It’s not an easy question. In fact, it might be easier to narrow down dogs you don’t want first.
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Four of the five dogs named are for health reasons, but the number one dog on the list is the Chow.
Brewvet had mentioned them in a previous post, talking about how unpredictable they are, and I have to agree with him.
For a short while, I lived on a small piece of property that had two houses on it, and the guy in the other house owned a Chow he let run free. I would come in from work and that fucking dog would be laying in its yard 50 yards away. Most of the time it would ignore me, but once every 2-3 weeks it would charge at me for no reason as I got out of my truck and was half way to my house. Fortunately it was gun shy so when I pulled my pistol it would turn away, but once I had to crank off a round right in front of it before it would stop.
The only reason I didn't drop it was because the neighbor was such a fucking punk that I knew he'd poison my dog in my fenced back yard while I was at work because I killed his. That dog was the reason I moved, and a year or two later I heard the Chow attacked his young daughter.
A Vet from VA Tech critiquing "Cavaliers" as a bad dog breed??? Too funny for words.
ReplyDeleteIf you know, you know! LETS GO!!!!
DeleteMy mom had Cavaliers they were annoying but were more like regular dogs than miniatures
DeleteJFM
I agree with the author's list but would add dalmatians, akitas and "wolf hybrids" as being difficult to train. Oddly enough, though, while I practiced I was bitten only by a golden retriever, of all dogs...
ReplyDeleteCharlieGodammit was a wolf hybrid, and I couldn't train him for shit. He did train himself after he turned 3 years old, though. It's like he retained everything I tried to teach him, then one day decided to quit fucking with me.
DeleteMy brother had a dalmatian years ago. That polka dotted bitch was the stupidest GD animal ever and was constantly bouncing off the walls and knocking shit over. Worst of all, she would sneak up behind me and put her wet snotty nose on the back of my arm just above elbow. Can damn near still feel it after 35 years. Don't know if that is typical for breed, but I don't care to find out.
DeleteMost Dalmatians are deaf from what I've heard. That might explain her 'stupidness'.
DeleteGrowing up the neighbours had a dalmation. Retard dog it would bark and try and get through the fence at us kids in our yard. There was one set of boards it could get its gead through but not out of. After 5 or 6 times of having to u screw a board to free it its owner finaly filled in the gap. When they had a baby i heard the dog tried to bite it and the dog was gone that same day.
DeleteExile1981
Chows were bred to be food, not pets (China ya know). Temperament was not a criteria.
ReplyDeleteSteve S6
But how's the flavor?
DeleteI expect that would depend on what the dog's been eating. I know from experience that this is true with beef and venison.
DeleteI was out deer hunting by myself in the woods in Georgia one time years ago and a feral stray chow charged me out of some bushes. The story didn't end well. For him. I generally like dogs and was PO'ed at whoever dumped him in the woods and put me in a position of having to defend myself but I really didn't see what else to do. The way I see it is that problem dogs are almost always the result of problem people.
ReplyDeleteSo true, a lot like problem horses.
DeleteBought an English bulldog for my boyfriend's birthday. He told me once you have one, you'll understand. Their personality is so winning, but you better realize the vet bills will keep that vet in business. Cannot be a jogger's or hiker's pup, no way. Dog will die if it gets too hot, so you have to keep them indoors. We visited the breeder of our pup a year later to show how the bulldog turned out. The breeder had kept a litter mate, but left it outside one afternoon, and IT DIED! gyaaaah!
ReplyDeleteI've had pugs for over 50 years. 2 lived to be 14 and the other to 18. No chronic health issues and no breathing problems. They were very active to the end. My current pug is 8 and and competes in agility. I think complaining about "flat faced" dogs is the equivalent of an "en vogue" malady of the month. And I'm also noticing that this has become more prevalent as the deadly disease of wokeness infects the veterinary community as it has infected medicine in general.
ReplyDeleteMy in-laws are on their 4th pug. The previous 3 all died of cancer before they were 6 or 7 years old. Why they keep getting the same breed, I have no idea.
DeleteUnfortunately my daughter has a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. So far no health issues.
ReplyDeleteMy experience with chows has been that they are indeed unpredictable and inconsistent.
I've got a belgian malinois... they are not for everybody.
ReplyDeleteFantastic dogs if you can exercise them two hours a day and get them properly trained.
DeleteI"ve had many different dogs over the years , Labs , golden retriever's GSDs and Chows The Chows defiantly are not for beginners they are headstrong and independent and loyal they take some time to warm up but if you get to know a chow they are great dogs. I cried like a baby when I had to put down my Chow this spring ,a loyal companion of almost fifteen years, Miss you Sam!
ReplyDeleteI had an very atypical Chow when I was in middle/high school. Purebred (AKC papers) and the sweetest, big fluffball baby. Would growl at people when they came to the door, but as soon as one of us told him to knock it off and he saw we we cool with the person coming in, he was all ass wagging happy "love me, new friend!". First Chow I ever encountered (my dumb ass sister bought him and we ended up with him because she couldn't handle him) so I was much older before I realized how lucky we were and that most Chows are assholes. 35 years later and I still miss that fuzzball.
ReplyDeleteHad a buddy way back when, he had 2 a black and a cream colored one... They were both cool with me but the cream one was much more easy going..... Dated a girl for a short time that had a black male, he was not a dog I would turn my back to......
DeleteAre they the meanest dogs, probably not but unless they accept you be careful around them
JD
Grew up with Labradors. Inherited a Pekingese when I married my wife. We’re now on our third and fourth Peke. Fun little dogs and very sweet with immediate family. Not yappers. If they bark, there’s a reason. So far no significant health issues with any of them. We keep them cut short which probably helps.
ReplyDeleteI only have scars from two breeds.......Chows and Doberman's..........both will snap and draw blood for no apparent reason ........had to put one of each down
ReplyDeleteChows bad reputation comes from their suddenness to bite. When you piss off most dogs, they give you clear indications to stop. Chows simply bite. It's not actually meanness, it's just their way of saying Stop doing what you're doing. They don't have the temperament to move from A to B to C. They simply go to C. That's why they're a really bad choice around children. A good friend had one and it bonded only to him. No one else in their family, ever. Eventually, he had to get rid of it to protect his children.
ReplyDeletePrior to the German shepherd was a dash hound that was our first small breed and one of the most fun dogs ever. Before his back gave out he went blind and that was his health problems.
ReplyDeleteGo to an animal shelter and get a mutt.
ReplyDeleteThat's the best advice I've heard all day.
DeleteAmen. Best dogs in the world. Especially if you get them from the pound or shelter. Got a Carolina Dog from the shelter. Was 5 months old. Died last October. Was 15 years old. Bestdogi ever hhad.
DeleteI agree with Anonymous 1138. Don't spend 2000+ for a labradoodle like my son did...
ReplyDeleteThe next small town over has a couple labradoodle breeders so I've had a good opportunity to see a large mix of them over a number of years. They are either very docile or batshit crazy. There is no in-between and you don't know which you got until their personalities fully develop.
DeleteWhat? Nobody even mentioned the PitBull? At least 1 time a week somebody asks me to change their Rabies certificate so it says something other than "PitBull"!! Why Because all the local trailer parks will not rent to anybody that owns a PitBull. Sure there are nice ones but the bad ones can kill your kids or the kids next door, and who they gonna sue? Not the single mom who owns it, she got no money or insurance. They will sue the deep pockets Trailer park owner. At least once or twice a year I get a subpoena to produce records for a lawyer suing somebody over a dog bite. I don't keep track of what breeds are involved but I remember the last one was a Pit. I would not have one. For personal protection (watch Dog) you need a noisy little shit that barks like hell when anybody even slows down going by your house. That will give you time to put your handgun in a sticky mike's holster in your pocket and grab the loaded 12 gauge by the bed in case you get an intruder.
ReplyDeleteThat's fine, don't own one.
DeleteI do, and I don't live in a trailer court. Also, a yapper isn't going to do one bit of good if somebody breaks into my house while I'm gone and my wife's home alone. She can't see well enough to handle a gun, not that her arthritis will let her.
I've got big, big news for you: Damned near any dog with any size to it can kill yours or your neighbor's kid.