Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for September 21, 2023

Some dogs are dangerous, especially chihuahuas.

Somewhere in the universe, Betty White is smiling.

Good point, Pig!

another feel thought…

Not funny but very true!

The common thing to say is “There, I fixed it for you!”

Our dog always barks at my brother.

That’s about 90% true. I still remember the dogs that would chase me when I was on my paper route. No leash laws in WY.

Michael Vick.

Some dogs are trained to be dangerous because that’s their jobs, namely guard dogs and police dogs

In the words of Barbara Woodhouse: There a no bad dogs, just bad owners.

Shared this with my friend who rehabilitates dogs who have been mistreated.

Pig prints very neatly. Maybe he could get a job doing the lettering for comics.

Pig has it exactly right.

I’ve often heard it said that a person’s character is revealed by how he treats his pets.

Both the original sign and the amended sign can be true.

I’m at a point in my life where I would rather spend time with my dogs instead of most humans.

Monkey see, monkey do. Doggy pee, doggy poo.

Right on, Pig!

Got a problem with Bully XL dog owners. At least 1 person killed, several injured including a child. Owner just watched

Before I retired from delivering the mail, I always would tell people “There are no bad dogs. There’s only bad owners.”

My thoughts are that people want the luxury of having a dog without the responsibility of owning a dog.

Generally you are correct, Pig. Not 100%, but yeah often it is mistreatment and/or “trained to protect” that makes a dog dangerous. Sometimes it’s just a little snarling, biting, sh!t right from puppyhood, though, in the same litter raised by the same people as the nice ones.

Pig you are sooo smart

A very good point there.

Pig speaks on behalf of his fellow animals.

Pig has the right idea, for sure.

I would urge a little caution. When dealing with personalities, and dogs have them, nothing is 100%. I knew a big dog who was always treated well and was homicidally jealous.

Pitbulls are always dangerous. I was severely bit by one that was treated well. And before anyone states otherwise: Science has proven it. Which is why they are legally banned on all military installations.

Oh man…spot on!

Generally speaking, I agree.

I think Pig has it right on this issue.

All dogs can be dangerous if they perceive a threat.

Well-meant but as proven by the number of scared, traumatized dogs in the world, it’s not possible to ‘make’ them dangerous. Plenty of very nice dogs are treated badly and they still have faith in people—more than the few who might actually bite, and bite cases are more common in well-loved family dogs who think it’s okay to let the kids climb all over the dog… so… this sign should just say “Beware of people who mistreat dogs, for they are dangerous.”

We once had a chihuahua. She was the sweetest thing most of time…but if she did not want to get picked up, she did NOT want to get picked up.

My friend’s dog 99% of the time: “I am the happiest, most playful dog you’ll ever meet in your life! Please be my friend!”

My friend’s dog the night her neighbor ran to her house to escape an abusive boyfriend and the boyfriend pounded on the door looking for her: “Want to see what it would look like if the lead singer of Disturbed started Hulking out while singing ‘The Sound of Silence’?”

All the signs up that read “Pray to End Abortion”, should be replaced with signs that read “Education and Birth Control to End Abortion”. Prayer doesn’t work, taking action does.

Try visiting with a rancher or farmer who has a blue heeler, and you’ll think differently. And all are well treated. Chihuahuas to. Doberman’s, watch the crotch.

You may make a good point about that, Pig, but wait until you meet with the owner of that sign who will chew you out for supposedly vandalizing it.

There’s a guy with a channel – I think it’s call SITTING WITH DOGS – who just sits in the kennels at a shelter (I think in Las Vegas) and tells about the dog and all sorts of things. They get a lot of adoptions because people see his channel. I found it by accident while watching cat videos.

I agree with Pig.

This is a great strip!

Hear, hear!

Even the dog breeds that are aggressive and big and strong enough to make good on that aggression are products of selective breeding by humans, so the point still holds.

Dogs are born NATURALLY loving/depending on us humans! In a study, a wolf will REFUSE human help in a puzzle-related situation. A dog, once they realize how hard the puzzle is, will ALWAYS sit down and look for help!!! It’s SO ADORABLE!!! <3<3

Even some well treated dogs are dangerous. Certain breeds more than others. That being said, pets are great and everybody should understand that animals are still animals and people should always know that we can’t completely know what an animal will do. Heck, this is true even about many humans.

But a guard dog – on duty guarding – IS dangerous to anyone trying to trespass. THAT is what the sign is for. Because if someone wanders onto your property, and gets bit, you could be sued. The dog doesn’t know an innocent ‘cutting through property’ versus a malicious trespass – so you warn others to stay away unless invited.

Sad day when pit bull propaganda hits the comic strips.

except this is not true. Its nature over nurture.

Beware of dogs specifically bred to hunt people or fight bulls and bears.

Bravo……

Amen, AmenSay it again. signed. Woof

A postman told my dad that chows were the worst. They could act all waggy and friendly, then before you knew it, they were attacking you. Weirdest experience I had was with two German Shepards. Snarling, growling but kept their distance. I put the flyer on the porch and as soon as I stepped on the porch, all friendly. As soon as I stepped off that porch, psychos again. Also, we had Gandolph. Crossbreed. Stockiness of a Rott-Weiler with the size of a Great Dane and the biggest 200# chicken you ever saw. (A Yorkie freaked him out once.)

Poodles are dangerous dogs. It is hard to handle a dog that is smarter than most owners.

Bulldogs are dangerous. In time the owners and the dogs start looking alike.

getting really tired of dog propaganda

My “Beware of Dog” sign was simply warning to people that if they opened the gate, my dog would be halfway down the street before he realized you were someone he didn’t know.

I approve this message!

Several years ago, the governor of Texas signed into law that allowed law enforcement to keep their ‘retired’ K-9 “officers” as their personal property (despite being bought and paid for by THE TAXPAYER), what kind of idiotic thinking brought this up, to allow these vicious, trained to kill, or maim, attack animals to live in a neighborhood setting is asinine, as it is only a matter of time before one “goes off the leash”, so to speak, and attacks an innocent bystander.And, to make it clear, I have NO problem with the military allowing their dog handlers to bring home the dogs that they had worked with.

I was chased by a pekingese once.

…and people who never take the time or effort to train their dogs so they don’t bark outside 23 hours a day…

Explain to me again, how do you create thousands of breeds? Probably not the milk of human kindness.

Sometimes pit bulls get a bad rap because of the idiots who train them to fight.

I hear Chow-Chow’s like to nip.(Nervous breed).

And this strip doesn’t HAVE a dog,for some reason.

That’s true and very important to say.

Unfortunately both versions are all too true. Many dangerous dogs wouldn’t be if they hadn’t been neglected or abused, though there are some breeds that are breed to be dangerous. Like Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Pit Bulls….

Amen!! no dog is born mean or dangerous

Can’t argue with that correction, Pig.

Sometimes, Pig gets it right….