Replies

Hey, don’t laugh. Those little suckers are mean. I’ve only been bitten by a dog twice in my life. Once was when I was 5 and my grandmother’s senile old poodle nipped at me (I probably deserved it). The other time was visiting friends that had two psychotic wiener dogs named Buttons and Bows. They liked to hide under cars in the driveway and snap at ankles as we walked by...and they weren’t playing. There are a lot of smaller breeds that I’m more wary of than the big dogs.

Bull terriers have a little more potential than some to turn into dangerous dogs because of their territorial instincts, but that just means they need owners willing to put the time in to socialize and train the dog. Unfortunately they became the latest urban accessory, like 22” rims or “grills,” and so you’ve ended up with hundreds of thousands of them owned by morons who shouldn’t be allowed to keep a houseplant, much less a dog.

I’ve met bull terriers that were as sweet as Goldens and still capable of being excellent watchdogs. Our across the street neighbor has a 115-pound Rottweiler that’s just a big loveable goof, but God help anybody who tries to climb their fence when he’s around. My in-laws had a succession of Hungarian Kuvasz (a livestock guard dog) that lived with them in the suburbs of Atlanta and they never had a moment’s trouble. It’s all in the training and socialization. You just don’t buy a territorial dog, or any dog really, unless you’re willing to put in the time and effort to train it.

}:-)4