Marauding pit bulls attack six - 10 year old boy, Critical

[Casshew]

time out time out...

Can I ask one question of everyone who has participated so far on this thread no matter how you feel about the issue.

Have anything anyone else has said made you change your mind or reconsider your stance on Pitbulls?

 

[cinsbythesea]

time out time out...

Can I ask one question of everyone who has participated so far on this thread no matter how you feel about the issue.

Have anything anyone else has said made you change your mind or reconsider your stance on Pitbulls?

I'm leery of pitbulls and no, nothing I've read has made me change my opinion. With that said though, I own one of the third/fourth greatest breed of biters, a German Shepherd. This dog is a big baby with us, and I mean a big baby. However, anyone, and I mean anyone outside of the family wouldn't dare come near him. He will be five years old on 9/12/06 and I shudder to think that he has a few more years before he calms down a bit. I love this dog to death and he doesn't let me outside of his line of vision ever but he does not belong in the suburbs where I live. In my opinion, he's no better and certainly no worse than a pitbull in his ability to attack. It concerns me to no end but as bonded as I am to this animal, it's difficult to think of giving him up. My point is that I can understand the viewpoint of people that have posted on this thread about their pitbulls and their being loving, loyal animals. My shepherd scares people as much as the pitbull that lives four doors away. I just have to wonder if you ban pitbulls, what breed is next? Rottweilers? Chows? Shepherds?

As leery as I am of pitbulls I do think they've gotten a bad reputation because of some very bad humans who have used them for very bad reasons. But my purebred shepherd has generations of lineage in doing police work and being a protection animal--and that kind of dog doesn't fit in the suburbs of San Mateo. As much as I love him-I wish we had never brought him here as it's just a bad mix.

I'm going to stick with cats as dogs seem to be more and more a liability in this oh so conscious liability age we live in.

 

[Casshew]

nice post cinsbythesea, you are obviously a responsible dog owner.

I am wary of any large breed around myself, my child, my dog. You do the best you can do and hope for the best, dog attacks happen when you least expect it.

 

[SadieMae]

I'm leery of pitbulls and no, nothing I've read has made me change my opinion. With that said though, I own one of the third/fourth greatest breed of biters, a German Shepherd. This dog is a big baby with us, and I mean a big baby. However, anyone, and I mean anyone outside of the family wouldn't dare come near him. He will be five years old on 9/12/06 and I shudder to think that he has a few more years before he calms down a bit. I love this dog to death and he doesn't let me outside of his line of vision ever but he does not belong in the suburbs where I live. In my opinion, he's no better and certainly no worse than a pitbull in his ability to attack. It concerns me to no end but as bonded as I am to this animal, it's difficult to think of giving him up. My point is that I can understand the viewpoint of people that have posted on this thread about their pitbulls and their being loving, loyal animals. My shepherd scares people as much as the pitbull that lives four doors away. I just have to wonder if you ban pitbulls, what breed is next? Rottweilers? Chows? Shepherds?

As leery as I am of pitbulls I do think they've gotten a bad reputation because of some very bad humans who have used them for very bad reasons. But my purebred shepherd has generations of lineage in doing police work and being a protection animal--and that kind of dog doesn't fit in the suburbs of San Mateo. As much as I love him-I wish we had never brought him here as it's just a bad mix.

I'm going to stick with cats as dogs seem to be more and more a liability in this oh so conscious liability age we live in.

I was raised with 2 Shepherds. They are loving family dogs to their family and have a highly protective nature. That is a trait of the breed once used as working dogs, they were bred to keep their flock together and ward off predators. There is a difference in being protective and being vicious. My mother would have to lock them up in her bedroom when her friends came over because they were afraid, but their kids would be in the bedroom playing with them. Our dogs were always protective of ANY children in the neighborhood, we were perceived as their flock. Adults knew not to come near us when the dogs were with a group of children in any threatening manner (they were viewed maybe as a predator?). I mean neighbors would call my Mom to send their kids home for dinner. An adult could come in the group no problem, but raising your voice or yanking a kid was not tolerated by them..they would growl and bark at them and they didn't dare put a hand on a child, but never attack. Any child with us was safe at the park or playground with those 2 around. Nope we didn't have to worry about a stranger abducting any of us! And there is a difference between a Shepherd and pit....you can pretty much trust a Shepherd not to turn on you. They are wonderful dogs!!! My uncle was bitten by one of them when he grabbed my cousin's arm because she didn't want to go home. She did it to protect her, not as a random attack on my uncle. When my little sister started school, one of them would walk with her and come home after she went in the building, all the other kids would play with Lucie along the way. At 3:15 she would wait at the door for my Mom to let out. She would run to the school and walk with my sister home. IMO Shepherds are dependable, mentally stable, highly intelligent, protective and loyal dogs. Why else would they be used by so many law enforcement agencies, and in the military? It's all about the breed.

 

[Casshew]

Years ago my parents had a great big shepherd and when she heard the icecream man come - she would get so excited. My Mom would tuck a dollar bill in her collar and she would run down the street to the ice cream man in the truck... he would give her a ice cream cone and take the dollar... She would line up with the kids to wait her turn and everyone would come watch.

Then she would run back to the house (carrying it in her mouth) and eat it!

 

[SadieMae]

Years ago my parents had a great big shepherd and when she heard the icecream man come - she would get so excited. My Mom would tuck a dollar bill in her collar and she would run down the street to the ice cream man in the truck... he would give her a ice cream cone and take the dollar... She would line up with the kids to wait her turn and everyone would come watch.

Then she would run back to the house (carrying it in her mouth) and eat it!

OMG Cass! How funny!! Our other Shepherd LadyBird would "babysit" us when my parents were out. She had a piggybank that my Dad would put money in when they came home. When they walked in the door, no kidding she would get her piggy bank and take it to my Dad. She kept it under my parents bed and would retrieve it and drop it at our feet when she heard the ice cream truck bells. We had to shake enough money out to get an ice cream bar for her. Oh funny thing and I don't know how she knew the difference between quarters and nickels. My Dad dropped 3 nickels in her bank once, and she wouldn't pick her bank up to put back under the bed. She just sat there and looked at him like he was stupid. He finally showed her he was putting 3 quarters in her bank, and then she picked it up and put her piggy bank under their bed. We used to tease her by shaking her bank, she would take it from us and put back under the bed. Those dogs have been gone for over 30 years and I still remember them as amazing animals.

 

[Details]

Everything has just confirmed what I knew about pitbulls. They are a problem, and it is in the genetics.

 

[SadieMae]

Everything has just confirmed what I knew about pitbulls. They are a problem, and it is in the genetics.

Absolutely!! If I wasn't so fond of Danes, I'd have a Shepherd or Lab.

 

[aussiegran]

I have done what was asked and looked at the statistics ,and have become more sure of my opinion ,I say again , I sympathise with the lovers of this breed who are responsible owners .But if I had to vote on this I would vote for banning them.

 

[kgeaux]

time out time out...

Can I ask one question of everyone who has participated so far on this thread no matter how you feel about the issue.

Have anything anyone else has said made you change your mind or reconsider your stance on Pitbulls?

No. Having personal experience with this dog and having researched extensively, I know that this breed, while potentially dangerous, has many, many, many good dogs who never attack. The vast majority of pits do nothing more than love their owners and brighten the lives of those who are blessed enough to have them in their home.

editing to add: I was bitten by a doberman when I was 4. My (then) 17 year old son was bitten by a golden retriever (yes, it happens!) and the golden's pal, a dalmation. But I don't want to outlaw those breeds, either!

 

[IdahoMom]

Years ago my parents had a great big shepherd and when she heard the icecream man come - she would get so excited. My Mom would tuck a dollar bill in her collar and she would run down the street to the ice cream man in the truck... he would give her a ice cream cone and take the dollar... She would line up with the kids to wait her turn and everyone would come watch.

Then she would run back to the house (carrying it in her mouth) and eat it!

The best dog my family ever had while I was growing up was a German Shepherd. He was an incredible pet!

 

[Jeana (DP)]

The best dog my family ever had while I was growing up was a German Shepherd. He was an incredible pet!

I would NEVER own any other breed. :woohoo:

 

[IdahoMom]

I would NEVER own any other breed. :woohoo:

I keep telling my husband I want to get one!

 

[eve]

I would NEVER own any other breed. :woohoo:

My parents had one and still rave about it to this day. She would sit quietly and wait while my mom was grocery shopping, outside the store - no leash or anything (back in those days). She was protective and would sit calmly watching when people visited. She was not friendly to them, but not unfriendly or threatening either. She just watched and stayed where she was supposed to stay. They absolutely loved that dog. It was hit by a semi and they never got over it. My dad was a large animal vet and he is all about breeds and their temperaments. He loves shepherds and says they are very trainable and smart. Above all, they are loyal and would never turn on their own or blindly attack. When he was a little boy he was riding his trike along an open bridge by a rushing river (escaped from his mom/yard) and their collie grabbed the scruff of his neck (shirt) and literally carried him home, leaving the overturned trike on the bridge. He says pit bulls can't be trusted, that you can't train that sudden killer drive out of them, and that you don't know what triggers it. We always talk to him about dog breeds. He warned my brother when he got a chow and sure enough, it "went bad," and started acting aggressive after being a nice dog for awhile.

I would never trust any pit bull no matter how they act, especially with small children. Other breeds to watch out for/be wary of: rotties and dobies (can be good though), chows, dalmations (suprisingly).

Eve

 

[Amraann]

Kgeaux,Your reply the page before is totally sound and reasonable.
I would have little problem with you and your dog as my neighbor.
I have had other neighbors a few years back who had a pitbull who was aggressive and got loose often.



I think in part this thread has gotten a bit askewed in that some are assuming (not you Kgeaux) that we are saying PB's are the ONLY dog who is dangerous.
I don't think anyone is saying that. But this thread happens to be about pitbulls.

PS, Wanted to add I had a shepard growing up.. Sweetest dog

 

[IdahoMom]

Other breeds to watch out for/be wary of: rotties and dobies (can be good though), chows, dalmations (suprisingly).

Eve

I have heard that about dalmations and about cocker spaniels, too. I have had several people warn me that their cocker "might bite".

 

[curlytone]

The right? Who the hell are you? I've got the right to say whatever the hell I want about pit bulls or anything else. I think you better back the hell up..

You haven't seen me snap yet. Just because YOU post something doesn't make it right either. You accuse others of not reading the opposing side's posts, but you're the most guilty person in that regard. Ignorant dog owners refuse to see what's right in front of their faces and innocent children are paying the price for your stubborness. You've got the right to have a dangerous dog. Hopefully, you'll be the one who gets bit in the a$$ when your dog decides to attack and not the kid next door. I'll tell you right now, there's not enough insurance in existance to cover the person whose dog does this to one of my children.

I think that a moderator telling someone to "back the he[double hockey sticks] up" and hoping that I "get bit in the a$$" is absolutely deplorable. It also seems that you are threatening me. That is certainly not allowed on this forum.

Before I was a pit bull owner, I had similar notions to yours, sheltered from any data other than the media. When I decided to get a dog, I made a list of breeds that I was interested in and researched them. I was concerned about pit bulls due to what I had heard over the years. Thankfully, a few friends had them so I saw how loving they actually are. When I did the unbiased research reading both sides of the issue, I discovered that my notions, based on the media were dead wrong. I didn't justify the breed after buying one. I justifed my decision to buy the breed based researching if first.

To say that I have not read everything on this site is a flat out lie. My entire career is based on research and finding the root cause to failures. I do not pick and choose research, in any situation, to prove my point and if there is credible research telling me that my point is wrong, then my point is wrong.

I understand that you will never believe me. But nobody has attemted to explain why all the respected orginizations I listed above speak out against breed banning.

The truth is, there are options where everyone can win (vicious dog laws). We can reduce the number of deaths per year and the number of attacks per year more substantially than banning any breed. You get your goal (unless the only goal is no pit bulls) and I get mine. The problem is, most people already made up their mind, and refuse to even think of other options. They want the warm-fuzzy feeling of having no pit bulls, whether it actually makes them safer or not.

 

[Juan Martinez]

i just love the fact that my post was actually deleted!! how ironic...lol

all i am going to say is if you want to see statistics..look at the ATTS website, which is atts.org once you see that the "pit bull" doesnt in fact have the worst and unpredictable temperaments..then maybe you might want to step back and take a better look at things.

all these comments like "the pit bull has been around for 30 years" "the put bull will snap at any given time" or "the pit bull has locking jaws"

ONLY BUT makes your OWN credibility look moronic...all those statements are just as true as fairy tails...its actually disgusting to see people actually believeing this non sense.

 

[curlytone]

Okay, facts and statistics aside, curly. Is it your personal belief that a pit bull bite is, by and large, of equal severity to that of a golden retriever, a collie, a St. Bernard, no more or less likely to require an ER visit, no more or less likely to require stitches/plastic surgery to repair?

If you had a large breed staring your toddler in the face, waiting to inflict a facial bite, would you choose the pit bull as the attacker?

My personal belief is that any of the breeds that you listed can inflict an equally horrific bite. Have you ever seen an angry lab? I would not put myself infront of it for anything. I would not choose any large dog (or any dog) to inflict a bite on a toddler. If a big dog bites the face of a child, it is going to be bad no matter what breed. Even if the pit bulls jaws are stonger (which to my knowledge has not been proven), it doesn't matter because any large dogs bite has the ability to tear flesh and break bones. Your question is like asking, "what would you rather have fall on your head, a chevy or a toyota?" Either one will crush you, does it even matter if one will crush you more?

 

[Juan Martinez]

its funny to see people say they would own a GSD over a APBT anyday...but what they dont realize is that the GSD has a harder bite than the APBT...and not to mention, the GSD has been for many many many years bred for human aggression...

BUT yet....you would trust that dog around your children over the APBT...very interesting...LOVE the theories on this topic...i must say, you guys have done a tons of great research..>LMAO

i guess i know where to find the experts on dogs...NOT

oh just in case the experts dont know what a GSD is..its a german shepherd.