Posted 5:09 PM by Gene

Today a Barkenbeit barked at me for no cause which made me again ponder the reasons people get Barkenbeits (i.e., German shepherds, Rottweilers, and their honorary cousins pit bulls): 1. To bite meter readers and postal clerks, 2. To annoy the neighbors in the night, and 3. To maim or kill children. Of course people don't get these -- pets for these reasons, but it works out that way. We'd wager Barkenbeits bite more meter readers and postal clerks than burglars, and they maim more children than they deter murderers. Of course there's no way of proving it, but you figure dogs as mean looking as Barkenbeits aren't there to cuddle with -- and who'd want to cuddle up to the typical Rottweiler? I suppose their fans point to their constant barking as a "deterrent". Auto alarms at 2 a.m. may be a deterrent also -- to what we don't know. And they're even more effective at barking than Barkenbeits.

And their fans have excuses:

In the US, the Rottweiler was the number one breed of dog named in fatal human attacks in 2000, in a report by the CDC^[8]. These reports must be read in the context of the breed's popularity as it was the most popular breed in the United States in the same period.

Oh.

In fairness we've no doubt some of the Barkenbeits are beautiful, friendly dogs. But too many of them are Barkenbeits.