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Dog Attack

Elana P

Well-Known Member
Dog Attack....

Just read this, and found it interesting.

When you look at the picture of the toddler with the dog, pay attention to the dog's face. Now anyone who knows dogs, can see that the dog is uncomfortable. Why didn't the mother see it?

Screenshot_20161120-160905.png Screenshot_20161120-160928.png Screenshot_20161120-160948.png
 

7121548

Well-Known Member
It saddens me when I read stories like this, knowing that the situation could've been avoided completely. Either the rescue shouldn't have adopted out the dog to a family with a toddler, or the family should've been more careful with letting the kid interact with the dog. And the article makes it seem like the dog was the one who was totally out of her mind. Very disappointing.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
It saddens me when I read stories like this, knowing that the situation could've been avoided completely. Either the rescue shouldn't have adopted out the dog to a family with a toddler, or the family should've been more careful with letting the kid interact with the dog. And the article makes it seem like the dog was the one who was totally out of her mind. Very disappointing.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
Sadly it's the dog that will end up paying the ultimate price....
Plus the child might be traumatized for life if he remembers the incident.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
the mother and the rescue should be charged with child endangering .... if folks never have to take responsibility for their actions , they'll continue to be ignorant .......... poor dog , poor kid ......... lucky the kid didn't get hurt seriously , or killed ..........
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
<sigh>
Just HOURS after bringing home a strange dog, and you allow it free reign in the house?? No leash on to correct & contain & guide the new dog's behavior?? No containment while otherwise occupied dealing with a toddler ("getting ready for bed")??

And this is why rescues normally have a no-toddler policy, because parents are easily distracted and dogs can become easily confused in new environments....

It also sounds to me like this particular rescue doesn't have good procedures in place for protecting their dogs - the first page said they had another dog attack a little girl within the last few weeks. :(
 

marke

Well-Known Member
American bulldogs as a breed are as aggressive defensive as any breed there is , it's absolutely a genetic trait in the breed ...... it's generally a dog that would need placed with an experienced person ..... I love my dogs like my kids , but you need to have the common sense to realize they're animals , they have no moral apprehensions about killing something or someone .......... folks like this women and that rescue are who is going to make harder for everyone to own dogs , and future bsl's ..... the folks that don't see it's her fault are just as ignorant ....... irresponsible , this is one of my pet peeves ...........
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
Agree with all the comments so far.

The thing that struck me, is that these folks didn't seem to have an ounce of common sense, let alone any dog experience, or knowledge of dog body language (head shake).
And the Rescue, whom I'm assuming has some such experience, apparently did nothing to educate this family about much of anything in regards to dog safety, child safety, and how to deal with this dog (who was probably stressed and nervous in a new environment) when first bringing her home.

What on earth were they thinking of ???

Who in their right mind, lets a 2 year old (or any age for that matter of fact) child, crawl face first right into the face of a strange dog that you just brought home? That child is very very lucky, that he was not grabbed by the head, face, or throat.

And they call the dog 'crazed'?

I would hold that Rescue responsible for not educating the family , and hold the parents responsible for not educating themselves, and not teaching their child how to interact with a dog (any dog) especially a strange dog.

In regards to the breed, I have met several American Bulldogs. They actually make wonderful family dogs. They are loyal, playful, goofy, tolerant of children, protective of their home and family, and if properly socialized, are friendly as well. BUT, these are large, powerful dogs, and who knows what the background of this particular dog has been: abandoned, surrendered, abused, neglected, used for dog fighting??? Who knows....

Just sad all the way around.
 

Iulicris88

Well-Known Member
I guess it's a good thing some people don't potty train their kids until they're like 12, or the kid could have been injured a lot worse.
Anyway, what were these women thinking? You have a small child and you go adopt a large breed dog, who's past and triggers you have no knowledge of, and then you let it run free all around your house. Sounds really smart, doesn't it? I'm sad that the dog didn't have the chance to find a home with a responsible owner, maybe she could have been saved.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
I would tell folks in rescuing an American bulldog , your in most cases not getting a usual mastiff temperament ……. Breeds do on average have innate temperamental traits , American bulldogs more so than dogs that have been bred for conformation … there is no mastiff breed that out-excels AB’s at protection work … the pedigrees are filled with dogs that bite , bred by folks looking for dogs that will bite and fight …… I know more than several people who have been bitten and or attacked by their American bulldogs ……. JDJ bred many human aggressive dogs in his line , as have countless other breeders , intentionally …JDJ bred dogs into his line that were returned to him for aggression issues …. If you come upon a really outgoing friendly AB , and they are out there , I guarantee you not too far back in the dogs pedigree are many defensive aggressive , distrustful dogs that did bite , many of which were barely handlable by their owners …….. for a rescue to put a breed like that in the hands of a family like this is just plain ignorant or worse stupid ….. like placing an adult fila with a family with limited dog experience and small kids , ridiculous , dangerous and irresponsible …... dogs like adult American bulldogs need to go to people with experience with dogs like that …….. you’d think a “rescue” would be run by informed dog folks , but then from what i've seen many informed dog folks aren't as informed as they think …….
 

QY10

Well-Known Member
In the photo go the child and dog together, the dog looks very uncomfortable. Ears back, head turning away and some tension in the face. The dog is giving clear body language that it's uncomfortable and trying to avoid having to defend itself from perceived conflict. If that's all present in one photograph, I can only imagine how many other signals the dog was giving that it was not comfortable with the child.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
In the photo go the child and dog together, the dog looks very uncomfortable. Ears back, head turning away and some tension in the face. The dog is giving clear body language that it's uncomfortable and trying to avoid having to defend itself from perceived conflict. If that's all present in one photograph, I can only imagine how many other signals the dog was giving that it was not comfortable with the child.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
That's exactly what I was saying in my posts further up.
People should really take a class in Canine Body Language, before they are allowed to adopt dogs from a rescue.

It's all there, as clear as can be, yet whomever was snapping these photos, was completely oblivious to the dog's signals.
 

Wilsy

Well-Known Member
That poor dog looks so uncomfortable with the toddler on its bed and in its face but its the dog that ended up paying the price. The mum is getting praised for rescuing her son from a situation that should never have even happened and could have probably been avoided, while the dog is described as a mutt, crazed and snarling. People need to take more responsibility for their own actions, why get a rescue dog if you have a toddler (as you may not know it's full background and any abuse it might have suffered), why let your child get that close to an unfamiliar dog that is in unfamiliar surroundings and why allow the dog to be loose in the house 'just hours' after bringing it home.

On a side note, the Ayrshire Ark which the rescue is linked to in the story has also been in the news recently. It was investigated by the SSPCA and will hopefully be closed down because of the substandard facilities and treatment of animals. The news report I saw stated that when the SSPCA arrived at the Ayrshire Ark there was an emaciated dog found dead on the floor, the other dogs were underweight and were walking about in their own feaces.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
That poor dog looks so uncomfortable with the toddler on its bed and in its face but its the dog that ended up paying the price. The mum is getting praised for rescuing her son from a situation that should never have even happened and could have probably been avoided, while the dog is described as a mutt, crazed and snarling. People need to take more responsibility for their own actions, why get a rescue dog if you have a toddler (as you may not know it's full background and any abuse it might have suffered), why let your child get that close to an unfamiliar dog that is in unfamiliar surroundings and why allow the dog to be loose in the house 'just hours' after bringing it home.

On a side note, the Ayrshire Ark which the rescue is linked to in the story has also been in the news recently. It was investigated by the SSPCA and will hopefully be closed down because of the substandard facilities and treatment of animals. The news report I saw stated that when the SSPCA arrived at the Ayrshire Ark there was an emaciated dog found dead on the floor, the other dogs were underweight and were walking about in their own feaces.
 

Elana P

Well-Known Member
Lovely! and these are the people who are supposed to be rescuing these dogs.....

It just makes my hackles stand on end.
 

Wilsy

Well-Known Member