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Yes but there is more nuance here. Only a few dog breeds are potentially dangerous. Look at the CDC stats (link below) over 20 years for fatal dog attacks and t

by mbubb 17y ago

Yes but there is more nuance here. Only a few dog breeds are potentially dangerous. Look at the CDC stats (link below) over 20 years for fatal dog attacks and there are a relatively few breeds. In fact, looking at the data, if you lump 'pitbulls and related breeds', rottweilers and german shepherds together you have 75% of the fatalities. A dog advocate would point out irregularities of lumping 'pitbulls and related...' but even allowing for that you have a pretty tiny slice of the overall dog breeds that can be called dangerous. As some breeds become more popular you might see them on the updated list - like rodesian ridgebacks which are sweet but massive enough to cause real damage. I have an Irish terrier. He has some of the same temperament as a pit bull. That curious, relentless, stubbornness. But if he is about 17 kilos and if he ever lost it - he would not do much more than draw blood and give a nasty cut or two. The biggest problem with pits/ rottweilers, etc. is that people often dont know what they are getting into. These dogs are generally smart, strong and dominant. It is an open question as to who is in charge. The best pit owners that I have seen know this and are firm, gentle and consistent. Then there are recently graduated fratboys who get a pitbull, call it Mojo or Samson and teach it how to do death locks on car tires... Over the past 9 years in the 3 local dogruns, my dog and I have come into contact with numerous other dogs and have seen less than ten fights in that time frame (none that he was a participant in). The only human bites were from breaking up fights improperly (always grab the back legs and hold them high...). Dogs even when jammed together in tiny city dogruns (metro NYC) typically get along. I realize as I write this that it is terribly anecdotal and i could go on about it as hanging out in the dogrun has made me an amateur cultural anthropologist. http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Dog-Bites/dogbite-factsheet.html http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Dog-Bites/dogbi...

pbhjpbhj 17y ago
>he is about 17 kilos and if he ever lost it - he would not do much more than draw blood and give a nasty cut or two. Your dog could easily kill a smaller mammal, such as a human child. Indeed a "nasty cut or two" could kill an adult but is highly unlikely. Thing is if your dog threatens to harm me or my child and I crush its skull under my boot then I'll be arrested. >Over the past 9 years in the 3 local dogruns, my dog and I have come into contact with numerous other dogs and have seen less than ten fights in that time frame I find that interesting as nearly every time I'm out walking at a place where dog-walking is popular I witness dogs fighting. Probably a dozen times a year, I do try and avoid such places as I don't like walking in faeces or hearing "oh he's harmless" as my toddler is knocked over by an out of control dog.
- mbubb 17y ago
  I know it is a week later and this is stale and I am not really sure how to contact you directly - a few responses: >>I find that interesting as nearly every time I'm out walking at a place where dog-walking is popular I witness dogs fighting. Probably a dozen times a year, I do try and avoid such places as I don't like walking in faeces ... I am in the city (<2km from midtown Manhattan) and the dog parks are fenced in areas where someone would not walk through faeces. The fighting thing I will grant you as my point was anecdotal and yours was as well. There are very different attitudes regarding dogs and dog behaviour in different areas. In the yuppie area that I live in it is pretty bad form to not clean up your dog's crap or to let your dog fight. So it doesnt tend to happen. But a short walk away to a more ghetto part of town and there are alot more fights and you are more likely to step in crap. So point well taken. I believe - however - that if dogs are socialized properly they will not tend to fight. In my life I have lived in suburbia and the city and a well raised city dog is a pretty fit and content beast. The suburban dog let out to a back yard where it stays all day barking at passing children, dogs and squirrels is often not. My local dogrun is pretty heavily used by a population of about 500 dogs, there can be 15 - 20 dogs in there at a time. So it is surprising that there are not more fights. The city largely neglects the run so people informally replensh bags and scoops and fix the fence (server room zipties work great...) >>...Thing is if your dog threatens to harm me or my child and I crush its skull under my boot then I'll be arrested. Do not think so - if a dog is savaging another human it should be killed. That might depend upon the local laws but i think you have to kill a dog that is attacking someone. Not worth quibbling about but I was surprised by this comment. >>... or hearing "oh he's harmless" as my toddler is knocked over by an out of control dog. I hear you on this - I have 2 young boys (< 6yrs old) and it is troubling to see people with dogs they can barely control. The last nasty fight I say was some kind of mastiff which rally hurt another dog while the owner (who probably weighed less than the dog) shrieked nearby doing nothing. A month or so ago, 2 dogs described as pitbulls in the paper were killed by the police as they seriously bit (shredded a leg in one case) 3 people in an apartment. (Though I found it even more disturbing to think that police were discharging a gun in an occupied apartment building but that is another issue.) I find this indefensible - to keep dogs (or any animals) in a situation where you cannot control them. Even though it is pretty rare it is very disturbing.

by mbubb 17y ago

pbhjpbhj 17y ago

>he is about 17 kilos and if he ever lost it - he would not do much more than draw blood and give a nasty cut or two. Your dog could easily kill a smaller mammal, such as a human child. Indeed a "nasty cut or two" could kill an adult but is highly unlikely. Thing is if your dog threatens to harm me or my child and I crush its skull under my boot then I'll be arrested. >Over the past 9 years in the 3 local dogruns, my dog and I have come into contact with numerous other dogs and have seen less than ten fights in that time frame I find that interesting as nearly every time I'm out walking at a place where dog-walking is popular I witness dogs fighting. Probably a dozen times a year, I do try and avoid such places as I don't like walking in faeces or hearing "oh he's harmless" as my toddler is knocked over by an out of control dog.

mbubb 17y ago
I know it is a week later and this is stale and I am not really sure how to contact you directly - a few responses: >>I find that interesting as nearly every time I'm out walking at a place where dog-walking is popular I witness dogs fighting. Probably a dozen times a year, I do try and avoid such places as I don't like walking in faeces ... I am in the city (<2km from midtown Manhattan) and the dog parks are fenced in areas where someone would not walk through faeces. The fighting thing I will grant you as my point was anecdotal and yours was as well. There are very different attitudes regarding dogs and dog behaviour in different areas. In the yuppie area that I live in it is pretty bad form to not clean up your dog's crap or to let your dog fight. So it doesnt tend to happen. But a short walk away to a more ghetto part of town and there are alot more fights and you are more likely to step in crap. So point well taken. I believe - however - that if dogs are socialized properly they will not tend to fight. In my life I have lived in suburbia and the city and a well raised city dog is a pretty fit and content beast. The suburban dog let out to a back yard where it stays all day barking at passing children, dogs and squirrels is often not. My local dogrun is pretty heavily used by a population of about 500 dogs, there can be 15 - 20 dogs in there at a time. So it is surprising that there are not more fights. The city largely neglects the run so people informally replensh bags and scoops and fix the fence (server room zipties work great...) >>...Thing is if your dog threatens to harm me or my child and I crush its skull under my boot then I'll be arrested. Do not think so - if a dog is savaging another human it should be killed. That might depend upon the local laws but i think you have to kill a dog that is attacking someone. Not worth quibbling about but I was surprised by this comment. >>... or hearing "oh he's harmless" as my toddler is knocked over by an out of control dog. I hear you on this - I have 2 young boys (< 6yrs old) and it is troubling to see people with dogs they can barely control. The last nasty fight I say was some kind of mastiff which rally hurt another dog while the owner (who probably weighed less than the dog) shrieked nearby doing nothing. A month or so ago, 2 dogs described as pitbulls in the paper were killed by the police as they seriously bit (shredded a leg in one case) 3 people in an apartment. (Though I found it even more disturbing to think that police were discharging a gun in an occupied apartment building but that is another issue.) I find this indefensible - to keep dogs (or any animals) in a situation where you cannot control them. Even though it is pretty rare it is very disturbing.