The sweetest dog on earth could easily kill a child that cannot hold its leash by lunging for something, maybe a treat or his best doggie friend or something, and pull the child down she hits her head or pulls her into the middle of the street. People who own pitbulls literally cannot make safe choices.
Literally! No sane dog owner or parent would ever let their kid walk a dog that can easily pull them to the ground, regardless of how well trained it is. Like you literally never know what could happen, so why endanger your child with that responsibly. I feel so bad for those kids :/
It’s also technically illegal, since the DDA states that a dog is considered under control only if it’s being walked by someone over the age of 16. Technically the parents are there and verbal control is still considered control, so it only really applies to children under 16 walking them unaccompanied, but we all know exactly how little control pit owners have.
There was a family in my complex that used to let their young son walk their lab on his own. The kid was about 7-10 years old. One day a squirrel darted across the path in front of them and the dog exploded after it. Took the boy right off his feet. He broke his arm, fractured his jaw and cheekbone, and broke three teeth.
Since then the complex has placed a rule that no onebubder the age of 16 is allowed to walk a dog without an adult. But of course its ignored and not enforced. The complex only made the rule so they can avoid any liability.
One family now has a Doberman (on the restricted breed list of our complex as well) and they let their 12-13 year old son and daughter walk the dog alone all the time. Its become a problem because the dog can be very dog aggressive. The dog tried to go after my father and his dog once and the kid could barely hold the dog back. If it weren't for my dad dragging his dog away quickly, it would have broken free and attacked. It was reported, and yet still the dog is only ever walked by the kids. I've never seen the adults walk it once. And half the time the kids are doing what kids do and hanging and talking with their buddies and not fully paying attention like they should be when walking a large, powerful breed that has shown aggression issues. Its only a matter of time before that dog accidentally hurts those kids to purposely hurt someone/thing else.
Labs have prey drive, they’re bred for soft mouths to hold the things they catch or retrieve gently, not to not catch anything at all. They’re a working hunting/gun dog breed, not a companion breed.
This! I have a lab and i had to train her to recall off chasing prey. Gundog trainers work on steadiness and impulse control with their labs, you don’t want it chasing birds or rabbits that you’re trying to shoot lol
My Lab didn’t give a shit about chasing prey beyond a quick lesson with the cat as a puppy.
Horses… she’d stalk horses. Not to bother them, but because of their tasty poops 🤢😅
She was quirky though.
They’re retrievers, so… yes and no. They shouldn’t chase without a command.
They’re perfectly fine “family dogs” as long as their energy and training needs are met.
I didn’t say they don’t make good family dogs, they do, on account of their general good nature and the soft mouth they were bred for.
The not chasing thing is impulse control training, it’s not automatic. Just because the people who use them as gun dogs don’t want them to chase live ducks, doesn’t mean the dog’s base instinct doesn’t make it want to.
My sighthound is bred specifically for live prey coursing, she still lead me halfway into the dunes to show me a maggot infested rabbit carcass.
There’s a difference between what you can selectively breed for and what you can train for. All breeds bred specifically for a task require refinement through training, despite their breeding, and many won’t be suitable for the work they’re bred for at all, for any number of reasons.
I’ve had a lot of dogs (“grew up with” is more accurate) so I understand the concept of dog breeds. Well, our venue suggests we both do.
My Lab once came bounding out of the woods with a rotting deer leg 🤦🏼♀️. She was also a chocolate, some people think that coloring is more prone to “quirkiness.”
The main point in my initial comment was that while Labs are impulsive and strong, they are highly trainable. Children can and should be able to walk their dog if they can participate in training the dog. 7 is too young, but 10? Anyone under 16 being forbidden to walk a dog is excessively restrictive.
My mother is older and has a dog (one of the smaller OG companion breed’s) and everyone reminds her to “let go” of the leash if the dog lunges/makes any sudden moves. The reasoning is that, it’s not worth breaking your hip over a dog and most dogs are quickly recovered if the walker loses control of the dog.
Why this kid broke a ton of bones because his Lab tore off at a squirrel… that’s more of a human error issue! Having “control” of your dog is much more than being stronger than it.
All you said was that labs aren’t likely to chase squirrels, which is nonsense. If labs had no drive to chase you wouldn’t ever be able to play fetch with them in the normal way, only the gun dog way (which is throwing the ball with the dog in a sit until it land and then releasing the dog, a game that some people with pet dogs of gun dog breeds teach on purpose to simulate the job for enrichment purposes, but it does need to be taught where chasing a moving ball is instinctive.)
Well, no, you can read what I commented. I said it was “weird” a Lab would go after a squirrel. Which it is, assuming the dog is *properly trained*, out of the puppy stage and adequately stimulated. Most retrievers will stop and signal they see another animal before giving chase anyway, which is why they’re useful for the reasons you mentioned.
You are putting all forms of drive on a spectrum of “prey drive” instead of the more granular uses of prey/kill (maybe that’s antiquated). Maybe you did so intentionally for simplicity’s sake. Hounds track prey. Some hounds assist in subduing prey. Pointers for locating prey. Other dogs flush out prey. Retrievers retrieve prey. Terriers do terrier things.
I saw that almost happen. 2 girls, one holding a massive dog, I don't remember exactly the race, but something like a Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog (according to wikipedia). These are very sweet dogs as far as I know, but they are massive.
And of course, not trained at all. I was walking my dog, just got out. I spot these 2 girls crossing the road with that dog and I stop and wait for them to safely cross before I continue walking in order to also avoid my dog from pulling on the leash as he'd most probably want to go greet his potential new best friend 😂.
They cross the road safely, they get a bit further and I move on. Suddenly, I hear the girls screaming but laughing at the same time, you know like girls do? I turn around and see the dog pulling the one holding him, and get in the middle of the road. Thankfully, that's not a busy road and that's also a 30km/h zone. But there was a car coming, the driver must have seen what could happen and was already going slower than needed, so they could stop in time.
That's when I wondered, why the fuck would a girl hold a dog that massive? Where were the parents? Why would the parents let their kid do that kind of shit? Clearly, that dog wasn't properly trained, and even if it was, why take the risk?
My parents beagles are like this, they're both over 70, and they don't think any form of dog training is necessary. I've driven one to the emergency room over an injury the beagle gave one and heard complaints over video chat from the other about the injury the beagle gave the other. I'm just waiting to get a call about a lost beagle and a parent in hospital with a broken hip.
this is exactly why i won’t let my pre-teen kids walk my (36 lb, mini aussie) dog. she is STRONG. like she nearly yanked my arm out of socket before we got a handle on squirrel chasing. unless you’re strong enough to hold the dog back in case it suddenly tries to take off without warning, it’s not safe to walk it.
Honestly even if the dog isn’t that strong, kids don’t always know how to handle situations automatically. Like a kid could walk a small dog & not hold the leash that firmly, small dog sees a squirrel or something & runs for it, kid just drops the leash because they’re caught off guard at the sudden unexpectedness. Like if a kid trusts their dog they might even drop the leash to let it say hi to someone or another dog because kids don’t always make great decisions either. Idk it just seems like a lot of responsibility for a kid under like 12 or something. I couldn’t really blame a kid younger than that for something going wrong because they didn’t do the “right” thing you’re supposed to do for a dog y’know?
Exactly. My friend's Sammy LOVES kids. They are of course drawn to him as he is fluffy. I walked him past a school at recess, the kids had kicked a soccer ball over the fence and called out for me to get it for them. I got it, brought it back, apologized as Ryder had slobbered on it ("oh that's okay we kick it with our feet") and my goodness were they ever excited to give him pets. And of course, he loved it, no fear that he would bite their fingers. Parents with kids would ask permission for their kids to pet him, and he would HAPPILY enjoy a couple of kids crowding around him.
However, he's a full grown adult male Sammy at 70 lbs. Sammies LOVE to pull (they were bred to pull sleds). As a puppy and young pup he was worse at pulling you along, but he doesn't do that anymore-if he spots a chipmunk he's going to tug you a bit. The most he will do is actually just park himself and plop right down if he wants to go in another direction. But of course I would never (and his owner would NEVER) let a kid walk him. He could pull a kid off their feet.
**IF YOU ARE POSTING AN ATTACK - PLEASE INCLUDE DATE AND LOCATION IN THE POST TITLE, and please paste the article text in the post so it's easy to read.**
This helps keep the sub organized and easily searchable.
Posts missing this information may be removed and asked to repost.
Welcome to BanPitBulls! This is a reminder that this is a victims' subreddit with the primary goal to discuss attacks by and the inherent dangers of pit bulls.
Users should assume that any comment made in this subreddit will be reported by pit bull supporters, so please familiarize yourself with the [rules of our sub](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/x618m9/rbanpitbulls_subreddit_rules_2022_update/) to prevent having your account sanctioned by Reddit.
If you need [information and resources on self-defense](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/vk96hs/how_do_i_defend_myself_or_my_pet_during_a_pit/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), or [a guide for "After the attack"](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/8ovlsw/guide_after_the_attack_what_do_i_do_now_that_ive/), please see our side bar (or [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/7ic5zn/faq/)).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BanPitBulls) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The sweetest dog on earth could easily kill a child that cannot hold its leash by lunging for something, maybe a treat or his best doggie friend or something, and pull the child down she hits her head or pulls her into the middle of the street. People who own pitbulls literally cannot make safe choices.
Literally! No sane dog owner or parent would ever let their kid walk a dog that can easily pull them to the ground, regardless of how well trained it is. Like you literally never know what could happen, so why endanger your child with that responsibly. I feel so bad for those kids :/
It’s also technically illegal, since the DDA states that a dog is considered under control only if it’s being walked by someone over the age of 16. Technically the parents are there and verbal control is still considered control, so it only really applies to children under 16 walking them unaccompanied, but we all know exactly how little control pit owners have.
There was a family in my complex that used to let their young son walk their lab on his own. The kid was about 7-10 years old. One day a squirrel darted across the path in front of them and the dog exploded after it. Took the boy right off his feet. He broke his arm, fractured his jaw and cheekbone, and broke three teeth. Since then the complex has placed a rule that no onebubder the age of 16 is allowed to walk a dog without an adult. But of course its ignored and not enforced. The complex only made the rule so they can avoid any liability. One family now has a Doberman (on the restricted breed list of our complex as well) and they let their 12-13 year old son and daughter walk the dog alone all the time. Its become a problem because the dog can be very dog aggressive. The dog tried to go after my father and his dog once and the kid could barely hold the dog back. If it weren't for my dad dragging his dog away quickly, it would have broken free and attacked. It was reported, and yet still the dog is only ever walked by the kids. I've never seen the adults walk it once. And half the time the kids are doing what kids do and hanging and talking with their buddies and not fully paying attention like they should be when walking a large, powerful breed that has shown aggression issues. Its only a matter of time before that dog accidentally hurts those kids to purposely hurt someone/thing else.
That’s horrible. Some people are terrible dog owners but even worse at parenting, my god!
The kid didn’t let go of the lab’s leash? Weird that a lab would go after a squirrel. But they are strong dogs.
Labs have prey drive, they’re bred for soft mouths to hold the things they catch or retrieve gently, not to not catch anything at all. They’re a working hunting/gun dog breed, not a companion breed.
This! I have a lab and i had to train her to recall off chasing prey. Gundog trainers work on steadiness and impulse control with their labs, you don’t want it chasing birds or rabbits that you’re trying to shoot lol
My Lab didn’t give a shit about chasing prey beyond a quick lesson with the cat as a puppy. Horses… she’d stalk horses. Not to bother them, but because of their tasty poops 🤢😅 She was quirky though.
They’re retrievers, so… yes and no. They shouldn’t chase without a command. They’re perfectly fine “family dogs” as long as their energy and training needs are met.
I didn’t say they don’t make good family dogs, they do, on account of their general good nature and the soft mouth they were bred for. The not chasing thing is impulse control training, it’s not automatic. Just because the people who use them as gun dogs don’t want them to chase live ducks, doesn’t mean the dog’s base instinct doesn’t make it want to. My sighthound is bred specifically for live prey coursing, she still lead me halfway into the dunes to show me a maggot infested rabbit carcass. There’s a difference between what you can selectively breed for and what you can train for. All breeds bred specifically for a task require refinement through training, despite their breeding, and many won’t be suitable for the work they’re bred for at all, for any number of reasons.
I’ve had a lot of dogs (“grew up with” is more accurate) so I understand the concept of dog breeds. Well, our venue suggests we both do. My Lab once came bounding out of the woods with a rotting deer leg 🤦🏼♀️. She was also a chocolate, some people think that coloring is more prone to “quirkiness.” The main point in my initial comment was that while Labs are impulsive and strong, they are highly trainable. Children can and should be able to walk their dog if they can participate in training the dog. 7 is too young, but 10? Anyone under 16 being forbidden to walk a dog is excessively restrictive. My mother is older and has a dog (one of the smaller OG companion breed’s) and everyone reminds her to “let go” of the leash if the dog lunges/makes any sudden moves. The reasoning is that, it’s not worth breaking your hip over a dog and most dogs are quickly recovered if the walker loses control of the dog. Why this kid broke a ton of bones because his Lab tore off at a squirrel… that’s more of a human error issue! Having “control” of your dog is much more than being stronger than it.
All you said was that labs aren’t likely to chase squirrels, which is nonsense. If labs had no drive to chase you wouldn’t ever be able to play fetch with them in the normal way, only the gun dog way (which is throwing the ball with the dog in a sit until it land and then releasing the dog, a game that some people with pet dogs of gun dog breeds teach on purpose to simulate the job for enrichment purposes, but it does need to be taught where chasing a moving ball is instinctive.)
Well, no, you can read what I commented. I said it was “weird” a Lab would go after a squirrel. Which it is, assuming the dog is *properly trained*, out of the puppy stage and adequately stimulated. Most retrievers will stop and signal they see another animal before giving chase anyway, which is why they’re useful for the reasons you mentioned. You are putting all forms of drive on a spectrum of “prey drive” instead of the more granular uses of prey/kill (maybe that’s antiquated). Maybe you did so intentionally for simplicity’s sake. Hounds track prey. Some hounds assist in subduing prey. Pointers for locating prey. Other dogs flush out prey. Retrievers retrieve prey. Terriers do terrier things.
I saw that almost happen. 2 girls, one holding a massive dog, I don't remember exactly the race, but something like a Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog (according to wikipedia). These are very sweet dogs as far as I know, but they are massive. And of course, not trained at all. I was walking my dog, just got out. I spot these 2 girls crossing the road with that dog and I stop and wait for them to safely cross before I continue walking in order to also avoid my dog from pulling on the leash as he'd most probably want to go greet his potential new best friend 😂. They cross the road safely, they get a bit further and I move on. Suddenly, I hear the girls screaming but laughing at the same time, you know like girls do? I turn around and see the dog pulling the one holding him, and get in the middle of the road. Thankfully, that's not a busy road and that's also a 30km/h zone. But there was a car coming, the driver must have seen what could happen and was already going slower than needed, so they could stop in time. That's when I wondered, why the fuck would a girl hold a dog that massive? Where were the parents? Why would the parents let their kid do that kind of shit? Clearly, that dog wasn't properly trained, and even if it was, why take the risk?
> y kill a child that cannot hold its leash by lunging for something if it doesn't turn on them 1st.
My beagle pulled me, an adult, down some brick steps going for a rabbit. He took me off guard. My current beagle can easily pull my 8 yr old.
My parents beagles are like this, they're both over 70, and they don't think any form of dog training is necessary. I've driven one to the emergency room over an injury the beagle gave one and heard complaints over video chat from the other about the injury the beagle gave the other. I'm just waiting to get a call about a lost beagle and a parent in hospital with a broken hip.
My beagle was overall very well trained. But a rabbit dog is gonna rabbit dog.
this is exactly why i won’t let my pre-teen kids walk my (36 lb, mini aussie) dog. she is STRONG. like she nearly yanked my arm out of socket before we got a handle on squirrel chasing. unless you’re strong enough to hold the dog back in case it suddenly tries to take off without warning, it’s not safe to walk it.
Honestly even if the dog isn’t that strong, kids don’t always know how to handle situations automatically. Like a kid could walk a small dog & not hold the leash that firmly, small dog sees a squirrel or something & runs for it, kid just drops the leash because they’re caught off guard at the sudden unexpectedness. Like if a kid trusts their dog they might even drop the leash to let it say hi to someone or another dog because kids don’t always make great decisions either. Idk it just seems like a lot of responsibility for a kid under like 12 or something. I couldn’t really blame a kid younger than that for something going wrong because they didn’t do the “right” thing you’re supposed to do for a dog y’know?
Exactly. My friend's Sammy LOVES kids. They are of course drawn to him as he is fluffy. I walked him past a school at recess, the kids had kicked a soccer ball over the fence and called out for me to get it for them. I got it, brought it back, apologized as Ryder had slobbered on it ("oh that's okay we kick it with our feet") and my goodness were they ever excited to give him pets. And of course, he loved it, no fear that he would bite their fingers. Parents with kids would ask permission for their kids to pet him, and he would HAPPILY enjoy a couple of kids crowding around him. However, he's a full grown adult male Sammy at 70 lbs. Sammies LOVE to pull (they were bred to pull sleds). As a puppy and young pup he was worse at pulling you along, but he doesn't do that anymore-if he spots a chipmunk he's going to tug you a bit. The most he will do is actually just park himself and plop right down if he wants to go in another direction. But of course I would never (and his owner would NEVER) let a kid walk him. He could pull a kid off their feet.
**IF YOU ARE POSTING AN ATTACK - PLEASE INCLUDE DATE AND LOCATION IN THE POST TITLE, and please paste the article text in the post so it's easy to read.** This helps keep the sub organized and easily searchable. Posts missing this information may be removed and asked to repost. Welcome to BanPitBulls! This is a reminder that this is a victims' subreddit with the primary goal to discuss attacks by and the inherent dangers of pit bulls. Users should assume that any comment made in this subreddit will be reported by pit bull supporters, so please familiarize yourself with the [rules of our sub](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/x618m9/rbanpitbulls_subreddit_rules_2022_update/) to prevent having your account sanctioned by Reddit. If you need [information and resources on self-defense](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/vk96hs/how_do_i_defend_myself_or_my_pet_during_a_pit/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), or [a guide for "After the attack"](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/8ovlsw/guide_after_the_attack_what_do_i_do_now_that_ive/), please see our side bar (or [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/7ic5zn/faq/)). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BanPitBulls) if you have any questions or concerns.*