why do they bite?

[Maxy24]

well I'm watching the news and they have a story about a APBT that bit a kid while he and the owner were walking him home after he ran away. The pitty bit the boy and a man who was getting him off by kicking (don't blame him). Then my brother says see pit bulls are evil (as I always tell my family they are good) of course I defend them, but the truth is I don't know why you always hear about Pit bulls attacking people and never any other breeds. At first I though maybe he was not even a pit but was a mix but he was clearly a APBT or Amstaff. So why do they bite? I know it is irresponsible owners and all that but I know all the other breeds have irresponsible owners too but why don't you hear about them nearly as much as with pits. It could be because a pit bull has so many breeds in the genre and because a lot of people who thenk pits are prone to bite get them because they actually want an aggressive dog and train them to be so, but why do you think they are always in the news and other breeds are not? Please don't turn this in to an argument or attack every body who apposes your view post, that was not my intension, but to be able to defend the breed after they bite I need to know why they always do it and other breeds don't.

[SummerRiot]

I believe they bite because they were never trained properly. Some bite out of fear, others bite out of play(they can play rough).. etc etc..

As a young puppy, they weren't socialized properly i'm sure..

Riot used to bite people when he was little.. it was out of fear. Hes since grown out of that stage because I worked VERY hard with him. He'll now give strangers kisses(something he'd never attempt as a puppy).

Its just irresponsible owners that have the "tough" looking dogs.. They more then likely want a dog that is aggresive to make up for their position in society.

[DryCreek]

The APBT has been plagued with negative publicity a lot recently. There are at least 25 other purebred dogs that can be misidentified as an APBT as well as many crosses/mixes that have similar characteristics. Few people are truly able to correctly identify this breed. In the midst of an attack, in a panic situation, if they see a dog with short hair, muscles, and a boxy head they think automatically "Pit Bull". Not always true but with the negativity surrounding the breed I can understand their reaction.

I am in no way saying that there are no attacks done by the APBT, just pointing out that "Pit Bull" is such a generic term that it can include many different breeds and crosses of dog.

There are other dogs that attack and if you google news with dog bite or dog attack in your search, you will find more than just the "Pit Bull" It's just that when people hear "Pit Bull" they want to read what happened. They actually seem to enjoy hearing bad things about these animals. It a name that sells and interests people whether it's positive or negative.

Now, in regards to the APBT's that do bite. When it comes to raising these dogs, it should be top priority to socialize well. They can be protective of their owners and territory and if not taught that all humans are acceptable, you have a possibly dangerous situation. If a dog is kept isolated from others, it learns to fear other humans as possible threats. If owners of these dogs don't raise them properly, as with any breed, they become a risk. It's just unfortunate that they are larger than a shih tzu so can cause more damage when they do bite. Side note, all those reports you read about PSI levels for dog bites are out of wack. All dogs fall within the same range of power, about 230 PSI. The APBT usually holds and shakes, while a lot of other breeds will bite, let go, bite, let go, etc. Each type of bite causes different kinds of damage.

Now, we all realize that bad owners who raise them to be aggressive need to be removed from the picture. That's a given. A lot of the attacks that you hear of are free roaming unaltered animals. Bad situation on all counts.

There is also the BYB's that are in it for the money, so temperament testing their dogs doesn't even come into the picture. This creates an instability in the breed that has proven to be dangerous to people and to the breed itself. It never used to be this way, they were known as nanny dogs and could be trusted implicitly. It's a sad state of affairs.

All in all, these dog are not for everyone. Unless you have a lot of experience with raising smart, strong willed dogs, and train diligently, you may be setting up our breed for extinction.

When the APBT became the new fad breed to own, it was only a matter of time until problems arose. It happened with GSD's, Rott's, Dobie's and I'm sure, other breeds as well. To me, proper education about the breed instead of emotional reactions to news stories will, in the end, save these fine animals from extinction. At least, I'm hoping it will. I have never owned a better breed of animal. If bred and raised properly, they make fantastic animals that I take great pride in owning. I love my dogs above and beyond all the bad press they get, and as many others who own them will say, there is no other breed that I will love as much.

[casablanca1]

In order of importance from least to most:

1) There are a lot of them, so the odds of them biting are greater than the odds of a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog biting.

2) They attract trash owners like any other macho breed, and when you put trash with a dog, you get a biting dog

3) They also attract non-trashy but inexperienced people who think that everything bad said about them is hype, and that it's bigotry to say they're any different than a Golden Retriever.

3) When they do bite, it's catastrophic. Their size, strength and tendency to clamp down cause extreme damage in a short time, and that's newsworthy.

[daaqa]

back when i had my rottie, that's all i ever heard about - dog attack stories involving rotts. it was annoying. really annoying. my dog had to go above and beyond the call of any dog to prove her worth to the world.
but yeah, it's totally about fads. i remember when cockers where the #1 biter in the states.

[Miakoda]

3) When they do bite, it's catastrophic. Their size, strength and tendency to clamp down cause extreme damage in a short time, and that's newsworthy

They don't have superhuman jaws and/or strength or anything like this comment is leading people to believe. They bite no harder than any of your other large dog or medium to large dogs. They are not the strongest breed out there.

And what is newsworthy? It wasn't newsworthy when a 5 year old child by me ended up in the ICU for a week with horribly disfiguring bites to his upper torso & face & neck? Obviously it wasn't, because a lab did it & no one ever heard a peep from the news media.

And DryCreek, good post.

[adoptashelterpettoday]

In order of importance from least to most:


3) They also attract non-trashy but inexperienced people who think that everything bad said about them is hype, and that it's bigotry to say they're any different than a Golden Retriever.



To be honest I dont see a difference between them and a golden retriever, sure they both are completly different dogs, but I dont see why they would be more likely to bite? But I dont have a lot of experience with them. I had a foster pit for 4 months, and that is the only pit I have ever *owned*. I do know they are stronger, but they are just as easy to train as say a golden retriever (unlike many other breeds).

I guess you have to be extra careful to make sure that they are well sociailized due to their bad rap but I dont think there is anything "wrong with them" that would cause human aggression except crappy owners.

I am the first to admit I am inexperienced but my foster's new "parents" seem very happy with him and think he is terrific. I read a lot on PBRC as well. But I do think a lot of it is "hype". Yes they have bitten & killed people, but I can list off lots of dog bites (some very serious) made by other dogs in my area that didnt "make the papers". One case a police dog viciously attacked it's handler for no apperant reason but that didnt make the paper-girl would have died had someone not been standing there. I do know they are different then golden retrievers but so are chis, dalmatians, german shepherds, and any other breed. No breed is the same.

Maybe I took your comment wrong?

[adoptashelterpettoday]

back when i had my rottie, that's all i ever heard about - dog attack stories involving rotts. it was annoying. really annoying. my dog had to go above and beyond the call of any dog to prove her worth to the world.
but yeah, it's totally about fads. i remember when cockers where the #1 biter in the states.

I am involved in rescue and the lady who runs the rescue I volunteer with will NOT EVER pull another cocker spaniel because she said they are "little bitters". I have met a few sweet cocker spaniels who wouldnt bite though.

[whatszmatter]

That and the news can't get the breed of a dog right if they tried. Anyone notice that the black lab they kept parading around as a black lab had erect ears? I think I saw ONE new source all it a lab mix, the rest called it a black lab, which anyone that knows labs can see its not. It happens more times than people will admit I think.

I know Last year by us they had a case where a "pit" attacked a daschund. As reported on the news. They showed a picture of the dog and it was some sort of shitzu mix or someting, anyone with a brain could see it wasn't a dachsund, not even close.

Then they showed the evil Pit in the shelter awaiting testing for about 2 seconds, vaguely looked like a pit bull, maybe had some it in it somewhere along the line, maybe, but since the dog wasn't looking too aggressive the news channel promptly threw up a graphic of a viscous looking dog totally unrelated to the case.

I find that recently, any news story that I'm even remotely involved in has more descrpencies with what I've witnessed or been a part of than facts, makes me really skeptic of what they tell us every night on the news.

[daaqa]

my family owned a few cockers growing up. actually my first two dogs [that were just mine] were cockers.

only one of all the cockers we had was a problem, and she just couldn't stand small children, even as a puppy. she wasn't a biter, but very nervous and unhappy. she was rehomed with an elderly couple.

[elegy]

To be honest I dont see a difference between them and a golden retriever, sure they both are completly different dogs, but I dont see why they would be more likely to bite?

they are EXTREMELY different than a golden retriever. it's no excuse for human biting, though, and pit bulls should NEVER show human aggression. ever. it is utterly unacceptable, period.

but people who want to own this breed need to understand that they tend to be very drivey, very energetic, very prey-driven, dog-aggressive, and determined. golden retreivers are not, generally, any of those things. they're a much easier breed.

[bubbatd]

Adopt , I understand your point , but I could never compare any Pittie to a Golden . Completely different genes ....and Goldens are known for their soft mouth .

[daaqa]

the mistaken belief that all breeds are the same [and just look different] is what gets far too many dogs/people in trouble! not even all dogs of the same breed are alike!

[DryCreek]

Here are some stories of other breeds that have bitten. I'm not asking you to read them all, I just want to show the OP that it's not just the "Pit Bull" that makes the news.

a cross between a corgi and a Jack Russell
http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=dog-bit-oap-on-ankle-&method=full&objectid=18658708&siteid=50003-name_page.html

rottweilers
http://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk/news/bmnewsbridgwater/display.var.1232224.0.dangerous_dogs_warning.php

two boxers
http://icsurreyonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200surreyheadlines/tm_headline=owner-in-court-after-dog--bit-woman-s-breast-&method=full&objectid=18688352&siteid=50101-name_page.html

chow chow
http://www.altoonamirror.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=9662

police dog bites deputy
http://community.emeraldcoast.com/fortwalton/news/article.showarticle.db.php?a=7583

no breed mentioned
http://www.dowagiacnews.com/articles/2007/02/28/news/dnnews4.txt

Police dog bites good samaritan
http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/News/290448.html

mixed-breed hound
http://www1.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_news/article/0,2545,TCP_16736_5379536,00.html

and also, an update on a "Pit Bull attack" Aparently the dog who bit the boys, was being beaten by them.....
http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/03/02/news/news/news01.txt

All dogs can bite, and we will never know exactly why in some cases as people tend to lie to protect themselves from judgement. That is why it must be taken on a dog to dog basis, not by the breed.

[casablanca1]

They don't have superhuman jaws and/or strength or anything like this comment is leading people to believe. They bite no harder than any of your other large dog or medium to large dogs. They are not the strongest breed out there.

I said the dogs are strong and big. They are strong and big. I didn't say they had superjaws or were the strongest breed in the world. Relax.

ed. after seeing Gonzo's post - oh, lord, here we go again.

[adoptashelterpettoday]

they are EXTREMELY different than a golden retriever. it's no excuse for human biting, though, and pit bulls should NEVER show human aggression. ever. it is utterly unacceptable, period.

but people who want to own this breed need to understand that they tend to be very drivey, very energetic, very prey-driven, dog-aggressive, and determined. golden retreivers are not, generally, any of those things. they're a much easier breed.

You are right. Same could be said for Dalmatians (what I own, so that is what I come back to). They are very different then golden retrievers, and during the 101 Dal craze, the same thing happened to them. They were bought by people who thought ""this dog is going to be just like Pongo in the movie". Then shock, they arent.

I would hope someone getting a dog, especially a responsible person, would do their homework first no matter what breeds they are looking into. No dog breed is for everyone. Anyone with half a brain should know how active, prey driven they are and they should be aware of the dog aggression as well. You are right, if people dont know that about them they are not doing anything good for the breed.

I took Cass's comment the wrong way. I see what she meant now. She just meant they had different personalities. Sorry!


ETA-I am sure there have been many people who have been bitten/mauled by a golden retriever. People who chain their GRs up and people who just dont pay attention to them. Not to mention that there are so many, they have to be high on the bite list. No I wouldnt compare the personality of a pit bull to the personality of a GR. I also wouldnt compare the personality of a Chi to a Cocker Spaniel either. But I dont think either is more likely to bite. I think it depends on the owners and how they are raised/trained. Not to mention the kind of people who want each of them. A lot of people want pits because they "look bad", most people want GR usually as family pets. It's sad that so many idiots are ruining the breed.

I actually find pits (or the one I had) more loyal than any dog I have met. Jet, my foster boy, you could see in his eyes would have laid down his life for me. He would have done anything to make me happy. Words cant express what a loyal and devoted dog he was or how much he loved me. He ended up going to a family in MA. He has a 7 year old boy who is his new best friend (and an 11 month old human sister) and two "parents" who absolutly adore him. Pits are meant to be family dogs.

[ravennr]

I said the dogs are strong and big. They are strong and big. I didn't say they had superjaws or were the strongest breed in the world. Relax.

ed. after seeing Gonzo's post - oh, lord, here we go again.

But you did say that's why they are newsworthy.


Back when Dobermans were the big deal, they were what you saw in the news. Every large dog breed that has had problems with people breeding for aggression has played it's part in the limelight. That is one reason why Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds, etc, are sometimes blacklisted in BSL areas.

Like was said before (by DryCreek) there are a ton of breeds that resemble an APBT in build, but many are much thicker, much taller, much more kowely, etc. And it doesn't help that so many people still feel the need to breed these dogs and make as much off of them as they can. They are breeding 90-200 pound "Pit Bull Terriers" and making thousands off of every pup. And the problem is that many do not temperament test, and the general public is starting to believe that this is how these dogs should look.
And if you happen to have an APBT that is 36 pounds or around the lower end of the standard, nobody believes it's an APBT, or they believe it's gamebred, and assume it will bite too.

[Red_ACD_for_me]

well I'm watching the news and they have a story about a APBT that bit a kid while he and the owner were walking him home after he ran away. The pitty bit the boy and a man who was getting him off by kicking (don't blame him). Then my brother says see pit bulls are evil (as I always tell my family they are good) of course I defend them, but the truth is I don't know why you always hear about Pit bulls attacking people and never any other breeds. At first I though maybe he was not even a pit but was a mix but he was clearly a APBT or Amstaff. So why do they bite? I know it is irresponsible owners and all that but I know all the other breeds have irresponsible owners too but why don't you hear about them nearly as much as with pits. It could be because a pit bull has so many breeds in the genre and because a lot of people who thenk pits are prone to bite get them because they actually want an aggressive dog and train them to be so, but why do you think they are always in the news and other breeds are not? Please don't turn this in to an argument or attack every body who apposes your view post, that was not my intension, but to be able to defend the breed after they bite I need to know why they always do it and other breeds don't.
Maxy, are you talking about the attack that happened in Taunton Mass.? I'm pretty sure you are because of where you live *wink*. I had heard that the 10 and 12 year old boys were wrestling with the dog when the dog started biting because the boys were getting to rough and physical with him.
Alls I have to say to this incident is where is the parents? HERES some of the story
http://www.wbz.com/pages/270397.php?contentType=4&contentId=352323

[ravennr]

Well, I've had many stitches from wrestling with my animals at a time too.
I wish I had a way to know exactly what happened. If they were in fact wrestling with a dog (as many many little boys do) then I hope they understand that the breed has nothing to do with it.http://www.smileyvillage.com/smilies/indifferent0028.gif

[DryCreek]

Here is what I found about that incident.



Play turns into terror



By Maria Papadopoulos, Enterprise staff writer

TAUNTON — Authorities are investigating an attack by a pit bull on a 10-year-old boy and a 65-year-old man that witnesses say resulted from the boy and his friend hitting the dog.

“It's definitely under investigation,” Sgt. Matthew McCaffrey said Thursday.

The female brown pit bull cried as it remained quarantined at the Taunton Animal Shelter Thursday following the 3:30 p.m. attack on Indian Meadow Drive.

Steven Sousa, 10, of Taunton, said he was strolling alongside his friend, Aaron Jacinto, 12, of Taunton, who was walking the dog, when it turned on him.

“We were up on the hill trying to take it back to (Aaron's) house and it just started attacking me,” said Sousa, who received 14 stitches in his left forearm and was treated and released from Morton Hospital Thursday. “He just grabbed my arm and took me down.”

Nearby was Louis D'Addario, 65, of Indian Meadow Drive, who heard Sousa call for help.

The dog had Sousa by the pants, and D'Addario initally thought the boys were playing with the dog.

“You know how kids play,” he said. “Then the dog grabbed him by the leg, so I went over and he let go of the leg and he grabbed the kid by the arm.”

“I kicked the dog twice and the dog looked at me like I was crazy, and it came after me,” D'Addario, a business manager, said as he pointed to a bandage on his right forearm that covered a bite wound. He did not require stitches, he said.

Neighbors said the two boys had been hitting the dog before the attack.

“We saw them hitting it with the leash and, like, beating the dog, hard,” said Joey Inacio, 15, who was walking home at the time. “They were hitting (the dog). It was just sitting there. It, like, put its head down a couple of times.”

At the time, Inacio said he thought of calling animal control officials to report what he had seen.

But the boys “stopped and started playing with” the dog, so he did not call authorities, he said.

“They were hitting the dog with the leash. It just kind of got to the dog and it snapped,” said John Keyes, 15, of Taunton, who saw the incident from his front porch two houses over.

The name of the dog's owner could not be learned Thursday. Witnesses and police, who responded to the scene, said the Jacinto family was looking after the dog for a friend.

The Jacinto family could not be reached for comment Thursday.

As various media outlets descended on the neighborhood, neighbors said the dog would get loose at times, but it did not appear vicious.

Dominique Osswald said she patted the dog “a couple of times” while walking around the block.

“It's unbelievable,” Osswald, 13, said of the attack.

“I saw (the dog) once just tied up in the back yard, or on a chain,” said Laura Keyes, 45.

Both Sousa and his mother, Suzanne Fagundes of Taunton, denied that he hit the dog.

Fagundes said she was inside her home when her son ran in “screaming” that he had been bitten by a dog, and she rushed him to the hospital.

“It was an unfortunate incident,” Fagundes said. “We know these dogs that are in the neighborhood, they're all friendly and we know them.”

Others were concerned about the fate of the dog.

“I don't think the dog should get punished for it,” Inacio said. “I think the dog should get taken away and put somewhere in proper care.”

Each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites, and half of the victims are children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about a dozen die.

Thursday's incident was the latest dog attack in the region.

Last May, a Brockton man was hospitalized for six days with more than 30 dog bites after a neighbor's pit bull mauled him. Also that month, a 10-year-old Brockton boy suffered large bites on both lower legs after he was attacked by two Rottweilers while on his way to school.

McCaffrey said anyone who abuses an animal would face a criminal charge.

“I can't tell you what the dog's fate is going to be,” McCaffrey said.

[Bahamutt99]

All dogs bite. It just depends on the circumstances.

ETA: I read some of the other posts, and wanted to add something. I've been around the breed since my single digits. I've taken bites from APBT, a Dogo, a Rottweiler. I've never seen a dog clamp down with the intent to do damage. All of the dog-to-human bites I've seen were a single bite just like any other breed would do. A dog biting down on a human and engaging in an extended attack is rare.

[Maxy24]

“We saw them hitting it with the leash and, like, beating the dog, hard,” said Joey Inacio, 15, who was walking home at the time. “They were hitting (the dog). It was just sitting there. It, like, put its head down a couple of times.”

I love how the news "fails" to mention that :rolleyes: No wonder the dog bit him, If I were a dog so would I. Now they are going to PTS the dog for defending herself.

Sorry I have not replied, I've been at school. This reminds me of what I'm learning in English class. We are learning about biased and how the media puts facts in the news but chooses which to include and how to phrase it (the teacher used the example of the famous car race where I think the Russians won, they said the USA came in second to last, USA said they came in second, They left out the fact that there were only three cars in the race) So the dog bit while being brought home by his owners but the news fails to mention they were beating him. It makes sense (in a cruel way) since they said the dog had just ran away and they had caught her so they probably were "teaching" her not to run away again, like my dad used to do to Max (until I made him stop, and guess what the one time he ran away after I made dad stop was the last time he tried, plus I taught him the come and stay command) some people need beatings and to have animal ownership right taken away.

I guess I just mostly feel that there is never any dog attacks in the news (TV news I'm referring to) other than "Pit Bulls" and wanted to know whether the news chose to ignore those or they were not happening as much. And if they were not as frequent as pit attacks then why is it so. Thanks for all your replies, keep them coming!

[Boemy]

In other threads people have mentioned how there are . . . I think they called them "faux labradors" or "mock labradors" . . . They are purebred, but have been bred poorly by puppy mills or BYBs and do not have the proper labrador temperament. They're often hyperactive and snappish. They're often dog aggressive, human aggressive, or both, even when properly raised (no abuse, socialized, etc). They look like labs, but their temperament is completely wrong for a lab.

I think this is happening with pit bulls too. The people who originally created the breed, the dog fighters, had an excellent reason to discourage human aggression . . . They had to get excited, fighting dogs in and out of the ring without getting mauled. "Man-eaters die," etc. They selectively bred them to be extremely friendly towards people.

Today pit bulls are popular among people who idolize the "macho" ideal. Do you think those people are going to say, "Oh no, my dog is aggressive towards humans! I'd better not breed him because that's not what a pit bull should do!"? Ha ha, no way! They'll probably be proud of the dog and brag about how "badass" it is. Then they'll breed it and sell the puppies to other wannabe ganstas. The majority of pit bull breeders are BYBs, not reputable breeders. They are no longer breeding to discourage human aggressiveness and, I suspect, are purposely breeding FOR human aggressiveness in many cases.

Just because pit bulls were originally bred to be non-aggressive towards human does not mean their temperament is set in stone . . . I think BYBs are actively screwing up this breed.

[Miakoda]

Good posts Maxy & Boemy.

Maxy, you are absolutely right. The media is not actually there to put the facts on the table so to speak. They are there to make headlines, to gain viewers and/or readers, & to bring their bosses home a nice profit. It's all about money, not the truth.

And Boemy, you are exactly right. Back yard breeders have ruined these dogs. They either a) breed for a crappy temperament all in the name of "protection" or b) they are too busy breeding for color & head size that temperament is completely overlooked in the efforts to produce the biggest & baddest dog in the 'hood. Not to mention the fact that these dogs are so grossly out of standard that they are now confused with many many many different breeds & no one really knows what the dog's breed truly is.

I have sympathy for any & all innocent dog bite victim. No one deserves to have to go through the physical & emotional trauma that a dog attack brings (again I'm speaking of people who did nothing to warrant a bite). But what hurts me the most is that victims of other breed & mixed breed attacks don't get the attention their situation deserves thus these dogs get to slide. There is no demand to ban these other breeds & there even isn't a public backlash demanding enforcement of leash laws. These victims are literally hushed & sent away to mend themselves somewhere else.

I'm all for justice in terms of dog attacks. Regardless of breed. Bust most of all, I'm all for pushing the government to step up & take a stand against people who refuse to abide by leash laws whether it be their dog or cat. I'm all for these people having their pets confiscated & not given back & for these people to pay a very hefty fine. I'm all for owners of dogs that fatally attacked someone to be accountable in the court of law & be forced to do jail time. I'm all for it. But what I'm not for is for someone to claim they are "frightened" to go get their mail because I live a mile away & own APBTs thus giving the government to come in, take my dogs, & kill them.

[DryCreek]

Maxy, are you talking about the attack that happened in Taunton Mass.? I'm pretty sure you are because of where you live *wink*. I had heard that the 10 and 12 year old boys were wrestling with the dog when the dog started biting because the boys were getting to rough and physical with him.
Alls I have to say to this incident is where is the parents? HERES some of the story
http://www.wbz.com/pages/270397.php?contentType=4&contentId=352323

Just found an update on that story.....

http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/03/08/news/news/news03.txt

Dog officer spares life of 'provoked' pit bull



By Donna Kulpa, Enterprise correspondent

TAUNTON — Angel, the small brown-haired pit bull that garnered fame by attacking two city residents after witnesses said she was provoked, is going to live.

Witnesses have come forward and said the 35-pound pit bull was beaten before it attacked a 10-year-old boy and a 65-year-old man last week, Animal Control Officer Manny Massa said Wednesday.

“I'm not going to euthanize the dog as three or four people whose names are being withheld at this point have stepped forward willing to sign statements that the dog was beaten,” Massa said.

The dog will be quarantined through Sunday at the Taunton Animal Shelter after biting Steven Sousa, 10, and Louis D'Addario, 65, on Indian Meadow Drive last Thursday.

Sousa said he was strolling alongside his friend, Aaron Jacinto, 12, of Taunton, who was walking the dog, when it turned on him.

Sousa received 14 stitches in his left forearm.

Neighbors told The Enterprise the two boys had been hitting the dog before the attack.

“We saw them hitting it with the leash and, like, beating the dog, hard,” said Joey Inacio, 15, who was walking home at the time last week. “They were hitting (the dog). It was just sitting there. It, like, put its head down a couple of times.”

D'Addario told The Enterprise he responded during the attack to help Sousa.

“I kicked the dog twice, and the dog looked at me like I was crazy, and it came after me,” D'Addario said last week.

He received a bite wound on his right forearm, but did not require stitches.

Both Sousa and his mother, Suzanne Fagundes of Taunton, denied that he hit the dog.

Massa recently obtained the statements by witnesses.

“We've had dogs that have mauled people (that have) been put down, but you have to go with all the facts and we didn't have all the facts” until now, said Massa.

Massa said charges are not being brought against anyone at this point.

When the attack happened, Marybeth and Joseph Jacinto of Taunton were looking after the dog for a friend, police said.

The dog's owner is Tiffany Galavotti of New Bedford, police said.

Massa said that hopefully the dog will go home to Galavotti once he obtains paperwork from her that states her landlord will allow her to have the dog and clearance from the New Bedford animal control officer.

Otherwise, “I'll have the owner sign off on the dog, and we will keep the dog here until we find her a home,” said Massa.

[ravennr]

Awesome news DryCreek, but I don't think her chances on finding a home are very good. It'd be nice if the ACO that spared her life would adopt her, though.

[Maxy24]

Thank, I'm glad to here she will be spared, I do hope she finds a home. She looks like a sweet dog, she is brindle. They showed her on the news sitting in the cage, If I were to get a pit bull it would look just like her.

[princess_poppy]

They do, the media just get a better reaction from "OMG pit bull attack". With all this attention they are bound to only report things about breeds which are seen as bad. This also isn't helped by the bad breeders who go out and buy pit bulls to look 'tough'.

Pit bulls before were excellent with humans, they had to be as they would be picked up by different humans the whole time during the fight.

[ravennr]

Isn't it a bit ironic that these attacks only seemed to become a huge issue after dog fighting was outlawed? I don't condone the sport at all, but I respect the breed's history; I do just find it sad that we can view those things as bad, using common sense, but so many breeders (those who do not breed for fighting, not the ones who do) still breed these dogs with horrible temperaments and no testing. :(

It just makes absolutely no sense to me.

[DryCreek]

Historically speaking....

Breeders of fighting dogs had a vested interest in not allowing human aggressive dogs to be bred for obvious reasons. Who would want a dog to jump over the other dog only to attack the guy in the other corner?

Nowadays....

A lot of breeders are only in it for the money and they could care less how the dog acts as long as they get their cash. As with many other breeds, BYB's have destroyed the stability that these dogs were bred for originally.

There are still good breeders out there that work their dogs (weight pulling, agility etc...) and only allow dogs with excellent temperaments, health and conformation to be bred.

Unfortunately, as long as you can buy pups for 50 bucks out of the paper or the back of a van the trend of unstable animals will probably continue.:mad:

[pitbulliest]

The APBT has been plagued with negative publicity a lot recently. There are at least 25 other purebred dogs that can be misidentified as an APBT as well as many crosses/mixes that have similar characteristics. Few people are truly able to correctly identify this breed. In the midst of an attack, in a panic situation, if they see a dog with short hair, muscles, and a boxy head they think automatically "Pit Bull". Not always true but with the negativity surrounding the breed I can understand their reaction.

I am in no way saying that there are no attacks done by the APBT, just pointing out that "Pit Bull" is such a generic term that it can include many different breeds and crosses of dog.

There are other dogs that attack and if you google news with dog bite or dog attack in your search, you will find more than just the "Pit Bull" It's just that when people hear "Pit Bull" they want to read what happened. They actually seem to enjoy hearing bad things about these animals. It a name that sells and interests people whether it's positive or negative.

Now, in regards to the APBT's that do bite. When it comes to raising these dogs, it should be top priority to socialize well. They can be protective of their owners and territory and if not taught that all humans are acceptable, you have a possibly dangerous situation. If a dog is kept isolated from others, it learns to fear other humans as possible threats. If owners of these dogs don't raise them properly, as with any breed, they become a risk. It's just unfortunate that they are larger than a shih tzu so can cause more damage when they do bite. Side note, all those reports you read about PSI levels for dog bites are out of wack. All dogs fall within the same range of power, about 230 PSI. The APBT usually holds and shakes, while a lot of other breeds will bite, let go, bite, let go, etc. Each type of bite causes different kinds of damage.

Now, we all realize that bad owners who raise them to be aggressive need to be removed from the picture. That's a given. A lot of the attacks that you hear of are free roaming unaltered animals. Bad situation on all counts.

There is also the BYB's that are in it for the money, so temperament testing their dogs doesn't even come into the picture. This creates an instability in the breed that has proven to be dangerous to people and to the breed itself. It never used to be this way, they were known as nanny dogs and could be trusted implicitly. It's a sad state of affairs.

All in all, these dog are not for everyone. Unless you have a lot of experience with raising smart, strong willed dogs, and train diligently, you may be setting up our breed for extinction.

When the APBT became the new fad breed to own, it was only a matter of time until problems arose. It happened with GSD's, Rott's, Dobie's and I'm sure, other breeds as well. To me, proper education about the breed instead of emotional reactions to news stories will, in the end, save these fine animals from extinction. At least, I'm hoping it will. I have never owned a better breed of animal. If bred and raised properly, they make fantastic animals that I take great pride in owning. I love my dogs above and beyond all the bad press they get, and as many others who own them will say, there is no other breed that I will love as much.

"And all that jazz!"

Excellent post..you said it perfectly :)

[mrose_s]

well I'm watching the news and they have a story about a APBT that bit a kid while he and the owner were walking him home after he ran away. The pitty bit the boy and a man who was getting him off by kicking (don't blame him). Then my brother says see pit bulls are evil (as I always tell my family they are good) of course I defend them, but the truth is I don't know why you always hear about Pit bulls attacking people and never any other breeds. At first I though maybe he was not even a pit but was a mix but he was clearly a APBT or Amstaff. So why do they bite? I know it is irresponsible owners and all that but I know all the other breeds have irresponsible owners too but why don't you hear about them nearly as much as with pits. It could be because a pit bull has so many breeds in the genre and because a lot of people who thenk pits are prone to bite get them because they actually want an aggressive dog and train them to be so, but why do you think they are always in the news and other breeds are not? Please don't turn this in to an argument or attack every body who apposes your view post, that was not my intension, but to be able to defend the breed after they bite I need to know why they always do it and other breeds don't.

a lot of the irresponsible owners pick "dangerous" breeds. and treat them badly in order too look tough. plus, you would have heard about othe rbreeds attacking people, only they dont specify the breed. they just say "dog"

"dog mauls child" it might have been a beagle or a chi or a cocker. so saying "dog" is more sensationalist'
but when a pit is involved, its the perfect chance to envoke more prejudice against the breed.
people are more lilely to read "dog bites child" then "fed up-annoyed lab nips kid"
and they are more likley to read "pitbull takes life" because of allt he background information allready