[Akhenaten]

If assault by dog was treated as assault by owner (since in no way can we really blame the dog) then I think we'd see a rejuvenated will to take proper responsibility for your dog.

[DrCaleb]

Akhenaten Akhenaten:

If assault by dog was treated as assault by owner (since in no way can we really blame the dog) then I think we'd see a rejuvenated will to take proper responsibility for your dog.

Why can we not blame the dog? I spend every evening at the dog park, and attacks there aren't exactly rare. Usually it's a little territory dispute, or a dominance display. Totally minor incidents, but they do happen. And it's the nature of the dog that causes it, nothing to do with the owner.

When some un-neutered male, or female in heat is brought to the park by a completely moronic owner - they we tend to blame the owner. If the dog is showing aggression, and that is reinforced or ignored by the owner, we blame them both.

But some dogs just have it 'in them'. My favourite dog, besides my own, is a pure bred Irish Wolfhound. She is such a pookie. But she plays hard, and many dogs can't handle it. It's in her nature to attack and kill, but she doesn't - she aggressively plays with other dogs not in her weight class. It's what her breed does. She is fast, the fastest wolfhound in North America. So no dog there can outrun her, even when she isn't trying. It's in her nature to pin other dogs to the ground.

She does it to any strange dog, and there is nothing they can do to stop it. Nothing a human can do either. So, she has to be leashed when new dogs are around, or she will 'starfish' them to the ground. It's the way she is.

[DerbyX]

Akhenaten Akhenaten:

If assault by dog was treated as assault by owner (since in no way can we really blame the dog) then I think we'd see a rejuvenated will to take proper responsibility for your dog.

Sometimes they do. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/ ... 0287.shtml

I agree. We make parents responsible for their children so we sure as hell can make them responsible for their pets especially when they are animals specifically bred to kill.

It bothers me the way so many owners say how loving and kind their animals are with them so they can't possibly be vicious. It shows they don't understand that the dogs pack mentality is why they are like that. You and the family are considered part of the pack to the dog. The nice 9 year old girl skipping down the street? To a dog its a stranger and a possible threat. To a dog trained (or bred) to respond viciously to a threat well that speaks for itself.

[Akhenaten]

$1:

Why can we not blame the dog?

Because we're responsible for them in every conceivable way. We bred hostility into some breeds and we are responsible for the training of any breed. The animal is only following it's instincts.

$1:

And it's the nature of the dog that causes it, nothing to do with the owner.

And we as owners are responsible for controlling that nature. That's the difference between a wild species and a domesticated one.

This is as old as "Moby Dick". You can't blame the animals, you can only deal with them.

[Regina]

Dogs, like humans need to be properly socialized to fit into their environment. A dog tied to a post in the back yard would behave the same way a child would if you did the same to it. A dog left to roam on it's own will behave like our little vandals who do the same. In this case the dogs are merely a product of their environment which is no big surprise. The type and size of dogs will only dictate the severity of the attack.

[Donny_Brasco]

Just sue the owners. If your dog is aggressive and bites someone then you lose your house/car/savings/trailer. If you choose to own a pitbull and are responsible then you don't have to worry.

I had a sweet Great Pyrenees buy my little sister kept letting her escape the house when I was not around. So when the pound finally got her I let them keep the dog and I kicked out my sister (she’s 17 so I would have rather kept the dog). Not that she’s a violent dog but I don’t want to risk her biting someone while loose, and without my sister around the dog is alone except in the evenings.

I also park my truck on my lawn on the coldest days of they year so that I don’t risk tripping someone with the block heater cord. All my neighbours run theirs across the sidewalk, which is illegal and you could get sued if someone trips and gets injured.

It’s all about being responsible and not giving someone the opportunity to sue you.

[poquas]

Dogs think and act on instinct and conditioning. Behaviour which is unacceptable to us either has to be conditioned/trained out early in their lives or you have an animal which is never going to be trustworthy.

The most common dog to bite someone is the poodle. There’s no such thing a “bad breed”. The person who owns (or breeds in defective traits) is solely responsible for the actions of the dog.

[BartSimpson]

Pitbulls, by nature, are aggressive dogs and they've been bred to have powerful jaws that can do tremendous damage. Outlawing these dogs or requiring their owners to have special permits (as owners of wolves and wolf-hyrbids have to do in many jurisdictions) is not unjust. People who already own the dogs can be grandfathered in, but any new dogs would fall under the new law.

[Public_Domain]

[Lemmy]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Pitbulls, by nature, are aggressive dogs and they've been bred to have powerful jaws that can do tremendous damage. Outlawing these dogs or requiring their owners to have special permits (as owners of wolves and wolf-hyrbids have to do in many jurisdictions) is not unjust. People who already own the dogs can be grandfathered in, but any new dogs would fall under the new law.

That sounds an aweful lot like the argument in favour of firearms prohibition...."f-a-v-o-U-r", Bart.

[Public_Domain]

[andyt]

poquas poquas:

The most common dog to bite someone is the poodle. There’s no such thing a “bad breed”. The person who owns (or breeds in defective traits) is solely responsible for the actions of the dog.

I've always heard it was the beagle. But when was the last time you heard about a poodle or beagle mauling a human or other dog? More common breeds may result in more incidences of a bite, but it's the pittbulls and rottweilers that make the news for their horrific attacks.

[BartSimpson]

Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Pitbulls, by nature, are aggressive dogs and they've been bred to have powerful jaws that can do tremendous damage. Outlawing these dogs or requiring their owners to have special permits (as owners of wolves and wolf-hyrbids have to do in many jurisdictions) is not unjust. People who already own the dogs can be grandfathered in, but any new dogs would fall under the new law.

I'm not sure if this is serious or some jab at the gun registry.

Someone has his sarcasm detector on.

[Public_Domain]

[poquas]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Pitbulls, by nature, are aggressive dogs and they've been bred to have powerful jaws that can do tremendous damage.

They are not "by nature" any more aggressive than any other dog. They, like Mastiffs and Rottweiler’s have a significantly more powerful bite, but the ability to bite harder does not mean they will bite at all.

People have a singular problem when it comes to pets. We tend to anthropomorphize them and disregard the instincts that drive them. Any dog can be trained or mistreated to be dangerous. Inbreeding in puppy mills creates some of the most unpredictable dogs of all. A responsibly bred line of pit bull properly socialized and trained is no threat to anyone under normal circumstances than any other breed.