Why do people always tell you the bad side to a breed of dog?

I have an Akita puppy and people have scared me to death i thought i had a monster pup and that it would rip my head of,instead i have a big softy who loves me to bits so i worried for nothing.

Because people only seem to remember the worst things that they hear about a dog breed, pit bulls, akitas, german shepherds, rottweilers. These breeds of dogs aren't bad, they just get a bad rap because of the few of them that were improperly trained and do something bad.

If you think about it, people who bring these dogs up poorly have given them a bad name. Every dog is born relatively innocent and it's the upbringing that counts. You've clearly not done too bad a job =)

Don't worry. Its how you raise them and whether or not you are responsible with the breed you have. Some breeds to take extra responsibility... but that does not make them bad dogs... Ha ha I should know I own a Pit Bull. I have been in your situation before too. Do some research on your breed... learn as much as you can, that way when someone tries to tell you all the negative things about your breed then you can list a couple positive things as well.

I myself have 2 staffs, and they have got a bad reputation for being dangerous. My dogs are the softest things going, the only way they would hurt you is by licking you to death. Any dog regardless of breed will change if it is provoked. I also blame the owners for improper up bringing

people only tell the worst because they are not informed about the breeds. They only hear the worst and nothing else.

Because too many people buy a breed without knowing enough about it, so they can't make an informed decision about whether or not the breed is the right one for them.Then, if they realize that they got the wrong dog, it's the dog that suffers.An informed individual knows the good AND the bad about the breed they are getting, so they can decide if they want to put up with the downsides (barking, animal aggressiveness, size, shedding, exercise, etc. etc. etc. etc.).

i guess people tell you the bad stuff cause they dont want you to get a dog that could be dangeroud, especially with all the dog problems that are in the news now...maybe you got lucky with your dog, and managed to pick a good one...who knows.just enjoy, and have fun!!

i take it you live in england?i do too.its a cultural thing - english people are negative like this.

People only tell the bad side of anything, because of the media. The media fills our head with total BS, and we hear it, so we freak out, and start spreading the rumors like a wild fire!!Quick question, name me one good thing that the media has said about a pit bull.LOL Can't think of anything can you?? That's because the media won't get any veiwes with positive things. The world wants to hear about tradegies to make ourselves feel better about our own pathetic lives.People freak out, and try to start a huge fight with me when I tell them that my dog is a pit bull, and I have 2 young children. "OMG!!! Don't you know that your dog will turn on you, and kill your kids?! Don't you know that they're unsafe around people?! Don't you know that they can kill you in half a minute?!" All this is total CRAP!!! I'm not going to get into a big discussion about it, but I know from experience that it's all BS!You would tell people the good qualities about your dog, right? But you would also tell people about the bad. Because you have experience with the dog, you know what to expect, and what not to. Same with me. I tell people that a pit bull is a great family dog. That's because they are! They were bred to fight, ANIMALS, not people. They were bred to protect people, until the death if they have to!Now, tell me one good thing that you have experienced with your dog. I have plenty to share about my pit bull. I know that Akita's wouldn't be child friendly. But that they are also great protectors if trained right.People listen to other people to much! They need to go by facts, not by gossip. That's what created all this chaos in the first place!!!

I like Akitas. I have seen some mean ones. I think if you train it and raise it right it will be okay. I know they are very strong and need to be trained early.

Akitas are wonderful family dogs, but they can be dog aggressive. This is one of my favorite breeds, but with all breeds, the quality of the breeder is important. Irresponsible breeding is what creates bad dogs (along with irresponsible ownership) and over-breeding by unreputable individuals is the major factor in this.In addition to this, many veterinarians are not familiar enough with the different breeds to provide meaningful in-put as to the correct temperment of the dogs. Moreover, few veterinarians distinguish between reputable breeders and unreputable (backyard, puppy mills) breeders. Enjoy your Akita! (and make sure to take him/her to a puppy kindergarten class).

There have been many of big softy dogs whose true colours comes out when you least expect it. A dog is an animal so be weary of it.

Probably because people for too long have treated dogs like they were lassie, all great, no downside. Now the pendulem has swung the other way. People are now so focussed on the fact that 'hey, a dog can really do some damage - it's not a teddy bear after all!' The fact is, all dogs have the capacity to be great, all dogs have the capacity to do damage. It's time we stopped treating dogs like they are two dimensional characters (ie, lassie, rin tin tin, benji, etc.) and realize that they are real animals with both potential for good and bad in every dog. It's our job to bring out one side of the dog, and not the other.

Well, if you're getting "the bad stuff" as information from a reputable breeder, then they are doing the right thing by informing you or anyone else interested in their breed. Back yard breeders and pet stores and notorious for not giving interested potential first time owners of a breed any bad info, or it could lose them a sale. Reputable breeders actually love their breed and tell the good AND the bad, because they really want the potential future owner to be properly informed about the breed and can then make the decision if that breed is truly a good match for them and their lifestyles. They do this so as to ensure their puppies go to homes who can actually handle the breed. Like with Border Collies, they have a HIGH energy level, can become VERY destructive when bored and do best with really active people.. the last thing a good breeder wants is for a BC to end up is a home of couch potatoes as it's likely the dog will be too much for the owners and end up returned to the breeder, in a shelter, or rescue.

Because many people are just negative and if you get someone who is biased against a particular breed or breeds, they will see nothing good about it.Don't let the haters bother you.

I agree with the people who said that most people hear pit bull or dobie, or akita and think "EVIL!!" they are the IGNORANT ones.However, the people that actually know what they're talking about usually tell you the negative stuff first because you must be able to accept the bad before you can enjoy the good.Good luck with your new pup! If you have researched, trained and socialized then you have nothing to fear. HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!

Beause they feel the urge to warn you in case you wind up with a bad dog, that way they can say I told you so. But I agree that most dogs are great with proper raising. For example, I work at a vet office, and my while life I've been told pitbull horror stories. So when I have to work with a pitbull I was scared out of my mind. He walked over to me, licked my hand, and laid his head in my lap. He was the biggest softie i've ever seen. By biggest I mean HUGE. But he was gentle and sweet. I agree that some breeds may be predisposed to certain attitudes, but with proper upbringing they can turn out to be great dogs as long as you treat them with a little understanding.

Akitas are protective of children and very intelligent. Gentle with people. Great family dogs. Akitas are also used in Japan for dogfighting, but it isn't anything like dog fighting in the US. NO BLOOD. Akitas fight while muzzled and they use the exact same rules sumo wrestlers do. They use their body weight to force another dog out of the ring or to pin them. Champion akitas also wear the same kind of champion belts that sumo wrestlers do. They are removed before the fight. My family had a half Akita while we were in Japan. He ignored little dogs. They were no competition and he acted like they weren't even there unless they made a fuss. I never even saw him pin one of them. Now there was another half Akita in the same neighborhood and when these two dogs met, it was instant fight. They didn't bite although I did notice some blood on one's neck (probably from a claw scratch). They used their weight against each other and the winner forced the loser to give ground. These dogs were untrained, but they instinctively did what they were bred for. Oh, our same half Akita was out one day and a little Japanese toddler was trotting down the cul-de-sac for the busy street with the mother yelling at her in Japanese to come back. Blackie summed up the situation and went and retrieved the girl. He grabbed the SLEEVE of her robe, firmly steered her around and led her back. He didn't touch her skin at all. The toddler was yelling in frustration, but was unhurt. The mother rewarded him and told Mom about it. Blackie was an Akita-Labrador cross. Very intelligent and dignified. Knew commands in both English and Japanese. We got him from a shelter.

I get the same I have recently got my first Staffy because these are fighting dogs people think they are aggressive they think every thing the media says is true treat a dog with love ,kindness ,respect & you will receive the same back 10 fold enjoy your dog