I was reading the atricle about the 4 year old killed by a dog this morning and?

Question

I was reading the atricle about the 4 year old killed by a dog this morning and?

Answer 1

I don't give a rat's @ss what 'type' of dog it was. I don't care if it was an APBT. I don't care if it was a Golden Retriever. I don't care if it was a Beagle!



The dog attacked and KILLED a human being. There is absolutely no room for discussion. Not to me. The dog was euthanized and so be it.



I repeat again as I have said many times before: A dog attacks, a dog kills a human said dog needs to leave this earth.



You want to know what it is like to be attacked by a large breed dog? Bully dogs, Rotties, German Shepherds, Cane Corsos? It is vicious. It is bloody. They break bones and sever arteries. Do I think an attack from a bully breed would be worse than that of a Rottie? Probably. It really has nothing to do with the size as much as the way the dog attacks. Bully breeds and mixes thereof are grab, hold and shake. The power behind the 'grab' is mind blowing. Their full intent is to kill and do it swiftly.



Such dogs are NOT 'trainable'. They kill a human, the dog must die.



Add to your add: I explained to you what kind of damage a dog can do. Horrible pain and usually a slow death. A death such as this does not happen within 'seconds'.....minutes maybe. But the whole time the pain is excruciating.

Answer 2

The temperament of a dog is set by its genetics & all dogs are biologically predisposed to behavioral behavioral strengths & weaknesses. What this means is that ALL dogs are born with a tendecy towards certain behaviors, BUT for the behavior to occur environmental factors HAVE to into play.



If a dog has a biological weakness in its temperament but its never allowed to learn & practise aggressive behavior because the dog is obedience trained with firm leadership, it's unlikely to become a fear biter. A responsible owner would CONTROL every aspect of their dogs life & would ensure that their dog's behavior was not a threat to other humans or dogs.



A human-aggressive dog whose behaviour cannot be safely controlled with training should be euthanised.



Unfortunately all too many people do not put a rock solid temperament at the top of their wish list when looking for a dog & purchase dogs from back yard breeders, pet supermarkets, who breed any two dogs regardless of the temperament of the sire or dam. It's NOT about the BREED, it's about POOR breeding, compounded by irresponsible ownership, which results in a tragedy & more negative press for so called "dangerous breeds".



Not everyone who keeps a dog with a weakness in its temperament is a) irresponsible & b) a martyr. A responsible dog owner ensures that their dog's behavior is never allowed to be a nuisance or threat to humans or children, doesn't mollycoddle the dog, or forgo a hard correction if its warranted because it might damage the dog's psyche.



@ Jessie, at NO point did I even suggest that every dog could be saved, nor that every dog owner should attempt to control the behavior or manage the environment of a weak nerved or canine-aggressive dog.

I KNOW it's anything but easy because I have done it.



I'm already aware that breed & general rescues have finite resources, many have a waiting list for a kennel space in rescue & they are called upon to make pramatic decisions about which dogs should have a place in rescue.



What I do not believe is that every dog with a weakness in its temperament should be euthanised. If an owner is capable of controlling their dog's behavior & managing its environment, that is their choice to make.

Answer 3

Jessie...AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Someone has it right....genetics people...genetics, why is this concept so hard to grasp? Why is the idea of martyrdom so exciting that some people will keep GENETICALLY crappy dogs around instead of killing them?

Once again, an innocent child pays the price, BSL gets more points for their cause, all because people believe that its ALL IN HOW YOU RAISE IT!!!!



ADD: Jessie...once again, AMEN...there is nothing more I can add to your post, it is BRILLIANT and I bow to your wisdom.



BethJ...IF the genetics are not screwed, there is much that can be done, but, when you look out there, as I do everyday, and find that THE VAST majority of dogs are screwed, you start to realize that blue juice should be used much more often.



ADD: Memphis...I am sick of reading about Dobermans too and "calm assertive BS", but, it is your right to say it as much as you want, just as it is MY right to say it as much as I want.

If you have an issue you need to discuss, you know how to get a hold of me....do it!

The Martyrdom syndrome is alive and well and you know it...of course, it only bothers those who are familiar with it, those who have to deal with it daily or have dealt with it in the past. As far as your idea of a good correction, it does sound good in here, but, tell me, WHO will administer that level of a correction to their dogs?

Once again, if you are sick of hearing Greekman talk about a syndrome that is hugely prevelant in here, you know how to get a hold of me!!!



ADD: Kelly, I will disagree with you...I do NOT train vicious and ferocious animals, I train working dogs to excell at their jobs. The ONLY difference is that I train dogs that start with the PROPER temperament genetically, that is it. No more, no less, period!!

I have no zoo to keep vicious animals in, no cages for ferocious dogs and I would not want to. I do need and want a dog that has a TRUE temperament, no defects, no issues.

I have NO problem with a "pet" dog, as long as that dog has NO temperament problems. Those are the dogs that make the news every day, the same one that we are talking about in this post.



ADD: Kelly...I do NOT train nor handle dogs for the civilian population. The dogs I do get are hand picked by ME for my requirements, needs and desires.

I do not tell anyone that I sell a dog to put that dog down because I KNOW that dog and where it came from and how it was bred and raised and trained, so, your assumptions are moot. I have put down dogs that I did not like, dogs that had temperament problems, but, they were mine.

I am much smarter then to think I can fix what nature gave a dog and way smarter to think I can ALWAYS contain one that is simply an accident looking for a place to happen.

That point is also moot however since I do not have the temperament to deal with half azzed dogs. I need, want and demand EVERYTHING out of ALL the dogs I get and they deliver, end of. Thank you for your comments!!!

Answer 4

While I agree with Greek that this dog SHOULD have been put down because it's human aggressive, I'm with Memphis Belle on the fact that there is little about martyrdom about this case.



Maybe to some extent there are some cases where that's true. Some people will take on these dogs that are monsters and want to be the one that makes them all better. I don't agree with that. But unfortunately I'm looking at this story and I'm seeing someone that simply put thought nothing of having a dog that may have been aggressive or turned on anyone. It's not martyrdom in this case, it's STUPIDITY. Plain old human stupidity.



There are so many reasons why this story infuriates me. Bad parenting, bad dog ownership, bad police behaviour (I severely dislike how these dogs are destroyed, as I've seen it happen to a dog I knew with fear aggression that was released by some local yobbos, sadly when he was showing signs of really responding to behaviour training and socialisation), bad action on the media's behalf and don't even get me started on the people that are now going to be going ZOMG PITBULLS ARE EVIL BURN THEM ALL.



This will be happening across the UK for the next week. Tonight all I can think about are people like Julie who are out there this evening, genuinely terrified for what people may do to their calm, balanced dog, not about martyrdom or bunny hugging, because with a story like this, chances are it's completely irrelevant.

Answer 5

Horribly sad. Out of control dogs of EVERY description inflicting harm on children, owners, the mailman...Irresponsible owners. Dogs not evaluated, trained, maintained, or controlled. This should never happen, but for centuries it has.



I must say that years ago, I remember the statistics on the breed most likely to bite. It was the Cocker Spaniel. Poor genetics, inbreeding, ignorant owners, ignorant public.



Another sad day in the Dog section. I pray for that family. I hope that stories like this cause everyone to really look at their own dog. If there are any signs of aggressive behavior, I pray that the owner will make the right decision. The life of a child, or the life of the dog.

Answer 6

It was NOT a pit bull.



And i quote:

"It is believed the dog, which neighbours have described as being a bull-terrier or mastiff-type animal...."



Taken from:

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/11/30/liverpool-dog-attack-boy-named-by-neighbours-as-jon-paul-massey-100252-25288226/





It was NOT a "pit bull" - people aren't even 100% sure WHAT it is. They do not even show a photo of the dog so WE will never really know if their identification is accurate (90% of the time it is NOT.)



Everything nowadays is described as "pit bull type" even though the media and people involved couldn't tell a$$ from elbow. It makes a better news story if they put "pit bull" in the headlines or opening sentence.



Sheesh...



See if YOU can find the "pit bull" on this (a couple are Mastiff-Type dogs and there is a bull terrier there):

http://www.coldsteelpits.com/coldsteelfindthepitbull.htm



Bet you can't!



PS - No such "breed" as "pit bull". Again, it is a broad term used in reference to over ten breeds of dog. True APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier) are NOT instinctually human aggressive.



People who know even a BIT about dogs can tell the difference between a Bull Terrier and a Mastiff.....

Answer 7

Add: Boy YummiD... Bet you didn't know what kind of can of worms you were opening. Thanks for the good debate this morning. We get a little bored here sometimes with all the rote "Take the dog to the vet" responses we must give.

Here we go again.

"Pit Bull type" usually means that it was a LARGE dog. This is why the breed is so hated and why we are dealing with all the BSL BS. And that is exactly what it is BS.

I have heard of cases where the person witnessing attack would avow the dog in question was not a Pit, nor a Rottie, but the press would push and push wanting to know if it could have had some Pit in it. If they can't get a Yes on that, their second is "Well could it have had Rottweiler in it?" Once they finally get an "It's possible," you read this crap..."Pit Bull type." And you know, this should be an advertisement against BYBing, and the idiots who do it. Not the dog. Not to mention blaming the imbeciles who are associated with those Pits that are trained to be aggressive and fight.

Oh but let's not rant, someone may actually learn something.



In your case, if the Pits that live around you have not killed your dog or you, I don't think you have to worry about damage control. They do not sit there one day and suddenly get it in their head to attack and do it. And if the owners are responsible, if the dogs are not running loose and coming into your yard, then I think you may well be safe.

Please, please stop telling people that a Pitt Bull killed a 4 yo child and you read about it this morning. I am not blaming you for the media's sensationalism, but please do not make this situation worse than it is by buying into the media hype. And you did exactly what they hoped everyone would do ... spread the word. I believe irresponsible reporters need to be jailed as well. Just an opinion. If the dog is a mixed breed then call it that. And then write an honest report about BYBs that tell how the screwed up genetics cause so many mixed breeds to attack.

@Aphrodite: Glad you caught the 4 yo at midnight...AMEN

@ Greek: LOL, Greek we have actually agreed on something. And I agree there are a lot of Pit mixes with screwed up genetics. I also know there is no standard for this dog. But we also both know, dogs can be trained with the right trainer if the dogs genetics are not totally screwed up.

Edit: A good debate before lunch even! Kelly I did not think you got up before lunch! But well-said.

@Aphrodite: That's the Pit in us. My kids were out that late at 14, they got corrected. Too many irresponsible parents and dog owners these days. it has become a very liberal "Have you hugged your neighbor" today society and let's all go hand flowers out on the corner at midnight and kill the big bad dog with the big head that "I can't handle so it can't be handled."

POINT: Miniature Schanuzers are typically stubborn little dogs. I love them and I love the APBT. And all of mine listen and listened to me or they were not mine. People have to start taking responsibility for the aggression we have bred into the dogs. I expect a Pit, a Doberman, a Rottie, a Shepherd, all the "aggressive dogs" to be able to defend. If they can't, they may as well hand some flowers out on the corner too. But that does not mean they cannot be friendly, well-trained dogs.

@Greek: I have been very lucky, and I will agree totally with that. I have not had to have one I was taking care of euthanized, but I have been with some good friends that HAD to. There comes a point when you have to say: It's just a screwed up dog that is miserable and going to hurt someone. I believe I talked about some junkyard dogs on another question that fall into that category. But, the owners wanted that and they got it. In my opinion, the first time the dogs "came through a fence" after a human passing by...sorry... the dog is screwed up and the owner did it by either bad training, or improper handling... and yes Jessie, euthanasia is a part of the equation if you deal with dogs. Sometimes it is the only answer. This dog was euthanized. It should have been. The parents of the four year old who had that child out at midnight should be locked up. @AngelWolf and Miss Manners: Always two voices of reason and concern. We debaters do appreciate your wisdom.

@Jessie: I respect what you are saying and your wisdom. I am in your shoes and I do rescue many. As I said, I have been fortunate and not had one I could not handle. Would I do what you are doing? I doubt it. What I am asking is that you do not mistake all APBT's for Jessie. I owned one that obeyed everytime. Could he turn, I suppose so. But he was cared for and contained so if he turned, there would not have been a news report the next day and I think that is what Memphis Belle is saying.

I never lived in that candy-coated world either. I was taught respect as a child and I believe in teaching thats ame respect to both children and animals. The scenario in this all-but forgotten article was a very sad and avoidable situation and since it happened in the UK where the APBT is banned, this is a non-issue concerning the Pit. This is a case of very bad parenting, very bad decision making, and media hype.

Answer 8

Again with this article...



#1 - "pitbull type dog" (said in quotations and everything) does not mean to me it was a pit bull. To me it means it was some sort of bully breed or some mix that they can't determine so they just said "pitbull type dog". Who freaking cares if it was a pit bull anyways??? Why do you assume your dog is going to be attacked by your neighbour's pit bull?? It is all about training, socialization and good breeding! If your neighbour's dog is socialized and trained, there is no reason to fear your dog being attacked.

It's the ignorance of people as to why we have BSL and this discrimination against certain breeds.



#2 - glad they posted the time....WHY WAS A 4 YEAR-OLD UP AND OUT OF THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT???? Does no one else here see that the parents may be 90% responsible? They leave their kid with granny who clearly is not a good choice since the kid ends up outside at midnight!!!



Ugh, I hate when people blame the animals instead of the people behind the animals - and this goes for the people who train them and the people who breed them.



ADD - Beth - seems like a lot of people are forgetting that fact! Or just choosing to overlook it.



ADD- Greek - are you really sick of reading about Dobermanns? What did Quattro ever do to you? I'm telling! But in all fairness - I'm still going after the humans involved in this over the dog. But I do agree with you and Launi and who ever else in the fact that if a dog is human aggressive and this is a genetic behaviour (its temperament) the dog should be destroyed.



ADD - Kelly - awww thanks! I heart you too! lol Memphis is also a great contributor! I do concur.

Don't worry about Greek, I can take him - he knows and he's afraid! lol

Answer 9

It doesn't say pit bull.



It says 'pit bull type dog'.



It's been like, less than four hours since the story broke- I'm sure the breed of dog will change. It could just as easy be a staffy or any sort of dog that looks SIMILAR to a pit bull.



And I still say blame the owner, not the dog. Trouble is, pits and staffies do have that tag line of 'hard dog' stuck to them that makes them popular with certain people.

Answer 10

The problem is not that these breeds are inherently aggressive towards humans. The problem is that they have tremendous bite strength and in the pit, the style of grabbing and holding targets creates tearing in the target when the target tries to move or the dog shakes its head trying to break the neck of the target. People who die from dog attacks generally have had a major artery severed and they bleed out. Children may have a broken neck.



You will see many, many posts here saying that it's all the owners' faults and in how the dogs were raised. That is a flat-out falsehood and a very common and dangerous misconception that gets lots of otherwise intelligent people into trouble.



Dog who aggressively attack humans are dogs with terrible temperaments, excepting those specifically trained for protection work (and those dogs should only be aggressive on command). Note that I said 'dogs', not 'breeds'. It's not a breed issue, it's an individual dog issue. You just hear more about it when a dog with an extremely powerful bite attacks because they do more damage.



Temperament is largely genetic. No amount of love and training is going to change the dog's genetic temperament.



ETA: Greek, I don't know why people persist in believing it's all down to how they are raised. In Americans, I think it's our national mindset-you can do and be anything if you just try hard enough! It gives people a sense of agency and potency to believe that they can change anything, even if it's inherently dangerous and false to believe so.



And these 'solve any problem in 23 minutes' dog training shows don't help there, either.



Somehow the message that training and socialization are important (which is a valid message) has been extrapolated or misunderstood to mean that all dog problems are fixable if you just apply yourself. They rarely mention that euthanization is sometimes part of 'applying oneself '.



@Memphis Belle: My dog is not a dog with a great temperament. She is highly dog aggressive. Yes, that is manageable, but not easily. It's taken years of training to make her reliable and controllable on-lead, which she is. Would I ever trust her off lead where other dogs could be? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Do I take the appropriate precautions to manage her? Yes I do. Are the easy? NO, THEY ARE NOT! Do I occasionally need to leave her in the care of others, and am I up nights about it? ABSOLUTELY!



I've described my odyssey with the Jester repeatedly here, and I am not going to do it again today. She is a problem dog. I am in no way patting myself on the back to say that few would go to the lengths that I do to make her as safe as possible. It just happens to be true.



If she had shown this level of aggression towards humans she'd be long dead. She was nearly euthanized by me because her first aggressive incident involved two broken fingers in the person who tried to intervene. I had to be very seriously and knowledgeably talked out of killing her. And you know what? 90% of dog owners would have ended up putting her down by now.



I was fortunate, and so was the Jester, that I had a lot of experience and unlimited funds behind me because I make a good living and grew up showing dogs. And no shame at all in introducing myself around the neighborhood with flyers with photos and strict warnings that my dog was NOT good with other dogs. Who the hell does that in real life?



You confuse me to no end. You seem to understand how to train, yet you persist in believing that every dog can be saved. Eventually, with more experience, you will change your point of view because you are a smart woman. You just aren't there yet.



I used to be like you until I got the Jester. I had grown up in a happy, candy coated world of dogs that had been bred for good temperament. The Jester rocked my world to its foundations and I became a believer that temperament is genetic. I didn't train my dog to be aggressive, I did not use harsh training methods, I didn't let her get away with dissing me, etc.-- yet she became horribly dog aggressive at maturity. Hello genetics! Sad to meet ya! ( No, I am not letting myself of the hook here by blaming genetics. I had been involved in training and showing at least 100 dogs by the time I got Jessie. I was no neophyte.)



Temperament is what it is. It's immutable. The sticking point is determining what is temperament and what is poor management, and only experience gives you that yardstick. You'll get there because you are intelligent and have some dog intuition. You're just lacking in experience and time will remedy that.



Overt aggression toward humans is ALWAYS a temperament issue, however. No breed is bred to turn on its handler. That should be obvious.



I DO NOT consider myself to be a martyr. I made a commitment to my dog and I've stood by it. But she has totally changed my life. I would have several dogs if not for her. That is simply not possible until she passes.



I grew up in a Show Dog family, so guess what? We all have lots of dogs! Does the Jester impact my relationship with my family? You betcha!



Can I do normal dog lover/dog trainer/dog exhibitor activities? Uh, NO!



Did I make the right decision in giving the Jester a good life? Highly debatable. She will always be a risk, no way around that. I can't have more than one dog, where I expected to have several by now. I can't be involved in any dog sports or activities because I own Cujo. The dog world would be better off if I put her down and got on with it. But I take my commitment to her seriously, even though it's limiting me in every conceivable way. Who is to say what was the 'better course'?



If I hadn't stood by Jessie, I could have rescued several dogs by now. Could have fostered dozens! From a larger, 20,000 foot view, I have totally messed up.



For the 'all dogs can be saved' crew: WHO SAVES THEM? And at WHAT COST? Do you ever think it through, down to the nuts and bolts of daily life? Do you? Who pays for all this 'rehabilitation'? Who does the training? How do the trainers measure success? Do you want to live next door to one of these dogs? Would you report them to Animal Control when they made a mistake, like treating your dog as a chew toy?



The bleeding hearts do not have unlimited funds and unlimited space and can't make most of these dogs reliable to be owned by your next door neighbor, can they? Something to consider.

Answer 11

At risk of being disagreed with, the story doesn't say why the dog was agitated, so I can't really say. The old woman was brave to get in the middle, but stupid to do so and must have known she'd get hurt, so not the dog's responsibility. I would personally hope that regardless of the situation, the owner of that dog pays damages as well, as they are just as responsible as the dog since the dog shouldn't have been out without it's owner right there.

Answer 12

Well first of all, that is not an APBT, AST, or a SBT. That is an American Bulldog, completely different. Nowhere in the article does it say that it was a "pit bull type dog" Second of all, medium to large sized dogs of all breeds and mixes can maul and kill, given the wrong kind of breeding, socialization, training, and ownership. Bully breeds and Molosser breeds are powerful and strong, which means that when they attack, they cause a lot of damage. ANY dog that attacks and kills a human needs to die. Period. I don't care if it's a Lab, or a "pit bull type dog", it needs to be removed from the gene pool.

Answer 13

OMG this is awful.

1. The poor little boy. And the dog should have been euthanized along with any irresponsible humans that had allowed it to get to this point. A dog cannot be handled. He or She is dangerous. A dog is afraid. He or she WILL become aggressive. Never mind the breed.



2. I am not going to get into the Pit argument on this one as I think everyone else has said it so well. I have 5 Pits, all very well-trained and well-behaved. My older sister had one that she rescued and she had to have him euthanized when she realized his fear could not be "fixed or trained" away. When a dog begins to growl and snarl at a human, sorry... the dog is not living a quality life, not when we have domesticated them. Now if they were in the Wild, fine. We would know how to avoid that. But look at this Wolf Dog crap now..>What is this? We as humans are playing God and hoping that we can do it much better than nature did in the beginning.



PEOPLE: WE ARE CREATING MONSTERS.



There is a lot of wisdom on this board and a lot of passion. I personally know several of you ... (HEY) and I know how good each of you are with dogs. One I have actually seen train a dog. And it was a dog that would otherwise have been euthanized as it was showing a lot of fear and was becoming aggressive toward other animals.

A fearful dog, an abused dog, can be trained. And genetics do play a large role. But for those of us who did have Bio and Genetics, we do know there are recessive genes, just as all the dog breeders on here know. And many dog trainers see it day in and day out.

@Greek: You have to concede that the dogs you see are largely violent and may need the blue juice. You are not the man for a gentle dog that is going to be the family pet. H3ll (learning) You are not even the man for a regular working dog that needs to learn to do things on command. You train ferocious animals, and as such, you see ferocious animals.

Launi is absolutely right in all she said.

And... I still get upset that a large dog is automatically called a Pit. The dog attacks wo command and proper provocation, it has to go.

RIP TANK. No more fear.



Just an opinion.

I always love the responses of Memphis Belle and Aphrodite: They are so no nonsense and to the point...each with a different style.



Sorry Greek: I was under the impression you trained Attack dogs.. With that Faux coat of yours.... Working dogs...that's different. I have seen some bad @ss dogs that were totally trainable though. Live with five. They obey.

And very sorry both Greek and Jesse... but if those people who owned the aggressive dog did something...it would not be loose. With what you two are saying, the owner sits there helpless and has no clue this dog is going to attack. That's BS. The dogs genetic make up may cause the problem, but the owner has a responsibility to train or euthanize. Either way, we have domesticated dogs, they become human responsibility, and those responsible owners of dogs should not be punished for the irresponsible ones. The dog cannot euthanize itself. It is acting out as it knows or does not know to do... the owner of the dog is responsible for the behavior...period. If one of my dogs bit a human...or attacked without provocation (as in defending home and hearth) or a command... or acting like they were going to... I love all five... but..its time to go see the vet. And Greek... when you get one of these genetically deficient dogs that the owner has brought to you to train and hopefully fix... and you know you cannot ... do you tell the owner to euthanize the dog, or do you tell the dog to go get euthanized... or God-Forbid do you have to handle it because the owner did not and brought it to you ... and you saw a problem and fixed it?

The owner is responsible for the dog. No matter the breed.

Burmese> I am so glad you said that about Julie. People tend to forget some of us own the Bully breed that so many love to hate. AMEN

Answer 14

I see now, it wasn't even a Pit Bull.. it says Pit Bull type.. and when I first read the article a few hours ago the first thing I thought was why on earth was a 4 year old outside after midnight?



Jeez, its just like that story about the Lab puppy that supposedly killed a baby.. the baby had been left alone for over an hour before they found him.. well jeez, why would you leave a baby alone, on the floor, strapped to a swing, for that long??

Answer 15

Pitbull is not a breed. It's a type. "Pitbull" is used to describe numerous different breeds, including mutts. If a dog has the "bully" appearance, they are labeled as a Pitbull by the ignorant public. The article specifically states that they are trying to identify the type of dog that was involved. "Pitbulls" are not naturally aggressive animals, nor are Rottweilers.

Answer 16

They haven't revealed the breed yet. It seems that it's likely to have been an American Bulldog, though could have been anything, or a mix of breeds. The breed is irrelevant.



What is relevant is that some scumbag treated the dog like sh*t and made it aggressive (the neighbours have confirmed this) then let it live in the same house as a young child. Ludicrous!



It could have been any breed, but Labradors (e.g.) don't really attract the kind of people who want a dog to make it aggressive. You can make a Lab aggressive, or any kind of dog, but they don't have the tough looks that attract scum like this.



I really feel for this dog - it is the product of its owner's failings and its circumstances. Of course, my thoughts are with this poor four-year-old boy who lost his life due to the adults' stupidity.



Also, don't forget, a Pomeranian has killed a baby before now. Should we ban Pomeranians too?

Answer 17

OMG they said it was a BULLDOG. Not even the same type of dog as a true pit bull, an American Pit Bull Terrier.



Grow up, everyone. Stop falling into this idiotic belief that "every dog with a big block head is a killer".

Answer 18

I dont know - what I see is a powerful dog being kept by an elderly woman (who probably didnt exercise or discipline the dog.)



Then add a small child (obviously inadequately supervised, since he was up messing with the dog at midnight).



Seems like an obvious recipe for tragedy to me.



Some dogs need a firm hand, and should not be owned (or kept) by people who cannot handle them.

I would not trust my elderly mother to handle even my big Lab mix....he is too powerful for her, and she interprets him being pushy and obnoxious as being loving, and she encourages it.

Answer 19

And I also quote "Efforts are continuing to identify the dog's breed." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/8386023.stm



The fact it says "pitbull TYPE" (note the quotation marks) shows that that particular newspaper is making a random GUESS at what type of dog it is.........



Either way, as has been pointed out, the dog killed a child. No discussion needed. Regardless of breed.

Answer 20

This is why I despise byb's and stupid owners. Due to byb's breeding dogs with unstable temperaments, more and more dogs are put in the hands of people who don't have a clue how to care or train them properly. They have all put ruined several breeds due to this and the media isn't helping with their fear mongering. (I like how they state "pit bull type" for all they know, it could have been a lab!)

Answer 21

to be honest you need to look at the statistics...



50% of rottweilers/pit bull dogs and a mix of these dogs contributed to fatal attacks over a 20 year period so that's only half, the other half must be other breeds of dogs so really it's fairly balanced.

Answer 22

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGhZiRie0y4/SvOPluF8ubI/AAAAAAAAEEw/UjTIF9PSfrU/s1600-h/pitbulls_attack_50_yr_old_thief2.jpg



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