"It's All How They're Raised"

One phrase that I have heard probably a thousand times in the last 10 years when talking to people about pit bull type dogs is "They can be the sweetest dogs. It's all in how you raise them."

Argh!!!!!

I've heard this from the general public who are sympathetic to their plight. I've heard it from rescue volunteers who mean well, but are not really well informed, and say it because it seems like the thing to say.  I've heard it from shelter staff, who work with them every day, and unfortunately see the worst of the worst. I've heard it during interviews for adoptions as "the reason" a particular dog was chosen.  I've also read it in news articles, on web pages, and on educational materials that are aimed at overturning public opinions . It's everywhere and is one of the most erroneous schools of thought out there.

While there is some truth to the idea that a dog's environment and past treatment by caregivers can shape a dog's character, it is by no means the rule. Thousands of dogs have suffered through abuse and neglect, sometimes for years, yet once they're rescued they turn out to be the most forgiving, good natured, affectionate, loving animals you could ever meet. By the same token, there are many, many dogs that have been raised in perfectly loving environments, yet turn out to be beastly, ill mannered, sketchy dogs.  Bitey purse dogs, anyone?

I will use my own dogs as examples of both sides of the coin.

I got Jezebel when she was six months old. Yes, she came from a place where she wasn't treated well. There's no way for me to know exactly what happened in her first home, but the fact that she had words shaved in her fur, not to mention the statement the man who was trying to give her away made, tells me it was less than ideal.

Once she was in my care she began to experience love and affection. We went to training classes to give her more confidence, I took her to pet friendly places to work on her people skills, fostered other dogs to keep her dog-social, I spoiled her rotten, trying to make up for the first months of her life. I did everything I knew, and some things I didn't know, until I looked into how to get rid of nervousness in a dog.

She's 10 years old now, so more than enough time has passed since then. I'm willing to bet she doesn't even remember being mistreated when she was so young, (I do believe dogs remember things, not just what "happens in the moment", but that's a post for another day) yet her temperament is not that of a stable dog. She is anxious when she's anywhere but at home, she is very picky about her dog friends, and she barks at new people before she gets a chance to know them. She's not "beastly" or "ill mannered", but she could be considered sketchy. She's not what anyone would consider temperamentally correct. She's never bitten, or even air snapped, at anyone, but she does pant extra hard, hide her head if she can, and backs away from strangers. She's perfectly happy and affectionate with the people who belong to her, though, and that's what matters to me. 

Because of her social anxiety I don't take Jezebel out to dog friendly places. She stays home, and if she's having a good day (she has arthritis in her knees) we'll go for a walk around the neighborhood where we won't encounter many people.  There's no point in forcing her to do something she doesn't want to do. If we have house guests she is introduced to them in the front yard, then she follows the people into the house, being the last to enter. This method works for her and she interacts pleasantly with the people I allow her to meet on her turf. I manage her in a way that makes her feel safe so she doesn't feel the need to defend herself.

Admiral, on the other hand, was abused and neglected. He suffered a broken leg for at least four months. He was half starved. He was sick with infection in his pelvic bones. He was abandoned in February, tied to a tree, and left to suffer in the elements for who knows how long before a kind stranger found him and took him to the shelter. He had a long recovery and then, after fighting so hard to get healthy, he had to have his leg amputated and start healing all over again.  If ever there was a dog who deserved some understanding for behavior issues, it's Admiral.  Yet he has been nothing but an amazing ambassadog. A doting Velcro dog who never leaves my side. He's so people oriented that he has a pretty serious case of separation anxiety that I also have to manage (in addition to Jezebel's fraidy-dog tendencies).  His temperament, though, is exactly what I hope for whenever I meet any dog. I'm thrilled to finally have a dog I can take with me when I go places and he's happy to tag along.

I am under no illusion that if a dog, any dog, is specifically taught to fight and/or attack people on command, that it won't do a lot of damage. But is that really a bad dog?  After all, he's doing what his owner instructed him to do. Do we know what that same dog is like when he's not under the influence of his owner? Countless fighting dogs have proven to be dog tolerant and people loving despite the fact that their owners have used them for nefarious purposes.

There are things we can do to help shape our dogs into the good citizens we want them to be.  Take them to training. Make sure they're socialized A LOT during that critical puppy window from 12-16 weeks. Be firm and consistent. Remember that what you allow, you teach. If you allow your dog to jump on people as a way of greeting, you teach him that this is acceptable. But, if you do all of these things and more to ensure you'll have a good dog, and he turns out to be a bad dog anyway? It's not because of the way you raised him. It's more likely that there's some hard wired temperament issue that you have no control over.

I could go on about this all day, but I think I've made my point. I'll address other reasons dogs can turn out to be bad (tethering, isolation, breeding) another time. For now, though, I just really want people to stop saying "It's all about how you raise them." Because a lot of the time that has nothing to do with anything.