Dog Attack

[Duck Nawteek]

I got a call lastnight that disturbed me alot. My mom told me that they had to put "Bo", our family dog, down yesterday afternoon. He was part Chow/australian shepard. She got a call yesterday after lunch asking her to come home to get him. The neighbor call and told her that he had tried to get the other neighbor down the street and her trapped on top of her car and would'nt let her down. The bad thing is that she had 2 kids in the car with her. Now they did have a Pit BUll that was in heat tied up in the back of the house. But that is still no excuse for what happened. BO has never acted this way toward anyone. So my step-dad comes home to get him. As he walked into the yard to get him, he turned and charged him and knocked him off his feet, going for his throat. He balled his fist up and put it in the back of his throat where he could'nt bite down, then body slammed him to the ground. This scared the hell out my stepdad who is not a little man by no means. Then Bo charged him again and the same thing happened. So now my step-dad is mad. During all the comotion the police were called and animal control. Well he goes back to the house to get the leash and his truck. When he comes back the same thing happen for the third time. So he gets the leash around his collar and gets him in the back of the truck. NOw the police told him that he would have to put the dog in the pound for 10 days. My Dad asked him how much that would cost and they told him about $400.00. MY dad told them that he would take care of it himself and they told him that he could'nt do that. So after a few minutes of feuding with animal control and the police, he agreed with them. Now the whole time Bo is going nuts trying to bite him and charge him there on the leash. The animal control told him that he would be back later that afternoon to pick him up. All I could think about was my little sister and step brother coming home from school and going to get BO and the same thing happening to them. It could have gotten ugly. Or if anybody else gotten bit, then they would have had a lawsuit against them and probaly reading about a dog attack in the papers today. So after everyone left, he wrestled him out of the back of the truck, grabbed his pistol and put one round in him. He just could'nt see paying that much to put Bo up and they do the same thing 10 days later. What has got me confused is do yall think that he acted that way because that dog was in heat or do yall think he came down with something to make him do that? The animal control man said it was the breed of the dog. I'm just glad no children were involved with this incident because this could have gotten out of hand. [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img]

[ February 07, 2002: Message edited by: Duck Nawteek ]

[timber-hunter]

Duck, I had something very close to this incident also happen in my life. I was around eleven years old and me and my cousin were outside playing. The neighbors had two dobermans and we had played with them all of our lives. But on one day we were playing football in the yard and my cousin was running away from us trying not to get tackled and all of a sudden the two dobermans run by me knocking me down and also my cousin and they tore into my cousin like he was a rag doll. With all the comotion the owners came out and grabbed the dogs and also the owners got bit. Well after all this had occurred and my cousin got out of the hospital with over one hundred stitches the dogs were put to sleep. Later it was determined that the dogs just snapped and went back to wild instincts as those of a wolf where they say all dogs derive from one single breed THE WOLF. But in my honest opinion I never will know exactly and no one else either. I hope that everyone involved in your case is safe.

[bigbear]

That's the first thing people want to say is that it is the breed. That is bunk. I have had pit bulls, chows and rottweilers. None of them have ever acted aggressive towards anyone. I have also seen labs that would bite your hand off. All I can think is that maybe the dog contracted something. Dogs may get aggressive when another dog is in heat, but I don't think that is what happened here. Your Dad did the right thing though. No need in paying all that money to have to do the same thing 10 days down the road. Sorry about losing the family dog. I know how that feels. [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img]

[LongBarrel]

Chows are one of the most dangerous breeds, in my opinion. They are known to be aggressive. Do a search for "Chow" and you will get page after page dealing with their aggression. They are included with pit bull breeds, malamutes, and Rottweilers as breeds that frequently engage fatal bitings. Sure all dogs can be aggressive, but they are notorious for that behavior.

Look here:Dog Bite Statistics
or here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dogbreeds.pdf

Top 12 Biters and number of fatalites in 19 yrs
Pit bull-type 76
Rottweiler 44
German Shepherd Dog 27
Husky-type 21
Malamute 15
Wolf-dog hybrid 14
Mixed-breed 12 (not purebreed)
Chow Chow 11
Doberman 10
Saint Bernard 8
Great Dane 7
Labrador Retriever 5

I am sorry that the dog had to be put down. Hopefully, animal control won't get too bent out of shape for not getting to observe him for rabies, which is why they wanted to keep him

[judge jb]

your dad needs to get to the doc ASAP IF THERE IS ANY PUNTURE WOUNDS... sorry about your pet, but when they bite the hand that feeds them, something is terribly wrong. may be a part of the dominance factor which needs aggression to happen.. may want to get the dog checked for any thing out of the order.. for your dads sake... sad story, hope for a happy ending some way or another...

judge jb

[Unkljohn]

Sorry about the dog, you do need to have it checked out for Rabies etc... I know all to well how it feels to have to put a pet down. [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img]
Glad he didn't get after some kids though!!
JT

[Duck Nawteek]

Yeah he is going to the doctor today to get his hand looked at. I also told him to get Bo checked for Rabies. I do know that he has had all of his shots though. So he is supposed to get that done today. I'll keep yall informed on what they found. [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_sad.gif[/img]

[landscaper]

I would agree that you can't place blame souly on a dog's breed. I have seen many dogs of breeds that are known for agressiveness be the most gentle animals alive. I think the way they are raised and cared for can have alot to do with it. I do however, believe that some breeds are more prone to agression and sudden personality changes than others. I include chows in this group. I have had to fist fight a chow before that only seconds before was letting me pet it and looking for attention from me.

Some dogs' most basic instincts can make them dangerous. Do y'all know which dogs are at the top of the list of worst dogs for young children? Guess what, they are our easy going, good natured hunting buddies. Retrievers and herding breeds are the top injurers of small children simply because of their instinct to round up things that run away (like small children).

Guess I'm just saying you've got to watch them all.

[RedEyed Duck]

LB that is some pretty interesting information. However, in order to truly understand those stats you would have to compare similar information on the # of each breed and its %'s in relation to total dog population.

I can sympathize with this story and am not a big fan of chows. My grandparents had a chow for about 7 years and that dog had some serious dominance problems. He would bite you if you looked him in the eye, the scar on my arm is living proof. The vet said that all he could figure was the dog viewed being starred at as an agressive act. It also used to be quite funny, when the dog entered the room everyone looked at the ceiling simultaneously.

I also agree that all breeds can be agressive depending on how they are raised. I have seen some bad a** poodles in my day. Glad that no one was seriously injured.

[ February 08, 2002: Message edited by: RedEyed Duck ]

[Welldoggie]

RedEyed Duck...
I had a similar experience on Monday. We drove down to lookover a place we are leasing to hunt next year. To get to it we had to unload the 4 wheelers and ride down a dirt/gravel road because water had washed across it. Well, just off the road, a rottweiler was laying in the shade by this house. He didn't budge when the first guy rode by. Then I rode by slowly, just lookin around and our eyes met. I looked at him and he saw me looking at him and I saw his eyes widen like...lookie here, party time. And boom, he charged like a wild animal. Needless to say, I went through the remaining 3 gears like butter and he never caught me.

I guess there is something to the stare...

[peewee]

It possiblly could be canine disteper. It has effects that are very similar to rabies.

[Wingman]

Man, that's disturbing behavior! I'm sorry, but if a dog, any dog, does me like that or puts kids in danger...he won't go to the vet to be put to sleep. I have a S&W .44 shot needle that will do the job nicely. But we've got to remember, they are animals..too bad when an animal you love does something like that, though. I hope your dad is okay.

Wingman

[damnyankee]

I've got the same dilema right now, 17 year old lap dog of my fiancees getting meaner everyday. Obviously not as serious as your situation, which I'm very sorry to hear about, but mine is bad. The dog now falls down alot, and will walk up to a wall and just stand there and stare at it for a couple of hours. Seriously you walk in my house and there is a dog just stareing at a wall did it the other night for an hour and a half. It has coughing fits that last for ever, and she can't control her movements(you know what I mean) very well either.
Everyday I say this the day to put her down but it's just so hard.
I know it has to be done but I just can't bring myself to do it.

[CaptnT]

Sorry to hear that Yank.

I recently helped my mother put down an 11 year old dog that she has had by her side since it was just weeks old. The dog had the same symptoms that you mentioned, it won't be long until the little guy/girl goes.

I had to talk her into it. I know you probably are in a tight spot, being your fiancee's pet and all, but you have to consider the quality of life the dog has. It would be better to remember it the way it was when it was normal, than to let it drag on like it is. In the end I convinced my mother that the only reason the dog was around was because she wanted her there, and that is a selfish reason to let the dog suffer. I can't imagine what it will be like when my trusted companion goes, but I feel sure I will not let him go on when he no longer can function on his own.

Good luck.

[damnyankee]

I know Captn , the worst part of it is just when I decide it's the day, she acts fine. She is not making it easy.