Pitbull love

[koshergrl]

 

[Claudette]

Nice Pic.

My foster dog is a Pit/GSD mix and he's one hell of a dog.

 

[Bfgrn]

Pit Bull FAQ - Dangerous Dogs - DogsBite.org

Q: Do pit bulls bite more than other dogs?

Depending upon the community in which you live and the ratio of pit bulls within it, yes and no. But whether a pit bull bites more or less than another dog breed is not the point. The issue is the acute damage a pit bull inflicts when it does choose to bite. The pit bull's "hold and shake" bite style causes severe bone and muscle damage, often inflicting permanent and disfiguring injury. Moreover, once a pit bull starts an attack, firearm intervention may be the only way to stop it.

When analyzing dog bite statistics, it is important to understand what constitutes a bite. A single bite -- recorded and used in dog bite statistics -- is a bite that "breaks the skin." One bite by a poodle that leaves two puncture wounds is recorded the same way as a pit bull mauling, which can constitute hundreds of puncture wounds and extensive soft tissue loss. Despite the "quagmire" of dog bite statistics, pit bulls are leading bite counts across U.S. cities and counties.

 

[koshergrl]

Terriers are potentially dangerous. So are shepherds and rotties.

Pits are a lot more likely to have been poorly trained/abused/neglected than a lot of other dogs, because of the types of people that tend to like to keep them.

This boy is a good pup though. He was raised with that little girl my kids and a passel of other kids and loves his family, and children in general. I know everyone says that, but this guy is used to having kids all over him.

 

[Bfgrn]

Terriers are potentially dangerous. So are shepherds and rotties.

Pits are a lot more likely to have been poorly trained/abused/neglected than a lot of other dogs, because of the types of people that tend to like to keep them.

This boy is a good pup though. He was raised with that little girl my kids and a passel of other kids and loves his family, and children in general. I know everyone says that, but this guy is used to having kids all over him.

Just please be aware. If you see any aggression, don't ignore it or dismiss it. I've had dogs all my life. I loved all the dogs I had, and I love the 2 that I have now. I had 3, until Buddy tried to kill me. He was a pitt/lab mix my son rescued when we lived in Florida. He was probably the most lovable dog I ever had. If I was laying on the couch watching TV, he would try to crawl up on my stomach and he would snuggle his head between my head and shoulder like he was trying to hug me.

One day my wife was dusting and left his leach on the floor. I went to pick it up, and put it back on the hutch. Buddy came over next to me and started growling. I calmly backed off, left it on the floor and said 'its ok Buddy. He stopped growling and seemed calmed.

When I walked away, he charged after me, leaped up towards me and latched onto my left arm, I was spurting blood from that wound. I swung him off 180 degrees later, he charged again latching onto my right arm and hand, deep wounds, then he went after my legs (I had shorts on) and he ripped open the back of my right leg, then got the front of my leg exposing my femur bone. My wife, daughter and son were home. My son tried to help me but I was still getting bit. Finally I was able to grab Buddy around the neck with my right arm and fell down on top of him holding on for dear life...literally. If he had escaped my grip, my face was 6 inches away. My son was able to grab him and I got away, spewing blood all over the house. My son was able to calm Buddy down, and a few minutes later he was acting as if nothing happened.

If no one were home that day, I wouldn't be telling this story. There is nothing a human can do to fight off a pitt bull attack...NOTHING.

If you see any aggression, don't ignore it or dismiss it. Get rid of that dog, it is a ticking time bomb...

 

[koshergrl]

He's 6 years old now and my son has had him since he left his mom. He's never shown any aggression to any of us at all; he gets along well with my dogs as well including my spaz jack russell terrier. I mean, he's normal, he'll put them in their place when they get out of hand, but just in a normal way and never out of control.

i wasn't thrilled when my son got Snoop..I'm not particularly fond of terriers anyway (though now i have one but that's a story in and of itself...I won't have another when she's gone.)...I had little kids and I recognize the risk in having an animal that is powerful and bred to kill. But he did a wonderful job with the pup, and he still does a wonderful job with him. I don't think he'll get another though....I think his next dog, down the road, will be one on the order of my saint..a dog that has a gentle and forgiving nature, with no tendency to bite and no tendency towards aggression, a dog that people on the street ask if they can hug and pet; instead of looking at out of the corners of their eyes and crossing to the other side. Snoop is well socialized and he takes him with him everywhere and he is a good ambassador but people are nervous of him. After 5 years that gets a little old.

 

[strollingbones]

yea once you get a pit ban...which breed will you ban next? i have a dobie...the only trouble he has ever caused was barking at the boy next door when he was trying to get on the bus...the kid ran home crying.....thor did not chase him....i got the call from boy's mom.....

we worked it out....cause i dont want my dog shot.....

but you got to be careful....even a quick snap from a dobie can do a lot of damage....

 

[martybegan]

Terriers are potentially dangerous. So are shepherds and rotties.

Pits are a lot more likely to have been poorly trained/abused/neglected than a lot of other dogs, because of the types of people that tend to like to keep them.

This boy is a good pup though. He was raised with that little girl my kids and a passel of other kids and loves his family, and children in general. I know everyone says that, but this guy is used to having kids all over him.

Just please be aware. If you see any aggression, don't ignore it or dismiss it. I've had dogs all my life. I loved all the dogs I had, and I love the 2 that I have now. I had 3, until Buddy tried to kill me. He was a pitt/lab mix my son rescued when we lived in Florida. He was probably the most lovable dog I ever had. If I was laying on the couch watching TV, he would try to crawl up on my stomach and he would snuggle his head between my head and shoulder like he was trying to hug me.

One day my wife was dusting and left his leach on the floor. I went to pick it up, and put it back on the hutch. Buddy came over next to me and started growling. I calmly backed off, left it on the floor and said 'its ok Buddy. He stopped growling and seemed calmed.

When I walked away, he charged after me, leaped up towards me and latched onto my left arm, I was spurting blood from that wound. I swung him off 180 degrees later, he charged again latching onto my right arm and hand, deep wounds, then he went after my legs (I had shorts on) and he ripped open the back of my right leg, then got the front of my leg exposing my femur bone. My wife, daughter and son were home. My son tried to help me but I was still getting bit. Finally I was able to grab Buddy around the neck with my right arm and fell down on top of him holding on for dear life...literally. If he had escaped my grip, my face was 6 inches away. My son was able to grab him and I got away, spewing blood all over the house. My son was able to calm Buddy down, and a few minutes later he was acting as if nothing happened.

If no one were home that day, I wouldn't be telling this story. There is nothing a human can do to fight off a pitt bull attack...NOTHING.

If you see any aggression, don't ignore it or dismiss it. Get rid of that dog, it is a ticking time bomb...

A hard punch to the head will stun them. A friend of mine has to do it sometimes when his two pits get into a bit of a fight that goes too far.

If the dog was a rescue, it almost seems that you triggered some fight cue it may have been trained up for. Was the dog rescued from a fighting breeder by some chance?

 

[strollingbones]

o hell yea that is what i want to do.....hit a pit that is fighting in the head to stun the bitch....please ******....are you really suggesting that?

 

[martybegan]

o hell yea that is what i want to do.....hit a pit that is fighting in the head to stun the bitch....please ******....are you really suggesting that?

A pit fighting another dog is usually concentrated on the dog, not gunning for the person trying to break it up. The dog has never turned on my friend when he tries to break it up.

Thier heads are like a brick, all the hit does it breaks the contact between the dogs for a second, and that is usually enough to "Reset" them back to normal mode.

This is not an every day occurance, it just happens sometimes when the play fighting takes a bad turn.

 

[strollingbones]

okay here is what a friends wife saw at her house with her hubbys pits.....

one got lose and attack another that was chained....as she was in the process of killing a chain dog.....she got too close to another chained dog....which killed her....so now you got 2 dead dogs and one badly wounded....good wife screaming in terror.....good times good times....but they were chained and agressive dogs...milo is not that....he is just a big ass baby

 

[strollingbones]

snoop? i thought the pit was milo?

 

[koshergrl]

The jack is mylo, lol. Snoop is the boy's dog. Snoop da poop. Snoopy Poopy, Snooper Pooper.

 

[Bfgrn]

yea once you get a pit ban...which breed will you ban next? i have a dobie...the only trouble he has ever caused was barking at the boy next door when he was trying to get on the bus...the kid ran home crying.....thor did not chase him....i got the call from boy's mom.....

we worked it out....cause i dont want my dog shot.....

but you got to be careful....even a quick snap from a dobie can do a lot of damage....

It's not a slippery slope bones. The statistics are OVERWHELMING...pit bulls and Rottweilers are very dangerous dogs.

Pit Bulls, Surgeons and Statistics

From the April 2011 edition of Annals of Surgery, Volume 253, Number 4, and is entitled "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs."

The article notes that:

Compared with attacks by other breeds of dogs, attacks by pit bulls were associated with a higher median Injury Severity Scale score (4 vs. 1; P = 0.002), a higher risk of an admission Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or lower (17.2% vs. 0%; P = 0.006), higher median hospital charges ($10,500 vs. $7200; P = 0.003), and a higher risk of death (10.3% vs. 0%; P = 0.041).

Over a recent 3-year period from January 2006 to March 30, 2009, a total of 98 dog bite fatalities involving 179 dogs occurred; 60% of the deaths were caused by pit bulls, and 76% were caused by pit bulls and Rottweilers. A total of 113 pit bulls were involved in these deaths, and they accounted for 63% of the dogs involved in fatal attacks (Table 2).

TABLE 2. Breed of Dog Associated With Involvement in Fatal
Attacks, 2007 National Registration Data From the American
Kennel Club, and Relative Risk of Fatal Attack∗

Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs pdf

TABLE 3. Characteristics of Pit Bulls
Fatal Pit Bull Attacks Nationally

Pit bulls attack indiscriminately
Responsible for 65% of all fatal attacks in 2008
6 of 7 fatal dog bites in Texas in 2007 were inflicted by pit bulls
94% of attacks on children by pit bulls were unprovoked
81% of attacks that occurred off the owner’s property involved pit bulls
One person is killed by a pit bull every 14 days
One body part is severed and lost every 5.4 days as a result of pit bull attacks
2 persons are injured by pit bulls every day
1.5 pit bulls are shot to death every day

 

[martybegan]

yea once you get a pit ban...which breed will you ban next? i have a dobie...the only trouble he has ever caused was barking at the boy next door when he was trying to get on the bus...the kid ran home crying.....thor did not chase him....i got the call from boy's mom.....

we worked it out....cause i dont want my dog shot.....

but you got to be careful....even a quick snap from a dobie can do a lot of damage....

It's not a slippery slope bones. The statistics are OVERWHELMING...pit bulls and Rottweilers are very dangerous dogs.

Pit Bulls, Surgeons and Statistics

From the April 2011 edition of Annals of Surgery, Volume 253, Number 4, and is entitled "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs."

The article notes that:

Compared with attacks by other breeds of dogs, attacks by pit bulls were associated with a higher median Injury Severity Scale score (4 vs. 1; P = 0.002), a higher risk of an admission Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or lower (17.2% vs. 0%; P = 0.006), higher median hospital charges ($10,500 vs. $7200; P = 0.003), and a higher risk of death (10.3% vs. 0%; P = 0.041).

Over a recent 3-year period from January 2006 to March 30, 2009, a total of 98 dog bite fatalities involving 179 dogs occurred; 60% of the deaths were caused by pit bulls, and 76% were caused by pit bulls and Rottweilers. A total of 113 pit bulls were involved in these deaths, and they accounted for 63% of the dogs involved in fatal attacks (Table 2).

TABLE 2. Breed of Dog Associated With Involvement in Fatal
Attacks, 2007 National Registration Data From the American
Kennel Club, and Relative Risk of Fatal Attack∗

Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs pdf

TABLE 3. Characteristics of Pit Bulls
Fatal Pit Bull Attacks Nationally

Pit bulls attack indiscriminately
Responsible for 65% of all fatal attacks in 2008
6 of 7 fatal dog bites in Texas in 2007 were inflicted by pit bulls
94% of attacks on children by pit bulls were unprovoked
81% of attacks that occurred off the owner’s property involved pit bulls
One person is killed by a pit bull every 14 days
One body part is severed and lost every 5.4 days as a result of pit bull attacks
2 persons are injured by pit bulls every day
1.5 pit bulls are shot to death every day

I have a question about the table you are providing. Does it only count attacks by AKC registered dogs, or any dog? Because it lists dogs by AKC registration and the vast majority of owned dogs are not AKC certified.

If it used AKC registration numbers, but used incident counts using all dogs, the comparison would not be valid due to using a subset for one number (AKC dogs) and the whole set (dogs) for the other.

 

[Bfgrn]

yea once you get a pit ban...which breed will you ban next? i have a dobie...the only trouble he has ever caused was barking at the boy next door when he was trying to get on the bus...the kid ran home crying.....thor did not chase him....i got the call from boy's mom.....

we worked it out....cause i dont want my dog shot.....

but you got to be careful....even a quick snap from a dobie can do a lot of damage....

It's not a slippery slope bones. The statistics are OVERWHELMING...pit bulls and Rottweilers are very dangerous dogs.

Pit Bulls, Surgeons and Statistics

From the April 2011 edition of Annals of Surgery, Volume 253, Number 4, and is entitled "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs."

The article notes that:

Compared with attacks by other breeds of dogs, attacks by pit bulls were associated with a higher median Injury Severity Scale score (4 vs. 1; P = 0.002), a higher risk of an admission Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or lower (17.2% vs. 0%; P = 0.006), higher median hospital charges ($10,500 vs. $7200; P = 0.003), and a higher risk of death (10.3% vs. 0%; P = 0.041).

Over a recent 3-year period from January 2006 to March 30, 2009, a total of 98 dog bite fatalities involving 179 dogs occurred; 60% of the deaths were caused by pit bulls, and 76% were caused by pit bulls and Rottweilers. A total of 113 pit bulls were involved in these deaths, and they accounted for 63% of the dogs involved in fatal attacks (Table 2).

TABLE 2. Breed of Dog Associated With Involvement in Fatal
Attacks, 2007 National Registration Data From the American
Kennel Club, and Relative Risk of Fatal Attack∗

Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs pdf

TABLE 3. Characteristics of Pit Bulls
Fatal Pit Bull Attacks Nationally

Pit bulls attack indiscriminately
Responsible for 65% of all fatal attacks in 2008
6 of 7 fatal dog bites in Texas in 2007 were inflicted by pit bulls
94% of attacks on children by pit bulls were unprovoked
81% of attacks that occurred off the owner’s property involved pit bulls
One person is killed by a pit bull every 14 days
One body part is severed and lost every 5.4 days as a result of pit bull attacks
2 persons are injured by pit bulls every day
1.5 pit bulls are shot to death every day

I have a question about the table you are providing. Does it only count attacks by AKC registered dogs, or any dog? Because it lists dogs by AKC registration and the vast majority of owned dogs are not AKC certified.

If it used AKC registration numbers, but used incident counts using all dogs, the comparison would not be valid due to using a subset for one number (AKC dogs) and the whole set (dogs) for the other.

You are missing the point. If everything hinged on that one table, you would have an argument. But the most important information citizens need to be aware of is that any dog can bite you, but a pit bull doesn't just bite you, a pit bull attacks you.

The attack pattern of pit bulls is different from that of other dogs. With other dogs, children are usually at highest risk of being bitten. In contrast, pit bulls seem to attack adults almost as frequently as they attack children. Pit bulls not only are notorious for their indiscriminate attack pattern but also are well known for the tenacity with which they continue with an attack. The case fatality reported above involved an infant that was mauled by 2 pit bulls. These dogs had previously bitten an 8-year-old relative in the face. When the dog’s owner attempted to stop the attack on the infant by stabbing the dogs with a knife, she became a victim herself, and police officers had to shoot (kill) the dogs at the scene. It is not uncommon to hear of witnessed attacks in which the pit bulls could not be stopped from attacking.

The inbred tenacity of pit bulls, the unrelenting manner in which they initiate and continue their attacks, and the damage they cause are the result of both genetics and environment. Therefore, this breed of dog is inherently dangerous.

As stated by 1 author, “Temperament is not the issue, nor is it even relevant. What is relevant is actuarial risk. If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a Pit Bull Terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed, and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dog and their victims are paying the price.”

CONCLUSIONS
Dog bites are a serious public health concern in the United States and across the world. They result in substantial emotional and physical trauma and in a substantial economic cost to the victims and to society. Fortunately, fatal dog attacks are rare, but there seems to be a distinct relationship between the severity and lethality of an attack and the breed of dog responsible. The unacceptable actuarial risk associated with certain breeds of dogs (specifically, pit bulls) must be addressed. These breeds should be regulated in the same way in which other dangerous species, such as leopards, are regulated. Individual municipalities need the power to enact ordinances that can protect their citizens from this risk. If they are to obtain such power, the issue must be addressed at the local, county, and state legislative levels.

 

[martybegan]

It's not a slippery slope bones. The statistics are OVERWHELMING...pit bulls and Rottweilers are very dangerous dogs.

Pit Bulls, Surgeons and Statistics

From the April 2011 edition of Annals of Surgery, Volume 253, Number 4, and is entitled "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs."

The article notes that:

Compared with attacks by other breeds of dogs, attacks by pit bulls were associated with a higher median Injury Severity Scale score (4 vs. 1; P = 0.002), a higher risk of an admission Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or lower (17.2% vs. 0%; P = 0.006), higher median hospital charges ($10,500 vs. $7200; P = 0.003), and a higher risk of death (10.3% vs. 0%; P = 0.041).

Over a recent 3-year period from January 2006 to March 30, 2009, a total of 98 dog bite fatalities involving 179 dogs occurred; 60% of the deaths were caused by pit bulls, and 76% were caused by pit bulls and Rottweilers. A total of 113 pit bulls were involved in these deaths, and they accounted for 63% of the dogs involved in fatal attacks (Table 2).

TABLE 2. Breed of Dog Associated With Involvement in Fatal
Attacks, 2007 National Registration Data From the American
Kennel Club, and Relative Risk of Fatal Attack∗

Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs pdf

TABLE 3. Characteristics of Pit Bulls
Fatal Pit Bull Attacks Nationally

Pit bulls attack indiscriminately
Responsible for 65% of all fatal attacks in 2008
6 of 7 fatal dog bites in Texas in 2007 were inflicted by pit bulls
94% of attacks on children by pit bulls were unprovoked
81% of attacks that occurred off the owner’s property involved pit bulls
One person is killed by a pit bull every 14 days
One body part is severed and lost every 5.4 days as a result of pit bull attacks
2 persons are injured by pit bulls every day
1.5 pit bulls are shot to death every day

I have a question about the table you are providing. Does it only count attacks by AKC registered dogs, or any dog? Because it lists dogs by AKC registration and the vast majority of owned dogs are not AKC certified.

If it used AKC registration numbers, but used incident counts using all dogs, the comparison would not be valid due to using a subset for one number (AKC dogs) and the whole set (dogs) for the other.

You are missing the point. If everything hinged on that one table, you would have an argument. But the most important information citizens need to be aware of is that any dog can bite you, but a pit bull doesn't just bite you, a pit bull attacks you.

The attack pattern of pit bulls is different from that of other dogs. With other dogs, children are usually at highest risk of being bitten. In contrast, pit bulls seem to attack adults almost as frequently as they attack children. Pit bulls not only are notorious for their indiscriminate attack pattern but also are well known for the tenacity with which they continue with an attack. The case fatality reported above involved an infant that was mauled by 2 pit bulls. These dogs had previously bitten an 8-year-old relative in the face. When the dog’s owner attempted to stop the attack on the infant by stabbing the dogs with a knife, she became a victim herself, and police officers had to shoot (kill) the dogs at the scene. It is not uncommon to hear of witnessed attacks in which the pit bulls could not be stopped from attacking.

The inbred tenacity of pit bulls, the unrelenting manner in which they initiate and continue their attacks, and the damage they cause are the result of both genetics and environment. Therefore, this breed of dog is inherently dangerous.

As stated by 1 author, “Temperament is not the issue, nor is it even relevant. What is relevant is actuarial risk. If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a Pit Bull Terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed, and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dog and their victims are paying the price.”

CONCLUSIONS
Dog bites are a serious public health concern in the United States and across the world. They result in substantial emotional and physical trauma and in a substantial economic cost to the victims and to society. Fortunately, fatal dog attacks are rare, but there seems to be a distinct relationship between the severity and lethality of an attack and the breed of dog responsible. The unacceptable actuarial risk associated with certain breeds of dogs (specifically, pit bulls) must be addressed. These breeds should be regulated in the same way in which other dangerous species, such as leopards, are regulated. Individual municipalities need the power to enact ordinances that can protect their citizens from this risk. If they are to obtain such power, the issue must be addressed at the local, county, and state legislative levels.

The graph is used to backup your point. How is pointing out it may be based on unsound data missing the point? Are we going with the "fake but accurate" concept with this, in where it helps your point, so even if it is flawed, its OK because I agree with its findings? Also, the statement is that the registration data is from 2007, is the attack total for 2007 or a longer period?

Yes, because they are bigger dogs, and thier physiology is based on the ability to fight and survive, they are a bigger risk if they prove to be violently tempered. But this whole "inherently dangerous" thing is to me without merit. A 1" puddle can be inherently dangerous if you pass out face first in it.

And going to the lengths of saying they need to be regulated like leopards is quite frankly, absurd.

You had a bad and terrible experience with pits, and for that I am sorry. but that was one dog, in one situation. The brush you are painting is a very broad one, and you are doing it with funky data to boot.

 

[koshergrl]

yea once you get a pit ban...which breed will you ban next? i have a dobie...the only trouble he has ever caused was barking at the boy next door when he was trying to get on the bus...the kid ran home crying.....thor did not chase him....i got the call from boy's mom.....

we worked it out....cause i dont want my dog shot.....

but you got to be careful....even a quick snap from a dobie can do a lot of damage....

It's not a slippery slope bones. The statistics are OVERWHELMING...pit bulls and Rottweilers are very dangerous dogs.

Pit Bulls, Surgeons and Statistics

From the April 2011 edition of Annals of Surgery, Volume 253, Number 4, and is entitled "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs."

The article notes that:

Compared with attacks by other breeds of dogs, attacks by pit bulls were associated with a higher median Injury Severity Scale score (4 vs. 1; P = 0.002), a higher risk of an admission Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or lower (17.2% vs. 0%; P = 0.006), higher median hospital charges ($10,500 vs. $7200; P = 0.003), and a higher risk of death (10.3% vs. 0%; P = 0.041).

Over a recent 3-year period from January 2006 to March 30, 2009, a total of 98 dog bite fatalities involving 179 dogs occurred; 60% of the deaths were caused by pit bulls, and 76% were caused by pit bulls and Rottweilers. A total of 113 pit bulls were involved in these deaths, and they accounted for 63% of the dogs involved in fatal attacks (Table 2).

TABLE 2. Breed of Dog Associated With Involvement in Fatal
Attacks, 2007 National Registration Data From the American
Kennel Club, and Relative Risk of Fatal Attack∗

Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs pdf

TABLE 3. Characteristics of Pit Bulls
Fatal Pit Bull Attacks Nationally

Pit bulls attack indiscriminately
Responsible for 65% of all fatal attacks in 2008
6 of 7 fatal dog bites in Texas in 2007 were inflicted by pit bulls
94% of attacks on children by pit bulls were unprovoked
81% of attacks that occurred off the owner’s property involved pit bulls
One person is killed by a pit bull every 14 days
One body part is severed and lost every 5.4 days as a result of pit bull attacks
2 persons are injured by pit bulls every day
1.5 pit bulls are shot to death every day

Oh pit bulls are powerful dogs and potentially dangerous, no doubt. I don't buy the silliness that they're "just the same" as any other dog...and, incidentally, neither does CESAR MILLAN. But that doesn't mean they should be made illegal, any more than certain types of horses should be banned because they're higher strung and thus more dangerous....and it doesn't mean they can never be trusted. But dealing with dogs (or really any animal) is the same as dealing with AIDS...you have to treat every one of them as if they have the potential to kill and maim...because every one of them does have that potential.

Even my saint is dangerous. He doesn't have a mean bone in him, but he outweighs my kids by a huge margin, and when they get on the ground and he is playing, he can really hurt them. He ran nose first into my son, hitting him right in the solar plexus...the dog was running as fast as he could and seriously, that could stop a kid's heart, or rupture his aorta. He's held my daughter down by grabbing the back of her head...2x! Now that was a year ago, he knows now that he isnt supposed to do that (and he was just playing) but it doesn't make any difference, the potential is there.

They're animals. They're muscle, bone and teeth. And they have genetically hardwired tendencies. Terriers are HUNTERS to begin with; and pits are also bred to fight. Certain things trigger them, and if you miss the cues or you aren't aware of what triggers them, you could be in trouble.

BTW, I guess when a dog attacks, the way to get the upper hand is to grab them by their cheeks/neck folds on the side under their ears and lift front legs off the ground. Might not be the funnest thing to do when they've taken out big chunks of you, but it stops the momentum. If you can do it.

From behind, not the front.

I hope I never have to do it, ack.

 

[Bfgrn]

yea once you get a pit ban...which breed will you ban next? i have a dobie...the only trouble he has ever caused was barking at the boy next door when he was trying to get on the bus...the kid ran home crying.....thor did not chase him....i got the call from boy's mom.....

we worked it out....cause i dont want my dog shot.....

but you got to be careful....even a quick snap from a dobie can do a lot of damage....

It's not a slippery slope bones. The statistics are OVERWHELMING...pit bulls and Rottweilers are very dangerous dogs.

Pit Bulls, Surgeons and Statistics

From the April 2011 edition of Annals of Surgery, Volume 253, Number 4, and is entitled "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs."

The article notes that:

Compared with attacks by other breeds of dogs, attacks by pit bulls were associated with a higher median Injury Severity Scale score (4 vs. 1; P = 0.002), a higher risk of an admission Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or lower (17.2% vs. 0%; P = 0.006), higher median hospital charges ($10,500 vs. $7200; P = 0.003), and a higher risk of death (10.3% vs. 0%; P = 0.041).

Over a recent 3-year period from January 2006 to March 30, 2009, a total of 98 dog bite fatalities involving 179 dogs occurred; 60% of the deaths were caused by pit bulls, and 76% were caused by pit bulls and Rottweilers. A total of 113 pit bulls were involved in these deaths, and they accounted for 63% of the dogs involved in fatal attacks (Table 2).

TABLE 2. Breed of Dog Associated With Involvement in Fatal
Attacks, 2007 National Registration Data From the American
Kennel Club, and Relative Risk of Fatal Attack∗

Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs pdf

TABLE 3. Characteristics of Pit Bulls
Fatal Pit Bull Attacks Nationally

Pit bulls attack indiscriminately
Responsible for 65% of all fatal attacks in 2008
6 of 7 fatal dog bites in Texas in 2007 were inflicted by pit bulls
94% of attacks on children by pit bulls were unprovoked
81% of attacks that occurred off the owner’s property involved pit bulls
One person is killed by a pit bull every 14 days
One body part is severed and lost every 5.4 days as a result of pit bull attacks
2 persons are injured by pit bulls every day
1.5 pit bulls are shot to death every day

Oh pit bulls are powerful dogs and potentially dangerous, no doubt. I don't buy the silliness that they're "just the same" as any other dog...and, incidentally, neither does CESAR MILLAN. But that doesn't mean they should be made illegal, any more than certain types of horses should be banned because they're higher strung and thus more dangerous....and it doesn't mean they can never be trusted. But dealing with dogs (or really any animal) is the same as dealing with AIDS...you have to treat every one of them as if they have the potential to kill and maim...because every one of them does have that potential.

Even my saint is dangerous. He doesn't have a mean bone in him, but he outweighs my kids by a huge margin, and when they get on the ground and he is playing, he can really hurt them. He ran nose first into my son, hitting him right in the solar plexus...the dog was running as fast as he could and seriously, that could stop a kid's heart, or rupture his aorta. He's held my daughter down by grabbing the back of her head...2x! Now that was a year ago, he knows now that he isnt supposed to do that (and he was just playing) but it doesn't make any difference, the potential is there.

They're animals. They're muscle, bone and teeth. And they have genetically hardwired tendencies. Terriers are HUNTERS to begin with; and pits are also bred to fight. Certain things trigger them, and if you miss the cues or you aren't aware of what triggers them, you could be in trouble.

BTW, I guess when a dog attacks, the way to get the upper hand is to grab them by their cheeks/neck folds on the side under their ears and lift front legs off the ground. Might not be the funnest thing to do when they've taken out big chunks of you, but it stops the momentum. If you can do it.

From behind, not the front.

I hope I never have to do it, ack.

You know, if I read this thread a year ago, I would have been defending pit bulls. And being a grown male who has always been able to defend myself, I would dismiss the danger.

I still love Buddy, even though he tried to kill me. I still love Buddy, even though we had to put him down. I still miss Buddy and all the things he did that made me laugh. When we were in Florida, there were a bunch of young kids across the street. Buddy would sit there on the sidewalk and you could tell he really believed he was one of those kids, and he wanted to just go play. I would not allow Buddy to cross the street, and he would listen to me. I didn't have to chain him up. My lasting image of Buddy is not his attack on me, it is that sweet, happy, people loving dog that disappeared into the back of the dog warden wagon, unwittingly eager to make a new friend with the person who was about to euthanize him.

As I look back, Buddy was really different than any dog I ever had. Maybe some of these differences can give you a heads up with your own pit.

I have come to the conclusion that what manifested in Buddy's attack on me was fear, not anger. Looking back, Buddy would always attack what every other dog I ever had ran away from. He would attack the vacuum cleaner, he would attack the lawn mower and weed whacker. If you got out the garden hose, Buddy would leap through the air biting at the water. If he got himself in the direct line of the water coming out, he would almost drown himself aspirating water. My wife was sitting on the bed drying her hair with a pistol type hair dryer. Buddy put the whole end in his mouth where the hot air was blowing out. We thought these were just cute mannerism, but they should have been a warning.

I pray you never have any incidents with you pit bull. But don't take any comfort that you will know when an attack is imminent or that you will be able to stop it...that could be a fatal mistake.

 

[koshergrl]

Yeah those are all red flags.

Our pit wasn't a rescue, so we know what his background is, and we know his behavior from the time he was a pup. We have to watch him with noises that he doesn't know..I've seen him run through the house completely unhinged when a refridgerator made a funny noise.

But he doesn't have those behaviors that you describe, which are indicative of a fearful or anxious dog.

And here's another thing...that crawling up on you? My Jack does that. It's not a friendly behavior. It's an anxious behavior, and a dominant one. My jack likes to stand on people, and she likes to get as high up on them as she can...she'll get right up on your head if you let her. And it's sort of funny and cute...but it's definitely a dominant behavior. That's how they establish dominance with other dogs, they get up over them. She also will stake out an area, completely random...and take exception to people or dogs getting in it and attack. Sometimes, she'll launch at the kids from my bed..sometimes she'll stake out a spot next to me on the couch...sometimes she'll stake out her food bowl or the kitchen.

She's small and she's not going to kill anyone though, and we have learned to recognize and cope with her behavior. If I saw that behavior in Snoop, he wouldn't be anywhere around me or anyone in my family, ever. It sounds like your dog thought he was the boss, and he staked out his leash at that point in time as *his*.

I've seen dogs do funny things and it's all about dominance...we had two rottie females, and we always knew when they were going to get into it because they'd take turns walking past each other. One would walk by real slow, then lay down. Then the other would get up and walk by the one laying down real slow, and lay down...somewhere around the third or fourth pass, it was on.

You have to be aware of when they're doing it with you, and put the kabosh to it, or get rid of them.

Sometimes I go ahead and wallow my goofy jack around and let her get up on me, just for a sec. But if she was a big dog, I wouldn't let her do that. If she was a big dog, I would have gotten rid of her ages ago.

It's really subtle behavior though, and you're taking a risk with it if you take it on...because they do sometimes get in under your radar.