[galpinos]

Chances are, it's intent on loving you half to death as Retriever/Labs generally seem to operate on the "I've never met you, but you are my bestest friend ever and I love you" system of social interaction.

Probability is you are right, there's also a slim chance that you're not, as one of my daughters friends found out. I very wary of dogs around my daughter (2yo) and thankfully she has a healthy scepticism of animals she doesn't know.

[Rocksteady]

My parents have owned a Border Collie and a Black Labrador - I grew up with the collie but have also spent a lot of time with the Labrador.

The collie was way more intelligent, but was a bit neurotic. He was very well-trained and would do all the commands etc. Did have a tendency to range off into the distance but never chased sheep or anything (despite his heritage) - would just come back by himself or if whistled. He made associations and remembered them for a long time. Clearly he was scared by a thunderstorm when small, and would get scared if it got dark and rainy in the day (even if it didn't thunder). He would sometimes bolt off if he heard a loud bang. He was terrified of fireworks and had to be sedated on Nov 5th each year. He would find chasing a ball or a stick endlessly amusing. He was a bit stand-offish with other dogs but would never start a fight. I could see a collie being an excellent crag dog as long as well-socialised and trained to sit still, and without nippy tendencies which some of them have. Although I have experienced the ball/stick thing being annoying when a dog put it on my boulder pad and sat there looking at me struggling not to fall off six foot above its head.

Our Labrador is a very much more sociable, chilled out dog. He isn't scared of anything. He isn't particularly interested in other people or other dogs most of the time, but he is friendly. He is massive so we've trained him never to jump up. It annoys me even when small dogs do this and get their muddy paws all over your trousers. It's just being badly trained. In that vein, Max does know all the commands and obeys them 95% of the time. But he has a wide streak of mischief in him (I think this is a particular Labrador thing) and sometimes decides he won't obey. If he comes to the crag he basically has to be tied up on a short leash, which isn't much fun for him.   

I think for a first dog, a Labrador would be a really good choice, as long as you can give them enough exercise (which basically goes for all dogs).

[Paul B]

The hypothetical dog will reside in the UK not the USA where there IS legislation and a distinct difference in the average choice of breed. I haven't had chance to look it up but there seemed to be an awful lot of pitbulls in the RRG and an American friend backed that up with a plausible statistic. Your area seemed to prefer husky lime breeds?

Also saying something is indisputable simply does not make it so. I for one dispute that a well trained off lead dog walking to heel is an imposition on anyone other than those suffering from acute paranoia. There are so many things you could apply this kind of logic to and if you did you wouldn't venture outside!

I'm currently near two French Bulldogs that are poorly trained, they'll never bother you  or any wildlife as they simply can't be arsed moving unless they absolutely have to!

Ps In your last paragraph you could easily swap dog for child. Maybe the little f*ckers won't bite me but they're almost always an imposition!

[Mumra]

Our dog is way better behaved and less destructive than our child. Just saying

[Oldmanmatt]

Allso saying something is indisputable simply does not make it so. I for one dispute that a well trained off lead dog walking to heel is an imposition on anyone other than those suffering from acute paranoia.

As night follows days it seems people defending their ownership of dogs will always eventually level this kind of insult. There is world of difference between years of experience that no unknown dog can be trusted and "paranoia".

By the way, my youngest has been bitten twice by dogs in the last 18 months, so don't be surprised if I lose my temper at any contradiction of this point. In both cases it has been at times where I have been trusting that the cunt dog owner was in control of their dog.

In your last paragraph you could easily swap dog for child. Maybe the little f*ckers wont bite me

No, they won't. There is no equivalence here at all.

This is intensely unfortunate.

However, the simple fact that that there are so many dogs (8.3 M http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/pets/8423449/Dogs-overtaking-cats-as-Britains-favourite-pet.html ) and so few attacks (200k per annum, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10429862/Dog-attack-laws-and-statistics.html ); within a population of ~68M people would suggest this to be untrue.

Almost 4 times as many people are attacked by fellow humans (700k pa http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11362013/Violent-crime-surges-16-in-new-figures.html ); suggesting stranger danger is more of an immediate threat to each of us than Rover or even Bullseye.


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[petejh]

I haven't had chance to look it up but there seemed to be an awful lot of pitbulls in the RRG and an American friend backed that up with a plausible statistic.

Perhaps that's why everyone in the states carries guns, to protect themselves from the dogs...

Perhaps we should carry guns?

[Paul B]

I think that's so they're more likely shoot a family member isn't it?

Toby it's not an insult just look at the above example posted by Matt; there's countless more like that. You might as well walk around thinking the sky will fall on your head!

[Oldmanmatt]

Another perspective, looking at mortality risks in the UK, last 5 years.





Accidentally suffocating yourself in bed is more likely than being killed by a dog.

Though I confessed I'd rather wrestle my duvet than a Doberman.

Mortality is an extreme example, of course, but for each of those fatalities born of a specific cause; there will be many, many more similar incidents of similar nature with less final outcomes.

The perception of threat far outweighs the reality and that perhaps is colouring your viewpoint Toby?

My partners husband was murdered in a random street attack, not far from where we still live.
I'm old and bold and somewhat "handy" in a scrap, but I walk past that spot on my way home from the Bunker; essentially on the same route he took that night.

I watch every shadow, clench my fists, nestle my keys into a more "practical" configuration and mentally prepare for an extremely unlikely event.

And that's (for want of a less dramatic term) second hand trauma.




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