Raw Feeding Fact or Myth?

[Officially Retired]

It's easy to say all that when you don't have kids around. Getting rid of a dog like that in the first place is to prevent future mishaps. One of the main reason GreenEyes is out of here was because he snatched a piece of meat from one of the kids and at the same time got a piece of her shirt.

I would not have a dog like that around kids.

As I already mentioned on this post (and mentioned on my Feeding Raw DVD), I would never feed meat to a dog with kids around.

It is my firm belief that behind every "dog bite" incident to a child is the irresponsible dog management of an adult.

Now that you mentioned the Gorilla growling at you, GreenEyes does the same thing. He growls exactly like his mom.

The Gorilla never growled at me, under any circumstance, except when I tried to take a raw animal from him.

Brick House never growled at me one time in her life. She only growled at strangers, and even then only a select few strangers.

Brick House is in fact with a woman now, and is living a nice life, and (again) never growled at either this woman, her boyfriend,, or (now) her mother. Brick House is an extremely smart animal, with a big ego yet a loving heart. If she loved you, she would defend you fiercely. If she didn't trust you, she would let you know. She was one of those dogs who knew who her friends are (and aren't), so if she continued to growl at you, I would imagine it was only because she didn't like the treatment or vibe she was receiving from you.

You could also make a case and say why didn't I put him somewhere else while there was a BBQ in the back? If I put him in a crate inside, he'll destroy it like those other 7 crates he went through, put him in a kennel inside? He will only bark until he comes back out on his chain spot. So it's a lose lose situation. That dog has no respect for anybody.

I would indeed make the case that I wouldn't keep a dog like that around kids. However, if he was also a crate-eater, then that makes confining him problematic. In that case, I would either keep him in an above-ground pen, or (if I didn't have the space for one), then I would have done the same thing you did and gotten rid of him to someone else. Some gamedogs are not meant for children, or being domesticated; they are meant to be out in the country and used for one thing only. But those are not my favorite kinds of dog either.

At scary: you're right, some are like that(GreenEyes) and some are smart enough to know what their owners expect of them. That's the reason why I get rid of the ones I can't control and keep the ones that meet my expectations. Some people are so stupid that they think all dogs will revert back to their animal instinct, when all they have to do is teach them with a piece of treat.

Just because you "can't control" a dog doesn't make that dog "stupid"; oftentimes, especially with bulldogs, it can mean the dog simply is not tractable. There is a big difference between tractability and intelligence, which you clearly don't understand, so I will try to explain it.

To illustrate the difference I am talking about, collies are typically known to be "tractable" while coondogs typically are not. Collies have to obey hand signals and be very responsive to their owner's directions, and consequently they need to rely on man to do their best jobs. Coon dogs, on the other hand, have to "think on their own" and get out there and find something, with little or no help from man, but have to rely on their instincts.

Because of the differing selection standards used to create these different breed types, many people mistakenly believe that collies are "smart" because they're so obedient (tractable), and that coondogs are "stupid" because they tend not to be obedient and make poor pets. This myth (and the distinction between "tractability" and intelligence) was shattered when researchers put several collies, and several coondogs, through a series of mazes and trouble-shooting tests ... and almost all the collies failed to get out of their mazes and navigate the tests ... relying only on their own instincts/judgment ... while virtually every coondog navigated the challenges with ease.

What does this mean? It means collies needed help while coondogs could think for themselves.
So which breed tends to be more intelligent? Depends on if you want a dog to "follow instructions" or think for itself.

Back to bulldogs. Not every bulldog is tractable. Many have exceptional drive, and huge egos, and dogs like this are going to do what they damned well please, and there is just nothing "you" can do about it. In fact, this utter stubbornness is often associated with some of the best dogs I myself have ever owned.

Do these dogs make good pets? No.

Does this make them "stupid"? No. It means they're not tractable (obedient). Many dogs like this have all the intelligence they need to get out of crates, windows, cages, etc., and then go do what they damned well please. In fact oftentimes these dogs prove smarter than their owners ... but I do agree that such dogs are NOT enjoyable dogs to have around in a family setting, and I wouldn't want one for that capacity either.

But out in a wide-open country setting, dogs like that will amuse themselves all day running around and working their chain.

Jack