dangerous animals

[aumd03 2]

I just wanted to see what you guys thought of dangerous animals and laws banning them. Specifically pit bulls in this case. Its always a bit of a touchy subject with some people.

There has a been a bit of an issue in my neighborhood with a pit bull. The issue first came up about 18 months ago when the dog killed a small dog in the neighborhood when it got loose. A couple of months later, the dog attacked a man in another neighborhood when the owner was visiting a friend. Then the dog attacked and nearly killed another dog in the neighborhood a few weeks ago. Everyone in the neighborhood is scared of this dog. Today the dog got loose from the owner and chased my elderly neighbor into her house. The cops say that can't do anything unless it attacks another person and is deemed dangerous and will be put down. They say animal attacks don't count.

I know several cities in the US have banned pit bulls, most notably Denver. Do you guys think that cities should ban certain breeds? Or that owners should be forced to take certain precautions with known dangerous breeds. I did some research a few months ago and discovered that pit bulls have the highest number of bites and attacks dispite lower numbers registered. It was almost 10:1 over the next highest dog, a doberman.

[AU_tiger_2000 0]

A little antifreeze mixed with hamburger meat works wonders.

[AUesquire 1]

Absolutely ban them. All jokes aside here. As an attorney, I've handled numerous dog bite cases. There's a little known area of the law that applies to dog owners, sometimes called the "One free bite" rule. This means that as a dog owner, you will not be held liable if your dog has shown no previous "Vicious tendencies". In other words, if your dog hasn't attacked anyone before, you have what is perceived to be a legitimate defense if it happens the first time. Once you know it....all bets are off.

However, there are certain breeds of dog, a Pit Bull obviously being at the top of the list, that this rule does not apply to. If you own a Pit Bull and it attacks,(And if they live) just give them the keys to your house, car and all your property because you no longer own any of it. Most insurance companies won't even insure you with one on the premesis. And justifiably so.

Sorry, but these dogs have attacked and killed too many people for too long now. Plenty of other breeds out there to have as a pet. Go rescue one for the humane society.

[aumd03 2]

Esquire, I told the neighbors the exact same thing. He's just being reckless at this point in the game. I think the neighbors should sue to have the guy pay the vet bills for their dogs. No one seems to step up to the plate and have this guy be financially responsible for the damage it causes. I've forwarned the owner that one paw on my property will earn him a dead dog. I'm not scared of dogs normally, but this one does scare me.

[Tigermike 3,903]

Shoot the damn dog and then bitchslap the owner for making the dog so mean.

[AUesquire 1]

Esquire, I told the neighbors the exact same thing. He's just being reckless at this point in the game. I think the neighbors should sue to have the guy pay the vet bills for their dogs. No one seems to step up to the plate and have this guy be financially responsible for the damage it causes. I've forwarned the owner that one paw on my property will earn him a dead dog. I'm not scared of dogs normally, but this one does scare me.

I'd be scared too and if I lived next door to someone with a Pit Bull, I'd be doing everything I could to get that dog out of there. My kids are way too important to me to let something like that lie. These folks who lost pets and suffered injuries absolutely have a claim against this idiot. Someone needs to "Step up" because a little kid is going to get killed and everyone will wish they had done something.

1. It's a PIT BULL

2. It's already shown on more than one occasion it will attack.

3. It didn't get a conscience overnight. It will attack again.

[townhallsavoy 2]

Ban the owners, not the dog.

I used to be terrified of Pit Bulls. My mom always told me to get the hell away whenever I saw one. Then, I went a party at a friend's trailer. She let her Pit Bull out of the bedroom and it jumped on the couch to lick my face. Needless to say, I was tense. But to my surprise, that dog was one of the sweetest dogs I had ever been around. I actually sat in the living room and played with the Pit Bull for most of the night. Although, I had a great experience with that one, I thought it to be an exception. Then my roommate started dating a girl with a Pit Bull/Boxer mix. It too was an incredibly cool dog. My neighbors also had a Pit Bull who was also a really sweet dog. The girl my roommate was talking to told me that the breed has a horrible reputation but it's mainly the owners that make the dogs mean. The trouble with Pits is that they are naturally aggressive and also have monster-like jaw strength. So unless the owner is purposefully trying to train the Pit to live up to its reputation, it's going to be just like any other dog.

[aumd03 2]

The trouble with Pits is that they are naturally aggressive and also have monster-like jaw strength. So unless the owner is purposefully trying to train the Pit to live up to its reputation, it's going to be just like any other dog.

Those two sentences seem to be a bit contradictory.

[townhallsavoy 2]

The trouble with Pits is that they are naturally aggressive and also have monster-like jaw strength. So unless the owner is purposefully trying to train the Pit to live up to its reputation, it's going to be just like any other dog.

Those two sentences seem to be a bit contradictory.

They are, sort of. By naturally aggressive, I mean they're good watch dogs. Ever heard of a dog being a good watch dog? That term is used fairly often but people rarely fear those types of dogs. If you beat a Lab in the head and feed it red meat, it'll be just as evil as the dreaded Pit. If you show a Pit Bull love and care for it as a pup, it'll be as friendly as the common Lab.

From the ASPCA website:

"Breed Characteristics of Pit Bulls

Pit bulls were genetically selected for their fighting prowess. What does this mean? What it doesn’t mean is that pit bulls can’t be around other dogs or that they are unpredictably aggressive, or that they will fight to the death. What it does mean is that pit bulls can easily be encouraged to be aggressive toward other dogs or, to put it another way, it takes less to arouse a pit bull than many other breeds to be aggressive toward other dogs.

It may help to understand how dogs learn to get along with other. Puppies of all breeds need to be socialized with other dogs in order to learn how to interact, how to play, and how to communicate with them. This early socialization acts to “inoculate” the puppy against future unpleasant experiences. Suppose the puppy is playing with another dog and the play escalates into a fight. Most well socialized puppies will bounce back after a fight and still want to play. Pit bull puppies need more than the average amount of socializing with other dogs--to ensure that they enjoy the company of dogs and to modify their natural play behavior, which is often rougher than that of other breeds. Even with extra socialization, a little squabble between friends could spark a pit bull to be testy with dogs—simply because the pit bull is genetically predisposed to react aggressively to dogs.

Dogfights between dogs of “average” breeds are usually “ritualized.” The objective is for one dog to walk away the victor with little or no bloodshed. The participants engage in plenty of preliminary behavior designed to intimidate their opponent, such as facial expressions, posturing, circling, growling, and snarling. Bites delivered during a fight are typically inhibited--the point is to cause pain, but not necessarily to inflict serious injuries. Pit bulls, however, have been selected to behave quite differently during fights. They rarely give any warning that they are about to act aggressively (some people call them “stone-faced”), and they seldom back down against an opponent. They are more often involved in fights that end in injury, suggesting that a pit bull’s aggression more closely resembles predatory behavior.

Even though pit bulls were bred to fight with each other, breeders took pride in producing dogs who were trustworthy and friendly to people. Handlers had to be in the pits with the dogs during fights, sometimes having to pull them apart to end a fight. Any dog who redirected their aggression to a person was culled. These “early” pit bulls typically lived in their owner’s homes and actually earned the nickname of “nursemaid’s dog” because they were so reliable with young children.

Like most terriers, pit bulls are extremely tenacious and stubborn. They easily become highly aroused and, when in such an agitated state, often have little control over their behavior if they have not been taught to inhibit their impulses. Hence, pit bulls have a reputation for being more “mouthy” and bite harder in play than other breeds. They are also relatively impervious to pain.

The Pit Bull’s Bad Reputation

Sadly, pit bulls have acquired a reputation as unpredictable, dangerous, and vicious. Their intimidating appearance has made them attractive to the wrong sorts of owner—people who are looking for a macho dog and end up encouraging aggressive behavior. In order to meet the growing demand for pit bulls, unscrupulous and uncaring breeders are producing puppies without maintaining the breed’s typical reliability with people. In fact, pit bulls are now notorious for redirecting aggression from a dog to any person who attempts to break up a fight. It is a shame what has happened to this loyal and affectionate breed.

Having said all that, we must tell you that a well-bred, well-socialized, and well-trained pit bull is one of the most delightful, intelligent, and gentle dogs imaginable. Some of the most famous dogs in American history were pit bulls: Stubby, the most decorated United States war dog; Petey, the beloved mascot from Little Rascals, and Helen Keller’s faithful companion. Additionally, many pit bulls were featured in well-known advertising campaigns, such as Buster Brown shoes and Levis. The majority of pit bulls are still ambassadors for their breed, serving as loving companions, family members, and therapy dogs, working in search and rescue, narcotics and explosives detection, and police and sentry duty. Unfortunately, we often hear more about the exceptions than the rule."

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_pitbull

[SupperClub 0]

Most insurance companies won't even insure you with one on the premesis. And justifiably so.

You are dead on there, my Wiregrass barrister. My first job out of college was a claims adjuster for a large Property & Casualty insurance company. I was stationed in Macon, GA, but I had to travel to Atlanta 2 or 3 times a week, mainly to do property inspections. If the homeowners had a pit bull, doberman, or any other breed with agressive tendencies, we would not insure them. The liability is too great for the insurance company to take on, because in most cases it is not a matter of 'if' they bite someone, but 'when'.

One time I showed up to a claimant's house out in BFE, Georgia. I had to travel at least 2 miles down a dirt road to get there. It was a nice house on probably 30 acres or so. I pulled up in the driveway and heard barking in the distance. I didn't think anything of it, and went to the front door. Just as I rang the doorbell, I see a pit bull walk up on the other side of an electric fence. I breathed easy as I figured he'd stay on the other side. He then walked THROUGH the electric fence, and it didn't even phase him. I was ringing on the doorbell and knocking on the door. He came up, stood about 10 feet away from me, and started growling. I tried talking nice to him, and he came to me. He started sniffing my legs, and he put his nose right to my crotch, still with a low growl in his voice. The people still hadn't come to the door. They had a triangle with a small iron bar next to the front door, and I took the iron bar and lifted it above my head, just waiting for that dog to bite. My plan was to shove it in his eye. Just as I had the iron bar up, the homeowner comes around the side of the house and says "Hey, what are you doing?!" I told him to get his f'n dog away from me. He just laughed and said "Aw, he won't hurtcha!" I told him "No, he won't hurt YOU. He doesn't know me."

For the record, I denied the guy's claim.

[Jenny AU-92 0]

Find out who carries the homeowner's insurance on your neighbor, and make a phone call. And when it finally hurts someone, like you know it will, no excuses.

Seems to me you could file a suit in small claims court already for reckless endangerment or something - Esquire? Like maintaining a known hazard?

They should be banned. For every sweet one, there are five brutal ones. I am a huge dog lover - I would have 50 animals at my house if my hubby would let me - but when it comes to pit bulls, forget it. How could you ever trust one? It doesn't matter to me if you have wrapped it in velvet and fed it steak every day since birth. Would I let it play with my kids? Hell no.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Our Jack Russell attacks me when I am abusing rough housing with my kids or my wife.

I hate that dog.

[otterinbham 0]

We gave up dogs entirely. The last one we had pooped everywhere, barked at 2:00 a.m., and didn't even like playing with the kids. When that one went to the Great Kennel in the Sky, we said "no more."

[abrnfanatc 6]

My in-laws inherited a Pit Bull several years ago after one of their neighbors moved away, "forgetting" to take Baby with them. That is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever been around, and I have no problem letting my son play with her. IMO, these dogs are naturally more powerful than others, but something else has to happen for them to just be plain mean.

I think you have to go after the owners and make them hurt somehow for their dog's actions if they train them to be fighters.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Mike Vick disagrees with all of you.

[AUesquire 1]

It's really a numbers game with certain breeds. There are going to be gentle, sweet dogs in every breed but some, like the Pit Bull, just have a much more aggressive nature overall. As someone said earlier, for every sweet one, there's many more that just aren't and will attack simply because it's their nature, inbreeding, genetics or whatever.

A Chow-Chow is a more aggressive breed and are very protective of their owners and their space. We had one for 12 years and it was the sweetest, most docile dog you could own. She was an inside dog. But, we realized the nature of this breed and made sure we were very attentive when guests were around, especially children. Usually put her in a bedroom if she wasn't familiar with the folks, just to be safe. She never showed any tendency to bite but we didn't want a 3 year old to get mauled and then go, "Well darn, I guess she will bite."

[abrnfanatc 6]

Mike Vick disagrees with all of you.

As does this guy...

[saniflush 0]

Little Jerry takes nothing off no one!

[tgr4lfe 220]

I am at a point of concern with the pit bull puppy my neighbors got about a few months ago. This Pit is probably 6 months old and already is a good size dog. He seemed playful and all when they first got him. Over the past few weeks his behavior has concerned me. The kids and I got home one day and were getting out of the truck to go inside. THis dog comes over to the edge of my driveway, kind of growling/huffing and bouncing on his front legs. I was about to unlock the door, but I was b/t him and my kids. I could handle him, no doubt, I used to train with the K9 units when I worked with the police department. I would catch him on my forearm, shove it to the back of his mouth, and take him to the ground then choke him out with my other hand and gouge his eyes. Anyway, one day he kept running toward me when I was getting the mail, but making a circle into our yard adn back to theirs. Yesterday he was on the other side of their lot as I got home. He once again walked over to the edge of my driveway just looking at me. I stood at the back of my truck staring him right in the eyes. He didn't make a sound but trotted off.

I am going to talk to my neighbor about him and basically warn him. I did see one of his teenagers outside with a little toddler, and constantly having to tell the dog to stay away and leave him alone. The dog "belongs" to the older teenage son of my neighbor, and I have no idea how he treats that dog when not around his folks? I am very concerned.

[CCTAU 3,677]

It's really a numbers game with certain breeds. There are going to be gentle, sweet dogs in every breed but some, like the Pit Bull, just have a much more aggressive nature overall. As someone said earlier, for every sweet one, there's many more that just aren't and will attack simply because it's their nature, inbreeding, genetics or whatever.

A Chow-Chow is a more aggressive breed and are very protective of their owners and their space. We had one for 12 years and it was the sweetest, most docile dog you could own. She was an inside dog. But, we realized the nature of this breed and made sure we were very attentive when guests were around, especially children. Usually put her in a bedroom if she wasn't familiar with the folks, just to be safe. She never showed any tendency to bite but we didn't want a 3 year old to get mauled and then go, "Well darn, I guess she will bite."

I find this to be a true assessment of aggressive breeds. The most maulings have come from mutts. You never know what you are getting in a mix breed. But a breed that has historically been bred to be aggressive cannot magically get rid of that breeding. You can think you have the sweetest PB around, but then something could set it off. Unfortunately nobody knows just what that something is.

I am at a point of concern with the pit bull puppy my neighbors got about a few months ago. This Pit is probably 6 months old and already is a good size dog. He seemed playful and all when they first got him. Over the past few weeks his behavior has concerned me. The kids and I got home one day and were getting out of the truck to go inside. THis dog comes over to the edge of my driveway, kind of growling/huffing and bouncing on his front legs. I was about to unlock the door, but I was b/t him and my kids. I could handle him, no doubt, I used to train with the K9 units when I worked with the police department. I would catch him on my forearm, shove it to the back of his mouth, and take him to the ground then choke him out with my other hand and gouge his eyes. Anyway, one day he kept running toward me when I was getting the mail, but making a circle into our yard adn back to theirs. Yesterday he was on the other side of their lot as I got home. He once again walked over to the edge of my driveway just looking at me. I stood at the back of my truck staring him right in the eyes. He didn't make a sound but trotted off.

I am going to talk to my neighbor about him and basically warn him. I did see one of his teenagers outside with a little toddler, and constantly having to tell the dog to stay away and leave him alone. The dog "belongs" to the older teenage son of my neighbor, and I have no idea how he treats that dog when not around his folks? I am very concerned.

Since you have worked with the police, then you understand that this is a gun rights issue. Right to carry to be exact. Always keep a gun on you. The first time the dog steps across the line. BANG. Any animal that looks at me and growls, gets the barrel aimed at it. If you are one of those owners that hear a loud bang and then never see your PB again, don't worry. It's not a problem any longer. If you don't want to lose your dog, keep it to yourself.

Dog ownership is a privilege, not a right.

And for you guys who are adjusters, collections agents, etc., screw policy. You better be packing. It's better to be fired than dead.

[AUesquire 1]

That needs to get nipped in the bud immediately.

[Tigermike 3,903]

That needs to get nipped in the bud immediately.

"Nip it! I say nip it!"

[AUesquire 1]

That needs to get nipped in the bud immediately.

"Nip it! I say nip it!"

You HAVE to post a Deputy Barney picture with "Nip it"

[abrnfanatc 6]

Nip it, I said.

[AU_tiger_2000 0]

Nip it, I said.

"Read any article on parenting you want and you know what they are all in favor of? Bud nippin'!