This is both true and untrue at the same time. To really understand how shelter dogs really are not aggressive, even those deemed aggressive by shelter staff you have to understand canine psychology and the shelter system. Imagine yourself as a scared, hungry and cold animal forgotten by your previous owner because the two of you just could not communicate properly. You're in the wilderness looking for anything edible when you find yourself in a live trap, then carried off by strangers to a loud, cramped and smelly building where you are poked, prodded and tested. You may fear for your life, and thus snap at or growl at one or more of the big hands that are picking you up and shoving you from cage to cage. Of course this is not how it actually happens from the human's perspective, but the dog does not understand this process and becomes frightened. He wants to protect himself, so he growls, barks, lunges or even bites. This could land him on the euthanasia list, and further feeds the stigma that all shelter dogs are aggressive. In reality, they are only
This is both true and untrue at the same time. To really understand how shelter dogs really are not aggressive, even those deemed aggressive by shelter staff you have to understand canine psychology and the shelter system. Imagine yourself as a scared, hungry and cold animal forgotten by your previous owner because the two of you just could not communicate properly. You're in the wilderness looking for anything edible when you find yourself in a live trap, then carried off by strangers to a loud, cramped and smelly building where you are poked, prodded and tested. You may fear for your life, and thus snap at or growl at one or more of the big hands that are picking you up and shoving you from cage to cage. Of course this is not how it actually happens from the human's perspective, but the dog does not understand this process and becomes frightened. He wants to protect himself, so he growls, barks, lunges or even bites. This could land him on the euthanasia list, and further feeds the stigma that all shelter dogs are aggressive. In reality, they are only