Dear Chatty,
I owned a chow-chow in the seventies. He looked like a darling black teddy bear. I put him through obedience school. He was very good at it. Some judges were afraid to handle him. Chin Lee knew it, but stood for it. I was always very careful with him and respected his temprament. He was loving with me, but took nothing from no one else, even my children. I had him on a chain one day (briefly) and the neighbor boy, about 12, came and beat him with a stick. I ran the boy off, but he came back later. Chin stood at the back of his chain with about three foot of it laying down on the ground. He stood there waiting and I started running. The boy got there first and Chin jumped him with the extra chain to use. I yanked him off the kid with the chain. The boy was only frightened, had in fact turned his back instinctively when the dog jumped.
I knew then the dog did not belong in a home, no matter how much I loved him. I sold him as a junk yard dog. (no kidding) I knew at some point I would be sued. It was very sad and I will never forget Chin Lee. I always hope to be in a situation where I can have another Chow, but the world is worse about it, not better.
Another strange case was a Cairn Terrier I owned. (I used to breed and show dogs) She was chained too (Some people learn the hard way about chains, I am one of them.) I owned a horse with an electric fence. It was thunderstorming. The dog got it's chain wrapped around the fence. I was in the house and wondered what that weird screaming was. I ran out to disconnect the fence. Dummy me and poor animal, I had stacked hay over the shut off. Can you beleive it?? Anyway, I am slinging hay everywhere and got it shut off. The dog seemed okay, never even passed out. She developed some strange habits later, (thought she was nursing puppies for one) and began attacking only the men in the family. I sold her to a breeder where she would not have family contact. She had pedigree out the ying-yang.
So those are my sad tales. It seems that the biggest part of animals' problems are human.
Thanks for the topic!
Renegade

Renegade,I appreciate your post, as heart-breaking as it was for you to write.

I am currently researching and concentrating on the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier plus any mix of the above, but you are also welcome to post stories about any breed that attacked and mauled without provocation.

chick

[ August 07, 2005, 04:34 AM: Message edited by: chickadee ]

Chickadee may I inquire as to why you are writing this book? Why this breed in particular?
Also do you yourself have any pets? Just curious.

[ August 07, 2005, 07:36 AM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

Chatty, I am not writing a book. I am curious why "some dogs" attack without provocation. It happened to me. There is a lot of info but I am not satisfied with the answers so I have been researching.
Currently I own a little dog, Buddy, and a cockatiel, Bunny, who by the way gives me kisses now.

Bunny kisses now?

I'm not sure if I ever posted this but I had a girls night at the house and Sammie was out, on her perch and this one gal kept messing with her and was putting grapes in her mouth, letting Sammie take them and I kept telling her to be careful because African Grey's like to lure you in and then, they bite! She said, oh Sammie wouldn't do that to me! So later, I notice that this gal had left while I was in the bathroom and her sister said she got a call and had to leave. I later learned that Sammie had finally gotten fed up with the game and taken a chunk out of her upper lip! She didn't want me to know because I had warned her.

Well you know what they say, once an animal/bird has tasted blood they are man eaters, lol...
Now he may end up on the exterminate list as well...Oh my poor dear Sammie....I gues any animal/bird will attack. I have to rethink all that I have learned all these many years I guess. Oh and yes Chickadee I am sorry, I remember you have bunny, dah! momentary brain drain... Personally I would have bitten her too>

I believe some dogs are biters ( and ANY dog can bite) because their line was too inbred. I had a boxer who are known for being good with children and she bit 2 people, and came close to biting me and others and I was afraid of her. I couldn't keep her because my toddler grandson visits me a lot and I had to protect him from getting attacked. My neighbors were relieved also. I got her as a pup and as far as I know, she was never harmed in any way.

I believe in personal responsibility, but it doesn't bother me too much that some cities are outlawing Pits. People need to be free to walk down the street without getting attacked. Although I must admit, I am concerned that the government will get carried away and outlaw other dogs that don't deserve it. If I had a Pit I loved and was part of my family, and they were outlawed in my town because there was a serious problem, with people getting attacked, etc., I would understand and just move to an area where they were legal.

Owners need to be responsible for their animals. Two years ago my son moved back in, and brought his pit bull with him.
Roscoe fit right into your palm at the time. That's no longer the case.
We have had two attacks in our area, one involved the older lady walking her Shih Tzu dog. Both pits attacked her dog, she tried to pull them apart and was also attacked. If, I remember correctly this happened out in Partlow.
Point of the matter is the woman who owned the pits had been warned several times to keep her dogs up. No heed was given to that request.
Animals are not capable of taking care of themselves, responsible adults need to.
Roscoe is never taken outside, without a collar and leash, plus a responsible adult holding that leash. Large cage handy, in case he doesn't want to listen to commands, or while others who are frightened of him are present in our home.
More need to be frightened of my 5lb. Min-Pin Girl than of Ross, she thinks she twice his size, I know her attitude is. Yes, she has her own little cage. Then, Bridgett my 11 year old Shih Tzu, what a sweet natured dog she is.
Truth be told owners need to be responsible, they know the temperment of their animals, and how they have been rasied.

Brenda

Don't you agree that with any breed beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Kid of like with people. LOL

Chatty, that's so true! I love boxers and some people do not think they are beautiful, but I do. Maybe because,like people, liking a breed has as much to do about personality than actual appearance.

Daisygirl