Posted on 08/16/2008 10:08:41 AM PDT by Issaquahking
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080728_11_Anin531451
Updated: Infant attacked, killed by dog
By Staff Reports 7/28/2008 11:07 AM Last Modified: 7/28/2008 6:01 PM
An infant was killed Monday morning by a dog in his south Tulsa home, police said.
Officer Jason Willingham said the 2-month-old baby boy was mauled by either a black Labrador puppy or a small pug at the baby's home in the 2900 block of East 102nd Street.
Officers were notified about 10:30 a.m. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Willingham said the baby’s mother and grandmother were home at the time, but nobody was in the room when the attack occurred.
“The child was left unattended in a swing,” he said.
Police are unsure what caused the mauling or which dog killed the boy. Both dogs were taken to the Tulsa Animal Shelter, where Manager Jean Letcher said the lab was euthanized at the request of Tulsa police.
Willingham said he is not sure what, if any, charges would result from the case.
“It’s just a very tragic set of circumstances,” he said. “It’s a very hard situation to investigate.”
http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S524668.shtml?cat=10151
"Sausage Dogs" Most Aggressive"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2254479/Sausage-dogs-are-the-most-aggressive-dogs.html
One more interesting note: In the majority of the articles about dog attacks and bites, the breed of the dog isn't mentioned if it's not a pit bull. Bias? You tell me.
I completely agree with your methods of responsible pet ownership. But it's a fact that different breeds have different temperaments. Aggression is not a trait common to Shih Tzu. It is extremely common among Pit Bulls. Aggression is even considered a desirable trait by many pit bull owners.
AKC: Temperament
As the sole purpose of the Shih Tzu is that of a companion and house pet, it is essential that its temperament be outgoing, happy, affectionate, friendly and trusting towards all.
I couldn't find a listing for Pit Bull at the AKC site. I wonder why.
It is not an AKC registered breed.
Very nice.
Thanks Judith.
You’re welcome. The dogs come with a lifetime temperament guarantee, and a hip dysplasia guarantee as well. You can see mine by clicking on my screen name, also my minpin who is his best dog friend.
good lord....that is a big feller
wow....i had a large Rottie once but whew....
“Once you’ve done everything you can, exhausted all your options, sometimes you just have to realize that it’s not going to work. It sucks and it flies in the face of modern pet training theory, but it happens. If that’s the case you may have to rehome or surrender her and open your home to a dog that better matches your lifestyle.”
Thank you for your words of wisdom re my difficult and nippy dog. Training sessions are up soon but I think I must decide quickly, and after talking with the trainer (who claims he will honestly tell people if they should not keep their dog) what to do in this case.
I don’t want more trouble, and though she is fine here in my house, there are so many incidents that can occur — at the vet’s, the groomer’s, with visitors, you name it. I’ve heard of many people who just keep their dogs in locked rooms or yards when someone is coming, and/or never walk them at all, etc. But that’s not the kind of dog I want. I am not looking for a watchdog.
Your story about being attacked at a young age by a Spuds type dog was horrible. And yes, these things can happen out of the blue when all seems calm. My insurer says they won’t cancel my insurance but any claims made concerning the dog would simply be denied. I could be sued for my net worth, yes, and that would not be worth it.
I will soon reach a decision - thank you for your comments.
Very gentle, humongous dogs. My sister says she has never seen a dog that large in her entire life.
If you (or anyone) want further information about care, feeding, and training, please FReepmail me.
Disclaimer: I have no connection to Flying W Farms, I just love my dog and admire the breeder.
A well bred APBT should have a stable and dependable temperament. The American Temperament Testing Society shows a pass percentage of 84.1% for American Pit Bull Terrier,[4] almost the exact same passing rate as commonly considered 'family dogs' such as Golden Retrievers. However, a firm, even hand and early obedience training are strongly recommended for this breed. They generally have a lot of energy and high prey drive; they need exercise and stimulation in order to channel their energy properly and not become frustrated, bored, and destructive.
APBTs often display dog aggression, especially towards unfamiliar dogs of the same sex or level of assertiveness. [5] Early socialization and good training can mean that many individuals of the breed may not display this trait. However, with proper training and socialization, pit bulls are not aggressive and can even make excellent service animals. The top search and rescue dog team in the US is composed of APBTs. The dog credited with the largest drug bust is also an APBT. Pit bulls have been used for everything from cheering up hospital patients,[2] search and rescue,[3] and even sniffing drugs for the DEA[4].
When selecting an APBT puppy, it is paramount to find a breeder who selective breeds for sound temperament and good health. A quality breeder will know the breed standard as set by a reputable breed registry such as the UKC or the ADBA (the AKC does not recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier) and should both health and temperament test their breeding stock. A breeder who boasts about their dogs' "guard dog" skills or "protective" behavior is an indicator that their dogs may be inappropriately bred for human aggression and very probably are not pure APBTs. It is a good idea for prospective APBT owners to research the breeder, ask for references and ask to see their facilities and the parents of the prospective puppy.
Adult pit bulls are frequently also available from animal shelters. Reputable shelters will temperament test their dogs before adoption, so that only dogs with stable temperaments are available for adoption.[6] The advantage of obtaining an adult dog from a shelter is that the dog's temperament is already known, and a dog with low dog aggression or low prey drive can be selected if desired.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pit_Bull_Terrier
As for aggression, maybe this perspective will help some. My female is 5 yo. She is extremely gentle with people; she has been a therapy dog in local nursing homes, and absolutely loves children (for play and not for dinner); however, she is extremely aggressive, often fatally, towards cats although she was introduced to a stray we acquired and became very friendly with him. I honestly believe that was a freak event as she still does not tolerate cats.
As for other dogs, she is not often aggressive unless one invades her territory. We had a "Spudz McKenzie" dog come on our property and attack our young male pit. She immediately defended the young male by chasing the intruder dog to the edge of our property. Once she had him to the edge of the property she came back. The dummy decided he would come back and she again, and more aggressively, chased him to the property line again. Not once did she attack to kill, but rather to protect. After the third time, the irritating dog left with his tail tucked between his legs as she stood guard at the property line.
Our animals are exercised, socialized, and well trained. They are part of our family and not chained up in a yard somewhere. As such, they receive lots of love, exercise and affection, and discipline. They are excellent watch dogs in that they will watch someone come up, watch them rob us blind and watch them leave, and would probobly love to go for a ride with them as they left, but approach one of us aggressively as if to harm us and they will bite and hold on until they are commanded to let go. We did not get our dogs to be security animals. Actually sound pits, bred to the standard, are poor security dogs. We did not get them because we have small penises or breasts or because we feel inferior in some way and need a bad ass dog to project an image. We're not poor, ignorant trailer trash either. We got them because we love the positive characteristics and traits the breed has always been known for.
Because I've seen first hand the atrocities perpetrated on these animals, and because I've seen so many potentially good animals reared irresponsibly, I feel an obligation as a pit bull owner to advocate responsibility and to do anything and everything I can to deter and shut down back yard breeders who just see them as a way to make $$$ off of the very type of people we are not. And please, don't even mention those who fight these dogs. There's a special place in hell for their kind.
Am I stupid enough to say my dog would never do this or that? No, I am not just as I would not be with any breed. I do all within my personal power to be responsible and attentive to my dogs, their surroundings, and their needs.
American Kennel Club doesn’t recognize the Pit Bull as a breed. Pit Bulls have not been breeding true to the standards long enough for the AKC to consider them a true breed. The same is true for the American Bulldog.
http://www.lawdogsusa.org/home.html
Sorry to hear about Duke passing away. I identify with your story. I have an English Bulldog that is starting to show his age.
My dog loves everyone he meets and would gladly hop in the car with a burglar and ride off (as long as the guy would bring him back home, that is.) He has only scared me once. Some kids across the street were playing, and they squealed in a way that sounded like someone was attacking them. My bullie took off in their direction, ready to tear their oppressor apart. With those massive jaws of his, he could crush someone’s leg. I was truly afraid he was going to do damage to someone.
He is my best friend and I dread the day when he passes on. His pic is on my ABOUT page.
Thank you.
Yes, your “bullie” is sweet looking. :)
Posting from cell phone so I’ll make it short & sweet.
Wow, you really did your homework. Very informative. And thanks for the unexpected laugh along the way. (We did not get them because... lol)
Have a great evening.
PNM, you are correct. Particularly with gladiator breeds like Pits, the dog owner has to be a strong leader. He has to set the rules for the dog and provide positive leadership or the dog will set his own rules.
An issue with Pit Bulls is they are not as easy to "read" as most breeds. They appear to attack without warning, catching adults off guard because they failed to pick up on the warnings from the dog.
You could make that paragraph about anything; cars, guns, hair dryers...
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