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If you go through a reputable breeder then I don't think there is much risk for that aggressiveness that may or may not be "left" in the genes? Don't get one through a shady breeder, dog fighter, one with "issues", etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marigold2
The whole point is, dogs do not do what they were originally bred for as if they're programmed or something. They have to be trained and taught.
Sorry if I stirred things up, but I was rather emotional yesterday. One of the people that responded was correct, I did happen across the old post and registered as a means to help deal with my pain.
I have a follow up. The Animal Control Officers were the ones that told me the dog was a Pit Bull. The dog in question was most likely bred to be aggressive. They were able to catch the dog as it came back while they were there photograghing the scene and my dogs injuries. Also several of my neighbors also came to my aid during and after the attack. Nice to know that I have such a great neighborhood. Using hoses we chased the dog off.
The Emergency Vet told me that when Animal Control Officers contacted the owner, and there was a nasty confrontation. The Animal Control Officers had to call the Police, as they were in fear of their safety.
They found a breeding situation and confiscated all of their dogs. There is a DOG GOD. I will not seek damages, as I feel justice has been done. I hope that the puppies find good homes. Our county has a strict policy regarding aggressive dogs, therefore this dog has a sad future.
My dog is recovering slowly, is on a high dosage of antibiotics and will recover. Thank God.
What can be done about the aggressive breeding of these animals? I know that it is not all dogs. I know that all dogs can bite, this was so much more than that. Thank goodness it was not a toddler, or me.
Of course I am traumatized. I love all animals, but this as really left an impact on me. To have my dog mauled, as this animal charged us from behind, is a nightmare that I cannot shake.
The Vet has urged me to take my senior back to the dog park when her injuries heal. It is something that we both used to enjoy so much.
Now it frightens me. I am so saddened by what is happening in our society.
I wish that we could control this in our cities, but I don't know how without restricting great dog owners to truly care and love their dogs.
Anyway, I am still really having a hard time dealing with this, but will not seek anything for my damages, as I hope that justice has been served.
I hope that no one else ever has this experience. I really mean that, and it makes me sad to think that someone thought that I wrote this only to "stir things up".
Sorry if that is what has occurred, but perhaps it will bring more awareness to a growing problem in out society.
Thank you all for listening and helping me heal.
I, too, suspected that your post was an honest attempt to work out your feeling of helplessness at this particular situation. I am so sorry that you had such an unpleasant experience, and I hope that your dog fully recovers quickly. As you can see many of us on here strongly believe that good training, breeding, and socialization can make all types of dogs pleasant additions to any community. The problems occur when people do not take the time and/or effort to do that, or own a dog for all of the wrong reasons.
I hope you will continue share your dog's recovery with us.
luckypenny, I'm truly sorry you had to go through that with you dog. I cant even imagine how traumatic that would have been. Being a pit bull owner I honestly do my very best to be a responsible good owner. When you do own a pit bull or multiple pit bulls you have to use some common sense, its really not that hard. Sadly, so many of the pit bull owners do not use any common sense when it comes to owning the breed. Yes, pit bulls can be dog aggressive they should never show any human aggression , never.
In my opinion, I don’t think pit bull owners should take their dogs to an off leash dog parks. A lot of pit bulls do just fine with other dogs, but if another dog were to start a fight and the pit bull happened to fight back the pit bull is going to be blamed no matter what and more than likely the pit bull will win the fight. A lady that really knows a lot about the pit bull breed wrote this. I couldn't agree more with everything she has to say. Again I'm sorry your precious fur kid was hurt.
WHAT IS
RESPONSIBLE
MANAGEMENT
OF YOUR
DOG?
1) Responsible owners understand the breed is in a "fad" population crisis. They understand the shelters are full of purebred pit bulls dying every day.
2) Responsible owners do not breed puppies for resale. They do NOT breed without a full waiting list. They do not advertise in newspapers or the internet to sell their puppies.
3) Responsible owners do not breed animals which have not been health tested and have correct temperament and conformation. No responsible breeder produces more than one litter a year. Period.
4) Responsible owners will faithfully steward the breed, leaving it in the same condition it was handed to them. They do not change the breed to fit fads such as larger size, overdone bodies or to fit show ring criteria. The do not mix American Staffordshire and American pit bull bloodlines. They understand the purpose and physical requirements of their breed's uses.
5) Responsible owners NEVER let their dog roam. Notice I did not say "allow" - I said "let". This means they are careful and do not allow "accidents" to happen. They take precautions and spend the time and money to contain their dog appropriately. They are smarter than their dog...
6) They do NOT tolerate unsound behavior in the breed. If their dog is unsound, and shows unwarranted human aggression, they euthanize the dog. They do not make excuses for their dog.
7) They manage their dogs appropriately. They do not keep their dogs in inappropriate situations which do not allow the dogs sufficient exercise, nor do they put their dogs in inappropriate situations, such as taking them to an off-lead dog park. They understand and respect their dog's heritage. They socialize and train their dogs to be good citizens.
You are 100000000000% correct!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Jadapit
It's not like the pitt would necessarily fight to kill, it's just that pitts are so strong that it would just happen that way.
:(
well, since this thread has been brought up, I just finished a 6 page research paper on the effectivness of banning breeds, namley pit bull type breeds. I should post it some time but it is saved on a different computer.
There have been many news reports about deaths caused by dogs in the USA. The attention given to the homicides has put the spotlight on pit bulls and Rottweilers. There is a very good reason for focusing on these two breeds: in recent years, they have usually been the number one and number two canine killers of humans. (See below, The breeds most likely to kill.) It therefore is correct to single out those two breeds when talking about canine homicides, because those two breeds lately have caused half or more of the deaths -- a disgraceful statistic whether it is regarded as the fault of the dogs, their breeders, their owners, or all three.
However, the focus on death cases may leave the public with the false impression that pit bulls and Rottweilers are responsible for the dog bite epidemic. It is a much broader problem than that, involving all dogs and all dog owners. While pit bulls and Rottweilers inflict a disproportionate number of serious and even fatal injuries, the dog bite epidemic involves many different breeds, and results from many different causes. A clear distinction needs to be made between canine homicides (i.e., incidents in which dogs kill people) and the dog bite epidemic.
Canine inflicted homicides have remained at the same general level (15 to 20 annually), which cannot be said for the number of dog bites, which is too high (5 million annually) and appears to be growing higher (see statistics, above). Considering the fact that there are 65 million dogs in the United States (see above), the homicide problem is minuscule. This is not to denigrate it, but to point out that eliminating it entirely would save only 15 to 20 people, out of the 5 million who are bitten by dogs.
The confusion caused by discussing the homicides and the dog bites in the same breath has its most important ramification in the area of prevention. Some are advocating the banning of pit bulls, Rottweilers and possibly other breeds, for reasons that range from their alleged dangerousness to the fact that they are very often treated inhumanely. Those who hear about the homicides often support breed bans. (See Breed Specific Laws, Regulations and Bans.)
However, while banning the pit bull might lower the number of human deaths, such a ban would probably not reduce the number dog bites in any significant manner. After the United Kingdom banned pit bulls in the 1990s, a study showed that the number of dog bites remained the same even though the number of pit bulls had steeply declined. (Study cited in B. Heady and P. Krause, "Health Benefits and Potential Public Savings Due to Pets: Australian and German Survey Results," Australian Social Monitor, Vol.2, No.2, May 1999.)
As a practical matter, the current tide of public outrage should be focused on the enactment of measures that would deal effectively with the entire epidemic, not merely the breeds that kill. It would be unwise to enact all kinds of controls on one or two breeds, not necessarily because it would be unfair, but because it would produce narrow and therefore unsatisfactory results. The war against crime isn't a war against just the bank robbers, but against all criminals; the war against drugs isn't a war against just the Colombian drug lords, but all drug lords. For the same reason, the dog bite epidemic must not focus on just one or two breeds and stop there. The war on this epidemic must be comprehensive.
To learn more, read Attorney Kenneth Phillips' 10-point plan for Preventing Dog Bites.
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The breeds most likely to kill
In recent years, the dogs responsible for the bulk of the homicides are pit bulls and Rottweilers:
"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.) </STRONG>The Clifton study of attacks from 1982 through 2006 produced similar results. According to Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes were responsible for 65% of the canine homicides that occurred during a period of 24 years in the USA. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006; click here to read it.)
Other breeds were also responsible for homicides, but to a much lesser extent. A 1997 study of dog bite fatalities in the years 1979 through 1996 revealed that the following breeds had killed one or more persons: pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas. (Dog Bite Related Fatalities," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 30, 1997, Vol. 46, No. 21, pp. 463 et. seq.) Since 1975, fatal attacks have been attributed to dogs from at least 30 breeds. </STRONG>
The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family's Pomeranian dog. The average weight of a Pomeranian is about 4 pounds, and they are not thought of as a dangerous breed. Note, however, that they were bred to be watchdogs! The baby's uncle left the infant and the dog on a bed while the uncle prepared her bottle in the kitchen. Upon his return, the dog was mauling the baby, who died shortly afterwards. ("Baby Girl Killed by Family Dog," Los Angeles Times, Monday, October 9, 2000, Home Edition, Metro Section, Page B-5.) </STRONG>
In Canine homicides and the dog bite epidemic: do not confuse them, it has been pointed out that the dog bite epidemic as a whole involves all dogs and all dog owners, not just the breeds most likely to kill. </STRONG>
In all fairness, therefore, it must be noted that:
- Any dog, treated harshly or trained to attack, may bite a person. Any dog can be turned into a dangerous dog. The owner or handler most often is responsible for making a dog into something dangerous.
- An irresponsible owner or dog handler might create a situation that places another person in danger by a dog, without the dog itself being dangerous, as in the case of the Pomeranian that killed the infant (see above).
To learn more about dog attacks, see Why dogs bite people To learn about how to take some of the bite out of the dog bite epidemic, see Attorney Kenneth Phillips' 10-point plan for Preventing Dog Bites.</STRONG>
- Any individual dog may be a good, loving pet, even though its breed is considered to be potentially dangerous. A responsible owner can win the love and respect of a dog, no matter its breed. One cannot look at an individual dog, recognize its breed, and then state whether or not it is going to attack.
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Children are the most frequent targets
Studies of dog bite injuries have reported that:
Dog bites rank second among other common causes of emergency-room injuries (table derived from Weiss HB, Friedman DI, Coben JH. "Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments," supra, p. 53):
- The median age of patients bitten was 15 years, with children, especially boys aged 5 to 9 years, having the highest incidence rate
- The odds that a bite victim will be a child are 3.2 to 1. (CDC.)
- Children seen in emergency departments were more likely than older persons to be bitten on the face, neck, and head. 77% of injuries to children under 10 years old are facial.
- Severe injuries occur almost exclusively in children less than 10 years of age.
- The majority of dog attacks (61%) happen at home or in a familiar place.
- The vast majority of biting dogs (77%) belong to the victim's family or a friend.
- When a child less than 4 years old is the victim, the family dog was the attacker half the time (47%), and the attack almost always happened in the family home (90%).
It will take time to heal. If you truly love dogs you will find a way to heal.
It has been almost 10 years since i got attacked by a 160lb trained fighting dog. I still sometimes have flashbacks.
The odd thing is after the attack it was my favorite breed that i became most fearful of. The German Shepherd. (The dog that attacked me was supposedly Rott/Irish Setter, but looked 100% Yellow Lab.) (Try and figure out the psychology behind my brain's reasoning on that one. :rolleyes: )
I never had an ounce of fear in me before i got attacked. I didn't even fear the aggressive strays that were around. Respect for what they could do with their teeth yes; but fear, no. Now I can honestly say that i do fear dogs from time to time and even have a few panic attacks.
That is all pretty much behind me now though except for the rare occasional relapse. Those are usually over with in a few minutes.
What did I do?
Well, for I think the first few months i just let my emotions do whatever they were going to do. Besides dogs that i Knew VERY well I pretty much stayed away from other dogs. Then when i wasn't going being paralyzed any more by the mere sight of a dog I started to force myself to go up to every person/dog that i seen. Asking permission of I could pet their dog. I started going places where i know other dogs would be. When i started to be a bit more confident I joined a socialization class for dogs and even eventually went through the pound.
You know yourself best. Set the pace, but definitely work at it.
I don't suggest going to the dog park as soon as your dog recovers... that could be too much too soon. Try heading to a huge pet store first and see how both of you react.
G'luck. *HUGS*
~~~~
Glad to hear that something good came out of this tragedy.
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*edit note: Rotties are still one of my favorite breeds and i don't hold it against them for what one idiot did with his dog. (Mind you this dog left the guy's children with many wounds... He valued money more.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckypenny
My little girl is healing up nicely after her unfortunate experince, so last night I took her back to the dog park. This is our favorite place :)
Of course I had many mixed up feelings about it, but this is where our friends are. The outcome was really positive. I was able to share with my friends there, and my dog was so happy to romp with her buddies :)
Towards the end of the night a young guy came into the small dog area of the Park, where we go. He had a 4 month old Pit Bull puppy that was the same color as the one that attacked my dog. This little guy was just adorable and so happy.
It seemed like an omen to me.... I had a long conversation with this guy and learned that his Mom fosters puppies that are taken away from irresponsible owners. I explained my experience to him and he was so understanding. He has seen first hand the problems that come from owners that don't provide a good home.
I could see the innocence in this young dog and watched as our dogs interacted in a really positive way.
It really warmed my heart and helped me to overcome some of the horrible memories that I was holding onto.
What have I learned from this experience?
1. Dogs can teach you alot. They are so forgiving and don't seem to hold a grudge.
2. Irresponsible owners should not be allowed to have or breed dogs
and last
3. Pit Bulls are really great dogs, when raised in the right environment.
Thank you for everyone who wrote to me through this forum. It was through your words that I was able to grow and find my way back....
OMG. I felt so bad after reading your post. I can only imagine your pain when that happened. I'm sending you a virtual hug.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackiesdaisy1935
I am glad you came back to share more of your story with us luckypenny. And before I go any further let me say that Penny is adorable . :) I am very glad to hear that she was able to go back to the park and play with her friends. I know how awful I would have felt if this incident made her more fearful around other dogs. Fortunately it has not, and she is able to run and play again. Yay! I am also pleased at the timing of your visit to the park. The dog park is the place to meet responsible dog owners and learn more about all breeds of dogs. I am glad that speaking with this young man has made you feel better, and I am especially glad that precious Penny is doing so well.
So glad to hear that you and Penny are doing better! :D
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckypenny