Marty
10-29-2006, 10:29 PM
Albany,OR -- Want to hear a scary story, just in time for Halloween?
Last week, a pit bull and her two puppies got loose in Newberg and killed a wallaroo. The wallaroo, an exotic pet that looks like a miniature kangaroo, was in its backyard when the pit bulls broke through a fence and attacked it.
Now, every time I write about pit bulls, I get it with both barrels.
Doesn’t matter what I say, whether I promote the breed or say something negative. The truth is that most pit bulls are wonderful, non-aggressive dogs that are excellent for families and great with children. What went wrong here that plays into the not-usually-true stereotype of pit bulls as dangerous dogs?
• The dogs had been riding in a car with the mother of their owner.
Now, this mother may have normally taken great care of the dogs — we don’t know from the news accounts. But there’s always a risk when you allow other people to take your dogs. The other person is unlikely to know how your dogs behave in a given situation. Maybe these dogs loved to jump out of the car and run, something that the owner knew and could control, but the mother didn’t.
You are always responsible for your dogs’ behavior, whether they are with you or not. If there is any possibility that they cannot be handled by another person, they should not be. Ideally, your dogs will be so social and so well-trained that they can go on an outing with another family member, but in this case something went wrong.
Don’t let it go wrong with your pets.
Also remember that other people may have different levels of physical strength that mean they can’t handle larger or stronger dogs.
Children, teen-agers and the elderly may be no match for a pair of Rottweilers. I’ve seen even one larger dog be too much for a single person to manage — and I’ve actually been in the situation of having too much dog to handle safely myself. Obedience training can help a great deal, but if your dogs are not polite leash-walkers, only let them go out with someone who can handle them.
• Three dogs together constitute a pack. Two dogs may be fine together, but the presence of a third dog changes the group dynamics.
Sometimes three dogs can be more aggressive together than any of them singly would lead you to believe.
Some people are able to handle three larger or stronger dogs like pit bulls, but they are not the norm. You may disagree with me; I’m just speaking from my observations. People, please, if you aren’t willing to provide training, care and around-the-clock supervision of your dogs don’t have three (I’d actually prefer you consider a cat instead, which doesn’t need the training or constant watching).
• Owners must take responsibility for your dogs at all times. I was struck by the comments of the pit bulls’ owner in this story. The woman, Sarah Henry, is concerned that her dogs will be euthanized for their attack. “They did a horrible thing,” Henry said, “but is it fair to kill three for one?“
It’s not fair to kill these dogs. It will be a crying shame if these dogs are euthanized for their violent behavior. The dogs are not to blame — the fault lies with the breeders, who did not breed for good temperment, and the owner, who did not have her dogs under her control at all times. The sad thing is, the owner has not proven to be able to handle her dogs and a terrible thing happened. Should those dogs be returned to her? I don’t believe they should. Should they be rehomed with someone who can better handle them? That would be nice, but the truth is that most responsible dog owners are unwilling to take on the burden of three dogs who have killed another animal.
The only hope, in my opinion, is that a professional animal behaviorist finds the dogs could be safely rehomed, probably separately, and a top-notch breed rescue takes on the task of finding them new, appropriate homes. (However, those same breed rescues are usually full of great dogs who have never shown any violent tendencies whatsoever.)
Pit bulls should not be banned — no breed should. That’s a stupid reaction to the problem, because you simply can’t eliminate dangerous dogs that way. Plus, it’s pretty darn tough to tell what’s a pit bull and what’s not — many terriers resemble pits. I’ve seen people think boxers were pit bulls! And many “mutts” could have pit bull blood in them — who determines what is enough pit mix to consistute a threat?
Instead, local governments need to devote resources to ensuring every dog in their municipality is licensed and that there is a no-tolerance policy for aggressive behavior. If you see dogs outside, off leash, call the police immediately. If a dog in your neighborhood has attacked or threatened other pets, report the behavior. And if you have a dog that could be dangerous to other animals, be darn sure it’s under your control, preferably by leash, at all times. It’s by being responsible pet owners and citizens that we can stop the number of scary dog attack stories and get rid of the threat of breed-specific legislation.
http://www.dhonline.com/articles/2006/10/29/news/home_garden/home03.txt
Comments at the end of the thread...
Last week, a pit bull and her two puppies got loose in Newberg and killed a wallaroo. The wallaroo, an exotic pet that looks like a miniature kangaroo, was in its backyard when the pit bulls broke through a fence and attacked it.
Now, every time I write about pit bulls, I get it with both barrels.
Doesn’t matter what I say, whether I promote the breed or say something negative. The truth is that most pit bulls are wonderful, non-aggressive dogs that are excellent for families and great with children. What went wrong here that plays into the not-usually-true stereotype of pit bulls as dangerous dogs?
• The dogs had been riding in a car with the mother of their owner.
Now, this mother may have normally taken great care of the dogs — we don’t know from the news accounts. But there’s always a risk when you allow other people to take your dogs. The other person is unlikely to know how your dogs behave in a given situation. Maybe these dogs loved to jump out of the car and run, something that the owner knew and could control, but the mother didn’t.
You are always responsible for your dogs’ behavior, whether they are with you or not. If there is any possibility that they cannot be handled by another person, they should not be. Ideally, your dogs will be so social and so well-trained that they can go on an outing with another family member, but in this case something went wrong.
Don’t let it go wrong with your pets.
Also remember that other people may have different levels of physical strength that mean they can’t handle larger or stronger dogs.
Children, teen-agers and the elderly may be no match for a pair of Rottweilers. I’ve seen even one larger dog be too much for a single person to manage — and I’ve actually been in the situation of having too much dog to handle safely myself. Obedience training can help a great deal, but if your dogs are not polite leash-walkers, only let them go out with someone who can handle them.
• Three dogs together constitute a pack. Two dogs may be fine together, but the presence of a third dog changes the group dynamics.
Sometimes three dogs can be more aggressive together than any of them singly would lead you to believe.
Some people are able to handle three larger or stronger dogs like pit bulls, but they are not the norm. You may disagree with me; I’m just speaking from my observations. People, please, if you aren’t willing to provide training, care and around-the-clock supervision of your dogs don’t have three (I’d actually prefer you consider a cat instead, which doesn’t need the training or constant watching).
• Owners must take responsibility for your dogs at all times. I was struck by the comments of the pit bulls’ owner in this story. The woman, Sarah Henry, is concerned that her dogs will be euthanized for their attack. “They did a horrible thing,” Henry said, “but is it fair to kill three for one?“
It’s not fair to kill these dogs. It will be a crying shame if these dogs are euthanized for their violent behavior. The dogs are not to blame — the fault lies with the breeders, who did not breed for good temperment, and the owner, who did not have her dogs under her control at all times. The sad thing is, the owner has not proven to be able to handle her dogs and a terrible thing happened. Should those dogs be returned to her? I don’t believe they should. Should they be rehomed with someone who can better handle them? That would be nice, but the truth is that most responsible dog owners are unwilling to take on the burden of three dogs who have killed another animal.
The only hope, in my opinion, is that a professional animal behaviorist finds the dogs could be safely rehomed, probably separately, and a top-notch breed rescue takes on the task of finding them new, appropriate homes. (However, those same breed rescues are usually full of great dogs who have never shown any violent tendencies whatsoever.)
Pit bulls should not be banned — no breed should. That’s a stupid reaction to the problem, because you simply can’t eliminate dangerous dogs that way. Plus, it’s pretty darn tough to tell what’s a pit bull and what’s not — many terriers resemble pits. I’ve seen people think boxers were pit bulls! And many “mutts” could have pit bull blood in them — who determines what is enough pit mix to consistute a threat?
Instead, local governments need to devote resources to ensuring every dog in their municipality is licensed and that there is a no-tolerance policy for aggressive behavior. If you see dogs outside, off leash, call the police immediately. If a dog in your neighborhood has attacked or threatened other pets, report the behavior. And if you have a dog that could be dangerous to other animals, be darn sure it’s under your control, preferably by leash, at all times. It’s by being responsible pet owners and citizens that we can stop the number of scary dog attack stories and get rid of the threat of breed-specific legislation.
http://www.dhonline.com/articles/2006/10/29/news/home_garden/home03.txt
Comments at the end of the thread...