• Rough Greyhound
• Irish Greyhound
• Irish Elkhound
• Irish Wolfdog
• Great Irish Wolfdog

The Irsih Wolfhound proved rather too successful for its own good at its primary task of wolfslayer that by the 18th century the breed had dispatched the last wolf, an act that saw its own numbers decline precariously to the point of extinction!  But more of that later.  

As to the origins of the Irish Wolfhound, as so commonly occurs in dog history, there is a healthy blend of conjecture, innuendo and speculation sprinkled here and there with a pinch of hard fact!  

However whatever the real truth, story has it that as far back as 3000 years ago, Phoenician traders introduced Middle Eastern  Sighthounds to the British Isles. There those dogs were crossed with local Mastiffs in essence producing oversized greyhounds that looked for all the world as if they’d just been on a diet of steroids.  

There are those who believe that the Irish Sheepdog was also involved in the development of those early Irish Wolfhound specimens which does make for understandable logic seeing as the dog breed was bred and developed in Ireland. The Scottish Deerhound has also been named as a contender in the genetic makeup of the Irish Wolfhound but that probably happened later on when the breed was being revived from the brink of extinction.

Murky genetic heritage notwithstanding the Irish Wolfhound proved to be remarkably skilled at its primary task of dispatching marauding wolves, so much so that by the 18^th century the wolves were forever lost to that region of the world. Common lore has it that the last Irish wolf was killed in 1770 in the Wicklow Mountains.  

On account of it s reputation as wolfslayer extraordinaire, tales of the feats accomplished by this dog breed mushroomed to mythical proportions. In fact one of the more grandiose legends involving an Irish wolfhound recount how one king Connacht offered 6000 cows to buy a legendary and formidable Irish Wolfhound called Ailbe.  

However when king Connacht’s very impressive offer was bested by that of another local king from Ulster war broke out. Ironically as fate would have it, the reason for the battle—Ailbe, the Irish Wolfhound—was killed when he fearlessly but somewhat unwisely clamped his jaws around the wheels of king Connacht’s chariot resulting in his head being lopped off by the spinning wheels as the chariot sped across the battle field!  

With the disappearance of the wolf the Irish Wolfhound became rapidly unemployed because its large size pretty much rendered it unsuitable for other types of hunting.  And thus by the middle of the 19^th century this great dog breed was all but extinct.  

Only the timely intervention a Scotsman, Capt. George Augustus Graham, to revive the disappearing dog breed saved the Irish wolfhound. Captain Augustus Graham established a new breeding program to rejuvenate the rapidly disappearing numbers of the Iris Wolfhound.  

There are those who believe that the Captain’s breeding programming did not resurrect the original Irish Wolfhound dog breed but rather due to the fact he introduced a lot of new blood to the genetic mix, resulted in what to all intents and purpose was a new breed.  

Be that as it may the Captains breeding program is responsible for the magnificent Irish wolfhound dog breed that prevails to this day. It is believed that the following dog breeds were among those he crossed with surviving wolfhound specimens to create the modern dog that we know:  

• Scottish Deerhound
• Great Dane
• Borzoi
• Pyrenean Mountain Dog
• Tibetan Mastiff

Whatever the truth may be what is indisputable is the fact that the Captain managed to develop the tallest dog breed in the world. (Yes, yes, I know a Great Dane holds the record (as have several) for the tallest individual dog but the fact remains that the Irish Wolfhound is the tallest dog breed in the world.)  

Article on Irish Wolfhound by Kayye Nynne 

Irish Wolfhound

The Norwegian Elkhound is a very old breed of dog indeed dating as far back as 6000 to 7000 years ago. As hinted from its name the Norwegian Elkhound was traditionally employed to hunt elk (moose really) across most of Norway and Sweden. As game became scarcer through the 20^th century the main hunting role of the Norwegian Elkhound transformed more into show dog and watch dog.

The Norwegian Elkhound is a naturally hardy and resilient dog breed which isn’t surprising since this dog resides in the harsh, rugged region that was often knee deep with snow common to its habitat. Thus to accommodate such inhospitable environs the Norwegian Elkhound developed an exceptionally heavy outer coat with a plush, woolly undercoat offset with a luxurious neck-ruff for extra warmth and padding.

During its heyday years of moose hunting, the Norwegian Elkhound was employed in two forms of hunting. The first form known as the loshund (loose dog) was allowed to roam freely to track the scent of the game, run it down then corner it until the hunter arrived to dispatch the quarry.

The loshund  would generally hunt quietly until the quarry was cornered but if it tried to get away the dog wouldk furiously raising an alarm that would tell the hunter of its whereabouts.

The other form of hunting Norwegian Elkhound was known as the bandhund. The bandhund was kept on a leash at all times and used only to track the quarry but not to corner it. This form of hunting was favored in more open country whereas the loshund hunting form was best utilized in the heavy forest typical of the region.

Norwegian Elkhound Temperament

Combining traits from both the Spitz and Hound group of dogs the Norwegian Elkhound is naturally adventurous, independent, playful and energetic bordering to the boisterous. This dog loves the outdoors and is well equipped for even the harshest of cold weather.

Understandably in keeping with its bold and adventurous nature, this dog needs plenty of exercise on a daily basis otherwise it is prone to destructive behavior. The Norwegian Elkhound has an effortless trot which though not speedy can be sustained for hours in keeping with the manner for which this dog breed was developed; endurance not speed!

 Norwegian Elkhound Health

The Norwegian Elkhound is a dog of average lifespan, 10 – 12 years and overall is a healthy dog breed. The one major health concern is CHD (canine hip dysplasia) and a number of minor health concerns such as sebaceous cysts, hot spots, renal dysplasia (kidney disease) and the very occasionally and rarely seen Fanconi syndrome.

Norwegian Elkhound Form

The Norwegian Elkhound is typically square in proportion and has pricked ears, a broad head, substantial bone structure and a tightly curled tail. It has been hypothesized that the curly tail type was selected and bred for by hunters because thus were they able to distinguish their dogs from their untamed cousins, the wolves, even from afar!

Article on Norwegian Elkhound written by Kayye Nynne

Why Bother with Dog Training?

1. A well-trained dog is a delight to have and be around.

2. A well-trained dog is safe around people and other pets

3. A well-trained dog is safe off-leash!

4. A well-trained dog doesn’t soil the house

5. A well-trained dog heeds your commands

6. A well-trained dog spends more time with his family and thus is happier!

7. A dog that is trained will not be a financial drain on your pocket!

A Dog Without Training Is An Unhappy Dog!

Let’s be honest who wants to be around an untrained dog. At best you untrained dog is going to put his muddy paws all over your guests and mess up your home. At worst that untrained dog of yours is going to be the neighborhood menace!

Most dogs that are relegated to overdose on alone-time in their kennel are dogs that the owners do not want around. Such owners have thrown in the towel and find it far easier to keep their once-upon-a-time cute puppy and now big-bad-boisterous dog out-of-sight and out-of-mind rather than cope with the growing list of disasters associated with their pet. Such disasters may include:

• Fighting with other dogs when taken on walks
• Jumping on and soiling guests
• Making messes all over you house
• Chasing and biting the postman
• Dangerous behavior around children

Dogs are social creatures who need to be around and interact with their pack (in modern society that means their human family) if they are to remain mentally balanced and healthy.

But unfortunately most people don’t want to be around a dog that constitutes a nuisance so rather than cope with their “outta-contol furry menace” they’d rather relegate it to prolonged periods in its kennel (before admitting complete defeat and abandoning the dog to a shelter).

Article on dog training written by Kayye Nynne

Okay this post is apparently not going to win me many friends but I feel an obligation to put it out there anyway! Recently I just read about another unprovoked dog-related death and surprise surprise the dog breed involved was a Pit Bull or some kinda pit bull mix.

Now here is why I feel obliged to touch on this subject; lately I have written a series of articles entitled Powerdogs featuring…well powerdogs! I will be the first to admit that this list is highly subjective and the criterion to make the list lies solely at my discretion (hey it is my list after all). For example I am not sure that the Great Dane will necessarily make the list but that is really of little relevance here.

I bring up this subject of Powerdogs because about 4  of those  dog breeds on that list are what I consider dangerous dog breeds and I think it is only fair to point this out to those folks who might be excited by the prospect of getting a powerdog breed. It is also noteworthy that the dogs that fit my criteria as dangerous breeds were developed to fight (in other words fighting is inherent in their genetic legacy). The list by the way is not complete and will most certainly include the Pit Bull and the Rottweiler, the two dog breeds responsible for the most mauling-related human fatalities each year (not to mention the dog-on-dog attacks).

Clearing Up A Few Issues First

Under the right circumstances even the sweetest dog can lash out! Undoubtedly if a dog is raised cruelly in a harsh environment it is no big surprise when that dog turns out to be a menace, no matter the dog breed! But for purposes of this article we are going to assume that the dogs were raised in a loving environment and treated well!

Understanding Genetic Heritage And Individual Dog Temperament

Dr. Michael Fox said in his book Understanding Your Dog “Genetic factors are transmitted by inheritance, but the traits themselves are modi­fied by interacting genetic and environmental factors. Training and early experience greatly influence these traits…”

In essence what is being said is that with training and early socialization it is possible to counteract to an extent the genetic traits inherently bred into any dog breed. However please note the operative phrase “to an extent!”

These days it is well understood by dog experts and authorities (but unfortunately not widely acknowledged by the common public) that by the 7^th week of its life the temperament that a puppy possesses is the same temperament it will exhibit as an adult dog. It is in fact possible to determine the individual and different temperaments of puppies from the same litter.

Thus when (as so often happens) owners of Pit Bulls exclaim in outrage that the breed is being unfairly singled out and vilified by ignorant oafs (such as myself), they proffer as proof of their justified outrage the fact that they so happen to be the proud owners of the sweetest loving pit bull that there ever was! Well as previously noted, much like human family members possess and display totally different personalities, so will puppies from the same litter.

Now going back to the case of those owners with the sweetest pit bull there ever was there is a high likelihood that their dog exhibited high passive defense reflexes, high inhibitability levels and measured low on the dominance scale (for the breed at least). A dog with high passive defense reflexes requires a lot of stress and stimuli to be induced to bite. Some breeds have inherently higher levels than others, and even within the same breed different individual dogs display different levels.

The Pit Bull

There’s a very good reason why the Pit Bull is by far and away the leader in both human and dog maulings as well as fatalities and that is because the pit bull was selectively bred for those traits that predispose it to enhanced aggression; a trait that is very valuable in the fighting arena.

Touch Insensitivity Trait

One of the traits that was selectively bred for in the pit bull in order to make this dog breed into a more efficient fighter is what is known as touch insensitivity. This trait of touch insensitivity is common to dogs bred for fighting so that despite being severely wounded they would continue fighting. A dog high in this trait would be pretty much impervious to a might yank on its chain which goes a long way in explaining why it is so difficult to call off and disengage a pit bull engaged in an attack.

Other traits that were bred into the pit bull that enhance its violent nature are a tendency towards dominance and excitability; both excellent traits if you’re designing the ultimate fighter. Other features that the pit bull was selectively bred for all in the name of the “ultimate canine fighter” were enormous jaw strength, unparallel tenacity and extreme resilience!

In fact the Pit Bull is unique amongst dogs in exhibiting the unusual behavioral trait of being unfazed or undeterred in attacking opponents far larger than themselves. This would account for the unusual pattern of their attacks in that they are just as likely to attack an adult as they would a child! The Pit Bull is also notorious for attacking without warning or apparent provocation (that’s where that excitability trait comes into play).

The Rottweiler on the other hand (which is next on the list for most maulings and fatalities after the pit bull) displays a more normal child/adult attack ratio. All said and done, even though the Rottwieler is a bigger and more powerful dog than the pit bull, one has a better chance of surviving a Rottweiler attack than that of a Pit Bull, if for nothing else than that the Rottweiler does not possess the unrelenting tenacity or resilience of the Pitbull.

But Other Dog Breeds Bite Too!

This is the most often quipped disclaimer whenever the statistics for dog bites, maimings and fatalities are compiled and made public. True other dog breeds are involved in attacks but of all the breeds involved two especially stand out (yeah I know I’ve listed 3 dog types):

Pit Bull: 1110 Attacks; 608 Severe Maimings; 104 Deaths.

Rottweiler: 409 Attacks; 223 Severe Maimings; 58 Deaths.

Wolf Hybrid: 71 Attacks; 43 Severe Maimings; 18 Deaths.

These figures alone do not tell the whole story because they do not take into account the prevalence of a particular dog breed in society. For example there are far fewer wolf hybrid dogs than there are the other two breeds which means that proportionally many more fatalities resulted from wolf hybrid attacks than they did from the Pit Bull or Rottweiler.

Click here for a PDF Report detailing the statistics of Dog Attack Death & Maimings In US & Canada From Septmeber 1982 – November 2006.

That PDF report is excellent save for the small error where the author listed the Bullmastiff as the Presa Canario which is an entirely different dog breed altogether. The Presa Canario makes my list of dangerous breeds (unlike the Bullmastiff) and has indeed been banned in many countries.

On a final note concerning the aspect of Powerdogs that I have listed (and those which I haven’t but will eventually ) the following make my list of dangerous dog breeds:

• Tosa Inu
• Presa Canario
• Pit Bull
• Rottweiler

Of those four dog breeds on the list the only one that wasn’t singularly developed as a fighter is the Rottweiler. In Scandinavia breeders for some time have been trying to reduce the tendency of the Rottweiler to displaying unprovoked aggression through a program of selective breeding much in the same way that the Great Dane was converted into the lovable giant of today!

All the other breeds on my short list of dangerous dogs were developed as fighters and even though the Pit Bull is better known, the Presa Canario is probably a more dangerous dog for the fact it has all the fighting abilities of the Pit Bull except in a bigger and more powerful package.

The Japanese Tosa Inu is not as long-legged and heavy weight as its American cousin (200 lbs) and is yet another dog breed like the Presa Canario that has been banned in many countries (not surprisingly because this dog is typically heavier than 150 lbs and when in a rage would be truly difficult to bring under control).

It is of note that some other large and formidable Powerdog breeds with excellent fighting skills have not made it onto my list of dangerous dog breeds.

For example the Boerboel, a large Mastiff descendant, has been known to kill a leopard single-handedly! The formidable Kangal dog is a proven wolf slayer while the Caucasian Mountain dog is another huge powerful livestock protection dog that can easily best a Rottweiler!

So why aren’t these dogs on my list of dangerous dog breeds?

Simple! They were never bred as fighters but rather flock guardians and protector dogs; thus they do not display the overt aggression characteristic of dogs that were bred to fight!

Click here for a PDF Report detailing the statistics of Dog Attack Death & Maimings In US & Canada From Septmeber 1982 – November 2006.

Article on savage dogs by Kayye Nynne

Hooper’s Judge was a mix between an English Bulldog and an English White Terrier which means that this dog started life as an English dog and ended his life as an American one. By the present day standards of the modern Boston Terrier dog breed Hooper’s Judge did not conform to the standard because at 30 pounds he was apparently overweight. He was later bred with a smaller female dog known as Burnett’s Gpy and the resultant litter became the founding stock of the modern Boston Terrier breed.

Hooper’s Judge inherited brindle markings from his bulldog parent and white markings from the respective Terrier half. Ever since then brindle and white has been the staple coloration of the Boston Terrier dog breed.

Somewhere along the line it is believed that the French Bulldog was introduced into the genetic stew of the Boston Terrier and such introduction further reduced the size of this dog breed to its present day limit of 25 pounds.

Some dog historians are of the opinion that the Bull Terrier and even the Boxer played some part in the genetic makeup of the Boston Terrier but alas as is so often the case with canine history this cannot be substantiated.

Although along the line there is ample mention of the mastiff as a ferocious and courageous dog of war extending all the way back to the Roman Empire war machine (thereby suggesting that this huge dog breed originated from Ancient Rome). However the truth of the matter probably lies somewhere else, especially since when the Roman s first set foot on British soil they were terribly impressed by the Briton’s huge dogs.

That first great impression was further amplified when the Mastiff dogs thoroughly trounced the Roman dogs in the pit! Thus it is more likely that the mastiff dogs first originated from the Middle East (where they had been popular as royal dogs for a long) via trade exchanges with the Phoenician traders.

Unsurprisingly, on account of its massive size and immense power, the Mastiff has been used as the progenitor for many a dog breed. In fact there are only two dog breeds that are taller than the Mastiff; they are the Great Dane and the Irish Wolfhound. However tall though the Great Dane and the Irish Wolfhound in size they are no match for the Mastiff’s immense bulk.

Indeed, the title of greatest weight ever recorded for a dog is by the Guinness Book of Records belongs to an English Mastiff called Zorba. In 1989 at the middle-old age of eight years Zorba the Mastiff weighed in at 343 pounds and stood 37 inches at the shoulder. Thus it wasn’t farfetched when Zorba was described as being practically the size of a donkey!

In spite of its great size, strength and power the Mastiff is not an aggressive dog.

Certainly it’s had its fair share of playing the gladiator through the course of history but given its massive size and strength this in not surprising. The Mastiff’s career as gladiator traces its roots back to the Roman invasion of Britain when they first encountered it ands became duly impressed!

So impressed were the Romans by the English Mastiff that a special Roman Envoy was appointed to oversee the export of those fine dogs to the Roman capital where they were introduced as the only tame animals that were pitted in the Colosseum against wild animals like lions, bears and boars!

Before being dragged into the sordid world of dog-gladiator the Mastiff was bred as a property/estate guard par excellence. Fortunately its relatively brief career as dog-gladiator and bull-baiter was never enough to sully the breed with the viciousness and aggressiveness seemingly innate to other dog breeds developed for fighting, such as the Pit Bull, Presa Canario and Tosa Inu, to name but a few.

After all who really wanted to grapple with a 250 lb out of control canine monster? The only other dog bred for fighting that comes close to the sheer bulk and power of the Mastiff is the Japanese Tosa Inu which so happens to be banned in many a country.

The Mastiff makes for a great family dog if you don’t mind its inherent tendency to drool and voracious appetite. The Mastiff is great with kids, though obviously one should be on constant alert when a dog this size frolics with small children; it could inadvertently hurt a child with its size.

Article about the Mastiff written by Kayye Nynne

• Canary dog
• Perro de Presa Canario
• Dogo Canario
• Canary mastiff

…is certainly not a dog for the faint of heart or the novice dog owner. The Presa Canario hails from the Canary Islands a place to which the Canary bird owes its name but contrary to popular belief is not name d for! The Canary Islands derive their name from the dogs that used to abound all across the archipelago which were referred to as canis (Latin word for dog) by the ancient Romans and as “canario” by the Spaniard settlers (canario means dogs).

The Presa Canario is undoubtedly a Mastiff descendant characterized by a powerful cuboid-shaped head that houses tremendously powerful jaws. The overall appearance of the Presa Canario is of a solid, muscular dog with thick-boned legs that though not short are not overly long so as to compromise the dogs well balanced center of gravity. All in all the Presa Canario paints the picture of a powerful yet agile dog of medium height.

Though this dog breed was originally bred as a livestock guard dog as well as herder, soon enough its days based as a farming dog were superseded as a fighter! One glance at the Canary dog’s build is more than enough to hint at its fighting pedigree. In fact to the untrained eye the Presa Canario looks remarkably like a very large, somewhat long-legged Pit Bull.

Long before the arrival of the Spaniards and other European settlers, the Canary Islands were host to an indigenous dog that was locally known as the Bardino Majorero. Indeed it was as attribute to those local breed of dogs that the Islands got their name of Canary from the Romans via the Latin word “canis” which means dog.

The Bardino Majorero was described as an exceptionally savage dog of fiery and tempestuous disposition. That said, the dog proved to be very trainable and made for an excellent guard dog that excelled in both courage and loyalty and was renowned for never backing down. Woe betide the man or beast that ever incited the ire of this dog!

The now extinct Bardino Majorero not only passed on its unparalleled ferocity and tenacity to its descendant, the Presa Canario, it also passed on its rather unusual habit of rarely barking if ever (guess that’s where the saying “beware of the silent dog” comes from).

Article on Presa Canario written by Kayye Nynne

The Kangal dog is a large livestock protection dog that so happens to be the national dog of Turkey. The Kangal dog hails from the Kangal district of Sivas province which is in central Turkey.

The Kangal dog has developed over thousands of years as a flock protector keeping its wards save from wolves, feral dogs and other menacing elements that used to be common to the vast herds of livestock that once migrated across the Turkish landscape.

This powerdog displays a signature so-called black mask which refers to the characteristic black coloration found across a good portion of its head. In fact in England the Kangal dog was given the name Anatolian Karabash on account of its black facial mask (karabash means ‘black head’).

Although in Turkey where the kangal is strictly a working dog in other parts of the world the Kangal dog has gained traction as a companion and pet. The various breed clubs though are careful not to compromise the working status of this breed.

Typical of livestock protection dogs the Kangal is independent minded and inclined to make its own decisions with little guidance or input from any human. This would explain why efforts to utilize it as a military dog in the fashion of other dog breeds like the German Shepherd, met with little success. You see the thing was the Kangal dog just couldn’t be bothered to pursue activities that it deemed pointless to its existence.

The Kangal dog is fiercely loyal and protective of any creature it considers its family or ward, be that people or a flock of sheep.

The Kangal dog is the very definition of “restrained force” incrementally increasing the force required to deter a threat once it has judiciously assessed the situation. To this end these powerdogs have been introduced in Namibia to prevent cheetahs from attacking livestock and thereby aggravating the farmers into killing cheetahs whose numbers are already precariously low.

More often than not the Kangal’s impressive size and implied brute strength is enough to deter the average intruder, be it human or a four-legged predator, but if that doesn’t work then the Kangal dog will not hesitate to unleash unrestrained fury!

Unleashing Unrestrained Fury

Despite having Mastiff in its genetic makeup, the Kangal dog possesses a lighter build compared to the other dog breeds that developed by way of the Mastiff. This lighter build was favored by Turkish farmers since time immemorial since it accords the Kangal dog an agility, dexterity and speed advantage it either wise wouldn’t have.

What is more that speed and agility comes in a package perfectly equipped to efficiently dispatch a wolf. It has been said that a Kangal dog can do a 180 reverse spin whilst at full trot, no mean feat when you consider that this dog attains speeds of up to 30 mph (50 kmh).

To give you an insight into the sheer will, power and ferociousness of this dog breed (when the need arises) consider the following account:

1 flock of Sheep, 20 Coyotes and 3 Kangal Dogs Shared A Deadly Moment One Moonless Night In The Middle Of Nowhere!

One night in the deep heartland of the continental United States somewhere in the middle of nowhere, the peace and quiet of a moonless night was shattered by the sudden arrival of twenty hungry coyotes. The coyotes knew there were dogs abroad but they weren’t fazed since they had the strength of numbers on their side; they were 20 head strong!

By the time that bloody night was over 2 dogs were dead, 20 coyotes were massacred, no sheep were lost and a single remaining Kangal dog was found pacing a tight security perimeter over the sheep!

Now that in my book constitutes a powerdog!

Article on Kangal dog written by Kayye Nynne

• Tosa Inu
• Tosa Token
• Tosa Ken
• Japanese Tosa
• Japanese mastiff
• Japanese Fighting Dog
• Tosa Fighting Dog

Banned in many a country on account of a combination of its immense power, size and fighting genetic ancestry, the Tosa Inu is truly a powerdog if ever one existed! The countries that take issue with Tosa ownership, some having outright banned the breed include:

• United kingdom
• Australia
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• Denmark
• Norway

The Tosa Inu despite being a Japanese dog breed is actually a dog breed of mixed ancestry (well to be honest…aren’t they all). Fed up of losing dog fights to the various imported breeds, the local Japanese breeders decided to beef up their local fighting dog breeds.

What they had in mind was the ultimate fighting dog breed, a dog that would have greart endurance, power, strength and the sheer will and ability to take on and defeat any canine opponent!

To develop such a powerdog, the Japanese breeders crossed their local fighting dog, the Nihon Inu with the following dog breeds over a period of years as follows:

• Bulldogs in 1872
• Mastiffs in 1874
• German Pointers in 1876
• Great Danes in 1924

The period between 1924 and 1933 has been described as the boom period of Tosa Inu breeding where there were said to be more than 5,000 Tosa breeders in Japan.

The final result of the Tosa Inu breeding and development program was a powerful giant of a dog that was equipped and prepared to do battle to the death in complete and utter silence!

Despite its massive size the Tosa Inu has incredible stamina and equally incredible agility.

In size the Tosa Inu varies considerably from region to region. Japanese bred Tosa dogs are typically smaller than dogs bred from other countries. Japanese Tosa dogs range in weight from 80 – 130 lbs, whereas breeders from other countries (notably the United States) prefer larger dogs that range in weight from 130 lbs – 200 lbs (60 – 100 kg) and in height extend from 24.5 inches to 32 inches.

Due to its fighting ancestry, immense size, power and strength the Tosa Inu is obviously not a dog to be taken lightly and requires a lot of socialization. Evidently it is also not recommended for the average dog owner!

Article on Tosa written by Kayye Nynne

You see the thing is…we humans have pathetically delicate skin and flesh.

If you really want to behold tough skin…think buffalo! Ever seen video footage of a lioness or two (or more commonly three or more) trying to bring down a Cape Buffalo?

One lioness is typically latched tight to the Buffalo’s back with her powerful claws, sharp teeth clamping down hard as possible into the nape of her victim’s neck while her cohorts experience the careening ride of a lifetime as they hang onto the rump of the buffalo, their claws stuck as one in the buffalo’s hide.

The truly amazing thing though is that more often than not the buffalo shakes off those pesky 300lb lionesses and their ill intentions having sucumbed to surprisingly little damage if any from the lions’ powerful claws and jaws!

HUMAN SKIN MEETS DOG GNASHERS!

Okay this one’s a no-brainer! When push comes to shove a dog’s teeth will rip through your flesh…that is why it is ill advised for anybody to break up a dog fight (good intentions notwithstanding) using their own body as the instrument of restraint!

So what then is the best way to stop a dog fight?

Well the first thing to bear in mind is that dogs like us humans will invariably get into arguments with one another.

Typically an argument will manifest in a lot of growling, threatening and often some tussling whereby the vanquished dog will start whining and lay on his/her back in submission.

Sometimes however a dog fight will truly escalate into something really serious whereby one or both dogs may suffer serious injuries or even death.  This only usually happens when both dogs enjoy almost similar social status or if one dog is making a play for the dominant role!

If you find your dogs embroiled in such a fight your best course of action is to wash away their aggression with a blast of cold water from the garden hose (assuming the fight is taking place in the garden within proximity of the hose) or failing that spill a bucket full of cold water on them. That should generally do the trick!

Don’t make the mistake of trying to thwart their aggression with your hands because in the heat of the moment they will bite your intruding hand. In the aftermath as your shredded hand is getting stitched up it will be little comfort to know that they never actually intended to harm you!

TRYING TO SAVE YOUR DOG FROM A STRANGE DOG’S ATTACK IS COMMENDABLE BUT OFTEN ILL ADVISED!

The other day I was reading about how one lady tried to save her female German Shepherd from the unprovoked and savage attack of a Pit Bull. What the unfortunate lady never banked on was the Pit Bull turning its malicious fury fully on her!

Evidently this particular Pit Bull had been raised to be vicious and attack people and that is precisely what it did. by the time it was done the woman’s ear was a raw bloody mess no longer attached to her head!

However notwithstanding that this particular Pit Bull was improperly raised bear in mind that at the genetic level Pit Bulls are dog aggressive and were developed as pit scrappers. That means that more so than many other dog breeds they are more likely to entertain unprovoked attacks on other dogs.

And in a case such as what happened to this unfortunate woman the dogs fury can easily be transferred from your dog  to you…and believe me your dog is better equipped to handle such an attack. As the poor woman reflected in hindsight, “I should have let my German Shepherd take care of herself!”

THREE AGAINST ONE…NOT ON MY WATCH!

Okay I have just dished out what on the face of it appears like sound advice, but cummon let’s admit it life is messy; it is easier to preach than it is to practice.

I say this because there was a time I saved my 35 lb mutt from being attacked by three Doberman/Labrador dogs that each averaged about 100lbs.

Somehow my mutt whom I called Beast had used his exceptional climbing skills to scale a 14 foot wall and had somehow made it into my neighbors compound (must have been the allure of their bitch who was in heat and also happened to be the meanest of the three dogs).

I should point out that their dogs were guard dogs not pets!  Anyway the first I got wind of what was going on was when all of a sudden we heard this crescendo of crazy barking coming from next door. I, by the way was happily knocking back a stream of  cuba libres (rum ‘n’ coke) as I wolved down sides of mouthwatering barbecued flesh!

Anyway I could tell things we getting very serious in the dog fracas taking place next door. I felt that poor Beast was on the verge of getting ripped apart.

So despite the protestations of all and sundry and fired up with a good dose of proverbial Dutch courage from the rum ‘n’ coke I went round to my neighbors to put an end to the madness.

My neighbors (who were good friends) were at their wits end at what to do. I asked them why they didn’t call of their dogs and they said they had tried but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Beast, being the good strategist that he was, had positioned himself against a wall and was barking in high pitched yelps (sure sign of fear) to the three canine bullies menacing him to yield.

But yield he would not (obviously he had never read the memo about bravery and foolishness traipsing a very thin line indeed).

So I went for it…I had no other choice did I?

To the shouts, shock and gasps of all around I shoved my way through the melee of big dogs to stand by Beast’s side. Then I shouted at them to back off! Guess that must have done the trick because they seemed as surprised as everyone including myself…so much so they shut up and backed off!

Wow! These were the very same dogs that a couple of weeks earlier had almost ripped a burglar to bits!

So I picked up the sweaty, panting scared Beast and took him home, pausing to pat my new canine friends (guess who was the new “leader of the pack”) and that was that.

By the way after that episode those three dogs and I became best friends; I could leap into their garden in the middle of the night and they’d rush over tails wagging to greet me. If I called them and their owners called them at the same time guess who’d they come rushing to?

I know now that what I did was very risky and reckless (actually even then I had a good inkling that it wasn’t the wisest of ideas but then again I was  fired up with rum ‘n’ coke courage).

But I was lucky…the outcome would have probably been very different if I had squared off against a dog that was bred to fight and be aggressive such as the Pit Bull, Dogo Argentino or Presa Canario! Truth be told a Pit Bull and its ilk would  have probably ripped my mutt to death rather than have had a prolonged doggie argument as happened with the doberman/labradors whose space had been invaded.

Article on dog fighting written by Kayye Nynne

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