Children being attacked by dogs?

Diana - posted on 09/07/2009

I don't think banning breeds is the answer at all. Responsible dog ownership is the answer. Dog owners need to know that they can handle an alpha dog before they get one, and if they can't then they need to choose another breed, another dog. Owners also need to train their dogs, and they need to train their families. Children should not be allowed to climb on dogs, put their fingers in the dogs' mouths, poke them in the eyes, or aggrivate them, no matter how friendly they have been in the past. Not only does that prevent an accident, it's courteous to the dog. Dog owners should also supervise their dogs and children.

Amie - posted on 09/01/2009

Jenny those pups are so cute! Now I want a dog again. :( LOL!

Evelyn - posted on 09/01/2009

BTW...is one of them a mastiff or cane corso or a mix of one? If not, they certainly look large enough to be one!

Evelyn - posted on 09/01/2009

Jenny ur dogs are gorgeous!! Makes me want to get another purebred pit...I have mixes now (who are awesome lol..see my prof pic) but I've owned several purebreds. Best breed in my opinion! Love the pic w/the foal as well. Too adorable...what a unique picture lol.

Esther - posted on 09/01/2009

Jenny - I'm coming for that puppy!! TOOOO cute!! And that picture with the foal is amazing. Awwwwww.

Jenny - posted on 09/01/2009

Owners should be the focus and dog education and dog interaction at grade school levels.



Now for a bunch of pics of my doggies.

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Tracy - posted on 08/30/2009

Children in Australia are still getting attacked by aggressive dogs and the Pitball is banned here. I think this proves the point that its not breeds that should be banned but rather owners need to be more responsible and train their dogs. I would have to even say that smaller dogs tended to be more aggressive when being handled than staffy's, rotti's and german shepherds but this was due to not being trained. Little dogs are cute and often get away with more because they are small. Having said that when I worked as a Vet Nurse I never got bitten by large or small dog. I have a lot of war wounds from cats though LOL.



On a serious note I saw many animals that where mistreated by their owners. It would make me so angry when I would see a dog brought in repeatedly with dog fight wounds. Yet the owner did nothing to fix the problem and the dogs would continuely fight or when badly injured from a fight they would have to be put down, this would break my heart. Animal neglect is one thing that gets my blood boiling. I wish there was some way you could make owners more responsible but unfortunately the ones that do the wrong thing never listen to the law anyway :(.



I think large or small all dogs should attend puppy school as a minium. I think owning a dog or a pet is a big responsibility and I think too many people take this too lightly. If you don't have the time or money for a dog then don't buy one! Please don't leave them chained in the yard all day neglected and not loved.



Thanks everyone for all your responses. I'm glad alot of you feel passionatly about this topic too.

Sharon - posted on 08/30/2009

heeheehee reality shows - the closest I get to those are the medical shows - tonight it was something about the crazy stuff kids will eat, batteries, toy cars, etc...

Evelyn - posted on 08/30/2009

Sounds awesome. :-) Enjoy! I'm going to go watch that new reality show on VH1 about Antonio Sabato Jr and veg out. I'm sooooo not into reality tv but this one has me a bit intrigued. LOL G'night.

Sharon - posted on 08/30/2009

Always! Hubby cooked so I'm having a REALLY relaxed night! He gets to clean up too! WHOO HOO!

Evelyn - posted on 08/30/2009

Uh-huh. Well hopefully I cleared up your confusion and you got your answer. Have a lovely evening. :-)

Sharon - posted on 08/30/2009

Geeze who's having a conflict? I just wanted to know where there was a rant against pits here. People are so touchy. It was a simple question.

Evelyn - posted on 08/30/2009

Well sorry if that's how you interpreted it...why don't you read it again with a more open perspective? I didn't accuse anyone in here of hating pits. Like I said in my last post I was talking about the public's perception of pits...I was actually quite pleased about the attitude towards them in here. I have been in the position of defending the breed many times and was relieved to see the majority of women in here felt the way I did. Relax Sharon, there's no need for conflict. :)

Sharon - posted on 08/30/2009

Your post made it sound like this post was your average "we hate pitbulls" thread. I didn't think it was. Quite the opposite actually.

Evelyn - posted on 08/30/2009

Sharon what are you talking about? I didn't say anyone was directly against pitbulls...I am stating my opinion about the public's negative perception of pit bulls. .and yes..there has been a lot of talk about pits in this thread...not necessarily bad...but basically others are saying the same as what I've said. So why exactly are you confused? I stated my opinion pretty clearly.

Sharon - posted on 08/30/2009

I'm confused. Maybe you can quote who is directly against pitbulls?

Evelyn - posted on 08/30/2009

When I saw the title of this thread I just knew this would turn into a "pitbull vs all other dogs" conversation lol. It always happens. Pitbulls get such a bad rap. I've always been a pitbull lover and currently own a German Shepard/APBT mix and a Jack Russel/APBT mix. They are both the sweetest dogs ever. My older dog, the German/PB mix is over 100lbs and a huge MUSH. To look at her you'd probably be terrified because she looks pretty scary, but looks can be deceiving as we all know. I've owned many Pits and I have to tell you they are one of the best family breeds you can own. I've always thought this way...... you only hear about Pit Bull attacks over other breeds because unfortunately when a Pit attacks..it's never a small deal. Yes, they are a very strong breed of dog, and no they do not have "locking jaws" but they do have extraordinarily powerful jaws which is why some people carrywhat is called a "breaking stick" during walks. This is in case their dog gets into a fight w/another dog so they can insert the stick in the dogs mouth to break the dogs bite. Back to my original point...let me put it this way...say someone is out shooting at a shooting range ...and gets accidentaly shot by a bb gun...and then lets say someone gets accidentaly shot by a shotgun...which will make the news? Now, that would be the difference between a bite from a chiuahua and a bite from a pit bull. People get bit EVERY DAY by smaller and weaker breeds of dogs and it is not sensationalized....but when a pit bites someone it is shouted from the rooftops. Irresponsible owners are the cause of people's fear of this breed. My pits have NEVER bitten anyone. There was one exception though... I did have one dog that I got as a puppy...(well 4months old) and he was very people aggressive and I knew he was going to be an abnormally large pit bull. I tried to force feed love down his throat lol...I got him to be very friendly with me and a big mush with my family..but I could not get him to trust or warm up to strangers. He would growl and bare his teeth at everyone but us. So after he was about 80lbs at 8 months old (if you know pits..that's freaking huge) I knew I had to do something. I ended up giving him to a friend of mine that had a business that needed a guard dog...he actually turned out quite aggressive as an adult dog, but was treated well by my friend and acted like a huge puppy when he was around...but was a great guard dog. It makes me wonder if perhaps the dog was inbred or maybe had a neurological issue. While I don't believe dogs are born "bad"..there are some who are naturally more aggressive for whatever reason. But my point is, it's NEVER the breed of dog, people need to get over irrational and perpetuated fears of particular breeds and look towards the people who own the dogs. I've seen WAY more aggressive small breed dogs than large breed. Especially pits.

Kate CP - posted on 08/30/2009

Loureen: It's not the greatest thing in the world that a dog with a poor temperament was bred, but that doesn't mean that the puppies will be the same way. Start early with your pup and things should be just fine. I would look into clicker training (Read up on Karen Pryor, my professional hero) and start the puppy on the basics early on. Let him socialize with his litter as much as possible so he can learn proper doggie manners. Give him a crate and make sure your LO KNOWS not to go in there. The crate is the dog's safe place! The crate will also help potty train the puppy. Never give the dog food from your plate, never let him sleep in the same bed with LO (at least at first), and try to get Cooper to feed the dog. Dogs associate pack order with whomever gives food and in what order food is given. So if Cooper eats dinner first THEN feeds the dog it will help establish that Cooper is higher up in the pack order than the puppy. Makes life lots easier. ;)

Congrats on your furry addition! :)

Mary - posted on 08/30/2009

Quoting Loureen:

well i just got a puppy for Cooper its a silky terrier ? i think .
I know both parents the mother is beautiful and has a great temperament but the father is an anxious , skittish , asshole of a dog ( sorry but it is ) if it were a big dog it probably would have been put down by now because it just attacks anyone who gets close to my sister or her partner ( she completely babies it ) .
I hope our puppy wont be like that , is it genetic or just the environment they are in ?

Congrats on your new addition!

As for your sister's dog...he acts that way because they ALLOW him to...whether they realize it or not.  His behavior is fixable, but your sister and partner need to be willing to take control of the situation, and start treating him like the submissive dog he should be, and not the boss he believes himself to be.  Dogs NEED discipline as much as they need affection...they are much happier that way!

Esther - posted on 08/30/2009

Loureen - In my experience there is always a genetic component to any dog's temperament (just as there is to our own), but that just means that if your puppy takes after his/her father you need to be a bit more vigilant and might have to work a little harder to get your puppy to be well behaved than if you had a puppy who was genetically predisposed to be being submissive. But I think the environment is FAR more critical than their genetics. I would personally recommend taking some puppy classes. Congratulations on the new addition to your family!

Charlie - posted on 08/30/2009

well i just got a puppy for Cooper its a silky terrier ? i think .
I know both parents the mother is beautiful and has a great temperament but the father is an anxious , skittish , asshole of a dog ( sorry but it is ) if it were a big dog it probably would have been put down by now because it just attacks anyone who gets close to my sister or her partner ( she completely babies it ) .
I hope our puppy wont be like that , is it genetic or just the environment they are in ?

Mary - posted on 08/29/2009

Quoting Kylie:

Dogs make me nervous..my neighbor came over with her rottweiler and staffy bull terrier with no leads when my 3 year old was playing on the front lawn. I saw these two dogs running for her.. so i ran to her fast as i could and told myself i was gong to have boot these dogs in the head to stop them from mauling. I screamed out my daughters name and scooped her up and had memories of being told not run from a dog attack..i was so scared. The neighbor saw me and my reaction and burst out laughing, called her dogs back and said don't worry they don't bite...she said i always think its hilarious how parents freak out when they see my dogs. Stupid moron i wanted to throttle her.
I wouldn't mind having bans on breeds of dogs that have the jaw thats locks when they attack..i don't understand why people need such dangerous pets....but I'm not a dog person so maybe I'm missing something.

Oh, Kylie, you are missing something!  I can only speak for myself, but I had no NEED for a "dangerous" pet...my pit bull was an abused animal in need of a forever home, and love.  He has paid us back exponentially in love, laughter and kisses!  ANY dog can bite or harm another being if improperly trained, abused or provoked.  Actually, the most dangerous dog in my neighborhood is a bizarrely aggressive Lab.  He worries me more, because people look at him, and ASSUME that he is friendly because of his breed.  They have no way of knowing that his owner is a lazy psychotic bitch who seems to enable his behavior.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your neighbor's dogs, but there is a part of me which can relate to her (although having them off leash is unacceptable, I agree).  As I've said, my boys are very docile, friendly, are not aggressive.  I am a regular fixture in my neighborhood, walking them in the am and pm WITH my 9 month old strapped to my chest, and yet...there are still some people who cross the street to avoid us, just based on the breed of my one dog.  Now, anyone can see that they are walking along nicely on their double leash, sniffing around, and not really even acknowledging other people or dogs around them.  They do not pull or strain on the leash, nor do they bark at anyone, and I guide them off to the side when passing others (we do have some regular doggie "friends" that the boys always say hi to).  I am fascinated, and a little amused that people find us so intimidating, but hey...whatever they need to do is fine with me, as long as they don't bug us, we aren't too concerned with them.

Kate CP - posted on 08/29/2009

There is no breed of dog that has locking jaws. That is a myth. The dogs that have "locking" jaws are trained to not release a bite. While your neighbor should NOT have had those dogs running around without leashes, I would have to say that your reaction could have actually caused the dogs to attack. It's hard not to react the way you did, however. Having Mommy-Reactions is what makes us good mommies. The next time something like this happens (here's hoping it doesn't!) make your way over to your daughter calmly but quickly and pick her up. Turn your back to the dogs and stand still. This sends the message to them that you're not looking for a confrontation. Getting loud and frantically waving your arms will send the message that something is wrong and the dog gets defensive which most people see as aggression.

Dogs are wonderful companions and great for kids. They can teach empathy, caring, and love. They are also great for special needs kids like children with Autism. The act of petting an animal (cat, dog, guinea pig, etc) has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, stabilize heart rates, and regulate erratic breathing. Dogs were bred to be human friendly. If they weren't human friendly, even their owners couldn't handle them. Dogs who are human aggressive either have a behavior disorder from learned experience or they just physically have something wrong in their brains. I rehabilitate aggressive dogs for a living. It's my job to get dogs who aren't normally adoptable ready to go to new homes. There have only been a handful of dogs I have come across in my years of work that I could not rehabilitate and they had to be put down. And here's the interesting thing: not one of them was a pit or pit mix. One setter mix, a chihuahua, and a lab were the dogs beyond my help. I love dogs and I think another part of my job is to break the breed misconceptions so many people have.

Kylie - posted on 08/29/2009

Dogs make me nervous..my neighbor came over with her rottweiler and staffy bull terrier with no leads when my 3 year old was playing on the front lawn. I saw these two dogs running for her.. so i ran to her fast as i could and told myself i was gong to have boot these dogs in the head to stop them from mauling. I screamed out my daughters name and scooped her up and had memories of being told not run from a dog attack..i was so scared. The neighbor saw me and my reaction and burst out laughing, called her dogs back and said don't worry they don't bite...she said i always think its hilarious how parents freak out when they see my dogs. Stupid moron i wanted to throttle her.
I wouldn't mind having bans on breeds of dogs that have the jaw thats locks when they attack..i don't understand why people need such dangerous pets....but I'm not a dog person so maybe I'm missing something.

Sharon - posted on 08/29/2009

Agreed. negligent owners are the issue, not the dogs.

Kate CP - posted on 08/29/2009

Cindy...no one was suggesting BSL...in fact most (including myself) are arguing against it.

Cindy - posted on 08/29/2009

As I skim through these posts...I see the push to ban breeds or restrict them. One of the Worlds most Dangerous Dogs is a pet Laborador Retriver. Most Violence twards children is from a LAB. The only ones that are over brodcast and blown out of proportion are those of the hated "PitBull" breed. It's so sad.



But I do have a Horror story for you. PitBulls are a restricted breed in my city. So are their cousins. I have 10, that's right 10, of the bastard dogs in walking distance from my home. In my city these dogs are supposed to be MUZZLED and Walked on a 4 foot leash. All 10 are NOT properly walked. In my city a restricted dog is supposed to be chained in the Yard, not free to Jump their fence. All 10 are free to run in their yards.

6 of these dogs have only a 40 inch fence in their back yard.



Horrified yet? There is more...



2 of these dogs ran free for 6 hours around my neighborhood not one time but 3 times.



Both of these "pets" disappeared two weeks ago. On the News last night a dashound was killed by a pitbul. Guess which Dog? One of the missing ones. The current owner said he just aquired the dog from a family who just had a baby.



hhmmm. Isn't that nice.



How many of my neighbors have their restricted dogs restistered with the city. Only 1. The rest of these dogs have no dog tags. The owners don't care about the laws. They love their doggies not the laws which govern them.



So go ahead push for legislation, it will do nothing. The owners who want the dogs will get them. They will not tell their city that the dogs exist. Then little muffin will go "crazy" and then the owner will say "I didn't know" or "it's not my dog."



Do you think Mike Vic registered his doggies with the county in which he lived. No.



Is this dog behaviour the fault of the Doggies? No. A good owner is all a doggie needs.



Do I trust my "coyote" with my kids unsupervised? Yes, I do. Because I took the time to train him. Is he legal? You bet, he even has his own passport.



*If your doggie gets out of his yard once, and you do nothing to prevent it happening again, then you should be charged when it happens again. If your doggie is not registered I think any fines imposed should be doubled.*



Have a nice day.

Mary - posted on 08/29/2009

Another thought about being a responsible owner....



Although both of my dogs are well behaved, and are not aggressive, I am very funny about letting strangers pet them when we are out & about. It's not about them, but I have learned over the years that many people, especially children, have no idea how to appropriately interact with animals. In the interest of proteting my dogs from a sticky situation, I will not let children I don't know come too close to them...I don't trust them not to pull their ears or tail, or smack them in the head. It's happened to them on more than one occasion, and both boys have reacted admirably by either just moving away, or licking the child in the face, but that is really asking an awful lot of them when a stranger is hurting them...and not all dogs are even remotely as tolerant. Most people wouldn't respond well to a stranger being so physically familiar with them, so I'm not sure why they think that animals should react much differently. When a dog growls, they are WARNING you that they are uncomfortable and unhappy with something...it boggles my mind when people ignore that very clear communication, and then get upset when a dog snaps.

Chantel - posted on 08/29/2009

Quoting dana:

Esther, I completely agree, certain dogs draw a certain crowd. I also agree with the fact that they will turn to another breed and ruin the image of that dog.

Out of curiosity, where are pitbulls banned?

Ontario.

Mary - posted on 08/29/2009

Kate, that damned clip has me bawling...and hugging the crap outta my poor Sammy!!



I have 2 dogs, both rescues. Sammy is an American Pit Bull mix whom we adopted at the age of 4. He had definitely been abused, and was most likely used as a bait dog. He had started out at a city pound, and was eventually transferred to the Baltimore County Humane Society where I volunteered (until I had Molly). This is not a dog who is even remotely aggressive, but it did take the better part of a year to work out all his social issues and phobias. My husband and I put a lot of work and love into it, but I also need to give a lot of credit to our other dog, Charlie. Charlie is a ridgeback/boxer mix, who is the most docile, laid back, tolerant and loving creature who ever walked this planet. He did a lot to 'teach' Sammy about life with a family...simple things like how to walk stairs (Sam had obviously never encountered them before, and was terrified), what a chew toy was for, and even how to walk on a leash. It is one of the most worthwhile and rewarding endeavors of my life. We now have 2 furry member of our family who are loyal, loving, and very well behaved...but we are all a work in progress! I continue to walk my boys (with molly in the bjorn) at least 3 miles a day. As Esther said, dogs NEED exercise and stimulation, and will act out if they don't get it. I have put a lot of time and effort into cultivating and nuturing the relationship that the dogs and my 9 month old havem and they are NEVER left alone together...at this point, I'm more worried about her hurting them (that girl pinches HARD) than the other way around. If something bad ever happens, I know that it will have been my fault for allowing the situation to arise.



Not sure if this is hypocritical of me, but I have to confess to being a bit leary of both chows and shar pei's...too many bad encounters both at the shelter and with friends an families. I'm not saying they are awful dogs, just a bit too nervous and snappy to be ok around kids. Most shar pei's are the equivalent of leagally blind ( those wrinkles are cute, but detrimental), which I think adds to their jumpiness. Funny coming form a pit bull owner, I know...just my personal prefernce

Kate CP - posted on 08/28/2009

Well, poor breeding can lead to pressure on the brain from a malformed skull. Usually it appears before 4 years of age, though. Most large breed dogs finish "growing" by 18 months to 2 years so the brain would have finished growing by then and the skull would have fused. Because people like the sleek, thin face of dobies the bad breeders tend to breed for looks. As a result you get a really pretty (really nutty) dog with a great amount of speed and instincts to protect and guard. The more likely cause for your dog's "sudden" change in temperament is simply stress. Being in a strange place without his primary owner and possibly being mistreated or just poorly trained by your ex could lead to a dog having behavior problems.

Dogs were first created because humans liked the tame traits of wolves. So humans would selectively breed the most tame and docile wolf to the next most tame and docile wolf and slowly emerged today's domestic dog. While they are technically different species they can still interbreed and produce fertile offspring. I DO NOT recommend any one who has never had experience with a wolf or wolf hybrid owning a wolf. Not to mention wolves and hybrids are prohibited in a lot of cities.

Sharon - posted on 08/28/2009

One of these I'll have chows again- probably after the kids grow up I'll adopt a couple. With those danged square jaws of theirs I won't risk the kids with an unknown animal. So chow rescue will have to wait.

Dana - I'd heard that as Dobermans aged they lose their "nut" and get mean. But crankiness happens to a lot of animals in old age - namely the human one. Um chronic pain will do it too. Internal cancers, bad teeth, so many things.

Kate CP - posted on 08/28/2009

All those wrinkles make it hard to read them...but once again, very cute puppies. I love the poofy noses. :}

Dana - posted on 08/28/2009

Kate, I agree, I've run across a mean Chow or two in my days. What about Doberman's. I had one for about 4yrs it was my baby. He would sit in my lap even after he was full grown, he would also howl for hours when I left (according to my neighbors). When my ex BF and I broke up I had to leave my dog with him. I heard that he ended up being mean as hell. Is it true that as doberman's get older their brain runs out of room in their skull and they turn mean. I had heard this before and could never get to the true bottom of this story.

Sharon - posted on 08/28/2009

I gotta say - a family raised chow is a vastly different animal compared to one raised by a single person - unless that single person spends a lot of time with kids.

I can't read shar peis.

Kate CP - posted on 08/28/2009

I'm not a fan of Chows cause I can't see what they're thinking and they can be unpredictable (more so than other breeds). Although they are damn cute and fluffy especially when puppies. :)

Sharon - posted on 08/28/2009

Awww we've owned 4 chow chows - seriously strong pack instincts in them. Worst thing one of them ever did was to pick up one of her stuffed toys, put it on top of another stuffed toy, pick both up and stand up on the bassinet and drop them in with the baby.

The only reason why she had access to the bassinet was because my mom & I were both standing there. She stood on her hind legs just watching the baby, watching us and then looking at her toys, - it was funny as hell. I gave her one toy back and she curled up on the floor at the foot of the bassinet, put her head on her toy and closed her eyes.

Our male at the time was curious but didn't really care. His only issue was dirty diapers. LOL it was a race to see who noticed the baby had a dirty diaper first. My male HATED dirty diapers. I remember one of the first ones. I changed the baby on the couch and put the wrapped dirty diaper on the floor. put the baby back in his pack and play and turned to get the diaper and I couldn't find it. OMG I thought preggo brain was still in effect.

Later we found a few of the diapers out in the back yard where the dogs did their business. Funny but gross.

I was attacked by pitbulls three times. Once when I was very small and twice as an adult. As a chid I wound up in ER being stitched back together - as an adult - I carry weapons when hiking.

Kate CP - posted on 08/28/2009

Quoting Sharon:

I have known fantastic pitbulls. I've seen them get horribly hurt and not bite anyone. Good breeding, good training.

Then there are dogs that are :: sigh :: not right. Rotten inbred breeding. Out here they breed meanest to meanest. Biggest to biggest. The pitbull out here looks nothing like the ones in the pitbull registries.

Most pits around here aren't really even pitbulls but mix breeds of APBT and some sort of mastiff. I have only ever met one pit that I was truly afraid to go near and she was put down because of aggression issues. And I rehabilitate aggressive dogs!

There is only one breed of dog that I am genuinely afraid of: the Chow Chow. GOD those dogs scare the piss out of me. I will NEVER let my daughter go NEAR a Chow. And every time I had a Chow in my class I would have to do some serious relaxation exercises before teaching. I knew I just wasn't the best trainer during those classes but I knew I couldn't kick some one out of class because their dog was a certain breed that I was uncomfortable with. So I just sucked it up as best I could. I've only ever been bitten 3 times by dogs. The dogs: A rotti puppy (we were working on the command "drop it" and he really didn't want to drop it), an aggressive chihuahua (bit my shoe and tore my shoelace the little bastard), and a mini daschund puppy who had leash aggression and mom wouldn't listen to me when I said "quit tugging on her leash"...and the dog bit me. Those puppy teeth will make you bleed like a stuck pig. :P I have never been bitten, attacked, or lunged at by a pitbull. I almost got mauled by a pair of black chows, though. THAT was scary.

Sharon - posted on 08/28/2009

I have known fantastic pitbulls. I've seen them get horribly hurt and not bite anyone. Good breeding, good training.

Then there are dogs that are :: sigh :: not right. Rotten inbred breeding. Out here they breed meanest to meanest. Biggest to biggest. The pitbull out here looks nothing like the ones in the pitbull registries.

Shelley - posted on 08/28/2009

When I was born, my parents were breeding pitbulls, so needless to say, the first several years of my life were spent around a lot of loving, protective dogs. It is definitely NOT the dog that is the problem. It is the way people treat them and train them that is the problem. If I ever get a dog (right now I have 2 cats), I would not want any other breed. My brother's pitbull is pretty big and she LOVES babies. I have no problem leaving them in the room alone together. I think my babies would hurt her before anything else happened. I do not disagree with the idea of increased training/ education for owners of so-called dangerous breeds..

Tracy - posted on 08/28/2009

Quoting Kate:

Dana: Some cities have passed Bullshit...err...Breed Specific Legislation in the US that prohibits the owning of a dog known to be of "Pitbull" breed or resembles the breed. One large city that has implemented this idiotic law is Boulder, CO.

What a great AD. Dog fighting breaks my heart. It is so cruel and think the people that commit such acts should be locked up!

Tracy - posted on 08/28/2009

Dogs that are banned in Australia are Pit Bull (American Pit Bull Terrier), Dogo Argentino, Preso Canario, Fila Brasileiro (Brazilian Mastiff) and the Japanese Tosa.

When I was working as a Vet Nurse I had to be very careful when classifying certain mixing of dogs because if it fit the classification of a pitball it would have to be destroyed. Luckly this never happened.

I think the majority of us agree with supervision of young ones and responsible dog owners you can reduce the number of attacks on children.

Dana - posted on 08/28/2009

Wow, I know where I live you have to have a $100,000 insurance policy on them. I never would have thought it was in the US. Creepy

Kate CP - posted on 08/28/2009

Dana: Some cities have passed Bullshit...err...Breed Specific Legislation in the US that prohibits the owning of a dog known to be of "Pitbull" breed or resembles the breed. One large city that has implemented this idiotic law is Boulder, CO.

Dana - posted on 08/28/2009

Esther, I completely agree, certain dogs draw a certain crowd. I also agree with the fact that they will turn to another breed and ruin the image of that dog.



Out of curiosity, where are pitbulls banned?

Esther - posted on 08/28/2009

I'm with most of the posters up here. I LOOOOOVE dogs. Passionately. Well, I should qualify, I love dogs that are at least a foot high ;) However, I don't like it when dogs are not well trained.



I think a lot of dog owners have no clue what they are doing. Dogs need exercise and discipline. I firmly believe that they are happiest when both those needs are being met. I don't know where people ever got the idea that dogs don't need exercise and that it's sufficient to just release them in the back yard, walk them out the door for 5 feet so they can do their thing and then take them back in, or lock them in a cage all day during the day while they are at work, but dogs need to be walked. Real walks. Several times a day. And not just to the mailbox & back.



One of my neighbors has a very sweet labrador mix that is about 2 years old. She is CHOCK full of energy but they never take the time to take her on a proper walk. So she's is bursting out of her skin with frustration and pent up energy. They now have a 4 month old baby and because she's so out of control, they lock her up in a cage all day to keep her away from the baby. The poor thing is climbing the walls. She has scared Lucas half to death because she just bounces up & down and barks incessantly when she is outside. They do nothing to contain her. They just lock her up or they'll yell "no, stop" etc. at her but of course that just makes it worse. When I'm over there though I just tell her that jumping is not allowed and after I physically block her a few times she catches on and just lays down at my feet. They are stunned that she does that. It's really not rocket science. But again, unless a dog receives the exercise they need, the frustration is only going to build and she probably will eventually turn aggressive. Right now she's just eating everything in sight. Including her owner's glasses (glass, frame and all).



ANY dog of any breed can be aggressive if they are not properly disciplined and do not receive proper exercise. And even when those needs are met, I still would not trust my son to be around a dog alone. I think certain breeds are more inclined to be aggressive than others, but I don't think banning a particular breed does anything. I think the problem with the so-called aggressive breeds, like pitbulls, is that they often draw a certain crowd of owner who are attracted to them BECAUSE of their perceived aggression. That crowd will just move on to another breed if you ban one. And whatever breed they move on to then will become just as aggressive.



For me personally, the dogs I'm the most weary off are the small dogs because they are more often than not not well trained and frequently dominant. I think it's because whatever they do is considered "cute". It's "cute" when your yorkshire terrier is running around the house like a maniac. Not quite as "cute" when it's a St. Bernard doing it. So I think the St Bernard owner is more likely to nip things like that in the butt. And that's how the pack order is established.

Chantel - posted on 08/28/2009

Pit bulls are banned here and so I have rarely even seen one. Rotties anre around a lot though and one even attacked us when we were walking. Attacked my dog, I should say. I believe there are certain breeds that tend to be more aggressive than others but it also has to do with the owner. The rottie was laying on the grass next to the sidewalk and didn't show any signs of moving. His owner was standing there holding the leash talking to someone in the driveway. I was talking to Breanna who absolutely love dags so she was all excited and as we walked past the rottie lunged at Roxy, my golden retriever. We got past with no harm done but the owner didn't even say anything to me. What if that had of been Breanna reaching out as we past?? I love dogs and don't think banning them is the way to go but that particular owner ticked me off.

Dana - posted on 08/28/2009

Just last month my neighbor's pit bull managed to pounce on another neighbor's door hard enough that it knocked the door open. It then attacked her little dog. It had gotten loose in the neighborhood about 4 times (that I saw) but, the lady always said don't worry it's nice, although it wasn't nice enough to clean up his poop. lol. So after the incident she's reassuring everyone it's nice, it just doesn't like small dogs. So I was left wondering, what does my crawling baby in the yard look like to your dog. Luckily the dog wast taken away. Although I do feel for them and their dog.

Lindsay - posted on 08/28/2009

I'm with Amie on this one. Even the best trained dog can react and become agressive. Don't get me wrong, I really like dogs but I watch very closely when they are around my kids. My brother has a lab that is bigger than Cooper but they play together a lot. I would never take my eye off of them, though. I personally think the pit bulls are so scary because they are so incredibly strong. I'm sure they can be trained to be good dogs but they won't be in my house or yard, that's for sure!

Amie - posted on 08/28/2009

Jesus, there's another I just found that happened last month. No wonder I didn't hear about it, it was the week before our wedding.

http://www.leaderpost.com/health/Girl+re...

Just figured I should add on here as well that the amount of dogs that get out of their yards in our area is ridiculous. There was one boxer who was especially bad for it and was aggressive. He had come after me twice. Don't know what happened to him but there were numerous complaints to Animal Control.

There was also a shitzu that for some odd reason thought it would be a good idea to come into our house. It was over friendly and a great big suck but still. Wasn't overly impressed a strange dog was o.k. with just walking into our home.

On two different occasions there were Rottweilers in our yard when we got up in the morning. One was so aggressive that we couldn't even walk out our door and phoned our neighbors to watch out for it until Animal Control got there. The next time there were 3 of them but they weren't nearly as bad. They just looked at us then kept on running. Still loose, so Animal Control got called again. I wonder how much I've earned the city in fines just by calling them on all these loose dogs. LOL.