Dog bite prevention: "The disease is us."

Here are some easy-to-follow directions for creating a dog that will bite somebody.

1. Don't read up on dog breeds, dog behavior or dog training before you get your dog.

2. Don't get a pit bull or a Rottweiler. Buy a "safe breed."

3. Get your dog from a pet shop, or from a neighbor who bred his untrained, outside dog to make some extra cash.

4. Don't socialize your puppy. The socialization window slams shut at four months, but who has the time to introduce a pup to 100 new people [of every age and aspect] by the time he's twelve weeks or so? Besides, you don't want Scout to be friendly with strangers. You want him to be protective.

5. Don't train your pup. If Scout chews on the furniture or is too stubborn or too damn dumb to be house-trained, you can always just leave him in the yard.

6. Don't worry if Scout runs off and roams the neighborhood. If he gets enough exercise, maybe he won't bark outside your bedroom window all night. It's not like there's a leash law or anything.

7. Find another dog to mate with your first one. Your cousin's next-door-neighbor wants to breed the family pet, and this kind of dog is so popular, you'll have all the pups sold in no time. They're selling for $1200 apiece at the pet shop in the mall, did you see that?

8. Or, you know, you could just give them away in front of the local market. To anybody.


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Extensive research and investigation using 40 years of data has conclusively identified the reckless and criminal ownership practices that can cause a dog to become dangerous:

OWNER MANAGEMENT & CONTROL OF DOGS

Owners failing to humanely contain, control and maintain their dogs (chained dogs, loose roaming dogs, cases of abuse/neglect), and owners failing to properly supervise interaction between children and dogs.

FUNCTION OF DOG

Owners maintaining dogs for guarding/protection, fighting, intimidation/status, or as yard dogs. Such dogs are resident dogs, not family pets.

REPRODUCTION STATUS OF DOG

Owners failing to spay or neuter animals not used for competition, show, or in a responsible breeding program.

From 2005-2007, increased focus on the negligent and criminal human behaviors has resulted in 31% of owners and/or parents of young victims being criminally charged.

HOLDING OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE HUMANE TREATMENT, CONTAINMENT, AND CONTROL OF THEIR DOGS IS THE ONLY WAY TO MINIMIZE INCIDENCE OF CANINE AGGRESSION.

The quotes above, as well as the quote in this post's title, are from Karen Delise, a nationally known authority on dog bites. Her website on dog attacks is remarkably thorough, and thoroughly fascinating. [Mine ain't bad, either ;~) ] The "dog bites" tag on this blog will bring up more information.

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A few more facts: most dog-bite victims are young children. Most bites occur at home. In most cases, the dog involved belongs to the family or to friends. The single, most valuable dog-bite prevention measure? Parental supervision of children with the family dog. Over 6,000 Americans are hospitalized each year because of dog bites. The vast majority of those hospitalizations involve "safe breeds."

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Tragedy in Texas: loose, untrained, unsocialized dogs kill a seven-year-old. Here's the link. "Four pit bulls," said the Associated Press reporter. Here are screen grabs of one of them:







Looks like a sheepdog mix to me... But it must be a pit bull, because safe breeds never bite — do they?


Dog attacks are a symptom. The disease is us.

Toddler Mauled by Pit Bulls; Father Time Marches On

UPDATE: Edited for syntax. Content unchanged.

Er, make that one pit bull. A female pit bull. No, a male. Wait a minute -- it was a boxer mix. Or not. OK, we think it was a male pit bull/boxer mix, but the reporters are all so PC these days, and anyway, according to a county administrator, "The more dominant breed is pit bull." Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean [and yes, I'm being facetious. We all know exactly what it means: it's the canine version of the One Drop Rule].

When it comes to pit bulls, nothing says "high standard of journalism" quite like the San Francisco Comical Chronicle and the San Jose Murky Mercury News. What a shame the original article and 10+ pages of comments were deleted from SFGate after the dog became a boxer. "I have a gun, and if some filthy pit bull sets foot in my yard, it's head will be hamburger!" Right, pal, unless the grammar police bust a cap in your apostrophe first. [I think filthy pit bulls are kind of adorable: see right sidebar.] On the Murky News the comments have taken a predictable turn:

All pitbulls and their owners should be put down. They are both stupid and vicious

To Truthful, You have a lot in common with the vicious pit bull who attacked that defenseless child, you're both halfbreed uncontrollable (mixed) animals who should be euthanized. Be not so proud of your uncivilized race because you will never be a proud American. Either deport all Mexicans or euthanize them!!

Blah blah blah eyeroll. The Murky News is trying to delete the most rude, off-topic comments as soon as they're flagged --- don't do it, Murky drones! This is thesis material!! [Honestly, issues of race and class play a huge role in the pit bull debate: a largely unspoken role, no thanks to politicians and most reporters.]

One poor soul asks,

WHY, when this breed is so clearly prone to be unreliable and when their physique makes an attack so serious, does the Silicon Valley Human Society continue to adopdt them out? Why aren't any pit bulls and pit bull mixes put humanely to sleep when turned in to the humane society?

Gee, I dunno --- could it be because many pit bulls are, in fact, more reliable than anything, and make wonderful companions?

Fave quotes of the day:

Greg Van Wassenhove, director of animal care and control in the county, said an investigation into the attack is ongoing. However, in cases like this one, where dogs are present at family gatherings, animals can view small children as "threatening their territories."

"That is the most likely scenario," Van Wassenhove said. "We don't expect a 20-month old child to provoke a dog."

Of course not, Greg! A twenty-month old child couldn't possibly do anything to upset a dog! [/sarcasm]

Feeding frenzy:

This morning four dogs circled the [family's] three-story main house [...] The property has a private easement snaking up to the house, which is nestled in the foothills. The dogs came charging out of the property, snarling and barking at members of the media in their vehicles.

OMG, "charging," for real? Do you mean these dogs actually barked at strangers on their property? And growled and snarled? (Congo, is that you?) I need to sit down.


So the Old Year fades away with more evidence than ever that people are forgetting what dogs are and how they behave, while groups like PETA and the HSUS bankroll spay/neuter laws and do their best to eradicate the domestic dog "for its own good, poor thing." Big dogs: too threatening. Medium-sized dogs: too boisterous. Small dogs: too, um, small liable to spread germs, ick.

Yes, dogs chase cats and "charge" at things. Some hate to be bothered when they're eating. Most bark at strangers. [The filthy pit bull in the sidebar is no watchdog -- she'd be delighted to let the axe-murderer into my home at midnight. Then my quiet collies would kill him. I'm joking, homeowner insurance people.]

[Sheep fed -- check. Dogs all inside -- check. Calming herbs for Gray -- check. Emergency IDs -- check. For years I've been a huge fan of Boomerang CollarTags, and each dog has two: "REWARD! LOOSE = LOST," cell phone, home phone, vet's phone, "MICROCHIPPED." We're ready for 2008. Bring it on.]


This New Year's Eve I'm hoping for peace [I'm a hopeful type]; for the health, safety and happiness of everyone I know and pretty much everyone I don't; for leaders who do justly and love mercy; for mild, contented sheep and tired, happy dogs; and for firecrackers so far away, tonight, that none of my collies can hear them. Also: for the stick-to-it-ive-ness to write often about real dogs and real dog behavior -- and link often to many of the fine blogs dedicated to nature, the environment, and, of course, real dogs.

Happy New Year!

ETA: More here, with a video showing one of the dogs involved.