Dog attacks

[robinh]

How true:

"I do not agree with banning any breed, however I do agree with banning CERTAIN people from owning certain breeds"

My niece has a brindle pit and he's a big baby! Zeus has been through obedience training and Joni researched the breed very well prior to getting him.

In our city, you have to meet certain guidelines to have a pit. She has a 6' wood privacy fence around the entire backyard, $100,000 insurance policy, up-to-date vaccinations, a 6' run for the dog if it's out by itself and a current license. If you don't have the first four things, you can't get the fifth. Her neighbors have called the police on her so many times that she keeps all her verification info right inside the door so that she can show at a moments notice.

[finn's mom]

And, it's not just that the small dogs don't make the news, because small dogs can't kill.....you don't see a lot of the larger breeds (like retrievers, poodles, spaniels, etc) make the news, either. And, I'm sure there are cases where those other large breeds have done serious damage or killed someone. And, I would think a small dog could actually kill an infant. But, I don't know of an actual case, or I'd quote it.

[chocolatepuppy]

I have been attacked by large dogs and I know they can be a real problem when allowed to run loose.

I have been walking for 18 years. I have came across both small and large dogs. Never has one of the large dogs even threatened me. The small dogs, well that's why I carry a stick. I have been pinned in the ditch by 30 lb. dog and danced the jig fighting off a 10 lb. dog who wouldn't even back off, just kept trying to bite me. Another 25 lb. dog ran circles around me. Although they were smaller, it is still very frightening. Ironically, the 25 lb. dog has a 35lb. sibling that is a pit bull 'type' dog and he is friendly! I agree, large dogs could hurt someone worse than a small dog, but my problems have been with the small dogs.
I'm NOT dissing small dogs in any way, I love all dogs, just sharing what I have dealt with.

*dogs weights are approximate*

[cocker_luva]

ive had more goldern retrievers and old english sheepdogs attack me at work that any other breed. ive had afew mixes growl or even snap at me, but only a golden retriever and 2 OES have actually lunged at me with bared teeth.

[crsvstang]

I believe that certain breeds are not meant to be family dogs. I'm sorry for those that do not agree with me. I also believe that certain breeds (acutally any dog) should be neutered or spayed before going to their new home. I think that they should go to people that have experience with the breed/s.

I know little dogs bite, my aunt was bit by a one. But they do not kill like the larger breeds.

[k9krazee]

And I think there are a lot of small dogs out there that are a lot worse than the bigger dogs. My 7.5 lbs Kyra gets very nervous around kids and I don't trust her at all around them. I am way more worried about her biting someone than my 110 pound rottie!
Pitties are my favorite breed, I have always wanted one but my parents would not allow it because of the bad rap and stories about them and it is too bad because they can really be wonderful dogs!

[finn's mom]

I've only been bitten by a Sheltie and a Lab. The Lab bit me because I got in the way of him trying to attack Finn. The Sheltie bit me because he was just a protective dog, with inconsistent training. He was a sweetheart, in general, just overly protective of one person. He bit everyone but his mother. And, my boss from Texas has a miniature dachshund that has bitten about ten people. He's been reported for two of them, and, been in doggie jail because of those reports. One more reported bite, and, he'll be euthanized. (He bit when people invaded his personal space. He didn't just run up and start attacking people. I'm not condoning him, he needed more training and discipline, but, I just wanted to give a little explanation.) My dad was bit by our cocker spaniel.....I've never had one of the breeds deemed "vicious" attack me. I do remember being lunged at by an on leash pit bull, and, I'm pretty sure that I would have been harmed if he'd been able to get to me. And, as far as seeing dogs that look scary because they're baring their teeth and acting aggressive or threatening, I've probably seen more pits and dobies behind fences as guard dogs than any other breed. But, that's more because that, again, is the trend. It's unfortunate for the breeds, for sure.

[wolfsoul]

There have actually been hundreds of cases of small dogs killing. Mostly babies and small children, but I've heard stories about small dogs going straight for the jugular and killing adults.

I've been bit by several breeds, because I'm around dogs so often -- not a single one of them was a pit bull. In fact I've been bit by more of the "loving family dogs" than anything else. It goes to show that bad breeding can really take a turn on you, along with bad ownership.

[dappledoxie]

I too think banning a breed is wrong.

While working at a vet hospital for 8 months I've been bitten by only smaller sized dogs, not saying I don't like small dogs, because I own two small dogs. Out of all the dogs I've handled, I've been nipped/bitten on the hand or arm by dogs around the 20lb and under range.

I was even bit by a mini. dachshund once, but I still adore the breed. I love pits and all the ones I've met were great dogs and I've met quite a few of them.

Also, of all the dogs that came in for rabies quarantine for biting someone, I only remember about 3 out of about every 10 being large breeds. That's an approximate guess from my observations at that clinic.

[pnance]

I agree that banning a dog based on breed is not the answer. I think making sure owners are held accountable and educated might help. There's no consequence in most cases for the owners. The attack in CA by the pits that were family pets, what happened....the dogs were destroyed but no reprimand for the family, even though I read an article that said the mom was nervous around the male because he was protective of his in heat female companion. It's absolutely horrible they lost their child, but its the child and the dogs that paid for their irresponsibility (all they had to do was spay/neuter their dogs) and they have to live w/that, but I doubt they see it that way at all. As to only big dogs being aggressive, I volunteered at a vet hospital when I was in college and in 2 years only was bitten once after handling just about every breed of dog, even those deemed "aggressive" breeds through sometimes painful medical procedures. The dog was a jack russell. I watched a friends pets while they went on vacation. They said don't worry about the boxer but be careful with the cocker, so who's to say a big dog is more aggressive than a small I think it's all how they were raised. Just my 2 cents...

[skpaw]

The dogs that actually attacked me were a Husky and a Rotweiler (sp?) Each time I was walking on the sidewalk and they were loose. In Detroit this spring a 6 year old girl was killed by the family's two Pit Bulls. She was on her way to school and the dogs cornered her as she walked in an alley. They had known her since they were pups. The other children there said she did not do anything to provoke an attack, she was going to school and the dogs "somehow got loose". The media did report on this, but they also report on a child who is hit by a car and injured. That case was only in the news for about two days. A child was DEAD, that is important enough to mention. http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/05...B01-139928.htm

I know my little dogs can bite -- they don't though. Even if they had a VERY bad day if they went nuts and chomped someone, they have small mouths and little teeth. They have trouble with a tennis ball. Any wounds they could possibly make would not be fatal.

I think the authorities need more restrictions on owning some large breed dogs. Making it mandatory to spay/neuter before they are allowed to go homes, required dog training classes and specifics on their housing. Fences should not be optional. They should not ever be off leash in public.

I know people who have these dogs might not agree. I had large dogs as a child and I know they can be great friends. There are just too many idiots out there who don't take care of their animals and turn them into weapons that end up killing people. It is just so sad. There are plenty of other fatal dog attacks, this one just stuck in my mind as a total waste of a child's life.

[CagneyDog]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by crsvstang


I know little dogs bite, my aunt was bit by a one. But they do not kill like the larger breeds. [/QUOTE


Actually, many small dogs have killed people. The size of the victim is a better predictor of how bad the bite will be. Small breeds, such as Yorkshire Terrier, Lhasa Apso, Yorkshire Terrier, Pomeranian, and Lhasa Apso, Terrier have killed people.

Banning Pit Bulls is just pointless. First of all, some dogs looks like Pit Bulls and actually aren't. Crosses between Labs and Rhodesian Ridgeback often resemble pitties. Determining a breed is subjective when the parents are not known.

Some of the regulations that come with banning the breed are stupid. For example, you are not allowed to walk a pittie with out a muzzle on, but really, dog attacks in a public areas are not a big threat. Only a couple of attacks have happened when a dog is being walked. Unmuzzled dogs walking account for the least number of bites.

There are SO many better alternatives.

We should all enforce spaying and neutering. Aggression can be elimanated when a dog is neutered/spayed.

People should also be more educated about dogs. Most attacks are because the dogs are provoked or feeling threatened. People should be taught how to confront dogs properly!

If people would look at the facts they would realize that pitties are not the little monsters they suspect them to be!