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Does your dog bite the leash while walking ? The main reason that a dog bites its leash is due to frustration. It can be playful frustration or angry energy. In some instances it may be because the dog did not get its way. The best thing to do when a dog starts to bite the leash is to pull up on the leash. If you pull up on the leash and hinder the dog from biting and pulling on the leash. The behavior will usually stop with persistence. Persistence means that you must hold the dog leash up for about 5 minutes or for however long it takes until the dog stops. When the collar is pulled up with the leash hindering the dog from most of its power. The dog will stop after it realizes that you are trying to stop it and your not walking the dog. If you do walk the dog while it is biting the leash it could lunge to bite at the higher part of the leash. Hold the dog still by pulling up on the leash and wait until it stops. Patience is the key to stopping this behavior along with controlled dedication.
As of recent the city of Lynn, Massachusetts has proposed a muzzle being mandatory on all Pitbulls being walked in the street. The reason for the proposal is due to recent Pitbull attacks in the city. The most recent of the attacks was on an infant who was bitten while being held by her parents. A Pitbull Terrier apparently lunged at the child biting her in the leg while her and her parents were walking past the dog. So would a muzzle on a dog prevent the attack? In this case it would have however not every Pitbull is in need of a muzzle. It seems unfair to place a stereotype of all Pitbulls being attack dogs unless every single one in the world has been euthanized due to an attack. The other interesting part of that is that it seems like none of these attack Pitbulls can be rehabilitated and will be euthanized. It is sad that a dog that is meant to work somehow has not been put into a responsible dog owners hands. When I refer to that I am talking about the weirdest notion ever.
Why is every Pitbull in a horrible situation with the wrong irresponsible dog owner? In fact they may not be so we will throw out that notion. Instead why don't we generalize the Pitbull owners by saying the definitely wrong people are owning these dogs. The owners are responsible for the attacks hands down. When everyone turns into Cesar Milan then the dog will be kept the right way. The facts about Pitbulls fighting illegally scares the public into thinking it is an attack dog. When other dogs cause the same damage to people there is no reporting. A muscular strong looking dog like the Pitbull should not be feared due to its look however it is. Someday a responsible Pitbull owner will emerge and use the Pitbull in a life saving way. Until then the idiotic dog owners should get a life and lift weights instead of using their dogs as a weapon. For the people that have no clue about training or maintaining a dog. I'm praying that they stay away from dogs so that the responsible Pitbull owner can have peace of mind.
I was recently told by a woman who was walking her German Spitz that she had to put her Pitbull to sleep because it bit her and her husband. The dog was abused before she had got it and was basically just given to her so she took it in without any papers. This was a loveable thing to do. The Pitbull was cat and dog friendly however at times it would show aggression to men. The ongoing saga of a Pitbull being too much to handle apparently continues. In this case ended with the dog dying instead of a person. In this dogs mind it had been abused and apparently became fixated on men or male strangers posing a threat to it.
To take a Pitbull in is an achievement in itself. However taking an abused Pitbull in on a whim without truly any knowledge of it could be considered heroic. These dogs unlike any other dog do have a tenacity to defend themselves quickly and with hard force. A bite from another dog could seem like a nip. However from a Pitbull judging on where it may strike could be fatal and last an eternity if the dog loses it. By losing it I mean its surroundings seem unclear and it is drawn back to a moment. Then it suddenly may feel like someone is threatening it in a way that it use to really be abused. In this case a simple obedience correction was used and the dog got scared. It then proceeded to bite and then it stopped quickly. I told the woman that she was lucky and did the right thing by putting it down. However I just wish I could have possibly tried the dog myself in my courageous mind because they can be corrected. A muzzle along with some love and food would be my objective however in this case it was too late. For those who may rescue a Pitbull or take in a Pitbull that has been abused fair warning.
You should calmly command the dog until it has gotten to know you and then you may be a tiny bit strict on bones or small behaviors such as sitting. However do not become too dominant over the dog as to scare it. Never hit it, again use lots of love and food or toys and long walks as well. Knowing a Pitbull has been abused should allow you to understand that this breed though tough is still mistreated. Hopefully the Pitbull that you rescue or plan on rescuing was owned by someone that did not habitually mistreat the dog. Simply because they should have known that this type of dog is a killer and has the ability to bite and lock on to you if it goes out of control.
We must also hope that the Pitbull that you may want to rescue can recover from its mistreatment because it can. You need to know it can but if you do not have the time or will to train it then do not bring it in because the risks are to great. Unfortunately this is another case of a dog being mistreated and turning out the way any dog would eventually. So to my fellow dog lovers I must say please be educated about the American Pitbull Terrier if you want one. I must also have to let you know that with this breed your not getting a dog that is so different from other dogs. You are getting a dog that may be dominant like smaller dogs. However if your Pitbull attacks chances are it could harm you alot more. I still don't know why people who mistreat these dogs own them. On the other hand the Pitbull does not stand alone on being aggressive I have been around plenty of other dogs that were aggressive. The main problem here is that the Pitbull has been exploited and taken in by dog fighters sometimes. As well as other people who have no business around these dogs. Simply because in these less than satisfactory conditions that they are in they are too dangerous. It is good to think about a Pitbull being treated properly and being the loveable dog that it can be. I would also like to think about these dogs being mistreated and let people know. That if your Pitbull is being mistreated or has been do not be surprised if it becomes aggressive. If any dog has been looked pass it is the Pitbull and it shouldn't be. It is still misunderstood and truthfully requires a dog owner that really knows about dogs.
Does your dog notice someone familiar in a different way ? It seems that a dog can not always tell who someone is. This could happen when your dog may mistake you for someone that it doesn't know. The factors include weight loss, a hair cut or maybe a change in a child growing up. All of these changes in your appearance could cause a dog to act differently around you. Just in case you are curious to know why your dog may be acting strange. If its behavior changes. Changes include, barking or growling around someone it usually gets along with. Then it could be that it just doesn't notice them due to the changes in their appearance. The best thing to do in this situation is to convince the dog that it does know the person. Just keep calm and continue to present yourself to the dog until it calms down. In your mind you should never show fear. Have a happy change in appearance and don't forget that dogs notice too, they just show it differently.
Is your dog playing with another dog or fighting with another dog? Dogs like to wrestle and play with each other rough at times. When they do play rough they are capable of hurting each other and going out of control but usually it is just play. When a dog is rolling around and mouthing or softly biting or tugging at another dog it usually is harmless. Dogs like to play fight and get rough at times and that is usually fine. However, on occasion that type of behavior can get out of control so you should monitor your dog while it is playing. All dogs in my opinion are tough. They are derived from one of the toughest animals on the planet and that is the wolf. So again with a tiny bit of wolf in a dog obviously it is tough. They can take the soft bites and pushes and wrestling hard to the ground from another dog.
When your dog starts to get out of control and over excited and eventually is growling and when a situation turns into two dogs going at it fiercely then you know your dog is in a fight. However let us look at two dogs playing with each other and getting along like dogs like to play rough. It can be good and healthy exercise and it let's us see the physical strength and semi wild behavior that a dog can exhibit with another dog as it plays. So let your dog play and wrestle like dogs do however do not let them shed blood or yelp as this is a fight. They can wrestle and they will, if this is not a part of your frame of mind as a dog owner then you will have to seperate them. Of course there are many other options.
The Greyhound may have a glamorous and celebrated life while it is racing. It's life is much different off of the track. The Greyhound is a majestic dog that is in need of care throughout it's life. If any dog needs help surely it is the Greyhound. It is a dog that is relatively tall and has a long narrow nose. Weighing in at about 60-70 pounds and standing about 28-30 inches it is a sophisticated dog. Bred today mainly for racing it also can be used to hunt rabbit, boar and deer. Many racing tracks have decided to inhumanely euthanize the dogs that were used in racing. Fields of 3,000 buried dead Greyhounds have been found. These dogs that were used in racing were destroyed because they couldn't race anymore.
There are several organizations devoted to saving the Greyhound. Grey 2K USA is an organization devoted to saving the Greyhound through awareness and adoption. They provide Greyhound adoption throughout the United States. Measures are being taken to help save the Greyhound from racing but more needs to be done. Be kind to the Greyhound and don't bet on it. Injuries from racing will shorten the dogs life and that is not fair. All dogs should be treated fairly and the Greyhound is one that is on top of that list. Be an advocate for the Greyhound and boycott dog racing.
References: PETA Media Center; Greyhound Racing : Death in the Fast Lane
www.grey2kusa.com
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References: www.wikipedia.org ; St. Bernard : English Bulldog : Great Dane : German Sheperd References: WHDH-TV