When your own dog bites you

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Weedygarden

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A bit of a story.

One of my clients sent me a text to let me know that her dog had been attacked by a neighbor's dog so I wouldn't need to come see him today. As the day went on and the story unfolded, it gave me the creeps.

Client was walking her dog in her neighborhood. A dog came rushing out of the front door of a house towards her and her dog. The charging dog was wearing a muzzle! Client reached down, picked up her dog and closed her eyes, knowing that the dog was going to hit them momentarily. No time to run.

Client's dog was bitten, through the muzzle. His wound was deep, into the muscle and he had to be sedated to be stitched up.

Dog who attacked is a pit bull. Pit wears a muzzle because he bites the owner!!!! OMG! Pit's owner has been taking him to behavior classes to help him get his behavior under control. Evidently that is not working!

Imagine owning a dog that is not only a prohibited breed, but is so out of control that he wears a muzzle all day everyday.

I have witnessed many dog fights since I spend a few hours a day at dog parks with client's dogs. There has only been two fights that I have seen that did not involve pits. Those involved an Akita, the same Akita each time.

I have known some very nice pits, but I have seen more than one come through the gate at the dog park and go into attack mode.

I know that some of you have pits. What would you do if your pit bit you?
 
If any breed dog bit me out of aggression it would get shot. The pits that cause these problems are that way because of the people that own them. They have to be trained and socialized just like any other breed. The worst attack I've seen was by a lab/husky mix.
 
If any breed dog bit me out of aggression it would get shot. The pits that cause these problems are that way because of the people that own them. They have to be trained and socialized just like any other breed. The worst attack I've seen was by a lab/husky mix.
I agree, they do need to be trained and socialized. Some dog owners are just not cut out to know how to take care of dogs and some don't really care to know. I know I wouldn't have a dog that bit me. It is also possible that this pit is a rescue, and already has a history.
 
I agree, they do need to be trained and socialized. Some dog owners are just not cut out to know how to take care of dogs and some don't really care to know. I know I wouldn't have a dog that bit me. It is also possible that this pit is a rescue, and already has a history.

If he was a rescue with a history he shouldn't have been adopted out. If he was mine I'd have put him down after the first aggressive behavior was displayed. There are to many good dogs out their needing homes to risk your safety.
 
My dog is not a pit, he's an australian shepherd mix, but if he EVER bit me, or the wife, it would be his last conscious act. On the flip side, it is my duty as pack leader to protect my pack as long as I am able, his place is behind me until such a time as I am down. After that, it's Katie bar the door, that dog is smart and fast :)
 
If he was a rescue with a history he shouldn't have been adopted out. If he was mine I'd have put him down after the first aggressive behavior was displayed. There are to many good dogs out their needing homes to risk your safety.
Many shelters and rescues put them down, no matter the history so people are very careful about where they turn them in. One of my neighbors said something similar to what you said. "There are many dogs out there looking for homes, so if you have a sick or dangerous dog, put it down and find another dog." People get very attached to their dogs, but I would detach myself from a dangerous dog in a heartbeat.
 
sigh...it seems another case of a owner not in a state of mind to own a pitty or any dominant breed. That it came running out the door is a indication that the owner had no control of the situation or stimulation for that dog to begin with.
A red zone dog is a challenge ..more so for a owner. A dog out of control and aggressive can be dangerous. A pitty out of control is twice as dangerous. Pittys and bully breed are a temperament of their own. I love the pittys because when they give you their loyalty , they give it their all. 100% of their being , trust and loyalty is it. This is just not my experience from my own but from the fosters and volunteer work Ive had with the breed and mixed breed I worked with. With the right energy, they are a great companion dog. Not a great guard dog though..
however, some lines have been breed to be "gamey" but with other dogs . This is due to the breeding to fight after their hx to be a farm and family dog.
I adopted my pitty when he was rescused from a drug house over 9 years ago. he was already 1 to 3 years estimated old at the time of adoption. and had already spent a year in doggy jail just for being a drug dog.
He is the best dog I've had. Ive loved all my dogs deeply over the years but he is the smartest and most sensitive pooch I have owned. I took him to a professional trainer at the gate to make sure I wasn't screwing it up. The trainer had 3 0 years experience in military dog training to assess me and my new pooch. Hooch was the best in the class. the dog trainer said, He is so easy going and cool, he is easy to train because he wants to please and I have a handle on the energy level.
ok , so my point is ...the owner has to be dominant. Has to be in control, emotional steady and willing to lead. Confident in the role of leader ..mind , body and spirit. You can not bull_hit a animal. I don't care if it is a duck or a dog..if you are not in control and call the shots, you are not in control period.
When I had Hooch home for the fisrt few weeks , I had him on a leash tied to my hip once out of his outside kennel area. He was invited to my space..he was learned to respect my area on a lead controlled by me...in my space on lead. I took him outside to poop and pee on lead in my back yard on command the first two weeks night and day by my command and invitation. I made damb sure he knew he was in my area and by my command he had to first have permission to poop n pee in my area. His freedoms gained upon the first few weeks, and I will not admit he did not have issues.
He ate and chewed a pitty size hole through my back door the first 12 hour shift I left him. No kidding..the boy spent 12hours tearing my back door open the first 12 hour shift I had. After that if was a 12 hour size hole in a chainlink fence panel in his kennel. Yep..it seemed nothin much could hold a determined pitty back from known squaller to inside privilages.
Anyways, Hooch is easy. He is willing to please and likes other dogs mostly. He is not red zone. I have had a red zone female sher-pei once and she was a handful. I get the struggle. My advise to the owner is to find a trainer to help you and the dog. You both need training and that is not a bad disclosure. Not everyone is doggie savey..
 
If my dog bit another person it might get one chance, depending on the situation. If it bit me I'd shoot it that day.
I agree. Until I knew the circumstance of what happened with client's dog being attacked, I made no judgement. Client's dog has to be controlled as well. He is and can be, but he needs to be reminded. When I heard more of the story later in the day, especially that the dog had attacked its owner, it cinched my judgement.

It is possible that this is a dog I have seen at the dog park before. The muzzle is the telling piece. There is a couple who takes their pit to a particular dog park in the early evening. The dog is brought in on a leash and with a muzzle on. It is the husband who has control of the dog. Sometimes the wife is in the car for a bit before she comes into the dog park. I see that the husband is the dominant one with this dog and the wife is passive. The husband keeps the dog on the leash for a while, which is really not recommended in dog parks. It is possible that he is getting the dog acclimated to the other dogs who are there, but also asserting that he (husband) is in control. It is possible that in this situation, the husband is the alpha, but the dog spends more time with the wife.

I will keep you updated on the situation as it unfolds. The dog who was attacked is about 14 months old and a rescue from New Mexico. He is part boxer and a pistol himself. His owners are getting another rescue dog today, a female, arranged before the attack yesterday. The husband is going to report the pit to animal control. I believe it is the correct thing to do, especially since the pit's owners haven't gotten control of their dog, and it may be the pit's owner's wife who can't or doesn't control it. I thought about what could have happened to my client. She could have been attacked and it could have been really bad.

I will share photos later of the injuries and the sutures. The bite was through a muzzle. Imagine if there had been no muzzle. This was scary for sure.
 
I had a female black Labrador that saved a neighbor girl from a dog attack. She was walking and carrying her Chihuahua. A big male black Labrador came out from behind a house and saw her with the small dog in her arms and was running towards her and growling clearly in an attack mode. My female Lab saw that and ran out at full speed and got between her and the attacking dog and when the male was close to her my lab attacked the male before he could get to her. The male changed course and was forced away by my female. My female knew the girl and considered her part of our family as she visited often.
 
Wife woke me up by yelling, "There is a dog killing your chickens!" Out the back door I go. Black dog with a red collar breaking the sound barrier and heading north. I failed to lead far enough.

A few weeks later I'm in my back woods when a barking and growling dog comes towards me. Black dog with a red collar. I stomp my foot and yelled at the dog to go home. Dog doesn't retreat and starts clawing the ground with its hind feet. I yell at the dog again, turn my back and take a step away to deescalate the situation. I look back at the dog after that one step, dog has cut the distance between us in half. Ok. I'm squeezing the trigger when a young voice yells at the dog from the woods. Dog hesitates, looks at me and then turns back towards the voice.

A few weeks later wife comes home and the black dog "attacks" her car, she afraid to get out of the car (rightly so). She remembers what I had told her about my previous experience with the dog and drives to our nearest neighbor. Neighbor admits that it is his dog, he's had reports that the dog was overly aggressive and he will take care of it. That evening I heard two gunshots from the direction of the neighbor and we havn't seen the dog since. Appears the neighbor's word is good.
 
For sure, Cascadian. I've had some vicious biting 3 years old that I've sent home for the day; to make it the parent's problem
I once had a student who really had some mental issues, probably a mental illness. (Her mother's family had more than one mentally ill person, including Grandma) One time she attacked me and scratched my arm up good. She was written up and suspended for a week. I read later that she was suspended from another school after she picked up a jelly bean from the floor, popped it in her mouth and someone made fun of her. She went into attack mode, resulting in her suspension. When she left my classroom mid-year because her family was moving out of the community, she had a hit list that the Special Ed teacher found. There were a number of my other students on the list, and some teachers. Somehow, I was not on the list.

Her father was a very intelligent man, impressed with himself, who completely lacked in common sense. They lived about a mile from school. If the baby was sleeping when he left to go pick up older daughter, he would leave the baby at home to continue sleeping. I read years later that he was delivering pizza's and his car got stuck. Evidently he left it in gear when he went out to put something under the wheel and he was killed when his own car ran over him.
 
Wife woke me up by yelling, "There is a dog killing your chickens!" Out the back door I go. Black dog with a red collar breaking the sound barrier and heading north. I failed to lead far enough.

A few weeks later I'm in my back woods when a barking and growling dog comes towards me. Black dog with a red collar. I stomp my foot and yelled at the dog to go home. Dog doesn't retreat and starts clawing the ground with its hind feet. I yell at the dog again, turn my back and take a step away to deescalate the situation. I look back at the dog after that one step, dog has cut the distance between us in half. Ok. I'm squeezing the trigger when a young voice yells at the dog from the woods. Dog hesitates, looks at me and then turns back towards the voice.

A few weeks later wife comes home and the black dog "attacks" her car, she afraid to get out of the car (rightly so). She remembers what I had told her about my previous experience with the dog and drives to our nearest neighbor. Neighbor admits that it is his dog, he's had reports that the dog was overly aggressive and he will take care of it. That evening I heard two gunshots from the direction of the neighbor and we havn't seen the dog since. Appears the neighbor's word is good.
He did the right thing. Not everyone knows to put their dog down, or to have it put down. The dogs who keep attacking other dogs and yet also keep showing up at the dog parks have owners who don't get it.

It took a judge telling the attacking Akita's owner not to go to anymore dog parks before she got it, however, she would talk about it and think about it. Before she was told that, she continued to take her dog to the dog park and say, "I am proud of him. He is a good boy." NOT!
 
If any breed dog bit me out of aggression it would get shot. The pits that cause these problems are that way because of the people that own them. They have to be trained and socialized just like any other breed. The worst attack I've seen was by a lab/husky mix.

Pits were bred to be vicious. So it is hard to get the aggressive part out of them.
 
A dirt map for the dog, but there are really only bad owners. I think bad dogs are uncommon.

We raised a chow from a small puppy and he was very aggressive to other animals and so he was given to a junk yard. Chows seem to be one owner dogs. We train our animals and never abuse them doing so but this dog was self made SOB.
 
Many shelters and rescues put them down, no matter the history so people are very careful about where they turn them in. One of my neighbors said something similar to what you said. "There are many dogs out there looking for homes, so if you have a sick or dangerous dog, put it down and find another dog." People get very attached to their dogs, but I would detach myself from a dangerous dog in a heartbeat.

It is sad for the dogs too. They are not domestic type animals and should be banned,IMO. The poor animals are doing what some psychotic fool breeders trained them to do, kill.
 
sigh...it seems another case of a owner not in a state of mind to own a pitty or any dominant breed. That it came running out the door is a indication that the owner had no control of the situation or stimulation for that dog to begin with.
A red zone dog is a challenge ..more so for a owner. A dog out of control and aggressive can be dangerous. A pitty out of control is twice as dangerous. Pittys and bully breed are a temperament of their own. I love the pittys because when they give you their loyalty , they give it their all. 100% of their being , trust and loyalty is it. This is just not my experience from my own but from the fosters and volunteer work Ive had with the breed and mixed breed I worked with. With the right energy, they are a great companion dog. Not a great guard dog though..
however, some lines have been breed to be "gamey" but with other dogs . This is due to the breeding to fight after their hx to be a farm and family dog.
I adopted my pitty when he was rescused from a drug house over 9 years ago. he was already 1 to 3 years estimated old at the time of adoption. and had already spent a year in doggy jail just for being a drug dog.
He is the best dog I've had. Ive loved all my dogs deeply over the years but he is the smartest and most sensitive pooch I have owned. I took him to a professional trainer at the gate to make sure I wasn't screwing it up. The trainer had 3 0 years experience in military dog training to assess me and my new pooch. Hooch was the best in the class. the dog trainer said, He is so easy going and cool, he is easy to train because he wants to please and I have a handle on the energy level.
ok , so my point is ...the owner has to be dominant. Has to be in control, emotional steady and willing to lead. Confident in the role of leader ..mind , body and spirit. You can not bull_hit a animal. I don't care if it is a duck or a dog..if you are not in control and call the shots, you are not in control period.
When I had Hooch home for the fisrt few weeks , I had him on a leash tied to my hip once out of his outside kennel area. He was invited to my space..he was learned to respect my area on a lead controlled by me...in my space on lead. I took him outside to poop and pee on lead in my back yard on command the first two weeks night and day by my command and invitation. I made damb sure he knew he was in my area and by my command he had to first have permission to poop n pee in my area. His freedoms gained upon the first few weeks, and I will not admit he did not have issues.
He ate and chewed a pitty size hole through my back door the first 12 hour shift I left him. No kidding..the boy spent 12hours tearing my back door open the first 12 hour shift I had. After that if was a 12 hour size hole in a chainlink fence panel in his kennel. Yep..it seemed nothin much could hold a determined pitty back from known squaller to inside privilages.
Anyways, Hooch is easy. He is willing to please and likes other dogs mostly. He is not red zone. I have had a red zone female sher-pei once and she was a handful. I get the struggle. My advise to the owner is to find a trainer to help you and the dog. You both need training and that is not a bad disclosure. Not everyone is doggie savey..


My old greyhound mix who just passed this year was very protective in a intellagent way and so brave and loyal.

I have had a couple dogs who were cowards. One lab roc mix and his sidekick was a lab mutt, both ran like hell when a couple German Sheperds came after me. All my other dogs would protect us and ours.
 
Wife woke me up by yelling, "There is a dog killing your chickens!" Out the back door I go. Black dog with a red collar breaking the sound barrier and heading north. I failed to lead far enough.

A few weeks later I'm in my back woods when a barking and growling dog comes towards me. Black dog with a red collar. I stomp my foot and yelled at the dog to go home. Dog doesn't retreat and starts clawing the ground with its hind feet. I yell at the dog again, turn my back and take a step away to deescalate the situation. I look back at the dog after that one step, dog has cut the distance between us in half. Ok. I'm squeezing the trigger when a young voice yells at the dog from the woods. Dog hesitates, looks at me and then turns back towards the voice.

A few weeks later wife comes home and the black dog "attacks" her car, she afraid to get out of the car (rightly so). She remembers what I had told her about my previous experience with the dog and drives to our nearest neighbor. Neighbor admits that it is his dog, he's had reports that the dog was overly aggressive and he will take care of it. That evening I heard two gunshots from the direction of the neighbor and we havn't seen the dog since. Appears the neighbor's word is good.

Sad story, people who can't restrain their dogs should not own one. Also it is never good to own just one dog unless it is a house dog even then I want 2.
Most peopel can't even raise kids much less animals.
 
A friend of mine who has the same line of Presa Canarios as mine called me laughing told me to sit down before he told me his story. He received a call from from a couple that purchased a puppy a couple of years earlier. They no longer wanted the dog. He said he would stop by on his way home from work. He gets to the house and knocked on the door. No one answered both cars were there so he knocked for a few minutes more. Finally he called them and explained he was there for the dog. Their reply was ok the door is unlocked. He asked where they were? They were in the bathroom afraid to come out. He opens the door and the dog goes into attack mode. He slams the door and heads home to get his gun but he also calls a trainer friend who wants the dog. Together they get the dog in to a cage. Now the funny part the dog had taken over the house. He was marking furniture, no one was allowed on the couch except him (the dog) and if they made eye contact he bit them. Hard to believe but true. The trainer rehabilitated the dog he now completes in PSA.
 
A friend of mine who has the same line of Presa Canarios as mine called me laughing told me to sit down before he told me his story. He received a call from from a couple that purchased a puppy a couple of years earlier. They no longer wanted the dog. He said he would stop by on his way home from work. He gets to the house and knocked on the door. No one answered both cars were there so he knocked for a few minutes more. Finally he called them and explained he was there for the dog. Their reply was ok the door is unlocked. He asked where they were? They were in the bathroom afraid to come out. He opens the door and the dog goes into attack mode. He slams the door and heads home to get his gun but he also calls a trainer friend who wants the dog. Together they get the dog in to a cage. Now the funny part the dog had taken over the house. He was marking furniture, no one was allowed on the couch except him (the dog) and if they made eye contact he bit them. Hard to believe but true. The trainer rehabilitated the dog he now completes in PSA.
Why did you choose Presa Canarios? This is what I found relative to the breed: "Temperament: Suspicious, Strong Willed, Gentle, Dominant, Calm. The Perro de Presa Canario, a.k.a. the Canary Mastiff, is a rare large Molosser-type dog breed originally bred for working livestock. The name of the breed is Spanish, means "Canarian catch dog", and is often shortened to "Presa Canario" or simply "Presa". Wikipedia"

Are others in your family safe around them?
 
A friend of mine who has the same line of Presa Canarios as mine called me laughing told me to sit down before he told me his story. He received a call from from a couple that purchased a puppy a couple of years earlier. They no longer wanted the dog. He said he would stop by on his way home from work. He gets to the house and knocked on the door. No one answered both cars were there so he knocked for a few minutes more. Finally he called them and explained he was there for the dog. Their reply was ok the door is unlocked. He asked where they were? They were in the bathroom afraid to come out. He opens the door and the dog goes into attack mode. He slams the door and heads home to get his gun but he also calls a trainer friend who wants the dog. Together they get the dog in to a cage. Now the funny part the dog had taken over the house. He was marking furniture, no one was allowed on the couch except him (the dog) and if they made eye contact he bit them. Hard to believe but true. The trainer rehabilitated the dog he now completes in PSA.

Nice story. But some of us can't afford it. It is amazing how much they can change a dog though.
 
All dogs will look for the alpha male. If one is not available then they will take the position.
You have to know dogs before you can keep one healthy and happy. I have had quite a few dogs in my life and learned early that I had to be the dominant.. not really hard for me.
A frind of mine had a pit bull that she treated like a Barbie doll. As soon as I walked in the door he want to protect her from my advances - he has "pissed there first". He wasn't ready to fight until one night I teased him into it. I laid down on the floor with a bowl of ice cream to eat it. He came over to take it from me and I ignored him until he growled. I grabbed him by the neck and leg, flipped him on his back and got on top holding him to the floor by his neck. She thought I was going to kill her dog and the look of horror on her face was priceless. The dog went limp and had submitted. I got up and went back to eating my ice cream. When I had eaten all but a spoonful I stood up and walked over to the table and sat down. That dog looked at me, then at the ice cream then back at me. I looked away as he slowly walked to the ice cream. I glanced at him when he got there and he stopped cold. I looked away to explain to the woman what was going on and why I did what I did. the dog cleaned up the dish and then walked back to the corner. I walked over picked it up and put it in the sink. When I sat down I called the dog over. (his name was Fang) He came over and we were best friend after that. He never even barked at me from that night on.
He was not the only dog that got mounted as I have had some challenging dogs in my life but they all knew that I was in charge and that I expected them to follow me not lead.
 
Pits were bred to be vicious. So it is hard to get the aggressive part out of them.
not with people, therefore not all pits are.
They came from terriers bred to be fearless ratting, cattle and hog dogs. Unfortunetly, the prey drive lead to fighting due to the intense breeding of fierce prey drives in the breed. Any bully dog that showed aggression toward humans was put down back in the day because the selective drive was not meant towards the people as prey. Hunting, guarding livestock and all around ranch and farm dog was the first intention of this breed and like a lot of breeds , the drive and intent was ruined in many due to backyard breeders who were stupid or clueless. In world war 1 the breed was a national icon. the breed has earned a place in American history for sure.
I know I am biased but I will be the first to admit any gamey dog, aggressive lines should be eliminated as it was not intended as the true breed standard, nor is it a sustainable or logical trait to enable and continue breeding. There is nothing natural about a dog who fights to the death of another of it's species. This is unbalanced and unnatural and should be elimimated...period. There are thousands of pet quality, breed worthy pittys in shelters waiting to be adopted. Granted they all might not be for all the average dog owners who don't really possess the time and energy to handle them but , there is hope this breed can be as great as they can be, and the ones with hope can be with the help of the right owner to nuture and breed them back to original intentions. Many are already breed back to docility in manner but still seen as child and other dog maulers regardless.
I realize I'm probably preaching to the choir on this one but just needed to say it for all the sweet pittys out there...I truly love the breed; and even though since they have been screwed up a bit espically since they were brought here back in the 1800's..They are a great American breed , not perfect but like my own heritage..a bit of this and that..a bit of wild and tame from land afar to native to mix it up.
Anyone want a guarantee and easy, get a goldfish..or a boarder collie..haahaa!
 
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