Dogs that attack - Is it the dog or the owner?

[Clockwork]

Or evolves into the David Bain of dogs and one day...

Hmmmm..... Careful, I think you'll find that comment is libelous.

[Brian407]

Hmmmm..... Careful, I think you'll find that comment is libelous.

What? You mean they're not all blessed with bad haircuts, big ears and nana's tea cosy as a jersy?

[BoristheBiter]

Blaming the victim is the most common tactic used by the owners of unsafe dogs.

To put the situation in perspective, try a similar scenario. Instead of an agressive dog at my front gate, I perhaps put a loaded gun on the gate post. A small child passes, sees the gun, picks it up and accidentally shoots himself.

Who is to blame? According to dog owner's logic, it is the child's fault - and also the parent's fault for lack of supervision. I would then be able to absolve myself of responsibility, and wallow in self-interested grizzles about "my rights".

Other gun lovers could give their opinion - "It was also the gun owner's fault, punish him but don't unload the gun."...

The reality is dogs are like loaded guns - only worse. They're loaded guns with minds of their own.

They can't be 100% trusted, even by the owners.

Did you read that before you posted?
You just answered your own question, of course it is the child's fault, the gun didn't go off by it's self did it.

If you want to go by your logic, if you could call it that, everyone that punches someone else should be put down.
There are more aggressive people than there are dogs, so my be we should licence them.

[Sliver]

it was some years back now.

i like how KBers know everything, even my own dogs weight

LOL! Good call.

[Sliver]

also for the record...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Mastiff

English mastiff tho.

[Flip]

Neither was I. Natural Selection doesnt work in our species any more...

Yes it does, just look at the vehicle accident rate for young men.

There is a higher level of responsibility required if you own a dog that has been bred to fight other dogs, just the same as if you have a E cat firearms licence and own MSSASA's.

[GrayWolf]

We let dogs into our lives for all the wrong reasons, I had an idiot ring me one day looking to purchase a Husky and when I ask him why a Husky, he thought it would look good in his back yard! I bloody told him to get a statue..................................
I wish I could say that he was a minority, but unfortunately it isn’t and until we sit back, learn to communicate, and understand fully what our four legged friends are trying to tell us, then I’m afraid the injuries will continue.

Ooo look, a pink pig just flew past me window.

Now about that flying pink Pig, that'd look good in my back yard..............

[Grubber]

It's a complex question. Sometimes it is the dog, and sometimes it's the owner. Three personal examples of 'its the dog' come to mind straight away.

My neighbour, single man in his late 40's, has a bull terrier cross something. Had it from a pup and its about 3 years old, loves it to bits, plays with it all the time, doesnt teach it to be a guard dog, not the type that needs one. Very friendly to us, and neighbours on other side. We dont feed it or go out of our way to encourage affection, but feel perfectly safe around it. Problem starts when kids appear. Goes absolutely mental whenever kids walk up the street, barking, snarling, snapping etc. Incredibly frightening, and most of the regular kids in the street cross the road a few houses up to walk past. Dog still goes nuts. Ive lived here for 22 years and have never seen, or had a problem with kids teasing or provoking dogs on the street, and theres plenty of both. This dog just genuinely hates kids, doesnt react that way with other dogs, just kids. To my knowledge it's never touched one, but I wouldnt trust it not too.

Some years back we had a Blue Healer, Hyperactive thing it was, called it the Epilectic Blowfly. Great dog, friendly, obedient (sometimes), no problem with kids or other dogs, didnt wander. Attached itself to my wife and she could get it to do anything. Wife went to pat him one day and he took to her. Sunk one of his canine teeth right through her hand, made quite a mess of her arm. No apparent reason, just went troppo. I shot him that afternoon.

Brothers got a black lab, (gun dog) placcid as they come most of the time. Couple of years ago the police were going to shoot him because he bit the neighbor. Neighbor used to play with him (toss the stick, toss the ball stuff) brother didnt mind, was good training for the dog. Neighbour went to play with him one day and the dog growled him down. The guy should have backed off at this point, but he knew the dog (or so he thought), so he approached with the "whats the matter boy" question. Stuck his hand out to pat him and got bitten for his troubles. Now this dog was/is well known round the neighborhood, people used to bring their toddlers down to play with him, and nobody could understand why he had bitten. Neighbours wife got all panicky and rang the police. They arrived, along with the pound guys and took the dog away. After much debate they agreed to let the dog be checked by a vet to see what might be wrong. Vet examined him and found that his eyelashes were turned in one one eye (right eye) and was annoying the hell out of him. Dog was just having a bad day. Trimmed the offending lashes, went through temperment checks, and brother got him back. He at my place right now, lying at my feet. Great dog.

Three examples of model owners, three reasonably benign dogs, and three very scary situations. Its wrong to single out particular breeds, as all dogs are capable of attack, but some breeds are pre-disposed to it as a result of their breeding. Pit Bulls, for example, wern't bred to be family pets. The fact that they can be bought up as one doesnt negate the built in fighting disposition that they were bred for, and they could, and very often do, revert to the disposition at any time. However the same can be said for many breeds, and many very common family dog breeds. Cant get rid of them all, but you should NEVER completely trust them, period.

This pretty much rounds it up. Dogs are dogs and they are in fact from a long lineage of predators.
That's just the way it is. Many do in fact remain very sedate but do still have the small chance of being feral and a small percentage remain feral at any opportunity. It's just the way it is. As some dogs make great gun dogs as do some make great police dogs etc, there just so happens that there is some breeds that just happen to make good VICIOUS dogs.
How often have we heard the " but he was great with the kids" right after he has taken a hunk out of the neighbours kid. Some adult has not taken the oportunity to learn about his/her dogs background and lineage. A vicious breed is a vicious breed, with no chance of changing him, "great with kids" or not.

[Grubber]

Did you read that before you posted?
You just answered your own question, of course it is the child's fault, the gun didn't go off by it's self did it.

If you want to go by your logic, if you could call it that, everyone that punches someone else should be put down.
There are more aggressive people than there are dogs, so my be we should licence them.

Ummmm, i'll back the human thanks. I kinda regard human life a bit more important.

[oneofsix]

This pretty much rounds it up. Dogs are dogs and they are in fact from a long lineage of predators.
.

You could go a step further. A dog is in fact a domesticated wolf. They used to say there was two separate genus for dogs and wolves but recent DNA checks have shown that dogs and wolves are one in the same and it is the fox that is from a different genus. Therefore if you approach a dog as a domesticated wolf you are on the right track.
Half the problem is we no longer teach kids to be cautious around dogs and the other half is allowing shit heads to own them.
In case you are wondering I am more a dog person than a cat person. The cat only pretends to be domesticated to suck in it's human slaves, it is still a mini tiger or lion etc.

[george formby]

Yes it does, just look at the vehicle accident rate for young men.

There is a higher level of responsibility required if you own a dog that has been bred to fight other dogs, just the same as if you have a E cat firearms licence and own MSSASA's.

This applies to any high drive working breed. The snappiest, most aggressive dogs round here are Border Collies & Huntaways. My Bull Terrier has never so much as curled her lip at a dog or person but I do not assume it will never happen.
A guy with two Irish Setters told me to keep my dog away from his on the beach awhile ago, she was at heel, his dogs where running around uncontrollably, he qualified this by telling me his dogs were retrievers not fighting dogs. I asked when was the last time one of them had come home with a duck? Moron.
Licence the Breeders! Most sense I've heard in years.

[george formby]

This pretty much rounds it up. Dogs are dogs and they are in fact from a long lineage of predators.
That's just the way it is. Many do in fact remain very sedate but do still have the small chance of being feral and a small percentage remain feral at any opportunity. It's just the way it is. As some dogs make great gun dogs as do some make great police dogs etc, there just so happens that there is some breeds that just happen to make good VICIOUS dogs.
How often have we heard the " but he was great with the kids" right after he has taken a hunk out of the neighbours kid. Some adult has not taken the oportunity to learn about his/her dogs background and lineage. A vicious breed is a vicious breed, with no chance of changing him, "great with kids" or not.

Name one & show the proof?

[oneofsix]

This applies to any high drive working breed. The snappiest, most aggressive dogs round here are Border Collies & Huntaways. .

Yeah boredom. I owned a border collie, poor thing never had enough to entertain him. Most people get them cause they look cute etc but forget they basically need two people to work and entertain them because they will still be going when the first person collapses. Or like me get sucked in by the kids hollow promises.

[BoristheBiter]

Ummmm, i'll back the human thanks. I kinda regard human life a bit more important.

I guess we will disagree on that. There is a lot that wouldn't even get close to the intelligence of a dog.

[BoristheBiter]

A vicious breed is a vicious breed, with no chance of changing him, "great with kids" or not.

Just proves what little you know about dogs.