Mad Dogs

[Blasphemous]

It does seem that nurture has a huge effect over nature when it comes to some animals. Just wondered if anyone could hazard a guess as to why dogs that have been fine for the first few years of their lives suddenly go on the rampage.

Hormones?

 

[seco services]

You can rap them up in cotton wool and some will turn for no apparent reason. Anyone who says different haven't been around many dogs.

Then you obviously haven't.

 

[conny]

Staffies are only banned if cross bred with a Pit Bull.
Any dog crossed with a Pit is classed as 'Dangerous' and I believe may be put down if a vet or the police think it is a risk.
Personally I think its all down to the owners how a dog behaves.

Not necessarily the case. dogs do turn.

Not if you take care of them and don't give them a reason to.

You can rap them up in cotton wool and some will turn for no apparent reason. Anyone who says different haven't been around many dogs.

Had contact with dogs throughout my life, whether my own, family, friends, neighbours and even strangers when I used to do deliveries for a brewery.
Only time I've known one to turn was a friends cocker spaniel which had a gastro infection and had to be starved for 24 hours. Towards the end of the 24 hours one of his young children decided to 'torment' the dog with a piece of chicken she was eating. Dog snapped at her face and sank its teeth into her cheek. Before being starved that dog had never so much as growled at anyone. If she hadn't tormented it I believe this would never have happened.

 

[subman101]

Do you think that such behaviour from a dog is an innate tendency which careful and appropriate treatment and upbringing from the "owner" can negate almost fully?

Take cats for example - they can't be trained obviously and that's not the point I'm making. A cat can quite happily be stroked and tickled for ages but then go into a natural grab/scratch/bite mode without any malice, since this behaviour is pre-programmed from birth.

When a dog "loses it", do you think that it too is just returning to some natural instinct?

 

[seco services]

If she hadn't tormented it I believe this would never have happened.

Quite agree food to a dog is a valuable item.

 

[seco services]

When a dog "loses it", do you think that it too is just returning to some natural instinct?

A dog in it's natural world is a relaxed, stress free layed back animal until brought into the human world.

 

[subman101]

When a dog "loses it", do you think that it too is just returning to some natural instinct?

A dog in it's natural world is a relaxed, stress free layed back animal until brought into the human world.

Albeit it with hunting teeth

 

[captaincaveman1]

humans are just as bad my ex wife will sink her teeth into anything

 

[joe-90]

When a dog "loses it", do you think that it too is just returning to some natural instinct?

A dog in it's natural world is a relaxed, stress free layed back animal until brought into the human world.

A dog in its natural world is a wolf.

 

[subman101]

When a dog "loses it", do you think that it too is just returning to some natural instinct?

A dog in it's natural world is a relaxed, stress free layed back animal until brought into the human world.

A dog in its natural world is a wolf.

There are other breeds of canine other than a wolf

 

[conny]

Do you think that such behaviour from a dog is an innate tendency which careful and appropriate treatment and upbringing from the "owner" can negate almost fully?

Take cats for example - they can't be trained obviously and that's not the point I'm making. A cat can quite happily be stroked and tickled for ages but then go into a natural grab/scratch/bite mode without any malice, since this behaviour is pre-programmed from birth.

When a dog "loses it", do you think that it too is just returning to some natural instinct?

Look at it this way, if someone starved you for nearly a day and you had no idea why, or when it was going to end, how would you react if your wife/partner tormented you by waving a tasty morsel under your nose?

 

[enyam]

Look at it this way, if someone starved you for nearly a day and you had no idea why, or when it was going to end, how would you react if your wife/partner tormented you by waving a tasty morsel under your nose?

That would all depend on the morsel on offer.

 

[seco services]

A dog in its natural world is a wolf.

What i'm refering to is it will have it's place in the groups packing order.
When brought into our lifes it won't because people don't enforce it.

 

[subman101]

Look at it this way, if someone starved you for nearly a day and you had no idea why, or when it was going to end, how would you react if your wife/partner tormented you by waving a tasty morsel under your nose?

You are citing a specific case involving goading a sick and hungry animal. We obviously don't know the full details of the situation referred to in my op, but it's why this sort of "outbreak" occurs that interests me.

 

[subman101]

A dog in its natural world is a wolf.

What i'm refering to is it will have it's place in the groups packing order.
When brought into our lifes it won't because people don't enforce it.

Is that the key to success then, from you experience and knowledge? That the dog has to have a well defined role within the (human) family that replaces a pack?