Bad_Dogs

In my experience, a little of both. And no, this doesn't just apply to dogs. It covers the vast majority of animals kept as pets.

   So how can the answer be both? For one thing, it depends on the animals genetic, or family, background. Animals bred from mean animals tend to be mean. BUT, is this REALLY the animals fault? I don't think so. After all, humans are responsible for "domesticating" animals... we bred them FOR certain traits. Yes, Rottweilers and Dobermans CAN be aggressive. Are they all? No. Are they all uncontrollably aggressive? No. Should they be? Never. Responsible breeders want their animals to be productive and safe members of society. They breed for soundness of body AND mind.

   What about animals such as iguanas, giant snakes, crocodilians and other so called "dangerous exotics?" These are not "domestic" animals. Domesticated animals are less wild than their ancestors. They have been bred for centuries by mankind. Out of all the animals kept as pets, only a handful can be considered "domestic."
   So what, you say? If they live with humans, they should behave as we want them to, right? Sorry... Mother Nature doesn't work that way. Just as domestication takes hundreds of years, Nature has spent millions fine tuning animals like iguanas and snakes to be able to survive and reproduce their species in a very unforgiving environment. Don't expect all that to take a backseat just because you plunk the animal in a glass tank and feed it pre-killed prey.
   Owning animals like snakes, iguanas, sugar gliders and other exotics often means being more accepting of the animals innate personality and behavior. For instance, many people buy cute iguana hatchlings when they are 6-12 inches long from pet stores. They put the animal in a ten gallon tank because "it will only grow as large as its cage." A year later, they have a stunted 18-24 inch iguana that is in poor health and eventually dies. Or, maybe they're nice and give it a decent sized cage so it grows a bit larger than the previous case. A year and a half later, that cute little hatchling is a big male with an ATTITUDE. He hisses and gapes when his turf is threatened. During breeding season, he whips his tail at intrusive but well meaning owners. The perplexed owners often get rid of the animal because of an innate instinct to breed.

   Owning these animals means that you accept their natural characteristics. Iguanas grow to be very large. They have ATTITUDE. Does this mean they will never be good pets? NO! It means that you, as an owner, MUST research their needs and you MUST be willing to respect the animal for what it is. You cannot force them to live the way you want or "need" them to.

   The final point to consider in this discussion is how the animal was raised. An animal raised with love and respect will make a better pet. This goes for exotics as well as mainstream pets. Abused animals grow to distrust humans and regaining their trust can take a very long time or may never happen. Animals raised with no human contact (especially exotics) tend to be very wary of people in general. This is a survival instinct. On the other hand, exotics raised with consistent loving handling will grow to be wonderful loving pets for the right owner.

   So what is the moral of this web page? Be a "good owner." Be responsible. How? Read on.