Heroic action saves tot from dog

[Curious_AJ]

Unfortunately that's not entirely correct, as some dog breeds are simply much more likely to attack people (especially kids) than others. Sure the way that you treat a dog can have a massive impact on its temperament, but the fact is that a staffie is much more likely to attack human than a poodle, for example...

yes, but they still wouldnt fly off the handle at nothing... they wouldnt just go "omg, there's a tiny kid walking by over there... ATTACK!!!"

I'm pretty sure the kid had to have been doing something to annoy the dog..

[terbang]

I'm pretty sure the kid had to have been doing something to annoy the dog..

Yup like perhaps running away from it in fear. Dogs will often attack when the victim turns their back and runs. But it could have been for any other reason and yes perhaps she did provoke it. She was a wee dot and wouldn't know much better. I don't give a damn what sort of dog because Ive seen even an Irish setter that gleefully shredded cats. Its the nature of the beast.
But what is obvious here. A smalll child and a dog met, only one of them had the ability to tear the other apart, exercised that and nearly succeeded if it hadn't been for a rescue. Who should have been on the tighter leash? Little girl or dog? I'd like to think that our children would be safer in public places, wouldn't you? This is not the third world where we have to fend ourselves from marauding dogs. Oh hang on, its the dogs who are in trouble there, they eat them..!

[Biff]

yes, but they still wouldnt fly off the handle at nothing... they wouldnt just go "omg, there's a tiny kid walking by over there... ATTACK!!!"

Yes 'some' do.

As an example - video of a dog attacking a child. Discretion advised:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RF4vErQq_Gk

[Curious_AJ]

Yes 'some' do.

As an example - video of a dog attacking a child. Discretion advised:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RF4vErQq_Gk

i cant help but be skeptical about the evidence.. but you see, those people probably bred it or raised it for fighting.. i may be being a little predjudice here, but they looked like the sort that would do that.. and it looked like that kinda place... and then, its also the owners fault for not keeping it on a god damned leash... most of these dog attacks can be put down to human error in many different ways...

not to cause an arguement or anything, coz its still bad that it happened.. but people are dumb... end of story lol..

[T.W.R]

most of these dog attacks can be put down to human error in many different ways...

The incident is a unfortunate & sickening event.

Though as Humans we're to blame completely for anything any dogs do now, in the future, and in the past
we manipulated dogs right from the beginning, moulding different breeds to what we needed.
So called fighting dogs were bred for entertainment, how F#*^*@ sick is that, what gives US the right to manipulate another animal into laying down it's life just for the sake of our amusement. It's only the dimwitted assholes that carry that shit on nowadays and look at the way we view them.
Don't blame the dog blame the owners, It isn't nice when nature strikes back but 9 times out of 10 we taunt it into doing so.

[Curious_AJ]

The incident is a unfortunate & sickening event.

Though as Humans we're to blame completely for anything any dogs do now, in the future, and in the past
we manipulated dogs right from the beginning, moulding different breeds to what we needed.
So called fighting dogs were bred for entertainment, how F#*^*@ sick is that, what gives US the right to manipulate another animal into laying down it's life just for the sake of our amusement. It's only the dimwitted assholes that carry that shit on nowadays and look at the way we view them.
Don't blame the dog blame the owners, It isn't nice when nature strikes back but 9 times out of 10 we taunt it into doing so.

words right out of my mouth..

[Dave Lobster]

What would the public's response be if this unaccompanied two year old had been in the same park with no dog attack? What if it had been running along, as two year olds do, and fell, hitting its head on a kerbstone, and dying from its injuries?

I'm not saying the dog owners are blameless in this. But, AGAIN, the press is only giving us half the story. What if this park is an off leash area, and the dog was just running around. What if it went to sniff the (UNACCOMPANIED) child, and the child poked it in the eye? The press wont tell us this, will they?

[terbang]

What would the public's response be if this unaccompanied two year old had been in the same park with no dog attack? What if it had been running along, as two year olds do, and fell, hitting its head on a kerbstone, and dying from its injuries?

I'm not saying the dog owners are blameless in this. But, AGAIN, the press is only giving us half the story. What if this park is an off leash area, and the dog was just running around. What if it went to sniff the (UNACCOMPANIED) child, and the child poked it in the eye? The press wont tell us this, will they?

Two year olds and pitbulls aren't renowned for their intelligence and grasp on reality and some sort of supervision is required. The two year old girl isn't that dangerous to those around her, only herself, hence the need for supervision. However we know all too well that the dog (Pit bull or Lab) has the proven potential to be very dangerous to all around it, if it's buttons are pushed appropriatly. Just like a gun that is left lieing around, an unsupervised dog can kill (human or livestock). So cmon, anyone with half a brain can see in this incident that the owner of the dog that was unsupervised, has considerably more responsibility in this incident than the (also stupid) parents of the child. As I have said before, I would like to think that our childeren (who really don't know much about dogs) are safe from dog attacks in public places. Isn't that why we pay rates and taxes?

[janno]

I've owned dogs for the last twenty five years and learned a hell of a lot, especially from a very curmudgeonly blue heeler that I had for 14 years. I had to watch him like a hawk - partly because my training skills were not up to scratch, and partly because of the massive protective and ankle bitey instincts that breed has.

I disagree with the "training, not breeding" theory. I think it's a grey, not black and white, area.

There are too many people who say their dog is domesticated but in reality the dog thinks it is the pack leader, and tries to manage things accordingly. These types of people I'm thinking of consciously or subconsciously justify their dog's lack of training by making excuses or laughing it off, and are genuinely horrified if something goes wrong.

How many people can call their dogs to them 100% of the time no matter what the provocation/distraction is?

In my opinion, basic 100% recall is a must, and if you can't train your dog to do so, then get a professional to help you. IE spend a coupla hundred bucks and get bark busters or such like to help - often the obedience schools are only good with "easy" breeds such as borders and shepherds.

Who knows what the little girl did to the dog - she may have patted it and poked it, or she may have ran away which,yes, will get some dog's "interest" right up in to attack mode.

Poor doggo, as well as poor kiddy. Both had neglectful caregivers, IMHO.

[Curious_AJ]

I've owned dogs for the last twenty five years and learned a hell of a lot, especially from a very curmudgeonly blue heeler that I had for 14 years. I had to watch him like a hawk - partly because my training skills were not up to scratch, and partly because of the massive protective and ankle bitey instincts that breed has.

I disagree with the "training, not breeding" theory. I think it's a grey, not black and white, area.

There are too many people who say their dog is domesticated but in reality the dog thinks it is the pack leader, and tries to manage things accordingly. These types of people I'm thinking of consciously or subconsciously justify their dog's lack of training by making excuses or laughing it off, and are genuinely horrified if something goes wrong.

How many people can call their dogs to them 100% of the time no matter what the provocation/distraction is?

In my opinion, basic 100% recall is a must, and if you can't train your dog to do so, then get a professional to help you. IE spend a coupla hundred bucks and get bark busters or such like to help - often the obedience schools are only good with "easy" breeds such as borders and shepherds.

Who knows what the little girl did to the dog - she may have patted it and poked it, or she may have ran away which,yes, will get some dog's "interest" right up in to attack mode.

Poor doggo, as well as poor kiddy. Both had neglectful caregivers, IMHO.

this is true, good points stated here.

I still have to ask, however, WHO THE HELL WOULD NOT SUPERVISE THEIR 2 YEAR OLD IN A PARK????!!! there are many other things that could happen in parks, like abductions, falling over and cracking the skull (as said earlier) etc etc... i mean.. what the?? it's common sense to keep your kid on a leash as WELL as a dog... (by kid on a leash, i mean supervise them PROPERLY!)

[MisterD]

this is true, good points stated here.

I still have to ask, however, WHO THE HELL WOULD NOT SUPERVISE THEIR 2 YEAR OLD IN A PARK????!!!

Ok, I've heard the full story on this now. There were three kids under the supervision of their Grandmother (mum was in hospital). Gran had her attention focussed on one of them, putting a coat on or somesuch and the other two (the victim and a 9 year old) ran off. The kind of thing that happens to every parent, however good and attentive they are...

[Curious_AJ]

aah, okay... I've heard otherwise.. I heard it was a 4 year old and the 2 year old pretty much alone...

[terbang]

this is true, good points stated here.

I still have to ask, however, WHO THE HELL WOULD NOT SUPERVISE THEIR 2 YEAR OLD IN A PARK????!!!

Some one not doing their parenting job properly, leave yer kids unattended and they will be exposed to all sorts of danger, yup we all know that. However we pay taxes to have rules enforced (like dog control rules) which provide buffers in place in case we do slip up. But in this case of a dog attack, people seem to be blaming the guardians of the child, possibly as a smoke screen to divert the blame or impact of a vicious dog mauling. Yup I like dogs too, have one and take my responsibilities seriously and am under no illusion as to what those labrador teeth could do. Simple really, a big and unfortunate lesson for the victims guardians I suspect and (hopefully) a slamming of the owners of the dog. Thats why we have animal control laws, to relieve us of the paranoia created by the sabre tooth tiger.
As an extreme to the arguement here, if some lions escaped from the zoo and ate a bunch of people. Who would you be putting under the bright lights of scrutiny, the victims for not watching out for hungry lions 'aw gee I should have kept an eye out for animal attacks in a public place' or the zoo keeper 'shucks, I forgot to lock the gate on the lion cage' for not keeping an eye on his lions? When you are in possesion of anything that can kill or seriously harm people, then you have a duty of care to ensure that that beast/machine does not harm anyone else. Dog lover or not, it makes sense that if your dog nips someone (or your lions eat an entire villiage), you get in the shite. If you don't want that responsibility..There is allways a rabbit. Regular ones, not the killer kind.

[Dave Lobster]

Was the dog unsupervised then? I've not seen anything in the press about it.
Is the park an off leash park?
Was the dog the required distance away from any play area?
Did the child do anything to provoke the dog?

[T.W.R]

Ok, I've heard the full story on this now. There were three kids under the supervision of their Grandmother (mum was in hospital). Gran had her attention focussed on one of them, putting a coat on or somesuch and the other two (the victim and a 9 year old) ran off. The kind of thing that happens to every parent, however good and attentive they are...

You obviously missed the interview with the grandmother then

The kids had taken off to the park by themselves, they were supposed to go with their grandmother but split before she got home, the kids mother was getting a picnic lunch ready for them to take to the park
The Grandmother & Mother were talking to each other working out were the kids were when the eldest kid & a member of the public arrived at the house to say the girl had been attacked. The grandmother got to the park just as they were loading the kid into the ambulance

that's pretty much the grandmother's own words.