Posted on 05/02/2007 11:23:42 AM PDT by Chgogal
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — This is a dog story.
It's about a plucky little Jack Russell terrier named George, who stood like a giant against two marauding pit bulls and gave his own life to save five kids from the steel-trap jaws and razor-sharp teeth of the vicious attack machines.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
No, I am saying that if you face a situation that you describe you have a perfect right to shoot the dog--SO LONG AS YOU'RE BEING ATTACKED--attacked means that you're not on your neighbor's property unless invited, that you're not exacerbating the situation of a dog protecting what it perceives as its territory, and that if it is merely barking at you as you pass by you don't perceive that than more than it is: a warning.
A google search on pit bulls killing children turns up pages and pages of stories about such deaths. Usually neighbors said that they were such sweet dogs, with no indication that they would kill. These and a few other breeds are simply unpredictable and can and do suddenly become death machines. They should be outlawed in populated areas.
...besides, dog’s are the most domesticated animal in the world. They have been around humankind for an estimated 50,000 years as helpers and protectors—far long enough to rid the species of innate “wild” behavior. But dogs can revert to their instincts and a dog (any dog) is only as good as its owner’s training. Allow it to play bite, encourage it’s natural aggression to protect you, fail to discipline it for misbehavior, or abuse it, and you’re going to have a bad dog on your hands. Treat with respect and kindness with a firm, trained hand and you’ll have the kind of best friend that will willingly lay down its life for you and your family.
An aggressive breed can be controlled through owner-dominance, and an owner putting the dog in its place (last on the totem pole of the family)... Our dog is in obedience class with a pit bull terrier and we can see that the owners do not have control over the dog. The dog does not know its place... This could have disastrous consequences in the future.
Yep, it’s the owners.
More wild exaggeration from moonbat dog haters! Petey, the Lil' Rascal star, was a pitbull; Buster Brown's dog was a pitbutll, Gen. Patton's "Willie" was a pitbull, the Target store dog is a pitbull, "Meatball" of Baa-Baa Black Sheep was a pitbull, "Daddy," Ceasar Milan's dog on National Geographic Channel's "Dog Whisperer" is a pitbull (he has several others too)...the difference in all cases is that these dogs were actors in the hands of competent trainers. Those who cannot control these kinds of dogs shouldn't own them.
We rescued an adult male JRT late last summer. Nearly everyone we know offered unsolicited opinions (my least favorite kind) about the breed. Most of which were negative. And incorrect. Or at least they have been in terms of our little fellow.
I will say that JRT’s should be in the hands of experienced owners. In addition to being loving, energetic, strong willed and funny, he’s probably got an IQ of 180 or so. Meaning, one has to speak dog and know how to stand up to the canine version of a linebacker or ‘one’ may end up under their JRT’s control.
We admire his stubborn streak and usually find it amusing. We also know how to override his ideas (without the use of force) so things have been fine. He doesn’t challenge, he tests us. A lot. Many owners want more submissive, low key dogs. Nothing wrong with that. Though I think there are far better breeds for people with those aims.
I feel that I should not be forced to make those decisions about animals in a suburban neighborhood. What happens if no one is there to defend a child? Shouldn’t kids be able to go outside and play without fear of animal attacks? When these dogs get out of their enclosures, as the often do, they defend their territory as you say. What if a child wonders into that unfenced yard, as children do when they play?
Dogs have a keen sense of an owner’s disposition at any given time. An aggressive breed in a household of an abusive husband (as is the case in our dog training class) can lead to serious problems that we read about constantly. My dog knows when I am angry, sad, happy, etc... Your disposition and personality can affect the way a dog behaves. My dog will absolutely not obey any training commands if I am frustrated at her lack of obedience; however, if I stop for a few hours and resume training when I am calm she is very compliant and it is a very fulfilling experience.
“Treat with respect and kindness with a firm, trained hand and you’ll have the kind of best friend that will willingly lay down its life for you and your family.”
Many bird dogs have webbed feet, love water, and point by instinct. This was bred into them. Breeders did the same thing with pit fighting dogs. Their instincts are to be aggressive, fight, and kill.
The problem is that animals are inherently unpredictable -- ask Roy Horn, who certainly didn't lack for expertise before he was almost killed. Pit bulls, Rottweilers and some other breeds have the physical capacity to crush a child's skull in their jaws. Regardless of how kind, and well-tempered, and well-trained they are, they could have dire consequences if they go nuts. Keeping one is like having a sweet, well-tempered, well-controlled and carefully monitored bomb that couldn't possibly go off in the trunk of your car.
When I was a kid, my family had a Yorkshire terrier. When she had an eye problem, she understandably reacted badly to the vet prodding around her eye, so she started snapping. My solution was to reach into her mouth, holding her head still while she bit down between my thumb and forefinger. She didn't have the jaw strength to break the skin. My personal policy is that I don't want a pet I can't wrestle to submission if I have to, but that's not a rule I'd impose on everyone.
I'm not a big fan of breed bans, because they're too slippery -- how much pit bull ancestry is too much? And what about dogs like Dobermans and Shepherds, which are also powerful predators but rarely attack humans?
But the message should be clear: If you choose to own a pit bull or a rottweiler in proximity to other people or pets, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have sturdy fences and strong leashes, that you train the animal well and maintain control.
If you introduce the animal into a dangerous situation and lose control, resulting in harm to people or pets, there should be stiff civil penalties. If you intentionally, through abuse or training or drugs, take steps to enhance the aggressive nature of these animals, there should be stiff criminal penalties.
That is not specific to breed; if someone has a vicious attack chihuahua, and it bites a child hard enough to require medical attention, the owner is on the hook for the bill. If they intentionally trained or drugged the chihuahua to make it vicious, that's a crime. But the more dangerous the animal, the greater the responsibility, whether it's a wild creature, a powerful dog, a bull or a rattlesnake.
Before Pit Bulls it was Rottweilers. Before that it was Doberman Pinschers. Before that German Shepherds. If the meanest dog in the world was the Labrador Retriever, that’s what people like the Pit Bulls’ owner would own.
Horrible. In those cases I say instead of destroying the dogs, set them on their abusers.
Pit Bull lovers, on the other hand, like to insist that nothing a Pit Bull does it by instinct. It's always because they were trained into aggression by their owners. B.S.
The last time there was an ice storm in Atlanta, a couple years ago, I walked a circuit of the neighborhood to scout things out, a few miles' walk ending up at the Publix. I wanted to see if I could go out, and if I was gonna be stranded, I figured it'd be nicer with a bottle of wine.
At one corner, a medium-sized dog approached me in the middle of the iced-over street -- a little smaller than a Shepherd, a little bigger than a Retriever. It looked to be a mutt, but well-fed and groomed, and the collar had a tag on it, though I didn't get close enough to read it.
He ram up, snapping and snarling, clearly territorial behavior. The roads were like wet glass, no traffic. Fortunately, I had enough presence of mind to yell "GO HOME!: as loudly as I could. He went, if not home, at least elsewhere.
I've never had to use deadly force against a neighbor's pet. With guidance from my mom, I have a three-tiered approach -- one is to sprinkle the inside garbage cans with cayenne pepper, so if the neighbor's dogs knock off the lids to sniff around once, they won't do it twice. Step two is to spray the interloping animal with buck lure. When a roaming dog comes home with that godalmighty funk, the owner will be disinclined to let it roam again. Step three is to pop it on the ass with a BB gun to chase it off. Step three is the most fun.
Bottom line: If you want to keep your pet safe, keep it home.
HERO DOG
Unlike a gun, your pitbull can leave your control of its own will. Analogy to gun ownership = FAIL
If a strange dog of any breed came at me or upon my property, I’d watch it over open sights until the catchers got there. If it were a pit bull, I’d likely simply drop him. Not all pit bulls are dangerous, but they’re statistically much more likely to be dangerous than any other breed. Better safe than sorry.
Shoot, shovel, shut up.
My understanding is that Jack Russells are high-energy, high-maintenance, but also very, very smart. They like to snuggle up next to you on the couch, but also like to run up carrying the leash as if to say “Let’s go for a run! Huh? Righ now! Let’s run. Now NOWNOWNOWNOWNOW!! Wanna run!!!”
They’re not the easiest dogs to train, but once trained, it sticks. They respond quickly to commands and can perform some very complicated behaviors.
That — and the fact that they’re so damn cute — is why they are popular in movies and TV. Eddie on “Frasier” and Skip in “My Dog Skip” were played by a father and son team, Moose and Enzo. The JRT in “The Mask” was played by a dog named Max, about whom I can’t find much information.
So, if my neighbor has a dog that decides to sit in my yard and growl and snarl at me, I don't have the right to kill it? Guess again, my family is more important than anyone's dog.
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