In which a Pit Bull attacks my puppy

[draggar]

Ah, they should at least allow you to go to the club to watch a few sessions for free (no fees). Maybe some of them also do weekday trainings (per session) - I know quite a few people in our Schutzhund club do also (especialy in the winter).

You'll need to get that dog trained, though, for many reasons. Hopefully at least one of you (preferably both) can get Saturdays off, even if it is every other Sat.

[Kyree]

I was gonna say the same, it's only a matter of time before some kid is getting their face stitched back together (or worse).

A dog like that will soon attack a child. As to shooting it, that all depends what is on the other side of the dog.

I really don't wish to open a can of worms with this, but please everyone, don't start with the "It attacked a dog, it'll go for a child or person next." stuff. Dog aggression and human aggression are COMPLETELY different. A dog aggressive dog (of ANY breed) does not mean that it is going to attack a person.

http://www.pbrc.net/breedinfo.html

As a pit bull owner, I hate hate hate hearing about stories like this. Midorikawa, I'm really glad that you and your pup are all right. That family were idiots, and it's people like that who make so much worse for everyone else. You definitely need to report it. It makes me want to rage when I hear about idiotic people who let their kids walk their pit bulls, especially since i'm pretty damn sure they knew they had a dog-aggressive dog.

But also, to clear things up for everyone here. Pit bulls were originally bred to fight bulls in the pits. (Hence their name.) They were bred for their drive, strength, fearlessness. They were later bred to be dog aggressive, when dog fighting came about. Just because a pit bull is dog aggressive does not mean the owner is abusing, or neglecting the animal. It's a trait that was bred into the breed, and some are still that way. Socialization is essential with this breed, but a caring, loving home and tons of socializing isn't a cure all - some dogs will grow up to be dog aggressive, no matter what you do. It's the case with a lot of breeds, not just bullies as well.

Obviously, in this case the owners were freaking idiots who have no idea how to control their animal, and should definitely be punished for it. If you have a dog aggressive dog, you NEED to know what its triggers are, and what situations you can and cannot bring that dog into. And with the way they acted, they probably didn't socialize it at all.

I'm just sad that it'll end up with taking the dogs' life, and them learning nothing from it most likely.

Have you reported it yet/what has the city said? How much can you do since you don't have the peoples' names or anything?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

You're absolutely right about that, however, my feelings are not based on the breed, or the fact that it attacked a dog. They are based on the total apathy of the owners to the aggression of their dog, even while the dog is attacking someone.

Lawsuits fall out of the sky slightly more often than raindrops in the Smokies. These people are not only grossly irresponsible, they are stupid to boot.

So if the dog is aggressive at all, it is only a matter of time before it starts to escalate. Because it is not being dealt with.

Here's the thing with pits. They can be nice dogs. However, physically, they have a more dangerous bite pattern. If it is true that any and all dogs can and will bite when properly provoked (and it is ), then it is true that a breed like a pit will be far more dangerous if and when it is provoked to bite. All other things being equal, an undisciplined pit is more dangerous than an undisiplined dog of another breed.

[Kyree]

I'd honestly rather deal with an undiciplined pit bull then anything else. They were bred away from human aggression. When fighting was legal, there were always three people in the ring. The owners, and a Ref. And at any moment, no matter how heated, any of those three people could stick their hands in either of the dogs' mouths, for any reason, and not get bit. The second that the dog showed aggression towards a person, it lost the match, and was culled. If you're looking at the 70, 70, 90+lb monsters that people call pit bulls? Those things are messes, but they are NOT pit bulls. They are pit bulls mixed with mastiffs. They bred something with the tenacity of a pit bull with a breed that was known for it's guarding and human aggression. Those things with the extra wide chest, wide head are the status symbol "TOUGH DAWGS" and yes, should be handled with care. But the average American Pit Bull Terrier should only be 50-60lbs at most.

A purebred pit bull has a natural love for people. But, I do agree. If a pit bull ever does show HA, it needs to be put down. It goes against the breed, and in many cases the owner either has no idea how to handle the dog, or is encouraging it.

My dog bit a person once. He wasn't being aggressive, he was being scared shitless. I think I posted a thread here about it about six months ago. We figured out what had happened. My roommate and her mother cornered my dog, and her mother (who is a very nervous person and my dog had never met) shoved her hand through Spud's gate into his face. He bit her - a warning bite to go away because my roomate wouldn't let him back up. All she had was a tiny bruise. No skin broken, not even any scraped skin. If they were more dangerous when provoked to bite, don't you think there would have been blood?

[crazylegs]

MOD NOTE

Ladies and gentlemen,

The issue of breeds and their legality, and their percieved issues is a topic for fratching.

The issue here is that an unrestrained dog went for another dog - stick to that one topic.

Transgressors will be dealt with accordingly.