best dog food for german shepherd lab mix puppy

Though the importance of this mineral cannot be overstated, it is very important to strike a balance. Just as a deficiency in calcium can cause problems in dogs so can excess calcium. In this blog, we will provide tips on how to ensure your dog has the right balance of calcium in their diet. Calcium requirements for dogs are dependent on factors such as breed, age, genetics and condition. According to the NRC, healthy adult dogs generally require 50 mg of calcium per kilogram of body weight. For example, a 5 kg dog about 11 lbs. The Association of Animal Feed Control Officials also publishes a list about the nutritional requirements for dogs, which serves as the guidelines for commercial foods that are sold in the US. This list can be used for additional reference in learning about the appropriate level of calcium for your dog. Because calcium is a mineral; your dog cannot produce or synthesize it. The following are some dietary sources of calcium for your dog: Enriched Dog Food: Commercial dog foods in the United States, in order to be considered complete and balanced , need to contain recommended daily dosage of calcium for your dog. This is usually the most common source of calcium for dogs and, in healthy adult dogs, provides adequate amounts of calcium. Bones: Bones contain calcium so bone meal is an obvious source of calcium for dogs. However, keep in mind that whole bones can be unsafe for dogs especially small bones. Most veterinarians agree that bones should be processed with a blender into a fine powder and then added to the dog's food. Whole Foods: Aside from dog kibble, there are also many whole foods that are naturally rich in calcium can be an excellent source of calcium for dogs. This includes dairy, such as yogurt and cheese; make sure that your dog is not lactose-intolerant as dairy can cause sensitivities in some dogs. Other natural sources for calcium include vegetables and legumes such as broccoli, spinach, and beans, as well as fish tuna and salmon are especially calcium rich. You can also ground up some eggshells, as this is a natural calcium-rich food for dogs. Calcium Supplements: Calcium supplements can also be a source of calcium to dogs, but should be taken with precaution. Dietary calcium is more easily absorbed and integrated through the gastrointestinal barrier. Check out our video below on Calcium-Rich Foods for Dogs. While calcium is necessary for strong bones, a traditional calcium supplement may not be the right answer. Instead, consider putting your dog on a bone health supplement that is tailored to provide bone support and includes proper and safe doses of calcium and other minerals. One nutrient that is very beneficial to bones is lactoferrin. Neo-PORTIN Complex promotes healthy bone turnover in dogs and helps your dog better utilize the dietary calcium when consumed through its food. For further reading on nutrient requirements on dogs, you can check out the AAFCO website or read this great manual published by the National Research Council. The information provided should not be a replacement for medical advice. Consult with your veterinarian to discuss calcium needs or concerns for your dog. The best, safest way to do this is to consult with a board certified veterinary nutritionist to ensure that your dog receives the best feeding options. In general, the nutritionist will evaluate your pet, perform, or review lab work, create a recipe, and prescribe supplements specific to your pet. Most people feed a commercial diet. There are hundreds of dog food on the market and each one is fighting to capture your attention. Marketing trends play a huge role into how the nutritional value of dog food is perceived by owners, as well as their personal biases toward ingredients and manufacturers. Couple that with the needs of individual dogs and suddenly choosing the right dog food can be overwhelming. What works splendidly for one dog may result in digestive upset, itching, yeast, hot spots, and more for another. What to look for when feeding your German shepherd: When choosing a dog food, the first thing to look for is the AAFCO, Association of American Feed Control Officials, nutritional adequacy statement on the pet food label. This is a statement will tell you if the food is complete and balanced for a particular life stage, such as growth, reproduction, adult maintenance, or a combination of these, or intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. For nutritional purposes, dogs weighing 50 pounds, or more are generally considered large breed by many dog food manufactures. However, AAFCO defines a large breed puppies and dogs as any dog whose adult weight is expected to exceed 70 pounds. Since the breed standard for full grown male German shepherds is pounds and females are pounds, German shepherds are considered large breed dogs for nutritional purposes. Large breed pups eating balanced diets containing recommended amounts of calcium do not need calcium supplements. How much should you feed your large breed dog? After you weigh a portion, you can easily measure out in a cup for ease of daily feeding. However, they can suffer from muscle wasting, cognitive decline, pain, stiffness, arthritis and weakened immune systems that can lead to inflammation and disease. As dogs age, changes to their metabolic function, energy requirements, nutrient requirements fat, protein, carbohydrate, amino acids , and digestion take place. Yet, they continue to require high quality protein, usually with less fat. There are many great senior foods on the market that can provide health benefits to promote a healthy weight, immune system support, and even help improve cognitive function. We hope these tips help you find the right food for your large breed dog. As always, please feel free to share. But with so many different dog food choices on the market, it can be challenging to decide which type of food is right for your dog. So, do German Shepherds need large breed food? German Shepherds need large breed food as it is made with balanced nutrition specifically designed for larger breeds. These foods include a higher amount of protein, lower amounts of calcium, phosphorus, fat, and the correct amount of fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Is large breed food necessary for a German Shepherd puppy? What is the difference between large breed dog food and regular? Do adult German Shepherds also need large breed food? So, what exactly is a large breed dog? Well, the specifics will differ from source to source, but it mostly boils down to any dog weighing over 50 pounds when fully grown. Now let us take a look at the German Shepherd specifically, however as with any breed, there can be variation. German Shepherds typically grow to be anywhere between 22 and 26 inches tall — and that is pretty big. Weight-wise, you can expect your GSD to weigh well over 50 pounds. In fact, some bigger-sized male German Shepherds can be over 90 pounds and be taller. My female GSD is one big girl — she weighs 88lbs and stands 27 inches tall! My German Shepherd Willow — definitely a large breed dog! Therefore, you would be wise to purchase dog food specifically designed for larger breeds, whether your German Shepherd is a puppy or an adult. But why? You may think that large breed dog food is a sales gimmick. Giving your German Shepherd regular puppy food while growing can be somewhat dangerous to his health. Large breed dogs grow fast, sometimes too fast! However, large breed dog foods will typically feature whole proteins, such as protein from chicken, beef, or fish. These whole proteins come complete with all essential amino acids required for their development. Chicken is ideal as a whole protein as it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which are beneficial to joints. Omega 3 and Omega 6 These fatty acids are incredibly beneficial to your German Shepherd and are commonly seen in large-breed dog foods. These fats lead to healthy skin and hair for your furry best friend while also increasing their cardiovascular health. German Shepherds are known for being heavy shedders, and one way to help reduce year-round shedding is the inclusion of omega fatty acids in their diet. Fiber Large dogs may have a more significant challenge when it comes to regularity. That is why most large breed dog foods will contain extra fiber that comes from all-natural, plant-based ingredients, such as pumpkin or sweet potato. These ingredients will lead to a healthy digestive system, which also goes hand-in-hand with a healthy weight. Vitamin D Vitamin D is critical for your German Shepherd to regulate how much calcium and phosphorus he absorbs. Dogs get their vitamin D through their diet or by exposure to sunlight. This is why having a large-breed dog food with sufficient Vitamin D is essential to his health. Less Energy Density Now, this is where his health really comes into play. You see, when your German Shepherd is a puppy, he will have a higher capacity for nutrients than smaller breeds. And he can technically be a puppy for up to 2 years, so take that into consideration when thinking about adult food. Therefore, your German Shepherd must have a large-breed food as a puppy as it is formulated with fewer calories and fat content. It will simply allow him to grow at a slower, healthier rate that is optimum for his bone and joint health. Overfeeding can cause damage to these critical areas and can also lead to obesity. Less Calcium Aside from fewer calories and fat content, you may also notice that large breed dog foods have fewer calcium levels. This is simply because too much or even too little calcium can cause problems during growth. Your German Shepherd needs the correct calcium levels to help his bones grow properly, at the intended rate. This is especially important during their first few months of life. Less Phosphorus Phosphorus works hand-in-hand with calcium to ensure the skeletal system is growing correctly. Just as it is essential to have lower calcium levels, your German Shepherd also needs a lower amount of phosphorus and the correct ratio to calcium between and 1. That is why I highly recommend that you feed your German Shepherd large-breed dog food, especially during the growing stages. Now you know how important it is to make sure that you buy puppy food that is designed for larger breeds. Doing so will ensure that he grows at the rate he is supposed to, without becoming overweight. But what about when your German Shepherd is an adult? Is large breed dog food necessary then, too? Yes, large breed dog food is also important when your German Shepherd is an adult. The large breed dog food designed for adults will contain the proper nutrient balances, much like the puppy food, to ensure your dog stays in tip-top shape. This is because German Shepherds will continue to grow into their second year, much like other larger breeds. You do not want to switch him too early as the nutrient levels will be slightly altered to keep your adult dog healthy and strong during his adult life. Free-feeding of large breed puppies is also not recommended. This can also help prevent bloat GDV from which large breed dogs, especially deep-chested ones, are more prone. Pro Tip! This is because large breed dog foods are designed with specific nutrient benefits that help with their growth levels and bone and joint health. Related Posts You May Like:. The ingredients shown here are the basis of a very healthy diet — but without the ground eggshell added in, the diet would be incomplete and imbalanced. Giving an inappropriate amount of calcium either too much or too little can cause orthopedic problems in growing puppies, especially large-breed puppies during the first six months when they are growing the fastest. But giving too little calcium can lead to bone disease and more in adult dogs, too. I reviewed more than 30 books on homemade diets for WDJ some years ago. Unfortunately, this is not true. For both dogs and humans, the body must keep calcium levels in the blood within a specific range to prevent serious health issues, including loss of muscle control, seizures , and even death. Adult dogs are able to control their blood calcium levels by absorbing a greater or lesser percentage of dietary calcium, depending on the amount fed, though this can be impacted by the amount of vitamin D in the diet as well, as vitamin D promotes calcium absorption. Note that puppies do not have the ability to control their absorption of calcium before puberty, and thus can suffer the negative effects of too little or too much calcium and vitamin D very quickly. Calories from treats, chews, and shared snacks can add up quickly, especially for small dogs and couch potatoes, unbalancing whatever type of diet you feed. Limit treats to healthy foods in small amounts. Dogs are happier to get two or three tiny treats than one large one! When adult dogs are given too little calcium for long periods like months , they develop a condition called nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. In this situation, the body produces excess parathyroid hormone to draw needed calcium from their bones, which can also result in elevated levels of phosphorus in the blood. Parathyroid hormone is completely different from thyroid hormones; the name is given because the parathyroid glands are located adjacent to the thyroid glands. Parathyroid hormones are responsible for regulating calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood. Hyperparathyroidism too much parathyroid hormone can also be caused by a tumor on one of the parathyroid glands primary hyperparathyroidism or by advanced kidney disease renal secondary hyperparathyroidism. Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism is usually linked to a deficiency of calcium, sometimes combined with too little vitamin D. When the body produces too much parathyroid hormone, it causes demineralization of the bones, which may result in lameness, bone pain, swelling, stiffness or limping , not wanting to move, and even spontaneous fractures. Adult dogs may develop spinal deformities, loose teeth, or neurological signs. Puppies are more likely to develop deformities in their legs and joints that may leave them unable to walk normally. If the condition is not corrected quickly, it could lead to long-term orthopedic disorders. However, most homemade diets require added calcium with a few notable exceptions. DO NOT add calcium to a home-prepared diet if: You feed a raw diet that includes raw meaty bones RMBs — parts such as chicken and turkey necks where the bone is fully consumed. You use a supplement that is especially designed to complete and balance a homemade diet, such as those made by Balance IT and Just Food For Dogs. When using supplements or base mixes that promise to complete a homemade diet, make certain that the product includes a complete nutritional analysis showing appropriate amounts of calcium. Calcium guidelines can be determined in several different ways, including the body weight of the dog, the dry matter percentage of the food, and the calories that the dog needs. The amount of moisture water in food can vary from about 10 percent or less in dry foods kibble , dehydrated , freeze-dried to 80 per percent or more in wet foods canned , fresh , frozen, raw , cooked. Calculating nutritional requirements based on the number of calories your dog needs is the simplest method, but comes with some warnings as well. The right amount to feed will also be affected by how many calories your dog gets from treats, chews, leftovers, and other sources. In particular, inactive dogs who eat less food for their weight than would be expected should get most of their calories from a balanced diet in order to avoid nutritional deficiencies. They recommend feeding adult dogs at least 1 mg of calcium per Calorie kcal , which is the same as 1 gram 1, mg per 1, kcal Mcal. One other factor affects how much calcium your dog needs: phosphorus. There should always be at least as much calcium as phosphorus in the diet, up to twice as much for healthy dogs or three times as much for dogs with kidney disease. You will need to know how many calories your dog is likely to need, based on his ideal weight — not his actual weight. See Table I on the next page for the approximate amounts of calcium to add to homemade diets for dogs of various sizes and various activity levels in order to provide 1. The amount of calcium you give does not need to be exact. These diets also have an equivalently higher amount of phosphorus. If you feed a diet that is part commercial, part homemade, adjust the calcium amounts shown in Table I appropriately. For example, if you feed half homemade, give half the amount of calcium shown. Calcium for Puppies is Trickier All of these guidelines are for adult dogs only. Puppies are trickier. The maximum amount of calcium that puppies should get is 4. Puppies also need more phosphorus than adult dogs do. Puppies need bone meal or some other type of supplement that provides both calcium and phosphorus, in order to provide the correct amount and ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Any form of plain calcium, without other ingredients such as vitamin D, is fine. Dogs do need vitamin D, but since dogs need more calcium but not more vitamin D than people do, the amount of vitamin D that you would end up giving when using a combination product would be too high. Calcium carbonate is usually the cheapest and the easiest to give, as it has more elemental calcium than most other calcium compounds, so you will need to add less powder to the food. One easy way to provide calcium is to use eggshells that have been washed, dried, and ground to powder in a clean coffee grinder or blender. One large eggshell will make about one level teaspoon of eggshell powder weighing 5.

At the age of four, he cooks a live kitten in an oven. Hearing the poor animal meow as it dies is heartbreaking. Said individual's probably the most twisted of the pilots, and deliberately causes massive death and property damage during his battle to give his father opportunities to rebuild. Kon is aghast at the state of the Tachikawas' cats and rushes to groom six months of unbrushed hair off of all of them, clean their bowls, and feed them. The Tachikawas never actually wanted the cats, but in their grandfather's will, he insists that the cats be taken care of. As a result, the Tachikawas don't actually know how to care for them or even their names, showing that the sorry state the cats are in at the beginning of the story is more out of ignorance than malicious neglect. Shows up in more than one Doraemon film. Right in the first movie, Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur , the Dinosaur Hunters are poachers working for a futuristic billionaire, who hunts and kills stray dinosaurs for sport with a lingering scene in their boss' mansion hideout - filled with taxidermized dinosaurs and gigantic skeletons. They even have an arena to watch dinosaurs maul each other to death, for no reason other than to drive in how evil they are. Elfen Lied : Tomoo, the orphanage bully who teased Lucy for her horns went as far as to take the puppy she had been taking care of and beat it to death. Shocking considering they're supposed to be seven years old. It doesn't end well for the kids. Jagi, a preteen boy and one of the aforementioned Ryuuken's kids, attempts to kill the puppy in response by stomping it, but the puppy is saved by Jagi's step-brother, Kenshiro, who takes Jagi's stomp in order to protect it before bringing it back to Yuria. Jagi grew up to be a psychotic murderer, while Kenshiro grew up to be The Hero who ended Jagi's life. Shou Tucker from Fullmetal Alchemist experiments on animals to create his chimera. That is fine as many alchemists and scientists do experiments on animals.However, part of why he's so atrocious is because his experiments involved combining humans with animals. When he made his second talking chimera, he used his young daughter and their pet dog. Both were Mercy Killed by Scar a few hours later. His first talking chimera used his wife. However, things really come to a head when she walks in on her grandmother drowning puppies in their bathtub as a sacrifice to protect the family by pacifying Oyashiro. Shortly after, her mom apparently kills the grandmother because she's becoming a menace and destroying their peaceful life in the city. This is later subverted when it's revealed Natsumi is an Unreliable Narrator who murdered her grandmother and parents. Natsumi's grandmother did drown puppies but it's a morally dubious case of superstition rather than outright villainy. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure uses this trope very frequently. Hirohiko Araki is a dog lover himself and uses a villain harming an animal as easy shorthand to show that they're past the Moral Event Horizon. In Part 1 , Dio literally kicks a dog Danny, Jonathan's pet Great Dane as soon as he arrives at the hero's home, and later burns it alive. After that point, animals, and especially dogs, usually suffer cruel fates to the current villain of the series. A century later, DIO demonstrates his Time Stop to the audience by brutally dismembering a cat and putting the pieces in people's food while planning how to kill Joseph. A notable exception, and a prime example of Contrasting Sequel Antagonist , is the villain Kars in Part 2. He goes out of his way to protect living things that aren't human, as in one scene where he cuts off the arms of a driver to prevent them from running over a dog. This trait goes out the window when Kars gains The Power of Creation as part of ascending to the Ultimate Life Form, which he first tests by making a double of a squirrel that messily devours the original. Lots of examples from Part 3 : Rubber Soul, having caught Jotaro in a cable car, takes his time using his Stand Yellow Temperance to crush and devour a pet dog in front of its owners including a child! Mannish Boy uses his Stand, Death 13 , to kill a dog in Polnareff's dream. Later, the dog is found dead in the same way, first hinting at the Stand's ability to kill people in their dreams. Even other animals can use this to show their villainy. Case in point: Pet Shop, a bird villain , has its Establishing Character Moment when it pulls a pair of dogs under a gate, decapitates them, and starts to eat them. Although he'd already crossed the Moral Event Horizon at that point by killing Avdol, Vanilla Ice further demonstrates his vileness by brutally kicking Iggy to death. One of the first things we see the Starter Villain Anjuro "Angelo" Katagiri do is bite off a pug dog's face. All because the owner wasn't cleaning up after it. Subverted with Tonio Trussardi. Josuke, sneaking into his kitchen after he suspects something is up with him, sees him feeding one of his meals to a small dog, then grinning like a loon when the dog's intestines explode out and screaming at Josuke when he catches him. Only it turns out the dog's perfectly fine; Tonio's Stand Pearl Jam has the power to cure any ailment, albeit in a visceral manner , and the dog was just suffering from a bad case of diarrhea. He only got mad at Josuke for entering the kitchen without washing his hands. Yoshikage Kira, the eventual Big Bad , made his 'debut' in the past by brutally murdering Reimi Sugimoto and her dog Arnold, the latter by slashing his throat and hanging him on the clothes dryer. Formaggio from Part 5 is introduced trying to pet an angry cat. Eventually, he gets annoyed and stuffs it into a glass bottle by using his Stand, Little Feet, which can shrink things. In Part 6 , Lang Rangler throws live rats at Jolyne while fighting her. When they go splat against her cloud suit's helmet, her vision is obscured by the blood. King Hamdo, the psychotic ruler of Hellywood from Now and Then, Here and There , is introduced in the middle of an emotional outburst when a cat interrupts him. Guess what happens to the cat. Go on, guess. Boa Hancock of One Piece has a habit of literally Kicking The Dog or a cat or a baby seal whenever she comes across them. She starts as a villain that Luffy opposes, but then becomes infatuated with him after showing his kindness; she still kicks little critters around, though, as she's still a big-name pirate. He isn't exactly a villain but is by far Ash's most antagonistic rival. Eventually, he does see his errors by the end , with the Chimchar he abused defeating him in the Sinnoh League as a fully evolved Infernape. Charmander's original trainer Damian was an abusive boy who told him that he'd come back for him, even when he had no intention of doing so. He didn't even care that Charmander would have died due to his Undying Loyalty causing him to stay on the rock even in a storm. In the Black and White series, we have Pignite's former trainer Shamus. He abuses his Pokemon and is pointed out as being bad. In Psycho-Pass 2, the season finale reveals that Tougane was groomed as a child by his mother to be criminally asymptomatic, and one of the first things we see him do in his childhood is murder a puppy. In Revolutionary Girl Utena , Nanami ended up drowning her brother Touga's kitten because he was giving it more attention than her. Though not evil per se, she's definitely an antagonist of the Alpha Bitch variety for much of the show and clearly has a number of mental issues mostly involving her brother that don't really get addressed until late in the story. Her track record with animals in the present of the show is implied to be Laser-Guided Karma for this incident, as well as a curse put on her by Anthy , a well-known animal lover and frequent victim of Nanami's abuse. In the first episode of Sailor Moon , a group of nasty kids were shown viciously beating Luna the Cat and forcibly putting a band-aid on her head. Fortunately for Luna, she is rescued by Usagi , who removes the band-aid that covered Luna's "crescent spot" on her head. This reveals Luna as a magical cat. Satou Kashi no Dangan wa Uchinukenai : The troubled though not outright antagonistic Mokuzu ends up killing all her school's rabbits, beheading one of them, and stuffing its head in her school bag. Mokuzu's dad beat their dog, to the point where he killed him. This serves as foreshadowing to Mokuzu's own death. Spy X Family : Keith Kepler, leader of the nationalistic university student terrorists , plans to release dogs with bombs strapped to them during the middle of a peace summit, and set off the explosives to kill the visiting foreign minister, and other dignitatries, with the hope of restarting the war so that his country can reign supreme. To show how the deep end he is, Keith's even shown kicking a dog inside on his gang's safehouse just for the hell of it. In Tokyo Ghoul , Juuzou Suzuya is ostracised by his fellows in the CCG partly because mutilated corpses of small animals, mostly cats, turned up on the CCG Academy grounds while he was a student there. Suzuya had a horrifically abusive upbringing that left him almost unable to have empathy for other living things, and he is certainly violent and creepy. But he was framed. The real culprits were one of the staff, a psychopathic torturer, and another unstable student who was suffering psychotic breaks and disassociation. Suzuya displayed a lack of reaction when found with the bodies which made him ideal to blame instead, and it wasn't investigated very closely out of fear the organisation's reputation would suffer. In a flashback of Your Lie in April , Kousei's abusive mom abandoned their pet cat after it scratched him on the hand. Kousei was being harshly trained to be a pianist to abusive degrees and his mother didn't want anything to happen to his hands. In the first stage, an antisocial boy named Tom Nero tortures a dog for his own amusement. In the second stage, now an adult, he savagely beats his own coach horse out of frustration until he puts out its eye. In the third stage, he graduates to robbery and the seduction and murder of a servant girl. The fourth stage displays his "reward" for his crimes: execution and, to add insult to injury, dissection. Comic Books AD : Judge Dredd : When Judge Death recounts how he began his long career of evil in his Origins Episode , the first obvious clue that he was an Enfant Terrible are his early sadistic tendencies of torturing the family dog and shooting at birds. Zombo : Played for laughs in a throwaway gag, when one of President of the Earth Donald Trump's assistants mentions that his boss once shredded a puppy. In Afterlife with Archie , when she was ten, Cheryl's puppy choked on her leash. It's later implied their relationship is at least somewhat forced by Jason. Evil Jimmy Olsen kills Superman, who has been turned into a dog, by crushing him underneath a fire hydrant. The Joker is simply annoyed because he doesn't know how to make something as pointless as beating a dumb animal funny. Jimmy Olsen is then beaten to death by two giant robots who appear out of nowhere. At least one take on Mister Freeze's origins had him, as a child , trying to "preserve" his pets by locking them in the freezer though it could be argued that he wasn't trying to be cruel so much as very, very out of touch with reality. The Penguin is often shown eating fish whole sometimes they're still alive as he eats them , as a nod to his namesake. He also wears fur coats, since he's a Rich Bitch. In the comic Joker's Asylum , a young Penguin goes insane and kills his birds just because one bit him. Also, in the film Batman Returns , he holds his sword-umbrella to Catwoman's pet cat, and he killed his parents' cat as a baby. The villain of the Ace the Bathound story "Hounded" in Batman: Urban Legends runs a pet cemetery and animal shelter which is actually a training camp for supervillain pets, and also performs unnecessary experiments on the animals For the Evulz. When he's being given a humanitarian award , he has a speech saying that when you see how people treat animals, you know how they'd like to treat other people. The amorality of one villain was shown when he chastises his Dumb Muscle over a mistake, picking up the goon's kitten as he goes on. By the time he leaves the room, the cat's neck was broken as punishment for the goon's failure. Calexit : Jamil's first on-screen customer was a soldier that recounts how his sister's ex spitefully poisoned their hummingbird feeder and had to watch the birds die. Calico : The villains that Calico targets are people who have hurt animals in some way. Issue 1 has him kill a rich family who shot a lioness on a hunting trip, and Issue 2 has him decapitate a man who clubbed baby seals. The Darkness : Appolonia Franchetti snaps her pet cat's neck in front of Jackie just to prove a point about how she will never let anything get in her way. The worst thing is that she did it right after saying she raised him since he was a kitten and he was very precious to her and she will miss him when he is gone. Spectacularly subverted by Marvel Comics' Doctor Doom , who lost a match against Squirrel Girl and her battalion of squirrels because Doom refuses to be cruel to small, cute critters. In Sin City : Family Values, a mafia hitman recounts how he "lit up" a diner with twin Uzis, killing everybody inside, then stopped just to shoot a stray dog before making his getaway. This proved to be his fatal mistake, as the collateral damage from this event shooting a prostitute in a phone booth next to the dog brought the wrath of Old Town onto his entire organization. Superman : In The Leper from Krypton , Lex Luthor puts an indeterminate number of rabbits and cats through a terrible death to test his newly created virus, and later to fool world governments into paying for a fake cure. And he is smiling gleefully every time. The Super-Revenge of Lex Luthor : Lex permanently damages a rabbit's brain to test his skills at psychological manipulation. Ultimate X-Men : It's revealed in issue 99 that Sabretooth abused animals as a child, always a bad sign of things to come. Surtr in Valhalla is one of the most evil and cruel Jotunns, and has abused Fenrir, making him turn from a lovable Big Friendly Dog who just hates to be chained to an evil, rampaging beast. Wonder Woman : As part of cementing that the Stalker with a Crush Diana nabbed while he was following his victim is a dangerous threat to the woman he "loves" he'd previously killed the woman's pets for getting engaged to another man even though she'd never been in a relationship with him and had a restraining order against him. Comic Strips Dick Tracy : Not only was Miss Egghead an aficionado of Beastly Bloodsports — running a stable of gamecocks — but she also strangled a young girl's pet rooster in front of her. Footrot Flats : Unlike his father and brother, who restrict their bullying to those who can theoretically fight back, Fat Bastard 'Hunk' Murphy likes to indulge in such petty acts of cruelty as pulling the wings off butterflies. Fairy Tales The King Of The Golden River : When explaining why Schwartz and Hans, "the Black Brothers", are two nasty pieces of work, the narrator talks about them killing innocent animals before everything else abusing and underpaying servants, hoarding corn and then selling it for twice its value.Besides what they did to those once-little critters that subsequently led to them becoming so monstrously sadistic , the author commented that said Precursors probably enjoyed taking electric prods to whatever animal equated to puppies in their home. In the Recursive Fanfiction one-shot Finding You Genocide , the Titan Camazotz and his minions massacre numerous wild animals and drop their remains from the sky on Monster X like a visceral rain for no other reason than to intimidate Monster X. Eventually the Darkrai turned on him and attacked him so ferociously that he was forced to release it, but it continued to haunt him and inflict terrifying nightmares on him every new moon. Four years later, the Darkrai was still stalking its old Trainer and forcing him to endure its nightmares, causing him to be reduced to a shadow of his former self. The Bolt Chronicles : The puppy mill owner in "The Seven" abandons his dogs and leaves them to starve. Mittens's adoptive family especially Jack, the head of the household in "The Survivor" is nightmarishly abusive to animals. His daughter Claire is depicted as neglectful losing interest in the pets she acquires rather than outright abusive. A Boy, a Girl and a Dog: The Leithian Script : Back when the world was young, the first Dark Lord Morgoth used to catch eagles and hawks and cut their wings off to figure out how to make his own flying creatures or machines. He gets his comeuppance when the Daycare woman gives him a special egg that hatches into a shiny Treecko, which kills him. As a kid, she'd pull the legs off of bugs and laugh at animal deaths. His History Revealed: A Dr. Robotnik Biography : It was an unintentional death, but a sign of Harold Robotnik's cruelty and Sanity Slippage is how he tried to power his engine using his son's puppy. It didn't work as expected and the puppy all-but exploded. The Pokemon fic " Meanwhile " written before Pokemon Journeys aired reveals that Pikachu was subjected to emotional abuse by his trainer before Ash; his first trainer was emotionally distant at first, then showed kindness when he learnt what was needed for the then-Pichu to evolve into Pikachu, and afterwards kept Pikachu trapped in his Poke Ball and made it clear he only ever saw Pikachu as a tool to win battles rather than a person. Pikachu observes to Meowth that this is the reason why he doesn't want to evolve into Raichu, as thinking about the sensation of evolving makes him remember the trainer who was so dismissive towards him before, and he never wants to feel that way again. The Rigel Black Chronicles : When she finds the first threatening message left by the mysterious assailant petrifying students, Harry is horrified to find the caretaker's cat and its six new kittens, dead and nailed to the wall to underscore how deadly serious the attacker is. Turning Point : According to Hector, the same healer who accused Lisa of witchcraft also liked to poison cats. Later on in the same chapter, Olive uses the Pudding-inator on the pigeons Polly Graph's, specifically that attack Odd Todd and turns them all to pudding out of sheer instinct, which proves to be the final nail in the coffin that makes her join the Todd Squad. In With Pearl and Ruby Glowing , Bill Cipher rips the teeth out of a deer and, since he's human here, doesn't magically put them back, instead letting it free to starve. Less gratuitously, Ratigan kills Toby when breaking into Basil's home, and Madame Medusa live-feeds Brutus and Nero arguably cruel to them as well as the prey, as prey fighting back have been known to injure pet carnivores severely. Deconstructed, however, with Sea Hawk; as a severely abused child, he kills animals to regain a feeling of power over his life, but everyone dismisses him as an Enfant Terrible. Films — Animation Cruella DeVil from Dalmatians is so driven to have a dalmatian fur coat to compliment her fur coat obsession that she orders her goons to break into a house and steal some and then kill them all in the quickest way possible "Any way you like — poison them, drown them, bash them in the head! In the Bambi movies, the enemy and antagonist is Man. They murder animals often enough that animals have to watch out for them whenever going out in the meadow, and hide whenever they're in the forest. Subverted in that Man isn't actually presented as evil, though animals consider them horrifying gods who can kill them easily with their weird long arms. Wanting to present Man as a neutral character is why Walt Disney never showed their faces. El Primero from Ferdinand is a famous bullfighter who is an entitled, arrogant and pompous character who only spares Ferdinand in the climax at the insistence of the crowd. Judge Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame likens the Romani population of Paris to vermin, and even crushes an ant colony with a tile to make a point about wanting to destroy them. He even has no qualms in hurting Esmeralda's pet goat Djali, as he got one of his soldiers to capture the goat and have him detained along with Esmeralda and the rest of the Romani people to be executed. Surprisingly enough, he is NEVER shown to mistreat his horse Snowball, even ordering his soldiers not to hurt it when Phoebus attempts to escape on its back. Conrad Cuppman in the Hugo movies. He wants to make Hugo a movie star against his will and pretty much destroys Hugo's home when capturing him. Leafie from Leafie, a Hen into the Wild was kept in a small cage all her life surrounded by other hens, only destined to produce eggs. She escapes at the beginning into the wild. Her owner is presented as an antagonist who later tried to clip her adopted duck son's wings. Ursula the sea witch from Disney's The Little Mermaid has no regard for the well-being of others. She devours one of four terrified brine shrimp whole and alive like a cashew; she squeezes an anemone until it bleeds to use its blood as lipstick; at least two of the ingredients for her mermaid-to-human potion are live creatures in bottles, staring horrified at their impending doom. In her Vanessa disguise, Ursula kicks a growling Max the sheepdog and tries to strangle Scuttle. However, she does care for her pet moray eels Flotsam and Jetsam ; even becoming extremely distressed when they're accidentally killed by the trident which led to her Roaring Rampage of Revenge , but this is likely Moral Myopia at work. In Open Season , Shaw tries to murder animals he has no business killing, including Boog, a circus bear. He also goes out of his way to kill Elliot. He also falsely believes animals are trying to take over the world. Nicodemus: We were captured, put in cages, and sent to a place called Nimh. There were many animals there, in cages. They were put through the most unspeakable tortures.In the Shaun the Sheep feature film , Trumper imprisons most of the animals that he finds in what is essentially a prison, where they get little food and are treated like vermin. This is all to make him feel like a hero when he's actually pathetic. Plenty of examples can be found in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron , often rubbing shoulders with Humans Are Bastards. The stable master uses many bondage techniques in his effort to shoe and brand the titular stallion. Each failure dials up the cruelty a notch. The railroad men hitch more than one hundred horses to yokes to pull a huge locomotive to the top of a grade in winter, motivating them with crops and whips. The locomotive is too bulky to power itself up the slope, and even the horses struggle with the icy footing. J Sweetly Applecheeks maintains a facade of caring for animals in Tom and Jerry: The Movie , but he actually captures pampered pets and ransoms them back to their wealthy owners. His dingy basement is filled with cramped cages where he terrorizes the animals with a horsewhip. She's not particularly nice to Gromit either, trying to trap him in her house so he has to watch Wallace being blown up. Film — Live-Action American Psycho : After Patrick Bateman murders a homeless man in a dark alley, he immediately stomps his dog to death. A dog is stabbed in Andy Warhol's Bad. The killer in Angst narrates to the audience about how he tortured animals in his youth. Hilariously inverted in Austin Powers , as Dr. Evil outright kills several people on the account of upsetting his cat, Mr. Bigglesworth got upset because Dr. Evil got upset, which was because the assassins he hired failed to kill Austin Powers. Bravo the British channel had three idents that contained this trope. They consisted of one where we see rabbits on a farm roaming around, and then a grenade falls down and explodes them , one where a cat is locked up in a cage , and one ident where a goldfish is seen, then the camera zooms out to reveal that it's in a blender, leading to where the goldfish is blended off-screen. Brimstone : The first unambiguously cruel act the Reverend carries out on-screen is the wholesale slaughter of Elizabeth's livestock. A rather disturbing example is in a Deleted Scene in The Cat in the Hat : The main antagonist Larry Quinn, before going to negotiate with a television store owner, decides to hide Nevins in a TV set by tying him up with the TV's plug, forcing him to chew on it, and then forcefully throws him into the set. To make matters more unsettling, Nevins yelps after being thrown into the TV. Not even the fact that all of this is shown off-screen helps matters. In Circus of Horrors , Dr. This eventually comes back to bite him when he gets badly clawed. Downfall : Eva Braun admits that she kicks Hitler's beloved German Shepherd Blondi under the table just to get a reaction out of Hitler. In Eden Lake , teenage psychopath Brett and his gang are showing abusing a rabbit and a fox. In Equilibrium , as if we needed any more indication that the government of Libria was dictatorial and evil, it turns out that they have a policy of killing dogs and puppies for being "inducive of emotion". This is what finally drives John Preston, who has gone off the government-mandated drug Prozium, to turn fully against the regime. In the climax of Eyes of a Stranger , the first sign we have that something is wrong in Tracy's apartment is a dramatic Reveal Shot of her dog, strangled by the Serial Killer already inside with her. Being blind and deaf, Tracy remains unaware and continues her normal routine. The infamous "bunny boiler" scene from Fatal Attraction , which had Alex Forrest, a truly unhinged Yandere , killing and cooking the pet rabbit of Dan's daughter in the family's pressure cooker. This trope ended up leading to a sequence being dropped from The Fly .In between the scene that reveals Veronica is pregnant with Seth's child and her resultant Nightmare Sequence , there was originally a whole reel known informally as the "monkey-cat" sequence in which Seth, his Slow Transformation continuing apace, decides to use all three of his telepods to genetically splice together the surviving baboon and a cat. The resultant single creature violently attacks him, whereupon he beats it to death with a lead pipe. Because there is virtually no dialogue or obvious exposition via his computer to explain what his purpose in doing this is — instead it's revealed later as an attempt at finding the cure for his condition, one he tries to put through in the climax — the first test screening audience made the wrong assumptions about Seth and believed he was just being needlessly cruel to helpless beings. As a result, they no longer cared about his plight, which meant the rest of the film was a wash. Even though this meant losing an elaborate follow-up sequence that paid off the growth developing on his abdomen an insect leg emerging from it , the whole reel was cut so Seth could remain sympathetic. Godzilla vs. As vicious as Skullcrawlers are, what Apex are doing with them — breeding them in captivity and then throwing them at Mechagodzilla to be brutally killed by the Mecha in test runs — is something that Monarch would never even consider doing. It's also implied that they intend to at least make the attempt to cage, enslave, or kill any and all Kaiju that they can get their hands on. The Good Son : Henry shoots and kills a dog with a nail crossbow. Gothika : Discussed Trope when Dr. Miranda Grey explains her theory about the killer's accomplice's origins with the sheriff, which as a budding serial killer probably included torturing animals from a young age onwards. Then subverted when the sheriff reveals in a Wham Line that he never did enjoy it. Similar to Miss Gulch above, Mrs. Deagle of Gremlins jumps away from any possible sympathy from her very first scene and never looks back by swearing she will snatch Billy Peltzer's pet dog whenever Billy least expects it and she will toss it into her dryer in retaliation for it accidentally breaking a porcelain snowman of hers Billy even offers to pay it back right then and there but she insists she won't accept anything less than the dog's life as payback. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. He also gladly kills them himself once they outlive their use. Some of his more dangerous experiments are also kept under lock and key until his explicit command. Many of them aren't even violent, they're just bred by him to be used as The Brute even when they don't want to be. Halloween : Michael Myers kills both dogs he comes across. He's also implied to have eaten one. In The House That Jack Built , a scene from the titular Serial Killer 's childhood is shown, where he remorselessly cuts the legs of a duckling with pair of pliers, just to establish that he was always a thoroughly horrible person. Ice Cream Man : While he is more genuinely insane than truly malicious, Gregory kills his neighbor's dog and puts it through a wood chipper. One of the first indicators of Christopher's evil in Island of Death is when he rapes a goat and then slashes the poor beast's throat , leaving it to bleed to death. John Wick : What motivates John for most of the movie is the fact that Iosef Tarasov and his gang killed his new dog Daisy, which was the last gift of his dead wife, as they were beating him to shit and stealing his car. And the reason they killed the dog was that Iosef was annoyed that she was barking at them. In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom , the Big Bad Elijah Mills wants to sell the dinosaurs to the highest bidders, many of whom are callous, uncaring criminals, just to satisfy his own hunger for monetary riches. In The Killing Kind , Terry's first act of psychopathy after returning home is to strangle his mother's cat Penny to prevent it from meowing and giving him away while he is spying on Lori through her bedroom window. Little Shop of Horrors : As part of his musical number, Dr. Orin Scrivello, D. Long Weekend : In addition to their unwarranted killing of the dugong albeit due to mistaking it for something more dangerous like a shark , Peter and Marcia run over a kangaroo without a second thought, while Peter fires willy-nilly shots at ducklings and other creatures. In Man in the Attic , Slade literally kicks Harley's dog, which has been lovingly following him around ever since he joined the household, to drive it away from while he burns his bloodstained Ulster. From this point on, the dog goes from being slavishly devoted to him to being afraid of him. Mars Attacks! In particular, they seem to absolutely despise birds. They kill two birds during the film and also kill the president's dog. They also abduct a woman and her pet dog and swap their heads around for giggles. Finally, one of the classic Mars Attacks! The Night of a Thousand Cats : Hugo treats his feline henchmen like total crap, violently grabbing one and tossing him over the fence and attempting to drown another in his swimming pool. Horrifyingly, none of this appears to be simulated. Norbit : After being repeatedly disrespected and cheated on by his wife Rasputia, the final straw for Norbit is when she intentionally runs over the neighbor's dog for simply looking at her. Even though the dog is hospitalized and crippled, she just laments the fact that she didn't succeed in killing it. Platoon : While patrolling the village, Bunny shoots an innocent pig for no good reason. Ring of Fear : After rejoining the circus, O'Malley constantly torments the tiger that he blames along with Clyde Beatty for his downfall and humiliation; doing such things as shooting it with a slingshot. His cruelty to the big cat will come back to bite him in the end: quite literally. He jabs short twigs into its body to hinder its wings and make it "fly like a butterfly". When the out-of-control bird crashes into a tree and breaks its neck, his only comment is a callous "It was only a bird". Shoot to Kill : After taking a jeweler's wife and maid hostage to make him rob his own store, the killer brutally kills the family dog to show that he means business. Director Guy Ritchie included this scene after having a conversation with a Brazilian man who said that in his country, the worst kind of criminals are animal abusers namely, dogs. Additionally, Avi the Jewish gangster is willing to have a dog cut open to get a diamond out of its stomach, which horrifies his Psycho for Hire Bullet Tooth Tony. Ironically, in real life, Brick Top's actor Alan Ford is an animal rights activist. Spawn : Jason Wynn uses his pet scorpions' terrarium as an ashtray. He doesn't actually extinguish his cigar on any of the scorpions, but the implication is obvious. Starkweather : The first act of sociopathy the young Charles Starkweather commits—at the Dark man's urging—is to stomp a toad to death. Strays : Doug is a lazy, narcissistic Manchild who smokes all day, cheats on his girlfriend, only keeps poor Reggie out of spite, spends every day trying to get rid of him, and finally tries to kill him in the climax. The farmer in The Tale of the Bunny Picnic berates and insults the dog, refuses to feed him until he brings him a sack full of bunnies, and can't even be bothered to give him a name. He's the only truly villainous character in the special, and the only one who doesn't get a happy ending. Tales of Terror : In "The Black Cat", Montressor is not content with abusing his wife Annabelle, but also torments her pet cat, and would undoubtedly kill it if it ever stayed still long enough for him to get his hands on it. As might be guessed from the title, the cat provides him with his karmic comeuppance. Him graphically killing his victim's mother and young daughter both in a lengthy, drawn-out manner - the former suffocated by saran wrap while the latter gets force-fed a bottle of liquid detergent already established him as a sadist, but the film went the extra mile by having Wong grab the family's Pomeranian, shoving it into a washing machine, and leave with the spin cycle at maximum. Terminator 2: Judgment Day : In the extended cut, the T stabs John Connor's dog Max to death in cold blood after his barking clued John and the T in that the T was trying to trick them. Lang subjecting tigers to inhumane experiments and that he releases the poor creatures so they can attack the rubber manufacturers establishes him as a cruel individual. Lang's accomplice Henry and his assistant are introduced tormenting a tiger, invoking Frank's ire. The titular characters of Tragedy Girls dissolve a human corpse in industrial lye, and casually admit that they had to practice making it to get the formula right, and had to go through a lot of stray cats and dogs before they finally got it. To make matters worse, one of the girls goes home to her oblivious father.Troop Beverly Hills : During the girl scout troop Jamboree, Velda's Red Feathers troop cheats by misdirecting Phyllis's troop into a snake-infested swamp. After Annie drops some advice about which snakes are perfectly okay with water, they are scared out and in a stroke of luck, a skunk scares them again, causing them to take a shortcut and finish first, ahead of Velda's troop, allowing her rival troop to qualify for the final. In anger over the plan backfiring, Velda picks the poor skunk up by its tail and vows it's going to pay for helping her hated rivals win—that night we see she killed the skunk and made it into a hat. In The Uncanny , Valentine cements his position as a villain when he drowns Scat's three kittens fortunately off-screen. The Wizard of Oz : Miss Gulch the Wicked Witch's Kansas counterpart is already a pretty bitter and vile harpy every second she's on-screen, but she cements herself as irredeemably evil by barging into the Gales' home with a court order so she can take Dorothy's beloved dog Toto to the pound to be killed and if it was up to her, she would do it by boiling the poor little thing in her oven. Turns out some random dog bit her earlier in the day and she couldn't care about finding out which dog it was — she already hates Toto, so she just went to the sheriff which she has some control over and told him that Toto did it so she could get rid of him. Literature Agnes Grey : A recurring theme in the novel. The first family Agnes acts as governess to just seem like run-of-the-mill Upper-Class Twits whose children are Spoiled Brats.Years later, she realizes the local rector at a small town she's living in is not a good man because he kicks her neighbor's cat and her dog , while she realizes the pastor Mr. Weston is a truly good man because he pets those same animals instead of kicking them. In the American Girl series, Felicity falls in love with a horse that she names "Penny". Penny's owner is a mean old man named Jiggy Nye, who mistreats her. He's also a leather tanner , and not well respected in Williamsburg because of his cruelty to both man and beast. Animal Farm : One of the reasons the animals rebelled was because Mr. Jones had been treating them worse and worse as he got older. The final straw came on a day when he straight-up forgot to give them food. In the Arcia Chronicles , whether a person of Royal Blood gets along with the cats living in the Imperial Palace of Munt is a surefire indicator of whether he will be The Good King or a bad one. Justified in that the "cats" are actually cat-shaped guardian spirits of the palace and being accepted by them is an ancient rite of passage for future kings that the humans have long forgotten. Charles and Alexander Tagere get along with the "cats" right away, Philip Tagere has more trouble with them, while both Pierres Lumen can't stand them mutually , which perfectly mirrors the scale of how virtuous they are presented by the narration. Brother teaches her self-defense which he advises her to use only as a last resort. Sister catches Tuffy throwing stones at a baby bird, an event that is captured in italicized text in the book. Sister calls Tuffy out on it, and the subsequent fight ends with Sister punching Tuffy in the nose. Glanton immediately tests it out by shooting nearby livestock and a cat, then proceeds to haggle over the price like nothing happened. It's ultimately Zig-Zagged , since soon after this Glanton adopts a dog that he seemingly cares for more than other people, but it's implied that only because it was something he could control that belonged to him rather than out of any sort of compassion. The Big Bad Judge Holden buys two puppies from a young boy simply so he could throw them off the bridge into the river below. One of his Psycho for Hire associates shoots them as they're drowning, and it's unclear whether this was a Mercy Kill or done out of malice. The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness : In the prehistoric world, it's an everyday activity to hunt for food, but the prey is respected through proper homages to set their souls to rest and by using what's not eaten in toolmaking. There are also reserves in hunting predators. The main villains, the Soul Eaters, violate these rites by hunting down predators, killing them for certain body parts to be used in their spells, and leaving the rest to rot. In addition to that, the Crippled Wanderer begins the first book's plot by trapping a demon in a bear's body, and by the time of the last book, Eostra has corrupted a pack of dogs as her bloodthirsty minions. Thiazzi in particular takes pleasure in torturing predators that are caught and unable to fight back. The Dark : An ethereal concentration of darkness rouses people to acts of acts of murderous sadism - targets of which include animals. In Discworld : Snuff Sir Sam Vimes, Commander of the Ankh-Morpork Watch, regales an inexperienced but eager village constable, Feeney, with how a man had once cut off his dog's back legs when it wouldn't heel. Lord Vetinari ordered the man's house searched by the Watch, and he was executed a week later for what they found in his cellar. Vimes: And bloody Vetinari got away with it again, because he was right: where there are little crimes, large crimes are not far behind. In Ender's Game , Ender's sadistic older brother Peter mutilates squirrels in the woods near the family home. This is something of a subversion though since even though Peter is clearly a sadist and Ender is more compassionate, by the end of the book Ender unwittingly commits genocide, while Peter selfishly brings about world peace. Tolkien 's The Fall of Gondolin , it is mentioned that Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, used to hunt, chain and torture eagles; and he then cut their wings off to figure out how to build flying gear for himself. Thorondor, the Lord of Eagles really hates him because of it. Go to Sleep A Jeff the Killer Rewrite : According to the senior student's warnings, it is rumored that Randy kills animals just for the fun of it. Per Word of God here , that is one of the few rumors about Randy that is actually true. Graceling Realm : King Leck of Monsea, a sadistic murderer who enjoys torturing people, started on animals first. He's even shown doing this in the prequel , Fire. Tierney once witnessed Kiersten "drown a butterfly while playing with its wings". Tommy is described as the "boy who tortures majestic birds for fun? Timmi and Rebecca yell at the men to stop, but they just laugh until Grampy cuts them off in his boat. Later, Grampy tells the girls a story about the men chasing a deer in their car until it had a heart attack and died. In The Haunting of Drearcliff Grange School , supervillain-in-training Miss Steps demonstrates her sadism by pinning the protagonist between 'slabs' of telekinetic force, then boasting about how she's used this technique to squeeze live rabbits to death. Ward's father in Hurog , along with being violently abusive to his children and the castle slave, mistreats his warhorse to the point where it becomes dangerous and vicious. Eventually the horse gets revenge by bucking him off and killing him on a hunting trip. It was this deed, or more accurately the fact that he did it without it occurring to him until afterwards that it might be inappropriate or disturbing, that first caused him to realize that he wasn't like normal people. In the modern day, one of his self-imposed rules is that he will not interact with animals in any fashion unless absolutely necessary, to the point that he'll cross the street to avoid getting near someone's dog. Doctor Moreau in H. This was no casual, as Wells himself an animal rights activist wrote the book as a protest against the practice of vivisection that was still practiced though near to being outlawed in Britain at the time. Young sociopath Patrick Hockstetter in IT cemented his evil cred by murdering his own baby brother as a small child, and making a game of torturing animals by locking them in an abandoned fridge to slowly starve to death. His gruesome fate at IT's hands is terrifying , but not the least bit tragic. In real life, author Dennis Lehane is a well-known dog lover. In The Manchurian Candidate , Mrs. Iselin makes a passing remark in her narration about how she once nailed the paws of her cocker spaniel to the floor because he wouldn't obey a "heel" command. This was just one of multiple pieces of Troubling Unchildlike Behavior she displayed and an early sign of her Control Freak nature, and her older brother is specifically noted as having seen this and been disturbed by it. Misery : While she was in college, Annie poisoned a cat so she could use put its corpse on the stairs for her roommate to trip over. In A Night in the Lonesome October , the character who attempts to poison Snuff the dog and the character who attempts to drown Greymalk the cat in a well are both later revealed to be on the villainous side. The main villain hunts Needle the bat with a crossbow and tries to get Snuff done in by vivisectionists. The vivisectionists themselves are depicted as gleefully cruel people. The Hundred and One Dalmatians : Not only does Cruella De Vil love furs and plan to turn a large number of puppies into coats, she also mistreats her own cat and drowns all the kittens said cat has given birth to. This ends up biting her in the ass when said cat sides with the much kinder heroes and helps them to financially ruin Cruella as payback. In Perfect the Pig, a piglet wishes he had wings, and when his wish is granted he flies away from his farm, and the girl that finds him adopts him as her pet, plays with him, allows him to fly in open spaces, and feeds him well. The man who stole Perfect, uses him as a sideshow attraction to earn money, chains him down and locks him in a small room, and feeds him garbage. At the end when Perfect is reunited with the girl, they have a happy ending with Perfect flying above her. The titular Nova from S. Bryant's The Nova Chronicles , although a protagonist, cannot abide by insects or creatures on her ship or even in her way, often going out of her way just to trod on any animal she sees. She does admit to taking pleasure whenever she feels a skull breaking apart beneath her thick-soled combat boots be it human or critter. Mack, the human running the circus-mall in The One and Only Ivan , isn't without sympathetic aspects and cares to some extent about the janitor and the janitor's daughter who've stuck with him so long. He just also absolutely doesn't care about the welfare of the animals he keeps. He bought Ivan, a baby gorilla, from poachers and raised him in his house like a child until he got too big and strong to be managed, then put Ivan alone in a small glass-walled enclosure in the mall for twenty-seven years. The poachers who killed Ivan's family are only discussed in the past tense and are simply monstrous. Instead of getting the older, injured elephant Stella medical care Mack bought a new baby elephant to try and attract more revenue, and threatened her with a "claw-stick" to get her to perform. In Mack's final scene in the book, he's lost the fight to keep his circus animals and any attraction they had to customers, and drunkenly doesn't comprehend that he'd ever done anything bad. The main characters from The Plague Dogs were experimented on at the beginning of the book, with one of them being repeatedly drowned and then resuscitated. The Animated Adaptation made it especially hard to watch Ratburger has Burt who makes rats into burgers and cockroaches into "ketchup" and Sheila who killed the protagonist's hamster. In Red Dragon , the Tooth Fairy killer's pattern involves killing a family's pet before killing the rest of the family. It's also mentioned that Hannibal Lecter had a record of childhood cruelty to animals. In Reflections of Eterna by the same author, one of the first things we see Richard Oakdell do is try to kill a rat with the local equivalent of the Bible for no reason other than it annoyed him. Word of God is that this either served as his Start of Darkness or was an early indication of his moral flaws that blossom in later books. George R. Martin 's short story Sandkings introduces its protagonist by showing what he does to look after his pets when he goes on a trip. The carrion hawk already feeds itself, so absolutely nothing; the shambler an undescribed alien animal is pushed outside to find food on its own; and for the piranhas, he chucks a giant hunk of meat in the tank and figures that if it runs out they can eat each other. He gets back later than planned to discover his piranhas all starved and the shambler ate the hawk, so irritated but not remorseful he goes to find new exotic pets to replace them. His competence as a pet owner doesn't improve from there and is responsible for almost everything that goes wrong. Secrets Not Meant to be Kept has Martha Plunkett and her staff at Treehouse, a preschool that is actually a toddler sex ring. Having previously assigned the kids rabbits to care for, to get them to go along with their molestation, Plunkett eventually kills the rabbits in front of the kids to terrorize them into keeping silent about the molestation. She notes that Mr Rucastle keeps a starved mastiff on his property which is only let out at night to savage potential intruders, that he is particularly proud of his son's skill for squashing cockroaches, and that the son has a penchant for trapping and torturing small birds and mammals. Holmes takes this as evidence of the Rucastles' malicious nature, noting that streaks of cruelty are commonly passed from parent to child. The titular young beagle in Shiloh routinely flees his abusive owner Judd Travers, and seeks out neighbor Marty Preston, because Marty doesn't batter, cage, and starve the dog. The Space Trilogy : In Perelandra , the Un-Man , when not tempting the Venusian Eve or irritating Ransom, will mangle as many critters as it can find and leave them to suffer and die. It is so expert at this that Ransom's attempt to put a frog thus abused out of its misery backfires. And Invoked by the Belbury faction in That Hideous Strength , which has its outer-circle minions vivisect animals to harden their hearts in preparation for visiting similar abuses on humans in the future. Throughout Stray , the stray cat Pufftail tells his grandson Kitchener why he doesn't trust humans and why he prefers to be alone. He's had many bad experiences with humans in the past: Pufftail's second owners only took him in because Pufftail, then called "Fluffie", and his brother Bootsie had belonged to the wife's elderly mother. Their owners had an Awful Wedded Life and often yelled at each other and their daughter a lot. Neither liked cats much, especially the husband. They would often forget to feed the cats all day and routinely neglected the brothers. After Bootsie killed their pet budgie, they began hitting and kicking their cats. When Fluffie and Bootsie's owners went on vacation, they left their adult daughter to take care of their cats. The daughter and her boyfriend forgot to come over for over a day. The daughter wasn't so bad, but her boyfriend was. While drunk, he and a friend decided to get rid of Fluffie and Bootsie. They stuffed the cats into bags and threw them out of a moving vehicle. Bootsie didn't survive the incident. Cruel scientists test cigarettes and cosmetic protects on various animals. The one "nice" scientist quits because he hates his job; he would have been fine testing for a just cause but doesn't understand testing lipstick on cats. Survivor Dogs : The Fierce Dogs have a morning exercise ritual where they take turns chasing and pinning down a scared rabbit, before killing it. Lucky finds this behavior to be torture and compares them to sharpclaws. The Fierce Dogs killed a fox kit named "Cub Fire". When his family found out they decided to get revenge, but mistook the Wild Pack for killing their cub. According to Arrow, the men at the "Dog-Garden" where the Dobermann's come from rigorously trained the dogs. They'd strike the dogs even pups if they didn't perform correctly. Lucky was a happy Leashed Dog pup until he was adopted by an abusive, alcoholic owner. Lucky ran away from that home and has been turned off from humans ever since. Just the thought of wearing a collar upsets him. Tortall Universe : In Mastiff, Beka Cooper finds the best scent hound in the city in the hands of a cruel trainer, and she is underfed and constantly whipped to make her obey faster. She confronts the trainer about it and becomes the dog's caretaker herself. Also has an inverted example, as Beka is somewhat dismayed to find out that crime lord Pearl Skinner is a dog lover since it will make it harder to bring her down. Touching Spirit Bear : Discussed. During a conversation between Cole and Garvey, Garvey asks Cole what he'd do if he saw an animal at a nearby stream. Cole says he'd kill it. Les Voyageurs Sans Souci : The heroes and good-aligned people treat animals respectfully and would never think to harm them. Bad people and jerkasses hunt and hurt birds for fun, causing their queen to hate humans, and are responsible for the mess which must be fixed by the protagonists: Golden Eagle is captured by one poacher and sold to one cruel ringmaster, who proceeds to cage her for display, and the queen of the birds decides to punish humans in retaliation for her best friend's disappearance. In Firestar's Quest, Petal and her kits have to be rescued from him, and in SkyClan's Destiny, the perpetually nervous Shrewtooth reveals that he is so jumpy because he used to be owned by the same man. SkyClan attacks the man to try to teach him not to mistreat any more of his pets. In the novelization of Return of the Jedi , Moff Jerjerrod of the greatest Imperial battle-station ever mostly-built, gets a few pages of characterization near the end.Live-Action TV Better Call Saul : Gus Fring tells a comatose Hector a story about how, growing up poor, he snared a coati that was eating the fruit from a tree he cultivated, and despite it having a broken leg that would have made killing it more merciful, kept it alive just so that it would suffer more as revenge for taking his stuff , which is exactly the same thing he's doing to Hector right now. For the record, this is a coati. He swaggers into Kim and Jimmy's apartment, gun on display, and affecting his trademark terrifyingly cheery demeanour. As if all this doesn't tell us how evil he is, he taps on the side of their goldfish's tank — and then after Jimmy pleads with him "You shouldn't do that, it upsets the fish" he defiantly does it again. Blackadder : Played for Black Comedy , naturally. The eponymous Witch Hunter in "Witchsmeller Pursuivant" is shown to be a horrible human being before he even appears, as the villagers admit he made them burn an old lady and her cat. Later, when Edmund mentions the old lady to him, he proudly adds, "Oh yes. And her pussycat. In "Private Plane," it transpires that General Melchett shot George's pet rabbit after allowing a dog to savage him, at George's 6th birthday party. This despite that in a previous episode, Melchett was ready to send Edmund to the firing squad for having killed Melchett's pet pigeon. Blood Drive : Rib Bone is a thoroughly bad person, but he kills someone because they left their dog in a truck with the windows shut and promptly, dotingly, adopts her. Of course, his victim was a redneck cannibal, so.In Breaking Bad , while at his uncle Hector's house in the country, Tuco starts randomly shooting cows with a machine gun to pass the time. His hostages Walter and Jesse are horrified. Referenced in Brooklyn Nine-Nine , where one piece of evidence that the first Oolong Slayer suspect is a psycho is his past arrest for torturing an animal. Jake is disappointed that it was just a squirrel, but Holt points out that it still counts. When they find the real Slayer, Jake is ecstatic that he abused dogs. Buffy the Vampire Slayer : Angelus once nailed a puppy to a girl's door before committing some unspecified atrocity. Buffy even makes a point of telling him that she doesn't have any pets so he better skip that part in his campaign to terrorize her. He also kills Willow's fish. What's even worse is that he drags her body to the kitchen, turns on the oven, and makes it leak gas into the house which not only frames the murder as a suicide but leaves the poor bird to succumb and perish from the fumes. The cockatoo's death doesn't go unnoticed by Columbo either and serves as one of the clues debunking the suicide set-up. We don't see it too much in Criminal Minds — the killers tend to focus on human victims — but they frequently quote the "homicidal triad," three behaviors that can be an indicator of psychopathy: bedwetting, setting fires, and cruelty to animals. Of characters who actually do harm animals in-series, we have: a teen boy who feared he would become a psychopath and admitted to killing a bird when he was younger "Sex, Birth, Death" , a young boy who killed his brother and admitted off-screen to Prentiss that he'd formerly killed the family puppy "A Shade of Gray" , Ashley Seavers's serial killer father who drowned a puppy she brought home as a child "What Happens At Home" , another teen boy who practiced his technique on dogs before moving on to women "The Apprenticeship" , and a man who treated his victims as birds and killed birds in front of them as part of the torture "Nelson's Sparrow". One Victim of the Week on CSI is an awarded humanitarian activist that had been torn to pieces by dogs. As the investigation went on, the cast finds out that she was instead a hard-core Asshole Victim : the head of an underground dog fighting ring that used her reputation as a defender of animals to remain a Villain with Good Publicity and Beneath Suspicion. Her killer is the dogs' handler and had to see them die painfully or be mistreated to breed their ferocity by her , who reached his Rage Breaking Point when the FBI who he was an informant to decided to do nothing about the ring, insisting that their hands were tied because of her reputation and connections even after he gave them a virtual truckful of evidence. Daredevil : Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter regularly killed birds and other small animals in his teenage years. Dexter : It's implied that Dexter killed animals as a child, which was what made his father guess he was growing up into a Serial Killer. In an episode of Dinosaurs Charlene, wanting attention takes in some young humans, which in the show's reality are basically wild animals, and trains them to do some tricks. This attracts the attention of a talent agent, which takes Charlene and her humans on tour, and to keep them in line he tells Charlene that she shouldn't feed them until after a performance, which she reluctantly agrees to since it means being famous. Robby calls her out saying that this is animal cruelty, and even Baby Sinclair, who is incredibly selfish, gives them some of his food when he sees them begging. When one of the humans refuses to do a dangerous stunt, the agent tells her to use an electric prod to force her to perform, but Charlene refuses, and after disbanding her act, sets the humans free where they go to their mother. Doctor Who : In "The Witchfinders" , Becka Savage, a local landowner who has killed three dozen of her village's residents in a Witch Hunt , had all of the horses on her estate shot out of paranoia that they were in league with Satan. Game of Thrones : After King Robert Baratheon pardons Arya and Joffrey's fight - which the latter had started, and was bitten by Arya's direwolf, Nyeria in retaliation - Cersei still demands compensation. She orders Sansa's direwolf, Lady who wasn't the one who bit Joffrey, nor was she even in the woods at the time , to be killed by Ilyn Payne, to Sansa and Arya's protests. Ned volunteers for the task instead, as Lady "deserves better than a butcher", but killing her immensely hurt him inside. When Cersei becomes the Queen after her son Tommen's suicide, one of the first things she does is have his cat, Ser Pounce, executed. Gregor Clegane's response to Ser Loras Tyrell beating him in a joust? Grabbing his sword and beheading his own horse before proceeding to attack Ser Loras himself, all in front of the king and the audience. And that's not even one of the worst things he's done. Ramsay casually mentions to Jon that he purposely starved his hounds for an entire week in hopes of feeding him to them after his army wipes Jon's out. This bites him in the ass hard when his army is defeated and he's imprisoned by Sansa, who locks him in a cell with those very hounds. Ramsay immediately finds out just how loyal to their master starved dogs truly are. In one episode of the live-action Gokusen series, one of Kumiko's students gets in trouble for beating the piss out of two students from a prestigious school. As it later turns out, Kumiko's student did so to stop them from throwing rocks at a puppy. Kumiko makes a point to visit one of the "victims" to remind him that animal cruelty is a crime. Himmelsdalen : The cruel sociopath Raymond nearly drowns Luck, a dog whom Helena is attached to, as a means of tormenting her. Hitler: The Rise of Evil : After a stray dog adopted by Hitler in the trenches humiliates him in front of his fellow servicemen by pissing on his leg, he responds by dragging it off and beating the poor thing to death. However, doing so actually saves Hitler when a shell explodes in the shelter where they just were. In Real Life Hitler was actually a massive animal lover and owned two dogs. Legion : In " Chapter 26 ", Amahl Farouk is presented in a more negative light when he allows the children to torment his caged pet monkey for fun. After hearing it screech in protest, the compassionate Charles Xavier expresses pity at the monkey's mistreatment "Poor creature". Farouk then dismisses his guest's concerns about the animal's welfare "Let [the kids] enjoy their games". In the Leverage episode " The San Lorenzo Job ", the team faces a corrupt president of a small, fictional, European island nation backed by a powerful force in the criminal underworld. As the politician is known to be corrupt already, and the normal smear tactics of money scandals or sex scandals wouldn't be enough to damage his reputation further, the heroes invoke this trope and claim he is running a dog-fighting ring in his presidential palace. The crime lord is even impressed by the tactic and recognizes its potential effectiveness. A first season Millennium focuses on an isolated farm worker who furtively maims and kills horses. Frank looks into the crimes in the hopes of stopping a Serial Killer before he starts. The horse killer moves on to killing people when someone startles him in the act, then moves on to deliberate murder of humans. His story comes full circle when a team of horses trample him during his confrontation with Frank. Mary's" on a mouse organ — a bunch of [unseen] mice he whacks with a mallet so that they squeak out the tune. Jae-hoon kills a rabbit, his father's dog, and his father's pet fish. The creepiest part? He's a child when he does this! Ba-reum snaps a bird's neck and kills two cats when his original personality takes over. A victim's dog finds their owner dead, so the murderer kills the dog too. Primeval : Caroline Steel, the woman who picks up and starts dating Connor to spy on him for Oliver Leek, is horrifically vicious towards Rex. When the little prehistoric lizard knocks over a salad she made while Connor and Abby are out of the house, Caroline shoves him in the freezer box and leaves him there in retribution bear in mind, Rex is cold-blooded. This act almost kills Rex before Connor and Abby come home. She changes her way and notably goes out of her way to atone towards Rex after she repents. In episode five of Reacher , Reacher befriends a dog whose owner has been abusive to it, and when he finds the dog severely hurt because of the owner, he punches the asshole out, wraps him up in his own dog chain, and then drops the dog off at a no-kill shelter to be taken care of. In Victor Creel's flashbacks in Season 4 of Stranger Things , mutilated animals are an early sign that there's evil afoot. The culprit is Creel's son Henry , who has telekinetic powers that he subsequently uses to murder his mother and sister. And that's just him getting warmed up.Strangers From Hell : Deuk-jong has killed at least thirteen cats around the neighbourhood. Discussed on Tiger King , where at a certain point one of the interviewees notes that everyone can bond against perpetrators of animal cruelty. Another tells an anecdote about the series' central subject, Joe Exotic, where he accepted an old horse from a woman who wanted it to live out its final days in a pasture, only to shoot it in the head the moment she was gone and feed the remains to the tigers, which is commented as being "unbelievably cruel. He later says that Wilfred, Jr. The White Queen : George of Clarence, the most deceitful member of the House of York, poisons his own pet dog just so he can blame Queen Elizabeth for its death and paint her as a murderer who wants to get rid of him, his wife and their unborn son. Yellowjackets : Averted in the flashbacks to the time when the team is stranded in the wilderness. Plenty of animals get killed, but it's out of necessity for food or self-defense and their deaths are not crueler than necessary. Played straight in other examples. Misty is shown calmly watching a rat drown before the plane even took off as an early indicator of her low empathy and willingness to resort to violence. In the present, Shauna bludgeons a rabbit to death after noticing chewed-up plants in her garden. Thanks to a Gory Discretion Shot , viewers are spared the sight. Unfortunately, not the sound. Biscuit, the Abara-Turner family dog, goes missing and his head turns up on Taissa's altar on the Season 1 finale. Music "My Uncle's Navy" by Neko Case is an autobiographical song about Case's abusive uncle, who, among other things, forced her to watch as he decapitated harmless garter snakes. Eminem : The title character of Eminem's "Stepdad" stomped young Slim's chihuahua to death for peeing on the carpet. This leads Slim to plot to "put him down like they did to my dog". Suiting his Serial Killer theming, Slim Shady's Villain Songs often portray him as an animal abuser, such as in "I'm Back", which has him stuffing the corpses of kittens in the mailbox of his school bullies, or in "Marshall Mathers", where he takes decapitated dogs for walks, or the frequent references to him blowing up a hamster in the microwave. And there's also "FACK", but the less said about that, the better. Religion The Bible : From the Book of Proverbs : "The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. Jesus points this out to the Pharisees for their condemning Him for healing people on the Sabbath, challenging them by saying, "Don't you let your animals loose on the Sabbath so that they can be watered? She is known for turning animals into fur coats and has even threatened to turn Jess the cat of Postman Pat and the Queen 's corgis into clothing. Eventually she helped with sabotaging the Queen's party by dealing with the corgis who happen to be very rough to her. In The Little Foxes , Alexandra complains about Leo beating the horses when they were out riding together. This cruelty is portrayed as representative of the Hubbard family since their having "killed animals they couldn't use" was very offensive to Birdie's late mother. Westeros: An American Musical : Joffrey , when forcibly escorted away from Oberyn's welcoming committee because he's throwing a tantrum, threatens to retaliate for the forced departure by killing eight kittens. Video Games 2Dark : Dr. Krach, who is the one who killed Mr. Smith's wife and kidnapped and brainwashed his children, nails Smith's cat before kidnapping Jessie's daughter. Batman: Arkham City : At some point after the events of the previous game , the Penguin had Harley's pet hyenas killed, stuffed, and turned into exhibits in his Arkham City stronghold. Corpse Party has Yuuya Kizami who was already Ax-Crazy to begin with, but a flashback in Chapter 4 in "Blood Covered" reveals he nearly killed his friend Kensuke Kurosake's pet hamster just to watch it die. He's stopped by his older sister who gives him shit for it. In Dead by Daylight , Kenneth Chase had a childhood fascination with birds. When he caught one with anaesthesia, he killed it in his hands and became addicted to the rush. He gradually moved up to killing squirrels, raccoons, and dogs.He ran away from home and joined the circus, adopting a new name "Jeffrey Hawk" and a friendly clown persona, but he remained an unrepentant Serial Killer. In Dead to Rights , the prison warden Sickle , on top of forcing a prisoner to swallow a lit cigarette and openly salivating over the prospect of executing protagonist Jack Slate, is an animal abuser who threatens to kill Slate's dog Shadow once his owner is dead. The moment he finds out, Slate challenges him to a fistfight, defeats him, and then threatens to " neuter [him] on the spot " if he ever does it again. In Dishonored 2 using the Heart on Kirin Jindosh reveals, among other things, that he vivisected a cat as a child because he "wanted to see how the parts worked". In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim , many bandits capture animals such as wolves so they can bet on them in pit fights. Others brutally murder the usually peaceful mammoths for meat. If you're playing as a Khajiit , you'll likely hear the taunt "You remind me of my cousin's cat. Killed that too! In Far Cry 4 it's not uncommon to find caged tigers or other predatory animals in Royal Army camps and to see soldiers poking at them. One very satisfying way to clear out the camps is to release the tigers and let them kill all the soldiers. Jacket's mass-murdering sprees in Hotline Miami are shown to not spare guard dogs. However, this is justified , as the dogs wouldn't have spared him either. It's suggested by some of his late-game hallucinations that he even feels remorse for killing the dogs. Hungry Lamu : Lamu kills the banana, later revealed to be a dog named Mochi, by culling it with a rock. Kirby and the Forgotten Land has Fecto Forgo. Despite clearly promising the Beast Pack help them get to a "land of dreams" if they bring Elfilin back to them, it's clear that Fecto only care about returning to their true form, and they aren't afraid to put the Beast Pack at harms risk. It ranges from brainwashing King Dedede and Leongar and progressively driving them insane with their influence, to assimilating many Beast Pack soldiers to achieve their chimera form, to outright Demonic Possession and Mind Rape in the post-game. The titular character of Mad Father killed animals as a child, eventually graduating to people. As it turns out, his daughter Aya inherited this trait, and a big part of why he wants to turn Aya into a doll is to prevent her from turning out like him. In Metal Gear Solid , if the player chooses to have Snake shoot the rats scurrying around the facility, he'll get a chewing-out from Colonel Campbell. Do it too much and Naomi will recite the old saw about animal abuse being "one of the signs of a psychopath". Moshi Monsters : The main antagonists are a group of baddies called C. They are very cruel to Moshlings the little pets on-sight and kidnap them, enslave them, turn them into evil creatures called Glumps, steal their sandwiches, and hit them. Done constantly in Mother 3. Most of the enemies you encounter in-game are "chimeras", wild animals who have experimented with to either fuse them together or partially roboticize them. Then there's a segment in which you actually play as a monkey who is facing Electric Torture at the hands of his master. In Octopath Traveler II , Harvey and Petrichor are eventually revealed to be behind the current state of Ochette's final boss, who is whichever animal companion she didn't choose to care for at the start of her story. It's been tortured and experimented on for the past ten years, and Harvey in particular really got into it. Fittingly, they're two of the worst villains in the game, aiding the world-destroying cult out of either extreme jealousy or.In Persona 5 , one of your Mementos targets, who you find out by working at a convenience store, has hurt and killed many cats. Morgana, who's in the form of a cat , is especially insistent that you steal his heart. There's also Ghetsis, the secret leader of Team Plasma. Frustration is a move that grows more powerful the more the Pokemon dislikes its trainer. Do the math. The whole point of the original Sonic the Hedgehog games is to save little forest animals who have been stuffed inside robots by Dr. Eggman, the usual Big Bad. In Tyranny , the psychopathic Verse mentions practicing her knife work on the animals at her family's farm before joining the Scarlet Chorus for further opportunities to maim, torture, and brutalize people under the banner of Kyros. Whiplash : The whole plot of the game is freeing animals from the cruel people of Genron, who perform heinous experiments on animals. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus shows that in BJ's childhood, his father Rip forced him to shoot his beloved pet dog as punishment for befriending an African-American girl and if you intentionally miss the shot during the segment, Rip kills the dog himself. Years later, the true depths of Rip's wickedness come to light when BJ learns that he sold out his mother, a Jewish Pole, to the Nazis. In Yakuza , at one point, the player is shown a group of thugs who are laughing while throwing rocks at a stray puppy. The series being what it is, One-Man Army Kiryu happens to be nearby while this is going on. Cue thrashing. The same thing would happen again in the "Another Haruka" substory in Yakuza 5 which even he lampshades as looking all too familiar and having the same result: mooks being beat down on the street. In Yandere Simulator , Ayano would willingly kill her pet if she found out her Senpai was allergic to them. As established in the video "Yandere-chan's Childhood", she killed a cat just to try to experience an emotion for the first time. It didn't work. Visual Novels In Spirit Hunter: NG , Kubitarou is quickly established as a nasty spirit due to its modus operandi being the murder and decapitation of people's pets. Super Danganronpa Another 2 : The killer of Chapter 3, Kanade Otonokoji, admits to butchering their own dog as a child out of murderous jealousy that her twin sister, Hibiki, preferred to play with it over her. This is just the first of a long, long list of crimes that cement them as one of the most despicable characters in the entire Danganronpa franchise, canon or otherwise. She decides to poison his water with weed killer to get rid of him. McBusters : When the fast food monsters start causing trouble after Walter Peck shuts off the McBusters' deep-frier in the first video, one part has a man's dog sniff a bush full of burger monsters and the burgers start slaughtering the dog off-screen as the owner watches in horror while getting covered in his pet's blood. Murder Drones : In " Heartbeat ", Doll spots a robotic cockroach crawling onto a picture of her parents' killer. She immediately makes the cockroach violently blow up, and she licks its visceral remains off her face with a Slasher Smile. On The Edge : The first chapter starring Jiro Kurebayashi has him apply for work at a pet store, which he finds out is a puppy mill. He and his coworker tried to talk to the owner about it, but he was an authoritarian asshole who beat up anyone who crossed him. Things escalated when the chihuahua under Jiro's care died and the owner told him to burn or throw it on the river, which lead him to beat the bastard to a pulp. He then threatens to beat up the boy's pony. These can include human food, plants and material items, and even dead animals. Yes, very gross — but common. At UrgentVet, we regularly hear from concerned pet owners whose dog or cat has decided to dine on something—or someone—that is past expiration. Why are dogs and cats attracted to dead animals? While humans find the smell of death and decay downright repulsive and nauseating, our pets are attracted to and delighted by this putrid perfume. The impressive canine and feline sense of smell can detect odor and decay from a great distance, making anticipating or interrupting the impending funky feast a challenge for owners. Theories why dogs and cats are drawn to death include an instinctual desire to claim the spoils as their territory, or to camouflage their own scent and improve hunting success—although these are most often performed by rolling on or near the odor source. Can eating a dead animal make my pet sick? Dead animals and birds can pose many risks to pets. Many pets show no ill effects—other than temporarily losing our friendship and respect because of their gross food choices—but others may require hospitalized treatment. Common health hazards include: Secondary poisoning — If the dead animal has consumed a poison e. In addition, animals themselves can be poisonous or venomous — examples include: Bufo toads, certain insects, and even some fish. Toxins — Birds and small mammal carcasses may carry clostridium botulinum i. Bacterial infection — Some wild animals can be hosts for leptospirosis , salmonella, and other harmful bacteria. Parasites — Wildlife commonly carry intestinal parasites, including roundworms and coccidia, as well as external parasites, such as fleas. Consuming a host animal can lead to parasitic infection in or on your pet. Gastrointestinal distress — Mild irritation such as gastritis or constipation is the most benign—but still unpleasant—outcome. If signs persist longer than 24 to 48 hours, contact your veterinarian. While owners often worry about rabies, the likelihood of this virus transmission is extremely rare, unless your pet was bitten during a fight with the deceased animal. What should I do after my pet eats a dead animal? If your pet has eaten any portion of a deceased animal, contact your regular veterinarian. Do not attempt to induce vomiting without their approval. Provide the veterinary team with as much information as possible, so they can accurately assess the situation, and determine any potential risks. Important details include: When the event occurred. L Leptospirosis Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that infects both humans and a wide range of animals. It occurs worldwide but is more common in temperate and tropical areas of the world. Some people infected with leptospirosis will have no symptoms at all, and some people will become severely ill. Some wild and domestic animals, such as cattle, pigs, dogs, raccoons, and rodents, carry the bacteria and pass them in their urine. People become ill following direct contact with urine or tissues from infected animals, or exposure to contaminated soil, food, or water. Canine Leptospirosis Listeriosis Listeriosis is a rare but serious disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes. It is usually acquired by eating or drinking foods contaminated with the bacteria. Unpasteurized cheese or other dairy products, hot dogs, and cold cuts are the foods most likely to transmit listeriosis. Infection in cattle and goats can cause them to abort. When this occurs, the placental remains are heavily contaminated and contact with these remains can spread the infection to people. Listeriosis is especially hazardous to pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis Lyme Disease Lyme disease, a bacterial disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted by the bites of infected ticks. Ticks become infected by feeding on infected rodents. It is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States, but is relatively rare in Washington when compared to other areas of the country. The classic symptom of Lyme disease is usually an expanding target-shaped or "bull's-eye" rash which starts at the site of the tick bite. Fever, headache, muscle aches and joint pain may also occur. If left untreated, later symptoms can include recurring joint pain, heart disease, and nervous system disorders. Animals such as dogs and horses can also develop Lyme disease. Ticks Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis The primary host of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus is the common house mouse. Pet rodents can become infected after being in contact with wild house mice infesting pet stores or homes. People can develop lymphocytic choriomeningitis following exposure to rodent urine, droppings, saliva, or nesting material. Symptoms of illness may be similar to the flu, or may cause meningitis inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Direct skin-to-skin contact is the most common way MRSA is spread. People and pets can carry MRSA on their skin or in their nose and not show signs of illness. Transmission involving animals is rare compared with person-to-person. P Petting Zoos and Animal Exhibits Certain venues encourage or permit the public to be in contact with animals. These settings include county or state fairs, petting zoos, animal swap meets, pet stores, zoologic institutions, circuses, carnivals, educational farms, livestock-birthing exhibits, educational exhibits at schools and child-care facilities, and wildlife photo opportunities. Although human-animal contact has many benefits, infectious disease outbreaks and injuries have been associated with these settings. Following established rules and guidelines, such as hand washing after contact with animals, will help reduce infectious disease outbreaks associated with animals in public settings. Animal Venue Operator Requirements Plague Plague is a serious infection of humans caused by bacteria the bacteria, Yersinia pestis. The bacteria are present in wild rodents and their fleas. People are infected through the bite of an infected flea, through a cut or break in the skin while handling infected animals, or through respiratory droplets from and infected person or animal. Although wildlife in Washington occasionally test positive for plague, human plague infections are extremely rare in our state. The last case occurred in Yakima County in , and involved an animal trapper. Plague Psittacosis Parrot fever Psittacosis is a bacterial disease caused by Chlamydophila psittaci. People usually become infected after inhaling contaminated dust from feathers or bird droppings. Direct contact with infected birds and bites can also spread the disease. Psittacine birds such as cockatiels, parrots, and parakeets are common carriers of the bacteria, but many other types of birds can be infected. Some infected birds show no signs of disease but can shed the bacteria when stressed from illness, moving to a new home, nutritional deficiencies, or overcrowding. The same respiratory disease in birds is called avian chlamydiosis, ornithosis, or parrot fever. Q Q Fever Q fever is a bacterial disease caused by Coxiella burnetii and primarily affects cattle, sheep, and goats, although other livestock and pets can carry the bacteria. Most animals have no symptoms, but infection may cause abortion in sheep and goats. The bacteria can be shed in the birth products, urine, feces, and milk of infected animals. The disease in people ranges from no symptoms to severe or chronic illness. People can be infected through direct contact with or by inhaling barnyard dust contaminated with dried placental material, birth fluids, or urine and feces from infected animals, or ingesting unpasteurized dairy products made from infected animals. R Rabies Rabies is a severe viral disease that affects the central nervous system. All warm-blooded mammals, including people, can get rabies. Rabies is almost always fatal if treatment is not begun soon after exposure to the virus. Most people in our state are exposed to rabies by being bitten by a bat. Bats are the only known natural reservoir for rabies in Washington State. Elsewhere in the United States, rabies reservoirs include skunks, foxes, and raccoons. While human rabies is rare in the United States, it is a significant disease worldwide, causing 55, deaths a year - most of those coming from bites of infected dogs. In the United States, human rabies is controlled by vaccinating dogs and cats and by giving a series of shots to people after they've been exposed to a potentially rabid animal. Rabies Raccoon Roundworm Baylisascaris is an intestinal roundworm found in raccoons. People, and other animals, become infected when they accidentally ingest Baylisascaris eggs from soil, water, or objects that have been contaminated with raccoon feces. Once ingested, these eggs hatch into larvae in the intestine and travel throughout the body, affecting the organs and muscles. Children or developmentally disabled people are at a higher risk for infection when they spend time outdoors, because they are more likely to put contaminated fingers, soil, or objects into their mouths. People who work with raccoons or spend time in raccoon habitats are also at increased risk. Symptoms include abrupt fever, vomiting, headache, muscle, back, and joint pain, and then a rash on the hands and feet and swollen joints. Other animals such as mice, gerbils, squirrels, cats, and dogs can get infected and may or may not get sick with rat bite fever, but they can spread the bacteria. Rat bite fever is rare in the United States, but it's not a notifiable disease, so exact numbers of cases are unknown. People who handle rats as part of their work or live in homes infested with wild rats are at higher risk of getting this disease. People who have pet rats may also be at risk for infection. Many animals can get ringworm, including dogs, cats, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, rodents, rabbits, and birds. People are infected by direct contact with an infected animal or person - most infections are spread person-to-person. Ringworm on a person's head usually shows as a bald patch of scaly skin and elsewhere on the body it can cause a red, ring-shaped rash that may be itchy. Spores of the ringworm fungus can survive for a long time on carpet, furniture, or other surfaces, and cause infections. Ringworm Dermatophytosis Infection , CDC Roundworm Toxocariasis Toxocariasis, or roundworm infection, is caused by a parasite that is commonly found in the intestines of dogs and cats. Roundworm eggs, which can survive for long periods of time in the environment, are present in infected dog and cat feces. People can get roundworm infections through direct contact with contaminated feces or through ingesting roundworm eggs. Children are more likely to become infected since they play in areas where the ground may be fecally contaminated by dogs and cats. Although most people with roundworm infection have no symptoms, sometimes the roundworm larvae can move through the body and damage body tissue, such as the eye. Toxocariasis, CDC Rules and Guidelines Regulations and guidelines to help prevent diseases from being transferred from animals to people. Rabies vaccination requirement for pet owners, animal vendor or venue operator responsibilities, disease reporting requirements and more. S Salmonellosis Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection. The bacteria are shed in the feces of infected people and animals. Most infections happen when a person eats or drinks food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. Contact with animals or objects that animals touch have also led to salmonellosis. Animals that often carry Salmonella include livestock and poultry chicks, ducklings , reptiles turtles, snakes, lizards , amphibians frogs, salamanders, toads , rodents, and even fish in aquariums. Salmonella can cause serious disease, especially in young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

I was adopted out from Valley Animal Center as a puppy but was returned a few years later when my owners were moving and couldn't keep me. Each year, I turn older and older as I wait for my furever home. I love to play with toys and absolutely adore when people give me attention and love. I'm generally a calm boy who would love to just lay with you on the couch and be smothered in love. Of course, I enjoy a good play time that has me using all my energy! Male dogs it takes me a while to adjust. I do require a meet and greet with other dogs that i will be going home with and come with some skills i learned from my dog trainer. If you have treats and a pool, we'd be best friends! I'm also the pawfect dog to take out on little trips down the lake or anytime you want to explore the outdoors! If you are my furever home, come visit me at Valley Animal Center's dog adoption center. To get a head start on the adoption process, you can also fill out the online pre-adoption application! After you fill it out, a dog care associate will contact you shortly. Petey Donor Spotlight: Doreen Murotsune For many of us who give our hearts, time, or dollars to rescue, we are first inspired by the love of a single special dog. Hana belonged to friends of Doreen, but Doreen and her boxer, Benjamin, fell in love with her. Benjamin and Hana were best friends, and Benjamin was always on the lookout for Hana and ready to protect her from any yappy Chihuahua who tried to intimidate her. In addition to being an active Strut Your Mutt teammate for each of the past 5 years, Doreen browses the boxers in our care and sponsors many dogs whose stories warm her heart. She not only sponsors dogs with single or repeat financial gifts, but also inquires about dogs with prescription diet needs and then purchases those diets on an autoship schedule, having the food mailed directly to foster homes. Planned Giving If you have ever loved a dog, you know that — while their lives are short in comparison to ours — the love you share is timeless. By including NorCal Boxer Rescue in your Will or Trust or naming the organization as a beneficiary on certain accounts, you ensure that for years to come, NCBR is able to continue rescuing boxers, providing them the care they need, and uniting them with families who will love them forever. Dogs are an incredibly important part of our lives. You can make them a part of your heritage. Click here to learn about the different options. Growing Old with You We know that the best place for an old dog is home with loved ones. Click here to find out more about the Growing Old with You program. Grey Muzzle Thank You! We are so honored to be a Grey Muzzle Organization grantee again this year! We know that many of you have a soft spot for frosted faces, but that the cost of caring for a senior boxer has given you pause when it comes to adopting one. We hope that this support will give you the security you need to give your heart away to a beautiful older soul. Thank you, Grey Muzzle, for trusting in us and for supporting our efforts! We are grateful for your partnership! Thank you, Hoven Foundation. Each dog who enters our lives is a gift. They bring us untold joy and share with us their unconditional love. They teach us to be better people. For nearly 10 years, The Hoven Foundation has not only appreciated the gift that each dog represents, but they have given back generously. The continued support of the Hoven Foundation has meant the difference between life and death for countless beautiful souls. Thank you to the Hoven Foundation for what you give to our dogs and, in turn, to all those whose lives those dogs touch. Join Our Mailing List! NCBR is a c 3 nonprofit and donations are tax deductible. We now accept vehicle donations! Donate your car, boat, RV, motorcycle or farm equipment. Plus you get a tax deduction! Call RIDE to donate or learn more. Upcoming Events.

Things to do with your English Bulldog Pennsylvania is a great place to live with an English bulldog. The state has a diverse landscape, plenty of outdoor activities, and dog-friendly businesses. Hike the Trails Hiking is a great way to get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors. There are many hiking trails in Pennsylvania that are perfect for English bulldogs. Be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks for your dog, and take breaks often. Visit a Campground Camping is another great way to enjoy the outdoors with your English bulldog. There are many campgrounds in Pennsylvania that allow dogs. Be sure to bring a tent, sleeping bags, food, water, and other supplies. There are many places to fish in Pennsylvania, both in fresh water and salt water. Be sure to get a fishing license and follow all the rules and regulations. Go Boating Boating is another great way to enjoy the outdoors with your English bulldog. There are many places to boat in Pennsylvania, both on rivers and lakes. Be sure to bring a life jacket for your dog and follow all the safety rules. There are many places to swim in Pennsylvania, both in fresh water and salt water. Be sure to supervise your dog at all times and follow all the safety rules. Visit a Dog Park Dog parks are a great place for English bulldogs to run and play off-leash. There are many dog parks in Pennsylvania, both in urban and rural areas. Visit Pet-Friendly Businesses Pennsylvania has a number of pet-friendly businesses, including restaurants, hotels, and stores. These are just a few of the many things you can do with your English bulldog in Pennsylvania. With its stunning scenery, endless activities, and friendly people, Pennsylvania is the perfect place to create lasting memories with your furry friend. How do you breed for a healthier English Bulldog? Like all things in life, breeding for health is simply a matter of priority. We are blind to many of the breed priorities that distract other breeders from improving the health of the English Bulldog. We focus on health and personality and very little else. We are not interested in winning a blue ribbon in the show ring. Rather, we test for things like elongated soft palates, narrow tracheas, stenotic nares, luxation in the patellar tendons, heart defects, cherry eye, optic cilia, entropion, ect. We focus and prioritize creating healthy bloodlines, therefore our bulldogs are typically much healthier than the breed as a whole. After breeding for health, what other priorities are you focused on? Our true desire is to create the perfect family bulldog. We also believe a bulldog bred for the correct personality is essential to the family unit as well. A Bruiser Bulldog is bred for intelligence and playfulness. We want our bulldogs to be full of personality and some quirk. We believe a full personality along with a little stubbornness is the true North star of the bulldog breed and is what makes the unique among other breeds. We look for these personality traits in our adult bulldogs and continue to create bloodlines that reflect these qualities. What are the steps of your adoption process if I am located in Pennsylvania? Check out our available English Bulldog Puppies page. At times, we have available puppies but almost always have a waiting list as well. A quick look at our available puppies is the starting point to begin the process. Send us an email or give us call .If approved to adopt one of our puppies you are welcome to place a deposit to hold until your puppy is ready to go home. Greetings from the Wysongs! Northern Indiana based, Bruiser Bulldogs offers purebred English Bulldog Puppies for sale to loving adopters seeking to find a higher quality English Bulldog. As English Bulldog breeders , Mitch and Erica Wysong have dedicated themselves to a lifelong journey of changing the culture and societal pressures of poor breeding practices within the English Bulldog Community. Mitch and Erica believe in producing a healthy English Bulldog puppy first and foremost. Through years of research and development, Bruiser Bulldogs is leading a new movement away from the overdone, wrinkled bulldog that has been long plagued by health problems. By embracing a healthier, more athletic look they are able to ensure that each and every English Bulldog Puppy for sale by Bruiser Bulldogs is supported by a platform of health tested, clean genetics. Upon adoption, each family that takes on the responsibility of a Bruiser Bulldog enters into an active and vibrant communal family of bulldog owners. Mitch and Erica believe it is their responsibility to provide emotional and mental support for the lifetime of each and every English Bulldog puppy they produce. To ensure the success of every adoption, Bruiser Bulldogs will always be committed to helping Bruiser Bulldog adopters care for their English Bulldogs to the best of their ability. I am familiar with common and uncommon health problems they may face so when my boyfriend and I decided we were ready to adopt our own english puppy finding a reputable breeder that prioritizes health was most important to us. Erica and Mitch of Bruiser Bulldogs are just that. They are experienced, ethical and quality breeders. I was referred to them by my friend that I trust after I saw their gorgeous healthy puppy. Our Puppy Primrose is the light of our lives! Bruisers was there to assist us every step of the way. We would highly recommend Bruisers Bulldogs to anyone looking for their own happy, healthy pup! Leah H. We were lucky to have come across Bruiser Bulldogs and even more so the fact that they were near our family and hometown made it even better. We have had Clementine Callie for four months now, and she is a wonderful dog. Her personality is amazing, and I think part of it is breeding and the other part is Erika and her family lovingly raising the puppies in their home with plenty of attention and snuggles. I also was impressed that, rather than send the puppies out right at 8 weeks, Erika kept ours for a few extra weeks because she was tiny and not read to leave her mom yet. It's that care that differentiates Bruisers from other breeders. Emily R. Erica was easy to work with thru the entire process from application to adopting and now beyond as we host our new family member, Chief. Her on-call support and willingness to provide open, honest advice to all of our questions and concerns continues to be appreciated. We would highly recommend Bruiser Bulldogs to anyone looking for an English Bulldog to join their family. Elizabeth W. Lady L. They are experienced, responsive and knowledgeable about all things bulldog related. They went above and beyond for us and are truly dedicated to all of their pups! We love our little girl so much and would recommend Bruiser to anyone looking for a healthy beautiful bully. Jonathan E. Erica and Mitch are trustworthy, excellent communicators, fair, passionate, and produce the best bulldogs. We were at the top of the waiting list for months and Erica reached out every litter to see if we were finally ready for a bulldog. When we were, she was very easy to work with. Her knowledge on bulldogs is outstanding. We had many questions on the process and she always knew what was best for the puppy. We've had Penny formerly Blair for two months and she is very healthy, energetic, playful, and sweet. She is great with other people and dogs. We are so happy with our pup. When we are ready for bulldog 2, we will only consider Bruiser Bulldogs. Mitch C. Bowser was born April and is an integral part of our family. When we were first exploring English Bulldog breeders our biggest concern was the overall health of the dogs. We decided to work with Erica at Bruiser Bulldogs because we liked their focus on improving the breeds breathing abilities and the fact that the puppies are raised within her family environment before coming home with their new owners. Bowser also breaths clearly and our vet was impressed with his overall health from the moment we brought him home. All that said we know English Bulldogs have a predisposition to many health issues and that his current health can not predict the future. With that In mind its important to start with a breeder that open to answer any of your questions as Erica has ours, and that strongly believes in improving the breeds overall health profile. Adam B. My sister ended up finding Bruiser Bulldogs and we knew right away that they were the breeder for us. In September we ended up driving 9 hours to pick up two Bruiser bulldog puppies- one for my husband and I and one for my mom. Jackson and Penelope have been nothing but a joy. They are both very athletic and healthy. They are also HUGE snugglers and always want to be with you. It is an absolute pleasure having these two bullies in our lives! Erica is very knowledgeable about the breed. She is very hands on throughout the process and is just overall a kind and honest person to work with. With all that being said I cannot recommend Bruiser Bulldogs enough! Collyn C. One of the reasons we chose Bruiser Bulldogs was due to the claims about breeding for health. During our first visit at our vet's office, he told us that our pup was one of the healthiest English bulldogs he had ever seen. He is healthy, happy and social. Would recommend to anyone. Christina S. We seen our dog on their website and sent them an Email. Mitch called us and personally walked us through the process and made sure we had the right dog for our family. We couldn't be happier when we picked up our dog Ramsey, Erica made sure we had everything we needed and then some. They are truly amazing people who breed truly amazing dogs! Jim T. Puppy Breeds Known for their loose-jointed, shuffling gait and massive, short-faced head, the English Bulldog is known to be equable, resolute and dignified. A medium-sized dog, they are not your typical lap dog, but would like to be! They are one of the most popular breeds according toAKC Registration Statistics due to their lovable and gentle dispositions and adorable wrinkles. The English Bulldog may be brindle, white, red, fawn, fallow or piebald. The original bulldog had to be ferocious and courageous, and almost insensitive to pain. When dog fighting became illegal in England, fanciers set to the task of preserving the breed by eliminating the fierce characteristics. Within a few generations, the Bulldog became one of the finest physical specimens with an agreeable temperament. Temperament English Bulldogs are recognized as excellent family pets because of their tendency to form strong bonds with children. They tend to be gentle and protective. The breed requires minimal grooming and exercise. Their short nose makes them prone to overheating in warm weather, so make sure to provide a shady place to rest. Generally, Bulldogs are known for getting along well with children, other dogs, and pets. They can become so attached to home and family, that they will not venture out of the yard without a human companion. Bulldogs do better with positive training. They love getting rewarded with treats! Here at Petland, we have many different types of training treats because we know all the pups love them! Ranging in size from 40 to 50 pounds. Family companion. Apartment is fine, also small condo Low activity indoors, due to their snouts thrive in moderate climates.

We are committed to utilizing world class, imported German Shepherd dogs from top producing West German Shepherd lines. GSD puppies are a great addition to family homes as well as excellent dogs for a variety of jobs. Because of their intelligence and quick-learning abilities, this breed has long been used for a range of tasks from herding to home protection. German Shepherds are one of the most popular breeds in the country and our dogs are the cream of the crop. At four weeks, we introduce all pups to the outdoors, and at six weeks, we start all puppies on the NuVet supplement, building a foundation for a strong, long healthy life. How are your GSD puppies raised and when can I take my puppy home? Our puppies receive top-quality care from the moment they are born. The Mom dog and her puppies have private whelping rooms away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the kennel. Starting at 3 days of life, each puppy is exposed to Early Neurological Stimulation. ENS is a set of short exercises which serve to stimulate the neurological system in a young puppy and has been proven to strengthen the heart, increase resistance to diseases, and produce greater tolerance of stress. As the puppies become older they are introduced to more and more new things around the kennel and are socialized with many people, young and old. Puppies can go to their new homes at 8 weeks. Give us your preferred puppy specifications and expectations and we will do our best to surpass them Breeding purebred West German Showline German Shepherds are our passion. If you share our passion and is looking for a German Shepherd breeder that specializes in providing the highest quality show dogs, protection dogs, working dogs, or family companions, your search just ended. All of our puppies have plenty of wide open spaces to get all of the physical exercise their growing bodies need. We show and work with our dogs and try to improve the German Shepherd breed We follow strict German guidelines and health testing SV Our puppies are raised at home and are well socialized. We try to housebreak puppies as well before their new homes Roche's Pedigree German Shepherds is located within Chicago Illinois area. They are black and red in color. We breed dogs that pass hips and elbows evaluation, and have earned their schutzhund titles. We strive to breed healthy dogs with best bloodlines in mind. For more information, please contact Jeff Roche at or simply fill out a very brief form below. Thank you for your interest in Roche's Pedigree German Shepherds and we look forward to hearing from you. Please, call ahead to schedule your visit. Appointment is not warrantees the sale. We have a right to sell the dog at any time. Females: pounds. Height Males: inches. Females: inches. The German Shepherd dog originated in the late 19th century with the goal of developing the ideal herding dog, one with high levels of intelligence, speed, agility, and devotion. German Shepherds quickly gained popularity outside of herding circles due to their high intelligence and trainability. They were very effective in many roles, such as search and rescue, police and military, and guide dog for the visually impaired. Their intelligence, flexibility, and eagerness to please their human companions earned them a reputation as a superior working breed. The breed gained widespread recognition during World Wars I and II, when German Shepherds were an integral part of military organizations. Messenger dogs, guard dogs, and search and rescue dogs all relied heavily on the intellect, bravery, and adaptability of these canines. Because of the significant roles they played throughout these difficult times, they have become one of the most admired and admired breeds in the world. German Shepherds are still highly regarded because of their adaptability, intellect, and devoted nature. Herding, obedience competitions, agility trials, and other working responsibilities are just some of the many areas in which they thrive. Their unique physical characteristics—a powerful, muscular body and a noble expression—only add to their appeal. German Shepherds have stood tall as a symbol of loyalty, intellect, and undying devotion to their human companions for centuries thanks to their impressive history and impressive abilities. Breed Characteristics Head: Somewhat Mesaticephalic to almost dolichocephalic in skull-type. Strongly developed, moderate in size, rectilinear, shaped like an elongated wedge, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is moderately wide, with a flat plane. The median furrow is not well defined. The occiput, brow, and zygomatic arches are only slightly developed. The head is clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkle. Ears: Somewhat small in size, set high on the skull, and triangular in shape with pointed tips, carried firmly erect. When alert, tips point straight up. The ears are never overly long, overly large, or broken Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, obliquely set, and medium to dark brown in color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Muzzle: The muzzle is of a moderately long length and strongly developed. It tapers gradually toward the tip of the nose, giving the head the appearance of an elongated wedge. The plane of the muzzle is straight or slightly convex. Upper and lower jaws have good bone substance, are strong, well developed, never appearing snipey or weak. Upper and lower jaws split wide apart at hinge, revealing back molars when the mouth is held opened. Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black, or self-colored according to the coat. The nostrils are well-opened. Neck: Moderate length to allow for proud head carriage, strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap. Chest: Deep, broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. Body: Powerful, solid, and with good substance without appearing heavy, coarse, or bulky. Capable of great endurance, agility, and performance, without appearing racy or refined. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters. Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads. Movement: Energetic, efficient, effortless, tireless, and agile. The characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither moving in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the center line of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring. Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup, but as a natural extension of the topline. Thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. Of a somewhat long length with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints, or below, when held down. Tail may be straight, gently curved, or with gently curved toward the tip. Temperament: Belgian Sheepdogs are confident, active, energetic, watchful, and devoted dogs. They retain the characteristics that were honed and developed over centuries in Belgium to make them excellent working dogs and unmatched companions for the right owner or family. They are highly intelligent, highly agile, very powerful, and well aware of their capabilities. They can become very protective of their people, family, and property, making them excellent watchdogs. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed. About the German Shepherd The German Shepherd is a breed that is looked up to and respected because of how impressive it is. This is one of the most well-known dog breeds in the world due to its iconic status as a symbol of loyalty, intelligence, and adaptability. The massive stature and powerful, athletic frame of a German Shepherd are well-known characteristics of this breed. They average between 50 and 90 pounds in weight and 22 and 26 inches in height at the shoulder, though this might vary by gender and heredity. Their agile and strong nature is reflected in their strong, muscular build, making them suitable for a variety of strenuous pursuits. Their double coat consists of a robust, straight upper layer and a fluffy, insulating underlayer. Coat colors and patterns for this breed range from the traditional black and tan to sable, black, and even white. This stunning coat serves dual purposes, improving their visual attractiveness and shielding them from the elements. The German Shepherd breed is known for its high level of intelligence. They have a remarkable capacity to acquire and comprehend new material quickly and easily. Their exceptional intelligence makes them well-suited for many jobs, including those in law enforcement , the military, search and rescue, and as service animals. German Shepherds thrive when their minds are challenged and exercised via consistent training and interesting pursuits. German Shepherds have a well-deserved reputation for being devoted and attached to their human families. Because of their strong motivation to serve their human companions, they make wonderful pets and reliable watchdogs. Their instinct to protect those they care about and the environment they live in make them excellent watchdogs. German Shepherds are highly skilled workers, but they are also wonderful pets for active families. They do best in households with consistent routines, where they may exercise and learn new things, and where they are loved and cared for. They require regular exercise and mental stimulation in the form of walks, games, and stimulating training sessions. Like dogs of any breed, the German Shepard benefit greatly from early socialization and training. They become well-rounded persons whose personalities can adapt to different social contexts and interactions with other animals and humans if they receive early socialization. The German Shepherd is a breed that has stood the test of time because of its extraordinary intelligence, unflinching devotion, and striking good looks. German Shepherds are one of the most valued and respected dog breeds in the world due to their outstanding attributes, which create a lasting impact whether they are working colleagues, trustworthy companions, or beloved family pets. All of our puppies have received rigorous obedience training, both on and off-leash, so that they can respond to your every instruction, no matter the setting. Because of the time and effort we put into their training, you can tell that our puppies are of the highest quality. Not matter your needs, we have the perfect dog just for you! Visit Our Dogs. German Shepherds for sale in Massachusetts Regis Regal Specializes in providing world class German Shepherd puppies and trained adult dogs Serving Massachusetts with german shepherds since With over 30 years experience in the breeding and training of world-class German Shepherds from some of the top bloodlines out of Germany, here at Regis Regal German Shepherds we've been very proud to have sold our puppies and adult dogs to the residents of Massachusetts. We're a small family run operation with our main training and breeding facilities based in Spring Grove, Illinois. Because of the quality and pedigree of our German Shepherds there's been a demand for our dogs all over the world. The owner, Cynthia Kelly, has a lifetime of experience in creating the perfect family companion, service dog or therapy dog. Because of the lack of top quality German Shepherd breeders in some parts of the United States, we've carefully set ourselves up so that we can send our dogs direct to your home by use of a private courier service. German Shepherd Breeders in Massachusetts There are a number of great German Shepherd breeders in Massachusetts, from Worcester to Boston, but have you considered looking further afield for the perfect puppy? At Regis Regal German Shepherds we produce a select number of puppies at any one time, and take the utmost care when raising and training them ready for ownership. You should not forget that when it comes to buying a puppy you also need to be mindful of other costs outside of the purchase or adoption fee. Included within the cost of our puppies are: Lifetime health guarantee contingent on meeting criteria stated in the contract. Send us a message or give us a ring on .Emotional support dogs are suited for both children and adults and have the ability to work with their owners in all types of locations. We have placed many dogs with children and teenagers that suffer from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and manic disorders. Service dogs provide a physical service to their owners. We have been incredibly successful in providing service dogs to children in MA afflicted with Autism and Asbergers, as our dogs can help to enhance the verbal skills of non-verbal Autistic children and support their overall way of communicating. Some of our previous placements our dog courier service - we ship to your door in MA! You might find this a bit hard to believe but we actually ship right to your door, wherever you are based in the US! Such is the demand for one of our dogs we decided it would make things a lot easier for our customers if we could hand-deliver them right to you. For those people in need of a top class GSD, and who can't get to our premises, this is a bit of a lifesaver. We make use of a private courier service whereby they come to us and pickup the dog in their vehicle before making the journey to your home. Our driver is well trained in the handling and care of your dog on the trip, and due to their temperament our dogs always enjoy the journey! On rare occasions our dogs have flown out to their destination, again accommpanied by one of the Regis Regal team to ensure for a very smooth and calm trip. We also go through a very thorough process to make sure our dogs are going to the right kind of owner - at the end of the day it's really important that we can rest easy at night knowing they'll be going to someone that's going to love them as much as we do. Because of COVID we've held plenty of online meetings where you can ask us any questions about our dogs, and you can even get to meet-and-greet them virtually! Reviews from Customers based in MA We like to think we've made a lot of people in Massachusetts happy over the years that we've been in business. Take a look below at some of the feedback we've received to date. You can find more reviews of ours here too. I started searching for a good German Shepherd with good temperament, good health and from a good blood line. I searched and searched for a long time; across the country, even across the world but then I met Cynthia Kelly from Regis Regal German Shepherds. She is an encyclopedia and a wealth of knowledge about this breed. She paired me with, what I consider, a once in life time puppy. Thank you Cynthia - Manny is amazing! As you can imagine this can change quite regularly - so please send us a message below, or give us a call on .We look forward to hearing from you! Your name. Life Span Did You Know? The German Shepherd is one of the most versatile, well-recognized, and popular dog breeds in the world. The modern German Shepherd is descended from a family of various German herding dogs. Breed standards were not developed until the late 19th century when Captain Max von Stephanitz, a German cavalry officer, worked with Arthur Meyer and other breeders to develop the ideal German herding dog. Stephanitz and Meyer wrote the breed standard in and the American Kennel Club recognized the German Shepherd as a member of the Herding Group in .Although they were originally bred as herding dogs, they were also bred for versatility, which made the German Shepherd an all-around working dog that could excel in a variety of applications. German Shepherds are one of the common dog breeds employed in K-9 units in both police and military applications. They also make great service dogs and, of course, are still awesome herding dogs and farm dogs! The German Shepherd is a strong-willed and highly intelligent dog. They have a playful, energetic spirit and tend to get along with children, other dogs, and other pets, which makes them a great family companion. A born protector, the German Shepherd will provide a great sense of security for their family while their loving and lively personality will make them fit right in as a companion. German Shepherds are naturally protective and can be wary of strangers at first. A well-socialized German Shepherd will bark to alert you and tends to warm up to strangers once introduced. German Shepherds are dogs that were bred to herd and work. This, plus their high energy, makes them a better fit for homes with fenced yards where they can run. They can adapt well to larger apartments as long as plenty of time is dedicated to ensuring they get enough exercise, mental stimulation, and attention every day. A bored, ignored, or under-exercised German Shepherd can often become a destructive one. They also can be sensitive to their surroundings and large gatherings can be off-putting. With a longer coat, they tend to prefer cooler climates and are sensitive to heat. The German Shepherd is a generally healthy breed, but there are some potential health concerns and good breeding practices make a big difference. Potential health concerns to be aware of in a German Shepherd include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia , and degenerative myelopathy. Reputable breeders will screen their dogs to avoid passing preventable issues to puppies. So, make sure you are asking about the health and genetic history of both parents. You can also ask about any health tests or clearances that have been done. As a barrel-chested breed, the German Shepherd is also at risk for bloat. While the German Shepherd is highly intelligent and highly trainable, they are generally not recommended for novice owners. If you are a novice dog owner, enroll in puppy training classes or enlist the help of a professional dog trainer; not just for your dog, but for yourself as well. Training assistance will help you grow in experience and build a strong bond between you and your German Shepherd puppy, which is essential. Also, the GSD has a thirst for training and fulfillment. They get bored easily and especially with repetition, so continued training with your German Shepherd throughout their life will be necessary. German Shepherds have a medium-to-long double coat. They will shed year-round and heavier as seasons change. Brushing a few times a week is usually sufficient; brushing daily is even better and your GSD will likely love you for it. Bathing is occasional on an as-needed basis. Ear checks weekly with careful cleanings as needed can help prevent ear infections. German Shepherds are high-energy working dogs. Not only do they require a lot of daily activity, but they also are a herding breed that was made to run, guard, and observe, so they need a job to do to be happy and healthy. Daily walks plus playtime, time to run, and other activities are usually enough for a GSD, but they will likely be up for more activity if you are. With their versatility and athleticism, you can try a lot of different activities when puppies finish growing and they are cleared for higher-impact things. A fully-grown German Shepherd usually stands inches tall and weighs pounds. German Shepherds generally live for years on average. Corporal Duncan brought him back to the United States and Rin-Tin-Tin became one of the most famous dog actors in history. Featured German Shepherd Article.

We are devoted to the preservation of the breed, determined to produce the best possible example of a loving, kind, confident and beautiful companion and in addition, for us a future competitor in the various activities that this talented breed offers. We strive for temperament, correct conformation, soundness and a conglomeration of the many skills that the Labrador possesses. We hope that with our hard work over the past 30 years we are continuing to be able to provide a few people each year with a puppy that they will cherish for a lifetime. Meet The Breeder Faith V. Hyndman I've always been an animal lover. As a young child I collected canaries, parakeets, salamanders, turtles, gold fish, cats, horses, and always a dog or two. My interest in Labradors began when we were looking for a family companion who needed minimal grooming after having spent 15 years with Poodles. In we ended up finding and purchasing Trumpet, who started my love affair with this wonderful, versatile breed. Buckstone Labradors Breeds With Purpose Type We strive to produce Labradors that not only look beautiful, but act as the versatile retriever that they are. Temperament Labrador temperament is of utmost importance for us. Through selective breeding of fabulous temperaments for many years, we know that our puppies will make wonderful lifelong companions. Ability Our dogs are proven in the show ring to have conformed to the written standard. We have many champions and have owned and produced dogs who have gone on to earn many performance titles, serve as wonderful family pets and personal hunting companions. Support With nearly 40 years of breeding and dog care, we've probably seen it all.We offer lifetime support to our puppy buyers and are always just a call or e-mail away to be a great resource for your Buckstone puppy. Our Puppies We generally breed one or two litters a year. Our plan is to always keep a puppy for ourselves so that we are able to continue with our hobby of training and competing with our Labradors at their many different levels. Our puppies are raised in the house and are well socialized. They will have their first shots and be examined by our veterinarian before leaving for their new homes. We require that our puppy buyers come to our home in Pennsylvania to pick up their new family addition. We love meeting you and are excited to welcome you into our own Labrador family. We always look forward to frequent updates and photos and will always be here for your Buckstone puppy. Buckstone Puppies are carefully placed in homes that have been interviewed by phone or in person. Buckstone Puppies must be picked up in person at my home. We do not take lists or promise puppies before they are ready to be placed into new homes. We never take deposits nor will we ever ask for money online or through gift cards. Please feel free to contact us about puppies we may have who are looking for their forever home. I'm interested in a Buckstone Puppy! The Labrador Retriever is also the most popular purebred dog in America for the 21st straight year. More than twice as many Labs were registered than any other breed making it a likely leader for many years to come. In a recent article, a licensed professional counselor for more than twenty-five years, explained how owning a Lab can help produce healthier, happier, more well adjusted children. Here is an excerpt from her article: Dogs are better than popping pills or drinking elixers. Children with dogs for pets have been found to have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and fewer overall physical complaints than those without dogs. In fact, there are several diseases where dogs have been used to help those who have the disease. Two of these are: rheumatoid arthritis and emotional disturbance stemming from cases of severe abuse. Samuel B. Be sure to read the rest of her seven part article, Ten Reasons to Own a Dog. At Twin Lakes Kennel, we have been breeding and training world class Labrador retrievers for more than thirty-five years. Our second-to-none Puppy Guarantee makes buying a pure-bred Labrador retriever one of the wisest decisions you will ever make. Read the personal testimonials from prominent Lab owners from around the country. And visit our Puppy Page or call Woody or Judi for up-to-date puppy information at .Did you know… The Quakers came here in to settle. In the beginning they lived in caves carved out along the Delaware River. Over 80 homes were quickly built. The first and second continental congress convened here in Philadelphia. The citizens were loyal to their new country and made Philadelphia the headquarters of the American Revolution. Philadelphia was the national capital until except for a brief time when New York City was the capital. In , the largest USA city was Philadelphia. Philadelphia continued that distinction until .The motto, The City of Brotherly Love, came from William Penn, who envisioned the area as a place where anyone of any color or background could live together in peace and harmony. The distance from Philadelphia to Washington DC is miles. The distance to the Pennsylvania state capital is 94 miles. Our world class Labrador Retrievers puppies for sale! Our Latest Happy Clients! Become A Happy Client! We have answers. The Philadelphia Labrador Retriever puppies for sale that you see on Uptown are descended from a breed that hails from Newfoundland. These tough, smart, and obedient dogs were used by fishermen to help them retrieve nets and fish from the cold waters. These days, a Labrador Philadelphia is known as an all all-round family dog. Can Uptown help? We sure can! We can help connect you to the best Philadelphia Labrador Retriever breeders, who are all pre-screened to make sure they meet our high standards. Why is Uptown different from other places with Philadelphia Labrador Retrievers for sale? Every business on Uptown has to sign our binding Breeder Pledge. Are there any Labrador Retriever puppies for sale Philadelphia available now? They will always be happy to provide all the information you need to know your pup is healthy. Do you sell puppies from the cheapest Labrador Retriever breeders Philadelphia? When a new breeder applies to join our network, we prioritize checking that they use ethical breeding practices, as well as keeping parents dogs and their pups in the best conditions. Remember the price you pay for your puppy reflects the time and dedication it takes to breed a healthy dog. Do you recommend specific food for a Labrador Retriever for sale in Philadelphia? Will a Philadelphia Labrador Retriever for sale make a good family dog? They also love a good chill-out on the couch! And if someone in your family is keen on training, Labs are smart enough to excel here too. How big do Labradors for sale Philadelphia get? Labradors are a medium-sized breed, with a sturdy and muscular body. Males usually stand between .Male Labs weigh roughly 65 to 80 pounds, and females 55 to 70 pounds.

They thrive on human interaction and love to be involved in everything their family is doing. Miniature Poodles are quick learners and excel at obedience training. Very eager to please their people, they are a great choice for first-time dog owners. Mini Poodles are usually good with other dogs and children, but they can be a little bit reserved around strangers. With proper socialization from a young age, your Mini Poodle puppy will learn to interact well with people outside of their immediate family. Expect your new for-ever family member to have a lot of energy and need plenty of exercise. They need an outdoor walk every day to keep calm and centered. Check out this best-selling dog leash with a comfortable handle! While walks are a must, the Mini Poodle is not suited to be an outdoor dog. This breed has a long history as a circus dog, so this dog is a favorite choice for owners who want an athletic puppy who is open to learning tricks. Some Mini Poodles are territorial and highly excitable, but patient and consistent training can usually modify this behavior. For all of these reasons, finding homes for our Mini Poodle Puppies for sale is never challenging. Minatare Poodle Health Considerations The average life span of the miniature poodle is 13 — 15 years. Use ear cleaner wipes and eye wipes regularly to remove crust or discharge. All breeds of dogs should be brought in for regular vet checkups. Miniature Poodle Coat The Mini Poodle has a hypoallergenic coat which is excellent for allergy sufferers. Matting eventually causes skin irritation. If your Poodle has a long coat, you should brush out your Poodle every day. Check out this popular dog slicker brush and detangling comb that is perfect for your Mini Poodle. While Miniature Poodles are a fairly low-shedding dog breed, they still need coat care. Many Poodle owners opt for a short cut or trim to minimize grooming needs. When a shorter cut, you can reduce brush outs to a few times a week and get the coat trimmed up every weeks. Mini Poodles Puppies For Sale. Life Span Did You Know? The Poodle is one of the oldest dog breeds and was originally developed in Germany to hunt waterfowl. The Poodle may have originated in Germany, but they are much-loved by the French. So much so that the Poodle is the national dog of France. The Miniature Poodle is slightly more recent. This Mini version likely originated in France. The Mini Poodle has all of the same characteristics as a Standard Poodle; they just come in a smaller package. The Miniature Poodle is one of the smartest dog breeds. On top of their intelligence, they are also known to have a cheerful disposition and a sensitive nature. They get along great with children. Due to their small size, they can be easily injured by rough play or accidental falls that can happen with younger children. Because of this, they may be better suited to a home with older children. Younger children should be fine as long as they are taught how to properly interact with a small dog and interactions between young kids and puppies are closely supervised. Although they are considered part of the Non-Sporting Group, some facts about Miniature Poodles are that they are versatile and athletic dogs that are also quite playful. Provided they are well-socialized, they get along well with other dogs and tend to do well with strangers. They do tend to be protective of their home and can be suspicious of strangers coming up on the property. They are known to bark to alert you of strangers coming to the house. This makes them a good watchdog, but overall, they are more interested in making friends. This dog breed is highly adaptable. The Miniature Poodle does well in any type of home, including apartments, and fits in with just about any family type. They do well in most climates, but, as with many dog breeds, they are sensitive to heat and extreme cold. Because Mini Poodles are people-oriented, they do not like being left alone and will not handle being left alone for long periods of time very well. Good breeding practices make a big difference in the health of puppies. Reputable breeders will screen their dogs to make sure they are not passing preventable issues to puppies. Make sure you ask the breeder about the health and genetic history of both parents and about any health tests or clearances that have been done. Miniature Poodles are highly intelligent, easy to train, and eager to please, which makes them a good fit for owners of any experience level and one of the best dog breeds for first-time owners. They are a people-oriented breed and are sensitive to moods and tones of voice. They do not respond well to harsh training methods or harsh tones as they take it personally, get their feelings hurt, and lose respect for you. A Mini Poodle tends to respond best to consistent training that is fun and focused on positive rewards. A Mini Poodle is one of the fluffiest dog breeds and will have a curly or corded coat that can come in just about any color. Although this dog breed has a low-shedding, hypoallergenic coat, their coat still needs a lot of grooming. They need to be brushed daily to prevent tangles and matting. They should also be professionally groomed every 4 to 6 weeks to keep their coat healthy. Miniature Poodles are high-energy dogs that require a good amount of exercise each day. Daily walks plus some playtime and other activities are usually enough for them. When puppies finish growing and developing, they often enjoy games of fetch and other activities like swimming, hiking, or jogging with their favorite human. Mini Poodles also tend to be great candidates for several dog sports, like agility, tracking, obedience, retriever hunt tests, and more. Just make sure to visit the vet and get your dog cleared for these activities before you jump in. Fully-grown Miniature Poodles usually stand inches tall and weigh pounds. Mini Poodles generally live for years on average. The Miniature Poodle was very popular among the French nobility. Featured Miniature Poodle Article. Their coats may show some variation in color, especially darker feathering on their ears and tipping on their ruffs. This is not a fault according to AKC breed standards. Brown poodles should have liver-colored noses, eye-rims and lips, with dark toenails and dark amber eyes. Brown poodles have a sophisticated look and an easy temperament. Like all poodles, they are lively and intelligent, perhaps one of the most easily trained of all dogs. Poodles are often preferred for agility and obedience competitions. And when properly socialized, they are among the happiest of breeds. Our puppies are accustomed to being around children, neighbors, other dogs and cats, so they exhibit none of the shyness that other poodles can display. These are happy, good-natured pups, full of fun and frolic. They are truly ready to become a member of your family. How do you know which one is the right puppy for you? Often people say that you should let the puppy choose you, but that can result in a quieter, gentler puppy being overlooked. The most outgoing puppy may have more energy than you will be able to handle once you get him home. Often the best puppy is one in the middle of the temperament range, neither too bold nor too shy. Poodles Info.

Overall, boxers love people and children. As long as they're properly socialized, they get along great with other pets. But boxers do sometimes have aggressive tendencies that need to be kept in check. Same-Sex Aggression The most common problem with aggressive behavior in boxers is territorial and dominance aggression toward other dogs of the same sex. This is especially true with female boxers. Although they generally get along fine with male dogs, female boxers tend to pick fights with other females. Boxers also tend to hold grudges; once one becomes angry with another dog, he might consider that dog to be a lifelong enemy. On-Leash Aggression Boxers need to be exercised regularly; unfortunately, being on-leash sometimes brings out their territorial nature, causing them to behave aggressively toward other dogs they meet. Boxers also sometimes become more protective and defensive of their owners while on leash. A head collar with a loop that goes over the muzzle can give owners more control and help to keep this sort of aggressive behavior in check. In the event that it goes too far, such a collar can help the owner to regain control of a fighting boxer without getting in the middle of the fight. Prey Instinct The boxer was originally bred from crossing a bulldog with a bullenbeisser, which is a German hunting dog. As such, the boxer inherited a strong instinct for catching prey, which leads the breed to display aggression toward small animals such as squirrels, rabbits and birds, and even sometimes larger animals such as sheep and deer. Dealing With Aggression Boxers are highly energetic dogs who require daily walks and other forms of exercise to help them release pent-up energy and stay calm. They are strong-willed and need owners who are both willing and able to be strong, dominant leaders and establish firm boundaries for acceptable behavior. Early socialization with other animals and people can help avoid aggressive tendencies as the boxer gets older. If your boxer shows aggressive tendencies despite your best efforts to contain them, consult a veterinary behavioral expert for help in getting the aggression under control. More Articles. They are known for being very loyal, and that can sometimes turn into aggression. If you are worried that your Boxer may become aggressive or if there are already signs of aggression, there are some things you can do to correct the behavior and help make your Boxer a loving pet. Can Boxers be aggressive? Boxers can be aggressive, but if they are bought from a legitimate breeder and are raised, socialized, and trained properly, they are not likely to be aggressive. Past negative experiences, lack of exercise, and feeling threatened can manifest in aggression, though these issues are easily corrected. If you are considering getting a Boxer and want to know if he or she could become aggressive, be sure to read on to learn more. Poor Breeding Some dogs are bred from animals that are aggressive or have genes that make them more likely to be aggressive. There are also certain health problems that can make a Boxer more likely to become aggressive. Lack of Socialization Dogs that have not been properly socialized with people, children, or animals may become aggressive out of fear or if they are territorial. Lack of Training Some dogs need to be trained to keep their aggression at bay and to learn how to act in certain situations and with new people. If a Boxer is not trained properly, he could become aggressive in new situations and around new people. They may guard their toys, bed, and even people. They can also have food-aggression issues. This problem is known as resource guarding and is a natural reaction in some dogs or can be something they develop over time if they are not cared for properly. Unneutered Male Males are more likely to become aggressive than females, especially if they are unneutered. Boxers that show signs of aggression typically become less aggressive after they are neutered. Past Trauma or Negative Experiences Dogs that have been abused or have had past trauma and negative experiences may become aggressive in situations that remind them of these experiences. Female-Female Aggression Many Boxer females can become aggressive when other females are around. This is especially true if the female is in heat, has puppies, or is pregnant. Overly Protective Nature Boxers are guard dogs, and they tend to be overprotective by nature. This can something show up as aggression if they feel that their family or they themselves are being threatened. High Prey Drive Boxers have a high prey drive, and this can cause them to see smaller dogs, cats, and other animals as prey and act aggressively toward them. This can usually be resolved with proper training. How To Stop Boxer Aggression If your Boxer is showing signs of aggression, the sooner you intervene, the more likely you are to stop the behavior before it gets out of hand. Here are some tips that can help. Create a Safe Place Make sure your dog feels safe. Many dogs show aggression out of fear and confusion. Talk calmly to your dog when he starts to show signs of aggression to distract and calm him. Instead, redirect him and offer positive reinforcement to help keep him calm and let him know his calm behavior is rewarded. Make an appointment with your veterinarian to have a health problem ruled out or treated. Socialize Them Proper socialization is important for every dog breed and especially Boxers. Make sure your dog has plenty of socialization with other pets, animals, and people. You can find trainers who specialize in dealing with aggressive behavior and can help you correct it. As opposed to a costly lawsuit should your dog attack someone, hiring a professional will be money well spent. Your Boxer likely stares at you because he wants to anticipate what you will do next so he can go with you. Boxers bond with their owners quickly, and your Boxer may want to be by your side at all times. If your Boxer is older, he may be staring at you due to vision problems or another disorder. Are Boxers Good With Cats? Boxers can be good with cats as long as they are introduced to them early in life and have plenty of time to socialize with them. When you introduce your Boxer to a cat, always monitor them closely to make sure they get along. Conclusion Boxers are great dogs and make great family pets. They can, however, be aggressive if they are not properly trained and socialized. Related Posts:. No breed description will describe all boxers or will even accurately and totally describe one. However, some traits do apply to many boxers. Boxers tend to be silly, playful dogs who act like puppies for much of their lives. They are clownish dogs who seem to take particular delight in making their human family laugh at their antics. However, their puppy-like behavior is not always a source of amusement for everyone. Boxers love to be with people — as much as possible and as close as possible. They are not an aloof or independent breed. Their social nature and their typically high energy level make them well-suited to joining in family activities. If your boxer needs to be home alone for many hours each day, he will likely need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation when you are home to keep him happy. Boxers cannot be left outside unattended without access to the indoors for any considerable length of time. Not only are they intolerant to heat and cold, but they also have been known to escape yards in an attempt to find their people. Boxers are family dogs in both their social nature and their physical needs. Boxers have a reputation for enjoying the company of children, and, indeed, many of them are quite tolerant around children. Boxers are large and bouncy and are not always the best judges of their size and strength, so special care should be taken with an exuberant boxer around small children. Always keep in mind that rescue dogs often have unknown histories, so it is a good idea to take extra precautions with any rescue dog, including boxers, around young children. Many boxers enjoy playing with other dogs, but their rough style of play and method of approach may be off-putting. Many boxers are selective about which dogs they want to be around, so introductions to new dogs should generally be controlled. Although boxers are not typically an aggressive breed, their enthusiasm and forwardness can escalate into reactive behavior or can trigger undesired responses from other dogs who do not understand them. Boxers are strong, can be stubborn, and can pull hard on their leash if they want something! A boxer is a joyous, funny, athletic dog who loves nothing more than being part of the family. However, boxers are not for everyone. Boxers require special consideration when it comes to the amount of exercise and activity they need, their social nature, their limitations in warm or cold climates, and their often-expensive veterinary care. Most purebred dogs that end up in shelters find themselves there because their people did not like the things about them that were, in fact, typical of their breed. The same traits that make boxers so much fun for one person may make them challenging or frustrating for another. Do your research, and if possible, spend time with some boxers before deciding if the breed is right for you.