Does Size Matter?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

From time to time we hear the unfortunate news about dog attacks.  Just this past weekend, Kathy Hoppe posted her husband was seriously injured by a Great Dane ( to me, that many stitches can be classified as serious).

 

DH, (aka FJ),  and I were discussing dog bites, Kathy Hoppe's discussion, and what happened to me the other night.  

 

Now don't laugh~~ ya, go ahead because if any of you would have a hidden camera you would have laughed.  I was also attacked while riding my bite on Saturday. SIX Viscous Dogs broke away from their crazy lady owner and attacked me.  I stopped, but to no avail, they descended upon my ankles and tried to take chunks out.  Yes, my ankles are getting fat why the heck do you think I am riding a bike?.  They were relentless.  Each taking turns, especially the one who was about 10 months old.  Behind him was an eight week old puppy he seemed to be training.  The owner was able to hold on to three of the dogs but the others got out of control.  At first, being a dog lover I am, I tried to stop to make sure they did not come to far out into the street and get hit by a car.  But the attack continued. Once I thought she had some sort of control over the ones who were off-leash, I started back down the street.  The vicious teenager and his puppy sidekick trailing behind followed me a block growling and biting and..............This situation was out of control and it took  10 minutes before the owner was able to get her dogs inside ( off my darn ankle I mean) and for me to bike on my way.

Okay, these dogs range anywhere from 2 pounds to 6 pounds.  Yorkie.  Snappy, biting, but really cute Yorkies.

So back to DH and our discussion:

So what is the difference?  Do you put a dog down when it is vicious because of size?  The damage of a Great Dane is no comparison to what these six vicious, out of control, Yorkies were attempting to do to me.

When to put a dog down?  What is out of control?  A biting dog?  If it has a history of biting once? Twice.  Three times AND the probability it will bite again if given the chance or gets loose or the owner looks away for 2 seconds, breaks its leash? One who bites but can be controlled by its' owner but never can be trusted?  Police dogs are vicious but are controlled by a human who was trained and so was the dog.  Many questions and situations. 

 

IF YOU KNEW YOUR DOG may bite, would you put it down before or after the bite?

Would love to hear your thoughts.  Please don't tell me Doodles don't bite.  They have.  Poodles also have a high bite statistic compared to some breeds, so it is somewhere ( however recessive? )  in our dogs temperment. 

 

Any thoughts about putting down 6 Yorkies vs. The Large Dane, Boxer, German Shepard, the Doodle?

[shelly]

Joanne.... First I read "Does size Matter" and then I saw "Guess What I'm Wearing to Bed..." and had to check yhe URL address and make sure I didn't accidentally jump on to some "adult" site! LOL. This is a tough question. I would have to really displace myself from my dog to answer it honestly... what I say now, would probably have no relevance on what I may actually DO and the type of situation - so guess I'm pleading the fifth right now! But... to answer your question? HELL YEAH, it matters! (oops - can I say H3LL ????)


(Big dogs have big teeth and big bites)

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I think the trouble with small dogs is that a lot of people think "oh, they're small" so they don't bother to train them properly.

 

If the dog causes trouble... they just pick them up, which of course reinforces the behavior. 

 

"Ohh that person WAS scary so you're protecting me!  Next time I will protect you!"

 

Sigh.