Stoopid dog owner and "dangerous breed"

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Some people are attracted to some breeds for entirely the wrong reason. One such person lives in my neighbourhood and there is a disaster-in-the-making.

I’m not at all prejudiced against “dangerous breeds” because I assess doggies individually and in my obersvations the owners are often more dangerous than the dogs. I’ve known very responsible owners who have raised marveloulsy well-adjusted dogs from “dangerous breeds” that were rescued.

ie/ A friend of mine has a rescued “woggy” half-wolf, half-dog. Several hours a week are devoted to control and discipline training that includes submission holds and socialisation exercises )it’s more fun than it sounds). The regimen is regular and on-going, even though they’ve had the wolf-dog for eight years. The dog is, and always has been a loving, docile animal
(quite a suck, really). Nonetheless, with respect for his wolf nature, there still is the strict rule that no child or other animal is to be left unsupervised with him – EVER. Just in case.

This Neighbour however, is the exact opposite.

I was sitting on the steps of my apartment building when he came out of the building next door. He was being dragged by a HUGE, male, un-neutred pitbull. I asked about his happy-looking dog:

Me: “Oh, is that a pit?”
Neighbour: “Yup, sure is.”
Me: “He’s purebred? Why’d you pick this breed?”
Neighbour: “'Cause there ain’t no one gonna f*cking mess with me and this dog!”

(Not a good sign.)

Neighbour doesn’t scoop so there are giant pitbull turds all over the sidewalk. His logic? “I don’t pick up shit and I’d like to see the guy with balls enough to come over here and make me.”

(Not a good sign.)

It goes without saying that it’s unmuzzled, but the dog is also not leash trained at all. And he has a regular collar rather than a pinch collar or the more humane-but-effective head halter. So, Neighbour has no control at all, he gets dragged behind the pooch. They go wherever the dog wants to go, no choice about it.

(Not a good sign.)

When Neighbour gets pissed off with this dragging bit, he starts to swear and “disciplines” the dog by trying to stand on its head. I kid you not! He sort of stomps his foot in the air and on the back of the dog’s head until he can get enough of a purchase to push its head to the sidewalk and stand on it!

(Bad, bad, bad sign!)

So this guy wants an intimidating dog. Went out and got himself a pitbull. Left it un-neutred so it’s freakin’ huge and chock-a-block full of doggy-testosterone, he can’t control it at all, and he stomps on its head!

ACK!

Kudos to the dog, despite having such a f*cked up owner, it seems to have quite a friendly and happy-go-lucky disposition… for now.

I’m terrified that with all the other animals in the neighbourhood, the dog will one day feel a bit territorial and grumpy and will tear the guy’s leg off rather than be stomped. Or worse, that he’ll go after another dog, cat, squirrel or child!

Yes, I have asked “Animal Control” about it. They were horrified, but helpless. Until the dog shows some kind of aggression to other animals or people, there’s nothing they can do.

As for Neighbour’s displays of aggression, they did suggest trying to document the owner’s abusive behaviour, so they could hopefully remove the dog from the “negative environment.” (Which would still be sad because the dog would be put down
because of its breed even though he may still be innocent of any wrong-doing.)

Argh! Can’t the guy just walk around with a big gun?

2

We recently had the occasion to try a new carrier for homeowners policy: one of the major U.S. companies (based in Northbrook, IL) wanted to know what breed of dog we had. They wouldn’t cover people with “dangerous” breeds.

3

I’ve always been of the opinion that pet owners (and parents) should have to pass some kind of minimum standards admission test. I feel for the doggie in the OP… can you maybe report the guy for not picking up his dog’s waste? I’m pretty sure that is legally frowned upon, at the very least. And while it doesn’t sound like an answer to the problem, remember, they got Al Capone for tax evasion.

Question, though - if the owner is reported as being abusive, why would the dog be put down because of its breed? Perhaps you can discover if there are any pit bull rescue agencies near you that can help the dog avoid that fate?

4

Poor dog. Pit bulls tend to be terribly people friendly, but also terribly animal aggressive. I’d say this asshat’s probably safe, but some poor dog or cat in the neighborhood will eventually be eaten due to his irresponsibility. Controlling a big, muscular dog like that begins as soon as they’re old enough to get the first set of shots, not that most of of the pit owners I’ve seen over the years have enough sense to vaccinate their pups.

As for the dog being able to get adopted, it depends entirely on where you live. The humane society in Louisville has (or had, they may have done away with it) a policy that they put down any pits or pit mixes that came in, rather than adopt out a potentially dangerous dog. Utter crap, considering a little dog is roughly 10x as likely to bite you, but that was their policy. I’ve never seen any other shelters with that policy, but I’m sure there are some.

5

Oh, that poor dog!

This piece of trash is gonna ruin what sounds like a sweet, happy dog. I see it all the time, especially with pits. They REALLY need training, as it brings out their eagerness to please and if it’s done positively, the dog will be happier & better adjusted; not to mention more safe & socially acceptable.

I would try to get him stomping on the dog’s head on video & send it to animal control with a complaint about the feces.

There are LOTS of pitbull rescue groups, I typed “pit bull rescue” + Ontario into goolge & got 92 hits. In most locations, if an APBT- type dog goes to the humane society, it’s dead. If it goes to the local municipal animal shelter, it will have a chance of being adopted out to a good home.

6

Sad, horrifying, but unfortunately all too common. I love pitbulls, I own a super one, but I almost have to agree that some breeds of dog should be banned. For their own protection. From soul-less rectal monkeys like your neighbor. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this go on; and despite my natural instincts upon hearing of yet another travesty like this, to quote the indefatigable matt_mcl in another thread, “if I thought screaming did any good, some people’s ears would be bleeding by now.”

Yes, it’s true that some shelters have a policy of putting down all pits or pit mixes they recieve as a matter of course- they consider such dogs to be a liability for them, and they are loath to release an animal into the hands of some posturing fool. Better to die a quick and painless death than be subjected to that sort of abuse. And chances are, with an owner like that, that’s right where the dog is headed anyway, and sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do in this situation. Like others have suggested, you can try to get evidence of him abusing the dog, or you can call your township and report him for not scooping. In either case, not much will be done. I hate to say it, but you’re probably going to have to wait for a complete catastrophe before any action is taken. This will end with an injured human, or a dead pet, and one very dead pit bull. And all because your degenerate fool of a neighbor thinks he’s got some big cojones. If there were any justice in the world, this dog would bite off said cojones and trot off to a better life with a caring and responsible new owner.

But in the next best situation, the dog would be removed from this man’s unhealthy influence and placed in rescue. But a caveat- pit bull rescues are swamped precisely because of morons like this. Both my dogs are from breed rescues- the pit from a busted dog-fighting operation where the ‘proprietor’ thought training methods should include a wooden two by four; and my Bloodhound from a defunct puppy-mill where another ‘proprietor’ let 6-week-old puppies wander his ‘compound’ unsupervised after being removed from their frantic mother. Said ‘compound’ being littered with rusty barbed wire, my dog came to me with only one eye. Such is the nature of some peoples’ love for animals.

7

A lot of shelters euthanise “dangerous breeds” because the dog’s history can be so vague.

A pitbull that shows up at a shelter is not as likely to be coming from a loving home where it was well-trained. It’s history of aggression may be unknown and they may not know if the owner was a bastard like Neighbour. Rather than risk sending a potentially lethal animal home with new people, they simply have them put down.

There are rescue agencies, but they are pretty swamped around the big city. I’d have to have really good proof that the guy is such an ass, and I’m not sure who is actually the primary owner of the dog (Neighbour may be the brother of the true dog owner.)

8

Dog owners have to get a licence for their dog every year. So how come they don’t have to take tests like you do when you want to be able to drive?

Ratty, you’d love this dog. He’s gorgeous! Not neutring him allowed some of the secondary characteristics to show through and if not for the dumbass household he’s in, he’d make an excellent show dog (do they have dog shows for pitbulls?). He’s the smooth caramel colour, not brindle.

He’s got a marvelous natural stance, so if he’s not moving it looks like he’s posing, and really clean lines.

I have to admit though, the whole non-neutured bit… that dog really should have to wear undies if he’s going to be walking around in public.

I’ve seen a woman walking him too. She can’t control him either, but she’s quite nice to him (but she makes him wear clothes. What is it about Toronto and dogs that wear clothes???)

9

Can you have the police at least ticket him? I L.A., you get a ticket if you don’t clean up after your dog.*

…if an officer sees it, of course.

10

Wow! This dog sounds gorgeous. Yes, there are shows for pit bulls- the American Pit Bull Terrier can be entered in classes sponsored by the United Kennel Club, but the American Kennel Club does not recognize the breed, only its close cousin, the American Staffordshire Terrier. (Staffies are shorter than true pits and have bigger, boxier, more bulldog-like heads, but they’re so close in appearance, you really have to know both breeds to tell the difference. In fact, a lot of people register their pit as a Staffie just to avoid trouble.)

About the sweaters…pits have nearly naked bellies. The fur is so short that they feel the cold, and in winter road salt can give them burns on their feet and their underside. Most dogs’ bellies are protected, although not their feet. If you live in an urban area where there’s lots of road salt, you can even buy boots for your dog. Pit bulls, while supposedly such a “tough” breed, really love their comforts. My pit doesn’t like to go outside in the snow, he doesn’t like to sleep on the hardwood floors, he prefers to curl up by the heater with the cats… (Now, my Bloodhound couldn’t care less and happily bounds through briars a rabbit has trouble negotiating. Takes all kinds.)

Maybe you could talk to the woman who walks the pit? (Since the man is obviously an asshat.) Give her some tips on training in a friendly, conversational way. Maybe suggest neutering. Granted, you could come off as pushy and nosy, but you might be surprised. Strange as it may seem, some people really are just completely clueless about caring for animals, and it just might never have occurred to her to train this dog or have him altered. You never know. At any rate, neither seems to know what they’re doing.

I wish you and these stoopid owners the best of luck. I hope everything turns out for the best. Keep us posted.

11

My mother used to rent out houses for college students, and one year one of her tenants took off in the middle of the night, leaving a yard full of trash, several months unpaid rent, and one very lonesome pit mix named Tyson.

Poor Tyson was such a sweet dog, he really was, all he wanted was to love and please you. The dickwad who didn’t deserve the title of owner chained him up in the front yard and left him there – no water, no food, no nothing. My mother and I went over there the next day (it was a blistering hot summer) with the cage we usually used to transport our Rottweilers. Tyson was delighted to see us, and hopped right up into the cage without a problem. We took him home. That Monday, we went and dropped him off at a nearby no-kill shelter. We would’ve kept him, but we had two Rotties to feed, and just couldn’t handle another big dog.

I hope Tyson found a loving family that deserved him. He really was a splendid dog – smart and sweet and eager to please. It was his idiot owner that was dangerous!

12

  1. Cite?

  2. But a Yorkie isn’t as likely to take your whole hand off. I’ve got a bigger chance of getting in a car wreck near my house, but it’s far less likely to be fatal than if I’m on I-95.

  3. I’d say, “Hi Opal,” but she might pit Coldie again.

13

Yeah, but we’re talking hot, humid summer here. In the winter when there’s heaps of road salt, so even the macho dogs have booties on their paws. But when it gets hot and stinkin’ humid, all doogies are au naturel! (Well, except for the many with sunglasses). When I moved to Toronto, I noticed that, in general, there are a whole lot of dogs wearing clothes. Little hats, little vests, costumes etc. Last summer I saw a woman whose terrier-mutt was wearing a t-shirt and orange vest-jacket that matched hers (these were children’s clothes from The Gap, not pet stuff.)

And the shitzuh population seems to be quite high here. (And you don’t even wanna know what the pets all wear to Pride.)

I think she is just one of the girlfriends and she only brings the dog out when he needs walking and butthead doesn’t want to. She also brings the dog out if she needs to go to the store at night. She is not particularly approachable either. But she’s nicer to the dog and puts bandana’s and hats on his head. I don’t think she has any say in the matter. She just visits.

14

No, stofsky, I don’t have a study to quote. I just have the collective experiences of every vet I’ve ever worked for or brought my pets to, every tech I’ve ever worked with, and every groomer I’ve ever known.

A vicious dog is dangerous, regardless of its size. I’ve seen some damn nasty bites from little dogs, several of which have needed sutures. These were on the owners, who thought a cute little Yorkie couldn’t possibly hurt anyone. Try pulling the “less likely to lose a hand” thing when your Jack Russel bites a 6 year old in the face.

I’m just saying that classing any animal as inherently dangerous based solely on its breed is ridiculous. There are wonderful, loving pit bulls and vicious Poms, and the decision about whether a dog is adoptable or not should be based on the individual dog’s temperament, not the breed.

15

Well, if you can find a home for him anonymously, could you just take him from the guy’s yard? Stealing a dog is drastic, but sometimes it has to be done. I, too, have known many smart and lovely (beauty being in the eye of the beholder) pits.

StG

16

The dog lives in the neighbouring apartment building. There is no yard. Our apartment buildings are “interesting” too. Both were built in the 1930s, mine is quite nice, with a great property manager who takes excellent care of it, and it’s full of yuppie artists. The neighbouring building is almost identical, except it’s decrepit, falling apart, and is full of “unsavory characters” (the cops are there once a week.) I live in a colourful neighbourhood where two worlds collide: the edge of Upscale Yuppie-Land where its border skirts the border of a low income area plagued by drug use and prostitution.

In any case, knowing the basic layout of the apartments in his building I’m surprised anyone who have a dog in there at all. I’m in one of the largest units available (they are all one bedroom or bachelors) and there is no way I’d bring a dog into such a small space.

So my chances of successfully swiping the doggy are nil (and since Irresponsible Asswipe seems to be one of the aforementioned “unsavory characters,” I’d rather not risk my life.)