Infant critical after attack by pit bull ...

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Oh my ! How horrid and tragic...that poor baby! I hope she'll be okay.
 
yet another terrible tragedy, I do so hope the baby girl recovers! I can't imagine how terrifying this was for both mother and baby. I would love to understand the motivation in the dogs. I feel like if we could understand what causes them to snatch and bite babies, we could prevent it from happening. As some of you know, I own several large breed powerful dogs, and I am mother to preschoolers. For me, I can honestly say I dont forget what my dogs could be capable of. My little children are never never in the same place as the dogs at the same time. MY bigger children help care for the dogs,never without adult supervision though. It seems to be something about small babies and toddlers that the dogs in these stories are attracted to. We employ every safety method imaginable including door locks, gates with unreachable latches, and a seperate fenced play yard. More than anything, I think good obedience training is key. I expect my dogs to respond the first time I ask for a command, but it is NOT a fail proof system. I would love to hear what others think motivates these attacks. Please lets not get into a bad breed mean breed vicious killer breed debate, I think we have been there and done that. What is it about babies and toddlers that is so attractive to these animals, and why do they attack? Thanks y'all.
 
I think a big part of it is no early socialization around infants and children.

A dog needs to learn early on....if he hasn't been properly socialized and trained...then I would be especially wary.

I also believe adults needs to be supervising every single second a dog is with a child. I've seen many people beat their dogs silly for simply giving a warning growl at a toddler yanking on it's ear, tail etc... I think the child in that situation should be corrected and the dog protected. It's a respect thing, all the way around.
 
mimimama5 said:
yet another terrible tragedy, I do so hope the baby girl recovers! I can't imagine how terrifying this was for both mother and baby. I would love to understand the motivation in the dogs. I feel like if we could understand what causes them to snatch and bite babies, we could prevent it from happening. As some of you know, I own several large breed powerful dogs, and I am mother to preschoolers. For me, I can honestly say I dont forget what my dogs could be capable of. My little children are never never in the same place as the dogs at the same time. MY bigger children help care for the dogs,never without adult supervision though. It seems to be something about small babies and toddlers that the dogs in these stories are attracted to. We employ every safety method imaginable including door locks, gates with unreachable latches, and a seperate fenced play yard. More than anything, I think good obedience training is key. I expect my dogs to respond the first time I ask for a command, but it is NOT a fail proof system. I would love to hear what others think motivates these attacks. Please lets not get into a bad breed mean breed vicious killer breed debate, I think we have been there and done that. What is it about babies and toddlers that is so attractive to these animals, and why do they attack? Thanks y'all.
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I agree. It's not the breed. All dogs have the propensity to be aggressive, without what we humans would perceive as provocation.

I do think we see a lot of media coverage on this particular breed because this breed of dog has been irresponsibly bred by a great many people IMHO.

This particular breed is one of the favorites that dog fighters like to breed for fighting. Poor animals!

As with any animal, if we are going to purchase an animal from a breeder it is important to know who that breeder is, and what kind of reputation they have developed for themselves.

This poor baby. I pray for a speedy recovery for the baby. :praying:
 
But, some breeds are more likely to attack than others. IMO

No matter how you raise a pit or socialize it, there is a great chance they will turn on you or someone else. It's in their instincts that have been bred it them for years.

I'm an animal lover but I would never let a pit, a pit mix, or a chow around my child. Not worth the risk IMO.

My nephew was attacked by his friends Chow that was a family pet since birth, around kids, never bit or acted mean to anyone. My nephew was laying on the floor watching a movie and the dog was by him. My nephew said he accidently "bumped" the dog while moving his feet. He said he barely touched the dog. The dog went straight for my nephew's neck and tore a slit several inches long. Thank God he missed the dangerous veins. He was rushed to the ER and they were able to care for him and he was ok. But, it could have been much worse if the attack was 1-2 inches over.
Chow's are known for this.
 
mimimama5 said:
yet another terrible tragedy, I do so hope the baby girl recovers! I can't imagine how terrifying this was for both mother and baby. I would love to understand the motivation in the dogs. I feel like if we could understand what causes them to snatch and bite babies, we could prevent it from happening. As some of you know, I own several large breed powerful dogs, and I am mother to preschoolers. For me, I can honestly say I dont forget what my dogs could be capable of. My little children are never never in the same place as the dogs at the same time. MY bigger children help care for the dogs,never without adult supervision though. It seems to be something about small babies and toddlers that the dogs in these stories are attracted to. We employ every safety method imaginable including door locks, gates with unreachable latches, and a seperate fenced play yard. More than anything, I think good obedience training is key. I expect my dogs to respond the first time I ask for a command, but it is NOT a fail proof system. I would love to hear what others think motivates these attacks. Please lets not get into a bad breed mean breed vicious killer breed debate, I think we have been there and done that. What is it about babies and toddlers that is so attractive to these animals, and why do they attack? Thanks y'all.
Click to expand...

Prey drive..all dogs have it to a certain extent, some breeds more than others. A small child or baby that emits crying or shrieking stimulates the prey drive...so does a child running away.

The same impetus that drives a dog to get excited over a squeaky toy...I know its awful to read...but animals are animals and I truely think that the farther we get away from an agricultural society, as we had 50 -100 years ago...the more we have a population that has no knowledge of, well how animals function...in a nutshell, too many Lassie programs and not enough real life.

My niece just adopted a 20 month old mix...and I am nervously trying to pass along all I can send her way to keep her and the kids safe. Sweet dog...but all animals have "triggers."

Number ONE rule I passed on was , NEVER ever leave any sized dog alone or unsupervised with a child...
 
When my brother separated from his wife, he was staying at his neighbor's house..
I was there to take him to the hospital for a check up (broke his leg) and had my daughter along (13 months at the time) she was on the floor playing with a basketball and his ex wife came thru the backdoor because she didn't know anyone was there.. and when she was coming in, she let their german shepherd in and it went right up to my daughter and bit her in the face. This is the SAME dog who out of nowhere bit my 9 year old son in the face a couple months before when we stopped in to trick or treat one night.
I wanted to kill the dang dog.. but even more so, I wanted to smack them around for still having the dog. Their daughters would antagonize the crap out of this dog and they were irresponsible pet owners... so it really wasn't the dog's fault.
Luckily both only had cuts on their face.. my daughter's 4 now and still has the scar from it
 
Linda7NJ said:
I think a big part of it is no early socialization around infants and children.

A dog needs to learn early on....if he hasn't been properly socialized and trained...then I would be especially wary.

I also believe adults needs to be supervising every single second a dog is with a child. I've seen many people beat their dogs silly for simply giving a warning growl at a toddler yanking on it's ear, tail etc... I think the child in that situation should be corrected and the dog protected. It's a respect thing, all the way around.
Click to expand...

Socialization is an absolute must for any dog, particularly powerful dogs. Small children are the size of "prey" and the diaper smells are enticing to dogs, and you are absolutely correct that no little one should ever be alone with anything that can hurt the baby.



Kimberlyd125 said:
But, some breeds are more likely to attack than others. IMO

No matter how you raise a pit or socialize it, there is a great chance they will turn on you or someone else. It's in their instincts that have been bred it them for years.

I'm an animal lover but I would never let a pit, a pit mix, or a chow around my child. Not worth the risk IMO.
Click to expand...

There are actually statistics that show that the majority of pits NEVER attack or turn on humans. Their breeding is to attack other dogs, not humans!

Having said that, I am in complete and total agreement with your statement......I agree so much I've bolded it!

Has anyone else looked at the picture of the dog? That dog looks NOTHING like a pit!
 
A dog is as smart or as stupid as its owner. I have two bull dogs. I tell them what to do and they do it, they have to have training. I got them as puppies and they are not allowed to be violent, if they growl at a little kid or someone I invite into my house, they get punished, not by hitting them, but by having to stay flat on the ground until they clam down. I hope the baby makes a full recovery and the parents teach the child not to be afraid of dogs.
 
Ok, so what I meant by I would never let my child around a pit, a pit mix, or a chow is this.

Of course all dog breeds can attack. But, some are more prone than others.
Such as a pit is more likely to attack than a lab. I know there are cases where a lab has attacked, but compared to a pit, there is no comparison. Same as a Chow is more likely to attack than a golden retriever.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is that some breeds will never be trusted around my children no matter who raised them or how they were raised.

Upthread, I gave an example of an attack by a chow on my nephew. Raised right. Always around kids. Never aggressive. But it ATTACKED none the less. Could have killed my nephew. And since he went for the throat, it is believed he was trying to kill my nephew. I have heard of tons of cases like this with chows.

So, Pit owners can think they know their dogs, think they raised them right…so on.
But, they can and often attack. Not worth the risk IMO to let children around them at all. I know a lot of people do, but I never would.

All it takes is one time.

JMO
 
I googled aggressive dog breeds...

http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds

1. Pit Bulls
2. Rottweilers
3. German Shepherds
4. Huskies
5. Alaskan Malamutes
6. Doberman Pinschers
7. Chow Chow
8. Presa Canario
9. Boxer
10. Dalmatian



http://www.ehow.com/about_6733457_dangerous-aggressive-dog-breeds.html
Snipped:
Top Offenders
Certain breeds commonly feature on lists of most aggressive or most dangerous. The pit bull and rottweiler, as mentioned, sit at the top of these lists in the majority of cases. Third on the list for most "dangerous" breed is the German shepherd, according to PetsDo’s list using information from the Humane Society, American Veterinary Medical Association and the CDC. Huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers and chow chows feature on this list as well. Rounding out the top ten are the Presa Canario, boxer and Dalmatian.
 
Kimberlyd125 said:
I googled aggressive dog breeds...

http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds

1. Pit Bulls
2. Rottweilers
3. German Shepherds
4. Huskies
5. Alaskan Malamutes
6. Doberman Pinschers
7. Chow Chow
8. Presa Canario
9. Boxer
10. Dalmatian



http://www.ehow.com/about_6733457_dangerous-aggressive-dog-breeds.html
Snipped:
Top Offenders
Certain breeds commonly feature on lists of most aggressive or most dangerous. The pit bull and rottweiler, as mentioned, sit at the top of these lists in the majority of cases. Third on the list for most "dangerous" breed is the German shepherd, according to Pet Dogs list using information from the Humane Society, American Veterinary Medical Association and the CDC. Huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers and chow chows feature on this list as well. Rounding out the top ten are the Presa Canario, boxer and Dalmatian.
Click to expand...


I disagree. While they certainly are capable of causing the most damage, I don't believe they are any more aggressive than any other dog.

I own two dobermans, excellent dogs. I doubt I will ever own any other breed. They're smart and super easy to train, loyal, protective and live to please. Sadly, those wonderful traits can be misused in the hands of the wrong person.

Owning a large dog is like owning a gun...great to have, but for Pete's sake keep both away from children unless you are RIGHT there supervising.

I think very small dogs are, by far, more aggressive...they just can't do the same amount of devastating damage.
 
I hope this baby will recover.
I find it interesting that they identify the dog as pitbull, yet in the article it says it's a mixed breed, so why not be listing the other breeds? Why not say "a dog" IMO saying pit bull in the headline is to sensationalize it.

Reading that the dog didn't have a rabies shot, makes me jump to a conclusion that the owner of the dog is irresponsible, if he won't see that his dog gets the shots that they need, I would not expect that the dog get's training/socialization that they need either.

The baby was on the floor and the dog came into the house unexpectedly.
Dog ownership means being a responsible pet owner, sadly many people just don't get it.
Having a baby also takes responsibility. Having a baby at a home with any dog and placing them on the floor/vulnerable is setting up a perfect storm situation.
We have a mixed breed dog and one of the breeds is pit, I would never allow someone to come to our home and place their baby on the floor. He has never shown aggression but the risk is to great, not because of the pit, it's because he's a dog.

VB
 
Vegas Bride said:
I hope this baby will recover.
I find it interesting that they identify the dog as pitbull, yet in the article it says it's a mixed breed, so why not be listing the other breeds? Why not say "a dog" IMO saying pit bull in the headline is to sensationalize it.

Reading that the dog didn't have a rabies shot, makes me jump to a conclusion that the owner of the dog is irresponsible, if he won't see that his dog gets the shots that they need, I would not expect that the dog get's training/socialization that they need either.

The baby was on the floor and the dog came into the house unexpectedly.
Dog ownership means being a responsible pet owner, sadly many people just don't get it.
Having a baby also takes responsibility. Having a baby at a home with any dog and placing them on the floor/vulnerable is setting up a perfect storm situation.
We have a mixed breed dog and one of the breeds is pit, I would never allow someone to come to our home and place their baby on the floor. He has never shown aggression but the risk is to great, not because of the pit, it's because he's a dog.

VB
Click to expand...

The absence of the rabies shot, and the fact that the dog dragged the baby off into the yard and had to be beaten to release the baby tells me that this owner did not have proper control over his animal, nor did he bother to follow through with what most dog owners would consider to be very basic responsibility: yearly shots and vet visits. I've stated before that the first lesson my pit was taught was to "drop it." When we say those words, my dog will open his mouth and release whatever he has in his jaws......he gets rewarded so much for dropping it that his obedience is instant.

Kimberlyd125 said:
I googled aggressive dog breeds...

http://www.petsdo.com/blog/top-ten-10-most-dangerous-dog-breeds

1. Pit Bulls
2. Rottweilers
3. German Shepherds
4. Huskies
5. Alaskan Malamutes
6. Doberman Pinschers
7. Chow Chow
8. Presa Canario
9. Boxer
10. Dalmatian



http://www.ehow.com/about_6733457_dangerous-aggressive-dog-breeds.html
Snipped:
Top Offenders
Certain breeds commonly feature on lists of most aggressive or most dangerous. The pit bull and rottweiler, as mentioned, sit at the top of these lists in the majority of cases. Third on the list for most "dangerous" breed is the German shepherd, according to PetsDo’s list using information from the Humane Society, American Veterinary Medical Association and the CDC. Huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers and chow chows feature on this list as well. Rounding out the top ten are the Presa Canario, boxer and Dalmatian.
Click to expand...



From the link you provided: The number of bites, attacks and deaths by dogs in the United States is usually blamed on a few dog breeds that are believed by many to be dangerous or naturally aggressive, such as the pit bull and the rottweiler. In many cases, this is due to the high incidence of reporting focusing on those breeds compared to dog bites from other breeds. Any dog may bite a person, regardless of breed.

Read more: Dangerous and Aggressive Dog Breeds | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6733457_dangerous-aggressive-dog-breeds.html#ixzz0w9NCpPIV


I'm not going to argue with you that some pits can and do attack and maul humans. I know that pits, as well as some other breeds you've mentioned, have been involved in attacks. There is a legitimate concern as to how many dogs identified as pits are in reality pit bulls. As your link states, some of the problem has to do with the attention these breeds get when there is an attack. In the original article about this poor baby, the photo of the dog shows an animal that is clearly very "un" pit like. However, as Vegas Bride has pointed out, the other breeds that came together to form this dog aren't mentioned, it is just lumped into the data as a pit bull attack.

Pits have very strong jaws. It is understood that their bites will cause more damage than the bite of a dog with a smaller, weaker jaw.

We need more studies done on what percentage of these breeds "snap" and attack humans. For instance, if there are one million pit bulls in USA, and 5 of them attack a human, that is an extremely small percentage of pits.
 
Shepherds used to be number one in the 80's when every yahoo decided to cash in because the breed was popular. Sure, socialization is key. So is breeding though. I tend to think that pits are most often vilified because there are SO MANY of them and because they are often bred by well, idiots. I mean who thinks it's a good idea to breed pits? There are only, IDK, ten BILLION of them in every shelter.... If I am not mistaken, isn't one of the major breed registries for pits also one that accepts dogs like "labradoodles?"

Before anyone grabs their torch, there is a pit bull in my family. He's a sweetie. Wouldn't trust him with the laundry, though. That goes with any of our other dogs. Children need to be closely supervised around all dogs until 5 or so. Dog bites often occur in children 4 and under.
 
Powerful dogs must be trained and trained well. Chows, if not well-trained usually turn into one-owner dogs and can be very protective of that owner. I've owned 7 chows and only had one (which I got from another person) that would bite or act aggressive. The others were all submissive dogs.

You have to be able to control them. Same for any large dog as there is no room for error if they bite.

Meanest dog I've ever seen was a chihuahua.
 
reportertype said:
Powerful dogs must be trained and trained well. Chows, if not well-trained usually turn into one-owner dogs and can be very protective of that owner. I've owned 7 chows and only had one (which I got from another person) that would bite or act aggressive. The others were all submissive dogs.

You have to be able to control them. Same for any large dog as there is no room for error if they bite.

Meanest dog I've ever seen was a chihuahua.
Click to expand...

You must have met my girl, Tazzie.

 
My ma had a vicious Chihuahua as a child. She always says he had a Napoleon complex.
 
Tazzie is so cute!

Well, to be fair to Winkie, I was about 4 and I'm sure he seemed meaner (and bigger) than he was. But boy he was territorial about everything and would not hesitate to bite the carp outta ya!
 
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