Quote:
Originally Posted by k9trainer  Thank you.
I hate golden retrievers now. They are a scary breed now.  |
Please dont hate any breed of dog. Always remember that dogs are wild first, domesticated SECOND. Dogs are opportunists unless they are highly trained (that means even when owner is NOT present). Breeds have certain characteristics inherent to them that as owners, one must be responsible and educate oneself on those characteristics and train accordingly.(Ie. Goldens are very anxious, nervous dogs, they should have an alpha owner who will train them scrupoulously, and they have severe seperation anxiety, and must be socialized to the nth degree to have a calm and confident dog, they have a high energy level which much be dealt with every day to keep their mind busy. Any anxious dog is not to be trusted, and can bite a dog more submissive or smaller than it because it doesnt have the confidence and is trying to establish pack order. Anytime a new dog is introduced to the pack (meeting at the dog park, while on a walk, while friends dogs visit, a new puppy etc.), a trial period of establishing pack order can include attacks, or more dominant dogs attacking more submissive or smaller dogs to establish dominance. ALL dogs think this way. Without a pecking order, dogs are on edge until it is established. Someone has to be the pack leader. In our homes, it should be us.
In the end, nature is nature, and things that happen in the natural laws of a nature, or a pack, or of wild animals, although scary to US, are natural to them. The best we can do is educate ourselves on pack order, enroll in dog training classes and never trust any dog to chose to be domesticated over being wild, including our own, or things like what happened to poor Sophie can, and will, happen. And no one deserves to go through this tragedy.
