Pit Bull and Other Dog Attacks.

[narlacat]

I started to discuss this on the other thread about the 2 year old that was sexually attacked by a Pitbull.

It's important to discuss this topic (IMO) because I know we have several members who will swear that Pitbulls are not at fault for the attacks on people. Plus, Pitbulls seem to be in the news a lot lately.

After typing in "Pitbull" in the Google News Search I couldn't believe how many stories came up.
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=Pitbull&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&start=0

Now, the question is, is this the fault of the media? Is the media over-reporting on Pitbulls and under reporting on other breeds?

Look, we know that Poodles and other high strung dogs actually bite more but according to stats (which I am trying to locate) Pitbulls and Rottweilers are by far the breeds that harm and kill the most.

I've been bitten by 2 small breed dogs. They bit me as hard as they could. For no reason I might add. These dogs didn't even break my skin.

If a Pitbull bit me unprovoked as hard as it could the outcome would be much different.

One more question. Does anyone know of a story where a Pitbull attacked after being provoked? It seems the story is always the same...unprovoked attack on a person by a Pitbull causing harm or death.

Am I wrong? Is this "hysterical" type thinking?

Let's keep the thread nice kids, as we discuss this hot topic.

Tricia

No.

That is my understanding- I have never heard of a story where the dog [pitbull] was provoked.
They just snap- there are too many cases to mention where this has been the case- so many owners swearing what a loving pet the dog was..

Pitbulls scare me and I have been around all sorts of dogs my entire life- I will cross the street if I see one- they are banned in our state but you still see the odd one-
I dont trust Staffys either, they are known to attack for no reason also-

I wish our country would ban them fullstop like other countries have

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_Bull

 

[Amraann]

I did not mean to mock Tricia.
I simply think that pits can turn....
yeah I know sweet as pie .... Until they kill your 4 yo.
Which is the real problem.

There is no warning.
No clue... they just snap! and many don't ...
I don't personally wish to find that out with my children.
Golden retrievers do not have that reputation

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick indicted on animal cruelty charges related to dogfighting--The dogs,pitbulls, were electrocuted,drowned,hanged, and shot--Vick and the others face 6 years in prison--Vick's career in football hopefully will end soon and his huge multi-million dollar contract voided--what a sadistic *advertiser censored*

 

[SadieMae]

Although I am not a fan of the breed, total banning punishes good responsible owners of pits. I was in a discussion once with a co worker who believes there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. I totally disagreed. Some dogs are bad because they were born that way. I agree pits attack without being provoked. One came at from out of nowhere while I was walking mine. Tyson & Apache totally surprised me by charging back at it and both FIGHTING the dog. It gave up and ran. They are friendly to all other dogs approaching or we see barking at us, but not that one. Even another dog knew that pit was dangerous. A jack riussel always jumps his fence and runs around them barking when we pass his house. The boys pretty much ignore it and keep walking while it's yapping. A chihuahua one nipped at Apaches legs...he broke free from me and ran all the way home. He was on the front porch shaking, poor thing! That's why I was pretty shocked when they tangled with the pit. I did find out later the dog was taken by animal control. Neighbors had complained about the dog always getting out under the fence and going after them. One man told me he sat on the roof of his SUV for 1/2 hour when the dog came after him.

 

[SadieMae]

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick indicted on animal cruelty charges related to dogfighting--The dogs,pitbulls, were electrocuted,drowned,hanged, and shot--Vick and the others face 6 years in prison--Vick's career in football hopefully will end soon and his huge multi-million dollar contract voided--what a sadistic *advertiser censored*

I also read in a story, will find the link, he said he was rarely home and had no knowlege of it. Yeah right! Who doesn't notice 55 pit bull tied with chains to truck axles!!!!???????? Wouldn't anyone want to know what's up with that? Even though I don't care for the breed, that was absolute cruelty those animals suffered and there is no rehabilitating them.

 

[gardenmom]

http://atts.org/about.html

The above link gives info on all dog breeds and the pass/fail rates for aggression. See if your favorite breed passes. Guess what? Pit bulls passed.

 

[SadieMae]

http://atts.org/about.html

The above link gives info on all dog breeds and the pass/fail rates for aggression. See if your favorite breed passes. Guess what? Pit bulls passed.

I've read that before. I have many problems with it! Number one, 500 pit bulls tested means nothing. What is the breeding history of the dogs tested? What previous training has these dogs already had? What ages were the dogs tested? Sex of the dogs. Neutered/spayed not neutered/spayed? You can't come up with valid results without a control group. They have no breed standard they measured each breed against. To me the whole thing is very misleading. Some dogs by breed are a bit more high strung or protective than others...they can't all be lumped together and compared. And I can't find any valid credentials of those who developed or administer the testing.

ETA: They say their purpose is to develop a "uniform national program of temperament testing ". No way can they compare a Dane's temperament to a Chihuahua!!! I don't want mine acting anything like a Chi

According to this study...pits did better than basset hounds, bloodhounds, dacshunds, and english setters. All of those known as great family dogs. I'm not buying that "study" for a minute. I gives no real information.

 

[KrisNine]

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick indicted on animal cruelty charges related to dogfighting--The dogs,pitbulls, were electrocuted,drowned,hanged, and shot--Vick and the others face 6 years in prison--Vick's career in football hopefully will end soon and his huge multi-million dollar contract voided--what a sadistic *advertiser censored*

Let's not forget the one that he slammed into the ground. He was personally involved and instructed someone to kill his (Vicks) dog because it lost a fight. The other electrocuted to poor thing. I just don't get it. The Humane Society has been after this guy for a couple of years. Finally, they were able to get him. I hope he's made an example out of.

 

[sissy's mom]

I know some people love pit bulls but I am not a fan of them.... especially since 2 that were lose came into my garage and killed my 22 year old cat, Shadow....

 

[bnhall]

A dog of any breed can just snap. I have a 13 year-old scar (which is still there after two reconstructive surgeries) as proof of a Scottie that snapped and bit a chunk out of my upper lip the size of the end of my thumb. I think pit bulls have a greater tendency to be aggressive because of breeding, but I know of families who have never, ever had a single aggressive incident from their pit. Also, I take my dogs to a local dog park and the pit bulls there never cause any trouble or act out in any way that I have seen. (The only dog fight I have ever witnessed there was between two dogs that each weighed less than 8 pounds). I think good and consistent training, spaying or neutering and good breeding are absolutely key. It is my personal opinion that every person who is not planning on breeding their pet should get them fixed. It decreases their risk of cancer and makes them less likely to be aggressive or try to run away.

 

[dingo]

Lets start with Golden Retrievers!! and see how that goes???

 

[southcitymom]

A dog of any breed can just snap.....

When I was a toddler, our dalmation bit me on the cheek right below my eye - just a nip that left the tiniest of scars. He was a high strung dog and we had to give him away to a farm.

 

[catsmeow]

So as many of you know I have to stay away from these thread as I get worked up...LOL So I am just putting in my 2 cents here.

IMHO it is not the breed but the years of backyard, inbreeding. Also I dont know about other states but here in Indy i think it was 87% of pits who attack are unfixed. That IMO is another major problem. I do not blame the breed and do not want an outlaw. The other reason I dont want an outlaw is because what breed will be next. I have to pay an extra1200 dollars a year for my homeowners ins. for my 2 huskies. They are considered a bad breed just like pits. I do not want to have to put my dog down because someone else doesnt know how to train thier dogs. Another point I have is here in Indy if it is a mixed breed they always call it a pit. I have seen this firsthand, so at least in Indy all the pit bites were not all pits.

Trica I promise to stay calm here!! LOL I loved your ending about staying nice at the end of your first post~

I agree. Most of the problem comes with people that know how this breed is 'popular' and the backyard breeding took off, BIG TIME! Unfortunately, with this came inbreeding. When considering a Pit, you HAVE to consider a good reputable breeder. Does this mean that you can't rescue a Pit from a Pit bull rescue, no. Much of it has to do with how the dog is raised too. I used to babysit a friends Pit when they'd go on vaca, and they always went all over the place. I already had two dogs at the time and two cats. His name was Bugsy. Bugsy, as a puppy was curious of his grandparents (his owners parents) cats and walked up to them when visiting them. He got his nose scratched up. Bugsy was put in his place and was terrified of cats! Even at 8 years old staying with me, Bugsy would walk backwards when he saw the cats. He was terrified!!! He farted up a storm, never growled and waited his turn to eat. He was the laziest thing ever. He passed away last year.

Some are hard headed to train and you have to stay on them. A friends pup was staying with me and at three months, she'd have a bit of an attitude with my 85 lb Ridgeback mix, I corrected her, over and over and told my friend that she had to continue to socialize her as much as possible, she is a very socialized dog now.

I will also say that another thing that I think is important is that, SOCIALIZING!!! This is sooooo important. This is why a dog on a chain is not good. Any thing that comes up to it, is a perceived threat. The more socialized your dog is, the better, with humans, adults, children and other dogs (small and big)

Banning a breed is a bad idea IMO. As the poster above stated, she has Huskies. Huskies are supposed to see cats as prey. Well, I have a big ol' Malamute. Malamutes look a lot like a Husky, just bigger and are also supposed to see cats as prey and they tell you that it is a powerful dog and that it is a dominant, stubborn dog. Well, he is stubborn. But my dog, for whatever reason, loves cats. He doesn't chase them, when I give them their treats right in front of him, he doesn't even make a MOVE to try to take them from them. I have a cat that is missing her tail and she is fascinated by Frank's tail...and tries to steal it...by attacking it when he wags it...Frank does nothing....Should he be banned cause he is SUPPOSED to hate cats? Frank was a rescue, btw.

Ok, I've gone on long enough! LOL!

 

[Malapoo]

At least some of the issue is in breeding. A breed gets popular and every back yard wanna get rich idiot is breeding to anything and everything. I do believe that when you have generations of fighting dogs, that those offspring would have the tendency to be more aggressive. I met a Pit breeder at a rabies clinic once while I was crawling into her Mustang FULL of pits who truly researchers ANY dog she breeds to whether it be one of hers or someone wanting to breed to her line. And when I say research, I mean she knows every dog for generations back. If there is a HINT of relating to fighting or even questionable dogs, she refuses. I can't remember how many dogs they brought by the end of the day, but as I sat in the car pulling sleeping dogs into my lap where they proceeded to lick me, I never felt any fear and I deeply respected this breeder by the end. No, the dogs were NOT drugged.

Yesterday we had an owner of two Pits come in for their allergies. When I saw them up front, I immediately went and sat on the floor (with some other wide eyed clients watching) because we know these two and their owner, and they are sweet hearts (sisters). My major injury by the end of their visit was slight chapping of the face from kissing.

But would I have one? No. I don't think you can say it's just one thing or the other. I believe there are bad lines of Pits and I believe an ignorant owner can certainly create a bad dog. A lot of breeds are protective of their family which isn't a bad thing, but in a dog that can cause SERIOUS damage with a single bite, you absolutely MUST be able to differentiate between what is "safe protective action" and overboard and be able to DEAL with it immediately, and thoroughly or get rid (not give away) of the dog.

 

[catsmeow]

At least some of the issue is in breeding. A breed gets popular and every back yard wanna get rich idiot is breeding to anything and everything. I do believe that when you have generations of fighting dogs, that those offspring would have the tendency to be more aggressive. I met a Pit breeder at a rabies clinic once while I was crawling into her Mustang FULL of pits who truly researchers ANY dog she breeds to whether it be one of hers or someone wanting to breed to her line. And when I say research, I mean she knows every dog for generations back. If there is a HINT of relating to fighting or even questionable dogs, she refuses. I can't remember how many dogs they brought by the end of the day, but as I sat in the car pulling sleeping dogs into my lap where they proceeded to lick me, I never felt any fear and I deeply respected this breeder by the end. No, the dogs were NOT drugged.

Yesterday we had an owner of two Pits come in for their allergies. When I saw them up front, I immediately went and sat on the floor (with some other wide eyed clients watching) because we know these two and their owner, and they are sweet hearts (sisters). My major injury by the end of their visit was slight chapping of the face from kissing.

But would I have one? No. I don't think you can say it's just one thing or the other. I believe there are bad lines of Pits and I believe an ignorant owner can certainly create a bad dog. A lot of breeds are protective of their family which isn't a bad thing, but in a dog that can cause SERIOUS damage with a single bite, you absolutely MUST be able to differentiate between what is "safe protective action" and overboard and be able to DEAL with it immediately, and thoroughly or get rid (not give away) of the dog.

That 'get rich' thing happened tremendously when Disney came out with 101 Dalmations. Suddenly, everyone wanted a Dalmation. In the years to come, shelters were innudated with Dalmations, as were rescues. They are great dogs for older kids or teenagers but generally get a little too big or overbearring for younger kids and don't like to be left alone as they really thrive on companionship. Too many people out there kind of like the 'idea' or 'look' of having a Pit and THAT in itself can be a bad thing. I don't know how many of you watch the Dog Whisperer, but if you watch him with his dog Daddy and also Popeye, both Pits, they are awesome dogs. NOT all should be judged this way. JMO

 

[cheko1]

I let a gal stay in our trailer in Fl. She has a pit bull they claim its the sweetest dog ever. It probably is.

As I stated earlier I am afraid of them. The gal & dog stay with her folks when we go down. We were invited for dinner the gal let her pit out / she knows I fear him.

This dog jumped up on me nearly knocking me over. It was my first intro to pits. The dog is built strong & totally full of muscle, he had very sharp claws & could of easily over powered me & ripped me to shreds. As I looked at the dog I thought oh my goodness he could rip anything apart with the strong muscles in his mouth. A small child would never have a chance with one of these dogs on top of them.

 

[cheko1]

I believe Pitts are much like lions and other wild animals. If you get a baby lion and you love it and care for it, it will probably grow up to be a a good pet, but I believe it always will have part of the "jungle" and its ancestry as a wild animal bred into it and it just takes something minor to set it off.

Same with the Pitt Bulls. I don't trust them even if they are raised by the kindest of owners; train them to be mean and aggressive and they will be, just as any animal will be, but I still think alot of it is inbred in them.

Hope that makes sense - it does to me, lol!!!!

poco,
I bought a sweet darling baby monkey several yrs ago. He was only 11 days old. He was dearly loved by all of us. He had his own room, TV, plenty of room to run around out doors. Could ramble in the trees etc etc.This little fella was loved, cherished & apart of our family.

That said, at the drop of a hat his mood changed. He could & would turn on anyone. I was his first victim, he decided one day he wasn't going to go into his cage & I for sure wasn't going to make him. He bit me / scratched me & I won the battle. But alas he never forgot.....it steadily got worse. We knew we were headed for trouble. I have alot of Grandkids & feared he'd bite or hurt one of them.

2 yrs ago we made the decision to put him into a sanctuary.....no place would take a spoiled monkey. He had to have a dilly bar every night & would cry til he got it. Trust me when I say we TRIED everything to find him a 'good' home, to no avail.

We had him put to sleep 2 yrs ago, the hardest thing we have ever done. We cried like babies for wks. Not a day goes by that I don't think of my Cheko. But it was for the best & everyone is safe & sound. It was the best decision we ever made!

 

[gardenmom]

I've read that before. I have many problems with it! Number one, 500 pit bulls tested means nothing. What is the breeding history of the dogs tested? What previous training has these dogs already had? What ages were the dogs tested? Sex of the dogs. Neutered/spayed not neutered/spayed? You can't come up with valid results without a control group. They have no breed standard they measured each breed against. To me the whole thing is very misleading. Some dogs by breed are a bit more high strung or protective than others...they can't all be lumped together and compared. And I can't find any valid credentials of those who developed or administer the testing.

ETA: They say their purpose is to develop a "uniform national program of temperament testing ". No way can they compare a Dane's temperament to a Chihuahua!!! I don't want mine acting anything like a Chi

According to this study...pits did better than basset hounds, bloodhounds, dacshunds, and english setters. All of those known as great family dogs. I'm not buying that "study" for a minute. I gives no real information.

I totally agree, I was just throwing it out there. My German Shorthaired Pointer didn't even reach "average." I agree, a control group would be ideal, and every dogs temperment cannot be lumped in with other dogs. Just like no two people are alike, neither are any two dogs.

 

[gardenmom]

That 'get rich' thing happened tremendously when Disney came out with 101 Dalmations. Suddenly, everyone wanted a Dalmation. In the years to come, shelters were innudated with Dalmations, as were rescues. They are great dogs for older kids or teenagers but generally get a little too big or overbearring for younger kids and don't like to be left alone as they really thrive on companionship. Too many people out there kind of like the 'idea' or 'look' of having a Pit and THAT in itself can be a bad thing. I don't know how many of you watch the Dog Whisperer, but if you watch him with his dog Daddy and also Popeye, both Pits, they are awesome dogs. NOT all should be judged this way. JMO

I used to be a fan of the Dog Whisperer until I saw a show where he hit a dog. I was so angry, and I haven't watched it since.

 

[Anngelique]

I am scared of Pit's but I think they're beautiful and I do believe many are just fine. But which are fine and which aren't? As many have suggested, they seem to attack unprovoked... but so do other breeds. I had a doberman when I was in high school. The sweetest baby you have ever met. One day my niece was over and riding a tricycle and my doberman attacked her. My uncle is a vet and he said something about doberman's being overly inbred and they have smaller brains and the squeeking of the tricycle might have triggered the attack. (I'm not sure if I remember this correctly so don't hold this as the absolute truth of what my uncle said) When I was 12 I was attacked by a german shephard. However, we had german shephards when I was young and they were awesome dogs. I still have scars on my face from this attack.

I do believe any dog can attack but I also believe that there are certain breeds that do more damage. Dogs who have the locking jaw seem to do a lot more damage. My last dog was a lab/springer spaniel. I have a daycare and the kids could do anything to that dog and she wouldn't touch them. In fact she and I would play fight and she wouldn't even bring her mouth down on me... she had what they call a soft mouth... which is known for bird dogs. Even though I didn't train this dog to have that soft mouth or to retrieve her tennis ball it was there from the moment we brought her home at 6 weeks. So it was inbred in her to know to retrieve and to have the soft mouth. This dog always had a ball in her mouth and if she couldn't find a ball then a rock. She would play catch until she was foaming.

I guess what I'm saying is I don't blame the dog, it's what was inbred in them. They were trained to fight and it's in their genes. I'm not sure how these traits are passed down through the genes when a puppy is never taught these actions but like my lab/springer.... she knew she was to bring a ball back from the time she was big enough to put a tennis ball in her mouth... no training required.