Don't get me started!
This simply doesn't compute for me...
Posted on 05/01/2012 4:32:59 AM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
Dogs are dogs. They are prey animals.
Seriesly, dudes. When you have a big party, lock the dog in a back bedroom.
A dog that is perfectly fine the other 364 days of the year will have a very hard time dealing with all of the strange people and things he will see at a big party. The risk of having him act out agressively is way, way up on these days.
Your guests will thank you.
Brilliant!
Come on dog lovers! Let's hear how dogs are never to blame for the injuries they inflict. It was the owner. (Which technically speaking is correct. If the idiots didn't have a dog, then their child wouldn't have been killed.)
Idiot parents.
yeah, that would suck...
The one he bit is dead and the dog is going to be killed anyway.
What sense does the delay make at this point? Why not put him down right away?
To make sure no one was infected by saliva.
>>Come on dog lovers!<<
I’m a dog lover. I love my dog enough to realize that her instinct will kick in. I love her enough to know that she is a dog.
And I’m a kid lover. I have NEVER trusted a dog when I am not part of that pack. People think that dogs are human and have humanity in thought, when actually, their dog is their dog and will do what needs to be done to protect their pack. So, dogs are only allowed around my babies when they are supervised closely (like baby on my lap), even my own. This dog is being put down because he did what God meant him to do. Sad.
Friends had a dog that was constantly killing neighbor pets, and they never seemed concerned having it around their baby.
They were lucky it never attacked a person, but I never understood it.
Yes you are quite correct - they think of them as furry people. They're not. they're dogs - animals.
...pack...
frankly speaking, I find this sort of thought pattern in a human a bit bizarre. None of the people I know refer to their pack.
So, dogs are only allowed around my babies when they are supervised closely (like baby on my lap), even my own...
I have to ask, Why is it so important to have a dog? You apparently are an intelligent person, and are well aware that dogs are dangerous and can hurt your children. To me one child is worth a million dogs. Why put any child at risk? Dogs killing children is not common, but dogs injuring children severely enough to require the services of a plastic surgeos is a very common event.
I seriously doubt this was about prey.
This was about jealously & probably territory.
I have owned dogs for more than 30 years. Dogs can be VERY jealous of all the attention a baby receives. Friends of mine had to give away their beloved Schnauzer after it growled & snapped at their newborn baby several times. That dog clearly did not accept that baby. Scolding the dog & locking him outside just made the dog more unhappy.
That dogs are protective of their territory is well known. From the story, I gather the child & parents were visiting grandma, where the dog lived. Not only was the baby a loud, attention stealing invader of the dog’s home, but it had the audacity to crawl into the dog’s personal space. No one beyond a pro dog handler invades a dog’s personal space without proper introduction & familiarization.
Until a dog confidently/willingly approaches the child, gives him a full sniffing, & gives the child an affectionate lick, the child is not safe with the dog. Even then, I would not leave them alone together until they had BOTH clearly bonded.
This is so sad. Obviously, the baby was not at fault. The parents were just ignorant of the ways of a dog.
We have two white shepherds that we love dearly however they went outside when our first son was born. We only allow our children and dogs to be together if they are closely supervised.
A family member recently asked us, “When do the dogs get to come back inside.” I told them, when the children are old enough and big enough to be seen as masters and not equals or prey.
I used to have mastiffs. they were big, lovable drool machines, until they weren’t. Then they became vicious. It broke my heart, but I had to have them put to sleep. I couldn’t risk them killing a child or a trespasser or a meter reader, but they were fully capable of doing that.
These threads used to be dominated by the dog apologists... did we shame them all away?
“frankly speaking, I find this sort of thought pattern in a human a bit bizarre. None of the people I know refer to their pack.”
I am the lead dog of my pack and the dogs know it.
I am also the lead horse of my herd and the horses are well aware of it. Spurs work.
It is not at all bizarre for people who around dogs and horses all the time. Pretty much the rule.
Certainly, dogs are not human. But they do clearly display emotions. Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, jealously, & selfishness are all evident in dogs.
Numerous stories & videos posted here at FR bear this out. The sadness of the dog mourning at the casket of his master, & the euphoria of a dog reuniting with his master are just 2 recent, unmistakable displays of dog emotion.
There needs to be heavy fines and jail time involved when someone’s dog seriously maims or kills another human being. They have pens for dogs like this...use them. I have neighbors who walk their rotties and pit bulls around a residential neighborhood with children present...I ask them if they are carrying liability insurance. Tick, tick, tick...
The guy that has the cable show “Dog Whisperer” reintroduced many people to the concept of being the head of their pack when they had out of control dogs. It works.
Whispering to a horse or dog also works. I have no idea why but they really pay attention.
All of my animals are trained to respond to a conversational tone of instruction. No yelling as it is not needed.
>>frankly speaking, I find this sort of thought pattern in a human a bit bizarre. None of the people I know refer to their pack. <<
It’s the way dogs think, not humans.
>>Why is it so important to have a dog?<<
Because they are loyal and will listen to a child, love them and protect them when they are feeling that the world is against them. It teaches responsibility and compassion.
Hamsters don’t do that.
Well, I’m a dog lover, but don’t know that I am a dog ‘apologist’. I don’t believe this dog should be killed for acting like a dog. But, I would not be heart broken to see the end of breeds like pit bulls who are BRED for the purpose of fighting. I have personally seen the cutest little pit bull puppy who was afraid of stairs for crying out loud, and who was never abused a day in her life “turn on” when she hit about 2 years old (spayed, mind you), and start killing cats and then going for other dogs. I don’t trust pit bulls as far as I could throw one.
>>I seriously doubt this was about prey.<<
I didn’t say it was the motivation, I said dogs are prey animals. Their instinct is to clamp and shake.
They'll never be back.
>>But they do clearly display emotions. Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, jealously, & selfishness are all evident in dogs.<<
You’re assigning them human emotions. They are dogs and therefore have dog emotions. Run on instinct and not thought.
I love my dog, but she is a dog.
You, my FRiend are brilliant!
...so who would be liable for the baby’s death in this scenario? The grandmother for not securing her dog knowing a child was coming into the home? The parents for bringing their child into a home where the dog was present? There should be some jail time here...this child was killed by an ‘unsecured weapon’...
Often heard (especially dealing with a new baby and a family pet) about bringing the baby’s blanket so the dog can get used to the smell, attack the blanket and realize it’s no threat and ignore/accept the smell of the baby.
My Corgi wants to herd. It is what he was put on Earth to do. Unfortunately, when he sees a bunch of three-year-olds running around, they all begin to look like sheep to him.
His method of herding is to nip at the heels of the sheep. We have trained him to stop this when he is with us, but if we have a lot of kids around, that dog will not get the opportunity. He’ll be locked away. Training only goes so far.
“Dogs killing children is not common, but dogs injuring children severely enough to require the services of a plastic surgeos is a very common event. “
So common that I’ve never seen it happen.
Had dogs as a little kid. My kids were raised around dogs, and my grandkids are now. Not a mark on anyone.
A great many dogs consider kids something to protect at all cost, not something to attack.
At a year old, kids need constant supervision for everything. They also need to be taught how to interact with dogs, and the dogs need to be monitored for aggression. But done right, dogs provide kids constant, devoted friendship - just as they do adults.
A little aggressive and bitey, and not into being petted, but a wonderful guard animal.
That is beyond stupid...
Your pictures remind me of a grotesque sight that I saw at the West Palm Beach Farmer's Market. Big sign - NO DOGS (except service animals). Some old bat couldn't bear to be parted from her dog for the hour or so that it took to look at every single stall. She had her nasty little dog in a closed carrier like the picture on the left. I noticed the thing growling at some kids who were looking at it.
Well then of course if YOU haven't seen it it can't be common. Let me refer you to this link to hopefully ameloriate your ignorance on the subject. You can also google on the number of ER visits caused annually by dogs.
I made the mistake of clicking on a small picture of a little blond girl who had been attacked by a pit bull...a window opened up featuring a few pictures of her in a hospital bed before treatment...I didn't think any photo could be as gruesome as an aborted child.
Boy; was I ever wrong.
We always put the dogs in the basement whenever we have company over.
What people fail to realize is that Mastiffs and Ridgebacks were bred for a specific purpose(as were all purebred dogs).
Mastiffs date back to Roman times. They were working dogs bred to be used in battle. Ridgebacks are hounds bred to hunt lions in southern Africa. It is hard to take thousansds of years of breeding and change it into a housepet. Some dogs breeds in particular are not meant to be trusted , especially around small children.
It would be like taking a Jack Russel Terrier and having him watch your kids Hampster.
This one sure listened, loved and protected the child didn't it? I kind of thought that PARENTS were supposed to do this. What you're saying is that dogs fill some sort of emotional want rather than any rational justification.
***Dogs are dogs. They are prey animals.***
I believe you mean predator animals.
***I am also the lead horse of my herd and the horses are well aware of it. Spurs work.***
One of my co-workers had a stallion that killed a neighbor child. It made national news about 12 years ago.
I learned to watch animal body language and it kept me from getting hurt by cattle and my bull a few years ago.
Dogs need to be licensed, microchipped and insured. The insurance industry can help dog owners avoid financial ruin, dog bite victims pay medical bills and recover other losses, and communities weed out dangerous dogs. To accomplish this, all dogs (or at least the ones over 30 pounds) should be insured. Laws must be passed requiring that some or all dogs be licensed, microchipped and insured.
Bookmarking this for future reference...
>>This one sure listened, loved and protected the child didn’t it?<<
It wasn’t the parent’s dog.
AND the child was a baby who should have NEVER let him near a dog unsupervised, period.
I get it, you don’t like dogs.
I like dogs, my daughters love theirs. However, she is small and easily controlled. Yes, I am saying that dogs fill an emotional want rather than rational justification, because children’s emotions can be irrational. Mom tells them to clean their rooms or no ice cream and in her mind the world is coming to an end. They cry and are sent to their rooms, the dog will listen and kiss away their tears.
Also, I’d rather my 14-year-old satisfy her “motherly instinct” with a puppy than to think she needs a baby sooner. She needs to go to college, get married THEN have a baby. Right now, her cat (she is a cat person, the other is the dog person) fills that need. He is her baby. She is learning responsibility. It’s an important lesson.
***I don’t trust pit bulls as far as I could throw one.***
My daughter has a Boxer/pit bull cross. He is sweet as can be and often grabs me by the hand but never bites. A wonderful pet!
Yet, I would NEVER trust him around small children. She has a tall chain link fence and I have put up an electric fence around her back yard, just in case.
You are VERY wise.
I have a friend with a boarder collie that does the same thing. He is put into a room with lots of toys and treats when people come over.
Thanx.
I neither like nor dislike dogs. I had one as a pet for years and I've had thit cho. It's the wacky owners that act as though their dogs were people that I dislike.
I’d rather my 14-year-old satisfy her “motherly instinct” with a puppy than to think she needs a baby sooner.
I will charitably not pick this up and run with it other than to say my daughter passed the teen years without either a dog or the need for a baby and somehow learned responsibility without having a pet unless you count raising zebra fish to sell to pet stores when she was 7.
Lots of idiots own dogs who are expected to be viscous to everyone - so that means I'm not supposed to have dogs?
I have never met anyone who has had a child significantly hurt by a dog. And over the last 54 years, I've known LOTS of folks with homes full of dogs and kids.
I've known of dogs that protected their kids, and known of dogs that wouldn't let a kid get in the street. I had a Border Collie who would sit on our one year old if she thought the baby was crawling too far.
Get over your anti-dog paranoia...
Your neighbors thank you for being a RESPONSIBLE dog owner...is the dog covered by liability insurance; just in case? (Not an insurance salesman, but I think this is a wonderful idea...too many people are left holding the bag after a dog attack...)
Zebra fish rock...
And that is the simple key to successful dog ownership.
Being the supposed "higher beings" it falls upon us to learn their language and ways since they are not completely capable of learning ours, no matter how well they may mimic them or how smart the dog may seem.
All good dogs owners must understand fully the ways of dogs.
Anything less may result in disaster.
I grieve for all involved but understanding the ways of dogs, I would have *never* allowed my dogs to be part of a noisy celebration filled with 'strangers' and squealing children.
My dogs adore children [especially the Dobermann] *but* everything that children do, by nature; their squeals, fast movements, seemingly erratic play behavior excites dogs...sometimes in an a very negative, horribly tragic way.
This was avoidable.
The owners should have known better.
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