Why I Stay Away From Dog Forums

There was a time in my life when I trolled dog forums. As someone who loves dog, who works with dogs, and who really, really wanted a working dog I wanted to get connected to the community. But when it became evident that it would be years before I could have my working dog, I started trolling dog forums of the breeds I did have. One thing I learned from all that trolling is that dog people are always right - even if they disagree with each other, they are both right. There is an old saying in the dog community that the only thing two dog trainers can agree on is that the third one is doing it wrong. That has been a motto of mine for years as I've slipped in and out of various dog communities and have heard many different opinions about dogs and dog training.

Recently on a breed specific forum there was a some talk about Malinois and how they are "special" dogs and how they are impossible to live with. Once some Mal owners posted proof that you can live with these dogs, people then started saying that the Mal owners who responded were "good owners" and they "got lucky" with a good dog - but that MOST Mals were crazy and reactive and "has a screw loose". The really sad thing is that what they are saying about Mals is exactly what most people are saying about the breed that they choose to live with - the Pill Bull.

In some cities pit bulls are euthanized simply because of the breed. I work in rescue and more often than not, I hear stories about pit bulls "going crazy" and "killing their owners". I hear people say "you just can't trust them" and "those dogs will turn on you". Is any of that true? Sure, some times it is true. But sometimes it is media hype and lack of education. It really frustrates me when people who live with those kinds of reactions can propagate them with another breed.

I've lived with a Mal for 4 months. Sure, he is a well trained dog, but he is also a recently neutered male and just over 2 years old. There are plenty of times when I have to correct him for naughty behavior. There are times when he gets frustrated and makes bad decisions. I've had to correct him for growling at a dog, for barking at strangers and for chasing cats. Does this make him a bad dog? No. I live with 2 chihuahuas that I have had to correct for the exact same behavior. Malinois are dogs - they make the same decisions that all dogs make - both good and bad. The one thing about Mals that I think makes them better than many breeds is their respect for their owners. They have an overwhelming desire to please and will do whatever you ask simply because you ask. This is why they are used as police/military dogs. They will run at a perpetrator that is actively shooting at them and will bite and hold until the owner releases them. You won't catch many other breeds doing that.

Sure there are bad Mals. Sure that are some good Mals that live with bad owners. Sure there are bad mals that live with great owners. But I don't think that there is an overwhelming number of any of those situations. Mals are dogs - they are high energy, drivey, dogs that need a lot of exercise, a lot of training, and a lot of structure. They are not dogs that the general public should own - but I think that is true of most breeds (including pit bulls and chihuahuas). Dogs have been bred for thousands of years to do very specific jobs. But it has only been more recently that we have asked these dogs to do something other than what they have been bred to do - and it has only been more recently that we have gotten into such trouble and have needed to re-home our dogs because that border collie pup just won't stop herding the children.  Grow up people!

The Pig and I

A friend recommended this book to me - and I tried not to take offense to it! The complete title is "The Pig and I, How I Learned to Love Men Almost as Much as I Love My Pets." It is written by Rachel Toor and I think it is a bit of a memoir. The story begins in college, lasts through her early 40's, and flip flops between the men in her life and the animals she loved - starting with a mouse and ending with an ass (you'll have to read it to see animal or man!)

I have to admit that I didn't think I would like the book. For one its a much lighter read than I am used to; and two, the subject is about animals. There are only two subjects I absolutely will not read about, and animals is one of them - guess there is really only one subject I won't read about now, but that is a different post. And the cover of the book (well, my book anyway) was PINK! How can anyone take a book with a pink cover seriously? Ok, since it wasn't a serious book, I shouldn't fault the cover, but I still refused to carry the book around.

Despite all that, I was still intrigued. And after reading the back of the book where the publisher says "Any woman who has experienced the pure joy of loving an animal and the often-less-than-pure joy of loving a man will recognize herself in Rachel" I knew I had to read it - if nothing more than for a good laugh. Its no surprise that I love my dogs more than most people I know - and definitely more than all the men that have been in my life recently. How do you tell a guy that you can't stay over because you would much rather curl up with your dogs than with him. And after finishing this book, I no longer feel guilty for going home.


In the end, I really did like the book. I even got a little misty eyed. The second half of the title really sums it up - "How I learned to love men ALMOST as much as I loved my pets." If I can do the "almost" at the end of the day, then I think I could actually have a half-way decent relationship. But thats another post as well . . .