The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.

[fimm]

"Do not iron".
Which bit of a padded bra do you think I'm going to try and iron?

[hellymedic]

Dear purveyors of clothing that goes around legs.  The type of clothes that do not extend all the way down the leg to the foot is a "PAIR of shorts". It is NOT a "short". A short is something I might drink.  And while we're on the subject, I don't want to "Shop" these "shorts". I might want to buy them, or shop for them.

Should you wish to purchase a long-legged undergarment to keep thighs and knees warm this winter, you might need to seek a thermal 'pant', not long johns.

HTH & HAND,

Me.

[CAMRAMan]

She came back with Aston Villa.
Did my first team talk with them today.
"Score more goals than they do."
Why has no one thought of that before?
I'm going to be a great manager.  👍

I'd be much happier if you could adjust that to: 'score fewer goals than the opposition on all occasions, when possible', please.

[ian]

I know now from the news about dogs eating people that the monster I've had to squeeze past a few times is an American Bully XL. It's like the dog equivalent of a monster truck. I always encounter the beast on some narrow steps so have to squeeze by while it growls menacingly because she's apparently 'nervous around strangers.' There's zero chance that the woman walking it would be able to control it if it did decide to eat me (or anyone else). There are plenty of cute and friendly dog breeds, so I'm not sure the attraction of something that looks like it escaped from Doom.

[Mrs Pingu]

The C4News article on dangerous dogs tonight was possibly one of the most tabloidy pieces I have seen on that program for years, it was naff.

[Kim]

Oh, are we getting the Kenneth Baker treatment again?

[ian]

Only saw some blurb online, which clued me into the breed. I know the adage it's not the dog, it's the owner, but I'd rather bad owners had a chihuahua than something that looks ready to chew through a truck.

[Beardy]

The BBC report was rather tabloidesk as well. I’m all for persona freedoms, but we don’t allow people to have wolves as pets, so,I suppose it just a matter of where you draw the line. These things do seem to fall on the wrong side of any line you might want to draw though. Also, I’m surprised that people can afford to feed anything as big as that given the current state of many people’s finances.

[Pingu]

Children and other dogs are freely available.

[ian]

In this case, it's not so much the dog breed per se (though it's obviously intended as a status dog), it's the fact there's really no way even a beefy bloke could control it, so the odds of the slim, five-foot woman usually walking it aren't good. That and the fact that it's 'nervous around strangers' don't add confidence. I suppose you could say that about any big dog. Anyway, I don't enjoy having to squeeze by it while she struggles to hold it to one side while I pass.

[mrcharly-YHT]

I'm generally pro dog, and firmly of the "It isn't the breed, it is the owner" opinion.

However, there is no place, purpose or justification for owning a dog that you can't physically control. Two of the deaths so far this year have been professional dog walkers, killed by their own dogs.

Ban the breed, ffs, for the same reason we ban 'zombie knives'. They only appeal to weirdos who fantasize about hurting people.

[Jasmine]

Like mrcharly, I'm also pro-dog, and generally don't believe in certain breeds being specifically dangerous dogs. However, XL Bully dogs are horrifically inbred from a very small genetic line in the US (not uncommon for a dog to have only 3-5 great grandparents instead of 8 ). Responsible husbandry of any animal involves breeding in desirable trails, but avoiding undesirable traits. Animals that display human aggression shouldn't be bred. Unfortunately, XL bullies continue to be bred from lines that have human aggression and have killed people because it happens to align with being shaped like a tank. 

[Cudzoziemiec]

Like mrcharly, I'm also pro-dog, and generally don't believe in certain breeds being specifically dangerous dogs. However, XL Bully dogs are horrifically inbred from a very small genetic line in the US (not uncommon for a dog to have only 3-5 great grandparents instead of 8 ). Responsible husbandry of any animal involves breeding in desirable trails, but avoiding undesirable traits. Animals that display human aggression shouldn't be bred. Unfortunately, XL bullies continue to be bred from lines that have human aggression and have killed people because it happens to align with being shaped like a tank.

Does "human aggression" mean aggression against humans or human-style aggression?

[Regulator]

Like mrcharly, I'm also pro-dog, and generally don't believe in certain breeds being specifically dangerous dogs. However, XL Bully dogs are horrifically inbred from a very small genetic line in the US (not uncommon for a dog to have only 3-5 great grandparents instead of 8 ). Responsible husbandry of any animal involves breeding in desirable trails, but avoiding undesirable traits. Animals that display human aggression shouldn't be bred. Unfortunately, XL bullies continue to be bred from lines that have human aggression and have killed people because it happens to align with being shaped like a tank.

It's clear that some breeds are being selectively bred to be aggressive.

I love dogs and dogs tend to love me (other than Binky, who dislikes everyone) but even I would be wary around certain breeds, such as the XL Bully.  These aren't being bred as pets but as status symbols for men with small dicks.

[Jasmine]

Does "human aggression" mean aggression against humans or human-style aggression?

Sorry, unprovoked aggression against humans. Most dog bites don't happen "out of nowhere" - there's often quite a lot of dog behaviour warning signs that the people involved have ignored or not understood. Unfortunately, quite a lot of dog bites (particularly involving children) that have an underlying human cause (e.g. kids trying to ride the family dog and it biting them because it is in pain). "Human aggression" or "human-directed aggression" is used to describe aggressive behaviour against people that does not appear to have arisen from another stimulus.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Does "human aggression" mean aggression against humans or human-style aggression?

Sorry, unprovoked aggression against humans. Most dog bites don't happen "out of nowhere" - there's often quite a lot of dog behaviour warning signs that the people involved have ignored or not understood. Unfortunately, quite a lot of dog bites (particularly involving children) that have an underlying human cause (e.g. kids trying to ride the family dog and it biting them because it is in pain). "Human aggression" or "human-directed aggression" is used to describe aggressive behaviour against people that does not appear to have arisen from another stimulus.

While I agree with all of the above, I'd add that most dogs will deliver a warning nip first, usually not breaking skin.
Early this year my daughter visited with her son (2.5yrs old). He is used to dogs.
We have a middle-aged Border terrier (which were bred for hunting). Despite warnings, my grandson kept pulling the dog's tail and poking him. One time, they were out of sight (through a doorway) and there was a growl and a wail. Dog had delivered a warning nip and scarpered (no skin broken, very slight bruise).
We kept them apart.

Same grandson visited this year. He's learnt his lesson around dogs, and was more polite. Dog was very wary, but they accepted each other (I have some lovely photos of them sitting together on the rug).

Some dogs, and more common in some breeds, go from nothing to full-on attack.

They aren't suitable for any use or habitation and in my mind are 'dangerous dogs'. Keep them muzzled at all times or have them put down.

[T42]

Independently of the above, it's worth mentioning that dogs also have a socializing behaviour which consists of grooming another dog's fur with its small frontal teeth.  A dog may identify a small dog-sized human as a fellow dog and attempt to socialize in this manner, not realizing that skin isn't fur. The ensuing wail may earn the poor pooch an undeserved clout; in fact, MrsT is aware of one case in the USA that went to court and ended with the poor beast being put down.

[ian]

Like mrcharly, I'm also pro-dog, and generally don't believe in certain breeds being specifically dangerous dogs. However, XL Bully dogs are horrifically inbred from a very small genetic line in the US (not uncommon for a dog to have only 3-5 great grandparents instead of 8 ). Responsible husbandry of any animal involves breeding in desirable trails, but avoiding undesirable traits. Animals that display human aggression shouldn't be bred. Unfortunately, XL bullies continue to be bred from lines that have human aggression and have killed people because it happens to align with being shaped like a tank.

Quite honestly, any of these heavily inbred dogs should be banned just on animal cruelty grounds. A French Bulldog, for instance, has a life expectancy at birth of 4.5 years (other bulldogs and pugs aren't much improved).

We encounter a lot of dogs out in the country, which on the most part are friendly (sometimes overly so) and well-behaved. The other categories are those that 'don't like strangers' (maybe put it on a lead then) or those 'that don't normally do that' (I somehow doubt it).

[Mr Larrington]

There is actually a printed list of dangerous doggos outside the Civic Center here in Battle Mountain, but it's not much use since someone has posted another notice over half of it.

[T42]

We encounter a lot of dogs out in the country, which on the most part are friendly (sometimes overly so) and well-behaved. The other categories are those that 'don't like strangers' (maybe put it on a lead then) or those 'that don't normally do that' (I somehow doubt it).

I once got bitten by one of those, through a thick neoprene overshoe at that.  "But he's not like that" the woman wailed, implying thereby that it was somehow my fault. It was nothing dire so I let it go.

[Beardy]

My sis in law has a black lab bitch that has shown unprovoked aggression to some other dogs on two occasions now. She’s no idea why Mabel dislikes certain dogs so vehemently while is friendly to all other dogs. As a consequence she no longer allows Mabel off the lead when in public; it makes her life more difficult because the dog no longer gets as much exercise with not being able to run around, but S-in-L sees it as the responsible way to behave with a dog that has shown aggression.

[The Family Cyclist]

Dear purveyors of clothing that goes around legs.  The type of clothes that do not extend all the way down the leg to the foot is a "PAIR of shorts". It is NOT a "short". A short is something I might drink.  And while we're on the subject, I don't want to "Shop" these "shorts". I might want to buy them, or shop for them.

Should you wish to purchase a long-legged undergarment to keep thighs and knees warm this winter, you might need to seek a thermal 'pant', not long johns.

HTH & HAND,

Me.

Last winter I wanted longjohns for something. Well obviously keeping legs warm but can't remember specifically

Hunted and hunted but couldn't find

Remembered I'd sent them to Ukraine

[Beardy]

Another person has died after being attacked by two dogs, and so the knee is being jerked. The American Bully XL will be banned from Christmas. Let’s hope the legislation is carefully planned and worded, with proper provision for identification of the banned breeds. But I for one will not be holding my breath on that.

[Wowbagger]

We had a brief power cut this morning at almost exactly 11.30. It only lasted a couple of minutes but it seems to have buggered up the timing on the weather station sending data to the Raspberry pi.

[robgul]

Another person has died after being attacked by two dogs, and so the knee is being jerked. The American Bully XL will be banned from Christmas. Let’s hope the legislation is carefully planned and worded, with proper provision for identification of the banned breeds. But I for one will not be holding my breath on that.

If they are "banned" what happens to those that are already here?  - and what happened to existing animals when the other 4 or 5 breeds were banned?  - extermination?

- as a dog-hater (with the exception of guide/assistance dogs), having been attacked as a child, I hope so.