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The locking jaws are just a myth [2008-06-13]
Do some research. This is something I did find out. No dog has the bony or muscular structure in their anatomy to have a locking jaw.
Also the huge muscular looking pits are hybrid. A good show quality pit does not have the huge blocky head, short legs and overly exaggerated muscular. I actually think they are a beautiful breed. Especially the reds.
I just read some reports of a couple of kids killed by huskies in the last year. My SIL's huskies completely tore apart a cat that wondered into their yard. Fox terriers are hugely prey-driven dogs. They can and will hunt down and kill small animals, just for the kill. Are we going to ban those breeds?
There are some pictures of my vicious killer here:
Locking my doors from now on..... [2008-03-31]
I had a very scary experience this morning and wanted to pass on my experience so everyone out there can protect themselves a little better too.
I live in a very rural area that is largely a farming community. We don It took 27 minutes for them to respond to my 911 call this morning.
My husband left town this morning on business so it was just me and the kids home alone. I never lock my doors and when I am working, my back is to the front door.
About 40 minutes after my husband left, I was working along, listening to music softly while the kids were still sleeping. I never heard a car, car door, nothing.
The next thing I know, the dogs are going crazy in my bedroom. I hop up to see what I just thought someone was walking on the road and they were barking at them.
I walked into the bedroom and there stood a young hispanic male, probably in late teens or early 20s. He had just walked right into my bedroom through the sliding glass door.Evidently, he did not see my two pitbulls sound asleep on the bed.
So there this guy is standing, my dogs have him trapped between them and the door he closed behind him. I ran out to grab the phone and my gun. He then opened the door and split with both dogs tearing off after him.
There was an older model white toyota sitting in the driveway with another hispanic male sitting in the driver The runner jumped over the retaining wall to the driveway below and the guy in the car then saw the dogs running and he tried to get out of here in a hurry, slamming into a concrete post that our log splitter is chained to. Part of their bumper was laying in the driveway.
Just two weeks ago, someone busted out a plate glass window in a house not too far from here and took a bunch of electronic equipment.
So II went back into the house because by this time the kids were awake and wondering what was going on.
Two deputies showed up 27 minutes later. One goes up the road and the other takes my statement and helps me round up my dogs, which were pretty riled up still. Those dogs were just running circles around the yard.
The first deputy finds the car up the road, calls the second, he goes up, they were walking up one of the old horse trails and found the two kids hiding behind some rocks. Fools.
Both of them are behind bars now and..... I am no longer leaving my doors unlocked EVER. I I didn't have time to grab any this morning or I probably would have blown a few holes in that car and those kids.
JAWS: "I think we're gonna need a bigger boat." [2008-03-14]
*
How about locking the door? Better yet... [2007-10-30]
ask them to call you first. If you can't ask them, have your husband ask them. It's YOUR home, isn't it?
Jaws (nm) [2007-07-09]
NM
After jaws I never swam out in the ocean again [2007-07-09]
like I once did, use to swim beyond the breakers and that movie did it for me. I said the only way a shark would get me is he might bite my ankle cause I was not going any further than that.
Locking doors [2007-02-08]
I'm the same way. I always keep my doors locked, no matter what. My hubby thinks that since we live in a rural area, we really don't need to, and he thinks I'm paranoid, but I do it just the same. We had lived in our home for about 6 months when a man came up to my front door and tried to open it. I had just gotten out of the shower and was running around in a towel. He was looking for a home that was for sale, which was down the road. I was so glad I had the habit of locking my doors!
This is not religion, this is MYTH. [2006-12-12]
x
It is all a myth, and they just want to modernize it and make it more palatable. sm [2006-11-28]
In short, they want to make money on the film.
One thing I forgot to add was that - sm [2008-11-11]
a big part of the problem is owners who don't neuter their male dogs. Most of the attacks on the news in my area seem to involve un-altered males. The dog that had me cornered was also an un-altered male.
There was a really horrible attack in San Francisco a couple years ago... a 12-year-old boy was killed in his own home by the family's pet pitbulls. (Un-altered males). Apparently there was already a problem with them, and the mother knew the dogs couldn't be trusted with her son (who was afraid of them) home alone. A female she had was in heat at the time, too. The boy was home alone, and the mother had locked the dogs in another room. Somehow, they got out, and tore the poor boy to shreds. Imagine being the mom and coming home to that! When animal control picked up the dogs, they had the boy's blood all over them. I actually recognized one of them - had seen someone walking it through the park one day. So the problem was... even though the mother knew the dogs might be dangerous, and she tried to do the right thing by locking them up, on that particular day, that wasn't enough.
Granted, they don't all act like that. Plus just about any breed can revert to a predatory pack mentality under the right conditions. But again, irresponsible breeding has changed the breed in large part for the worse (they're bigger and more aggressive). Unresponsible owners who don't properly socialize the dogs (or who fight them, or encourage them to be aggressive for 'protection') are the worst offenders. And those who are backyard breeders. Now there are 'way too many of them, and 'way too many with the bad bloodlines, too.
And you won't believe THIS: Remember the story about the huge Presa Canario dogs that killed a woman in a San Francisco apartment hallway? (Earning their owners some well-deserved jail-time). Well, some people are actually crossing pits and Presas! Saw some for sale the other day on Craigslist. Talk about breeding 'biting machines'! Those things will grow up to be 150-lb. pitbulls-on-steroids.
I would really like to know how [2008-11-05]
you all feel about the medical marijuana issue, being in the medical profession. So, I probably should've said, poll time!!!
I understand that this was on the ballots in some states, but not where I live. Personally, I would have voted for it. I would also vote for decriminalization, if given the opportunity. I believe the money being spent locking up otherwise hard working, tax paying American citizens could be better spent, and I also believe that itwould bea better medicinal choice for some. What do you think?
You can't see this in the video but....sm [2008-11-01]
my hubby yawned during the ceremony. I didnbit into it but one of his groomsmen saw his jaws tighten and could tell what was happening. He did have a bachelor party that got a little wild, but my DH doesn't drink so it was not like he was out partying all night long. It has been over 20 years and I still tease him about it.
Last night Bravo had "The 100 Scariest Movies Of All Time" and number one was ...sm [2008-10-26]
Jaws!?!?! I didn The Exorcist and Audition are the scariest for me.
See, that is why I asked. The only [2008-10-23]
bits of news here about her is in a ticker tape running at the bottom of the screen. Had no idea anything had been found on a road. The thing about the trunk was that I have seen so many younger women and girls doing that here. It drives me crazy because they are exposed and more vulnerable than if they had just gotten into their cars. I pretty much don't even carry a purse anymore, just whatever I need that can fit into my pockets. Some of the nurses getting to work were locking their purses in the trunks, too, instead of just using a locker inside. It also made me wonder if she were doing that if someone could have ridden all the way home with her, or could have been waiting outside her door somewhere. Too much CSI here or mystery books! Thanks everybody for updating me. I hope she will be alright.
taste of blood..... [2008-10-07]
yea alot of people say that. I have heard it numerous times, but then I see shelters take in hard core fighting dogs & turn them into loving pets & working dogs for the community such as lawdogsusa.org so I believe this is a myth.
I think it's a kind of mean trick. (SM) [2008-08-23]
I'm surprised it's so popular. I think it is one of several things that caused me to be quite cynical about life. Some people will think that's over-reacting to a fun myth, but it's almost like proof that real life is too boring or kids are gullible so let's make stuff up and see how long they believe it. Too bad logic can easily follow that God is also made up.
A lot depends on your daughter, not just you - sm [2008-06-30]
Is she sensible? There are not many 16-y/o that have not tried drinking or smoking, it is all part of trying new things,etc. and it will happen whether you like it or not. You have to learn to trust her to make smart decisions and to make her own mistakes but obviously to guide her and make sure she doesndate had MadDog, nasty stuff, and I got obliterated as I did not realize what that crud would do to me. Lucky for me my dad was out of the country at the time. My punishment was being forced to go to school with a horrible hangover (though I puked my guts out in my friendscares). I actually went and got on the pill while still a virgin so when it did happen I would be protected. --- is your daughter that sensible and with some common sense? I did a lot of stupid things along with the smart things I doing, just got lucky and came out of it okay. At 16 you want to experiment and have fun. All my friend and I were A/B students, 1 smoked and did all sorts of drugs. I would drink and smoke pot now and them (1 x a week or so), and again parents NEVER knew it. I remember one time my dad picked me up at school after play practice (was helping out with set design), I was stoned, had been slipped angel dust and had been hallucinating about an hour or two prior, was still pretty high. He wanted me to drive home for practice (I was 16), I turned him down because I was very tired.....he never knew, I crawled into bed the minute I got home. I was very, very good at hiding it from my parents, how they didn't smell it on me I never knew, unless they just ignored it. My best friend smoked and they new that so I guess that helped cover it up a bit. Despite all this I was very anti-drug (anything but pot) as I had seen too many people messed up on coke, crank, LSD, etc. I was furious with my BF's brother as he was the one who slipped me the angel dust, I got lucky as nothing bad happened to me. He is dead now, ended up addicted to coke, then alcohol, got hepatitis, car-jacked 3 cars for drug money, and ended up in prison with a 20 year sentence, got out after 8 years in 2006, then got addicted to painkillers, they found him dead in his apartment, killed by mixing alcohol and painkillers. This just happened about 8 months ago. He was only 42. Very sad as he was a smart guy but had many, many problems and never got his life together. Obviously this does not happen to everyone who does drugs, it all depends on the person and their upbringing. His sister (one of my BFs) is a successful therapist, drinks but quit smoking several years ago, never got into hard drugs like her brother. ---sorry for the rambling, but don't go overboard and lock her up, that will just make her go in the opposite direction. Obviously you need to set limits, etc, and try to know where she is and who she is with, and set punishments if you catch her doing it and let her know what those punishments will be, whether it is grounding for a month, or no cell phone, no TV, no driving, whatever, be firm and stick to it. I know that my brothers and I all did stuff, most of which we got away with, but it was shear luck and stupidity when I look back at it. Not all kids are so lucky. I hope you daughter is one of the lucky ones.
My heart bleeds for her - yeah right! [2008-06-17]
She should stay in jail and rot! What she did was so horrible and inconceivable (not sure if that's the right word - I mean I can't even imagine what was going through their minds when they were doing that - which is a good thing I guess). I remember when that happened in 1969 (I think that was the year) I was about 9 years old living in Conn. I had nightmares because of what happened to them. Mom & dad tried to keep the stories away from me, but it was everywhere. Every night my mom and dad would show me they were locking the doors and I still woke up crying afraid people were going to break in and kill us. Just because she has brain cancer doesn't change what she did to those poor innocent people. The horror they must have been going through during their final moments of life, especially Sharon Tate being pregnant. Horrible horrible tragedy. I think she has no rights to ask to be set free. If she has brain cancer, when it gets worse who knows what will be going through her mind and what she will do. In my opinion I think she should stay in jail. Hey maybe we should ask Roman Polanski if he thinks she should be let go.
Anyway...that is my lowly opinion.
The locking jaws are just a myth [2008-06-13]
Do some research. This is something I did find out. No dog has the bony or muscular structure in their anatomy to have a locking jaw.
Also the huge muscular looking pits are hybrid. A good show quality pit does not have the huge blocky head, short legs and overly exaggerated muscular. I actually think they are a beautiful breed. Especially the reds.
I just read some reports of a couple of kids killed by huskies in the last year. My SIL's huskies completely tore apart a cat that wondered into their yard. Fox terriers are hugely prey-driven dogs. They can and will hunt down and kill small animals, just for the kill. Are we going to ban those breeds?
There are some pictures of my vicious killer here:
If you would like to further educate yourself on this issue [2008-06-12]
INTERESTING ARTICLE
I realize this is very long, but as an expert in this field, I want to re-post information I sent, in September, to another blogger concerned about the Best Friends summit.
I want to emphasize that the following information is based on years of dedicated research, and decades of dog training experience. I do not simply pass along information I've heard or read somewhere...which is sadly what most people, on all sides of dog-related issues, do.
I recognize that some of your readers may find parts of it quite controversial. That's okay. Facts are facts, even if they conflict with some other [expert's] unresearched opinions.
As such, I've opted to leave those sections in, because they're vital in refuting unfounded notions about dogs, canine genetics, and dog behaviour, which lead to myths about canine aggression.
Any individual point of controversy should not take away from the overall message of fact and reason that does not support the view that any entire dog breed could be considered dangerous.
Only once people stop repeating inaccurate information (no matter how good it may sound), will we ever hope to get to the heart of this issue, and start reducing the number of unprovoked dog bites.
The following was written off the top of my head, in response to concerns about the Best Friends' agenda. It is not a composed article meant for publication. Please also keep in mind, it has a decidedly Canadian perspective, although there is ample U.S. data referenced.
This is what I wrote (with a few minor clarifications):
Dear (blogger),
As you know, I am an expert in Canadian dog bite statistics.
After years of research, there are a number of interesting facts I right here, in one place.
The situation with unprovoked dog bites is not what nearly everyone believes it to be.
If I had one pet peeve, it is that most people merely repeat things they’ve heard or read. They don’t really know if what they’re saying is true or not. They merely “believe” those things to be true, and that’s enough for them, I guess.
You know what I say, “No matter how often or loudly a myth is repeated, it is still just a myth.”
Some people simply like agreeing with others. Some like to pretend they’re especially knowledgeable or have unique insight. Whatever the source for so many of these myths, years of research has proven the majority of beliefs I encounter about dogs are simply untrue.
Whenever discussing the issue of dangerous dogs, it's always important to remember a few key points about the dog bite statistics (especially as they pertain to Canada):
1. The most dangerous breeds in Canada are, in order: German Shepherd, Cocker Spaniel, Rottweiler, and Golden Retriever.
Why do I say this? Well, this is not dog bite data, but rather dog attack data based on the reporting information from the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP).
The CHIRPP members (hospitals, and reporting physicians and nurses) have no reason to lie about the information they receive, surrounding the breed of dog that has attacked.
Why do I say the most dangerous? Well, because the CHIRPP data only applies to the most severe dog attacks (i.e. those injuries serious enough to require treatment in hospital). These are not little nips that can be treated with ice or even a band aid. These are severe dog bite injuries that need to be treated in hospital. The dogs that cause the most serious injuries in Canada belong to the above-mentioned breeds, more than any others.
Unlike municipal dog bite data (where any bite, no matter how inconsequential, or even against other animals, is counted), the CHIRPP data only relates to the most serious dog attacks against human victims.
2. 'Pit bulls' are rarely in the #1 spot in dog bite statistics.
Any measures to restrict or ban the #2, #5, or #37 'breed' of dog in the dog bite statistics, but not #1, is pure hypocrisy.
As faulty as the logic may be, if you're going to ban or restrict a type of dog in an attempt to reduce the number of dog bites, then it must be the ones who bite the most and/or cause the most serious injuries. Either way, that 'breed' is not 'pit bulls'.
3. There hasn't been one confirmed death of a child attributed to an unprovoked attack by a 'pit bull' in Canadian history. (There has been one unconfirmed death.)
4. The very first human fatality attributed to an unprovoked attack by a 'pit bull' in Canadian history occurred in May of 2006. Until then, every insinuation or claim about Canadians being in danger of being killed in unprovoked attacks by 'pit bulls' was totally unfounded.
(In the Ontario case in May, the dog was actually only part 'pit bull'. It was a Labrador Retriever/'pit bull' cross, and the dog's owner was the victim.) (It should be noted that there have been at least two human fatalities in Canada attributed to unprovoked attacks by Labrador Retriever crosses, yet this was the first for a 'pit bull' cross.)
5. Municipal dog bite statistics often combine reported dog bite data against both humans and other animals.
While I don’t have any problems with doing so, those citing combined statistics must be aware that the majority of the dog bite reports aren’t against people. To imply otherwise is, at best, misleading and, at worst, dishonest.
For example: Toronto has arguably the largest municipal ‘pit bull’ population in Canada. In 2004, 12 of the city’s estimated 30,000+ ‘pit bulls’ had been reported for biting. (That’s about 0.04% of the population, by the way; leaving 99.96% of Toronto’s ‘pit bulls’ completely innocent of such allegations.) However, the majority of those reported bites were against other animals. Only 2 of the 12 could even begin to be called “attacks” against humans.
So, when 2 out of at least 30,000 dogs of a loosely-defined type are involved in attacks in an entire year, is that really justification for not just trying to ban or restrict them, but for making sweeping generalizations about all the rest?
6. No matter what dog ‘breed’ tops the dog bite statistics, the vast majority of bites are still attributed to other breeds.
To better help people understand the absurdity of a breed-based approach to dog bite prevention, let’s imagine that ‘pit bulls’ are responsible for a virtually unheard of 10% of bites in some Canadian city. That still leaves 90% of biting dogs unaffected by any breed-based approach.
This is the primary reason why breed bans have been such a colossal failure wherever they’ve been tried. The majority of biting and attacking dogs are not affected, so their owners are free to continue to behave negligently.
7. All dogs can bite.
There is no such thing as a breed of dog that has never bitten, never attacked, never maimed, or never killed (a person or other animal).
8. It is the size of the victim, not the dog, which best predicts severity of injury in an attack.
While even the very smallest dog breeds have killed humans, the very largest dog breeds are rarely involved in attacks.
9. Adults are rarely seriously injured by dogs of any size, while children are the most common dog bite victims. Their attackers range from the very smallest to the very largest dog breeds.
10. The dogs actually involved in attacks are not genetically related in any meaningful way.
This goes right to the heart of common, yet completely unscientific, baseless claims about allegedly inheriting aggressive behaivours or being bred for aggression.
In short, the dogs involved in attacks are not closely genetically related to one another. This tends to refute the idea that the attack was due to some aberrant inherited gene.
Think about it. What could the Dalmatian that bit off a boy’s nose 10 years ago and the Golden Retriever that left 76 stitches in a girl’s face, just a few years ago, possibly have in common, from a genetic standpoint? Is anyone really trying to suggest they’re genetically related, and both inherited some sort of as-yet-undiscovered “attack gene”?
Even the Rottweiler that killed a child in New Brunswick and the Rottweiler that killed a child in Ontario don’t share any common ancestors in their pedigrees; making the whole notion of a shared genetic cause for attacks completely ludicrous.
Put simply, the individual dogs involved in unique attack incidents are not genetically related in any way other than that which makes them dogs.
11. Psychology defines aggression as learned behaviour.
I’ve been researching dog biting incidents since 1999. I have yet to find a dog involved in an attack that didn’t have a known history of aggressive behaviour.
Aggression has to be learned and practiced before it is perfected. I have yet to come across a case of a dog that attacked unprovoked, without ever having barked menacingly, growled, lunged, snapped, or what have you.
This completely refutes the (quite silly) urban myth that “some dogs just turn”, or that dogs can be THIS unpredictable. (i.e. friendly family pet with no history of ever having behaved aggressively one minute; then savage, unprovoked attacker the next)
As an experienced dog trainer (one who has spent many of those years SUCCESSFULLY re-training aggressive dogs), I can attest that dogs are not all that unpredictable. Sure, they might do something out of the ordinary, every now and then. However, for a dog to suddenly behave aggressively in a way that is truly threatening or injurious, it must have practiced those behaviours in the past. This is the nature of all learned behaviours. Only practice makes perfect. (I can elaborate more on that, if you wish.)
It’s as though people can’t imagine any other form of aggressive behaviour, other than biting. To help them along, I must point out that aggressive behaviours follow a fairly predictable scale of escalation. It may begin with staring or raised hackles (all merely indicating discomfort with a situation). That can lead to raised lips, growling, stiffened body posture, menacing barking, lunging, and attempted bites. Long before an unwarranted bite ever occurs, there are a litany of warning signs that the dog will eventually bite.
Even the most die-hard dog fighting breeders admit they have to start their puppies very young (often at six weeks), to turn them into superior fighters. When asked why they have to spend so much effort training their (allegedly bred-to-fight) dogs, none can provide a scientifically or practically sensible response. Most use made-up terminologies to emphasize what they believe are inherited traits, while playing down the daily training they force on the dogs. Yet it is clear that, without this ongoing encouragement, the dogs don’t become proficient fighters.
I’ve researched so many cases where the owner has allegedly claimed the attack was the first time the dog behaved aggressively, I now pay little heed to such statements. The neighbours almost always tell a very different story.
To use a more famous case as an example, little Courtney Trempe was killed by a dog the owner claimed had never behaved aggressively before. The owner went on to say he “couldn’t have known” the dog would attack, because it had never tried to bite a person. Well, it turns out the dog had not just attacked previously, but had actually killed two neighbourhood dogs in the past. That is an aggressive dog, by anyone’s standards.
But it does bring me to my next point…
12. Aggression is aggression is aggression. The idea that aggression can be species-specific is not based in any kind of scientific, statistical, or practical data. It seems to be little more than wishful thinking. Those perpetuating this notion tend not to have even attempted to validate this theory in any way.
There is a very disturbing myth being promulgated by a number of groups that should know better than to perpetuate unfounded myths. The idea that aggression towards other dogs is markedly different than aggression towards humans is scientifically and statistically baseless. (But I realize a lot of people learned this myth, and repeat it as though it is true.) I have to point out that the real-world data, in no uncertain terms, clearly refutes such theories.
Of the dogs involved in their first aggression incident towards a human, the vast majority had behaved aggressively towards other animals (usually other dogs) in the past.
Of the dogs involved in their first bites against humans, where the dog had no history of aggression towards humans, the majority had behaved aggressively towards other animals (usually other dogs) in the past.
Of the dogs whose first bite against a person resulted in that individual’s death, and where the dog had no history of aggressive behaviour towards humans, every one of the cases I’ve investigated involved dogs that had behaved aggressively towards other dogs in the past. (see the Trempe case example, above)
So, while some aggressive dogs may, for now, limit their aggressive behaviour to other animals, it in no way guarantees it will remain that way forever.
Most, if not all, the first-time human biters had only behaved aggressively towards other animals, in the past. Their owners, having believed the myth that aggression is species-specific in dogs, are always surprised when their dog-aggressive dogs bite someone.
Again, dog-aggression could remain contained, for a number of social and environmental reasons. Statistically, these dogs are equally as likely to bite a human, one day. Dogs with histories of aggressive behaviour (towards either humans or other animals) are almost exclusively involved in unprovoked biting incidents.
13. Nearly all unprovoked dog bites would not be prevented by dog control laws.
Since dog control laws typically only apply to the conduct of owners (and their dogs) when they’re on public property, it completely negates their ability to affect the circumstances that lead to the vast majority of unprovoked dog bites.
When it comes to total dog bite numbers, almost all take place on the owner’s property.
When it comes to reported dog bite numbers, the overwhelming majority take place on, or directly adjacent to, the owner’s property.
Supervised dogs in a public place account for less than 1% of all bites.
This makes public restraint laws especially ineptly-aimed and ineffective in reducing dog bites.
Most unprovoked biting incidents involve (typically an unsupervised) dog known to the victim. Whether or not the victim knows the dog, the bite usually takes place on the owner’s property (where the dog is either loose or tethered), or directly adjacent to the owner’s property (where the dog was either allowed to venture off the owner’s property, or “escaped”).
Very few unprovoked biting incidents involve a supervised dog. Simple supervision appears to be very effective in preventing dog bites.
When bites take place far from the owner’s property, the dogs involved were most likely loose, roaming, unsupervised dogs.
Simply put, public restraint laws don’t target the situations that actually lead to unprovoked dog bites.
14. Cities that address the real causes of unprovoked dog bites (i.e. lack of supervision & lack of socialization and training) are hugely successful in reducing the number of dog bites.
Calgary is the best example we have in Canada. They reduced dog bites by 70%, even during a period where the population doubled.
Calgary’s approach was to first enforce existing laws. They strictly enforce licensing, and boast a licensing rate of 90% (compared to most cites’ 10-20%). In this way, they have a better handle on the dog population in their community, which helps in making decisions and drawing conclusions.
They also have a zero tolerance policy for acts of aggression. (Something I’m personally totally in favour of. Dogs are not weapons, and anyone who unethically uses a dog for that purpose shouldn’t be allowed to own one.) Any report of aggressive behaviour of any kind results in a visit from animal control and a warning.
City officials are clear, in that they agree one of the biggest aspects of their success was the creation of ample off-leash areas for dogs to be exercised, socialized, and trained off-leash. With reportedly the largest number of off-leash parks in Canada, it’s no coincidence that Calgary also has the lowest dog bite rate of any major city in Canada.
Several years ago, I made this prediction, “When the studies are done, we’ll find the cities with the best access to off-leash parks are also the cities with the lowest percentage of dog bites.”
Calgary certainly suggests my prediction was correct.
Finally, Calgary increased the penalties for some transgressions. Combined with increased enforcement, the large percentage of licensed dogs, along with the higher fines, has led to Calgary’s animal control department becoming financially self-sufficient.
It’s win, win, win, in Calgary, all because they addressed the real causes for unwarranted aggression in dogs.
15. Breed-specific approaches to dog bite prevention have failed.
There isn’t one region that can claim a reduction in the number, or severity, of dog bites as a direct result of banning a breed of dog.
In Winnipeg, officials promoting the city’s long-time ban on ‘pit bulls’ often misleads the public by stating “’pit bull’ attacks” have been eliminated. Well of course they’ve been eliminated. ‘Pit bulls’ are banned in Winnipeg. You don’t have to be rocket scientist to figure that out. There are also no wooly mammoth attacks or saber toothed tiger attacks, either.
When Winnipeg banned ‘pit bulls’, German Shepherds, and their crosses, were far and away the most common biters in that city. After ‘pit bulls’ were banned, there was an average of close to 50 more bites per year, for the following decade. In addition to the rise in overall dog bites, the number of bites by German Shepherds and crosses, Labrador Retrievers and crosses, Terriers crosses, and Rottweilers and crosses, skyrocketed.
Kitchener is another example. The city of Kitchener banned ‘pit bulls’ in 1997, without ever having done an analysis on the city’s dog bite data. Only after ‘pit bulls’ were banned was it discovered they were #8 in the 1996 dog bite statistics, “right behind #7 Poodles,” as it is commonly said. In what could only be a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, officials immediately halted the collection of dog bite data by breed.
Even so, while we don’t know which breeds have been doing the biting, we can still determine if the ‘pit bull’ ban has been effective in reducing dog bites in Kitchener. Every animal bite is required, by law, to be reported to the Medical Officer of Health. With a sleuthing, it was discovered that dog bites haven’t been reduced at all, since ‘pit bulls’ were banned in 1997. They’ve remained pretty constant.
According to a BBC report, hospitalizations due to dog bites rose 25% after ‘pit bulls’ were banned in England.
Officials from most of the cities that have repealed breed-specific laws have used terms like “ineffective” and “unenforceable”.
16. All dog breeds are genetically identical. Even DNA can’t distinguish between a Chihuahua, a ‘pit bull’, a Great Dane, and a wolf. (Yes, while there are occasional claims of in-roads, in this area, using markers, all dogs are still considered genetically identical.)
Those rare individuals with the personal expertise necessary to accurately attempt to determine a dog’s breed based on appearance alone typically are not employed in the various occupations charged with enforcing most breed-specific legislation. This leaves the subjective determination of a dog’s breed to the very inexpert animal control and shelter workers. In some cases, police officers must decide the dog’s breed, yet not one police officer is trained to (accurately) differentiate between dog breeds.
The same can be said of veterinarians. A veterinary license infers expertise in diagnosing and treating illness, for the most part. Neither practicing veterinarians nor veterinary students are required to prove any expertise in breed identification in order to obtain a license. Any expertise an individual veterinarian may possess, in terms of breed identification, or even dog training and behaviour, was most likely acquired outside the requirements of licensing.
Because the people enforcing breed-specific laws are not dog breed identification experts, the likelihood of misidentification is unconscionably great. (In Ontario, several dogs have already been misidentified, under breed-specific ordinances.)
17. The public is not in danger of unprovoked dog bites.
For instance, every recent dog-related fatality in Canada has involved dogs and victims residing within the same home. The same could be said for the majority of bites and attacks, as well.
This is very important information, in terms of quelling the public’s hysteria. “The public” is rarely involved in unprovoked biting incidents. Most bite victims knew the dog and were voluntarily interacting with it at the time of the bite. Most bite victims are bitten by their own dogs.
If you don’t own a dog, your risk of being bitten is very low. If you also don’t interact with dogs, or live next door to a dog that is routinely left unsupervised, or one that is known to behave aggressively, then your risk of being bitten is virtually nil.
Even when we don’t account for contributing factors (such as proximity) you are still more than 100 times more likely to be hit by lightning than killed by a dog. (In Canada, the likelihood of being killed by a dog you don’t know or live with is virtually zero.)
18. ‘Pit bulls’ are, if anything, less likely to bite.
In the U.S., ‘pit bulls’ are estimated to make up 9% of the dog population, yet they typically only make up 2-4% of dog bites, nationwide. In case your readers don’t understand what that means, it would be expected, purely on population alone, that 9% of dog bites would be attributed to ‘pit bulls’. Since less than half (even a third) of bites are reportedly caused by ‘pit bulls’, this suggests they’re much less likely to bite than should be expected.
19. ‘Pit bulls’ are less likely to kill than people.
In the U.S., even extremely conservative estimates suggest that only 0.00002% of the ‘pit bull’ population has killed. This is much lower than the human population (men, in particular).
Whatever someone’s views about ‘pit bulls’ might be, it can’t change the fact that at least 99.99998% have never, and will never, kill anyone.
20. 99.9% of all dogs, from all breeds, will never be involved in an attack.
Huge generalizations about dog breeds is not only unscientific, it’s not even practically accurate. I like to put it this way, “If any ‘breed’ were genetically programmed to attack, certainly more than 0.1% of them would.”
21. The media.
While I don’t want to get into a protracted discussion about the lack of honesty in media reports of dog bites, I will summarize by saying that reviewing media reports of dog biting incidents is not “research” because the media is extremely biased in regards to which stories it chooses to cover.
The media reports dog biting incidents involving ‘pit bulls’ to the near-exclusion of all others. In addition, they use other tactics to exaggerate the details, such as salacious language, or references to other dog biting incidents involving ‘pit bulls’.
There are countless incidents of media bias. In Ontario, a ‘pit bull’ killed another dog, and it was front-page news, that reappeared in the media for weeks. The owner was swiftly taken to jail. Around the same time, two Labs killed another dog, and attacked a ‘pit bull’ without any real media interest. The owner of the Labs was not charged with any serious offence.
There are other blatant incidents, as well. One weekend, two off-leash dogs (one of them being a ‘pit bull’) got into a squabble, and every major media agency reported the incident. That same weekend, a child was mauled by the family’s Golden Retriever, and not one media outlet covered the story.
A child was mauled so savagely by his grandfather’s Labrador Retriever, he required treatment at two Ontario hospitals. Only one media outlet covered this story in just one broadcast.
Again, relying on the media for the facts of dog biting cases is not advised.
Naturally, I could go on. But there you have a pretty good primer (off the top of my head), regarding the facts about the who, what, where, when, how, and why dogs bite unprovoked.
Because I kept encountering the same story, over and over and over again, in my research of dog biting incidents, I was led to create a dog bite prevention strategy that deals with the factors common to nearly all the cases I’d investigated.
I made it simple, and easy to remember. And I made sure not to include anything that would require an individual to develop some kind of expertise. People who don’t own dogs or aren’t experienced dog trainers still have a right to protect themselves from unprovoked dog bites. The following is what I call, the “3 Simple Steps to Dog Bite Prevention”:
1. Avoid unsupervised dogs.
2. Never leave children unsupervised with dogs.
3. Ensure our own dogs are properly trained and adequately supervised at all times.
By following these “3 Simple Steps”, we could virtually eliminate unprovoked dog bites in Canada.
It is not just important, but vital, to know what ACTUALLY causes dogs to bite unprovoked, if we ever hope to reduce those numbers. Obtusely theorizing about possible causes or solutions is not helpful and, as in the case of breed-specific legislation, is often harmful to both humans and dogs.
If you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Darby
Founder,
Pits [2008-06-11]
I have never been for pit bulls in this country...they are banned from ssome other countries. The problem is they were bred for aggressive behavior. I do understand your situation.....he was raised in a loving home, not aggressive, and it is hard watching a neighbor's dog have aggressive tendencies butyours being singled out for euthanization. BUT pits have very specific physical traits that put them in a different ballpark....they jaws are like steel traps. Once they bite on, you CANNOT get them loose and this is why they are reported on the news as killing children, etc., once they get going, they will kill and not let go.
My brother-in-law had one from a puppy on. She was beautiful and very friendly but there was always something I NEVER like about her. She would come up to me and put her paws on my chest, trying to be nice, but her muscular build alone would cause her to leave big bruises and lumps on my arms. They had children and that always made me nervous. I never let my children around that dog and my husband wouldn't either. I just didn't trust her. Well, after 9 or so years with them, raised from a pup, one day a neighbor's child was playing in their yard with their children, and for some reason she just started chasing the child, knocked her down, and had her by the back down on the ground. My brother-in-law, a very muscular guy, could barely get her off. She had not actually bitten into the child but her jaws were open and pushing down on her back and she meant business. Out of the blue, she became aggressive and that was all I needed to know. The vet had told them the tendency is there,as it is in other breeds, but with this breed, because of their jaws, they clamp down and you CANNOT get them open. The jaws literally lock into place like a steel trap. They are bred for this.
So, please be careful. I know you love her, I really do understand that, but this was 9 to 10 years into her life with them she went bazerk and it could have been fatal.
Yes...sm [2008-05-22]
She is illegal and I have turned her in anonymously but no results. I tried believe me. Immigration doesn't do squat. She has fake SS card and is getting WIK for being pregnant where they give you free food and then formula. She is going to another state and fraudently getting Medicaid. Immigration is a joke in this country.
And my dad feels sorry for her and thinks I am just mean. I finally gave up turning her in. I have even contacted the bank and told them she is illegal because they aren't supposed to give accounts to illegal immigrants. They didn't do anything because she still has the account there. That is why illegal immigration is so rampant in this country. There are no consequences. The government just looks the other way. I am going to buy one of those locking mailboxes so she can't get into my mailbox. Also I want some very fast growing privacy hedges.
that is scary [2008-03-31]
I'm glad you had the dogs there with you - I too never lock my doors - also living in a rural area. I have dogs also. . but I may start locking my doors when I am alone. .
My wake-up call came a few years ago [2008-03-31]
I, too, live in a very rural area -- farming community just like yours. My husband was working late that night and I was home alone with the kids. My road isn I never really heard much traffic that night. I did hear a few gunshots, but just figured it was my goofy neighbor shooting target practice. He does that all the time. The next morning as I pulled onto the main road (about 2 miles from my house),I noticed an ambulance heading in. No sirens or lights. I thought it was rather odd since there I went to work that day and thought nothing of it.
I came home from work that night and noticed a state police car coming out of my road, but didn When I got home, my answering machine was lit up like the 4th of July. My phone was ringing as I walked in. Everyone wanted to know what was going on on my lane. I had no clue but didn I hung up the phone and answered the door to a state trooper wanting to ask me some questions.
He wanted to know if I noticed anything unusual last night. I said no. Any traffic? Not more than usual. Any loud noises? Just my neighbor shooting his guns. What time was that? About 9:30 or 10:00. That's where the story gets interesting.
Apparently 2 vehicles met at the top of my lane for a drug deal that went seriously wrong. The one couple shot the other couple and left them for dead. They then proceeded back down my lane and up the road about a mile where the girl stopped at my friend Not knowing her, they didn After using the phone, they sped off down the road. The next morning, some hunters found the dead couple and called 911.
This all happened just 2 days after Christmas. Needless to say, I lost my sitter for New Year I agree about locking your doors, but more than anythingI believe your dogs saved your life. I She barks anytime someone comes on our property. She She
Go spit! (sm) [2008-02-20]
Snorkel masks fog up all the time. To stop that from happening, you rub the inside of the glass with seaweed. Chances are you don't have seaweed hanging around your house. When you are snorkeling and can't find seaweed, next best thing is spit. Yeah, I know. You spit in your mask and rub it on the glass, swish it in the water and you are good to go. If you don't want to spit, there are products you can buy to defog stuff.
You can Google: spit antifog and go to the site named JAWS. They offer a product actually called Spit Antifog and it's good on 'anything that fogs', including windshields, ski goggles, and eye glasses. Even Amazon.com sells it. Not as fun as seaweed, not as gross as spitting on your glasses, but probably as effective!
my dog pees...(sm) [2008-02-03]
Since September when I decided to stay home and work my dog, (chocolate lab) who has always been attached to me, is even more so at my side. She doesnbehind and its like a punishment to me.
I did the same thing. [2007-12-19]
I did the same thing - getting down on the floor and throwing a tantrum with him, and it was great, and I mirrored (not copied exactly - that only made him worse) his rebellion. It not only caused him to look at me different, it brought me down to his level and gave me new understanding and more sensitive to his feelings. Did this more than once during that short period of time in his life. Also putting them in their own room with the door shut (had to tie the knob shut with a shoe string and a nail - didn't like the idea of locking their door). Have 4 close in age, so different strokes for different folks. God bless you and hang in there!
When my kid's school is in lockdown... [2007-12-13]
You can't get in or out period. They will not buzz you in or let you out. They put them on lockdown if there is ANY indication that something dangerous MIGHT be happening in or around the neighborhood. Her school is in a good neighborhood, and it's a campus-type environment. Locking all doors is not feasible, but if they're in lockdown, the gates around the school are all closed and locked so you can't even get TO the buildings, and the kids stay in the class they were in at lockdown instead of going to their next class so they are not exposed at all. Rarely happens, though. She was at another school, that locked down at least once a week. Thankfully, that school was contained in one building, so they continued classes. Never had an incident at the school, but it was a rough neighborhood.
potty training puppy [2007-12-07]
Of course not. I guess I should have been more blunt about saying that you should not confine a pup to a crate and call it potty training or be foolish enough to say that by locking it in a crate that it is potty trained.
Actually, I do know that mayonnaise is not the culprit - (sm) [2007-11-14]
Most mayonnaise containing dishes also contain eggs - the eggs are what goes bad not the mayo. Food handlers class taught me that mayo does not go bad. That is a myth.
I agree w/you and your post [2007-11-14]
mayo is made with eggs in it....and while the other post might *think* ituncovered in the jar even while we were using it - and we didn I was married to a French chef DE cuisine and I too was a chef for 5 years back in the 70s....and one is taught this.
Once can merely call Johnson Wales Culinary School and/or any institute of culinary art anywhere in the USA (or in France) and ask this very question......IF one does not believe......
My news is on here, just sounds like you and where you live [2007-10-31]
A small town, Hampton, Georgia - 83-year-old woman former teacher approached at her door by a begger- she turned to get him some money, attacked and beaten, found out on the street- people now being told to lock their doors as before folks there left doors open, 1 person said never had to do this before but now they are scared not to- know probably from somewhere else, everyone knows everyone there, always a quiet town. I live in the real world- you and others need to catch up. I call locking the doors security and using common sense.
I think you are taking this out of context...I originally asked about my in-laws basically coming ov [2007-10-31]
and then the issue of locking doors and security gets brought up...why is it you can't post something on these boards without it being blown out of proportion???
good question, LasVegasLady...sm [2007-10-26]
well I *thought* eating lots of shrimp raises cholesterol but when you asked, I researched, and apparently it who knew?
Question: Does eating foods such as eggs and shrimp that contain cholesterol raise your cholesterol level? Are they more or less dangerous than foods with high saturated fat?
Answer: Not much. You absorb only half the cholesterol you eat. Most -- about 80 percent -- of your blood cholesterol is made in your liver. Fats, especially saturated fats and trans fats, increase cholesterol production. You should limit cholesterol consumption to 200-300 mg a day. That's one egg yolk, so eggs a few times a week is fine. This is also true of shrimp. -- Richard A. Stein, associate chairman of medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and a spokesman for the American Heart Association.
It's less dangerous than foods high in saturated fat. That raises triglycerides twice as much as eating cholesterol-rich foods. Saturated fat is the primary enemy. Cholesterol in food is a sort of secondary enemy. Don't worry about the second when you haven't dealt with the first. Saturated fats and trans fats are the worst.-- Dr. Richard Milani, director of the cardiovascular health center at Ochsner Clinic, New Orleans.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4724255/
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