Got this email today..

Question:
 Sunday morning St. John's resident Sue Martin, was walking her quiet Australian Shepherd, Misty, on a leash around Quidi Vidi Lake. This was a normal part of her weekend routine. Suddenly, without warning, two pit bulls (off leash) ran full-speed at her and her dog. The vicious attack on the smaller dog lasted approx 4 full minutes, as Sue screamed for help, punched and kicked with full strength as the dogs grabbed her pet by the throat, back and side.

When the pit bulls' owner materialized, he also tried to fight off his own dogs. Finally the shepherd escaped and ran into the hills, bleeding. Sue, the owner, shaken and bruised turned to run to get her dog and when she looked back the owner (in his 30s) was loading his pit bulls quickly into his black car. In the fright and panic, she did not get a license plate. An hour later, she found her dog in shock, bloodied.

After over 4 hours at the vet clinic in emergency surgery, Misty, the Australian Shepherd was called a "very lucky dog" and not the first dog to be attacked by pit bulls in the city this year. The pit bulls' had torn the neck muscles completely away, leaving puncture marks straight through (now a draining tube sits where the dog was savaged). Stitches all over her body, the usually happy-go-lucky shepherd narrowly escaped death. Sue was left with a terrifying memory, and is herself incredibly traumatized, having escaped with scratches, bruises and over $600 in vet bills.

Ms Martin wants to find the owner of these pit bulls, and WARN people walking around the lake. She said she was thankful her 10-month old grandson wasn't with her, as she often takes him around the lake with the dog. The RNC are already involved and media has been contacted. Please pass this along to warn others.

We are appealing to anyone who may have been at Quidi Vidi at 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning to please contact us with any information they may have about these two pit bulls (white and black in colour) and their cowardly and irresponsible owner.
This is so upsetting..
I'm so scared they're going to ban them.. I hope not.. stupid freaking owners!! :mad:
Imagine, just leaving someone like that! :(

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I have been involved in a couple of anti Pit Bull threads on this forum and I wasn't going to mention this incident that just happened to me this weekend, but now that this thread is here, I am going to post it. I was walking in Lucky Schoals Park in the Atlanta area last Saturday morning, as I do every day. I was half way around the park on the 10 foot wide paved path that goes thru the woods most of the way, and as I rounded a corner there stands two of the meanest Pit Bulls I have ever seen:yikes: . The owner has them both on one of those choke collars that look like razor wire turned backwards and they are both snarling and growling at Smokey and me. He is about 6'3" and had all to do to pull these two dogs off the path before they could get to Smokey .
My heart was in my throat and I kept thinking that if one of those chains or collars snap, my dog and I are dead meat, cause these dogs were in the attack mode for sure.. I grabbed for my can of Halt and held it in my hand and I yelled at the owner that if those dogs came near me, they were getting maced....( pepper spray but he didn't know). He just looked at me with this wise a$$ attitude and I continued walking and kept looking back until I was sure that they wouldn't come after me. I was going to walk another lap around the park, but after that incident, I changed my mind and started heading for my car in the parking lot. As I walked back to my car I met a couple of the people that I see every day walking their dogs, and everyone of them said " Watch out for the two Pit Bulls on the path, they are Dangerous!!!!" We all headed for our cars and got out of there while are dogs were still in one piece!!!! Dogs like that shouldn't be allowed in a Public Park..

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I have met some very nice pitbulls and I have met some very angry ones!
I am caught inbetween. I know pitbulls can make great pets they can also make poor pets.
What makes me upset and this is no matter what the breed is....People who know thier dogs are not friendly need to keep them confined. PERIOD.
Not off leash not in public places where trouble can start. Why people insist on being irresponsible about this is beyond me:confused:

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The dogs were probably wearing prong collars which are fine is the owner knows how to use them correctly. If the dogs were that DA the owner should have walked them separately so he could have more control over the dogs. I don't think they should be banished from the park just because they are DA. If the owner has them on a leash and has control then they aren't breaking any laws. But I still say he should probably walk them separately in the future.

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To me it sounds like these dogs are severely dog aggressive...as most pit bulls who attack other dogs are. It sounds like dog aggression in your case, too, Bob. :(
Not to be rude, but dog aggression and people aggression are two very different things.

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Ugh. I'm glad the Aussie is okay. Poor thing.

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The dogs were probably wearing prong collars which are fine is the owner knows how to use them correctly. If the dogs were that DA the owner should have walked them separately so he could have more control over the dogs. I don't think they should be banished from the park just because they are DA. If the owner has them on a leash and has control then they aren't breaking any laws. But I still say he should probably walk them separately in the future.
Why should innocent people walking their children and their dogs in a public park be terrorized by these two obviously very aggresive dogs with a reputation for attacking other dogs, just answer me that? The owner might lose control over them at any moment for one reason or another and then it will be just one more news story of another person(s) and their pets getting attacked by a Pit Bull. This owner looked like he was really struggling to keep these two 80-90 pound nasty looking animals from breaking lose. The numbers of aggresive Pit Bulls in the Atlanta area seems to be increasing every day. A guy I know in downtown Atlanta carrys a handgun with him now, when he walks his dogs , just in case....He told me he wouldn't hesitate to shoot an attacking dog. People shouldn't have to live like that, in fear.....

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I still cannot answer the question....why can people not just be reasponsible dog owners????????? :( :mad:

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To me it sounds like these dogs are severely dog aggressive...as most pit bulls who attack other dogs are. It sounds like dog aggression in your case, too, Bob. :(
Not to be rude, but dog aggression and people aggression are two very different things.
Yes, but the problem is, what do you do when one of these dog aggressive killers starts chewing on your dogs throat. I know what I am going to do, I am going to try and kill that animal any way I can before I let it kill my dog. :mad: This is when it turns into a dog vs people problem. I don't think there are too many people that are just going to stand there and watch their dog get ripped to shreds. So this Dog Aggressive vs People Aggressive debate, and one is less evil than the other is BS anyway... A Pit Bull goes after your dog, and a war has started.....

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If he has control of his dogs he is not breaking the law. If he walked them separately he wouldn't have any problem controling an 80 lb dog (which by the way is pretty big for a pit bull). Just ignore them and walk past.
There is no way that the dogs would tear into your dog if you both have control of your dogs.

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If he has control of his dogs he is not breaking the law. If he walked them separately he wouldn't have any problem controling an 80 lb dog (which by the way is pretty big for a pit bull). Just ignore them and walk past.
If you read my post, there were 2 Pit Bulls pulling as hard as they could. If you had someone pointing a rifle at you as you walked by, would you just calmly say to yourself, " Oh well, I will be Ok just as long as that person doesn't pull the trigger"... That was how the people that I talked to felt as they walked by these two dogs.
It reminded me of when I would see Seigfried and Roy at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. I had seen the show many times since I would get free tickets. At one spot in the show, they would walk one of the White Tigers out a runway, and around part of the audience. If that Tiger decided to jump into the audience, you were a sitting duck... That is exactly the way I felt walking past these two Pit Bulls Saturday....praying that one of the leashes or collers on either one of the two PB's or Smokey wouldn't fail... If one of them had, a trip to the Emergency Room for either Smokey or myself would have been a given in my opinion.

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I realize that there were two, but my first response was that I thought he should have walked his dogs separately. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to point a gun at someone, but it isn't illegal to walk a DA dog that is leashed and fully under control.
If we were to ban all DA dogs we would also have to ban all animal aggressive dogs because it isn't fair to put the life of a dog higher than any other pet. So beagles shouldn't go to the park b/c what if they got loose and killed a rabbit? What about the many, many dogs that chase cats? What if someone's cat was wondering in the park and such a dog got loose and killed it?
The fact remains that NOTHING happened to you and your dog. His dogs were leashed in accordance to the law and he wasn't legally doing anything wrong.

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very very sad about the aussie. i hope that at the very least they can pin down the owner and get the money for the vet bills. not that it undoes the harm, but it helps. sigh.
and come on, bob. tell me you've never seen a dog-aggressive or dog-reactive dog of another breed straining on its leash. i see 'em all the time. big dogs, little dogs, fluffy dogs, sleek dogs, bulky dogs. leash aggression especially is very common in dogs.

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PLEASE!!!! Lets not start another anti-pitt thread. The poor Aussie Squid!! Thats horrible. People need to be more responsible.
A rottie in our area attacked a woman and she got away b/c she bit it back. It will probably be PTS. :( And the last dog attack before that was a mix of somekind..but not pitt... I believe lab mix? NE way, not all dog attacks are from pitts.

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NE way, not all dog attacks are from pitts.
only the ones that count :rolleyes:

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only the ones that count :rolleyes:
I know eh? Makes me sick..
I mean I obviously feel awful for that poor lady and her Aussie.. they both must have been SO terrified.. :(
I just wish that man with the pits gets caught and actually gets some kind of charge or at the very least has to pay her vet bills..
I really hope it doesn't turn into more breed ban bull$h1t and focuses on dealing with these irresponsible dog owners.. :( :mad:

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I realize that there were two, but my first response was that I thought he should have walked his dogs separately. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to point a gun at someone, but it isn't illegal to walk a DA dog that is leashed and fully under control.
If we were to ban all DA dogs we would also have to ban all animal aggressive dogs because it isn't fair to put the life of a dog higher than any other pet. So beagles shouldn't go to the park b/c what if they got loose and killed a rabbit? What about the many, many dogs that chase cats? What if someone's cat was wondering in the park and such a dog got loose and killed it?
The fact remains that NOTHING happened to you and your dog. His dogs were leashed in accordance to the law and he wasn't legally doing anything wrong.
Not illegal to point a gun at someone, until you pull the trigger in most places. Yes this time the dice rolled in my favor, next time who knows......

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only the ones that count :rolleyes:
Story after story, day after day about Pit Bulls attcking people and dogs, and the same Charlie Brown defence.. Why are they always picking on us. . If these dogs didn't make a career out of attacking other dogs and people we wouldn't be discussing this subject or this OP.

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If people and the media didn't make a point of only reporting the pit bull attacks this breed wouldn't have such a bad reputation.
Do you live your life in fear everyday???? You really need to relax, Jesus! The guys dogs did not break their leashes. Do they have a history of breaking their leashes and going after people? If so then the guy should definitely not have his dogs in public, but if they don't have such a history then move to another park if you are so paranoid. He has every LEGAL right to be there, just like YOU! If you have a problem, walk your dog somewhere else because he is following the law. NOTHING happened to you!!!

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If people and the media didn't make a point of only reporting the pit bull attacks this breed wouldn't have such a bad reputation.
And if Pit Bulls didn't keep attacking people and dogs, the media would leave them alone like they do almost all the other breeds.

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It's not an exciting story unless it's a pitbull, so all the other dog attacks by other breeds don't get the publicity.

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It's not an exciting story unless it's a pitbull, so all the other dog attacks by other breeds don't get the publicity.
Possibly because when a Pit Bull gets through with their attack, someone or their pet is missing a face or throat, or is DOA at the ER.. I do admit that the press views stuff like that as "exciting".....

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Bob, you have every right to your opinion and I have every right to mine. We won't change eachother's minds. I'm going to repect your right and I hope you'll repect mine. I've got an exam to take soon and I really don't need the stress of an arguement.

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I agree Bob .... there are dogs and then there are DOGS ! I still think there should be more licensing laws .... dogs with CGCs pay less than those who can't pass it . Hit them in the pocket book and bad breeders won't breed ! Every dog should be registered... every breeder should be registered ! Years ago I paid yearly for for my dogs.... neutered/spayed so much , intact more . I doubt if 10% of dog owners ever paid .

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I agree with more licensing laws. It's getting right to the root of the problem, bad owners and poor breeding. But I think every breed could also benefit from more licensing laws.
I have a problem with people saying a certain breed of dog is more inherently evil than another. My grandparents had a doberman and a rottweiler when I was growing up. They were the sweetest dogs in the world, but they scared the sh** out of a lot of people. They never bite anyone, but they looked scary. People hated them because of that, and it makes me sad because they would never have hurt anyone. I can understand the pain a lot of responsible pit bull owners go through as people dispise their dog for something it has never done.

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It has something to do with the dogs as well. I've heard about a lot of dog attacks, and when Pit Bulls attack, they do DAMAGE. LOTS. They have more determination and strength than most other breeds. It's something HUMANS created by breeding for it. It's not a bad thing, it just makes them a breed best left to responsible, experienced owners.

I'm not saying that Pits are vicious killing machines, but in my opinion they ARE considerably more dangerous in the hands of an irresponsible owner than a "soft" breed like a Golden.

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sounds like the guy was being responsible, walking his dogs on a leash in a park. i wonder how many dogs don't get walked because of stuff just like this? poor pit-owner, just walkin his dogs and big ol' Bobsk8 just threatens him and his puppies with a can of mace! out of the blue. jeez.
how about just walking on by without having to puff up your chest Bob?
o and i hope Misty gets better. :(

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Something similiar to this happened to my puppy recently. I live in a neigbhorhood where the favored dog type is Pit bull or any other dog that people percieve as the mean, nasty, guarding type dog.
Anyways, as usual my roommates were telling me about a time when they did something "ignorant" and were apparently unaware of it. They were walking my puppy Pudges and they passed a pitbull chained up in someone's front yard. As they passed Pudges apparently really wanted to go check the dog out (like He always does, because he is curious puppy). So they just let go of the leash and let him walk up to the pit bull.
Fortunately this was a friendly pit bull and according to my roommate they made friends.
I'm just glad that my puppy met a friendly one, but I'm kind of upset they just let him run up without at least holding the other end of the leash so they could yank him away if the dog wasn't friendly.

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sounds like the guy was being responsible, walking his dogs on a leash in a park. i wonder how many dogs don't get walked because of stuff just like this? poor pit-owner, just walkin his dogs and big ol' Bobsk8 just threatens him and his puppies with a can of mace! out of the blue. jeez.
how about just walking on by without having to puff up your chest Bob?
o and i hope Misty gets better. :(
You didn't see these dogs, so don't give me any crap about this poor responsible dog owner out for a nice walk in the park.

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Story after story, day after day about Pit Bulls attcking people and dogs, and the same Charlie Brown defence.. Why are they always picking on us. . If these dogs didn't make a career out of attacking other dogs and people we wouldn't be discussing this subject or this OP.
my dogs got attacked tonight by an OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG. mushroom has puncture wounds all over his muzzle and his chin is swollen. he was dripping and drooling blood everywhere.

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Yes, but the problem is, what do you do when one of these dog aggressive killers starts chewing on your dogs throat. I know what I am going to do, I am going to try and kill that animal any way I can before I let it kill my dog. :mad: This is when it turns into a dog vs people problem. I don't think there are too many people that are just going to stand there and watch their dog get ripped to shreds. So this Dog Aggressive vs People Aggressive debate, and one is less evil than the other is BS anyway... A Pit Bull goes after your dog, and a war has started.....
As the owner of a dog - aggressive dog, I find your post offensive.
1.) My dog is not a "killer". She has not killed another dog and will never get the chance to, even if she wanted to.
2.) I agree; if an aggressive dog ran up to my dogs, I would beat the crap out of that dog.

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I agree Bob .... there are dogs and then there are DOGS ! I still think there should be more licensing laws .... dogs with CGCs pay less than those who can't pass it . Hit them in the pocket book and bad breeders won't breed ! Every dog should be registered... every breeder should be registered ! Years ago I paid yearly for for my dogs.... neutered/spayed so much , intact more . I doubt if 10% of dog owners ever paid .
The big thing in some of the major cities that I have lived in like New York and Miami and Atlanta, is for the 20 somethings to buy a Pit Bull or 2 so they can look Macho to their neighbors. The dog sits home all day by itself sometimes chained up in the back yard, they spend an hour with the dog(s) at night, don't train them at all. Now they walk the dog on the street or in parks and the dog is a holy terror to anyone that crosses it's path. Many of these dogs wind up abandoned or placed in the pound after the novelty wears off or the owner realizes that he can't even handle the dog anymore. An anti social Cocker Spaniel or Beagle is not quite the same thing as an Anti Social Pit Bull, as far as the danger factor to life and limb.

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nvr mind

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I am on the fence with Bobsk but agree with some of what hes saying. I don't believe any dog who is dog aggressive should be taken to public places. I have had a couple of scares with overly dog aggressive dogs at the place I walk where there are lots of other dog owners as well. Cai was attacked by a chow mix who was leashed and being walked by its owner who lost control and wasn't paying attention *sigh*. Dog charged at him full force and started attacking Cai. I fell over both of them landing on my shoulder thankfully in dirt and leaves. Needless to say I told the lady off and said that if her dog has issues than you shouldn't walk it here and few other not so nice things. There are other dogs who walk there that are aggressive that I try to avoid. A boer boel, bernese mountain dog, a GSD, Great dane, and maybe 1 or 2 more. I don't see them there often but I don't think these dogs have any business being there either when they are IMO. ANYTHING at any moment can happen and though an owner can be resposible there is that one time it takes to end that with a slip of the leash or snap of a collar and man is that scary when it is your dog being charged on the other end!

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sounds like the guy was being responsible, walking his dogs on a leash in a park. i wonder how many dogs don't get walked because of stuff just like this? poor pit-owner, just walkin his dogs and big ol' Bobsk8 just threatens him and his puppies with a can of mace! out of the blue. jeez.
how about just walking on by without having to puff up your chest Bob?
o and i hope Misty gets better. :(
Are you serious? If a person is walking two dogs that are extremely agresive?
How many people can hold back two pit bulls that least say weigh between 60-70 pounds each and never ever made a mistake and drop the leash? All it takes is one time, one mistake and the dog you are walking by them is either going to cost a lot in vet costs or is dead.
If you want to take the chance with your dog fine, but I would not, and obviously they are not the only ones who felt that way because the other dog owners who encountered the agresive dogs left the park also.

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my dogs got attacked tonight by an OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG. mushroom has puncture wounds all over his muzzle and his chin is swollen. he was dripping and drooling blood everywhere.
It is sad that this would not make the news, but if those pit bulls had attacked it most likely would have. What happened to your dogs was terrible. Any dog can attack. I would have still left the park that had the two big agresive dogs that wanted to attack my dog, regardless of there breed.

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You didn't see these dogs, so don't give me any crap about this poor responsible dog owner out for a nice walk in the park.
it simply doesn't matter if they were straining so hard that their veins were sticking out of the heads, sparks flying off the concrete from their nails clawing at the ground to get to you, they were leashed. they were controlled. he was being responsible. you got scared and "acted out" by threatening him and his dogs.

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Wow, this is so sad. It's difficult to understand the general fear surrounding pit bulls (justified or not) because there are very few of them in Australia. I think there has been BSL regarding pits for a long time in this country, and as a result there are less pits, but also unfortunately, there is less knowledge and the mistaken belief the BSL is acceptable or fair.
I feel for anyone in this thread that has had their dog attacked, or been attacked themselves, or frightened by an aggressive-appearing dog. It has never happened to me or my dogs, but when I was 11 I was chased down my street by a Rottweiler and it has made me permanently nervous about the breed, even though I know how unreasonable that is.
Any kind of vicious dog, or dog that attacks, is frightening and upsetting, and leaves a lasting impression. There are pits in Australia, but nowhere near as many as in the U.S.
Oh, and to finish up, the number one breed for bites here is the Blue Heeler. Far and away the number one. Because too many people get these working farm dogs and then leave them to languish in tiny back yards. If that was me I would bite someone, too. :)

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Are you serious? If a person is walking two dogs that are extremely agresive?
How many people can hold back two pit bulls that least say weigh between 60-70 pounds each and never ever made a mistake and drop the leash? All it takes is one time, one mistake and the dog you are walking by them is either going to cost a lot in vet costs or is dead.
If you want to take the chance with your dog fine, but I would not, and obviously they are not the only ones who felt that way because the other dog owners who encountered the agresive dogs left the park also.
That is exactly the point that I was trying to make and both I and the other people that I spoke to in the park this past weekend all had come to the same conclusion, that one mistake and there would be tragic consequences. I don't doubt that there are very friendly Pit Bulls that make great pets, but these 2 were the Pit Bulls from Hell... You could even see that the owner was nervous trying to control them. This is not something that you bring into a crowded public park full of children, dogs and babies in strollers...... A dangerous mix....

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it simply doesn't matter if they were straining so hard that their veins were sticking out of the heads, sparks flying off the concrete from their nails clawing at the ground to get to you, they were leashed. they were controlled. he was being responsible. you got scared and "acted out" by threatening him and his dogs.
OK mister tough guy, next time I get in a similar situation I will contact you and you can come here and protect me........:lol-sign:

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Wow, I've never had a problem with any aggressive dogs around Sadie. A friend of ours down the street has a couple of pit bulls. They seem like very nice dogs. But his yard is fenced with a privacy fence. I do see him walking them in the morning and evening every day. He has them on leashes and they walk along very nicely. Other dogs in the neighborhood that just run loose will follow them all down the street and back, but the pit bulls never even acknowledge that they've seen them.
I think that if you have an aggressive dog (not necessarily pit bulls, there are lots of aggressive dogs) that you need to be mindful of other people and their pets. If my dog was aggressive, I probably wouldn't take it to public places unless I was sure I could control it. JMO At the same time, those dogs need to be around people and other dogs too. But not at the risk of hurting someone or their pet. Tough one....

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so even though both of my evil man-eating pit bulls were latched onto that sheepdog last night, he walked away with wounds no worse than those he inflicted on my (leashed and under control) dog. and there were TWO of my dogs. and if they'd have really wanted to kill that dog, until that dog went down and stopped coming at them, i really couldn't have done much about it. so they must not have really wanted to hurt him badly even though they could not possibly have been given more provocation and reason to do so.
and even though they are 45 pounds and 55 pounds, and i'm all of 125 pounds (and a girl AND in flip-flops), i never dropped the leashes.
just sayin'.

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Your dogs are clearly very well socialized and did not want to attack the dog. That speaks a great deal about the great training you have done and socializing.
You are right, if they had wanted to hurt the other dog I am sure they could have, and that speaks to your good control, there temperament and training.
If you where the one walking past these two very agresive pit bulls with your two very friendly pitt bulls wouldn't you want to leave the park to make sure no accident could happen? I know the only owner I trust is myself, even then there is always room for human error.
I wish that all dog owners trained there dogs as well as yours, even shih tzus can have a mean temperament if they are not trained.

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Your dogs are clearly very well socialized and did not want to attack the dog. That speaks a great deal about the great training you have done and socializing.
You are right, if they had wanted to hurt the other dog I am sure they could have, and that speaks to your good control, there temperament and training.
If you where the one walking past these two very agresive pit bulls with your two very friendly pitt bulls wouldn't you want to leave the park to make sure no accident could happen? I know the only owner I trust is myself, even then there is always room for human error.
I wish that all dog owners trained there dogs as well as yours, even shih tzus can have a mean temperament if they are not trained.
I agree with you but unfortunately many owners shouldn't really have dogs since they don't train their dogs properly or even give them any attention. Why someone gets a dog and then hardly pays any attention to it is beyond me....

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I agree with you but unfortunately many owners shouldn't really have dogs since they don't train their dogs properly or even give them any attention. Why someone gets a dog and then hardly pays any attention to it is beyond me....
EXACTLY!!!!
And THAT is the actual problem! Even though I know what you mean.. that pits can cause more damage, in general, that other dogs, the BREED isn't the problem.. obviously they can be a wonderful pet.. as Elegy has proven to us all!
So getting rid of the breed will never be the answer..
What we need is laws to protect this breed from falling into the wrong hands.. like they so often do..

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My city passed a law not long ago that all pit bull owners have to carry 500,000 in liability insurance. They all have to be in a fence if outside and they can not be bred unless the breeder is registered (or something along those lines).
I really feel for pit bull owners, because as we know from people on here, the dogs can be great pets if the owner handles them correctly (training, etc.). I don't even have a pit bull and worry about what is going to happen to the breed eventually.

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I have to admit, I did not read through the whole thread..
I think keeping isolating a dog-aggressive dog from the rest of the world is not a solution. Take your dog out, put a muzzle on it.
T-Bone (my Pit-whatever-mix) got attacked for no reason by a black lab in a dog park. She had punctures all over her face. I was mad, but tried to keep calm.
A couple weeks later (different park) an owner with a horribly nervous Jack Russel Terrier entered the park. I asked her if her dog was aggressive and she said no, he was fine, he would always act like that when he was excited. I called T-Bone over, because I didn't trust the other dog. The JRT went straight after T-Bone, snarled and growled. T-Bone just sat to my feet. The owner did not manage to get her dog, which circled us, under control. T-Bone was so good, but started to growl after awhile. I tried to keep the JRT away from T-Bone and went in between them until the owner was able to grab their dog and leave. I had a serious talk with the owner.
A week ago, my husband and I walk along the beach. A couple walked by in a distance with their free roaming Mastiff. Now, I let T-Bone run free when I'm at the beach and nobody is in sight/ or I put her on a leash when I see people in a good distance. They didn't even bother to put their dog on the leash. He came over, sniffed T-Bone and tried to hump her. I pushed him away and yelled at the owner. It took them 2 more minutes to get to us and actually grab their dog. I went ballistic on them. I had it with irresponsible owners, I really had it.
T-Bone's best friend is Lilly, a toy- aggressive Doberman. She wears a muzzle. They play for hours and have a blast. Be responsible and don't deny your dog has a problem- work with it.

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so even though both of my evil man-eating pit bulls were latched onto that sheepdog last night, he walked away with wounds no worse than those he inflicted on my (leashed and under control) dog. and there were TWO of my dogs. and if they'd have really wanted to kill that dog, until that dog went down and stopped coming at them, i really couldn't have done much about it. so they must not have really wanted to hurt him badly even though they could not possibly have been given more provocation and reason to do so.

and even though they are 45 pounds and 55 pounds, and i'm all of 125 pounds (and a girl AND in flip-flops), i never dropped the leashes.

just sayin'.
Your dogs were defending themselves. Usually a defense attack isn't done with killing in mind. When Dakota had that incident with the stray dog, the moment the dog stopped fighting and hid, Dakota came back and tried to return to work like everything was fine. The difference I see between what happened to you and what Dakota did is that Luce and Shroom held back a LOT. That dog would have been in far worse shape than Mushroom had both of them really wanted to hurt him.

But I do understand how you feel. People always think the Pit Bulls are the instigators, even when they're really the victims.

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OK mister tough guy, next time I get in a similar situation I will contact you and you can come here and protect me........:lol-sign:
ok deal, ;)
there are a million pitties around here, and we see at least 2 a week while we're out walking. most are pulling when they see me and Chance, but they were pulling before they saw us too. if i see that the owner (usually it's a guy walkin a pit) is having a little too much fun watching his pit eyeball us, i say something to Chance about "what a good boy you are, not anything at all like THAT dog over THERE." their reaction is satisfying.

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The more I see of pit bulls, the more I see good pit bull owners and bad pit bull owners, both acquiring them for different reasons. I have a friend who has the sweetest pit bull on earth. Yes, he is dog aggressive and she is very careful to avoid places and situations where he might harm another animal. He doesn't appear to be people aggressive at all. Conversely, this summer, a small tract of woods separated me from people who had two young pit bulls chained to a fence day in and day out. They were becoming so strong and so agitated, I just figued it was a matter of time before they pulled a fence post down. Several times I went toward them and their conditions were deplorable. There never seemed to be any human interaction with them. One was really mean as the summer wore on and the other appeared to be begging for somebody to pay attention to him. They are both gone now. Animal control took the mean one away when he bit a young girl early one morning after his moronic owner turned him lose for his regular singular run, safety of others be damned. If you ask me, they should have carted this unfortunate dog's owner away instead. Shortly afterwards, the second dog was removed, as he howled day and night, out there alone in the mud of a very wet summer. Yes, I was the one who reported him. So what separates my friend's sweet pit bull from the two pit bulls owned by an *******? It's not too hard to guess.

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The more I see of pit bulls, the more I see good pit bull owners and bad pit bull owners, both acquiring them for different reasons. I have a friend who has the sweetest pit bull on earth. Yes, he is dog aggressive and she is very careful to avoid places and situations where he might harm another animal. He doesn't appear to be people aggressive at all. Conversely, this summer, a small tract of woods separated me from people who had two young pit bulls chained to a fence day in and day out. They were becoming so strong and so agitated, I just figued it was a matter of time before they pulled a fence post down. Several times I went toward them and their conditions were deplorable. There never seemed to be any human interaction with them. One was really mean as the summer wore on and the other appeared to be begging for somebody to pay attention to him. They are both gone now. Animal control took the mean one away when he bit a young girl early one morning after his moronic owner turned him lose for his regular singular run, safety of others be damned. If you ask me, they should have carted this unfortunate dog's owner away instead. Shortly afterwards, the second dog was removed, as he howled day and night, out there alone in the mud of a very wet summer. Yes, I was the one who reported him. So what separates my friend's sweet pit bull from the two pit bulls owned by an *******? It's not too hard to guess.
The part that bothers me when I read it is the claim that a Pit Bull is dog aggressive but not people aggressive like that is OK. It is not OK as far as I am concerned. It's like saying something is child aggressive, but you are and adult so you shouldn't be worried since it probably won't attack you. If a dog is dog aggressive and you are walking your dog, then it is a threat to your safety as well as your dog's safety. That is of course, if you are going to try and protect your dog from being attacked rather than dropping the leash and running away to save your own butt.

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A pit was ORIGINALLY bred to 'other animal' aggressive.. that doesn't mean that pits now have to be! A retriever was originally bred to retrieve.. but I bet if you trained it you could throw toy after toy and it woulnd't move! :) Breeds evolve.. and if there were only reputable breeders breeding pits and only good owners owning them they would no longer be animal aggressive.. but that's not happening because no matter how many people mess with the breed and cause harm and death to other dogs, pets and people, the law does nothing!
And if the breed was banned do you really think these terrible people would not move on to another breed?? They most certainly would and have!
The solution clearly is NOT a breed ban.. the people need to be charged.. not the breed destroyed!

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A pit was ORIGINALLY bred to 'other animal' aggressive.. that doesn't mean that pits now have to be! A retriever was originally bred to retrieve.. but I bet if you trained it you could throw toy after toy and it woulnd't move! :) Breeds evolve.. and if there were only reputable breeders breeding pits and only good owners owning them they would no longer be animal aggressive.. but that's not happening because no matter how many people mess with the breed and cause harm and death to other dogs, pets and people, the law does nothing!
And if the breed was banned do you really think these terrible people would not move on to another breed?? They most certainly would and have!
The solution clearly is NOT a breed ban.. the people need to be charged.. not the breed destroyed!
I have a mixed breed but I think there must be some part of her genetic background that hunted things like squirrels. If Smokey sees a squirrel she goes bonkers. No amount of me saying "stay", or "do you want a treat" or here's a T-bone steak would you like that" or anything else switches her focus from concentrating 100% on the squirrel. Just as people that have herding dogs know, their dogs seem to have a natural instinct to want to herd. Dog aggressive breeds would be inclined to to the same thing with other dogs in my opinion. Why do some people think that basic instinct and natural tendencies apply to only the good traits but never the not so good ones? :confused:

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Basic instinct does apply. Breeds exist because people have focused on certain basic instincts, i.e. hunting(prey drive) and herding, to make them stronger. I would say the only "bad" trait is dog aggression, which in a lot of circumstances could be completely avoided with proper training and socialization.
Btw, I say dog aggression is a "bad" trait because dog agressive dogs can be very hard to handle, and it really has no advantages except for those who wish to fight their dogs.
Prey drive has an advantage, it helps a dog to hunt for the hunters. Herding drive helps farmers herd cattle and sheep, etc.
PS: I don't really think dog aggression is truly a "basic instinct." Dogs came frome wolves. Wolves live in packs. How would these packs survive if they were fighting with each other all the time? It seems to me that dog aggression is a human invention.

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Why is it that dozens of intact male pit bulls can be shown all together and not have any incidents? If the breed is uncontrolably DA then that wouldn't be possible. I think given time in the hands of good reponsible breeders dog aggression could eventually be bred out. Pit bulls aren't the only breed known to be DA btw.

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I have an update on the pit attack that happened here.. and it's actually good news! :) Well as good as can be anyway..
I heard it on the news this morning..
The man who owns the dogs came forward and confessed.. he's awaiting trial with charges against him for having dogs off leash in a leash only area.. and something else I'm not sure of.. maybe leaving the scene?
Anyway.. I think it's great that something is actually being done.. and happy that the man at least had the decency to own up to his wrong doings! Hopefully this will show people that you can't get away with these thing! :)

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Bump... :)

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I have a mixed breed but I think there must be some part of her genetic background that hunted things like squirrels. If Smokey sees a squirrel she goes bonkers.
Does your dog also viciously attack people and try to kill them?
No?
See--dogs CAN be animal aggressive and not people aggressive. :)

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are we really going to get into this fight again? :rolleyes:

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I have an update on the pit attack that happened here.. and it's actually good news! :) Well as good as can be anyway..
I heard it on the news this morning..
The man who owns the dogs came forward and confessed.. he's awaiting trial with charges against him for having dogs off leash in a leash only area.. and something else I'm not sure of.. maybe leaving the scene?
Anyway.. I think it's great that something is actually being done.. and happy that the man at least had the decency to own up to his wrong doings! Hopefully this will show people that you can't get away with these thing! :)
Squidbert, that's such awesome news! I'm glad the guy at least came forward--even if he is a crappy, crappy dog owner for letting his dogs run loose like that where they could hurt the poor Aussie.