Pit Bulls And Children

[Bobl]

Another tragedy involving a Pit Bull. Any comments?
Do responsible parents keep aggressive dogs in the home with young children?

[ejames01]

You might as well let your baby play with a .44 Magnum.

[Kelton]

Here is the article at Freep.com -

http://freep.com/article/20090423/NEWS04/904230438

No. Responsible parents do not keep aggressive dogs in the home. I wonder where they bought the dog. I'm guessing it was from some backyard operation, not a respectable breeder. I understand that not all pit bulls are so dangerous, but why would someone take a chance like this with a baby in the house? It's not the first time a child has been mauled or killed by a pit bull.

I am so terribly upset by these kinds of stories. We were thrilled to finally become new grandparents a few month ago, and I am just overcome when I think about the horror of seeing that poor little innocent baby in the jaws of that pit bull. And yes, the parents were at fault for keeping an aggressive dog, but after witnessing such a traumatic end to their child's life, no judge could sentence them to anything worse. I'm guessing they will be fined and that's about it.

The vet interviewed on the news last night had it right - NO dog should be trusted near a baby or small child. Their actions are not what a dog expects to see from a human and can be seen as the actions of prey. What scares me is the fact that there won't be many owners of pit bulls giving up their dogs because of this incident. The old "it'll never happen to me" mindset. I'm sure these parents never thought it would happen to them either and now their child is dead.

[Big Dog]

Pit bulls are notorious for this. They should be banned, IMO.

[digitalvision]

The problem with pit bulls, knowing quite a few well-balanced ones, is the owners and people own them who shouldn't.

Pitbulls can be loyal, protective, and even very gentle with the right strong, balanced owner. The problem is that most people suck at dog ownership, don't spend enough time with them, and don't train them, so they're going to revert to their worst.

And this can happen with ANY breed, but pitbulls are a definitely a bit more to handle. English bulldogs, Rottweilers, Dobermans and others that are "aggressive" breeds that in the hands of the right owner can be great; and the wrong owner, absolute hell.

New babies need to be introduced to the dog as a member of the pack; and then most times they will accept and love the kid and be VERY gentle. But many dog owners don't have a pack mentality or even worse let the dog lead [[which is where a lot of the violence can happen, because the dog takes it upon itself to fix the problem because in it's mind it runs the house).

People pick dogs for the wrong reasons on a consistent basis. If you're not a confident, strong person who's willing the spend the time, you should not own a pitbull. Try a sheltie or golden or something that more malleable. Also, pick a breed that matches your energy. Don't get a Rhodesian ridgeback if you like to spend your nights watching TV; the dog will be unhappy as that breed NEEDS to run. If the breed's energy doesn't match yours, the dog will always be frustrated.

As a rescue owner, dogs are a commitment - no matter the breed, think of it as a perpetual two year old living with you. Most people get puppies because they're cute and don't realize the work you need to put in.

[ronaldj]

It is a matter of socialization. My spouse dislikes pit bulls. We visitted some friends who had recently acquired a pit pup. We had the puggle with us who quickly dominated it and scared it into the garage.

We went to bed with the puggle. Unbeknownst to us the new pit snuck into the room. When the spouse woke up she counted noses. Me, the puggle and the pit in the bed.

However, we are adults and the friends are responsible dog owners.

[Bobl]

You might as well let your baby play with a .44 Magnum.

Well put. The fact is, this breed has the physical ability to crush a skull, break bones, and kill adults. They can be especially dangerous to small children, whose actions the Pit Bulls can misunderstand. Most do not kill, but all have the capacity to kill or maim. Other breeds can be dangerous to children.
The veterinarian was correct, and in my opinion, parents should be no more willing to have aggressive animals in the home than a loaded gun on the floor or table.
Improbable to enforce this, though. Common sense cannot be legislated, and we are not soon going to require licenses for parenthood.
We will read about another similar incident too soon.

[Johnnny5]

A dog that was bred to kill has no place around children.

[ccbatson]

Unwise decision in buying an aggressive breed like that. It can be, and is, done with great success most of the time however...just unwise. Newfoundlands are a great choice if you want a big breed that has nary a aggressive bone in their body.