Posted on 03/24/2010 9:57:20 AM PDT by Chet 99
What to do when a pit bull attacks
March 24, 2010
News of pit bull attacks just keeps coming.
In March alone, an Indianapolis cop was bitten on a knee while looking for someone for questioning. Another officer shot and killed one of two of dogs that attacked a man while he carried out trash. The dog, by the way, had been at a Humane Society shelter and adopted out months earlier.
The stories are worse farther from Indianapolis. A girl’s jaw torn off in England. Three children mauled in California by a roaming pack of five. A woman’s arm nearly ripped away during a two-minute-long frenzy in Australia.
There were nearly 300 pit bull attacks in Indianapolis last year. Police spokesman Jeff Duhamell expects activity to pick up again as the weather warms and more people resume jogging, bicycling and other outdoor activity.
“They are an extremely vicious breed, and they always have been. They’ll come after you,” Duhamell says. “The more you pull way from them, the more they’ll lock down and start ripping skin and muscle.”
Pit bull owners say the bad rap comes from unrestrained animals or those trained to be mean. It doesn’t help that the breed is favored by drug dealers and other folks who don’t like attention, aficionados say. Treat the dogs responsibly and train them to be passive, and they’re fine.
(If pit bulls can be trained to be unaggressive, can labs be trained not to fetch? Just asking.)
Mayor Greg Ballard and the City-County Council have been reluctant to single out the breed for special regulation.
So what’s a person to do?
Duhamell says pit bulls running loose are the most dangerous, because they’re aggressively territorial. Stay away from them, and get inside a car or house if you feel threatened, he recommends. Or shout “No!” or “Down!” in the hope they’re educated. Other dogs set them off, so leave yours at home.
A Taser might work if you’re accurate enough to get the probes on the dog, he says. And Mace might help.
Duhamell muses about the potential of pepper spray designed to ward off grizzly bears. The spray, which hunters are required to carry in areas of Wyoming, squirts 30 feet from a small canister.
If all else fails, Web sites focused on dog attacks recommend curling up in a fetal position and protecting the head and face—areas where plastic surgery is harder to hide with clothing.
What are your thoughts about pit bulls? Are they maligned? Any ideas for preventing attacks you can share?
This is from an attack dog trained fellow;
The final lunge made by a charging attack dog is a momentary blind, airbourne and open jawed.
When a dog attacks you, standing firm one foot forward the other back. Raise your forward arm waist high and horizonal; offer it to the dog as a target. You are now a matador. Your other hand/arm is your sword. Keep your fingers straight and pointed.
Battle: As the lunging dog goes for you target arm >>> PLUNDGE YOUR SWORD HAD DOWN FIDO’s THROAT and KILL THE DOG by suffication/strangulation.
Note: You will survive despite inevitable injuries.
The breed has a bad rap. I walk them on weekends at a nearby shelter and have spent decent time with them over the past year. They are misunderstood.
That said, I don’t put my small dogs with any big dogs, and I don’t even put my small dogs with any kids. Period. No kids left with dogs; that’s it. Kids do kid things and they should be able to.
The thing with pits is that they have been used over the years for fighting so it’s in them. They are extremely easy to train and people exploit that. They are the new shepherd mixes in shelters, though they are suitable for many people (singles, couples, and people with older children). Some disagree with me on this, but I do not find them suitable with kids. There are other breeds that are more aggressive but their bite is catastrophic.
All of that said, your best bet is to stand your ground and in a deep low voice yell “no!” And “get down.” Say it to mean it. Do not run or scream. It eggs them on.
They have a high capacity to be trained and even some ex Michael Vick dogs have become therapy dogs. With proper care and control, they are a great dog.
No dog ought to be left loose, and again, no dogs ought to be left with kids. No exceptions.
I know lots of folks like guns here and many use this place as an outlet to say stuff that wouldn’t fly elsewhere. Beware: authorities are pressing charges more for shooting (or even neglecting) dogs, and the animal protection folks will camp out at your house. You may be a hero to some but your life will turn upside down. Keep in mind the moniker that appears when you put up a post on FR: Loose lips sink ships.
The breed gets a bad rap from sensationalism and fear and from killing and maiming people with no visible provocation. Other than that they are sweet natured puppydogs.
personal defense bump
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There were nearly 300 pit bull attacks in Indianapolis last year.
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Dumb/Criminals owners...and folks that don’t realize they should keep
their distance from some canines (i.e., give them a wide berth)?
Actually, silly, I did just that to a rottie. She attacked out of nowhere. Dead dog.
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Count me impressed. Were you bitten?
I like the BLAM approach better, though :-)
I'd agree to that.
OR we can let the breed survive but in ANY attack by a pit bull the dog, and the entire family that owns it (every man woman and child in that household) gets executed. This actually solves two problems.
(Wiping tears) (Sniffle) I just love happy endings.
From what I could tell, it didn't sound like the guy needs a bear. Seems to have it covered himself. And bonus points for thinking outside the box and poise under pressure.
No, no. That's not pit bulls, that's Barney Frank.
And hopefully an IQ several orders of magnitude higher than the animal. I pity the animal that gets in a fight with me. Now a pack of them would be a different matter, but still your best odd lie in that same mindset.
If you can... Stick your finger (or bigger) into it’s anus. Apparently a dog will instantly let go.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Of course, if it is from San Francisco, he will just smile and say ‘bring it on baby’....
uhmmm....I read all that
...you do it.
I’m prepared to, if it comes to that.
Shoving your arm down an animal’s throat sounds heroic, but these things work; you can test them out on your own dog if you want to; and if you live in an area with many dogs running loose, it’s good stuff to know.
Ever since an American Staffordshire adopted me a few weeks ago I have noticed how often it is written in various sources that these are a bully breed, but considered a cousin to the pit bull. :) As you said, they are very sweet. With my Amstaff I have to worry more about her not paying attention while playing with one of her friends and knocking out my knee with her mass when she backs into me too fast. Otherwise, she has learned by testing (like a child would) that I am the alpha female. Over the weekend I posted a picture to my facebook and an acquaintance wrote, “Scary scary.” I told her my husband has more fear of fluffy cottonball dogs than either of us does of this Amstaff.
We have had to have our cats and dog out on shifts. The cats will hiss, scratch, and puff up and the dog will wag her tail and get way too excited. The dog will sometimes run to the room they are in,jump at the door, and yap at them (yes. this 40 pound dog with a little voice is weird). I found out the cats would stick their paws under the door to tease her.
I was completely unharmed. I prefer the blam approach, too, but this mutt went from sitting and panting 10 feet away to thinking I’d make a good dinner.
“Now a pack of them would be a different matter”
Sure, we only have two arms and thumbs and need both for one dog. Of course, a 45 has many rounds.
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