This article briefly tries to address myths surrounding different breeds of dogs.
There are SO many stereotypes about SO many different breeds of the domestic dog. I would like to clear some of them up. First, I will start with a very well known breed called the American Pit Bull Terrier, Pit Bull, for short. They are Very widely known as viscous killers. In some states they are illegal to own, in some countries, you must keep them chained, harnessed, and muzzled at all times when in public, and they must be spayed/neutered. Why? Because people in the 1800s thought dog fighting an exciting sport. The Pit Bull was created solely for Dog Fighting; for fighting, often to the death, with another animal (sometimes multiple animals) because people liked to watch this.

A Pit Bull is a cross between many different fighting dogs, including the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the now extinct fighting Bulldog to create the "Ultimate Killing Machine" in the fighting pit. A terrier's speed and wits, combined with a bulldog's strength and jaws makes a potentially deadly animal. Because the Pit Bull was bred to be mean, and bred to be pit fighters for so long, every member of the breed today has the potential to be a danger to society. Then again, any breed of animal from any species is a potential danger to society. If an animal has teeth, claws, hooves, even just a tail, it can cause harm.

Pit Bulls, when in the right hands from early on, can make wonderful pets, as well as Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, German shepherds, English Mastiffs, Bull Mastiffs and other large breeds "known" for being nasty and mean tempered. I've owned at least one of every breed mentioned, and I never had problems.

Now, those breeds and many more CAN be good pets, but in the Right Hands. They may not be the pet for you and only certain qualified people should be able to own one of these magnificent animals, to help prevent more attacks made by dogs that were trained to be mean or beaten. Remember, don't go solely by a breed stereotype or the way the animal looks. Poodles sure look cute, don't they? Poodles; toys, miniatures, and standards, are more likely to bite your ankles than a Rottweiler is.

English Mastiffs are big ... their teeth and jaws are large and powerful ... but that doesn't mean they're going to use them on you. Seeing an English Mastiff, more commonly known as just the Mastiff, is pretty uncommon, as they are one of the largest breeds in the world. They need experienced and strong masters, and need to be handled sensibly. Because of their size, they could easily overpower a smaller person, and can be stubborn when it comes to obedience. Despite their look and size, they are loving family dogs. Mastiffs existed in Great Britain 2,000 years ago, and were exported to Rome as Military and fighting dogs. They require a lot of room to run and eat a lot, so if you live in an apartment in the city and have little money to spare after your own needs are met, I wouldn't recommend a Mastiff.

Bullmastiffs are pretty much the same way. Though smaller than the Mastiff, they still require experienced handlers. The Bullmastiff is faster, and more active than the Mastiff. The males, especially when left intact are more likely to be aloof of strangers and may be troublesome with other (male) dogs. The foundation stock of the Bullmastiff is said to be 60% Mastiff and 40% bulldog ... produced to act as a gamekeeper's assistant, with the ability to chase and immobilize poachers/intruders, without killing them. As a guard dog, this breed is equal to the Rottweiler, but tends to be overly protective of its human family and resistant to obedience training.

German Shepherds, due to being a very popular breed, have been poorly bred in recent years, causing arthritis of the joints, eye disease, gastrointestinal disease, and other medical problems to occur in a majority of the population. Nervousness, fearfulness, timidity, and aggression to other dogs as well as other behavioral problems have become common in the breed. When bred carefully, however, German Shepherds are a wonderful breed ... calm, reliable, responsive, and obedient pets.

Doberman Pinschers,(Dobermans) are affectionately referred to as "Dobies" by their owners. This elegant, often affectionate breed is a result of the purposeful breeding of the Rottweiler, German Pinscher, Manchester Terrier, English Greyhound, and Weimaraner to create a speedy guard and military dog. They are fast and intelligent, but because of unscrupulous breeding and misrepresentation, the reputation of these obedient, alert and resourceful companion and service dogs, has gone bad. Nervousness and fear biting can occur in some individuals but a good breeder will ensure that his/her dogs are neither shy nor vicious. They are often times not very friendly when it comes to other dogs, so early socialization is a must. An unfortunate and serious problem in Dobermans is heart disease. They are good working and companion dogs, but, as with any dog, it is not recommended that they be left alone with small children or animals.

Now to the Rottweiler, which is currently one of the most popular breed in the US. Yet another breed suffering from poor breeding, more and more behavioral problems have shown up in this magnificent breed. Aggression towards humans as well as other dogs has become an increasing problem with Rottweiler, they are a strong-willed, intelligent breed that should only go to dedicated, active owners. They are great guard and family dogs, aloof of strangers and protective of their territory, but can't get enough attention. They are very strong and need a lot of exercise. There are two 'types' of Rottweiler, the German Rottweiler and what's known as the American Rottweiler, which are different mainly in appearance. The German Rottweiler has a slightly heavier build, thicker necks, bigger heads with shorter, broader muzzles, smaller feet and ears, usually the same height as the average American Rottweiler, but weighs Aprox. 15-20 pounds more. The Am. Rottweiler is taller for their weight than the German breeds. The American Rottweiler has the exact same brown on black pattern, but are of a slimmer build, longer legs, with bigger feet, a longer but not overly so or pointed muzzle, they have longer ears and their tails, I find, are usually docked shorter.

I have had problems with the American Rottweilers in more recent times. Americans, I find, have a tendency to be more aggressive with other dogs and strangers. All Rottweilers, considered American or German, are, in fact, German. Bred in Germany as a cattle drover and guard dog. The Rottweilers protected herds of cattle and took them to town, it is said the farmers had them wear heavy spiked collars to protect them in fights and that after the cows had been sold, the money was put in a small box, which was then tied to the dog's neck for safekeeping.

****Myths****

Here are two common myths for you: "My dog will turn on me if I feed him raw meat." This is NOT TRUE, and highly unlikely even if you are feeding your dog YOUR OWN flesh. In fact, for most dogs, raw meat is good for them, and an occasional bone purchased at the grocery store with raw meat on it, it a very tasty treat. Some dogs can get snappy, though, and possessive of the meat or bone, which you have to watch out for. More information about Food Aggression can be seen at the bottom of the page. When you reach down to pick the bone up off the floor and your dog growls at you, let it know that is NOT acceptable behavior, but don't put yourself in a situation where you may be bit. Don't hit the dog, talk soothingly to get it to stop growling, and slowly, very slowly, pick up the bone, or, don't, and just stand up (slowly). But, don't mistake a play growl or "talking" with threatening behavior, a deep, rumbling growl mixed with short, medium pitched yips is most likely a warning, but when it just sounds like a little kid saying "RRRRRRRR," they are most likely playing. My Rottweiler, Cain, growl/barks and dances when he wants my attention, some people would think it is aggressive behavior but most just think he's a nut case. Also, some dogs will smile at you when they are happy or excited by lifting their upper lip and exposing their teeth, and if you watch closely, they most likely also hold back their ears and wag their tail so vigorously their whole body shakes.

"Cats and Dogs are Born Enemies." This isn't always true, I've had cats that think themselves to be dogs, and dogs that don't know exactly what they are (human or cat?). As I said on the first page, every animal has its own personality, meaning it has its likes and dislikes. Some cats will love all dogs, some cats will dislike all dogs, some cats will like some and not like others, and visa versa.Visit http://venturemall.tripod.com for pet supplies and articles.

About the Author

Ajay Patole is a qualified management professional working as sales manager and runs a site 'Venturemall',a cool hangout to play money games,buy and sell in auctions,date and photochat.It is available at URL http://venturemall.tripod.com and newsletter to rediscover true colors of life at http://www.topica.com/lists/venturemall.Also he runs a community 'Venturecon', for entrepreneurs which is available at URL http://groups.msn.com/venturecon.