Posted on 08/07/2013 6:37:18 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
I retired 10 years ago to take of elderly parents. Dad died peacefully last year and Mom is still kicking.
After spending the afternoon in the eye doc's office with Mom, came home and, after settling her down, went for the mail.
New neighbor has a Pit-Bull and today this dog was loose. As I went to the mail box, the dog ran over to the middle of the street (perhaps 15 feet away) and bared his teeth.
His owners were in the yard but did not call the dog. At the same time a UPS truck stop in front of their house, but the driver refused to get out of his truck.
Question is "what steps do I take as a good citizen?"
The next door neighbors inherited the house from the girl's grandmother. The girl's husband is a born again Christian...but he was previously in prison for drugs.
Pit Bull is young but large and aggressive.
Freeper opinions appreciated.
BTW, I have cats who lounge around in the front yard. If this dog kills my cats...I am apt to become upset. And an upset Freeper (armed to the teeth) is not a nice thing to behold.
I agree with NCDave. Dogs are smarter than most give credit. They understand that we walk upright, making them prey. Most people cow to large dogs and they make themselves vulnerable to attack.
Have your neighbor introduce you to their four footed child, and procede from there, unless you’re uncomfortable...dogs do sense unease.
Let us know how it turns out!
Excellent point...many insurance companies will yank your homeowners' policy if they find out that you own a pit bull.
Simple...Mace.
One shot and it’ll never come near you again.
I disagree with others who say get to cops involved. One never knows on whose side the cops will come down. Don’t trust them to be objective for a minute.
Once they’re ‘invited’ on to your property, there’s no telling where their interest will en.
I had a neighbor’s terrier get into my yard a few years ago and maul one of my chickens. I called him, he came over like a man, we discussed and no problem since.
The next time the beast got outside, it would be a shame if a sudden case of lead injection occurred from nowhere close by and no firearm found that could have possibly inserted it.
Too, My pet(s) are indoor ones, but they go oot in the evenings for some fresh air and a chance to run about for awhile, then come in when they are ready for dinner. I do not take kindly to threats, most especially to those whom I care for.
Introduce yourself to your new neighbors. I suggest something like, “Hi, I’m DocRock and I just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood. I couldn’t help notice that when your pit was aggressive yesterday, you saw it and didn’t do anything. So, as a welcome gift, I didn’t shoot your dog. What church do you go to? “
Now kindly start talking sensible and you won’t need to worry about what I do.
(actually, I didn’t really know about your depends, it was just a good guess)
Lots of big tough dogs do. I’ve seen quite a few instances of cats and dogs getting along perfectly well. This doesn’t sound like the sort of dog that’s been socialized to deal with cats, or for that matter humans, and that means the dog’s a danger because of its dumb owner.
I’m not a reflexive pit hater. If anything, I like them and will always give them a chance. However, this dog’s blown it.
I have absolutely zero tolerance for unwarranted aggression in animals.
It’s not “my” responsibility to befriend “your” pet. A lot of dog owners have a problem with this.
I lived next to a part pit for 1 year. After giving the dog biscuits every day for months, I offered to help them with their pool cover. The owner of the dog had to restrain her from attacking me until I got up on the pool deck. I guess she knew my feelings about pits even though I tried to be friendly.
I think this part of the original post is being missed by a lot of the dog-defenders here: I couldn’t help notice that when your pit was aggressive yesterday, you saw it and didn’t do anything.
At the point when the dog bared its teeth, the dog served notice that they are dangerous.
His owners were in the yard but did not call the dog.
At the point when the neighbored ignored the danger, the neighbor served notice that they are inconsiderate.
Call the police.
Sounds like the dog went to its boundary, stopped, and barked.
That is just typical dog behavior that can be eliminated with some training, and socialization. Dogs that are kept in a yard alone all day tend to behave like that. Those are the kind that I seem to encounter most.
I understand and agree. They kept getting out(bad owner), and if there were signs of ill will, you take steps. It is all about control of the animal.
1st the obvious
a. Keep the cats inside until situation is resolved, otherwise it is just a question of when, not if they will be killed
b. make sure all doors and windows are secure at all times (no thin screen doors, windows with screens not open wide enough for a dog to squeeze in)
c. make sure you are prepared to defend your self at all times
No matter what they say; do not ever assume they will be “responsible”. The very fact they chose this breed, is proof they are not responsible.
Of course it is worth the effort to speak with them and express your fear and assure them it is not personnel,
but let them know that they will be receiving a registered letter from your attorney concerning the consequences of their not securing their dog 100% of the time. Also inform them you will in fact call the police and file a complaint each and every time the dog is seen off the leash or running loose.
Bottom line is simply ask yourself “What is the worst that could happen? Assume that will happen(because it will) and act accordingly.
I love dogs and it would tear me up to ever harm one, but sadly your only real option may be to kill the dog the second it steps on your property.
Alternately you could search the web and find a less drastic solution like getting some non-lethal weapon/stun gun/spray
>> It’s not “my” responsibility to befriend “your” pet. <<
.
Some truth to that, but if you plan to live long, it is your responsibility to learn how to deal effectively with the hazards that you might encounter, in real time, not on a FR thread.
Some dogs are stupid, just like us. They are too stupid to remember. Anyway, yes, dogs sense your fear and think you have done wrong or are up to no good...Kinda like us if we look around and are always in guard mode. (which we should be)
The pitbull is extremely dangerous. Last week it appeared friendly to you but this week it bared it’s teeth and was ready to attack. This is the norm for the breed, being unpredictable is the predictable behavior. It will attack with intent to kill without warning.
The breed is usually owned by psychopathic inbred white trash although in some cases the owners are just dumb and without a shred of common sense. Blacks who own these dogs are as unpredictable and violent as the dogs themselves, being equally dangerous. Your best chance is to avoid the owners and the dog until you see the opportunity to neutralize the beast.
And just where do you suppose these hip shooters live?
Exactly right. It should be regarded as a serious threat.
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