# A Terrifying Experience **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 15, 2023, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560 "2023-06-15T13:09:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/41 "2023-06-15T18:34:45Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Hmmmm. 1/190th of the breeds are Pit Bulls, but more than 1/5th of the attacks are perpetrated by Pit Bulls. The prosecution rests. The lack of logic in your posts is becoming legendary. 190 breeds does not speak to the relative population of each breed, some breeds have far more living members than others. What is the percentage of (say) US dogs that are pit bulls\*? That’s a comparison that might make sense, provided you also speak to the following: \*“Pit bull” is a term that is used in widely different ways, either as the specific American Put Bull Terrier breed, or as a general catchall for a lot of similar breeds and mixes. Which way are you using it? Which way are the statistics compilers using it? It makes a huge difference. Don’t bother trying again, I won’t be watching yet another train wreck about pit bulls. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/42 "2023-06-15T18:39:35Z")
> [@dougrb](#): > > > [@blondebear](#): > > > > but it spotted me and ran at full tilt right towards me, growling and barking. > > This happened to me a month ago on my daily walk down a street I rarely go. I’m guessing it was a 70-80 lb pit bull like dog. He started about 15 yards away. I stopped and when he got to me he stopped and barked a couple more times then I petted him and he was fine. During this time the owner was yelling at me “JUST SMACK HIM”. I don’t think so Tim This is why I’m careful to keep my pittie-mix on a close leash when walking him in people. Not because he’s aggressive - just the opposite; he wants to go say “hi” to everyone he sees. But **Mrs. SMV** and I repeat the old chestnut all the time - the dog can’t hold his licker. He’ll jump up at people to lick their faces and demand skritches. (He also has a problem with naughty snout). He’s very friendly, but I can understand how a 70 lb. hound running and jumping at you can be very scary. Especially as he sometimes barks enthusiastically. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/43 "2023-06-15T18:39:53Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Don’t bother trying again, I won’t be watching yet another train wreck about pit bulls. If you won’t be watching, why would you tell me to stop posting? LOL ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/44 "2023-06-15T18:45:11Z")
The most vicious dog in my neighborhood over the years was a Golden Retriever. I was surprised, but this dog would start baring his fangs and snarling any time he saw anyone. One scary dog. None of the pitties were anything other than love bugs. Although petting their heads was like petting a rock. Actually, dachshunds are usually at the top of the most biting breeds list (that’s why we have a sign by our front door that says: Death from the Ankles Down), but all ours over the years were never biters. Poor Max when we sometimes had to do some kind of treatment for him was very stoic, but once he put his mouth on my hand and just gave the teeniest pressure. I left off the treatment that day. He was just telling me it hurt. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/45 "2023-06-15T19:05:25Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > 1/190th of the breeds are Pit Bulls, but more than 1/5th of the attacks are perpetrated by Pit Bulls. The prosecution rests. Wrong statistic entirely. The statistic that would be relevant would be ‘what percentage of Pit Bulls who have not been abused and who have not been trained to bite humans have bitten humans?’ I don’t know where to find that statistic. But it’s the one that’s relevant. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Doberman Pinchers were that dog for a long time. When I was a child it was German Shepherds. > [@dougrb](#): > > I’m guessing it was a 70-80 lb pit bull like dog. He started about 15 yards away. I stopped and when he got to me he stopped and barked a couple more times then I petted him and he was fine. During this time the owner was yelling at me “JUST SMACK HIM”. I don’t think so Tim. Yeah, that owner is clueless about dogs and probably shouldn’t have that one. DO NOT hit a dog when the dog’s still deciding what to do about you (or for that matter if it’s decided it doesn’t need to bite you.) If you hit the dog, then it’s likely to decide that you started it and it needs to fight back. I had a large dog come at me aggressively while I was walking down a country road years ago – not a pit, something more or less large-shepherdy-type. I stood stock still. He put on the brakes right in front of me; banged his teeth into my leg because he couldn’t stop fast enough, but no actual bite. If I’d tried to hit him, I expect I’d have been in serious trouble (probably also if I’d tried to run.) There was a dog (also not a pit, some sort of terrier type) who lived in one of the houses that remained on some of the vineyard land that had been bought up by a wine company I used to work for, somewhere around the same time. I was warned about that dog by other members of the vineyard crew: dangerous dog! bites people! I asked for more information about the bite – and was told that one of the crew, while walking right next to the dog and associated house on the way to the vineyard (despite there being plenty of room to circle further around it), had hit the dog in what she thought was a preventative fashion, because she was afraid of dogs. _After_ she hit the dog, it bit her. > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > I can understand how a 70 lb. hound running and jumping at you can be very scary. He could also knock somebody over; possibly causing serious injury if they’re fragile. Good on you for making sure that he doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/46 "2023-06-15T19:10:20Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > there was no way I was going to turn and run. The only option I could think of was to hop up on the cement base of a light post which at least gave me a 2-foot height advantage. Smart on both counts. Running from an aggressive dog just excites its instinct to go after prey. And anything you can do to make yourself larger/taller will help discourage an attack. I know this because one of the very few negatives about living in rural Hawai’i is that it’s very common for people to keep unchained, vicious dogs in their yard, not necessarily properly fenced in. I’ve had more than one close call myself, and there have been [multiple](https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/05/29/man-arrested-following-vicious-dog-attack-that-left-2-women-injured-puna/) injuries and even [fatalities](https://blog.dogsbite.org/2021/09/puna-woman-dies-after-dogs-attacked-three-adults-hawaii-county.html) that made the news just in the past few years. When I run on back roads, I clutch pepper spray in my hand, ready to use in an instant. And I’ve read up on advice for what to do if you’re approached by an aggressive dog. Jasmine, I’m glad you’re okay. Under the circumstances, I wonder if that dog owner is safe herself. If it’s a recently acquired pet and the dog has a troubled background, what assurance is there that the dog won’t turn on _her_? ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/47 "2023-06-15T19:11:35Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Jasmine, I’m glad you’re okay. Thank you! ❤ ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/48 "2023-06-15T19:11:51Z")
All I can think to say is the entire experience could have been avoided had the lady simply put her window down a few inches to pass the check through. If her concern was with containing the dog, why didn’t she simply do that? ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/49 "2023-06-15T19:13:50Z")
She told me that the dog opened the door. I think she was fibbing, and I think it was because she realized what a big mistake that was. I just let it go. I was emotionally exhausted and didn’t see any point in contesting something that was over and done with. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/50 "2023-06-15T19:20:32Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > There isn’t a problem with the ‘pit pull’ breed, there’s a problem with Pit Bull owners. They seem to be the breed of choice for young men wanting a ‘tough’ dog, and of course they are the breed of choice for dog fighting, which is still a thing. We had a dog fighting ring broken up in my home town just before I left. I was going to add a further comment to no one in particular, but I wholeheartedly agree with this observation. In my experience the vast, vast majority of behavioural problems with dogs – everything from annoying barking in the back yard to potentially dangerous aggression – is actually a problem with the dog owner, not the dog. Perhaps all of them. Even in cases where a dog may have a genetic predisposition to aggression, this is an individual problem and not a breed problem, and even that can be blamed on humans because, aside from random chance, it’s usually due to irresponsible breeding practices. All of this is aside from the fact that there’s technically no such thing as a “pit bull”, except in terms of general characteristics that ignorant lawmakers have seen fit to demonize. We wouldn’t judge people that way – or at least, we have a special name for those who do – so why judge dogs that way? Most dog behavioural problems more typically arise from absolutely terrible owners who know nothing about dog training and may even (usually unintentionally) encourage undesirable behaviour. A lot of dog aggression is misdiagnosed fear-aggression due to mistreatment, not necessarily by the current owner. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/51 "2023-06-15T19:33:37Z")
So many people buy a dog, which is a big expense and commitment, and don’t bother to spend 5 minutes learning the basics of dog training. Our neighbors have a West Highland White Terrior. This is a breed that’s bred to alert humans to danger, and they bark incessantly. So they tossed the dog into the backyard, where it barks furiously at everything, all day long. When they finally get tired of that, they try to call the dog in. The dog ignores them completely. So they try YELLING at the dog. Does nothing. Then some lady comes out with a broom, yelling “GET IN THE HOUSE!” and chases the dog, which merrily complies with the chase and runs away. This continues for a while, then they go back in the house and leave the dog outside. Eventually it goes in when it wants to, but it completely ignores the owners. Of course. I want to shout at them every time, “If you want your dog to come to you, make it worth its while!” Why would a dog come when called if the owner just yells at it after doing what it’s supposed to? Instead of the daily shouting/chasing routine, all they’d have to do is carry some treats and do a bit of recall training, and they’d have a 100% more enjoyable dog. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/52 "2023-06-15T19:35:52Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > This is a breed that’s bred to alert humans to danger, and they bark incessantly. How a dog can bark like that amazes me. You’d think it would fracture its own larynx. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/53 "2023-06-15T19:52:40Z")
How did we even get to talking about pit bulls? The dog in the OP was clearly not a pit bull. There’s no way that a 30-pound dog could possibly be strong enough to drag a human out of a car. You know that cute little dog in the old RCA ads? That’s what a pit bull is. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/54 "2023-06-15T20:00:52Z")
He was named Nipper, and Wikipedia says > Nipper was born in 1884 in Bristol, England, and died in September 1895. He was likely a mixed-breed dog, although most early sources suggest that he was a Smooth Fox Terrier, or perhaps a Jack Russell Terrier,or possibly “part Bull Terrier”. He was named Nipper because he would often “nip” at the backs of visitors’ legs. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/55 "2023-06-15T20:06:08Z")
Moderating: Hey, the particular dog who charged at Jasmine was dangerous. And her story is a good MPSIMS topic. We’ve had a lot of prior threads on “are pit bulls especially dangerous?” and “are some breeds inherently dangerous”. If you want to argue those questions, please take it to one of those threads, or start a new one. (Probably in IMHO.) But it’s a hijack in this thread. So please drop the topic. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/56 "2023-06-15T20:34:27Z")
i’m glad you are okay, jasmine. that was truly a frightening experience. i’m very glad the dog did not get loose. i knew a three legged chihuahua mix that would have reacted like the dog in the op if anyone approached the car her human was in. the only difference is that the chi mix was small and easier to hold. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/57 "2023-06-15T20:34:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There’s no way that a 30-pound dog could possibly be strong enough to drag a human out of a car. Where did you see 30 pounds? I missed that part. @Jasmine, glad you got away without physical injury. It’s incidents like this that make people scared of dogs. I hope that doesn’t happen to you. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/58 "2023-06-15T20:35:42Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > @Jasmine, glad you got away without physical injury. It’s incidents like this that make people scared of dogs. I hope that doesn’t happen to you. Nah, I still love 'em! ❤ ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/59 "2023-06-15T20:40:31Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Where did you see 30 pounds? I missed that part. OP says it was a pit bull - if so, it would weigh about 30 pounds. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2023, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560/60 "2023-06-15T20:42:31Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > OP says it was a pit bull - if so, it would weigh about 30 pounds. I googled, “weight of adult Pit Bull”, and got: > This dog is heavy for his size, weighing about **55 to 70 pounds** (25 to 32 kilograms). He stands between 17 and 19 inches. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-terrifying-experience/985560.md?page=4)