Below I have listed some opinions our society has about these dangerous dogs. They are also what people in general have in mind when they saw one of these dangerous dogs. Reading through this article might really help your anxiety or fear. Because, turns out, not every thing we hear is true!
STATEMENT #1: Dangerous dogs will bite anyone that it doesn't know. That's why we keep them to guard our property.
As much as we believe this statement is true, it is a MYTH. No dog bites without a reason. Unless you're clearly trespassing into their home, they would never harm you. If there is any interesting thing about guard dogs, that would be their ability to differentiate bad guys from good guys. So next time if you visit someone's house and find that he/she owns a Rottweiler or a German Shepherd, just relax. As long as the dog is well-socialized, they are nothing but a playful teddy bear. An extra large teddy bear, that is.
STATEMENT #2: Dangerous dogs are evil. They kill people. They can never be tamed.
FACT OR MYTH?
This one is obviously a MYTH as well. Dogs, all dogs, have went through many years of domestication which makes the statement "they can never be tamed" completely wrong. Dogs are already tame to begin with! In most dog bite cases, including the ones where the victim died, the dog bit because they are put under certain circumstances where they could not do anything but bite. Dogs could not speak, and sometimes biting is one of their ways to communicate. There are lots of kinds of biting. A snap, which is a warning bite, is given to warn you that the dog doesn't like what you're doing to it (kind of like someone yelling "ENOUGH!"). On the other hand a nip, which is a gentle bite, is what puppies do when they were in their teething stage. Or if you have a herding dog, that's what they do to herd livestock. A fear bite, which is obviously a bite caused by fear, is how a scared dog tells you to back away. And then, lastly, we have the "aggressive bite" which is a real bite. When dogs perform an aggressive bite, they don't let go. It is also often accompanied by loud growling. Now this is the type of bite that may kill someone. Still, unless the dog has mental issues, an aggressive bite is impossible to be performed without a trigger. To sum it up, when someone got bit by a dog, it's either the human misinterpreting the bite or the human provoking the dog.
STATEMENT #3: Dangerous dogs are always good guard dogs
FACT OR MYTH?
Oh, here's a tough one. It's actually partly true, depending on which "dangerous breed" you're talking about. When you're talking about Rottweilers, Dobermans or German Shepherds, then this is a FACT. But when it comes down to the most famous "dangerous breed": American Pit Bull Terrier, the answer is MYTH. But why? Aren't pit bulls famous for being a fighting dog once? Well, there lays the answer. Fighting dogs fight dogs, not humans. They might be naturally aloof with strange dogs and should not be trusted with other dogs unattended, but they were never bred to be human aggressive. In fact, some sources claim that human aggressive pit bulls got "destroyed" immediately. Even if they can be protective (every dog can) pit bulls aren't the best guard dogs around. They simply don't have the instinct required to be one.
STATEMENT #4: Dangerous dogs are born dangerous. They will attack everyone including their owners.
FACT OR MYTH?
MYTH, period. The so-called dangerous breeds are actually one of the most loyal dogs on Earth. They bond to one person only (thus called 'one-man dogs') and treasured their friendship for life. There are also lots of stories where a dog--a dangerous breed--rescued their humans or stayed next to its dead owner for a long period of time. Have you ever heard of Hachiko? Did you know what breed Hachi is? Akita is actually sitting in one of the top places of the world's most dangerous breeds' list.
STATEMENT #5: We should not approach a dangerous dog without permission
FACT OR MYTH?
This is not only true for the so-called dangerous breeds, but since it is true, I guess I'll label this one as FACT. People should never approach a strange dog, especially the ones without a leash, without permission from the dog's owner. Even if it's a cute fluffy little puppy that looks harmless in every way, it is dangerous and very rude to just walk up and pet the dog. I have already explained about fear bite, and this is what you might get if you unintentionally startled or scared a dog. For a larger breed such as the German Shepherd, the result of the fear bite could be more than just a scratch. Always make sure you ask before petting a dog, no matter the breed.
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