May 13, 2008: Bull Terrior v's Porcupine

[Sundae]

I've hear some people with children say they are really kind and gentle. I wouldn't leave one with my cats though.

It's all ooh and aah and pretty kitty when you're on the room.
But they just can't wait to get onto the whisker pulling, tail yanking and eye gouging...

[Gravdigr]

I had truly hoped to never see this picture again...

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

I've hear some people with children say they are really kind and gentle. I wouldn't leave one with my cats though.

It's all ooh and aah and pretty kitty when you're on the room.
But they just can't wait to get onto the whisker pulling, tail yanking and eye gouging...

Damn kids!

[sweetwater]

I'd prefer to believe the bull terrier was dressing up like a porcupine for a costume party. Poor thing! And worse is knowing that if he/she sees another porcupine then it would joyfully repeat the attack. At least our dogs never learned What Happens When You Chase the Funny Smelling Black Cats With the White Stripes.

[lookout123]

Golden Retriever that all of a sudden ripped some kid's face off.

Pit bulls test higher (which is good) on the canine temperment test. But you can keep listening to the hysterics on the news. We all know how dedicated they are to presenting a true balanced story even at the expense of entertainment and ratings.

[DucksNuts]

Agreed Lookout, we've had Pit Bulls and they are beautiful docile dogs when trained and loved (as opposed to tormented and taught to fight).

My parents little Fox terrier is the most intolerant little bitch you will meet.

Sundae, GrimBley (our new kittie) is quickly training my two little ferel (kids) that he wont be taking no shit from them

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by lookout123

Pit bulls test higher (which is good) on the canine temperment test. But you can keep listening to the hysterics on the news. We all know how dedicated they are to presenting a true balanced story even at the expense of entertainment and ratings.

Not everyone bases their opinion on certain breeds of dogs because of what they've heard on the news. I know I don't, and I still wouldn't trust a pit bull. Any pit bull, and it's not because of the media. It's from personal experience with a number of them and other breeds like bull terriers which get a bad rap in media. Sure they cop shit from the press, and of course not all dogs of a particular breed are going to be vicious, but it's fairly ignorant to suggest that other posters only base their opinions on what they see in the media, and not what they know from first hand experience.

As you will defend a pit bull, I'd defend a bull terrier and suggest it's in the way they're brought up, even though bull terriers are in my experience, pretty thick and hard to teach. I've been brought up with hunting dogs such as bully's and bully crosses, and there are some bad ones, but the ones we always had (and which my parents bred and which later became a recognized breed called 'Bull Arab') were pretty docile other than when they were hunting wild pigs.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

btw, I really appreciate the help.

Sorry I've been mostly absent these last several weeks... I'm still getting used to the new workload, but I'm hoping to be posting pictures on a semi-regular basis again soon.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Oh sure, while I'm slaving over a hot board, you're out doing easy stuff, like having a baby.

[Shawnee123]

Oh, I forgot how fucking stupid I am. Forgive me. Must learn to read...I just git mah information from the news shows. ET is my favorite. Jello.

Truth is, it is in the breeding. You don't see a lot of the dog fight mongers throwing a golden into the ring, unless it's to watch it get ripped into pieces.

Hopefully, you'll stay very lucky and never get one with an ounce of blood from fight-breeding.

And in the course of quoting me, try to at least add a ~snip~ when taking things out of context. kthxbai

Woof.

[HungLikeJesus]

You mean like this?

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Ow ow ow ~snip~ ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow...

Freaking OW!

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

You mean like this?

Rezactly!

[DanaC]

The problem isn't that 'dangerous' breeds are more likely to attack. The problem is in the nature of the attack if it does occur. A westie is probably just as likely to snap and go for a kiddie (I believe there was a case where a westie damn near took a baby's face off) which is why kids should never be left alone with dogs, regardless of the breed. The problem with the so-caled 'dangerous' dogs, is that on the occassions when attacks occur, whether because of mental instability or poor training, some dogs simply do more damage than others. Dogs bred for fighting, such as American Pit Bulls, or Japanese Akitas, once they attack are more likely to kill.

Any dog can snap. Any breed can be a problem. Any breed of dog has examples of, well trained dogs and likewise examples of poorly trained dogs. The chances of a dog snapping are increased if the owner has raised it improperly. That said, even well trained and beautifully raised dogs have the capacity to snap in an instant. How many times have we heard the line "but it was a beautiful family dog."?

I recall once reading about a Springer Spaniel who, after 9 years of being the beloved family pet, snapped and tore half the youngest child's face off. Why? Because it was prematurely senile. The little girl had stuck her face into the dogs for a cuddle and kiss and the dog responded instictively in a way it had never done before.

The stuff in the press is unhelpful. It suggests that there are 'safe' breeds of dog. There is no such thing as an entirely safe, entirely trustworthy dog. Some breeds, however, when they attack, do so swiftly and without follow through: i.e, they bite. Others, if they attack, do so with totality, not stopping until they have killed the one they're attacking: usually these are breeds who have been bred specifically to fight. Usually, not always.

I would no more trust a child alone with my bearded collie dog, than I would with a Rottweiler or an Akita.

[DanaC]

I've had at least one dog and usually two my whole life. I've had a number of different breeds. The two most gentle, family oriented, and generally well behaved animals I've had were both pit bulls.

My brother has a gorgeous dog. She's a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Very powerful dog the rhodey, bred to hold lions at bay until the hunter gets to it. She's called Amber and she adores the girls. With family members she has the most incredible temperament: soft, protective, loving and patient. Outdoors, even in the yard, she is muzzled. She will attack anybody who comes into that yard, postmen, visitors to the other houses who share the yard. Try as he might to train her out of it, her protective instincts are very strong. As a family pet, you couldn't hope for more. But that doesn't stop her being potentially dangerous.

[HungLikeJesus]

It's pretty easy to find dog bite statistics by breed. This site is focused on the US, but there's some interesting information. Here's just one quote:

The deadliest dogs

Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has conducted an unusually detailed study of dog bites from 1982 to the present. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006; click here to read it.) The Clifton study show the number of serious canine-inflicted injuries by breed. The author's observations about the breeds and generally how to deal with the dangerous dog problem are enlightening.
According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:

If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.

That supports what DanaC and some others have posted.