I'm so sad :(

[CatWoman]

that kitty in California who rescued his little boy human? that fucking cat is awesome!!

But what about the dog who attacked the kid?

I saw an interview today in which the injured boy's mom said the dog would be put to sleep.

What was up with that dog?

I never saw a dog attack like that. Even wild, street dogs.

I'm sad that the dog can't be rehabilitated. But I can't help but wonder was the dog abused? Maybe acted out of anger?

Your thoughts?

edited to add that I was bitten by a friend's dog when I was very young. but the dog bit me (on the leg, no less) because i was trying to see her puppies. now i understand that she was just being a protective mother.

[lpbk2713]

1. One thing I've been wondering about.

With regard to what made the dog attack. Dogs have extra sensitive hearing. I was wondering if the boy's bike was making a squealing or scaping noise that irritated the dog? He came around the back of that car like he had his mind made up what he was going to do. I'm just glad the cat (literally) jumped in at the right time or the outcome would definitely have been tragic.

[CatWoman]

2. that cat is bad ass

my worthless (but loved) cats only get pissed when I feed the cats outside.

Yet they won't lift a finger if a bug gets in the house.

go figure.

[smokey nj]

14. I think that could be possible. I'm a dog walker and I've had a few pooch clients react badly to

things like skateboards, scooters, etc. I think it was the sound of the wheels on the sidewalk and maybe the speed at which they approached that bothered them. The dogs were different breeds too. None ever attacked anybody, they were on leash and under my control.

[TBF]

19. My dog flips out over skateboards too -

the next puppy we get is going to be riding on one with my daughter so it is de-sensitized at a young age.

Those of you who have dogs know what I'm talking about. Socializing them while young & especially taking them to a park etc to meet all kinds of different people, hear different noises, etc. We have a purebred Lab we got at 11 months. He was trained to do a variety of tricks/commands but had also spent a lot of time in his crate while his people were working. They eventually decided they didn't have time for him so I bought him. Sort of like a pseudo-rescue because I had work to do. He was scared of everything so from the get-go we started going on long walks around the neighborhood, meeting people in controlled situations etc just to get him more comfortable. He is still not a dog that I will take to a festival, for example, but he is fine with people that come to the house and seeing another dog while walking etc. You really have to put in the time when they are small (same as kids, right?!)

[smokey nj]

24. One of my clients is an 8-month-old puppy. I'm working on exposing him to things.

Unfortunately, he was adopted in Dec. and the winter was so harsh that he didn't get out and about much in the early months. The second time I walked him (he was almost 6 months at the time) it was garbage pick up day and he flipped out as soon as we got outside. He's come such a long way since then, though. He's still afraid of garbage trucks, but doesn't react nearly as badly as he did that first time and he recovers quickly. Funny thing, one day as approached an intersection there was a van blasting oldies tunes stopped at a light. The van was being driven by an Elvis impersonator. Charlie, the pup, didn't react at all. It was as if Elvis driving a van was something that happens all the time.

[hlthe2b]

33. Not to worry. You can definitely get him over this... My own adopted (@ 7 mos) Aussie/Border Collie

was terrified of traffic, bicycles and didn't want to get in a car. She had been picked up by animal control after being found & treated for eating rat poison in a residential garage. It seems pretty clear she'd not been on her own very long, but likely just run off from a previous home-- but whatever happened had terrified her.

Well, just teaching her to walk on a leash on sidewalks along a relatively busy boulevard, going a little further each day, pretty much got her over that, as did talking her to the dog park (in the car). I think younger dogs' memory is pretty fluid, so that replacing bad associations with good ones is pretty darned effective.

Just be patient, but firm. And definitely never let a dog obsess about things on wheels (bicycles, skateboards, cars). Bad things CAN and DO happen.

[smokey nj]

44. He's doing much, much better!

[ProfessorGAC]

50. My Dog Is 3 And Still Runs For The Door When He Hears the Garbage Truck

Not other vehicles. Just the garbage truck. And we live on a corner so we get them coming and going.

Every other vehicle he thinks is someone coming to see him.
GAC

[Hassin Bin Sober]

51. My dog hates wheels.

The only time I've seen try to bite anything besides the squirrel she caught was the wheels of the lawn mower.

[flvegan]

3. My thoughts? People are idiots.

"can't be rehabilitated" is absolute horseshit. But, we humans need revenge. We need to show the lesser beings that dammit, we will seek revenge no matter how stupid we seem doing it. Death penalty is what it is.

I find it funny that we've decided that the cat made a conscious decision to rescue "his little boy human" giving thought and emotion to him/her, yet the dog is just a killing machine who can't be fixed.

I won't armchair "animal behaviorist" on this one, unlike too many DUers screaming "WITCH! BURN HER!" because, well, morons. A dog will die, a kid is scarred, but dammit, we've got one helluva GIF to live off of for the future and that's all that matters to petty idiots. CATURDAY!! Enjoy!

[alittlelark]

11. HATE reality shows..... but if this dog could be retrained.....

....I would'nt watch it, but would love to see outcome!

[hlthe2b]

34. Yeah... I agree with you...

That dog should have been fully accessed in terms of what instigated the behavior and possibilities of effective rehabilitation in a different setting, but sadly, that is not going to happen. It is quite possible (and probable) that euthanasia is the only outcome for the dog, but the circumstances behind what happened and what instigated the behavior should have been explored.

Just saying that will have some equating such concern as meaning I don't care about the safety of the child (which anyone with half a brain would know is not the case), but so be it. Some see the world as merely black v white, good v evil and do not wish to explore complexities. It is easier that way, for sure.

[Enrique]

4. one thing we know about the dog

is that the owner let it run around loose.

[newfie11]

5. +1

[pnwmom]

8. The boy's mother said the dog was normally kept in the fenced back yard

but escaped when someone pulled a car through a gate. She knows the circumstances and she's not blaming the owner.

[hlthe2b]

35. Actually, the dog escaped from a fenced enclosed yard, when the owner was going to/from car

[MohRokTah]

6. The moment a dog attacks a human it must be put down.

There is no room for compassion on this point. The dog must die. There is no other choice.

I've been forced to shoot more than one dog that damaged livestock when I worked as a cowboy. It's never fun. It always stays with you the rest of your life, but there is no other choice, Dogs cannot be allowed to attack humans or livestock. The only choice when they do is to put them down.

And it is so sad because 100% of the blame lies with the owner that failed to properly train the dog. Any dog can be proplerly trained but it's far easier to let the dog become an unacceptable shadow of what the vast majority of dogs are.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Why is there no compassion? Why MUST the dog die?

Why is it the only choice?

The reason for so many questions is because of the certainty in your comments.

[Demo_Chris]

17. Because...

The next child, and there is no assurance there wont be a next child, might very well die. And even if that child is only mutilated, that's more than enough reason.

In some ideal world there might be a place for the sociopathic puppy where they can run free, in isolation for other dogs and people. But that place does not exist, and we do not even have the resources or will to care for the GOOD dogs (and people) we have, let alone the insane ones.

As for ranchers, a single bad dog can bankrupt them in one evening while teaching the other dogs to do the same. They can afford no leniency. The dogs are there to do a job.

[MohRokTah]

22. Yep, you explained far better than I culd have. eom

[roody]

27. Because there are too many dogs.

The shelters are full of dogs who would never bite. Many of them will be killed because they have no one to love them. Plus all the other reasons given by others.

[baldguy]

16. Bullshit.

If a human attacks or abuses a dog - which is the case more often than not - it's reasonable that the dog would defend itself. And that behavior has no bearing on whether or not the dog has aggressive tendencies.

The issue with the aggressive dog the OP is talking about is that the dog was allowed to roam, the dog obviously hadn't been socialized properly, and the kid wasn't threatening or harming the dog at all. The dog needs to be removed from the owner, the owner needs to be charged with assault at the very least, and the dog needs to be rehabilitated & properly trained. Killing the dog is the easy, mindless way out & doesn't solve the problem.

[boston bean]

25. I wouldn't want that dog anywhere near humans at this point.

It needs to be put to sleep. That is the responsible thing to do, imho.

You can't undo instincts like that. Why take such a chance again.

That was a mauling, with the dog shaking it's head trying to do real damage. It wasn't just a nip.

[baldguy]

29. Creating an entire class of disposable beings is not a solution to problems - it causes problems.

Problems exactly like that which occurred in the original incident.

The responsibility rests entirely with the owner of the dog, not the dog. And you know what's going to happen to the owner? The one responsible? Absolutely nothing. He'll be allowed to go on as if nothing happened, allowed to get another dog & refuse to control, contain, train or socialize it, and be allowed to let it roam & attack someone else.

But just as long as the primary victims of this vicious cycle - the dogs - are sufficiently punished for their victimization (meaning killed) - you're OK with it.

People who neglect & abuse animals are the scum of the earth. People who allow it to happen are a close second.

[boston bean]

30. I think putting a dog down that has proven to attack solves the issue

of that one dog ever doing it again.

Until you can assure the entire population that all dog owners are responsible dog owners, cases such as these, where there is a proven attack, putting the dog to sleep is the solution.

[baldguy]

32. An 8-month-old puppy is still learning how to be a dog.

And just like any child, it needs to learn the limits of what it is allowed and not allowed to do. Would you also execute a 3-yr-old human if they harmed one of the neighbor kids? Of course not. Why should it be any different for a dog?

You position is based on nothing but ignorance & fear. Creating policy from that starting point is doomed to failure & tragedy.

[hack89]

41. Dogs are not humans. There is no comparison between a child and a puppy. None. nt

[baldguy]

55. I guess we have another vote for cheap & disposable creatures.

Treating living, breathing emotional creatures like toasters - if they're too old or too young, too fat or too skinny, or the small amount of effort needed to deal with them is judged too onerous, or they're the wrong color, or the wrong shape, or they're simply not fashionable anymore, just kill them & throw the body in the trash.

Never mind about this - or this.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

58. And another from me.

Animals are less important than humans, plain and simple.

[hack89]

59. No - it is not a binary choice

There are options between the extremes.

[ancianita]

60. Exactly. An owner that's had a dog taken and put down should not ever be allowed another dog.

I've always believed that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Laws should stipulate that abusive owners forever lose the right to own dogs and their homes be subject to periodic inspection to assure the public of their compliance.

[TBF]

21. Here we go again -

Have you not heard about the Michael Vick dogs and how they have been rehabilitated?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/10/michael-vick-dogs-vicktory_n_5119150.html

ETA - I would add though it depends on the dog. I don't mean to suggest that all dogs can be rehabilitated. Just that someone with experience needs to look at this animal and see if there is potential there. Some do have stronger prey instinct.

[geek tragedy]

39. Those dogs were taught to attack other dogs.

This dog had the innate instinct to attack a human child.

[TBF]

42. I think it saw the child as an extension

of the the skateboard. Accidents happen and dogs do get out - which is why I don't leave mine outside in the back when I'm not at home. But I don't know what I would do with this dog either. There may be local ordinances that spell out what happens when a dog attacks a human. I really think in this case the skateboard was the trigger, but you also have to look at reality and will the dog do it again? Sadly the majority of people considering this question would probably have to choose putting the dog down & honestly I might be amongst them. I feel bad for everyone involved in this story.

[geek tragedy]

52. It's very sad. The dog's owners have to be

distraught.

[Vattel]

23. In the real world as opposed to

your black-and-white fantasy world, there are often reasonable alternatives to killing a dog that bites a person or livestock. It depends on why the dog bit someone and what can be done to reduce the risk of a repeat offense.

[RiffRandell]

26. When our son was 3, he was bitten in the face by our friend's dog.

It was ugly...he had stitches, bruising and a small scar, and we didn't want the dog put down.

[pnwmom]

7. The dog was a 9 month old Chow mix. Unfortunately, Chows are one of the breeds

that are known to be more aggressive. It's unlikely that boy was abusing the dog since the boy is only 4 and the dog normally was kept in his own fenced back yard. To me, it looked like that dog had an excessive prey instinct and saw the boy as prey.

[giftedgirl77]

28. I have 4 dogs & one of them is half chow, I swear she

is evil. I have 2 Rotties, a German Shepherd, 4 cats & kids galore. She is the one I don't trust & watch like a hawk. She isn't allowed around the little kids unless I'm right there to watch her mood & she is definitely the alpha of the dogs (at 45 lbs). She harasses the cats, but they kick her ass. She would kill anything in the wild that she couldget ahold of & acts like a complete princess.

She is 7 now & is like a kid, just because they're defective you can't give them away. I have just had to learn to deal with her crazy ass, she never goes anywhere. Only the Rotties go in public, the Shepard is neurotic.

[hlthe2b]

36. I agree with you on the Chow behavior tendencies,

but still believe that dog & circumstances should have been investigated/fully evaluated before a decision was made that euthanasia was the only recourse. All which could have been done in a setting that would pose no further threat to anyone.

[pnwmom]

43. The owners gave him up to the County and the County deemed him unadoptable.

I don't blame the owners for their decision.That dog was a walking time bomb.

[OnionPatch]

46. I used to have to read electric meters on houses.

There were no dogs I feared worse than Chows. They were the most likely to come after you and usually it was without warning.

[Warpy]

9. Its owners were dumb shits if they let it roam.

They were probably in a line of dumb shit owners and the dog had been in the shelter revolving door.

[defacto7]

12. Don't underestimate the problem of

seizures that are mostly attributed to wrong breeding practices (thanks to the AKA).

Epilepsy in dogs shows itself in many forms and is epidemic. Pure breeds are the largest culprits. I took in a beautiful happy German Shepard 10 months old very recently with no signs of problems. This dog was learning well and a cuddly happy puppy and we had never heard her even bark. 2 weeks later out of nowhere while on a walk, a very large Mastiff and owner walked by and our dog went into a rage. I had to hold her down as she was rearing on her hind legs and went literally crazy as if she wanted to kill that dog that was 5 times her size. I have had many many dogs and this was unusual. It was a sudden personality change.

2 days later, she went into a bad seizure, 6 hours later she had a grand maul seizure for almost 5 minutes; I thought she was going to die, this one was so intense. Afterward, she bolted screaming and out the door unstoppable. It took maybe 10 minutes speaking her name calmly "Good Scout" and "good girl" and finally she came to me. She no longer recognized me except by smell. Every time she looked at me she balked because she couldn't recognize me. Same with he rest of the family. Within 36 hours, she had 5 seizures that pretty much erased her mind to where she acted like she was a month old with no training or ability to remember us or herself. We put her on Phenobarbital and the seizures lessened but she was hardly able to function and just dragged her legs behind her.

I took her to the adoption center that we got her from and they took her back with a promise not to have her put down. They would either keep her or find a place that would keep special dogs with needs. They also concurred that this was no longer the same dog we had adopted. Her blood work tested OK and toxins were not present. She had serious epilepsy.

It is such a shame when it happens but with the prevalence of epilepsy in pure breeds, the possibility of uncontrollable actions can happen and be injurious.

We miss Scout even so.

[TreasonousBastard]

13. My mother had two dogs like that...

a Lhasa Apso that was was incredible fun most of the time, but had those seizures, often when startled. Put my stepfather in the hospital twice. Finally had to put her down, and that really hurt.

Years later she got a miniature poodle that would be happy being petted until you saw a funny look in her eyes. Then a violent attack. Also had to be put down.

Both were basically good dogs, but vets and trainers all said sometimes there's a "thing" in inbred dogs that just snaps and there's nothing you can do but put down the poor dog suffering with it. Could have been epilepsy, could have something else, but unquestionably a biological problem.

I kept telling her to get a good, healthy mutt form the pound. The first dog I had as a kid came from Bide-a-Wee and lived a long, healthy life. But, no. She knew about puppy mills and used local breeders, but the problem is too widespread.

[defacto7]

62. Yep!

Mutts are much more reliable if your looking for a good family dog. It's a shame what has happened to dog breeds over the years and I have no respect for the mills which are usually filthy, worm ridden and infested. Personally and from experience, I blame AKA for acting like a reputable organization when they just played to the show dog crowd not only allowing the detrimental practices but even promoting them. All you have to do is look at the pedigree certificates showing the lineage of pure breeds to see what they have allowed to pass. Breeders look for a certain look or stance that will get them a good placing in a show. The rest of the litter is either sold, turned loose or killed.

[Trailrider1951]

15. As a dog lover and bicyclist, I can tell you this:

Certain dog breeds have a "herding" instinct. My last dog was an Australian Cattle Dog, a Blue Heeler. From the time he was a couple of months old, he would follow me around and nip at my heels. I had teeth marks in my shoes. No one had to teach him that behavior, he knew it instinctively. Certain breeds are born to herd large animals. That dog look like a mixed breed to me, with perhaps some herding breed in his ancestry.

That said, I don't think that dogs recognize humans on bicycles as people. They may see us as large animals moving quickly, and then the herding instinct kicks in. What stops most of the dogs in their tracks is to stop the bicycle, and say in a loud commanding voice, "Bad dog! Go Home!". That usually works, but I also carry a squirt gun filled with a mixture of white vinegar and water. A bit of this in his face will reinforce the leave-me-alone message, but will not hurt the dog. Also, that cat was awesome! I love cats, too.

[pnwmom]

47. Another article said it was a chow-mix. But I've seen a sheepdog with a herding

instinct, and it was nothing like this. This chow wasn't nipping at the boy's heels. He yanked him off the bike and was shaking him, like a rag.

This looked like prey instinct to me. The dog spotted his prey and went after it.

[tblue37]

56. My daughter has a Aussie Shepherd mix--adopted from a pound at 9 months.

When she first had the dog, the poor baby would get anxious when left at home. Becky would come home and find that Phouka (pronounced "Pooka"--Gaelic for mischievous little imp) had rearranged all her furniture, moving chairs, end tables, pillows, and even a small lightweight couch into the center of the living room. Any books left within her reach--also moved to the middle of the living room.

It's that herding instinct. The dog is driven to "herd" things into a tight, compact grouping. When Phouka got anxious about being left alone at first, she comforted herself by exercising her herding instinct on the furniture.

It was so funny.

Then, when I was describing the collection of furniture in the center of the living room to a friend who also knows a bit about dogs, my friend, without being told a thing about Phouka's breed, said, "Is the dog a herding breed?" Apparently she had also read about that other herding dogs rearranging the furniture..

[boston bean]

18. I don't know. I looked at the little boy and what was done to him

and said to myself, "that dog could have killed him in a moment". That is where my sympathies lie.

Poor kid will probably have a fear of dogs the rest of his life. Some may not realize what type of effect those types of things can have on persons of all ages.

The dog needs to be put to sleep. The victims have a right to live in peace and not in fear of their neighbors dog.

[mrs_p]

20. Do we know the rabies status on the dog?

It may be a contributing factor.

[Blue Diadem]

31. It is sad. The dog is/was only 8 months old.

However, the child wasn't the only one the dog bit that day. I've read in various news articles that the owner and the Mother of the child both received bites and that the dog was still in an aggressive state when Animal Control picked it up. Being a lab/chow mix that dog would have the potential to grow larger too. Our Labs didn't reach full size until nearly 2 yrs old. That dog was already strong enough to drag the child.
I've heard that chows can be aggressive, have only known one for a brief time, a neighbor's dog. I saw it dive through a screen to get to another neighbor's dog, a Rottweiler which had escaped its fenced yard and was on their sidewalk. As the chow's owner stood there shrieking, the dogs were fighting and I shouted the Rottweiler's name. She was so well trained that she stopped, turned and ran across the street to me which gave the owner a chance to grab her snarling chow and drag it inside.
We'll never know what set the dog off, perhaps it was noise from the child's bike, the child singing or talking, or just the movement itself.
I'm just thankful the cat came flying with all claws.

[aikoaiko]

37. With an unprovoked attack like that I think it should be put down.

[geek tragedy]

38. It is very sad that a healthy animal with

a home has to die.

But, this wasn't a case of a kid taunting an animal and getting nipped, or even fleeing and triggering the chase reflex.

The dog stalked a small child and tried to rip his leg off.

There are so many safe, friendly dogs that don't have homes and who get put to sleep. There just isn't room for violent, dangerous ones that try to hurt children.

[davsand]

40. I feel bad for the dog, but I think it should be put down.

That dog was not defending himself, his pack, or even his food. He came up in a driveway that was not "his" and he attacked a human--albeit a little one. There are rare exceptions to all animal behaviors, but to see any dog step that far outside typical dog behaviors indicates (in my opinion, anyway) that the dog has a dangerous issue that most likely will exhibit again.

We lived for years by a house where they had a mini version of a spitz. Beautiful dog, but it was one that if it got loose it'd run the neighborhood and it would bite anything or anybody that it got near. When I was extremely pregnant with our daughter, that dog ran up into my yard and tried to bite me. It just so happened that I was carrying in groceries and I clocked him over the head with a grocery sack with a couple of cans of beans in it. It stunned him enough that I was able to get into the house. That same dog got out a few weeks later and went across to street to an early learning center. I heard later that a couple of the kids were bitten before they could stop the dog.

Just as there are humans that are seriously damaged souls, I believe there are animals that also suffer. We have a criminal justice system to deal with the humans with issues (and we all know that isn't perfect.) We simply do not have an animal version of that except for animal control. Doggie Jail or Doggie Psych Ward just don't exist right now.




Laura

[greatlaurel]

45. Labs are having behavioral problems due to overbreeding.

We have had dogs for decades, one of my dogs now is a purebred yellow lab from a reputable breeder. She has terrible personality problems. We started socializing her as soon as we got her, but as she has gotten older, she has become cowardly and very mean to anyone to whom she is not well acquainted. She would bite a stranger in no time. Fortunately, we live on a farm, so she has no contact with strangers. She is a great watch dog and as gentle as can be with the family. This is the first dog we have ever had that has this type of problem.

A number of workmen and delivery people have told me they have been bitten by labs more than any other dog breed. With that poor dog being a mix of lab and chow, it is no wonder it had behavioral problems. Chows have always been known as pretty territorial and then throw in the lab breeding issues, you have a volatile genetic mix. We love our poor disturbed dog, she is a total sweetheart for the family members and is not a problem for us at all. However, we make sure she is never put in a position to harm anyone. We protect her from people and people from her.

The AKC has encouraged the massive amounts of bad breeding practices and are actively destroying many dog breeds due to these bad practices. It is a disgrace, but making money selling purebred dogs is the only thing that most people in the pet breeding industry are interested in. The whole purebred dog industry needs to stop the massive inbreeding that causes so much suffering for our beloved companions.

[Throd]

48. I am going to have a hamburger for lunch. I bet the cow never attacked anybody.

Unless you're a vegetarian, it is kind of strange to get too worked up about it.

[Cleita]

49. Why was the dog allowed to run loose?

We have a statewide law in California about dogs having to be in fenced enclosures or on leashes at all times even in wilderness areas. It's a law that is often not enforced especially in rural areas or Tea Party paradises like Bakersfield. If the owners had been responsible, if it had owners, this tragedy wouldn't have happened.

I know this because I called our local sheriff's office about dogs running lose in my neighborhood and coming into my garden and digging holes and relieving themselves. They didn't do anything about it and the dogs still running loose. But there is a law on the books that should be enforced.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

53. It wasn't running loose. It slipped out of a fenced yard

when the neighbor opened the gate. There's no indication the owners were at fault or let the dog run loose, and the parents of the child are not blaming them.

[Cleita]

54. Well, that's just sad then. n/t

[herding cats]

57. I know. It broke my heart too.

I saw that the day after the video broke. The dog is only 8 months old and they said it was going to be put to sleep.

I suspect it was because of the wheels. Some dogs are freakish about things like wheels.

I'm terribly sad the dog did what it did to that poor little boy, and think the cat is a real hero.

None of this makes me less sad that a dog that young isn't getting a chance to be rehabilitated. I had a herding dog once which when I adopted him had similar problems. He too was under a year old and I was able to work with him and get him past his issues.

Sometimes the problem is just matching the right dog to the right owner.

[baldguy]

61. +1000

My previous dog had been returned to the shelter three times for being "too aggressive" with children before I got her when she was 6 months old. If I hadn't taken her, she would have been put to death.



Zelda wasn't aggressive - she was energetic & curious - and like a lot of puppies, just a little nippy. A combination her previous owners were either too ignorant or too unprepared to deal with.

I took in a dog who was literally on death row - and in return got one of the best four-legged furry buddies I've ever had. (Don't tell Orchid!)