I’ve never met a bad pit bull. I seriously doubt they’re any more aggressive than average. However, they can do a lot of damage quickly if they decide to, relatively.
what you continue to prove with your posting, crucible, is only that you have an excruciatingly bad understanding of math and statistics. Not to mention the fact that even in your strange universe filled with vicious maniacal dogs, almost none of them are busting through front doors to attack strangers as they walk by.
Clearly you are afearful person, you have also made it clear that you are no particular fan of dogs generally and big bully breeds particularly. Combine those things and voila, you have a place to direct your pre-existing fears. If your fears had anything at all to do with reality and statistical likelihoods, pit bulls would be nowhere on the list of things that freak you out.
Continuing to post every incident you can find does absolutely nothing to change the statistical realities regarding dogs generally and pit bulls specifically and how great a danger they pose to your average person, especially your average person who does not choose to interact with them. That danger is vanishingly small, virtually nonexistent, and that is a fact. For your own safety and peace of mind, I strongly urge you to make your personal choice to avoid any and all dogs which to your mind are dangerous or could be.I guarantee you this will be the most effective strategy for protecting yourself, far more so than trying to change the law.
And resurrecting this thread whenever a “pit bull attack” makes the “news”.
no one surprised, but there are still dozens who will say the pit bull has every right to kill people because, after all, were you sure it was a pit bull? There are dozens of gentle pit bulls for every one who would like to rip your arm off… all dogs bite, and it isn’t the fault of the pit bull that they never let go until they have ripped you apart.
Dozens of people believe pit bulls have every right to kill people? Please quote some of them. Thanks.
Is there a point to posting this bit of straw over a year after the fact?
I’m hesitant to post this, because I don’t really have a dog in this fight (pun intended), but I’d be curious as to how each side feels about it.
I went to the dog park this past Sunday with my friend and his Australian Shepherd. The dog is very friendly and sociable, and so when he was unleashed within the gates, he began running around, sniffing butts, etc.
This was a private park, so they had furniture scattered about, and waiters who would bring you drinks while your dogs tired themselves out. As we followed him around, we’d interact with other dogs, most of whom would either come up and sniff you, or just ignore you. The one exception was when we came near a pit bull, owned by a (seemingly middle-class) thirty-something couple. The dog softly growled at me, and so I stepped away, and smiled to the couple saying, “I don’t think he likes me that much.” When I was at the closest to the dog, I was still more than arms-reach away, and the dog was on a leash.
As the afternoon went on, and we went all around the park (the dog has a lot of energy), I began kicking the tennis balls scattered throughout the park so the dogs could chase them and play fetch. At one point, we ended up in the vicinity of the pitbull again (once again, more than arms-reach away). After I kicked another tennis ball, the dog ran up to me and bit me on the leg. The bite was hard enough to hurt, but not so hard that it broke skin. (More than a “nip,” but not a vicious bite.)
The owner pulled the dog back and explained to me that the dog must’ve done that because I kicked the ball. Since the initial growling, I had no interaction with the dog, not wanting to upset or rile him up, but I was later told by my friend that the dog would occasionally keep me under watch, even from afar.
I’ve been to that park three times and never been attacked by a dog (and I am hesitant to even call that an attack), but it wasn’t like the dog was trying to maul me. Anyway, not really coming down on one side or the other in terms of the debate, but just thought the anecdote might be worth sharing.
Dogs do choose who they like and who they don’t like. I think the dog just didn’t like you, and bit you because you got (innocently) too close to him a second time. It’s also possible that he should never be taken to a dog park if he goes around biting people. That’s a serious socialization issue, not to be taken lightly by his owners, even if he didn’t break the skin.
That’s kind of how I felt. Maybe I was wearing a cologne or a color the dog didn’t like. The dog gave me an initial warning, and so I made a point to keep my distance, so as not to exacerbate the situation. I was obviously within leash range when he bit me, but to a point where he’d have to come towards me more than a few feet.
The couple didn’t seem like negligent dog owners. Hell, they took their dog to the park - something that I know a great deal of my friends don’t do with their pets. I don’t think the dog would’ve done much (if any) serious damage, seeing as how the owner was able to calm the dog down and get him to stay away while I moved a greater distance.
If anything, I was just annoyed with the dog owners’ nonchalance with the matter. “Oh, he bit you because you were kicking the tennis ball.” No apology or inquiry. Granted, as stated earlier, it’s not like the bite broke skin, but he seemed very passive about the matter.
You didn’t even bring us a new story this time? You are just going to re-post years old stories now? Your posts were barely worth reading to begin with.
[Thurber’s mom]It’s your fault for not having positive vibrations.[/tm].
Speaking of positivity, here are the 2015 Orvis cover dog photo winners (check out my man Stan).
It doesn’t sound like you want to do anything about it, which is your choice. But if you did, you would be within your rights to report the incident to the local animal control authorities just to file a report. Sometimes it’s good to get things documented in case there are future problems with the same dog. Also, I know it’s a place your friend takes his dog to, and not your hang-out, but I bet this private dog park has strict rules about aggressive dogs, so you could also report it to them.
There are many other ways to socialize a dog than taking it to a dog park, so that alone isn’t a measure of a well-socialized animal. The measure is more about the animal’s behavior whenever out in public with strange people, noises, and other animals. I rarely take my dogs to dog parks because of the freaks there, but I take them out in public everywhere they’re allowed. I’ve taken them into retail stores and schools and patio areas of restaurants. They must be on their tippy top behavior at these times, which means not just no biting but also no peeing in inappropriate places, no getting in people’s faces, no barking or carrying on. (Momentary brag: my dogs are better behaved than many people’s children.)
Also, many states now have aggressive dog laws, which state that a dog can be confiscated and possible euthanized by animal control after one documented bite of a human or other pet - ONE bite, no excuses. Personally, these laws scare me because animals that bite in self defense get caught up in this net and I don’t think that’s just. But it’s a strong tool for handling nuisance animals.
I completely agree with your points. I spoke with some friends about the incident and I received a wide spectrum of answers, with some wanting me to report it, and others insisting that I was somehow antagonizing the dog. (For the record, my friend and other people there were in agreement that I was not doing anything of the sort)
If the bite would’ve broke skin, or the dog would’ve kept up with his aggressive behavior, I might have been more tempted to do so, but (for the reasons in your final paragraph) I didn’t want to say anything, for fear of repercussions - the “one bite rule” applying when the dog was just having a “bad day.”
In hindsight, I wonder if I should’ve made note to someone on the staff, if only because the owners were so calm about it, it now makes me wonder if it is a frequent occurrence. As noted before, though, I only noticed the dog having that reaction towards me, partly because after the initial growling, I did my best to keep my distance. The staff might’ve been able to keep an eye on the dog and see if the behavior was abnormal or part of a pattern.
I don’t recall ever seeing the dog off-leash while in the confines of the park, so that also raises a potential red flag, now that I think about it. The dog spent the time leashed by the furniture where its owners were sitting. Why take your dog to a dog park if you aren’t going to let him run around or socialize?
I don’t know how much you’ve paid attention, so let me tell you: I am passionately pro-dog, anti-breed-specific legislation, and the owner of a (ridiculously adorable and deeply sweet) 2 year old pit bull, as well as an 8 year old Rottweiler/Border Collie cross.
And if either one of my dogs was “having a bad day” and expressed it by running over to you and biting you, I would have a heart attack on the spot.
Assuming your description is accurate, and there is no possible misinterpretation of what happened (i.e., you and the dog crashed while both trying to get a toy, dog’s open mouth ready to grab toy from air land on your thigh instead, etc), there is only one word for it: unacceptable. From any dog of any breed at any time.
There are circumstances under which I think a dog does have a right to a bite, but what you describe isn’t even close.
Holy cow, that’s some mix! It makes me think of a bar bouncer mensa member. In other words, do NOT get on his bad side! LOL!
I’m totally with you on this. I have the sweetest, most sociable dogs in the world but if they ever reacted to someone with unprovoked aggression like this… I’d be twisted in knots trying to call a behaviorist, trainer, attorney and counselor (for myself) simultaneously! It’s just NOT acceptable.
My dogs did once - once - encounter someone they were suspicious of when we were out walking. Their reaction was to look at him sideways and veer a wide circle around him.
Also, part of it was that I’m honestly not very familiar with bigger dogs like that, so I really didn’t have a clue what was deemed “acceptable” by dog owners. My parents have smaller dogs, and most of my friends have toy-breeds. So, even though they might bark and get somewhat aggressive, I never really pictured myself as being threatened by a chihuahua or a pug.
The friend with whom I was in the park has the friendliest Australian Shepherd, and so while he’s a big (medium?) dog, I’ve never felt threatened by him. Hell, the dog will curl up around my head when I’m in bed.
I have friends on both sides of the “pit bull” issue, and seeing as how I’m not a dog owner, and don’t interact with them, I stay out of any discussions or debates that arise. I just don’t have a dog in that fight. (Sorry, bad joke, but couldn’t resist)
For all I knew, nipping / light biting was common in dog parks, and since the owners were so nonchalant, I didn’t know if I’d be making a mountain out of a molehill. Knowing what I know now, I wish I would’ve said something, because the owners really acted like it wasn’t a big deal that there dog was aggressive to a total stranger who wasn’t even interacting with him/her.
Someone around here gave me the best line for him: he can kill you, then make it look like an accident. 
Ahh, an ignorance-fighting moment and it’s mine! All mine! Wuahahah!
Ahem, right. Aggression is NOT ACCEPTABLE from any animal regardless of size. Assholes who let their little fluffy chew on your ankle while looking on lovingly and remarking about how cute it is that he thinks he’s a big dog need a firm slap. It’s not a matter of harm done. (Although it will take longer for a yorkie to chew you to death than a rottweiler who can probably kill you with one bite.) It’s a matter of manners and polite behavior in society.
Let me put it into anthropomorphic terms just to illustrate: I’m a sweet, cute, perky little 95 pound blonde with a childish voice and an impish grin with dimples*. I’m just a darlin little thing! How would you feel if I:
Ran screaming up to you and jumped on you and hung off your neck screaming in joy?
Stomped up to you screaming in anger and proceeded to slap you in the face repeatedly?
If you didn’t answer that you’d shove me off and maybe backhand me in that second scenario, then you’re lying. It’s just not acceptable for me to behave like that.
Good dogs will be taught and reinforced to have good manners at all times. Just like we have to when we participate in society.
(* I’m not really.)
Concerned about a random dog attack on your property? Get a cat!
Every day, following a simple Google news search RSS, I read of 5-10 dog attacks, majority of them pit bull attacks (generally the most serious).
I understand, I’m not ignorant and I do understand, the chance of any given person being attacked is quite low. I do know many people, including myself, who have been bitten by one sort of dog or another, but I don’t know anyone who required surgery, etc…
Yet, if you think about it, if a car manufacturer produced a car in the millions where over the course of a year a hundred or so people died because of a defect in the car – not because they drove, or someone else drove, badly, something that causes hundreds to die every day – the manufacturer would be forced to recall those automobiles and to repair or replace them.
99% of all pit bull ‘computer chips’ work just fine. 1%, to suggest a fair number, are faulty, resulting in those dogs going out of control at least once during their lifetime.
If pit bulls were cars, they would be recalled.