A bull terrier tried to attack my Badger!!!

[sashajade]

Originally Posted by Connie

You were so lucky to get Badger picked up before the dog got to him. Too bad bull terriers aren't prohibited there. They are in my city and I'm thankful for that, but have found that I can trust no big dog as a few times, big dogs have tried to attack Maddie. It IS so scary and I can understand your shaking for hours! Those owners were rude and inconsiderate! I am sure if you hadn't gotten Badger picked up and protected, he'd be gone, or injured. It is sad that you can't walk without fear of these dogs and I guess all I can say is keep a watchful eye, but experience showed me that they can sneak up and you don't hear them coming. Maybe carry a bat or something to clobber an attacking dog with. I've heard suggestions of carrying mace, but then you run the risk of also getting it on your baby. One thing I've heard is to kick them with your knee or foot...in the area of their chest...and that will stun them. I'm not sure on the correct place, but I think that is it. Good luck and I'm so thankful you and Badger are unharmed!!!

i dont think kicking them in the chest would make it stop,that type of dog is as hard as nails,my dads friend had a pit bull which got hit by a car on its head & the dog was fine it was the car that was damaged! my vet told me the only ways to stop a dog fight is 1 pour water over it 2 grab its nose hard so it cant breath and has to let go or 3 grab its dangley boy bits hard,mindyou i would rather do that to the owners!

[Annie&Badger]

Originally Posted by devotedtoyou

Sorry, I don't understand.....was it a Bull Terrier or a Pit Bull?? There's a HUGE difference!!

Pit Bulls are banned in England. It was an English Bull Terrier. The hideous white one with the straight snout. This thing http://www.petplanet.co.uk/petplanet..._bull_jake.jpg

I do know my bull terrier breeds very well and can tell even when one's crossed. I saw another one last night that had clearly got pit bull in it. Pit bulls are banned in England and yet they're still here !! They pass them off as 'Irish Bull Terriers' or 'Irish Staffs'. They're pit bulls. And frankly, no disrespect or anything, but there is no difference between these breeds. Pit Bulls get a lot of (deservedly) bad press but the only reason Staffordshires and the other bull terriers get away with it here is because they're supposedly 'good' with children. These people who are so concerned about their dogs and busy petitioning left right and centre saying what 'marvellous pets' their precious bulls are, consistently side step the issue of how aggressive and downright uncontrollable these menaces are when it comes to other dogs. All bull terriers and some of the mastiffs should be banned or highly regulated including special licenses, mandatory government training and temperance testing for both dog and owner. So yeah, it was a English Bull Terrier in response to your question

[Rockster's Mom]

I am so glad that you little Badger is okay. I would have reacted the same way you did, but I would have probably knock some sense into the bull terrier's owners head. I am not a big fan of pit bulls either, but Rocky's trainer has one. She is the sweetest dog, but she is very well trained and he never lets her of her lead when she is in public. My trainer did say that he does still have to keep a close eye on her, but he always makes sure that she knows who is boss. Rocky and her are around each other for training purposes alot. It helps him with distractions and she get to practice not chasing little dogs. But they are buds now and play very well together.

[Bizzymammabee]

I am glad that your little one is ok. Honestly it's about his owners not as much the dog. All dogs have the ability to do damage no matter what their size or breed. I have seen chihuahas that have attacked other animals. I have had pit bulls in the past and my dad has two now. I allow my children to be around them with no fear...matter of fact I have to watch my little son more with dad's shih tzu. There are people that inbreed which causes a ton of problems and you also have a lot of ignorant people that teach the dogs distructive behaviour. When I had my pits they were well trained and could be walked off the leash. They posed no danger to another human unless they were trying to hurt us. The were playful with any dogs smaller than they were. If a dog was larger than they were then I would have to watch them. My dogs were to the point where I would have to stop them from playing with everyone that passed by.

I see how you can be nervous but in all fairness I think that all dogs can cause harm and you just need to be aware of them all around your dog. Remember as well that our animals pick up our signals and uneasiness. So if you are too nervous when you are out you can be sure that it will be telegraphed to your little one and they will be just as nervous.

[sashajade]

yeah they are banned in the uk and are not to be bred here anymore but the ones that are here already have to be muzzled and i think have a licence.i think really all dogs of middle to large size should be muzzled in public to prevent attacks on other dogs and children and any small dogs that bite should be muzzled as well. then we wouldnt have a problem.my yorkie sasha use to try and fight with other dogs so when i took her out she would wear a muzzle,its just part of being a good dog owner if your dog cant be trusted you dont take chances.

[mustangbee]

That was scary!!!
Thank God Badger is OK!!!!

[cheryl000]

I am so glad he is okay. I have been there before. It is more than scarey.
I believe that pitt bulls etc are just mentally wired wrong. I have seen those dogs turn on people and other dogs like it was nothing. A pitt bull attacked my dog and it didn't stop until my husband came outside when I was screaming. It was my neighbor's friend's dog and it had visited before and played with my dog since they were puppies. It was raised in a loving family with 3 kids. But out of no where the dog became aggressive for no reason. Being aggressive was bred into them just the way yorkies were bred for hunting rodents. It is in their blood.
YES, any dog can hurt a pet or even a human with a little bite. But is a yorkie or cocker spaniel capable of KILLING? No, and that is what makes the pitt bulls dangerous, they are aggressive and they are capable of killing. Other dogs back off when they are yelled and are easier to control. Most pitt bulls keep going.
Over here people have to have licences to own poisonous snakes and other animals that can kill people. I believe it should be no different with dogs that can kill people. Pitt bulls and mixes are so numerous and cheap here so anyone can get ahold of these animals when I believe they should only be in responsible homes. When I rented this apartment, the lady said the only breed I couldn't get was a pitt bull, for good reason too. Many insurance companies even charge extra if you own one!

[sashajade]

yorkies can kill, only dogs of the same size or smaller though. scampi and zac use to fight and trust me if i wasnt there to split them up one of them would of been killed.also i have split up 2 gsd from fighting and that was easyer then splitting up my 2 yorkies.but i do agree with you those kind of dogs dont stop when told,after all they were bred for fighting and thats there first and only thought.

[Annie&Badger]

Originally Posted by sashajade

yeah they are banned in the uk and are not to be bred here anymore but the ones that are here already have to be muzzled and i think have a licence.i think really all dogs of middle to large size should be muzzled in public to prevent attacks on other dogs and children and any small dogs that bite should be muzzled as well. then we wouldnt have a problem.my yorkie sasha use to try and fight with other dogs so when i took her out she would wear a muzzle,its just part of being a good dog owner if your dog cant be trusted you dont take chances.

100%. I couldn't agree more. We were just talking about this when we took Badger out for his walk today. Of course I say 'walk' but it was nothing of the sort. In the space of two hours I saw one massive rottweiler (it had definitely been crossed with some mastiff because it was much larger than usual) along with a Dogue de Bordeaux. Their owners - rather typically - were a pair of young, aggressive looking men out with their mates thinking they're well 'ard walking their dogs down the street intimidating everyone. Badger was sitting on my lap and within seconds they started growling and barking at a passing labrador. The poor girl walking him was terrfied! Their owners laughed. Oh yes, it's very funny having a dog that frightens human beings in the street. Then I saw a Staff puppy straining at his leash. A few minutes later another young Staff straining at his leash being walked by an angry looking woman who could barely control him. By this time we thought we just weren't going to put him on the ground at all. Nice. I can't even take my dog for a walk down the street because it's just too much of a risk. In this area most of these dogs will invariably be sitting at their owner's feet at some outside cafe, under no control at all and barely visible. They could just lunge out at him an time. We then saw the same young Staff (walked by the irritable looking woman) outside the supermarket trying to fight with another dog - again being walked by a young, quite clearly anti-social young woman who was swearing at the other dog and barely pulling hers back.

I can't speak for people in other parts of the world but I can say with certainty that in my opinion and from what I've seen in the UK, there is some deep underlying problem with people who want to own this breed. I met a woman the other day who had a Staff. She told me she loved her dog and he was brilliant but apparently he 'doesn't like other dogs' and in the last year has gone for a Jack Russell, two Yorkies and an English Sheep Dog (?!). She just brushed it off as being part of their 'nature'. She also got her dog for 'protection'. Protection against what? Is she at risk from wolves or tigers or something?

This is unacceptable as far as I'm concerned. I'm new to having a Yorkie sure but I'm no dummy when it comes to animals. I think it's frankly appaling that I should have to watch my back for fifteen years. Always compromising my dog's enjoyment for the sake of some awful dog and its owner basically bullying it's way down the road. My biggest fear is watching my beautiful dog that I've invested so much time and emotional energy in being torn to pieces within seconds by a vicious killer with a bite pressure of 300 pounds per square inch. I honestly don't think I could live with that kind of memory

I'm also very much aware that all dogs bite and tend to attack but bull terriers (and not just Pit Bulls) are hard wired to attack other dogs. Even the most responsible owner would tell you that and the damage they cause is devastating. I should imagine any dog would pose some risk to my Badger but he has a good chance of surviving. Bull terriers will not let go. The more pain you inflict, the harder they'll bite. It's a lose-lose situation. I'm also sick and tired of the argument 'what constitutes a Pit Bull?' Who cares? The fact remains that all dogs of the bull terrier type (and their antecedent mastiff parentage) are dangerous - either to human beings or other animals

Thank you so much for all your great responses of support. It's a bank holiday here today but tomorrow I'm going to contact the Kennel Club, the local council and the local newspaper. I'm also considering starting a campaign for the area I live in to bring in muzzling of all bull terriers in public (English Bulls, Staffs and their crosses). I know for a fact that a lot of people are concerned about the increasing use of these types of dogs for intimidation purposes and I think that's disgusting. I'm not very clever with the internet but I'll work out how to do a website and distribute flyers around the area. The government here needs to resolve this once and for all. If these dogs are muzzled in public, there's no problem. Their owners should also be registered and all those dogs should be chipped to keep a track of them. This is good for the breed anyway because people will be forced into being more responsible

[cheryl000]

YES, any dog can hurt a pet or even a human with a little bite. But is a yorkie or cocker spaniel capable of KILLING? No, and that is what makes the pitt bulls dangerous, they are aggressive and they are capable of killing. Other dogs back off when they are yelled and are easier to control. Most pitt bulls keep going.


Okay, when I said are small breed dogs capable of killing. I meant killing a human being. All dogs were all capable of killing prey before humans domesticated them. I think it was a mistake on human's part to breed dogs so aggressive that a person can get killed by them. Humans for the most part can control small breed dogs better than larger ones as well. I dogs that are capable of killing humans should be strictly regulated because I have seen lots of young men own them so they will seem tougher and they also enjoy the dog being aggressive.

[MeganS]

Originally Posted by sashajade

yeah they are banned in the uk and are not to be bred here anymore but the ones that are here already have to be muzzled and i think have a licence.i think really all dogs of middle to large size should be muzzled in public to prevent attacks on other dogs and children and any small dogs that bite should be muzzled as well. then we wouldnt have a problem.my yorkie sasha use to try and fight with other dogs so when i took her out she would wear a muzzle,its just part of being a good dog owner if your dog cant be trusted you dont take chances.

first: I don't really think it would be fair if all big/middle sized dogs had to be muzzled. my lab is the sweetest dog ever (I've met yorkies that are more aggressive..really) and if he had to have a muzzle on just because he's larger he would probably lose his mind. So, no, I don't think it's fair that people think all big dogs are mean and want to kill little dogs, JMO.

*sorry about my little rant but it bothers me when some people stereotype big dogs*

and I'm soo glad that Badger didn't get hurt! that must've been so scary!

[SnowWa]

You can't stop a bull terrier (or any other dog) attack. With our little dogs (Yorkies) -- you have to be watchful every minute - for a hundred other reasons also...not just other dog attacks. I think this is one of the things we take upon ourselves when we choose to have such a small little dog. They are just too little to take out in public - without our guarding them and being watchful every second. And - I know - you are careful and keep an eye out for your little guy.

Second - I think our behaving "scared to death - tearful - whatever." but, still being polite (albeit - frightened to death) -- would accomplish more with people like this than swearing, calling them names, etc. does. The reason I'm saying this is that this type of behaviour only makes people like them defensive and argue, and fight back. It doesn't help them realize or care how frightened and scared you were. I wouldn't doubt that they walked away from their encounter with you telling everyone about the "terrible lady" that they met......etc. etc. etc. I'm sure they didn't learn a thing - and think that you were the terrible person - not them.

What they needed to experience was that a nice person was truly frightened that their little dog could have been seriously injuried by their dog. They needed to feel sorry about what happened - and realize that it was their dog that caused it - and not want it to happen again. I think the way you acted --- just got them fighting mad and more defensive...

And, I agree - they were "jerks!"

We can socialize our little dogs everyway possible - but we will always have to beware of any other dogs they meet. Even other dogs on a leash - can get loose in a spit second....

Carol Jean

[sashajade]

Originally Posted by MeganS

first: I don't really think it would be fair if all big/middle sized dogs had to be muzzled. my lab is the sweetest dog ever (I've met yorkies that are more aggressive..really) and if he had to have a muzzle on just because he's larger he would probably lose his mind. So, no, I don't think it's fair that people think all big dogs are mean and want to kill little dogs, JMO.

*sorry about my little rant but it bothers me when some people stereotype big dogs*

and I'm soo glad that Badger didn't get hurt! that must've been so scary!

i have nothing against bigger dogs,my brother has a lab,my sister has a english bull mastiff and has had gsd great dane and a irish wolf hound,i my self have had a gsd.all i was saying was that all dogs that COULD if they wanted to hurt or kill other dogs or children should be muzzled in public.and if the law said you have to muzzle your dog if it is aggressive no one would muzzle there dog as they would say well mines not so i wont.the law has to be black and white or people will try and get away with it,so the law should be all dogs big or small should be muzzled in public.my yorkie didnt like it but i did it.my sisters mastiff wears one she dont like it but she wears it and shes not aggressive at all infact she is scared of my yorkies!also if i remember right labs have bitten the most people.not that i have ever met a lab that has ever done anything other than lick me to death lol but all dogs can turn i guess.

[sashajade]

also i completely agree that yorkies are far more aggressive than any other breed of dog i have met,but cos of there size they dont normaly do much damage.the reason i have annie (the yorkie i have just got) is cos she bite the owners 3year old son in the face and he had to have stitches so when i take her out she wears a muzzle and she hates it but rather that then her bite someone.

[sashajade]

its the owners of bull breeds that give the dogs a bad name. my sister only has a mastiff as she was a rescue and she didnt want some little yob getting her.