Breed bans do not work. People will either buy/breed them illegally, or simply replace them with another large breed. (In the US, bloodhounds were once considered a problem breed. Then it was German Shepherds, then Dobermans, now pit bulls. Recommended reading:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1334486.The_Pit_Bull_Placebo )
It is an issue of training and vigilance. In other words, it's a people problem, which is a lot harder to fix.
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-ban-american-xl-bully-dogs-by-end-year-2023-09-15/
@TomeReader I’ve known more than a handful of Pibbles and they were all happy, silly, loving, dogs.
I’ve been bit by Labs, a Chi and the worst…actually she bit me and took chunks out twice…was a mini Doxie. Every time it was a territorial issue. I got too close.
Get too close to a Pit and you’re more likely to get licked instead of bit.
Here’s a PSA…treat all strange dogs as a biting danger until you know they aren’t.
My 29lb dog Abby was bitten in the face—twice by chihuahuas in our building. She never showed any aggression to them.
Last week my neighbor wanted me to look at the remaining Chug puppy from his litter of two. As soon as I came through the door, the mother ran over and bit me.
Nope.
@LnzyHou Wow! Yeah, No!
@LnzyHou @TomeReader no way would I Fave take a puppy from there either. It might be fine…but what if not?
Have worked in animal shelter. That breed is the most frequently euthanized. It’s really sad.
@LnzyHou @TomeReader it’s heartbreaking! 😭😭😭
@TomeReader you have to teach kids to respect all dogs space. You just never know…
When walking Abby downtown, lots of tourist kids would come up to her face and start petting. She hated that. And hated kids. Despite her obvious efforts to communicate — back off, the parents just glared at me.
I finally started saying a loud No when asked if she could be petted. Also declared she didn’t like kids. You can’t imagine the nasty responses from stupid parents.
@LnzyHou @TomeReader oh I can imagine! Can also imagine their outrage and lawsuit if your dog had bit their child!! #StupidPeople
Back in the hell days of Facebook, I was always surprised when children would be bitten in the face, after bringing their face down to dogs.
Of course, they always blamed the dog for being vicious. Not the parents for not teaching their kids to approach dogs cautiously.
No dog 🐕 wants to be shocked.
@LnzyHou @TomeReader lots of dogs don’t like people in their face. Or don’t like strangers close. It’s on the parents who let their child approach a dog unsupervised!
@LnzyHou I get the same with Ziggy down in Panama. Labradoodles are very uncommon down here. Kids come running asking if he bites. I used to say no. But then he’d bark cause he doesn’t need to be petted. Due to the language barrier I couldn’t get them to back off or come at him slowly. So now when the ask if he “morder” (bite) I always say sí.
@TwitterExpat @LnzyHou @TomeReader it’s best to say yes to that question. Keeps the dogs safer.
@TomeReader @NorCalCherylLyn Agree about breed band and respecting all dogs. Also, all should control their dogs on leash in public. I don't care if YOUR dog is well behaved in YOUR opinion.
Yeah, little dogs bite more frequently. But you can't deny bully breeds do more damage when they do attack. So more caution is required and more responsibility rests with owners to train and control.
I was bitten 3 times by a lab mix, MY DOG, who went from loving to a snap unexpectedly.
@S_r_stone @TomeReader agreed they can do more damage. That is on humans too but a risk for sure.
@TomeReader @NorCalCherylLyn Never figured out his trigger.
We grew not to trust him with other dogs or people. He wasn't aggressive, always seemed friendly.
Two bites came breaking up fights with our other dogs. One came when I was petting him and watching TV. (He approached me and put his head in my lap.)
Something in his past or in his brain made his reactions unreliable. Going to the vet was high anxiety when it got harder to muzzle him.
@S_r_stone @TomeReader I don’t really trust my dog around strangers. She’s skittish and LARGE so we keep total control when she doesn’t know somebody. The little one is my daughter’s.
@NorCalCherylLyn @TomeReader Given a choice, I would rather suffer a bite from a chihuahua than a pit bull, which is a breed known for maulings that maim and/or kill. That’s what they were bred to do, they are a fighting breed.
@mamitres @NorCalCherylLyn @TomeReader
That’s good. You’re more likely to be bitten by a chihuahua than a pit bull.
#1 breed euthanized in animal shelters is chihuahuas not pit bulls.
@mamitres @TomeReader of course given a choice I’d rather that too! But the biters that got me did not ask if it was ok.
@NorCalCherylLyn
I've been bitten twice, both chihuahuas.
Your PSA is 💯 . When my young nieces and nephews were around Dargo, I'd keep reminding them not to get near his face or be around him when he was eating. Their parents would say, "It's okay, it's just Dargo." I'd have to explain that this was simply best practices that the kids should take to heart.