Why do parents keep "dangerous" dogs around their kids?

Oh jeez, now you're going to hear from all the pit bull owners saying THEIR dog is not the problem. Right. Until "provoked".

I don't understand the appeal of having an animal in your home whose genetic makeup is designed for fighting and killing (particularly when there are dozens and dozens of eminently more suitable breeds), but some people seem to think it's cool. Some people probably keep alligators for pets too, but at least they seem more aware of the realistic possible consequences.

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I know I will get yelled at by some but I really don't care. The only reason the *majority* of people own a pit bull is precisely BECAUSE it is a violent dog. It's like it makes them super cool to own a feared dog. Anyone who owns a violent breed, like a pit bull, and has a child, is irresponsible.

I would sign a bill right this minute to outlaw the breed. I can not imagine why any sane person would have a young child around a breed of dog that is CONTINUALLY in the news for killing or maiming young children. It really makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

And I don't buy the rebut that "oh, they're not all like that....they get a bad name, etc". If that is the case, why in the world don't we hear repeated stories of that damn labrador that maimed seventeen kids on the block. Or that darn toy poodle that keeps eluding dog catchers. I don't buy it. It is a dangerous breed, period.

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I agree completely - and just wanted to add, the little boy's foot had to be amputated :(

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I agree that people should research which kinds of dogs may be a threat to children - and I think they'd be surprised by what they find. Cocker Spaniels, for instance, are the #1 breed prone to biting unprovoked due to a genetic flaw. While they're obviously not as big a mauling threat as a larger dog, they can still do a heck of a lot of damage to a small child. Chow Chows, Jack Russell Terriers, Labrador Retrievers, and Dachshunds also rank high. In my home city last year, where Pit Bulls have been banned, dog bite incidences had not decreased, but instead the two biggest breed culprits became Black Labs and Golden Retrievers.

Nearly all breeds have the capacity to bite and harm a child if they don't view him or her as an authority figure (remember that dogs discipline pups by nipping them on the scruff or the muzzle) or to chase and maul if the child triggers their prey drive. A family should not bring any dog into a home with a small child unless, as you say, it's an older dog whose temperament and triggers are well established, or they're willing to put in the extensive supervision and training to properly socialize the dog to see children as dominant over them and train the child as to how to reliably respect the dog's boundaries.

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When I hear stories such as this, my thoughts don't immediately turn to the breed of dog - I think of irresponsible dog owners. And I don't mean being purposely irresponsible - I mean not having the knowledge, the time and/or the dedication to raising the puppy/dog.

Yes, I agree that some breeds do have more aggresive tendencies or were bred to be fighters, guard dogs etc., and are (in most cases) not the best choice for the family pet.

Having said that, I read somewhere recently (and for the life of me can't find it now) that labs and spaniels (two very popular family breeds) are at the top of the 'biter' list. Why? Because their owners have not educated themselves enough to raise them properly. A responsible owner who raises a pup to be well-mannered and to recognize their place in the family 'pack', will have a lovely, reliable and trustworthy canine.

My mother has a teeny, tiny white fluffball - who is also a HUGE menace, a biter and very aggressive. We have Great Danes. We brought our first pup home when our girls were 7 and 8. I knew what we were getting ourselves into, knew this was going to be a large, powerful dog, and did my homework on the breed for months. As he got older, our girls were involved with his daily training, and we also made sure he knew that his place was at the bottom of the totem pole.

I'm sure there are exceptions to any case/situation/dog, but in my opinion, dog owners are most often to blame in these situations. And it's certainly a most horrible lesson. I have no doubt that breeds such as pitt bulls, rottweilers, etc., can be wonderful family pets; but the owners had better be on the ball, and have ample time and knowledge to put towards raising these breeds in a responsible manner.

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Historically, there is no breed called 'pit bull'. However, there are a number of breeds of terriers that can be trained to fight in pits that have come to be called 'pit bulls'. Would that mean outlawing all terriers, including Wishbone?

As for the "why in the world don't we hear repeated stories of that damn labrador that maimed seventeen kids on the block.[sic]" -- while labs are typically not aggressive to humans, I would guess it has to do with the same reasons the media disproportionally covers fires and crimes committed by young black men: to create higher ratings and ad revenue. Chows are rumored to be bad with children, but when was the last time you heard that reported?

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I would love to see the article that puts labs at the to of the biter list. I just find that extremely difficult to believe.

I would much rather my daughter get bitten by your mother's little white mean fluffball than by the pitt bull pulling it's person down my street. Just me.

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Yes SOME pitbulls are vicious, but the thing is (not to sound callous)puppies of all breeds chew on things and that little boy was seen a a chew toy because he could not move his foot. He couldn't even tell he was being chewed on. That puppy would have chewed on anything. Pit puppies are mouthy. Just ask the MINT CONDITION VINTAGE 40's sofa that I HAD!, or the 2 year old puppy that I still have. Granted, that situaton can't ever compare with the mauling of that little boy, but WHERE WAS HIS MAMA??

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Having worked as a volunteer dog trainer--the dogs most likely to be brought in for training because they've biten someone are those little dustmops and labs/goldens. Why? Because of public perception. The dustmops and the labs/goldens tend not to be reported as biters--even if they'd done major damage--and not put down as a result. The "pitbulls"/rots/GSDs are reported and put down at the first incidence, even if it was minor. (I also have worked in dog rescue, and can see the disparity in the dogs that come in via public/government sources. We do get biters, if they're of "good" breeds. They're excused, or seen as "trainable.")

The dog across the street, a little terrier mix, got away with six major biting incidents--including two that required stitches--that I was aware of before it was put down, and everyone says "how distressing". My dog, a GSD mix, lunged at someone without biting three years back and we're constantly told "how bad" a dog he is and how we shouldn't trust him. We know he's territorial, and we keep him out of situations where his lunging might occur (and with the years of training we've put into him those situations have almost all been overcome).

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I honestly doubt that this incident had much to do with the breed of dog. It was a puppy. Has no one else ever had a teething puppy start chewing on your hand or shoe or whatever? It's just their nature, and in normal circumstances the person feels it, tells the dog no, and the situation is over. In this case, the boy couldn't feel it to tell the dog no. My main question is Where was the boys mother while her 4 yr old was being used as a chew toy by her puppy. Puppies and 4 yr olds shouldn't be left alone together for any period of time under normal circumstances, and these were not normal circumstances. I think that raised properly almost any dog can be a safe loving pet, and I have met more pit bulls that prove this than ones that disprove it. I feel awful for everyone involved in this situation, and can't wait to hear what the investigation into the mother turns up.

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Personally I think it's complete BS to blame it on the breed. Friends of our family raised rots for years and never has any of them bitten someone except out of play. The reason pits are blamed for being super vicious is because of the morons that train them for the sole purpose of ripping each other apart (ahem.. in case you didn't notice HUMANS TRAIN THEM TO DO THAT). In most instances, humans do the provoking, the animal suffers the consequences. I have a pitbull mix and he is the biggest baby in the world. It has little to nothing to do with the breed. I personally know plenty of vicious palmeranians and no mean pitbulls.

As for this case, the parents need locked up for neglect. Who lets a child like that alone anyways?

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I have to agree with Kai,Rachel and Rob.. It has nothing to do with the breed.

Jessica, I would need to question the mentality "that most people own pitbulls because it is a violent dog". German Shepherds and Rottweilers are much more dangerous. Pitbulls are great family dogs by nature, if they are nurtured right. This is the case with all breeds..

I love my pitbull mix.. And after 3 years of nurturing her, I can guarantee she would be good with all people and animals..

I am so fed up with the negative publicity regarding pitbulls because a small group of thugs use them for protection.

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I am an owner of four pits, I am also expecting a baby this September. I completely understand when people automatically jump to judging a dog. This I guess is natural. What would happen to a child if not raised with love and discipline? The child may be out of control. I believe that it's the same with ANY dog you own. You must set boundaries and rules that must be followed. With Pits they do have exceptionally bad wraps. If anything, I mean anything, happens with a dog attack and it was a pit bull, you can bet that it will hit front page, but where are all the other stories, I'm sure they aren't the only breed that bites. A lot of people probably think so. I am constantly having to defend my dogs to people that have never met my dogs just because they are Pit Bulls. But anyone that HAS met them, have nothing but good things to say about them. Pits were bred and raised to fight and protect, and even though Sissy, our first pit looks scary she is very loving and only wants to please us and have our attention. They are very loving and loyal companions when raised properly. We have raised all our dogs from pups to be gentle non-aggressive animals. Some of you don't believe that is possible, to each there own, this is America and everyone has a right to their opinion and to voice it. My whole problem with the dog attacks always being the Pit Bulls fault is, where were the parents and/or where were the dog owners? A pit is an ANIMAL, we are, or should be RESPONSIBLE human beings. You should never leave ANY dog unsupervised with a child regardless of the breed. Common sense people. Sure, it is easy to blame a dog, that puts it off of you right? Why not? As parents and as pet owners, we need to step up and take responsibitity for the situations we put our children and our dogs in. If you have a dog, any breed of dog, that has a history of aggression towards people, you are right, you should not have them in your home with your children. Not ALL Pits are aggressive. My nieces and nephews love to play in the yard with my dogs. Granted it's supervised play, it is playing none the less and not because I'm worried my dogs will hurt them, supervision is key to preventative maintenance they may get too playful and and knock them down, not meaning to, but pits are very energetic animals, they have lots of energy that is why supervision is a must. To me it is ignorance that automatically judges a dog by its breed, on whether it is a biter or a killer. People can be very ignorant when it comes to things they do not know much about, it is very terrifying to them. I don't mean to run on about this, but it does hit a nerve w/ me. I'm tired of the stereotypes.

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I haven't looked into the veracity of this, just found it online, FWIW:

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html

"Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has conducted an unusually detailed study of dog bites from 1982 to the present. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006; click here to read it.) The Clifton study show the number of serious canine-inflicted injuries by breed. The author's observations about the breeds and generally how to deal with the dangerous dog problem are enlightening."

"According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question."

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we had an alaskian malamute and it was the sweetest dog until the first time it went into heat. She was never the same she started killing cats and one day it killed our other dog then started running to the road(we lived in a neighbohood) and my dad had to shoot it he was scared it would go for a child, it was all he could do. We treated that dog good we don't know what happened to make it change.

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"But I have to wonder why, oh why, do people continue to bring "dangerous" animals into their homes when young kids are either present or near by?"

All animals have the potential to be dangerous, its just larger breeds have the potential to do more damage.

I'm teh asst. manager of two veterinary hospitals, and have seen dog attacks from almost every breed. There are a couple that I cringe when I see come in: cocker spaniels and corgies. I can almost guarrantee they will try to bite at the slightest provocation (Or lack thereof.) Are there good examples of the breed? Certainly. Just like tehre are good exmaples of pits (my parents, to name but one.)

When a big dog attacks, it does more damager and is in teh news. When a small dog attacks, its blown off or pushed under the rug. Go figure!

BTW, I own a Giant Schnauzer, a working/guard breed dog and two chihuahuas. None of my dogs are ever left alone with my two boys because it is my responsibility to insure everyone's safety -- my children's and my dogs.

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People tend to underestimate the responsibility that comes with owning a dog, especially when mixed with children. A dog's disposition is only partly dependent on its breed, and only partly on training. Breeding is also very important - irresponsible breeding can create a mean individual in a normally sweet breed. How many parents take the time to research the source of the dog they will raise with their child?

A dog is a dog, no matter how it is treated. It is a pack animal and its behavior is based on whether the person / animal it's interacting with is more or less dominant than the dog. Some breeds, and some individuals within a breed, are more dominant than others. But even the least dominant dog in a litter / pack will become dominant when with someone less dominant (e.g., a wussy human being).

Parents need to do careful research, select a pet responsibly, always be in control of their dog, and always watch their kids until the kids are old enough to be fully in control of the dog. Anyone who is not able to take on this responsibility should not have a dog.

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I agree with Rachel 100%. I don't know if the author of this post has ever had a puppy in the home, but puppies are constantly chewing and biting. When my rottie was a pup she was constantly trying to chew on my hands when I would play with her. She is now 5 years old and is very sweet and very patient.

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I agree with Kai - dogs and dog breeds aren't a problem. Bad owners are a problem.

You and your kid are far more likely to be bitten by a high-strung, tempermental chihuahua (and those things can be vicious!), a "not great with kids" dalmation, or an "equally bad with kids but people get them for kids anyway, god knows why" cocker spaniel.

Pits? Gentle, except when they've been badly trained or mistreated. I've never had a bad experience with a pit (and they're popular dogs with the people I know), but I've had more than my share with chihuahuas and poodles.

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I love it when people say, "Does he bite?" I always answer, "Does he have teeth?" The answer is the same to both questions.

We got love-attacked by a neighbor's rottweiler. My four and two year old sons and a very pregnant me were getting out of our car and going up our front walk. This big beast came dashing up the street and loved all over my one son. I hopped on the dog's back and did my best to pull him back from my petrified boy, but I was useless.

I was so relieved that the dog was just being friendly! I know that if he'd been attacking, my boy would likely be dead and I could have lost the baby, etc.

(why did I tell this? Dunno.)

My MIL used to have to trick her dogs into going outside when she wanted to discipline my husband and his siblings. If she raised her voice to the kids, the dog growled at her.

(again, why? I guess it's just dog-story night)

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