Dog who killed his new owner had a history of bad behavior [Doberman Alert]

AP ^ | 9-9 | AP

[ambrose]

Dog who killed his new owner had a history of bad behavior

By GEOFF MULVIHILL

Associated Press Writer

September 9, 2003, 7:14 PM EDT

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. -- The animal shelter that let a woman take home a dog that killed her 10 days later should not have put a dog with a history of biting up for adoption, animal welfare experts said Tuesday.

[Snip]

The 3-year-old animal killed 67-year-old Valerie DeSwart of Medford in an attack so gruesome that authorities first believed the death was caused by another human. DeSwart suffered injuries to her face and neck.

[snip]

Police saw that some of the dog's nails had been clipped, and they found a nail clipper near the woman's body _ a possible indication as to what may have set off the dog, Levin said.

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[SwinneySwitch]

Sad!

[JoeSchem]

I can hear the interior monologue: "I want a dog that can scare people as I walk down the street -- yeah, that'll make me important!"

[ambrose]

Vicious dogs require "alpha male" owners to keep them under control. Otherwise, you should stick to labs, goldens, etc.

[templar]

The 3-year-old animal killed 67-year-old Valerie DeSwart of Medford in an attack so gruesome that authorities first believed the death was caused by another human

Does a statement like this reflect more on the nature of people or dogs?

[Paleo Conservative]

Vicious dogs require "alpha male" owners to keep them under control. Otherwise, you should stick to labs, goldens, etc.

The family who lived behind my parents house used to have a Doberman. The wife used to walk the Doberman without a leash, and sometimes they would be walking in front of my parents' house when I would return from jogging. Needless to say, the Doberman would start barking at me as soon as I got on the same street. That was the scariest dog I have ever encountered.

[cajungirl]

vicious dogs need putting down, period.

[dtel]

Sorry Ambose,
Your story does not contain the treasured "Pitbull" in the title.
Less than 50 posts for sure.

[zebra 2]

Carefull now. Let's don't be profiling.

[mommadooo3]

LOL...alpha male. We once had a Rott. One day he decided to start snapping/growling at me.

Ticked me off. So I grabbed him around the neck, got him down on the ground, then fell on him.

From that day forward, that dog would lay down, belly up, whenever I came to him.

Guess we had an 'understanding'. I still miss him.

[punster]

The real problem is people who abuse dogs or incite them to be vicious. They create a ticking time bomb waiting for the first unsuspecting person.

Years ago, I had a doberman, and he was the most loving companion. He would let me clip his nails, give him injections of antibiotics (when he was ill). He was like a child to me. I treated him well, and he trusted me.

At close to 90 pounds, he still thought he was a lap dog.

A dog, with a history of abuse, is likely to panic and prone to attack unexpectedly.

[baltodog]

"...a dog with a history of biting...."

The key word is "history".
Say what you will, but once a dog draws human blood intentionally, the playing field is drastically changed.

A dog with a history of biting should be put down.
Think of the liability...

[Capriole]

I had an angel of a Doberman. He had been abused and I knew that getting an abused Doberman is not a really safe thing to do, but he learned to love me and turned into the most wonderful lap-puppy. He couldn't get it into his head that he wasn't a Chihuahua. If someone had tried to burglarize the house I swear he would have held the flashlight for them if they'd patted his head. He died twenty years ago and I still think about him all the time. I have a Basenji puppy now, and I love him very much, but when I move out to a farm I'm going to get another Dobe.

[Capriole]

There's something to be said for having a scary-looking dog. When I had a Doberman I used to like being able to go almost anywhere and know that I would be left alone if he was with me. People used to stand off about 50 yards and shout, "IS THAT A DOBERMAN?" And I'd shout back, "YES! HIS NAME IS SHARK 'CAUSE HE LIKES TO EAT PEOPLE!" In fact his name was "der Rosenkavalier," but I thought that was a little faggy. As a young girl alone in the countryside--a girl who had already had to defend her life on a couple of occasions--I liked having the feeling that the dog's mere appearance would keep people away.

[patton]

Got a pure husky from the humane society, once. Beautiful dog, smartest I ever had.

He ate my neighbors goats, livestock, etc., and I had to shoot him while he was trying to bring down my horse.

Turns out his previous owner had gone to prison, and the dog was left for two months in the yard, chained to a tree.

One can only imagine how he survived.

But, the humane society didn't think it important to mention any of this.

No more pound dogs for me.

And the do-gooders can get ficked.

[scab4faa]

[Snip]

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[Snip]

CHOMP!

[knews_hound]

Check this out....

A Rottweiler
vs.
A Rottweiler's weight in Chihuahuas

http://www.grudge-match.com/History/rott-chi.shtml

Cheers,

knews hound

[Rudder]

...attack so gruesome that authorities first believed the death was caused by another human (being)"

Yay, tho I walk in Valley of the Shadow of Death

I fear no Evil

For I'm the meanest Mutha in the Valley.

[org.whodat]

The real problem is people who abuse dogs or incite them to be vicious. They create a ticking time bomb waiting for the first unsuspecting person. Years ago, I had a doberman, and he was the most loving companion. He would let me clip his nails, give him injections of antibiotics (when he was ill). He was like a child to me. I treated him well, and he trusted me.

Didn't the crazy lady who had the dog's in the Bay area say the same thing about her dogs when the killed the woman in the hall.