FORT KENT, Maine — A Fort Kent man was charged with keeping a dangerous dog after his pit bulls reportedly attacked a local woman and her dog on Friday.
Police Chief Kenneth Michaud said on Monday that the incident happened just before 4:30 p.m. on Market Street.
Michaud said the victim was walking her small dog and had picked it up to carry it when the attack occurred.
According to Michaud, the dogs were owned by Dennis Jurson of Fort Kent. Michaud said the two pit bulls ran up and began jumping at the woman and trying to grab her jacket. They knocked her to the ground and she fell on her dog.
A passer-by stopped to help and scared the dogs off, according to Michaud.
Jurson arrived on the scene a short time later and picked up the dogs, which had escaped from his home through a partially unlatched door, Michaud said Monday.
The victim took her dog to a veterinarian for treatment. Michaud said the dog had been bitten. The woman reportedly was not bitten but had saliva from the dogs all over her jacket.
Keeping a dangerous dog is a misdemeanor.
the real problem here is he was not KEEPING a dangerous dog
Another heart warming story about one of the best damn dogs anyone could own. Such sweet little buggers.
Great beasts . . . if you want your neighbor eaten.
I can’t wait to read the pro pit bull comments such as, “any dog can bite someone,” or “pit bulls are just like any other dog.” They are like any other dog- except that pit bulls or pit bull mixes are involved in about half of the fatalities caused by dogs.
LOL ! YES ! I CANT WAIT TILL WE HEAR < PITBULLS MAKE GREAT DOGS ! BULLSHOT ! OUTLAW THEM < ITS TIME TO KEEP OTHERS FROM BEING VICTIMIZED NEEDLESSLY !
Actually I know several “Pit Bulls” that are certified therapy dogs. I also know several other dogs that I wouldn’t trust even if I were armed.
Lots of people have “known” a pit bull until it attacked somebody.
Then it’s “Heavens to Betsy, I never thought . . . ”
“Lots of people have “known” a” dog “until it attacked somebody.”
“Then it’s “Heavens to Betsy, I never thought . . . “”
All dogs give warnings before they bite.
I have video on my PC that shows dogs (not a “pit bull” among them) giving clear warning signs that they are about to bite. In one of them, the person about to be bit put both of his hands on either side of the dogs head and then bent over them. Both the hand placement and the bending over the head are aggressive motions in dog language.
The dog gave clear signs including ears down and pulled back, mouth tightening and lips pulled back, steady alert eyes with white showing and the handler and the person making the “aggressive” moves never saw what was coming. Of course the “dog” was to blame but the dog wasn’t. The handler was to blame for not reading his dog and for not telling the bite victim not to do what he was doing.
99% of of the time dogs warn and then bite when we (you and I) don’t read the body language.
Of course, of course.
Usually, they shout “Stop or I’ll bite” three times before they actually sink their fangs into somebody.
Then they calmly tell their victim, “You have a right to a rabies shot. If you do not elect to receive a rabies shot, the germs may be used against you.”
And if somebody doesn’t happen to understand dog language, well whatever happens is just their own darned fault, right?
Wrong!
Better yet is a clear warning to pit bull owners: “You have a right to pay the full consequences of your dog’s acts. This may include being used as the bait in a
round of dog baiting.”
ElderlyGent do you think that I don’t know what I am talking about?
Here, for your reading pleasure are some suggested readings for you –
Canine body language: a photographic guide : interpreting the native language of the domestic dog [Book]
by Brenda Aloff
Here are a website or two for you –
http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/diagrams.html
http://www.topeka.org/pdfs/CanineBody_Language.pdf
This video clearly demonstrates a GSD given clear signs and then striking. The handler, a police officer should have seen the signs.
http://animal.discovery.com/videos/untamed-and-uncut-attack-dog-bites-reporter.html
The signs are easy to read and if you own a dog you should know for yourself and the protection of others.
Those sites are written by pit bull apologists. Hardly objective.
Why do you oppose stiff penalties — responsibility — for owners of beasts that attack innocent children and other people’s pets?
Then you didn’t look at any of the links I posted. You are either closed minded to opinions that differ from yours or don’t care about objective material.
The book is one of the most respected books on canine body language. It is written for dogs and makes no apologies for any breed.
The first site “Diamonds in the Ruff” shows all different breeds and is simple explaining what the dogs are saying with their body language.
How the ASPCA is a “pit bull apologists” is beyond me.
The video show a GSD (that’s German Shepherd Dog) which is no relation to “pit bulls”.
Now, having explained that so any readers understand because you obviously don’t care I have come to the conclusion that you are a) not “elderly, or b) not a “gent”. You sir are a troll, nothing more and nothing less.
AGAIN: Why do you oppose stiff penalties — responsibility — for owners of beasts that attack innocent children and other people’s pets?
WHY should I answer any question you ask? You insult posters, belittle posts, demand answer without answering any yourself, so WHY should I answer anything you ask?
When you answer some questions asked of you, then you deserve answers to yours.
Good grief! You won’t even support responsibility for idiots who put kids at risk?
Go bite a pit bull!
Do you have a reading comprehension issue because if you read my posts you sure didn’t comprehend them.
Owners of dogs ARE ALREADY criminally and civilly responsible for the actions of their dogs ElderlyGent. We (society) ALREADY don’t enforce many of the laws on the books that we ALREADY have. Do you think ADDING laws will CHANGE ANYTHING? (Sorry, I forgot you don’t answer questions put to you).
bow wow
Thanks for continuing to post and show that you have nothing to add to the conversation.
“involved in about half of the fatalities caused by dogs” as identified by whom?
There are a number of studies, many of them online, that give pretty consistent numbers. Dog bites are a whole different deal, Golden Retrievers head up that list.
I keep reading statements like yours and honestly I think you must be mistaken. I’m not speaking out against any particular breed but all of these sites list pit’s, akita’s and rot’s as the worst offenders. Actually I cannot find a single list that puts Golden Retrievers at the top of the bite list. Not even in the top ten.
http://www.dog-bite-law-center.com/pgs/stats.htmlhttp://www.americanhumane.org/animals/stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/dog-bites.htmlhttp://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics.phphttp://www.dog-obedience-training-online.com/dog-bite-statistics-by-breed.htmlhttp://www.edgarsnyder.com/dog-bite/statistics.html ( a law firm and they should know!)
In fairness some of these studies indicate that people actually do report more attacks/bites when Pittbulls, Rotties etc. are involved. The piece that I read about Goldens indicated that most owners just don’t report them as they are the most popular family dog and they often see a bite from a Golden as rare occassion. I stand by Pitt bulls/mixes being involved in a huge percentage of deaths.
The problem with most of those studies is they rely on “new media” articles and reports for the type of breed. Remember the near fatal attack a year or so ago? That dog was misidentified in the original articles and even with the correct in the BDN people still think it was one “breed ” when it really wasn’t.
Outlaw the breed. Problem solved.
Cannot outlaw a breed that doesn’t exist.
I find it odd how, when a muscular, shorthaired, 30-100 pound, dog with a face like a snapping turtle attacks, the pit pushes say , “there is no way to accurately id a pit bull” or “there is not such thing as a pit bull.” But wait, they will then tell you they have “a wonderful pit bull” and, watch soon there will be a “Pit bull awareness Day”.
How can they determine that the nice dogs are suddenly “pits”?
Debbie…different breeds of dogs at different times have been the focus of breed specific legislation. The German Shepherd Dog, Doberman Pincher, Rottweiler are three examples of breeds over the past thirty to forty years that have been the focus of breed specific legislation up t and including outright bans. But those are breeds and you can actually look up the breed.
A “pit bull” is not a breed. Doesn’t matter if you believe it or not but the breed simply does not exist. A pit bull is any of several breeds of dog that include the American pit bull terrier (which according to the American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS) has an 86.8% passing rate as compared to a 82.8% rate for all breeds) and the American Staffordshire Terrier among others.
And here is an example of a “failure” when it comes to breed specific legislation – “Service Dog Banned from Iowa Town” http://www.petside.com/article/service-dog-banned-iowa-town Eventually a judge found that the town was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Service Dog was reunited with its owner.
Pit bulls make me think the NRA is right.
Everybody should carry a gun.
When a dog “wags” its tail, is that a good or bad thing ElderlyGent?
It can be a bad thing. Dogs don’t always wag their tail because they are happy. It signals other things too.
Correct
outlaw mean and irresponsible dog owners
Would be nice to read a story about one that attacked an intruder once in a while instead of the neighbors.
Hey, that was pretty good!
According to the pit bull promoters, pits are not supposed to be human aggressive ever. So they are not supposed to be good guard dogs. period.
If anyone is promoting ANY breed of dog as not being “aggressive ever” they are just being foolish and irresponsible.
Thank goodness these dogs did relatively little physical damage, although this type of encounter can be emotionally devastating to human and canine victim. The concentration should be on LEASH LAWS, responsible pet ownership and why these dogs were at large!
An angry dog on a leash is tough to control. Dogs with the potential to end someone’s life should be proffessionally fenced in- or live in a very rural setting away from pedestrians.
Or put down !
If a dog is that much of a threat to humans, WHY WOULD ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND OWN ONE?
Pit bulls have been recorded in weight pulls moving over several tons. So even a leashed pit bull can be a deadly pit bull.
Please provide the documentation for this statement.
A single pit bull you’re suggesting can pull that much? I’d also love to see that documentation.
They actually have pulling contests, similar to draft horse pulling. Check it out. Weights are generally set on rails, and some dogs pull three to four tons.
I understand that they have pulling contests for dogs. But where is the documentation that a single “pit bull” can pull weights of several (which would be the equivalent of 6,000 pounds) tons.
Thank God for the passerby that stopped to help!!! Glad that this woman and the dog are both okay.
Another example of an owner who does not control a breed of dog with a propensity for aggressive behavior. He should face civil and criminal penalties here. The dogs should be put down and monetary damages assessed against him.
Dogs don’t have any money, so how can you put him down AND assess monetary damages against him. Your participle is dangling.
Since I referred to the owner one can assume what I meant.
How gauche!
Anyone who owns a dog that has behavior problem, whether it
is Pit bull or a Chihuahua, has a responsibility to keep it away from the
public. I wonder how much his homeowners insurance policy costs?
I must have missed all of the Chihuahua stories.
yeah, drop the chalupa!
As a former delivery person I was actually bitten only by Chihuahuas
and no other breeds, I guess it wasn’t newsworthy at the time.
After a Chi attack, ever need a helicopter ride to a trauma center?
As you are so “educated” on breeds Debbie, which breed has the strongest bite strength?
How bad did you get hurt?
I see you lived to tell the tale.
All of the following breeds were involved in at least one fatal dog attack on a human.
Malamute
Great Dane
Saint Bernard
Labrador Retriever
Akita
Bulldog
Boxer
Collie
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
West Highland Terrier
Newfoundland
Coonhound
Australian Shepherd
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Cocker Spaniel
Chihuahua
Golden Retriever
Poodle
Scottish Terrier
Shetland Sheepdog
Source: JAMA 2000;217:837-838
Source: Pediatrics 1994;93:914
That women very lucky Larry came by when he did. How many people are going to have to be maimed or killed in order for a ban to be put on these dogs? It seems as though every month or two, a baby is being killed or an adults limbs are being tore off by a pit bull. They are dangerous. You can argue that it is the owners responsibility but pit bulls have been bred to FIGHT. That is their natural instinct.
What was the last breed involved in a fatal dog attack in Maine?
Sadly well said! Approx every 20 days a human is killed by a dog. We’ve been a while, it’s about time…
I am just astounded by the ignorance of some people on here. Most people don’t even know what they are talking about.
That statement is just plain false. In 2010 there were 34 fatal dog attacks in the USA. Not every 20 days.
And for everyone’s information, the Labrador is the #1 dog for dog bites in the USA. Pit Bulls are not at the top…Cocker Spaniels are actually the dog most likely to bite you. And, one must keep in mind that there are 26 breeds of dog commonly mistaken for “Pit Bulls”, which means that the actual number listed as pit bite statistics is likely much lower when considering the dog in question is likely NOT an actual APBT. According to these statistics, Pit Bull type dogs and Rottweiler’s do the most damage when they do bite, which is understandable, considering their size and strength.
More than likely the dogs were just interested in the small dog and jumped up on the lady. This was not an “attack” by the dogs to this woman. Sadly they knocked her down and the small dog got bit.
Pit Bulls are no more dangerous than any other breed! Stop spreading misinformation.
your right its one every 16 days
365 days divided by 34 = 10.7
1 every 10.7 days…
There are 12 months in a year, so 34 fatalities a year is almost three a month! You neglect to reveal how many of the fatal dog bites are from pit bulls and which are from other breeds.
I just researched it and 53% of the dog fatalities in 2010 were from Pit Bulls. I can only conclude that with all the other breeds and mixes that are pets, 53% is a very high number for one breed.
The total number of fatalities in the United States by a pit bull type breed between 1979 and 1998 was 66 deaths. That is about 6.6 deaths per year average by pit bulls. That was the #1 type breed for dog bite related fatalities, but…
Do you know how many dogs there are in the United States currently? 77.5 Million
How many are pit bulls? 4.5 million
Last year, 22 deaths resulted from pit bull fatalities.
Just do the math, that means .0000044% of all pit bulls will cause a fatality, or 1 out of 204,545 pit bulls, per year.
It is a silly case to argue about how pit bulls are such a dangerous dog when we are talking about numbers so small.
Think about these numbers to compare.
42,000 americans die in auto accidents EVERY YEAR. 36,000 will die of the flu EVERY YEAR.
I quote a 12 year study
“”””””
Although fatal attacks on humans breed-specific problem
(pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers), other breeds may bite and cause fatalities at higher rates. Because of difficulties inherent in determining a dog’s breed with certainty, enforcement of breed-specific ordinances raises constitutional and practical issues. Fatal attacks represent a small proportion of dog bite
injuries to humans and therefore, should not be
the primary factor driving public policy concerning dangerous
dogs. Many practical alternatives to breed-specific ordinances exist and hold promise for prevention of dog bites. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000;217:836–840)
“””””
For the people claiming that we should outlaw or ban certain breeds of dogs, or claim pit bulls are terrible and dangerous dogs… I ask you to further your knowledge and educate yourself before jumping to absurd conclusions.
See if you can identify a pit bull with this test. Most people can not.
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
Sources:
http://dogbitelaw.com/images/pdf/breeds-causing-DBRFs.pdf
Also if you do your own research, DO NOT use Dogsbite.org as reputable information. The founder of that site was bitten by a pit bull. That site is biased and is not a source of information. It is simply bad dog propaganda based on one persons bad experience.
Bangor Guy
There were 31 deaths in 2011 due to dog attacks. Pit Bulls were responsible for 22 of those deaths. So 77% of fatalities were caused by a breed which makes up 6% of the US dog population. Those are pretty hard figures to argue with.
And you source for the 31 deaths is?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States#Fatalities_reported_in_2010
Try clicking through the links to the source material. Many are broken or the article doesn’s exist anymore. That is one of the huge problems with using Wiki as a primary source. In several of those articles, you will also find other dogs involved but aren’t listed in the headlines. In one case there were six dogs involved in one attack but guess which one gets the headlines.
In a prior “pit bull” BDN article I went through each and every link for last year and guess which fatal attack isn’t listed? The last one that occurred in Maine which involved a Rottweiler.
Wiki is a terrible site to use for anything more then general information.
It still doesn’t change the fact that out of 204,545 pit bulls, 1 of them will kill. What is more likely is that 77% of the dog’s owners are bad people. Blaming the dogs is like blaming the guns that kill people.
If dogs are the same as guns, then pit bulls are the AK47’s of the species.
What was the last breed involved in a fatal dog attack in Maine?
Okay, here we go again… an irresponsible owner with two dogs (who are probably bonded and act like one) needs to be punished with everything the law has available. The woman involved must have been terrified; I know I would have been in that situation. I am glad there was no serious physical injury to either her or her dog, but I am sure it was traumatizing and will haunt her for a long time.
There is no such thing as a pitbull, as far as it being an official breed; there are many dogs (bully varieties) that fall under the general term/category. I will use the term below just to keep things simple.
Due to the reputation, many of these dogs are in the custody of irresponsible owners, who want them to be tough and scary and handle/neglect them to make them that way. Some people don’t realize that if they really want a watchdog, or an imposing presence, they need to choose a dog and TRAIN IT to be a loyal family pet, and react instantly to voice control. Big or small, old or young, mutt or purebred; in the right family, most dogs will thrive. Some have been through incredible trauma and need a special circumstance. Many pitbulls would fall into that category.
Most people that own a pitbull as a puppy, get one to perpetuate the rep. Many of these dogs wind up being abandoned, abused, and rescued because they did not live up to the rep… and then they have emotional scars to work through with their new families. It is very sad that some of these dogs are not able to be socialized and acclimated, but it is up to the human to realize that and take necessary precautions and dedicate time and training for the dog. Obviously, these dogs are very intelligent and strong, but no matter what breed, aggressive dogs (for the most part) are living what they have learned.
I have three dogs, none of them are bully breeds/mixes. One is 9 and he is an American Eskimo/Collie mix; one is 6 and he is a yellow lab/hound mix; the youngest is 3 and he is a purebred American Eskimo. All are rescues, and the only one I have history on is the purebred. He pretty much spent the first 8 months of his life barricaded in a bathroom with very little human contact; he joined my family two years ago and he still has issues with trust, etc., when it comes to people, and we have a busy household w/plenty of opportunity to socialize. I am a firm believer that puppyhood trauma can change a dog forever and that any dog can be good or bad. It has much more to do with the owner than it does with the dog.
A well thought out and well written post crisssy30. I doff my hat to you.
Punish the owner? By then you are too late.
Pit owners show everyday that they 1) fail to care and/or 2) fail to understand their dogs’ escaping, mauling and killing abilities and instincts. Instinct means “training not required.” Instinct can vary from dog to dog, and training may modify instinct, but the instinct is there, inside, and there is no way to know when it may rise to the surface.
Training is always required to make an animal adjust to a human’s expectations, and of course a dog will follow the instinct to hunt/kill/eat…you can put a sweet family dog in a yard with chickens, for example; if the dog has not experienced that before, they are going to go after them, often just trying to play, but there is that instinct in them to chase, pin, and bite because they are DOGS.
That is where training (voice control over your dog) is important, but you can’t necessarily count on it. I watched an incredibly obedient Golden Retreiver (this dog understood so many words and commands, it was crazy) do the chicken house thing. He started out in a great mood, he wanted to play, and he wasn’t listening to anybody due to his instinct to check out the chickens.
For an example of an amazing dog, check out Loki Theriault on Facebook.
Socialization and humane treatment are crucial to raising a healthy dog. I have fostered a few dogs (not pitbulls) and it’s easy to recognize which ones had a hard start. Many of these pitbulls (again, using the term only because it’s easier, it is NOT a breed) had rough starts in life. They wind up in the foster/rescue system (those that are lucky enough not to be euthanized) and there are many wonderful people who bring them into their family and give them the attention and care that they need to be awesome companions. I agree that some dogs–any breed/mix– cannot be rehabilitated or learn to relax in a safe, calm way of life, because they have already been through too much.
It is NEVER too late to punish the owner of a dog that was not under control. All dogs have an instinct to be animals; it’s what they are! Put the blame where it belongs.
Tina Marie Canterbury, Carter Delaney, Carmen Ramos, Darla Napora, Joseph Hines all loved their affectionate, housedog, pit bulls to death, that is… until they were killed by their pits.
If pits can suddenly be overwhelmed by their instincts to tug and crush, hold and shake, we shouldn’t be surprised when they try to kill an unsuspecting little dog. But caring people shouldn’t accept it either.
Pit promoters often say that “pits were not bred to be human aggressive, only dog aggressive.” As I care about the welfare of all dogs, that is not acceptable to me.
If it is illegal for me to rush up to your leashed dog, repeatedly stab holes into its body, crush bones, why is it legal to breed, sell and promote a type of dog that was specifically created (via hundreds of years’ breeding) to do exactly the same thing? Ban the breeding of any pit/pit mix/ any dog aggressive dog. Free mandatory, endorced, spay/neuter microchipping, Let them gradually become extinct. Since pits are “just like every other dog breed”, according to pit pushers, everybody wins.
Debbie ALL dogs tug and crush, hold and shake. If you ever owned a dog and watch one play you would know that.
But ALL other dogs release, pit bulls do not.
Oh please don’t even try the locking jaw thing!
Urban Legend
Seriously? You have never seen a video of a Pit Bull locking his jaws? I have seen many disturbing videos where the Pit Bull will not let go even after being beaten and ordered to do so by it’s owner. I have read of court cases where a Pit Bull will latch onto a smaller dog and not let go even after being repeatedly struck with a golf club by it’s owner.
“Seriously?”
Seriously it is an myth that “pit bulls” or any dogs jaws lock.
The UKC does recognize the name “pit bull” as the nickname for their registered dog the American Pit Bull Terrier. Some are also dual registered with the AKC as American Staffordshire Terrier. Back in the 40’s, you couldn’t register your Pit bull with the UKC unless it had won dog fights.
It is never the dog’s fault, as the dog doesn’t have morals and doesn’t understand human laws. Dogs control no aspect of their lives, either. However, it is the faults of the pit breeders, buyers and pit bull promoters that these tragically handicapped dogs are in our communities, and dying by the ton in our pounds.
Let them become extinct.
A pit bull is any of several breeds of dog. All of the breeds share a similar history, with origins rooted from the bulldog and a variety of terriers. The dogs called bull terriers before the development of the modern Bull Terrier in the early 20th century may also be called pit bulls.
the above was copied from Wiki, obviously.
What AKC considers the Bull Terrier today looks NOTHING like what people refer to as a pit bull; they have lamb heads, not blocky ones. Lots of prejudice out there without any firsthand experience (and I will repeat, I don’t have any, never owned one).
“Back in the 40’s, you couldn’t register your Pit bull with the UKC unless it had won dog fights.”
Just in case you missed the memo the current year is 2012, not the 1940’s. We used to do lots of things in the 1940’s that we no longer do. Segregated water fountains, schools, hospitals, etc…18, 19 and 20 year olds could go off to war but not vote for the President that sent them, interracial marriage was illegal in 31 states, women for the most part stay at home and if they did work filled “traditional rolls” such as teacher, nurse, secretary, etc…
And by the way, a “nick name” is not a breed.
Who can guarantee that their dog will never, ever not even for a moment, become a loose dog? No one can. That’s impossible.
That’s why the breeding of pits/pit mixes/dog aggressive dogs should be banned. Unless you are a dog fighter, (which is illegal), no one needs the expert instincts to maul and maim that the pit bulls master.
Debbie how much time have you spent around “pit bulls’? How much time have you spent around any dog for that matter?
Service Dog Banned from Iowa Town
http://www.petside.com/article/service-dog-banned-iowa-town
I don’t know about Debbie, but I will personally cross the street if I see a pit bull even on a leash. I love dogs, but Pit Bulls give me the creeps!
And I know people that cross the road when they see ANY dog. I know people that cross the road when they see a GSD because they were bitten by one once. That is your personal phobia, mine is heights.
I know there are a lot of pit bulls out there that would never harm a person, but I don’t know which ones those are. So, when I see a pit bull, I walk away.
How do you know when “any” dog will harm a person? I know there are visual clues that are common to all breeds and if you can read the canine language the likelihood decreases. 99% of all dogs give visual clues before they become aggressive.
99% of the readers on these pages will assume that a dog “wagging” its tail is a sign of a friendly dog. It is in some cases and a warning in others. Do you know which is which?
I guess when I look at a pit bull, I get that visual signal.
So do you care to answer the question about the “wagging” tail rocky? When is a “wagging” tail a friendly sign and when is it not?
I have been around a lot of dogs in my lifetime. If I saw a wagging tail with a lowered head and the dog barking, I would take that as an unfriendly sign. I am a dog lover, but when I see those crazy eyes and huge jaw, I defintely do not want to make eye contact or encounter a pit bull in any way.
I would suggest that you don’t stare at any dog. In dog language that is a very aggressive thing to do.
A few years back a Lab took a run at me and wasn’t looking to lick my face. Fortunately I was with two of my shepherds and they let the dog know it wasn’t allowed to bite me. Anyhow, it is both the breed and the owner.
Many years back, an unleashed Collie bared his teeth at me on a sidewalk in my neighborhood. I stepped forward toward the dog, stamped my foot and forcefully said “Get OUT”. The dog turned and ran away! I was very surprised and thrilled to say the least!
And you were extremely lucky too. From the limited information it sounds like the dog may have been “Defensive Aggressive” and in this case the flight response in the “fight or flight” kicked in. You were extremely lucky as the vast majority of dogs will fight.
I was really shocked that it worked! I guess I can be pretty scary when I need to be.
NOTHING to see here, people…….move along, move along!
“Keeping a dangerous dog is a misdemeanor.” Keeping a dangerous
dog should be a “felony” and the dog should be put down…
When will we ever learn this breed does not belong in this state. How many times have we read the same story?
Jazz11, we never will, because we aren’t all as smart as you!
they might tend to be an aggressive breed of dog, BUT its the OWNERS that ruin these dogs reps! one of the best dogs i have ever known was a pitbull and he was raised as a FAMILY dog, not to be aggressive. but when i’d raise my voice at my daughter for getting in trouble OR me an my buddy started wrestlin around, Shadow(the dog), would be quite protective of the situation. yet he never nipped, bit or became overly aggressive. it was more a like “cut it the heck out” type of demeanor ;)
they might tend to be an aggressive breed of dog, BUT its the OWNERS that ruin these dogs reps! one of the best dogs i have ever known was a pitbull and he was raised as a FAMILY dog, not to be aggressive. but when i’d raise my voice at my daughter for getting in trouble OR me an my buddy started wrestlin around, Shadow(the dog), would be quite protective of the situation. yet he never nipped, bit or became overly aggressive. it was more a like “cut it the heck out” type of demeanor ;)
Do you think that there would be an article had it been another breed?? Probably not! There are way more dog breeds that attack people all the time we just dont hear about it unless its a pitbull!
Exactly! There was a dog bite late last year that involved a young child west of Bangor and they injuries were described as being to the head and neck (considered kill wounds) but it never made the paper or the TV. I wonder why??????
Notice: “Pit bulls” attack but it’s “the woman and her DOG”…..what kind of dog was that? If you are going to list the breed of one dog, why do you not list the breed of the other? It’s always the same story….when it is a “pit bull” (and rarely actually IS) the media use the breed name and the words “attack” or “mauls,” when it is any other kind of dog, they say “dog bites another dog or human.” Try reading http://www.pitbullproject.ca/placebo.pdf
and/or
http://www.local10.com/thats-life/Not-your-ordinary-Pittie-Party/-/1716786/9151140/-/dkgb0e/-/index.html
“The woman reportedly was not bitten but had saliva from the dogs all over her jacket.” Seems they were after the dog, not the woman. If they wanted to attack her, her jacket would be in shreds, not just wet.
I own a “pit bull” mix. Before you all start throwing rocks I will tell you that, to a certain extent, I agree with some of the comments here. Bully breeds, by their nature, tend toward dominance. The owner of such a breed must be in control and assert their authority consistently or the dog becomes confused and potentially dangerous. By this I do not mean hitting or punishing (I have never struck my dog and I never will), but having a calm, consistent authoritative presence so the dog knows it is not “in charge.” Owning a pit is not the same thing at all as owning a Cocker Spaniel. All puppies are cute, pits included. But with a bully breed dog there is an added responsibility to be an experienced, dedicated master that goes well beyond most people’s experience. I disagree that most people get pits out of some need to be tough. I adopted my boy because he needed a home and was in danger of euthanasia. He has rewarded me by being a loyal, faithful companion for the last 11 years. I think that, instead of outlawing the breed, shelters and breeders should be required to determine the fitness of the human to handle such an animal before allowing the adoption or purchase to go through. A pit should never be allowed in the hands of an inexperienced owner, much as a firearm should never be handled by a 6 year old.
I’m going to go get a tiger cub and raise it in my house until it’s grown.
“It’s the owner, not the breed”
As long as i give the tiger cub everything it wants, and i feed it right and love it and take care of it then it shouldn’t attack anyone… right?
Ah no…you would need to train it and provide the boundaries for the behavior. But even then it may not work…but you talking about a tiger cub and I am talking about a dog.
The
total number of fatalities in the United States by a pit bull type
breed between 1979 and 1998 was 66 deaths. That is about 6.6 deaths
per year average by pit bulls. That was the #1 type breed for dog bite
related fatalities, but…
Do you know how many dogs there are in the United States currently? 77.5 Million
How many are pit bulls? 4.5 million
Last year, 22 deaths resulted from pit bull fatalities.
Just do the math, that means .0000044% of all pit bulls will cause a fatality, or 1 out of 204,545 pit bulls, per year.
It is a silly case to argue about how pit bulls are such a dangerous dog when we are talking about numbers so small.
Think about these numbers to compare.
42,000 americans die in auto accidents EVERY YEAR. 36,000 will die of the flu EVERY YEAR.
I quote a 12 year study
“”””””
Although fatal attacks on humans breed-specific problem
(pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers), other breeds may bite and cause
fatalities at higher rates. Because of difficulties inherent in
determining a dog’s breed with certainty, enforcement of breed-specific
ordinances raises constitutional and practical issues. Fatal attacks
represent a small proportion of dog bite injuries to humans and therefore, should not be
the primary factor driving public policy concerning dangerous
dogs. Many practical alternatives to breed-specific ordinances exist and hold promise for prevention of dog bites. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000;217:836–840)
“””””
For the people claiming that we should outlaw or ban certain breeds
of dogs, or claim pit bulls are terrible and dangerous dogs… I ask
you to further your knowledge and educate yourself before jumping to
absurd conclusions.
See if you can identify a pit bull with this test. Most people can not.
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.co…
Sources:
http://dogbitelaw.com/images/p…
Also if you do your own research, DO NOT use Dogsbite.org
as reputable information. The founder of that site was bitten by a
pit bull. That site is biased and is not a source of information. It
is simply bad dog propaganda based on one persons bad experience.
Bangor Guy
I bet those 66 people that they killed would love to debate this with you.
Seriously? You have never seen a video of a Pit Bull locking his jaws? I have seen many disturbing videos where the Pit Bull will not let go even after being beaten and ordered to do so by it’s owner. I have read of court cases where a Pit Bull will latch onto a smaller dog and not let go even after being repeatedly struck with a golf club by it’s owner.
They do not have lock-jaw, like you apparently believe. But they are still a useless breed.
Okay, so maybe they don’t have an actual “locking mechanism”. From what I understand, they lock their jaw because they want to and they can. Since human strength and the infliction of great pain cannot get them to release, then they have a very strong will not to release. I guess you could say, their brain is their “locking mechanism”.
rocky since you seem to know so much about “pit bulls” which breed (and in this case I do mean bred) has the strongest jaws/bite force?
I only know what I read and the statistics are strongly against the Pit Bull. I have no desire to have any sort of encounter with a pit bull. So own them if you must, just please keep them under your control at all times.
Just to be clear, I don’t own a “pit bull”. I have owned another breed that was the target of breed specific legislation a decade or so ago, German Shepherds.
It is not only PitBulls that do not like anklebiters