My community is up in arms after an unleashed dog attack!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

My apologies in advance for posting this, but I was shaking and sick after hearing this today. From time to time, we've posted about the danger of unleashed dogs. But this time I'm squarely focused on Pit Bulls. I really need to vent and I can only think to do it here and get your thoughts as I try to collect my own.  

Our community is reeling due to a pit bull attack.  A couple was walking their 7 lb. leashed maltese in a beautiful neighborhood not far from my office when 2 pit bulls belonging to a neighbor who rescues and fosters pits came from behind.  Apparently her dogs got loose--they get loose a lot. The couple never saw them coming until it was too late. The husband tried to pick up their little dog up but one pit grabbed her by the head.  Little Sobo died instantly. The dogs devoured parts of her while the owners tried to get her body.  If that isn't horrific enough…the two dogs, in pack mentality, charged another man down the street and then made their way to a nearby development and tried to attack a woman walking a pomeranian but the woman was able to lift her dog above her head and save it just as animal control got there.  Of course, the fault is with the owner for owning these dangerous dogs and not containing them. But it's not just these two that have been aggressive. She's rescued others just as bad because now we know that several neighbors have been bitten. What I want to know is when and where does it become unacceptable to own these dogs?  I can't believe I'm saying that, but I am.  

I've worked a little bit with Pitt Bulls and Pitt-mixes in rescue and I know they can be smart, sweet, loving dogs one-on-one but there's not one pure Pitt that I would have trusted completely with others or with other animals. 

One of my staff lives in that neighborhood and her 10 year old son (cute and bright as a button) started a dog walking business about a year ago after being smitten with Finn and Oscar (our office doodle).  His favorite "client" is Edgar - a pomeranian. Jackie spends his days off thinking up special things to do with Edgar.  It was sheer luck that Jackie wasn't walking Edgar. 

BTW did I mention that the owner came across this bloody mess and drove away without saying ANYTHING when the couple told her what happened.  The husband was so distraught, he was taken to the ER.  These poor people, I can't even imagine.  Children and adults have been bringing flowers and little dog toys to a memorial that's growing for little Sobo.

I know any breed can be aggressive but --as someone has said - an aggressive dog is like a firecracker, but a pit bull is like a hand grenade.

To the borough's credit, there's going to be a community-wide meeting next week to discuss what residents feel should be done. Come on DKers, (at least anyone who's made it through this awful post) please help me with a list. 

       

[Adina P]

Yes it does seem like the default is to suggest that the 'bad' owners MADE them bad.  Or raised them TO attack.   But you couldn't make a doodle or weiner dog or sheltie match a pit bull's tenacity in attacking. 

For me the 'bad' owner didn't make the dog bad, but failed to contain/control a dog that is known to have this potential.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Read the article I linked below, Adina. At least the first part of it, explaining exactly what happened. I see nothing that any owner could have done differently in terms of containing or controlling that would have prevented this tragedy, except not have those dogs at all. 

[Carol and Banjo]

I would have agreed with Adina's assessment...."failed to contain/control" until today.  This issue has consumed me today.  Just finished reading Dax's story.  My heart is broken.   I know my sleep will be haunted with this tonight.       I have never liked Pit Bulls, have always been wary of them....but, even I bought into the "bad owner" myth.  I will share Dax's story with every one I know.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It had the same effect on me, Carol. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

That's what everyone seems to be focusing on in this incident -- that the owner failed to contain or control.  Not the predisposition of these dogs to be unpredictably violent and to such a horrific degree as a part of their genetics.

[Adina P]

I just read it!  Horrible. 
I liked what they said about the 'margin of error' concept.  Totally makes sense.  The couple of trainers I know that I believe can handle pit bulls...they can handle that margin of error.  Most other mortal humans, can not.  Basically an imperfect owner is extremely liable to be a bad owner.  If a person can't carry a baby on a hip to let dogs out to kennel--um...might as well have a tiger for a pet. 

So super easy to blame and say 'well what was that kid doing being allowed to breathe in the same block as a the dog...he provoked him.' 

I never really bought into the 'bad owner' CAUSING a pit to be aggressive or fearful.  Not in the sense that only abusive or neglectful owners create pit aggression.  Because then the only pit bull horror stories would come from pits with horrible owners--owners that would be considered horrible for a gold fish. 

From knowledgeable pit bull fanciers that I know, I understood that a "well bred" pit bull WILL likely have issues with other dogs, but wouldn't be aggressive toward humans.  And I found a pitbull rescue organization online that more-or-less states this on their site:

"The proper Pit Bull should never be human aggressive or fear aggressive. These are seen as serious faults in Pit Bull temperament. The proper Pit Bull should only show aggression towards humans when protecting it's owner from immediate threat. Human aggression in a Pit Bull is a serious issue and must be addressed immediately. Traits such as extreme shyness, fearfulness, and aloofness are also not desired."

So okay, fine.  The 'ideal' pit bull should be a human-adoring gentle mass of muscle.  But we know from doodle breeding and every other common or popular breed breeding that the ratio of good to poor breeding is LOW.  This is fine with most breeds...but then what do you do when a dog breed has such a SERIOUS and DANGEROUS fault as human-mauling-tendencies? 

Karen what have you done? I'm going to have a panic attack next time I see a pit bull being walked in the park :-O

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, you know what they say...misery loves company, lol. 

"If a person can't carry a baby on a hip to let dogs out to kennel--um...might as well have a tiger for a pet."

Yes! And we can't have tigers as pets, nor should we want to; so why is it so different to say we can't have pit bulls as pets, either?   

[Adina P]

So this pit bull lover group admits to their 'gameness' but won't call it aggression, but 'reactivity.'  However, really, the owner of the dog attacked in the 'reaction' probably doesn't care what you call it.  But this GAMENESS is exactly what I mean by what I said above.  It takes someone with mad skills to properly anticipate and manage a pit with high gameness or reactivity. 

http://www.pitbulltruth.org/so-you-have-a-reactive-dog-what-did-you...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is the kind of group that fights so hard to push the "pit bulls (or "pitties" or "pibbles", gag me) will kiss you to death" image, so for them to even admit that much is huge. 

[Adina P]

But it seems like given all this, there should be some kind of required certification/training for ANYONE wanting a pit bull.  If dog food, water, and love isn't enough and you need to have some serious dog savvy (not that other dogs don't need training, etc, but you know what I mean), then I think even pit-bull-lovers-r-us groups should fight for some kind of control over who can own one.  Make it super elite.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Hmmm…just thinking, if pit bulls were originally bred for their explosive aggressiveness to bring down large animals (i.e. bulls), and they continue to be bred to be more and more violent for dog fighting, I'd say that breed standard is hokum.  Seems a bit arrogant of humans to assume the dog always knows where to direct his explosive aggression.  Herding dogs don't just herd sheep, they herd everything.  

[BG and Gavin]

Agreed Karen. My dad was bit by a GSD so doesn't trust any of them. PB are not on my radar because there are not many around. There is a rottie onthe block where I walk that throws himself against the picture window in enraged barking, which bows out because he must be 140lbs. He scares the crap out of me.  Our neighbour has a cockapoo which tries to attack Gavin - her clueless owner wants them to be friends despite my constant protests and gentle Gavin just turns his head away. I know she can't do the damage a PB can do, but I hate her.  My point is breed dislike is intensely personal.  You have done the research and have the facts, thus you have swayed me. Like I have said before I like fluffy freiendly dogs anyway.