Most helpful customer reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book can't put it down., Jan 6 2001
To start let me tell you I own two Pit bulls male and female and they are great natural guard dogs, don't believe the other people that tell you they are not because the dogs are people friendly, German Shephards are people friendly that this mean they are not good guard dogs of course not, they are one of the best. I agree with the author when he says Pit bulls only love their family and friends of its family and will oppose any enemy of its family with a ferocity that was unprecedented in the world of dogs. I dare anyone to break into my home or jump my back yard fence and that will prove my point. I also love all guard dog breeds and this book gives great information on them specially breeds that are rare. Since I purchased this book I can't put it down, it has good pictures of great dogs. This book is a great book to own, buy it!
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2.0 out of 5 stars
I question the author's breeding ethics heavily..., Mar 22 2000
Although the author seems fairly knowledgeable on quite a few breeds he writes about, it is impossible to be an expert on all of them. Just the same, in his review of Bullmastiffs, he reports that he bred his own male Bullmastiff at the tender age of 10 months when he knew that it had a genetic immune deficiency. Hips cannot be accurately X-ray'd for displasia until the age of two years, which any responsible breeder of a large dog knows. Then he goes on to complain about the poor health quality of these poor dogs (which, by the way, would have been created by similar unethical breeding practices.) The same kind of irresponsible breeding he practices is responsible for the problems he decries in the German Shepherd (although he does have some accurate criticisms). He seems a bit illogically biased towards the APBT. He states that a Bull Terrier's size is not sufficient for stopping power, yet never brings this up with the APBT. I love Pit Bulls too, but I really don't think it's accurate to judge them on different criteria than other breeds. Pit Bulls are, after all, a people lover, and in my opinion not of the guarding calibur of breeds that have been bred for centuries for guarding and protection. Altogether, "Pit Bulls and Tenacious Guard Dogs" lacks consistency and impartiality and raises some serious questions about the author's breeding ethics.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Get the facts straight, Nov 16 1999
Although, most of the writing appears to be accurate, the pit bull terrier is not a natural guard dog if left to it's own devices.To consider the pit bull a natural guard dog and compare them to breeds of great size that have been bred as guardians /or protectors for years is a fallacy. Guard work comes naturally to many of the breeds mentioned, specifically the mollusus breeds. However, extensive training is required for the otherwise "people friendly" pit bull to be used in this area. The breed has a deep desire to learn and a yearning to please and this combined with their athletic ability, enables them to excel and in many cases surpass other breeds with regard to it's specific training. They are not natural guard dogs however, and the true American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier without this specific training, could bark or even growl when a stranger knocks at the door. However, they will greet that same stranger with their tail wagging unless unless otherwise provoked. They are not naturally wary of strangers as the other breeds, nor should they be. They are people friendly dogs who happen to have a bad reputation due to man's interference and selfish desires.
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