Last night Britton and I were taking our evening walk around Ramseier Farm Park and around our neighborhood as we do most nights. As we rounded the corner on the east side of the neighborhood this big, snarling dog bounded up at us and started to try and take Britton down. I could tell by the shape of its head that it was a pitbull. Britton managed to punch it in the head which dazed it, but not before it put a deep puncture bite into his calf and a smaller bite in his hand. It turned to try and attack me, but by then the owner had reached it and it just rolled over for her -nice as can be.
Brit Bit By Pit
The owner was chasing it all over trying to reign it in and saw everything that had happened. She was profusely apologetic and said it had just escaped and had never bitten anyone before. We take walks a lot and have had a lot of dogs come up to us…some friendly and some not. We’ve even had little Chihuahuas try and bite at our ankles. But never have we had our fight or flight response turned on so high as when this Pitbull was going for the kill. It was literally trying to jump for Britton’s neck to take him down. Thankfully BK punched it and I don’t think the pit saw that coming.
Now I know a lot of people say that it’s not the dog’s fault. That any dog can or could bite. And that’s true. But the difference is that some dogs were bred this way -that is to say- are genetically different than other dogs when it comes to aggression and being dangerous. Pitbulls like Dobermans, Rottweilers and German Shepherds and others, were bred to be protectors and quick to attack. Other breeds were made to fetch things (retrievers), others have a heightened sense of smell (hounds), some are runners (greyhounds), or herd animals and others just lay around (like Schnoodle). If you want to see what the best breed of dog would be for your lifestyle check out this dog breed questionnaire.
According to these breed sites, it describes the Pitbull breeds in this way: “original purpose: dog fighting, bullbaiting”, characterized by “powerful jaws”, “aggressive disposition towards other animals”, “devoted breed”, “stubborn, tenacious, fearless”. For those of you who don’t know what bull baiting is, bull baiting was a blood sport that lasted through the 1800’s in which they would tie a bull cow in a ring or pit (hence the name pit bull terrier) often spraying it with hot pepper to enrage it and then they would set the dogs on the bull. The dogs would jump at the bull until they latched on with their teeth and shook and ripped at it until they brought the bull down dead. They were encouraged to jump at the bull’s snout and rip it off. Yah, the descendants of those are the dogs in our neighborhoods. Pretty gruesome. And we wonder why they attack?
These traits certainly can be reinforced and maybe slightly lessened through the owner’s actions, but they are as inherent as the dog’s need for food. Right now, the current dog du jour for people who want to look tough, feel protected and who like a dog that can last in a fight is the pitbull. But with a dog that is inherently more vicious than say -a Sheltie- the owner must be more -NOT LESS- careful with it and held accountable for their dogs’ actions. It’s what you take on when you have ANY animal under your care. But pitbulls are so dangerous, they probably shouldn’t even be in a neighborhood -especially with little children. They should be placed only where their inherent traits are needed and carefully watched -like maybe as a night junk yard dog. And I would only say maybe even there.
Now, what may come as a surprise to you as I say all of this is that I had a pitbull of my own when I was just a kid. His name was Beauregard and he was the best, most loyal dog I ever had.
Beau loved and guarded me. He even slept with me. And we got him when I was just 3 years old
He loved and protected me beyond measure for pitbulls were also bred to be fiercely loyal. But the key word is Fierce. While he never, ever hurt me, he did try to take down the mailman, the neighborhood kids, and when my brother was born, Beau bit at Justin in the face (but my mom said he didn’t get an actual bite in). Nevertheless, we had never trained him to bite. We had never encouraged this behavior. We had trained him to heel and stay. We had him neutered. But the urge to “protect” was so ingrained, this could not be broken even when it was on our own new family member -a newborn baby! That was when my parents knew they had to get rid of Beau. They took him to a place about 5 miles away. And he RAN all the way back to our house. I remember that he had bloody paws when he arrived from running so far. That is how loyal they are to their owners. Finally they were able to bring him to someone where he would not be able to get out.
Then fast forward. My brother when he was about 16 brought home a pitbull as well. And so now to this day my mom has to take care of his dog, Buddy. Same story. A sweet dog. Neutered. Trained. And yet this dog has killed my mom’s cats. Bitten off the leg of another of her dogs in the various dog fights they get into over food or whatever and cannot be left alone with other animals for fear of the next snap.
So it is not out of exaggerated fear that I say Pitbulls are vicious animals. They just are. And it’s not their fault. It’s not even the fault of the owners except that they choose to own such a dog with an obviously known bad reputation and this keeps the market demand for them up. But it’s really the fault of the breeders who make such a breed that is not really needed in this day and age. A breed that while fiercely loyal can also turn fiercely vicious on a dime. We’ve seen (in the terrible dog fights between Buddy and my mom’s other dogs) how they just will not let go once they have a bite hold -no matter what. Some call this a locked jaw but really it’s just a pure powerful will of the dog to not let go of the victim (because in a fight with a bull or a bear, letting go could mean being thrown off with force).
And yes, this could be many other guard dog breeds, but because Pitbulls are the current trendy macho fighting dog, that’s what we see the most. And it’s why when we get attacked by one on the street we call the police. So if you choose to have a Pitbull (or any other vicious breed) there is a much greater likelihood of liability on your part. Usually homeowner insurance is higher if you own a vicious dog. Often places will not rent to someone with a dangerous dog breed. Your children or their friends could be seriously injured or killed. And your neighbors will resent its presence. Overall it is just not a good idea. So when someone says it’s not the breed, I have to wholeheartedly disagree.
As for Britton and this bite. We called the Greeley police. The Greeley animal control officer said that this particular pitbull will be put in quarantine for 10 days to check for rabies and we will be notified either way of the outcome. Britton is going to watch the wound and may go to the doctor depending on how it heals. The dog and owner’s info will also be put into the system in case of any other attacks. We decided at this point to not press charges. We just hope the owner learns from this and that it never happens again (and hopefully removes this dog from our neighborhood!). This could have been a devastating incident if one of the many children in our neighborhood had been in Britton’s place. So we are thankful it was not any worse.
Glad you reported the incident. It needs to be on record for many reasons. In some countries (like France) you cannot have a pit bull. In other countries if you own a pit bull you need to register it and show that you have additional insurance to cover it’s actions. We have nothing like this here in the US. Here in the NYC area, t’s not at all unusual to hear on the news of a pit bull killing or maiming a child. And in tough, drug ridden neighborhoods (Which I have lived near/in) the dog of choice is a pit bull. The ‘kids’ would chain a truck tire to the pit bull make it run around to build muscle. Yes, extreme, and not your neighborhood. It’s part of the be-tough-and threatening-US-attitude that makes life so enjoyable.
PR is terrible when it comes to dogs. I have never hated dogs before but am almost at that point. They are all running around loose, starving, chasing cars, chained to rooftops, doorways etc. You cannot walk your neighborhood and have to be careful on beaches. None of them are spayed or neutered so they fight and run around barking when they are in heat and knock over garbage cans because they are starving. Dogs are one of the reasons we’ll leave PR. Dogs kill cats and chickens and if there is any “training” it is not the good kind. Our dog Wally was a mastiff (historically used to bait bear) who was a gentle giant, lived a rough beginning, lived with us for a good 9 years and was a sweetheart. He had to be since he was 160 pounds!
Cassie – I do agree with you 100%, I volunteer at the SPCA on weekends and I refuse to go any where close to a pitbull. I am glad that your story ended with Britton being OK….and that the dog did not go after you.
Katrina ,you and Summer ,never gonna leave PR.Otherwise base of your biogs you guys might have move at least2 years ago.Il giveabout3 more years .If you guys don’t move by next presidential election in 2016 il see your ashes on Domes beach(i heard thats where the hippies Gringo surfers shows the love ones they last words of respect)i guess that s a Gringo tradition que bien sea
Wil, Katrina and Rosa,
Thanks for the comments. I, too, love dogs and animals, but just not ferocious ones and I wish we as a culture could shake this urge to always act so macho and mean -even when it comes to pets!
Reinaldo,
Speaking of…I don’t quite understand your comment, but it seems a little hostile/threatening. Please keep your comments civil, on topic and don’t attack people personally. Su punto de vista es importante para incluir, y lo agradezco, pero favor de seguir estas pautas arriba por lo menos. Gracias
Cassie ,Gringo surfers they use the beach as funeral spot ,they do it in Hawaii,in Rincón ,Indonesiathey cream it the body and throw the cenisas to the beach .Tell me what i wrote was inappropriate? just look on you tube on a surfer funeral.
“it’s really the fault of the breeders who make such a breed that is not really needed in this day and age. ” Without owners wanting pits, the breeders would go away. Our son Dave who runs a large animal shelter says pits are the pits, with the majority of calls, complaints, bites, etc. coming from this breed. They put down at least 90% of them because the ones coming in to the shelters are problems. He says these problems are not the animals fault. People want ’em and own ’em and don’t take responsibility for the breed characteristics.
Dave was featured on the Animal Planet show “Pit Boss” (Lt. Dave on the show) about pit rescue, as trying to help rescue abandoned animals and educate the public on the breed.
Annie,
I agree. It’s a two-way street. Supply and demand. And I mentioned that in the post. But I think a lot of potential owners/buyers choose a pit based on that macho factor without truly understanding what they are getting into (until too late!) The breeders/sellers are taking advantage of this market of dodo brains. They have puppy mills and exploit these animals and promote them as the tough, misunderstood dog. Puppy mills in general, but especially pit bull puppy mills, should be abolished. And breeding of pitbulls in general. They serve no real purpose and reek so much havoc. It is crazy. And a sad life for the dogs that are abandoned, beaten, isolated and/or euthanized just because of who they were bred to be (dangerous dogs). Do you have a link to the Pit Boss show with Dave? I’d love to see it! Hope you’re doing well! We miss you guys!
Hi Cassie and Britton,
The links to Dave’s two shows Pit Boss – Season 3, Episode 8: Shorty’s Confession – TV.com and Episode 9 can be found easily by googling:
Lt. Dave pit boss.
The two shows will come up. The link wouldn’t paste when I tried to put it here.
I think pits must be hard to get in California I almost never see them here, rarely in Utah.
We miss you two too! Glad to see you golfing. We live on two courses anytime you want to ski/snowboard/hike/golf (Utah) or beachit/swim/surf/kayak/tai chi/yoga/wine taste/golf (CA). 🙂 We have been in SB for several weeks, going back to Utah at end of month to pick our peaches (ha) and do some nice late summer golfing (Larry).
i beg too differ’ i have owned a red-nose pitbull for 9 years and a blue-nose for 2 years’ they r loyal happy and friendly! they love kids’ people and most animals….
its all about how they r raised.
Perhaps yours are…but I won’t ever feel completely safe around a pit. Never know what can trigger them -in my experience they are like time bombs and you don’t know what will set them off. The ones raised in my family were completely nice and friendly…until they weren’t. They were raised in a gentle, loving way.
And often that very quality of loyalty is what can do it. It is a double-edged sword when the dog misconstrues friendly play as aggression, a mailman as a tresspasser, or a new dog or family member as a threat to their status in the dog pack. Or any other number of scenarios.
Seriously, that was the smallest bite i have ever seen. You are seriously over reacting. I have 3 pitbulls. They all receive training 3-4 times a week and are the sweetest dogs in the world! My sister also has 2 pit bulls and 3 kids ranging from 2 years to 16 years old. The children and dogs get along perfectly fine. As long as you put alot of time, love, and money into this breed they are the perfect family dog. You have no right to judge this breed until you actually have one as your own. My dogs have never once bitten anyone. Nor has my sisters dogs.
Im surprised nobody have mention the killing of dogs in Korea and want to be sorry about the ugly pittbulls. By the way I’m afanof Pitt Boss but is because of the midgets they make the show funny and very good for entertainment beside that who cares about pit bulls.
Kassidy,
As I wrote in the post, my family HAS had and still does have a pitbull. I grew up with a very loyal and loving (to me) pitbull. But he also tried to chase away and bite anyone he thought was a threat (like the mailman, neighbors, etc).
I know from personal experience that these dogs are more aggressive than other dogs. They may not be all the time, and MAY not ever bite someone, but they were bred for the very purpose of being aggressive. A retriever may never retreive anything in its life, but it was bred to, and the moment it can, those traits will come out.
The owner of this dog that bit Britton also said that it “never had bit anyone” (before it bit Britton).
It does not matter the size of the bite; it is never appropriate for anyone’s “pet” to be attacking or biting someone.
How come you only ever hear about pitbull attacks? I agree with Both Kassidy and Cassie. I have two pitbulls. Both of which i adopted from an animal shelter. Both had been used for fighting by their previous owner. When I first got them they were very scared and nervous, but over the last year they have received a tremendous amount of training and hve become very reectful and loyal. I have a three year old daughter and I have to admit, I was a bit nervous to bring two dogs into my home, especially pitbulls. But they get along very well with everybody very well. Not all pitbulls or any dog for that matter is perfect, but I put my doubts aside and got myself two family dogs. They are only 3 and 4 so there is still time for them to cause damage.
I really do feel bad for theae dogs. There owners who raise tem are causing this damb drama! They should rot in the fires of hell!
How crazy does this sound?
“I had 2 tigers. They were the nicest tigers a person could want and they always treated me and my 6 children nicely.
The city wouldn’t let me keep them though. I can’t believe they treat this breed of cat like that. It is all in how you raise them.”
^^ That is how I see it. ^^
A pit-bull is a dangerous animal capable of killing a person (and they do!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_States.
In contrast, a chicken is not a dangerous animal that kills people.
This is incorrect! Just because you have been bitten by a dog you assumed was a Pit-bull does not mean all pit-type dogs are dangerous or DESERVE A VIOLENT REPULATION!!!! I am appalled by you.
I know plenty of pits who are loyal and friendly dogs. Maybe is was trained to attack. No, maybe it doesn’t like other dogs, but that by no means, means it is a violent or vicious dog.
You should be reported to animal control for PUNCHING THE POOR THING!!!
Hi Robin!
let me see if I get this right.
1> Just because a pit-bull attacked me and the breed is KNOWN for killing people/animals, doesn’t mean it deserves the reputation of a potentially vicious animal?
2> Maybe this dog was trained to attack, but that doesn’t make it a violent or vicious dog?
3> I should be reported for protecting myself and my wife?
Interesting perspective you have.
I have two pit bulls of my own named Tank and Mj. We introduced Mj to Tank last march (2017) and they became the best of friends. Although Over time Tank developed some annoyance toward Mj. When MJ was in my Dad’s and Step Moms room Tank would sleep with me because Tank was annoyed by her snoring. We did make a mistake though. On Christmas of 2017 the dogs got into a fight because MJ was sniffing my stocking and Tank got mad. We knew that this was a mistake of putting them together because pitbulls are very territorial but we felt bad because for some reason the pound wouldn’t take her (We got her from a family friend) he said he was going to put her out in the field and shoot her. We couldn’t bare to let that happen to her so we took her in (MJ Pit bull mixed with a Bulldog). We raised Tank from a little baby. My dad got him because he was going to be in dog fights and he didn’t want that to happen. Any ways, we had to separate them for a very long time and start from the beginning to having them separated, one in the (Finished) basement and on one the rest of the house. Then to just a gate and now they are together but we leave them separate when were gone. My pit bulls are the kindest dogs you’ll meet. When you talked about “Bull Biting” I did some research and it was found in 1939 that the American Pitbull Terrier was not related to the dog you are speaking of it’s the Molossus. I wished you would have thought to bring the Pit-bull somewhere safer rather than 5 miles away in some random place. Everybody’s experience with this dog is different so if your thinking of getting a Pit bull do some research before the dog get’s too attached.