Neighbor attacked by Pit Bulls

[dirt ditch]

You're absolutely right.

They should do the same thing with that dimwit who ran over his two year old daughter with his mower to boot.

Comparing a father involved in a dreadful accident to the owner of a dog involved in a vicious animal attack... I don't see the correlation.

 

[Bocephous]

The kid was with me and the father and we were just about to the dog and his hair stood up and snarled. The kid didn't touch the dog, but I petted him to settle him down. I just didn't want to take the chance that he might lite after a little kid.

Maybe a 12 year old cousin being bit extensively in the face by a shepherd a few years before that was still on my mind; I don't know.

The dog was chained maybe 16-18 hours a day when we were at work or at night. I didn't have a kennel, just a dog house.

The dog was very docile most of the time except that and for another minor incident a year or so before that.

I hated to take him behind the woodshed, and that was one of the hardest things i had to do and bothered me ever since and that was 30+ years ago.

Chaining a dog up 16-18 hours a day builds up a ton of frustration and is a good way to turn a dog agro.

Petting a dog in an aggressive frame of mind communicates to the dog that it is OK for him to be behaving in that manner at that time.

Dogs communicate like dogs and humans often make the mistake of trying to communicate to them like a human. Doesn't work, especially on a dog who is frustrated or is naturally alpha-ish. A movement as simple as putting it's paw on you is oft times a subtle form of testing the waters in terms of who is in charge. Getting up on the couch unbidden while you are occupying it first, same thing. Feeding them before you eat (if they're an inside dog) shouldn't happen. Alpha dogs eat first. We could start a thread on things to do and not do if you want a well behaved and properly socialized (ie, as safe as they can be made to be) dog.

 

[yelbike]

Chaining a dog up 16-18 hours a day builds up a ton of frustration and is a good way to turn a dog agro.

Petting a dog in an aggressive frame of mind communicates to the dog that it is OK for him to be behaving in that manner at that time.

Dogs communicate like dogs and humans often make the mistake of trying to communicate to them like a human. Doesn't work, especially on a dog who is frustrated or is naturally alpha-ish. A movement as simple as putting it's paw on you is oft times a subtle form of testing the waters in terms of who is in charge. Getting up on the couch unbidden while you are occupying it first, same thing. Feeding them before you eat (if they're an inside dog) shouldn't happen. Alpha dogs eat first. We could start a thread on things to do and not do if you want a well behaved and properly socialized (ie, as safe as they can be made to be) dog.

Not to detract this tread. But here is a question since you seem to know your dog behaviour stuff. My great peareneas lab mix is generally great and getting better with age( almost 2). He charges people(pedestrian or cyclist) passing down our mostly quiet road. Very difficult to call him off. I just don't know how to stop it altogether. Part of the reason for getting him is security.

 

[Bocephous]

Not to detract this tread. But here is a question since you seem to know your dog behaviour stuff. My great peareneas lab mix is generally great and getting better with age( almost 2). He charges people(pedestrian or cyclist) passing down our mostly quiet road. Very difficult to call him off. I just don't know how to stop it altogether. Part of the reason for getting him is security.

I'm not a trainer by any stretch of the imagination, but a Great Pyrenees dog is a herd guardian breed, same as my sisters C.O. Wary by nature, a little more suspicious than most breeds, he has a job to do, and unless you provide one for him he will probably define his own job. You may be viewed as his herd, the people approaching your property he may view as interlopers and is doing his job to drive them away.

Dogs need training and interaction as well as stimulation, both mental and physical. A lot of people may view a big backyard as adequate exercise for their dogs, and for some it may be, but most need more. Every day my dogs get a walk through our woods. It is part of their routine and they probably view that as their job. New scents, different scenery, exercise, they all help.

Our dogs, while going through their "puppy" years, averaged 4-6 miles of dedicated exercise a day, sometimes getting as much as 10. High energy dogs require a LOT of exercise, and when denied that exercise they will find ways to try to drain that energy. Guess how much stuff got torn up in our house? None. When I left for work they were kenneled, and I had trained them that the kennel was a very good place to spend a few hours a day. They would run for their kennels, couldn't wait to get in them.

Most people on this site do a lot of research before they buy their tractor, or whatever it is they are buying, trying to make an informed purchase. The same degree of research should be put into a dog breed and breeder before making that purchase. Our one dog is a rescue and we got lucky with him. Our other dog came from parents that the owners bought from a good breeder in Florida (she was free, a gift from a friend after my old boxer died from cancer). Do you think I called that breeder to find out all I could about their breeding lines? Yes.

 

[Bocephous]

BTW, a great Pyr has a much higher psi bite strength than a "pit bull," is a herd guardian, and was bred to take care of a threat (oft-times by itself) to the herd. Wolves and bears. Put G.P. dogs in the random hands of 5 or 10 million people in this country and you would see a MUCH higher (imho) fatality rate than you see with pits. They are much bigger, stronger, and like I said, their bite strength is much stronger. Shall we petition the gov't to ban Caucasian Ovcharka's, Great Pyrenee's, Anatolian shepherds, etc, as well? Little bit of a pre-emptive strike, just in case?

 

[sfloggie]

I am proud of you too and glad you did not ignore him as so many do now. You are a Neighbor!

 

[Sigarms]

Comparing a father involved in a dreadful accident to the owner of a dog involved in a vicious animal attack... I don't see the correlation.

Both the father and dog's owner (per what was commented on) showed ignorance (stupidity more like it) that contributed to those dreadful accidents. However, because the father "horribly" injured his 2 year old daughter while mowing, we seem to show him more compassion because the girl was injured. The compassion should be directed towards the daughter because not only did she suffer the accident, she has an idiot father to boot.

Sometimes dogs can just "go off", but generally if you actually research the circumstances leading to the dogs unwanted behavior, it can/could be traced back to certain events and or variables in the dogs environment or "up bringing".

As mentioned previously, put a dog on a chain the majority of a day, and you're just wanting for something to go off. Make that dog on a chain "big and powerful" with a good bite, you have a bomb waiting to go off.

 

[MacLawn]

This has gotten me worried for a friend. His next door neighbor has a pit bull chained all day outside, about 40 feet from my friend's grandchildren's house! He's already told the knucklehead about it, and the sheriff too. Scares me to death for them! That thing is always pulling on the chain with his muscular neck, which needs a bullet in it!

I'm a real dog lover. But, hey, pit bulls, etc. were bred to kill.

 

[rekees4300]

His next door neighbor has a pit bull chained all day outside, about 40 feet from my friend's grandchildren's house!

What could possibly go wrong!? That situation needs to be corrected before it's too late.

 

[TomSeller]

This has gotten me worried for a friend. His next door neighbor has a pit bull chained all day outside, about 40 feet from my friend's grandchildren's house! He's already told the knucklehead about it, and the sheriff too. Scares me to death for them! That thing is always pulling on the chain with his muscular neck.

Agree, big red flag goes up on this. Is there a solid fence, and I mean SOLID?