Jules, the Errant Beauceron/Dobermann

[Spardo]

Imho I don't think you can tar an entire breed with the same brush to be honest, and although certain breeds will have their own characteristics, each individual dog will have its own personality in the same way that each person is different.

Spot on, exactly my opinion.

[Char]

I was thinking about this last night. When I was little I had an Alsatian x Labrador called Sooty, he was supposed to be my stepfather's dog, but I fed him and walked him and trained him, he used to go everywhere with me - except school.

When I was about fourteen, I must have done something wrong because I can remember coming home and my stepfather started shouting at me for something, I can't remember what - but I do remember him lunging at me to hit me and Sooty jumping between us with his lips drawn back snarling. If he hadn't been obedient to my commands he would have probably have gone for stepfather and have been put down for protecting me.

He was usually such a soppy dog, stepfather was built like a brick out house never seen a man look so scared - still he never hit me again.

So I suppose any dog can be dangerous in certain circumstances - If any one has ever asked me if my dog bites, I always have replied that they haven't yet........

[Spardo]

So I suppose any dog can be dangerous in certain circumstances - If any one has ever asked me if my dog bites, I always have replied that they haven't yet........

Once again, I totally agree, police and armed forces choose Allys and others to train for aggression on command, as well as Springer Spaniels for their delight in sniffing out whatever is desired to train them for. But Allys don't attack people just because they are Allys, and Springers don't go around looking for drugs, certainly the one we had didn't find any.

In the same way the British army uses Nepalese Ghurkas for their fierce fighting qualities, but they aren't on a dangerous humans list.

But what a terrible experience for you Char, I can't imagine being so threatened by an adult as a child and thank goodness for the devotion of your dog.

A little update on Jules, for some time we have been looking for a companion of a similar age and temperament for him, preferably female, and recently there was a chance that a Great Dane girl might be the likely candidate, but she appears no longer to be available. So tomorrow we are going down to the Lot to see how he gets on with a Setter/Spaniel X boy called Jazz, who seems to fit the bill in every way but gender, but that was never the most important consideration.