Pit Bulls And Children... Posted: 07-04-07 18:33pm
i thought this would be an interesting
topic. i know that people who own pit
bulls seem to be fiercely insistent that
they are harmless and gentle. i, myself
am afraid of them because of all of the
stories i have heard about them attacking
and seriously injuring or killing people.
i have known people who have them and have
seen them hanging from tire swings for
long periods of time to show the strength
of their jaws and how tenacious they are
when it comes to biting something and not
letting go. i just would never have one
of these dogs around smaller children. i
think rottweilers are another breed i
would just prefer to keep away from my
children if not all children. i know that
they can show loyalty and docility but the
fact is they are animals that are bred a
certain way and you just can't predict
what they will do. i'm not a dog hater or
anything, i'm just afraid of what certain
dogs are capable of because of their
breeding and temperments and i worry about
people who refuse to see any possibility
of danger with these breeds. i know that
other dog breeds can attack but with dogs
like these, the chance of a child
surviving that attack seems a lot more
remote. i looked some stuff up on this
just for my own information. this is some
of what the aspca says about pit bulls:
Pit bulls are descendants of the original
English bull-baiting dog-dogs who were
bred to attack bulls, bears and other
large animals around the face and head.
They were taught to hang on without
releasing their grip, until they were
exhausted from fighting and from loss of
blood. Although animal baiting was banned
in the 1800s, people decided to try
fighting their dogs against each other
instead.
As the "sport" of dog fighting developed,
enthusiasts bred a lighter, more athletic
canine. These dogs made their way to North
America, the ancestors of today's pit
bulls. The problems started when these
dogs gained the attention of people
looking for a macho dog-and to meet their
demands, unscrupulous and uncaring
breeders are producing puppies that are
not only aggressive to other dogs, but to
people, too.
Aggression to other dogs is a serious
issue with this breed. Early socialization
is essential for pit puppies, though your
best efforts may not override a dog's
genetics. Regardless of early experience,
some pits will become dog-aggressive when
they reach maturity. A pit bull who
doesn't like other dogs cannot be let
loose in dog runs or other public places.
Some are also dangerous around cats, so
please choose carefully if you have other
pets.
- Due to their strength and exuberance,
pit bulls are best placed with families
with older children.
|
Magical Logic
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 2248
Posted: 07-04-07 18:37pm
i would never take a chance and have those
kinda dogs around my young kids.
|
young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Posted: 07-04-07 18:56pm
the number one dog to attck children is a
chiuhuahua
the second known dog is a rottweiler and
the 3rd is a poodle
pit bulls come in number 7 and the most
attcks pit bulls have are on other dogs
i have 3 pit bulls that have groen up with
kids and they are by far most the sweetstd
dogs
it depends how you raise them
their backround has become a myth based on
the few that have attacked
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kaerbear
Most Diplomatic Poster
Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Posts: 1557 Location: ,
Posted: 07-04-07 18:58pm
ok. question. if you had to choose
between a chihuahua attacking your child
or a pit bull, which would you pick?
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young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Posted: 07-04-07 19:00pm
lol well tahts a point but like i said pit
bulls rarely attack
and chiuhua attacks have caused horrible
injuries
there was a child in dallas last year that
was attcked by a chi and lost his eye
because of it
|
KatieFlower
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 407 Location: Massachusetts, U>S>A
Posted: 07-04-07 19:03pm
Right in my city in Massachusetts a pack
of pit bulls (3 of them) that got loose
from someones yard was running around and
seriously mauled a woman walking down the
street with her cocker spaniel. The dogs
killed her dog and she was ripped apart
and had to get like 2000 stitches or
something ridiculous like that....scary
I know pits aren't the only one but that's
just an example of something that I know
of.
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young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Posted: 07-04-07 19:03pm
something to think about...
Dog Bite Statistics and Children
The leading cause of injury in children is
while playing on the playground, with dog
bites following a close second. 75% of the
time and more, children are bitten by the
dog in the face. Children also account for
the majority of fatalities because of dog
bites.
Miscellaneous Dog Bite Statistics
Males get bitten by dogs more than females
do, with male dogs also biting people more
often than female dogs.
A shocking majority of dog bites are
caused by domestic dogs, with strays
accounting for a miniscule percentage of
dog bites.
A young dog (between the ages of 1 and 5)
is more likely to bite someone than an
older dog (6 years and over).
Pure bred dogs are involved in less biting
incidents than mixed breed dogs.
In 15-20% of dog bite cases, the person
was bitten by a dog not familiar to them.
The rest of the number is made up of known
dogs biting people.
The insurance industry pays out billions
of dollars each year in dog bite related
cases. The average insurance claim in
2003, for a dog bite on homeowner’s
insurance, was $16,600.
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young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Posted: 07-04-07 19:04pm
it depends how the dog is raised
there backround and ancestors meens
nothing
you can raise any dog to attck on command
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young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Posted: 07-04-07 19:07pm
heres something else thats interesting to
think about
german shepards are the #1 used dogs in
police forces. the german sheprad is also
one of the most agreesive dog breeds and
has one of the highest rank in dog bite
statistice
heres the article: Mixed breeds and not
pure bred dogs are the type of dog most
often involved in inflicting bites to
people. The pure-bred dogs most often
involved are German shepherds and Chow
chows.
The increase in population of large dogs
has resulted in an increased severity of
bites. German shepherds were identified as
the breed involved in 44% of all bite
cases
Last edited by young Girl on 07-04-07 19:21pm; edited 1 time in total
|
young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Posted: 07-04-07 19:13pm
Although the numbers suggest a
breed-related problem for pit bulls and
Rottweilers, the researchers cautioned
that "any dog of any breed can bite."
"its not a Rottweiler problem or a pit
bull problem," said Randall Lockwood, the
Humane Society's vice president for
research and educational outreach. "It's a
people problem."
knowledge that the CDC statistics are
inaccurate, and the methodology by which
the statistics acquired flawed, we can
easily begin to poke holes in those
arguments which BSL supporters use to make
their claims about “pitbulls” as
dangerous. One flaw in the statistics
comes from the difficulty on the part of
the average person (and even the experts)
to identify a breed of dog accurately,
especially under extreme stress such as
occurs during an attack (JAVMA, Vol 217,
No. 6, September 15, 2000, p. 838). As
such, many victim and bystander reports
are specious. For instance, a person could
be bitten or killed by a Labrador, and if
the victim or witnesses claim it was a
“pitbull,” then the breed would most
likely be reported accordingly. In other
words, breed identification is subjective.
With the media reporting a majority of the
time on “pitbulls,” which breed of dog
do you think will be cited as responsible
most often by victims of dog bites? The
media has worked the idea of
“pitbulls” as vicious into the
collective conscious and in turn victims
of dog bites often draw on this erroneous
media reporting to finger “pitbulls”
as culpable for a dog attack whether the
dog responsible was a “pitbull” or
not.
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Re: Pit Bulls And Children... Posted: 07-04-07 19:16pm
kaerbear
wrote:
i thought this would be an
interesting topic. i know that people who
own pit bulls seem to be fiercely
insistent that they are harmless and
gentle. i, myself am afraid of them
because of all of the stories i have heard
about them attacking and seriously
injuring or killing people. i have known
people who have them and have seen them
hanging from tire swings for long periods
of time to show the strength of their jaws
and how tenacious they are when it comes
to biting something and not letting go. i
just would never have one of these dogs
around smaller children. i think
rottweilers are another breed i would just
prefer to keep away from my children if
not all children. i know that they can
show loyalty and docility but the fact is
they are animals that are bred a certain
way and you just can't predict what they
will do. i'm not a dog hater or anything,
i'm just afraid of what certain dogs are
capable of because of their breeding and
temperments and i worry about people who
refuse to see any possibility of danger
with these breeds. i know that other dog
breeds can attack but with dogs like
these, the chance of a child surviving
that attack seems a lot more remote. i
looked some stuff up on this just for my
own information. this is some of what the
aspca says about pit bulls:
Pit bulls are descendants of the original
English bull-baiting dog-dogs who were
bred to attack bulls, bears and other
large animals around the face and head.
They were taught to hang on without
releasing their grip, until they were
exhausted from fighting and from loss of
blood. Although animal baiting was banned
in the 1800s, people decided to try
fighting their dogs against each other
instead.
As the "sport" of dog fighting developed,
enthusiasts bred a lighter, more athletic
canine. These dogs made their way to North
America, the ancestors of today's pit
bulls. The problems started when these
dogs gained the attention of people
looking for a macho dog-and to meet their
demands, unscrupulous and uncaring
breeders are producing puppies that are
not only aggressive to other dogs, but to
people, too.
Aggression to other dogs is a serious
issue with this breed. Early socialization
is essential for pit puppies, though your
best efforts may not override a dog's
genetics. Regardless of early experience,
some pits will become dog-aggressive when
they reach maturity. A pit bull who
doesn't like other dogs cannot be let
loose in dog runs or other public places.
Some are also dangerous around cats, so
please choose carefully if you have other
pets.
- Due to their strength and exuberance,
pit bulls are best placed with families
with older
children.
i have rescued dogs for 2 years now
thats what i do for a living
im the youngest person im the state of
TEXAS to EVER do rescue and have saved
over 1200 dogs lives in the past 2 yrs and
33 dogs in the past 3 months
i have had over 100 pit bulls that have
been rescues and i can tell you taht 99%
of them went to a home with kids under 5
and all of them are doing great
ive never had a problem
"It is frustrating for me personally
because people who want to enact Breed
Specific Legislation keep using the report
to try and make a case against pit bulls.
The whole point of our summary was to
explain you can't do that." Dr Gail Golab
Dr. Cornelia Wagner, D.V.M.
“Blaming the genetic make-up of the dog
is wrong. Environmental and learning
effects are always stronger than genetic
influence."
Karen Delise, Author of Fatal Dog Attacks
"In reviewing and studying over 448 cases
of fatal dog attacks in the United States,
it is apparent that the three most
critical factors that contribute to a
fatal dog attack are: function of the dog,
owner responsibility, and reproductive
status of the dog. There is no documented
case where a single, neutered, household
Pit Bull was the cause of a human
fatality.”
Lehr Brisbin
“The studies which have been conducted
of the structure of the skulls, mandibles
and teeth of pit bulls show that, in
proportion to their size, their jaw
structure, and thus its inferred
functional morphology, is no different
than that of any other breed of dog of
comparable size and build. Further there
is no evidence for the existence of any
kind of ‘locking mechanism’ unique to
the structure of the jaws and/or teeth of
pit bulls.”
|
Mommy35
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 3165 Location: Vacationland, USA,
Posted: 07-04-07 21:27pm
I didn't read most of the other posts. My
opinion is that any dog can be, or has the
capacity to be dangerous around children
if given the opportunity. I'm not saying
that every dog will be nasty to a child,
but parents should always beware of a dog
with a child.
Sometimes it's the dog that you would
never ever in a million years suspect to
bite or attack a child that does the most
damage. Sometimes dogs just snap.
If .I were a dog and had some little kid
sticking their fingers in my ears, eyes,
and pulling on my fur, .I would bite them.
Pitbulls, .Rotties, and .Dobies get a bad
rap, because they are big dogs capable of
big damage, but imo little dogs have much
bigger attitudes than big dogs, their
mouths are just smaller.
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kaerbear
Most Diplomatic Poster
Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Posts: 1557 Location: ,
Posted: 07-04-07 21:56pm
some of the things i know about pit bulls
that make them different from other dog
breeds are; most dogs (including german
shepherds) will fight as a last resort
after growling, showing teeth and other
posturing have failed, whereas pit bulls
attack without warning and are not afraid
of pain. a german shepherd for example,
will try to take down an opponent by
grabbing a part of them and wrestling them
down whereas a pit bull goes for the
throat or neck and attempts to tear it by
holding on and shaking. when other dogs
show signs of submission, lying with their
belly up, many pit bulls will disembowel
the other dog rather than accepting their
submission. pit bulls have a very high
tolerance for pain and are bred to never
back off. their attacks last a lot longer
than other dogs because they aren't afraid
to sustain injuries while fighting.
this is all stuff i've heard from people
who own these dogs. they don't fight them
or anything. i've heard stories about all
that and it's so disgusting what people
put these dogs through for their own
"entertainment". i seriously don't have a
problem with that breed per se, i just
would be extra, extra cautious around them
and wouldn't have one around my child.
that said, i agree that you have to watch
any size or breed of dog around kids and
teach kids to respect them (ie. not
pulling their tails or playing rough with
them).
* edited 'cause i forgot how to spell
shepherd
Last edited by kaerbear on 07-05-07 08:54am; edited 1 time in total
|
Jude-Love
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 727 Location: Williamstown, Kentucky USA
Posted: 07-04-07 22:01pm
I would never have a pit bull or rott
around a small child. I have a chihuahuah
though and I'm not the least bit afraid of
him seriously harming one of my children
in the future (he actually lives with my
mom, but I'm so attached, I still refer to
him possessively ). I honestly don't
know how I feel about large dogs with
small children in general.
|
AyaMiyaki
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Jun 2006 Posts: 8247 Location: Floating on a cloud, United States
Thanks: 168
Thanked:14
Posted: 07-04-07 22:04pm
I don't have a fear or phobia of dogs
myself, but I get very nervous about dogs
around my baby. How many stories have we
heard of a child being attacked by a dog
who had never hurt so much as a fly
before?
My daughter's safety is far too important
to me to take that risk. Because even if
you know your dog inside and out, you
can't predict what will happen, so that's
exactly what you're doing: risking your
child's safety. I would never forgive
myself if something happened - never.
|
young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Posted: 07-04-07 23:21pm
Jude-Love
wrote:
I would never have a pit
bull or rott around a small child. I have
a chihuahuah though and I'm not the least
bit afraid of him seriously harming one of
my children in the future (he actually
lives with my mom, but I'm so attached, I
still refer to him possessively ). I honestly don't
know how I feel about large dogs with
small children in
general.
well i think you should rethink this
a chiuhahua attcked a child last yera in
dallas and ripped out his eye!!!!!
there is also no EVIDENCE SCIENTIFICALLY
that pt bulls have a lock jaw mecahnism in
their body
tahts false info
most of the things your saying is false
information and that makes it worse on the
breed! you should reaserch your info
before you post it!
do you all know exactly what a pit bull
is? there is no such breed?! a "pit bull"
refers to these breeds
bull mastiffs
mastiffs
bulldogs
bull terriers
amstaff terriers
minature english and american bulldogs and
about 5 other dog breeds! all of which are
great family pets
its unfair to say they are dangerous
your being completely racist
|
sick_mama17
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 960 Location: , England
Posted: 07-05-07 01:04am
chase4
wrote:
i would never take a chance
and have those kinda dogs around my young
kids.
Same.
I have a chihuaha cross jack russell
puppy, shes great with my son (hes 4). I
waited until he was older to get a dog, I
wouldnt risk having any around a baby.
At the end of the day they are still
animals, you have to be careful.
I originally wanted a larger breed such as
a golden retriever or labrador who are
said to be great with kids, but my
concerns for the safety of jay came first.
So I ended up getting our puppy because
shes such a small breed that if she ever
attacks him, it wont be half as damaging
as a pit-bull attack or other larger dog.
A child stands no chance if a pitbull, for
whatever reason, decided to attack.
I agree with other people it depends on
how you raise them aswell.
The breeds in our dog arent said to have
have the best temperment for children, but
shes been with very young kids since
birth, lived with 4 kids under 6yrs old
before I got her. She seems to adore
children. Whenever we go out she gets all
excited around them and lets them stroke
her etc etc. I take her to my sons pre
school everyday because the kids there
love her and she really enjoys being with
them.
I wish people would keep their dogs on a
leash, no matter what size they are -
while outside, and make sure they cant
escape from their home/garden. We were
chased the other day (the puppy and I)
fortunately jay was at pre-school.
Thegirlfriend, the thing with all the
mastiff breeds, is when they bite someone,
they dont let go. Therefore the damage
they cause is always extensive. I just
couldnt risk those breeds around my
child.
Morgan
|
*star*
Moderator
Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 1801 Location: ,
Thanks: 22
Thanked:24
Posted: 07-05-07 08:47am
the_girlfreind
wrote:
it depends how the dog is
raised
there backround and ancestors meens
nothing
you can raise any dog to attck on
command
This is so true. unfortunately pitbulls
get such a bad stigma that most people are
afraid of them. It is ridiculous how
people believe the media and just assume
that all pit bulls are bad. Not true.
The stigma comes from the degenerates that
raise the pit bulls to attack on command
usually results in in a human aggression
from the dog. Also the slimeballs who
think it is fun to watch two pit bulls go
at it and tear each other apart.
It was pointed out that the number one dog
for attacking and biting is a chihuaha.
But those of you who have one say how
sweet he is around kids and they would
never hurt a child. Bull. You never know
when a dog is going to get upset and
attack. I can say the same thing about my
dog - a pit - and that she would never
hurt a child. Well, I honestly do believe
that she would never hurt a child, just
because of her temperament and her
behaviour around kids. But the truth is,
you really never know when a dog might
attack. And it isn't just pit bulls, it
it all dogs.
Stop contributing to the stigma of pit
bulls. It is all in how you raise them
and if you raise them to be sweet, then
you will get a sweet tempered dog.
Obviously if you raised them to be
aggressive, then what in the heck do you
think is going to happen.
|
mc4ever02
Supporter
Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 3636 Location: Orlando, FL Usa
Thanks: 5
Thanked:2
Posted: 07-05-07 09:03am
I own a pit. (so does my sil, so we have
two at the house) and my dog is the
sweetest dog you will ever meet. He is a
complete lap dog and such a baby. I raised
him as though he was any other dog. No
special treatment, he still has his ears
and tail. And unless I or my dh was in
great physical danger, I know that he
would not hurt anything. And feel
comfortable having him around children.
(supervised of course, as with any other
animal).
However, many people who have never owned
or had much contact with pits feel that
they are mean, cruel animals. People who
have owned them will agree (for the most
part) that this is completely not true.
They are very loyal and very emotional.
You can hurt their feelings very easily.
And they are very loving. Which, in my
opinion, is were the problem comes in.
It is commonly accepted that pits attack
children because...well...they can and
they must look yummy. I don't believe this
to be true. At all. I think that when they
bite children it is more so because of
jealousy. Many are indoor dogs that feel
threatened by this new thing that is now
taking the attention away from them. This
can (and does) happen with any breed, we
just hear about it more with pits because
of the stigma. (I also think it has
something to do with the dogs strength)
My dh and I have discussed what we will do
when we have a child. Honestly, we don't
know yet. But, it has nothing to do with
him being a pit, and everything to do with
him being an animal. I know many people
that have had to give up cats for the same
reasons. But do you hear about those
vicious cats? Nope.
|
Birch
Supporter
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 Posts: 3966 Location: Bliss,
Thanks: 129
Thanked:12
Posted: 07-05-07 09:09am
*star*
wrote:
the_girlfreind
wrote:
it depends how the dog is
raised
there backround and ancestors meens
nothing
you can raise any dog to attck on
command
This is so true. unfortunately pitbulls
get such a bad stigma that most people are
afraid of them. It is ridiculous how
people believe the media and just assume
that all pit bulls are bad. Not true.
The stigma comes from the degenerates that
raise the pit bulls to attack on command
usually results in in a human aggression
from the dog. Also the slimeballs who
think it is fun to watch two pit bulls go
at it and tear each other apart.
It was pointed out that the number one dog
for attacking and biting is a chihuaha.
But those of you who have one say how
sweet he is around kids and they would
never hurt a child. Bull. You never know
when a dog is going to get upset and
attack. I can say the same thing about my
dog - a pit - and that she would never
hurt a child. Well, I honestly do believe
that she would never hurt a child, just
because of her temperament and her
behaviour around kids. But the truth is,
you really never know when a dog might
attack. And it isn't just pit bulls, it
it all dogs.
Stop contributing to the stigma of pit
bulls. It is all in how you raise them
and if you raise them to be sweet, then
you will get a sweet tempered dog.
Obviously if you raised them to be
aggressive, then what in the heck do you
think is going to
happen.
The dog in your photo is beautiful, by the
way. I love pits; I think they are
sensitive and intelligent.
We have eight dogs. One full chow, one
chow mix, one pit, one sharpei/great dane
mix, etc. The most vicious dogs we have
is the mutt whose lineage is impossible to
identify. He was horribly abused before
he came to us. I would not trust him
around anyone but myself and my boyfriend.
However, the chow, sharpei, and pit I
would allow a child to (while supervised)
play with. I would insist on the
supervision b/c any dog provoked (and some
kids aren't raised to be respectful) may
bite.
). I honestly don't
know how I feel about large dogs with
small children in general.
