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Post by gelly14 on Dec 30, 2011 11:55:06 GMT -5
Thank you all once again for your compassion. Being here is helping me a lot to stand on my feet. I know I wouldn't have made it without you.
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Post by HoppersSkippersMiners on Jan 5, 2012 0:00:52 GMT -5
Ok - just venting for a moment...
My in-laws have a new dog. Please note that they are very kind-hearted people and therefore often pick dogs because they need a home, etc versus getting a dog that's a good fit. Subsequently, they've had both wonderful sweet animals...and the occasional mentally unstable beast with dominance issues.
So, my husband told me about the new dog earlier today ("Hey! My folks got a new dog. Mom says its an Australian Cattle Dog"), and tonight he brought my daughter over for her every-other-week grandparent day and to meet the new canine. He called me up a few minutes ago and said "The shelter saw a sucker coming from a mile away; that dog's a Pit Bull".
Call me prejudiced, but I don't care how "sweet" the dog is. Pit bulls have a reputation for a reason. They are bred to bite. And when they bite, they don't let go. I have one child. We worked very hard to get her, and the likelihood we would ever be medically capable of having another at this point is pretty much nil.
I don't have an issue with dogs. My daughter has been around them her entire life. I have an issue with that breed of dog. A bite from a terrier is a puncture. An annoyed Labrador might snap, but probably won't break skin. An overly excited or momentarily pissed off pit bull could disfigure.
I am seriously, seriously unhappy about this dog. Am wondering if its safe to send my 4-year old over there now. Am I being paranoid or am I correct to be concerned? I'd be less worried if they hadn't been so laiz-a-faire (sp) about the earlier enormous mutt (I think part Rottweiler) with the random biting problem.
Seriously unhappy. :-[ :-/ :( :( :( >:( :(
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Post by Jablea on Jan 5, 2012 1:52:40 GMT -5
Hoppers, about your in-laws pit bull. It all depends on your in-laws more than the dog.
I have a pit-border collie mix right now. Got him from the pound at 9 months, he's 2 1/2 years now. Not good for young kids because of his border collieness. Pulls on clothes, is very paw forward (even my 12 year old gets scratched), is still working on disipline, I can't leave my rabbits out to roam although he's ok with the chickens.
The pit-austrialian blue heeler we put down 3 years ago at age 15 we took to family reunions expressly so he could play with the kids. Obeyed every command, would fetch till he dropped, wouldn't touch anything he was told not to (not even the cat food in the dish next to his). But he was the protection dog, people didn't step in the yard until he was told they were ok, then he went and got his ball.
Now I just gave you the example of two very different dogs but I said earlier that it didn't depend on the dog, it depends on the owner. You could bring your four year daughter over to my house with either dog because I would make sure that if I felt that constant supervision was not enough then I have no qualms about putting the dog outside (or in). I've broken in several of my sons friends who were deathly afraid of dogs.
I have similar issues with my own mom who can't tell the difference between a dog who is in play mode and a dog that is protecting it's toys. Thankfully she only had small dogs.
You are within your right to ask that the dog always be locked up if your child is just there for a few hours. Overnighters? don't know.
As far as pitbulls go check out NatGeo's the "Dog Whisperer" series.
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Post by stardust on Jan 5, 2012 2:22:03 GMT -5
What a scary problem. The other question is, how old is the dog and are the grandparents capable of controlling it. My concern is two-fold: if the GPs didn't even understand what kind of dog it was, I have doubts about their ability to control it. Also, if your 4 year old is hyper and does not mind very well, that increases the danger of things getting out of hand. I would not allow her to go there if the dog was inside/ not locked up.
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Post by gelly14 on Jan 5, 2012 3:45:58 GMT -5
Hoppers
I don't want to make things worse but I agree with you. Jablea said that it depends on the owner. I don't agree completely because Pitt Bull's ARE bred to bite. I have friends who have Pit Bull's and even when they're just playing their teeth are dangerous. It's in their genes for many many years now. But this dog came from a shelter. Who was the previous owner? Usually when someone owns a Pitt Bull is for 2 reasons. People who want to be protected or people who put these dogs in dog fights for bets. They also told them from the shelter that it is an Australian Cattle Dog? Why? Did they want to fool them? It seems suspicious, at least to me. I would be very worried. :-/
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Post by LindaG23 on Jan 5, 2012 10:02:05 GMT -5
This is number one and foremost your child and it is your 'prime directive' to protect that child. So what you and, I guess your husband, decide goes ... period.
My dad's wife had a pit bull when they got married. The dog was raised as a puppy with her children, who were then grown, and was very protective. One of my dad's stories about Maggie, who he knew to be sweet and mindful, was the time she was outside (they lived at a lake) when one of the neighbor children was playing and two stray dogs approached the children. Maggie laid those dogs out in a tooth and bloody fashion. The neighbors were very thankful but the point of the story is that as extremely sweet and obedient as Maggie was, she did not hesitate to be aggressive when she felt the circumstances call for it.
I agree with Gelly, this is a shelter dog and you have no idea how it was raised. Look what happened with a dog raised properly and if it was abused at all, it's responses will be erratic. Ask the grandparents to keep the dog in another room while your daughter is there and maybe, just maybe if everything goes well for many months or so, then the dog can be around but on a leash and with close supervision. Then after that, who knows.
Freaks me out just thinking about it.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2012 10:06:04 GMT -5
Hoppers, wow. I think you are within your rights to not have your daughter go over to their house unless your in-laws can be reasonable about the dog. You don't say how long you have been married, etc., but it sounds as if the dog situation is a revolving door, and that's a little unorthodox anyway. What happens to these dogs? Do they just come and go? Do your in-laws train and control the dogs and teach them to be good, or are they laissez-faire with the animals? It sounds like the latter -- if the dog arrives a big rambunctious beast, it just stays that way. Under your circumstances I would be concerned. Your daughter is too young to be left alone with the dog. I have heard of pit bulls who are really sweet great animals, but you have no particular reason to have trust in this animal or in the ability of your in-laws to control it. I hope they won't throw a fit about it but I think you will have to take a stand and I sure hope your husband backs you up.
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Post by HoppersSkippersMiners on Jan 5, 2012 21:46:37 GMT -5
Gah. Thanks for all the messages guys. I've still not met the dog. My husband kept a close eye on her yesterday and sent me a batch of pictures (does not *seem* to have the classic pit bull head shape, but hard to tell from those photos. He was first bewildered then "got it" when I demanded more pics). After Googling, found out that the breeds look somewhat similar. Both shortish, extremely strong dogs. Head shape (and jaws) slightly different. For the most part, my in-laws lovingly keep animals until they are geriatric, and then they are buried with the rest of the beasties in the back garden. The only recent exception was that black monster from a few years back. The biggest problem is my FIL. Honestly, his idea of the ideal dog is one that he can constantly feed under the table when my MIL isn't looking, will sit next to him while he watches television, and will amble on the occasional walk. What he needs is an older cocker spaniel. Unfortunately, he treats EVERY dog like this metaphorical spaniel, whether its suitable for that dog's temperament or not. Whether this new dog is actually a pit bull, or is (maybe partially) Australian cattle dog, neither breed is one that my FIL should be dealing with. Both are high energy dogs. Hell, I looked up Australian cattle dogs just for grins and giggles, and the darn things are part DINGO, bred for endurance as "regular" herding dogs couldn't cope in the Outback. The websites I read said they need a minimum of 3 hours heavy exercise a day, and can't be left alone. Even if I were feeling really charitable (and I'm not particularly) and the dog was PART Australian cattle dog, my FIL is in his EIGHTIES. My MIL is in good shape, but is in her upper seventies. I don't see them physically being able to give this dog enough exercise to keep it from becoming neurotic. Add to the fact that the dog still looks like and may well be at least partially pit bull, which is another heavy exercise breed......... (oh yeah, and with all the safety issues previously discussed) Still pissed off, unhappy, and nervous. ETA: Oh, and both breeds are fairly long-lived. This dog is apparently still quite young. Ignoring the safety issues for this little exercise right now, if the dog is still around guess who'll probably be asked to take it within the next 5 years? >:( My husband and I both work. Any animal we have needs to be able to be on its own for at least 9-10 hours a day. This is why we have CATS!!! >:( >:( >:( I have never, in my entire life, given away an animal or (dear lord) given it back to the pound. However, I cannot see ever taking in a dog like this. I simply do not have the time, the space, or the resources to deal with either breed. [twisted snerk] Now going back to my regularly scheduled programming of simply worrying about my daughter's safety in the near term.
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Post by HoppersSkippersMiners on Jan 5, 2012 22:38:49 GMT -5
BTW, Jablea, I'm not 100% certain, but I think a "australian blue heeler" is another name for "australian cattle dog". This dog may well be a "heeler"-pit mix like yours. But you're on a farm, right? Plus he sounded extremely well trained. Gah. Got to let go right now. My husband just called and he and my daughter are on their way home. All body parts intact for the time being.
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Post by Jablea on Jan 5, 2012 23:46:39 GMT -5
When I took mine to the vet when we first got him from the pound she said the pit part was aggressive against dogs and the australian part aggressive/protective against people. We always joked that he had greyhound too so that he could catch up to either. I think you are right that the heeler and cattle dog are mostly alike. We were on a city lot for the first 5 years so they can get along in the city fine. I would bet if the shelter said cattle dog that's pretty much what he is. Our shelter is about half pit anymore, lots of females just used for breeding. Relatives had a blue heeler, left the baby in the bassinet on the floor with it alone. Since the dog was the most likeliest thing to take your leg off when you visited it worried me but the kids all survived unscathed and the dog was the least of their daily babysitting methods to worry about. You could ask a local trainer to do an evaluation for you and ask your in-laws if the shelter did any personality testing.
You'll have to post pics.
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