Pets

[Ang_Elle]

How is that horrible? They're part of my fresh water aquarium I'm setting up. As for dream dogs... thats a great breed. But personally my dream dog is a German bred Rottwieller.

[Avaline]

Well, for me personally, its terrible. Not a big fan of frogs. i will stop my car so they can cross the road, but i will not pet them, haha.

[MacabreEternal]

I will stop my car for virtually anything.  Ducks, geese, hedgehogs, frogs, dragons, minotaurs and Daleks.

[jfk36]

^That sounds horrible.

I cant wait to move out so i can get my dream dog, dogo argentino.

I'm assuming you aren't in the UK then.

I'm not so sure I'd stop the car for daleks, but Minotaurs and dragons definitely.

[Avaline]

Oh wtf, dogo argentino is banned in UK? And pitts too? Thats just moronic. But i would regularly control breeders and owners of such dogs.

[RelentlessOblivion]

It's the same in Australia, I believe Rottweilers and pit/staffy crosses I believe. Likewise I don't think there's such a thing as a "dangerous breed" of dog. Dogs are like people their behaviour is learned and enforced by positive or negative stimuli. My dream dog is actually a German Shepherd.

[Avaline]

Phew, luckily we dont have such rules here. Still, dogo argentino dogs are rare here, but pitts, rotweilers, dobermans,german shepherds etc, are not.

Exactly, they are what you make them. God damn chihuahuas bite all the time, but the difference is you dont get to keep your limb if any of these big breeds bite you. Ill probably have to have it muzzled sometimes, at least until we get out of the building.. people are generally scared of such dogs.. I see people freaking out over our pitt/labrador and he is just the kindest dog ever. i can stick my arm in to his stomach for all he cares. He has the looks of a pitt and the personality of a labrador, so people tend to avoid him.. 

[RelentlessOblivion]

Yeah I actually see a couple people get spooked by my guide dog - a lab/golden retriever cross. He's big for a lab/retriever but he's a freakin' guide dog and unless you're crazy stupid the harness should be enough to tell you he's harmless. God he's a rascall he always tries to make trouble - trying to get strangers to pet him, trying to sneak food, but he's brilliant at his work.

[FatherAlabaster]

I will stop my car for virtually anything.  Ducks, geese, hedgehogs, frogs, dragons, minotaurs and Daleks.

Groceries, alcohol, a decent sandwich, well-kept shrubbery...

[MacabreEternal]

....Eastern europeans nobody really misses......

[RelentlessOblivion]

Hey I miss Atrocity and Idlewilde quite a bit...

[Ang_Elle]

In different parts of Canada and the United States we have whats called the BSL (breed specific legistlation)... or as some people call it Bull Shit Laws. Its different in different areas. Some places its just Rotts and  Pits. But in other places its all the power breeds. Either way its bullshit because its not the breed its the people raising them. Its not fair to punish the breeds and responsible dog owners because of a bunch of assholes.

People use to get frightened by my dog sometimes too (now deceased). He weighed about 110lbs. Rottie X Black Lab. He was a big lapdog and baby unless you threatened his Momma... and then all hell would breake loose. He saved my life twice. I had to have him put down in 2012 when he got cancer. It was too late before we even knew about it. He was an amazing dog!!!

[RelentlessOblivion]

I love dogs, absolutely a dog person, and I hate those kind of stupid laws that punish the dog for their owners' stupidity. Poorly trained dog mauls old lady and the dog is put down but the owner gets no punishment at all? WHAT!!! How about punishing the owner and rehabilitating the dog? Just a pet hate of mine.

[jfk36]

There is some logic behind the laws restricting dogs. Some dogs are naturally more aggressive than others (Caucasian shepherds for example, don't know if they are banned anywhere though), and you simply will not be able to train that out of them. For example, I used to know an absolutely wonderful kangal. He was one of the most friendly dogs I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and he was very well trained. But one day someone raised their hand towards the owner as if to strike them (in fairness, that is what they were about to do) and the dog just turned. He tore half the guys hand off and had to be put down.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Yes some dogs do have aggressive tendencies but that can be mostly trained out of them as the scenario you just described implies. That dog only attacked because it felt its owner was being threatened and many, many, dogs would display similar behaviour in that circumstance. Even my dog has displayed aggression when he feels I'm being threatened. To say some breeds are naturally aggressive and no one can possibly control them is a cop out. I personally believe that all potential dog owners should have to fill out more paperwork to ensure they are suited and able to care for the animal. Where "aggressive" breeds are concerned there should be a license attainable only through attending a class on the subject.

[jfk36]

I am not saying that they are uncontrollable, just that there is a much higher risk with some breeds.

[RelentlessOblivion]

But there isn't. You hear as many stories of attacks by "placid" breeds. It has to do with the manner in which the dog is treated, how well trained it is, and the circumstances in which it finds itself. Like I said there should be stricter control on the so-called dangerous breeds but that should be an assessment of potential owners not a ban on the breed. If we're going to ban potentially dangerous breeds why not ban anything larger then a Jack Russel?

[FatherAlabaster]

For that matter, one of the most unpredictably violent dogs I've had to deal with was a Jack Russell - a previously abused rescue. As far as I can tell, it really is all about training, and treating them with consideration. I'm not a fan of the idea that they deserve to be put down for attacking, especially if they were defending their human companions.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Yeah if the dog has no medical issues then it should have the chance to be rehabilitated rather then be destroyed. Medical issues can lead to a dog attacking as well. My uncle owned a Rottweiler that was the most friendly dog ever as a puppy but turned into a very aggressive dog almost overnight and attacked one of his friends for no reason. The vet did some tests and scans and found a rare type of brain tumour was responsible for the change. Very sad that nothing could be done and the dog had to be put down.

[Ang_Elle]

I'm getting a tarantula... possibly this weekend!!!

[RelentlessOblivion]

Please, please, please, please, PLEEEEEAAAAAAAAASSSSSSEEE!!! Don't post pictures. Spiders absolutely terrify me.

[jfk36]

What species, I've always been fascinated by arachnids.

[Midi]

I'm getting a tarantula... possibly this weekend!!!

Please, please, please, please, PLEEEEEAAAAAAAAASSSSSSEEE!!! Don't post pictures. Spiders absolutely terrify me.

You know what to do. >:D

[RelentlessOblivion]

See a hypnotherapist to cure my extreme arachnophobia??? Oh you mean abuse my Modly powers to delete any and all images of spiders...yeah I could do that but I'd still have to look at the spider to know it was a spider. You see my dilemma.

[Ang_Elle]

is your fear seriously THAT bad?!?! Wow!!! I use to be too. But I can't handle being scared of things. So I make myself face them. I got over my fear of them while working at a pet shop. Chilean rose hairs are generally the choice of most shops because of their usual docile nature. However a close second is the pink toe. They're both pretty chill. I had a Chilean rose hair last time. This time I haven't decided between the two previously mentioned species. The pink toe does require more room though, because they're a tree dweller and have to have a taller terrarium. Where a rose hair only require a 8x8x6 terrarium. The terrariums they're in at pet shops are usually far too big. It can make them very anxious.