PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - What would you do if pit bulls did this to your child?

Benzasaurus · #21 06-17-2014, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by link

^Animals are all inherently unpredictable, to degrees.

From the dept. of fwiw, as a 3 year old child I was bit in the ankle by a domesticated german shepard. The owners insisted that I did something to provoke the dog but i was standing motionless at the time the dog attacked. It required something like 20 stitches to repair the damage.

A neighbor has a huge St. Bernard and it has some serious aggression issues. It will rear and put its face in yours and bark or even threaten to bite, along with over 200 lbs. of force on your shoulders with no notice. I’ve seen it done to others and to myself. The owners think the aggression is cute and harmless. I think the dog should be put down.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a dog owner much of my life but dogs can make aggressive gestures for no apparent reason. Cats do the same. Breeds that exhibit this trait should not be in social settings unless they are muzzled.

I hear you, and I agree with what you've said. I do think that the dogs you describe are mainly outliers, and dogs whose owners have not taught them that aggression is unacceptable. That saint needs rehabilitation, at the very least. Do you think you might call the city and have someone official talk to them? Maybe then they'll get the message.

Most people don't know dog aggression when they see it. A huge proportion of dog owners can't even house train their dogs. And they don't realize that kids usually set aggressive dogs off just by looking at a dogs face and not breaking eye contact. For many aggressive dogs, that's all it takes to set them off. The owners don't see half of what is happening so they deny anything happened.

FWIW, I've also been attacked by a dog. The owner was trying to avoid eviction, and put the dog's litter in a box under a blanket with bricks all over the blanket so she couldn't get to her pups. He then left the garage door cracked open so the dog would attack anyone who came to the door. I happened to be knocking on doors for my summer job.