And did you change your mind? Thought this would make a good topic after reading @Bonni's thread: Have you encountered breed prejudice?
No While there are certain breeds or types I probably wouldn't own in the furture I certainly am not prejudiced against them.
Absolutely. The kind of prejudice I hold isn't the kind that advocates that laws be put into place... or is for the harm of any dog or breed. Pit bulls beat up my previous dog many times. They came into our yard and barreling away from their owners. He was badly injured a few times as we had an epidemic of these dogs getting loose and hurting people's dogs and whatnot. Though he was a tough, brave dog that actually seemed to enjoy fighting and always fought back with everything he had, it was always very sad for me to deal with. I avoid certain breeds, but I don't always dislike their owners or want the breeds to be exterminated. I avoid breeds that I like sometimes because of the way people around here tend to keep dogs. I guess in turn it's a breed prejudice, but I am sure that if I lived around people that have nice ones most of the time, I'd be different. I'm not like the people that watch T.V. and see pit bulls hurting people and automatically think they are all monsters. But after having your dog ripped to shreds trying to fight off two of them... you tend to become kind of scared of them. This is especially true since neither Jade nor Nigredo would stand a chance in a fight against one unlike my Brownie.
dont know if they are prejudices but before i worked at the kennels i had thoughts about certain types of dogs. like i though all terriers were yappy jumping annoying little thugs, labs are all calm and friendly. that kind of thing but after a while i soon realised dogs are as individual as we are
No I never had any prejudices against any breed of dogs, I have previous said I have owned American Pitbull's, Rottweiler's, GSD's Doberman's, My previous large dogs were well trained & never showed any of the aggression that the media is always saying they have, in fact these large breeds are 100% less aggressive than my JRT's are. There will always be people who are afraid of certain breeds, this is mainly due to the media going OTT when reporting a dog attack (mastiff, Staffy, Rottweiler, Pitbull) instead of getting to know these breeds they will be very prejudice against them, believing everything the media prints, they will turn tail if they see them in the street, owners of small dogs will pick up their little Fido & carry them across the road, mums will drag their child cross the road, rather than walk pass certain breed of dogs. There are no vicious breed of dogs.
Yes I have admit that I never liked white toy poodles while I was growing up. I was attacked by one as a child and have a scar from it on my hand. I didn´t even see the dog untill it came flying from it´s yard and bit me. My grandma also had one that was always mean and I really didn´t like that dog. I was deathly afraid of white toy poodles untill I got to know a white standard poodle and that helped me get over this fear. I was always fine with black ones though.
Over the years I have met a very nasty cocker spaniel, labrador and boxer. However, as I also knew no end of lovely spaniels, labradors and boxers I had no prejudice against them. But, I once met a really vicious Kerry Blue Terrier. It was the only one I had seen (apart from at a distance at Crufts) and in fact I have never come face to face with one since. If I do meet another one I think I would instinctively be wary, but if it made friendly overtures I am certain I would immediately be won over!
I've never been keen on Border collies, but after nearly losing the top of my finger to one prising my friends Pug from it's jaws I now avoid them like the plague. Is that prejudice or just taking healthy precautions?
I would say it's the latter. I only avoid breeds I have had problems with. Many people avoid dogs they have "deemed" as dangerous even though they have never personally had any of these encounters. I think THOSE people are prejudiced. If I have never had problems with a breed, then I hold nothing against them and don't avoid them. Rotties, Dobermans, Akitas, Mastiffs, Malinois, Huskies. No problems (even though they are often high on bite lists) as they've never caused me any problems. I don't mind being called prejudiced against breeds because it is what it is, but I'm not sure it always is the proper word to use in retrospect. I guess so since you're grouping all dogs with the breed. But I think if it's based on experience and not just what you see on T.V. etc it's a bit different? But maybe I am biased since I'm "prejudiced". Sure not all BC's, GSD's etc. are problems. Yet I avoid ALL GSD's and you avoid ALL BC's. I suppose that is where the prejudice comes in. You're not giving a dog the chance to prove he isn't like most of the dogs you've dealt with. Oh, well. I think I shall keep on keeping on... works for me.
There was a white EBT who used to rush out at us as we walked past on the way to and from school. For some unknown reason school rules stated which side of the roads we could walk on, so we had no choice but had to walk past this house every day. One day the front gate was left open and it rushed out and bit three of us. I have never liked white EBTs since.
You're right I'm not giving them the chance to behave as that one did , a Pug has no defence against such a dog. Unfortunately that day I didn't have the Dobermanns with me because they would have seen it off. We were just walking my friends Pug and Frankie my terrier who had stitches in, otherwise I'm sure he would have seen it off too. It was an unfortunate set of circumstances and one nasty Border collie but I'm in no hurry to repeat the episode for sure.
Yup! I couldn't agree more. There is no reason to chance another episode and it's not as if I want harm to come to these dogs, I just don't wish to be near them. My dogs cannot win a fight against a pit bull or a GSD, and even if they could.. they'd get hurt and I'm not going to chance it.
I guess it depends on what breed you have yourself, I never gave a second thought to it when I only had the Dobermanns, or the terriers tbh. They're an easy going bunch but they can take care of themselves, they are equipped to defend and can outrun most dogs anyway. I don't wrap the Pugs in cotton wool, far from it but they are pretty defenceless against most dogs although the bitches would give it a go, which would make it worse. I guess these days I just want to be left alone, I don't really want to interact with others when out, I just want to enjoy being with my dogs.
That makes total sense. With my two now, I'm extra cautious. Jade is 54 lbs and too old (11) and unfit to fight back worth anything and Nigredo has no idea how to fight as he's just a big playful 15 month old Labramutt. Both are far too slow to outrun athletic breeds such as GSD's and Pit Bulls. I think if I had a 120 lb. Rottweiler male or something... I really would worry less about avoiding certain breeds because I'd not fear for his safety as much. But my dogs just can't fight back without getting really hurt. One is too old and the other too placid. I can see how Pugs would almost always come out on the losing side in a fight. Part of the reason I like bigger dogs is because at least they can stay alive along enough in a fight for you to help them most of the time.
