Opinions about people with status dogs (bull type dogs)

[toffena]

Hi everyone,
Some of this has been asked and answered before but I thought it might be interesting to have another debate about this. I'm considering doing a study about people who own these breeds of dogs and need as much information as possible.
I've seen the discussion on the BBC Panorama documentary about dog fighting and I'm preparing myself to watch it online tonight.
I've also seen discussions about "chavs with their dogs" and think this is really interesting.
Do you think that chavs more often than not own these types of dogs? If so, what kind of a person would you describe as a chav?
What do you think the reasons are for owning a breed of dog like this?
Thanks!

[Booldawg]

yes, akitas are a bit aloof. the huskies were probably advertised as akitas to the unsuspecting chav!

[ummmm]

We use to have a Husky. It bit my Sister and had to be put down..

My Dad had a Staff...he loved her but I wouldn't bring the kids round unless he locked her out. He wasn't a chav though...

[rowanwitch]

Gender sterotyping might be another approach....certain dog types are strongly associated with male or female owners.....this means exceptions are almost startling...an example being Chris Packham (Really Wild show, Autumn watch etc) has poodles

Or looking at face structure in terms of preferences as child substitutes...flattened faces with big eyes being more likely to produce the reaction humans primarily give to babies...pugs, cavalier king charles spaniels and most of the chunkier toy breeds... lots of research out there on the anthropology and psychology sites

[Booldawg]

weapon dogs tend to have mastiff blood introduced as they have guarding instincts. bullmastiffs were originally bred for gamekeeper to set after poachers.

Look at this youtube clip of a bandog guarding - the dogs eye at 40 secs in; chilling

http://www.youtube.co...719hQ&feature=related

[ummmm]

OMG...they look like evil human eyes..

[divegirl]

Just to add my two pennies worth....
I think one of the reasons you see many STB's owned in one area and by a certain 'type' of person is to do with the rates that they are bred. Some people are not educated in the art of 'birth control' in their dogs, be it neutering or keeping a bitch in season out of harms way!
These dogs then become two a penny and every other house in the street has one.
Also as for Doc's statement 'Big dog, big fool' what utter tosh!
I keep Great Danes and Ratter keeps Irish Wolf Hounds....two of the gentler breeds known to man, what does that make us?

Lisa x

[toffena]

Thank you all so much for your answers!
Someone mentioned the difference between a weapon dog and status dog...is the difference really that clear cut? If someone (the type of person being described earlier) is walking down the street with their pitt bull looking all pleased with themselves and someone comes along and says something, will they hesitate to use the dog even just to intimidate that person?
And I think what was said about certain dogs being used in certain ways is interesting, whether its a pitt bull for the local thug, or a chihuahua for Paris Hilton....
What's really interesting I think is how using a dog as a weapon or for status might also mean that you have certain personality characteristics and even certain interests...like the skinheads with the tattoos someone mentioned before.

[Booldawg]

weapon dogs are much more purposeful than simple fashion accessories. These dogs will ideally undergo some form of training to utilise them as aggressors.

the uses will range from the lairy bandog in the youtube link used to guard some scrapyard in america to a dog that will attack on command - useful if your house is raided by police or if theres a bust up with a rival gang.

[woofgang]

sorry....evil human eyes, so much bull patties..its a pale dog with pale eyes...chained up and not given much of a life.

[Booldawg]

they do have a look of steely cool calculated determination!

[RATTER15]

I must be a total idiot!!!

Doc, I'm sorry but your Father was making a very foolish statement and you are very foolish to repeat it!!

The Irish Wolfhound of which I have 3 are the tallest dogs in the world, two of them have been attacked by other dogs in the past each time another of my dogs will run to their aid, they will do everything possible to avoid fighting, the other dog would just grip the attacking dog and hold it without hurting it. My dogs have never fought and never would unless defending me or Mrs RATTER or unless under extreme provocation.

They are considered to be one of the most gentle breeds alive their closest dog to size are the Great Dane, again a very gentle placid dog.

Saying all that, I really would not like to be on the receiving end of an attack by one of these giant breeds, I have seen them crunch through bone 2 inches thick like pencils, and weighing in at over 10.5 stone they have the weight and strength to do some serious damage.
I have never even heard of an attack by a giant breed such as these beautiful gentle creatures.

[jake-the-peg]

Well there is a difference between purpose and status.

You will have some people who have weapons dogs for the purpose of attacking and intimidating others. You will have similar people who have the same sort of dogs untrained because of the associated image.

Similarly some people will have black Labradors who are trained to retrieve shot birds. and others who have them just because of the landed gentry associations.

(I can't think of an example for the use of "handbag" dogs)

Anyway it depends on whether your interested in the phemonina of animals as tools and accessories of whether you just want to point and go "look at the chavy scum" as some people seem to want to.

[Booldawg]

I suppose the notion of keeping a dog as a 'pet' is relatively new.
Most dog breeds were developed for the purpose of specific tasks and kept as such.

[lankeela]

This is one dog I would not like to have to exercise! Hope the person with the camera has not got a lead in his hand, calling out come back here boy! Watch the final shot too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXElh_VM0Uc

[lankeela]

Some toy dogs were kept so the fleas jumped onto them and off of the owners, in days when hygiene was not so common. Others were bedwarmers (which I can vouch for, last night was definitely a three dog night!).

[Booldawg]

great vid Lank! Who else exprected at 1.00m he'd appear out of the drain pipe!

[woofgang]

what a great dog! My first weimaraner used to scale walls and go up trees like that but he was an idiot, used to get places he couldn't get back from

[RATTER15]

No Booldawg I didnt lol

[toffena]

Jake, your point is spot on. This whole discussion has cleared up the difference of purpose and status for me. All the comments have been really helpful.
I think, generally, we need to know what the lifestyles of these people are before we make judgements on them and their dogs.

[thugulike]

Toffena I have a 15st English Mastiff. I don't think of him as a status dog. Nor is he scary. Rather he looks like a large teddy bear. He is often to be seen in towns in Cumbria, usually surounded by a crowd of people who want to hug and cuddle him. Lankeela knows him and will vouch that he is the softest, gentlest dog ever. He has been attacked by another dog but he didn't even put his hackles up. He merely stepped back. I have made every effort to ensure he is well socialised and trained. I take unbrage at the term 'mastiff breeds' as there are many different types of mastiff. My boy is a show dog and we can often be benched near to other types of mastiff, not all of whom are well behaved. Let's not generalise about breeds of dogs. Poor human breeding has more to answer for.