From: mlhb@mammoth.dr.att.com (54626-BonhamM(DR2020)214)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: A tragic accident
Date: 8 Apr 92 18:19:01 GMT

In article <ku0ledINNrt5@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu>, primeaux@duncan.cs.utk.edu (David Primeaux) writes:

|> 
|> Locally the media are quoting the director of the local humane society
|> (no attempt to quote here, however) as saying several things:
|> 
|> 	1.  most of the dogs that bite humans are chows or chow mixes
|> 	    (and *not*, as one might be led to believe, pit bulls or 
|> 	    dobermans)
|>

I believe this is incorrect.  German Sheperds are number one on the list of
dogs that bite people.  

Personally, I don't like this anti-breed stance the press has committed itself 
to these past few years.  This leads to banning certain breeds, saying that it
is not the owner or the trainer's fault, but the breed's fault.  This agenda has
been seriously played up in Colorado.

In particular, is the case of the 5 year old boy who was killed by what the
press and the local animal control called a "Malamute".  The Alaskan Malamute
club investigated this and discovered the dog was not a Malamute, but a Chow mix.
(No, I'm not bashing Chows).  But the damage has already been done.  Suddenly,
people start equating Malamutes=mean dogs.  Anyone who has owned or who has
extensive contact with Malamutes knows that properly socialized Malamutes are
like giant teddy bears.
 
|> 	2.  most fatal attacks by dogs on humans occur when the dog is
|> 	    (or has been) chained

I really can't comment on that.
 
|> 	3.  never take in an adult dog, unless you are sure of its history

Oh great!  Now the Humane Society would rather put down a dog than have one
adopted.  There are thousands of good dogs out there; are we going to condemn 
them all simply because of a few bad apples?  People who have never had a dog
before or limited experience with one ("I had a dog growing up") might want to
follow that advice.

As a general rule, any strange dog, even if it's a new pet, should be treated
with caution, until you and the dog are well acquainted.
  	
|> 	4.  at the first sign of aggressiveness (presumably, aggressiveness
|> 	    towards a human), a dog should be taken to an expert for 
|> 	    evaluation

If you're afraid of the dog, you should get rid of it, because such behavior
only compounds the problem (and then you see cases like the one above.
(No, I am NOT saying the woman was afraid of this dog).  If the dog is 
unreasonably aggressive (i.e., you can't handle it or you're afraid it will
harm someone), it should be put down, not handed off to be someone else's 
problem.

The kind of aggressiveness I'm talking about is much different than challenging.
All dogs will generally challenge authority at one time or another.  If I were
to have run to some sort of "doggie psychologist" for every time my alpha male
growled at me, I would be very poor indeed ;-) ;-)  I can also say I know how
to deal with that kind of behavior and I can proudly say my Alpha male has never
bitten anyone and respects humans.

|> 	5.  neutering male dogs can reduce the tendency to be aggressive.
|> 
 
Sometimes.  Sometimes not.
 
|> Now, just a couple of personal observations.  First, I think the media is
|> handling this tragedy in a responsible manner. 

See my remarks after #1
 
|>Secondly, as owner of a 
|> *very* docile, laid back, neutered, pound-rescued chow-mix, I am somewhat
|> un-nerved by this story -- even though we have had Roosevelt for about a year
|> now and dot him as a puppy. 

You don't really know what caused the Chow in the above story to turn 
aggressive.  It may have had an aggressive tendancy, but the trainers, IMHO,
are the ones who bring it out.

|>Thirdly, if indeed the couple were chow breeders,
|> this is an unsettling and frightening story indeed.  

Have this couple been doing this long or was this their first chow?
Secondly, good breeders do research on the dogs they're going to buy.
They look at not only the dog, but every living relative available to
decide whether or not this dog has the proper bloodlines, temperment, etc.
Were these people who thought "Maybe it might be nice if we breed Muffy".
A lot of information has been left out.
 
I'm opening up a can of worms here, I realize, and I may get flames.
But I feel that you have to look past the story at what information was left
out and don't become reactionary (i.e., pass anti-breed laws) because something
unfortunate happened.

-- 
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