Originally Posted by Britster  I definitely don't think it's all her fault. And I feel terrible for her. I think it's a mistake a LOT of "dog lovers" make - they think they can be all lovey dovey with every dog they come across, forgetting that these are indeed animals with very sharp teeth. Would you be petting a wolf like Kyle was, even if it had been raised around humans all of it's life, and "seemed" okay? Probably not. (not saying domesticated dogs ARE wolves, btw, but saying they have the same genetics, and the same sharp teeth. Those huge canine teeth were not designed for kissing humans, if you catch my drift, lol). I don't see how it should be any different. It seems common sense not to stick your fingers in the cage of a lion, it seems common sense not to caress a wolf all over it's head if you have never met them before. I am always in Jackson's face, because we have a mutual respect - he's my dog. But I would never allow a stranger because you simply don't know what a dog is going to like or not appreciate, and you never know when they may bite.
And FWIW, that dog looked extremely uncomfortable to me the entire time until he snapped. He is showing LOTS of signs of discomfort if you have read anything about canine body language.
Ultimately, I believe fault falls all on the owner of the dog. The fact that he was off leash in the first place and got himself into the situation where he needed to be rescued. Then 24 hours later, after a very traumatic experience, he is brought into a stressful studio environment, which is always usually very small - and his owner is holding him by his collar, so he has NO where to turn away, or walk away if he's uncomfortable, so he was left doing what dogs can do because they obviously can't talk, and that was a bite. If he were truly a vicious dog, he probably would've ripped her face apart a lot more. The fact that it was a quick snap, shows me it was a warning bite. If he had been my dog, I would've politely declined a TV interview OR asked if it could have been outside at a park, or in my own home, etc.
But what's done is done. I commend the reporter for being so big about the whole thing - it seems she has learned a lesson, and it turned out to be an overall positive thing. I was pleasantly surprised when most of the public did not blame the dog, and it didn't begin a "I hate pit bulls" riot, or anything of the sort. I think everyone agrees that a lot of things were done wrong and I don't think any one person is at fault.
I really like this poster. |