared absolutely to death and he cleared that fence by 2 feet and ran to his truck.
This is probably the funniest thing I have ever seen! Just think, these days poor ole Baby would probably get shot!

[rebel]

Lol. That's a funny story.

[madmax]

About those little dogs...
I was riding my bike around the hood one day and just as I passed this house the owner opened the door and 2 Jack Russells eacaped. Naturally they went after the funny looking animal on 2 wheels. One pooped out quick but the other got a hold of my heel. I never quit pedaling and I didn't think that dog would ever let go. I heard his owner yelling in Spanish at the dog or me(?) But my Spanish sucks and he had 0 English. So as I pedaled along this little zh1t would flop on the ground at the bottom of every pedal stroke. Flop, grrr, flop, grrr, flop, grrr. Until he finally let loose. There were curse words in 2 languages being hollered. No blood. But I watch that house as I go by now. Lol

[crashdive123]

I was inspecting a home for termites one day. I was on my hands and knees under a kitchen table looking at damage to a baseboard. The homeowner was right next to me as I was explaining my findings. While I was pointing to some damage his little Cha Hua Hua dog nipped me on the hand. Without hesitation I backhanded the mutt and he went sliding across the linoleum floor. Thinking I probably just lost a sale, I stood up. The owner said.......I think I would have hit him hard enough to get across the next room. I did get the sale.