So you missed the part where I got bit in the face by a Rottweiler? An hows a bout a true identification of the dogs? Do you have that? I don’t defend any dog biting a person or another animal. I do however want to see facts before I hysterically want a certain breed of dog be banned. All I see on these “pit bites another person” threads is condemnation of Pits Without even the certainty that the dog is a Pit. A story says Pit and everybody climbs on. And Finny the worst attack I’ve ever experienced was by an Afghan Hound when I was 8. I still have scars and I don’t want all Afghan Hounds dead. You used a really stupid example with Aussies. They are a herding breed and they nip (or as in all pit stories bite) to accomplish Their goal, herding. So If I get bit grooming it’s OK? And I notice you didn’t address the cat issue. A person in my town had to under go rabies shots because a feral cat attacked her and then couldn’t be found. Not all dogs are good. Not all people are good. Any breed of dog can hurt you. I judge each animal on it’s behaviour. BTW I specialize in rehabilitating dogs that have been hurt or have hurt other groomers.
Have you ever heard of Cocker rage or Springer Spaniel rage? You might want to look that up.
Finally! Someone who can attest to just how nasty Afghan Hounds can be.
(Yeah, I got bitten by one of those temperamental buggers.)
(snips)
“The deadliest dogs
Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has conducted an unusually detailed study of dog bites from 1982 to the present. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006; click here to read it.) The Clifton study show the number of serious canine-inflicted injuries by breed. The author’s observations about the breeds and generally how to deal with the dangerous dog problem are enlightening.
According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:
If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed—and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.
Clifton’s opinions are as interesting as his statistics. For example, he says, “Pit bulls and Rottweilers are accordingly dogs who not only must be handled with special precautions, but also must be regulated with special requirements appropriate to the risk they may pose to the public and other animals, if they are to be kept at all.”
“In recent years, the dogs responsible for the bulk of the homicides are pit bulls and Rottweilers:
“Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities.” (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)
The Clifton study of attacks from 1982 through 2006 produced similar results. According to Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes were responsible for 65% of the canine homicides that occurred during a period of 24 years in the USA. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006; click here to read it.)”
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Wise Up!!!
As a matter of fact, I argue with my husband often -- he'd like to see them banned, and I find the idea of banning dog breeds abhorent. What I would like to see is people like you, if you really want to prevent these dogs from being banned, to start being realistic and taking responsiblity by coming down hard on dog-owning peers who are irresponsible. The more you stupidly and senslessly defend the dogs and pretend that the problem doesn't exist, the more likely the end result will be that the dogs are banned, and that's not good for anybody. You are these dogs' worst friend.
You stay that it's ignorant and akin to racism to generalize breeds ... then you turn around and point out characteristics of Aussies (my dad had them as working cattle dogs on his ranch and they were so smart and useful they often made the difference between profit and loss -- you're not the only person around here who knows about dogs, though it appears you think you are), or prattle on about "Cocker rage" or "Spaniel rage" -- how is that any different than generalizing against pit bulls, presa canarios, and Rottweilers -- war dogs?
I notice that nowhere in your post do you address the essential point -- that the huge majority of the victims are minding their own business on their own or public property. Groomers get bit because they're intentionally invading the animal's territory. These people get mauled or killed doing nothing but minding their own business.
Did I miss the part where you respond to that? You're a dog groomer -- risk of dog bites is part of your business. If you really loved these dogs and wanted to prevent them from being banned, instead of coming down on those of us sick and tired of not being able to safely enjoy our own property or neighborhoods because of idiots who think like you, why don't you come down hard on idiots who you know full well have no business having these dogs?