Run-In With Pitbull Today

[BassKing813]

Well, I had a little run-in today with my neighbor's pitbull. My dad's lawnmower got the shaft bent so we need a new one but can't get it until the next mowing season. I asked my neighbor if I could borrow his since I always mow his yard and he said yes. He told me to go in the back yard and get the garage door opener off the back porch so I could get in to use the mower. I know he has a pitbull and my neighbor said that it would be in the back yard today but "he won't bite." Talk is cheap in my opinion, especially in this case. I went in the backyard and the dog started barking and growling at me. He'd run forward, bark, jump back, and then run forward again. Long story short, I backed up to leave and he charged me just as I closed the gate. As a result, I will have to wait until tomorrow when my neighbor gets back to borrow his mower. What would you have done? Some might say I'm chicken but it's a PITBULL for crying out loud, and I don't trust them. Do you think I did the right thing?

[BASS fisherman]

That is a touchy subject.

If the mower is that important, I'd of gone back into my house, and got some dog treats, or lunch meat. Anything the dog would like to eat instead of your butt. Go out to your, and your neighborsfence line and try to give the dog some of the "peace offering". As you do this, sweet talk the dog, yes I said it, sweet talk it. "Hey puppy dog, what a nice puppy you are, how are you today." You could tell the dog your going to rip it's throat out, as long as you say it in that girly, baby talk voice. If the dog still acts as your a threat, forget about it until your neighbor gets back. Remember you are a threat to it's territory, so don't push the issue if the dog acts edgy and aggressive towards you. Because you are on his property, the dog may not be liable if it bites you. I really don't know.

Something to add to this story.  

I have a small cat who is the nicest cat I've ever had.  One day right after dinner, my Mom was looking out the back door, and I hear her say "Look a dog".  I go over and look out and there is a pitbull closing in on my cat.  So I went out expecting to fight with this dog, and possibly killing it to save my cat.  Stupid I know, but I get a little crazy when the adrenalines pumping and my life is on the line, or the life of someone or something that is close to me.  Anyway, I go outside and try to step in between this dog, and my cat, and here this pit was so dosile that my cat was attacking it.  The pit was very friendly, and I had to push my cat away with my foot, because she kept hitting the dog on the snout, and the poor dog wasn't fighting back or trying to flee at all. She hit that poor pit probably 50 times, each time leaving a big scratch across it's snout.  I finally got the dog to leave, and after a few hours the cat finally settled down.  She is a funny cat too.  She has chased a few neighborhood dogs off our property, that were atleast 10X's bigger than she is.  She don't take no *****!  But she is the most loving cat ever at the same time.

[tipptruck1]

Well I have been around a few pitbulls and ever had this happen. But I think that all he was doing was protecting his land. A friend of mine has a rot and lives next door. He will only bark at people and grawl at people he dosn't know thats on his land. So I think you did the right thing.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Mowing the lawn is not that important!!!!!!!

[Claude]

Mowing the lawn is not that important!!!!!!!

Ditto.

Although I am a pit bull lover, it ain't worth possibly gettin bitten over.

[Guest avid]

chiken??????

first off your neighbor needs a stern talking to.  his pitbull may be a sweet little flooofy to family members but it was downright irresponsible of him to send you into the territory of a bred fighter unescorted.  it's ok for you to mow his lawn but he's too lazy to get off his butt and get the mower for you?

most dogs will protect their territory from intruders, but the strength and breeding of pit bulls make this a deadly risk

[Captain Underpants]

He he. That reminds me of several rotwielers (spelling) that live in the property across from my dad's ranch. Every time we go near the fence the 8 of them come charging out to eat us. If I'm on a ATV, I'll do the world a favor and run them over. they're askin' for it, all lined up blocking the path!  

But I could always  

   

[Replica.]

chiken??????

first off your neighbor needs a stern talking to. his pitbull may be a sweet little flooofy to family members but it was downright irresponsible of him to send you into the territory of a bred fighter unescorted. it's ok for you to mow his lawn but he's too lazy to get off his butt and get the mower for you?

most dogs will protect their territory from intruders, but the strength and breeding of pit bulls make this a deadly risk

Well said Avid.  Contrary to what many dog lovers will tell you, a pitbull is more dangerous than a beagle.

[Lady Bass]

          I know some of you are pitbull lovers and rotw..no offense if you own them but I don't like those dogs at all. there was one here in my alley awhile back.he must of got loose and was roaming.to boot there was no one with this pitbull.I called police and that cop was up here in less then five minutes.moments after that there was this small red car who flew down the alley and stopped to get the dog but I'm not sure all went down with the cop and the dog owner.

[bassmasta7]

The owner was probably partially right. If the neighbor had been home with the dog, then the dog probably would have known u were ok but since he was gone he was protecting his territory. I would have just cut the grass tomorrow to.

[yurstruely]

respect the laws of nature, he has territory that he thinks you shouldnt have been on respect it then leave....n you did the right thing, you coudl have punched him in the face he would have backed off, im not one to hurt a dog but i have noticed when i use to watch peopels pets if they got out of control a simple ( not to hard) slap or punch would calm them down right then and there

[Other.]

I'm a pitbull lover. I never ever had one but a few of the people that lived arround me have. There fun to play tug of war with because you can hold the string straight up and the dog is in the air refussing to let go. Because of alot of bad people that abused pitbulls for pitbull fights and to have a big protective dog gaurd there home they have a bad rep. You walk into any old backyard with a dog and he thinks your "uninvited" they will bark and chase you. Stop blamming the pitbulls and stop steryotyping. I know alot of you will disagree by saying somthing like its in there gene to be mean but If some one you did not know walks into your backyard your gunna not be so nice.

[Claude]

I'm a pitbull lover. I never ever had one but a few of the people that lived arround me have. There fun to play tug of war with because you can hold the string straight up and the dog is in the air refussing to let go. Because of alot of bad people that abused pitbulls for pitbull fights and to have a big protective dog gaurd there home they have a bad rep. You walk into any old backyard with a dog and he thinks your "uninvited" they will bark and chase you. Stop blamming the pitbulls and stop steryotyping. I know alot of you will disagree by saying somthing like its in there gene to be mean but If some one you did not know walks into your backyard your gunna not be so nice.

Amen dude!

[Guest avid]

Stop blamming the pitbulls and stop steryotyping

sorry but i can't agree with you on this one

i didn't see much in the way of slamming and no sterotyping

pit bulls were bred to fight

they are incredibly strong with jaws that clamp down with the force of a bear trap

if you walk into my backyard without me my maltese will startle yoy with her shrill bark.  if she attacks you all 6 lbs of her can easily be handled.

i have known pitbulls that are warm loving animals

but if you startle one he can kill you

lets not forget the lessons painfully taught by steve irwin and zeigfried and roy.

some animals are more dangerous than others.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I deal with dogs on a daily basis. Been bitten 7 times in 9 yrs.

Chow

Akita

Pits

Shepherds

These 4 breeds can be very stealthy at being "read". They give you false signs, unreadable. Very good at letting you in before they attack.

Rotts

Dobies

These 2 are better at letting you know their intentions.

Any dog will bite you. People don't realize this. If I had a dollar for every mailman/ups/fedex driver that was bitten by a dog who's owner JUST said "oh it's ok,...he doesn't bite"

4 of the dogs that bit me,....don't bite.

People don't realize that dogs will protect their home and family. One dog that bit me, I'd known for years. Played with it often on many deliveries. The time he bit me, I didn't know, but the kids were playing in the backyard. WHOLE NEW DOG in front of me now. I have learned it is better not to trust any of them.

Don't get me wrong,...I LOVE DOGS. but 90% can be unpredictable but some are much more unpredictabvle and much more capable of doing some real damage.

Couple piecees of advice when dealing with dogs.

Talk in a stern voice

Never turn your back!!! Ease away walking backwards.

Take off sunglasses, make eye contact

NEVER hit a non-attacking dog. Striking the animal is a last DEFENSE, otherwise you could very well trigger an attack that could be avoided.

DO NOT RUN!!

Know that a dog who will be friendly for a treat will also take achunk of your calf immediately after.

Know the warning signs. Tight growl, slow moving body motions, head lowered, hair on back is up along with tail. Do not underestimate these signs. This dog is clearly announcing it's intentions and that trigger in his head is a "lightswitch" one.

Always look for dog sign when approaching a home or business you don't know. (Poop, dog toys, leash or bowl on porch,etc.)

USE YOUR HEAD!

Pink did a good job here, no remote is worth a serious encounter with a dog, even a small one. Especially a known violence prone breed. Respecrt all animals and their surroundings. Remember, a dog can bite you, and yes, that hurts for a small time but some dogs are very capable of KILLING you. Be careful, keep your distance when possible.

[Dobi]

You did the wise thing and your neighbor should know his animal better.

I have a chow/sheppard mix who is a *****-cat to me and my family but I make her "go to bed" (get in the bedroom closet where she sleeps) and shut the door or chain her in the backyard whenever anyone comes over. She is VERY protective. When my folks come to visit after about 4 days she'll come out and be sociable but they can't get near my wife or baby. she'll protect them to her death I'm sure. It's a reassuring to know that there is that line of protection when I'm not around, but also a big responsibility at the same time knowing that anyone comes over must be warned or to have to put her up

[fishbear]

There is a reason that most police officers are taught to shoot pit bulls on site if they are entering a home for a bust... I know of 3 diff. officers had to go thru the rabies therapy, after being bit by pit bulls during drug busts....

I would more likely trust a wild wolf over a pit bull any day of the week.

[Raul]

The whole Pittbull deal has been taken completely out of proportion by the media, ANY mid to large size dog can be a threat specially if you are INVADING IT 'S TERRITORY. I 'm a vet, I know that I can be attacked by an animal anytime specially when I do house calls in the middle of the night, reason why I hate house calls and I prefer not to do them ( and to avoid them I charge 10 times more ), unless the animal is practically dying like with it 's guts spilled all over the street I prefer to attend dogs in my clinic because this is MY TERRITORY, not their 's.

I do take care of several pits, never had a problem with them; rotts, they are a different story, most are nice but I attend one that 's a real mean SOB. Chows ? I hate those and akitas, completely "inexpressive", you never know what they are going to do, shapeis ? some are nice, most just go bezerk when you approach them.

I 've only been bit once by a mid sized dog and it was a frigging dalmatian; I 've been bit more times than I can remember by Chihuahuas, maltipoodles, poodlesaurious, malticockis, cockipoodles, cockisaurious n 'such than by large breeds.

So next time you hear: " Don 't bite"

My arse !

Any dog can and will bite and it don 't need to be a Pitt. Think about that the next time you enter in any dog 's territory. Which doesn 't mean that you have to be scared crapless everytime you enter somebody 's home.

[paparock]

Raul, your experience mirrors mine. I have found that a lot of the time the dog's attitude towards strangers can be shaped by the owner to an extent either to the good or to bad. My old vet would treat any breed of dog but a Basenji.

Which of course I had one. That was when I was down in Houston. He said they were fearless and so stinking fast', it seems the last one he treated opened a 5-inch gash across the palm of his hand before he even saw it move.

I had to have my only male Akita that weighed close to 150lbs. put to sleep because he became so aggressive toward people especially children. While I was in Casper, Wyoming, I lived across from an elementary school. The snow would pile up next to my fence and I caught kids throwing snowballs at my Akita. Over time it made him HATE kids to the point if I had not grabbed my youngest daughter's shoulder and jerked her back he would have had her whole face in his jaws. It was the first and last time that happened as it made me realize that despite the amazing bond between the dog and me he could not be allowed around anyone else without them being in extreme danger. I took him to the vet and he died in my arms with me bawling like a baby but despite the love I had for him I could not put other people much less kids children in mortal danger. It was human life or his so I made the only choice I could. Since you are a vet Raul you know owning any animal is a responsibility to both the community and the animal and that included properly training them which many owners neglect. I have a male and female tow poodle now that my wife and I are order. They are like our children and my wife has gotten into dressing them up but as loving and friendly as they both are under some circumstances I know the potential is always there that they could bite. We can't help it we love dogs.

[Troutfisher]

pit bulls were bred to fight

they are incredibly strong with jaws that clamp down with the force of a bear trap

People who say they have a nice pit bull are pretty much saying they have a nice stick of dynamite. It might look good for a while, but after a while, it WILL BITE. There have been several cases here in WV about people letting their pitbulls run loose, and they have KILLED children. Don't tell me pitbulls don't bite. Don't take your chances.

[Raul]

There are no bad dogs, there are bad owners. If you neglect the proper training any dog can be a stick of dynamite, yeah, including those you think don 't bite like labradors. But the media loves Pittbull attacks, that 's what you see which leads you to believe that Pittbulls are vicious people killers, stereotype = ignorance.

[BassKing813]

There are no bad dogs, there are bad owners. If you neglect the proper training any dog can be a stick of dynamite, yeah, including those you think don 't bite like labradors. But the media loves Pittbull attacks, that 's what you see which leads you to believe that Pittbulls are vicious people killers, stereotype = ignorance.

I don't agree with you completely. I have read many documented cases where people owned pitbulls and brought them up to be very loving and friendly without training them to be aggressive or attack, and then one day their pit "snapped" and attacked a family member or someone else, often resulting in serious injury or death. You just can't fight years and years of breeding. Aggression and fighting are now a part of nearly all pitbulls and they will eventually turn on their owner or someone else. In any case, I will not take any chances. Yeah I know any dog can attack and I am cautious around all breeds, but attacks by pitbulls result in way more deaths than attacks by other breeds.

[Syfer420]

I love pitbulls my fiends has two resqued ones who were fightiing dogs!!! There great tempered dogs he was probly just protecting his home form a stranger. Heres my firnds baby pit

[bass ackwards]

pitbulls are great..............in a cage!!!!!

[bassnleo]

There is a reason that most police officers are taught to shoot pit bulls on site if they are entering a home for a bust... I know of 3 diff. officers had to go thru the rabies therapy, after being bit by pit bulls during drug busts....

I would more likely trust a wild wolf over a pit bull any day of the week.

Closest I ever came to pulling the trigger on the job was a pit that was attacking another dog being walked by a teenager. Fortunately, the pit stopped then ran off. It had already chased several other people and animals on it's journey.

While I'll agree that just about any dog has the propensity to bite, just about every dog attack I've investigated was a pit.