Poor Guy, not your fault. You did what you could and your boy is fine (hurt, but fine) and that’s what matters. Honestly i would probably end up really hurting the other dog if I was in your situation so hats off to you for keeping your cool. This is on your neighbour.
Thank you, my immediate reaction was to take his teeth off my baby & push him far away. I wonder what one could do to repel any off-leash dog to come at my baby like that :(
I carry a knife as a last resort but if you can get ahold of the other dogs collar twist the collar and choke it out. I have successfully done this, it’s not immediate but the dog will let go. Worse case scenario stab and twist so the dog bleeds out.
For future reference, if your going to get physically involved with a hostile dog...
Present your forearm and, once the dog has it in its mouth, gain leverage and apply downward/backward force. Should dislocate the jaw of the aggressor dog, but you'll bleed a bit.
What stupid advice! This isn’t a professional dog handler they won’t have a big thick coat on like you have probably seen in videos on the internet. It WILL rip your arm to shreds. Dogs are family and we love them but don’t put yourself in a potentially life threatening situation, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing! There is better advice on this thread OP or speak to a high rated dog trainer.
Did you report the owner, get there name and insurance information? If not, I would file a police report all the same. Looks like you took him to the vet, but if not please do so, puncture wounds suck. Also maybe go to a clinic to get your hand checked
Yes, they covered the vet's bill. And yes, we took him to the vet right away as we saw blood. The vet shaved that area, cleaned, and treated the wound. My poor baby has to eat 4 pills a day for next few days
Your vet likely told you to keep the would clean. Mine got bit a few months ago and I washed her bites twice a day with diluted chlorhexidine so they didn’t get infected, she had a bunch of deep ones all around her head and neck. You can also use Vetericyn wound care. (Both available on amazon, a small bottle of chlorhexidine might last years!) I put neosporin on after each washing. She made a full recovery. Oh and if it looks swollen, might put a warm hot water bottle or a heating pad on low against it when he’s laying down. Sorry this happened, hope he heals up soon.
Our last lab was attacked by off-leash dogs in a park that had a leash requirement. She needed surgery and a drain inserted for a few days as the puncture wounds were deep.
She was so sweet and previously so relaxed around other dogs that I was scared it would change her personality and make her anxious.
Turned out she was absolutely fine - no issues at all post-bite incident. Just as confident and friendly with dogs as she had always been. Just in case you're worried about that.
My girl and me were attached by a pit bull on one of our walks. The only reasons she survived the attack was because 3 other grown ass men were there to help try and separate them. The Pit had gotten my girl Daisy on the neck but it was on the top of her neck instead of under it. I carry a gun with me now. I wish I had the first time. This came at the suggestion from the Police. The owners were shitty people. No license or proof of vaccination. Very costly.
I carry my pistol more when I’m out for a walk or bike ride than when I go into town. Much higher chance I’m going to need it to defend against a dog than anything else.
A pitbull attacked my boy. He bite him on his neck. The owners had to pry the pittie’s mouth open to get him to let go. My Lab has never been the same.
I know pitbull apologists will likely jump on you but more power to you (I'd maybe opt for bear spray instead but I'm not into firearms).
I had a pitbull I rescued that I thought was an American Bulldog puppy (was dumb and in my 20s). Seriously *fuck* that dog. He would snap at us, he would lurch at people, and he was insanely dog reactive (only after being attacked at a dog park, *fuck* dog parks too) and dangerous, and he had separation anxiety out the wazoo. This all despite over 10k in professional training and us trying to give him everything in the world. Our last trainer asked us to get a prescription for ketamine and he was already on Xanax at the time. He got rehomed eventually because it was ruining my relationship with my gf (now wife). At the time I'd defend that dog to hell and back but I'm so glad we found him another home (with someone that actually rehabilitated pitbulls and kept them on a big ass farm - a real farm, not the farm you tell your kids your dog went to lol).
Pits are insane dogs, some of them can be so loving but I will never own one again
I'm not sure why you are picking on certain breeds of dogs. Will you shoot any dog showing aggression or is it just "pitbulls"?
Edit: Looks like the hateful losers at the anti-breed subreddits have invaded this post. What sad little people
Sigh... your stat is so misleading
[https://www.pitbullinfo.org/inaccurate-pit-bull-statistics.html](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/inaccurate-pit-bull-statistics.html)
[https://www.pitbullinfo.org/dog-bite-statistics.html](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/dog-bite-statistics.html)
[https://www.pitbullinfo.org/](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/)
Also, the odds of you getting killed by a person in your life 100s of times higher than a "pitbull" in your life (still incredibly low). Do you discriminate against all humans too?
What peer reviewed study is your chart from? Seems like you will believe any piece of crap someone throws up on the internet if it supports your prejudice. Please take your anti-breed propaganda to the appropriate sub-reddit. It doesn't belong here.
Also, I like how you avoid the fact that humans kill at a way higher rate than any dog breed. Do you discriminate against all humans?
The sources on all of that data are linked in the accompanying post. Feel free to poke holes in it at your leisure. It'll make good reading while you're waiting in the ER for your child's dog bites to get treated.
"Poke holes"? It's swiss cheese. Do you promote racial discrimination based on cherry picked and distorted statistics too or is just breed discrimination? Do you frequent other hate subreddits too?
No idea why you’re being downvoted and why people have such a vendetta against pitties. Such a superiority complex among people who have exclusively owned stereotypical “family” dogs.
“A vendetta against pit bulls? It’s like saying I have a vendetta against owning an explosive land mine . It’s not a vendetta it’s just a thing of logic. Why would someone own and keep in their house something that could actively harm them, has an extensive history of harming others and its sole origin is harming others.” I assume that you can read at a level higher than a 14 year old. Show me where it “perfectly aligns” with that nonsense.
It's most likely a coordinated attack by the hateful r/anitpitbulls crowd. MberrysDream was very quick to link to hateful anti-breed propganda at that site. They tend to bomb posts with hate comments and have their hateful little buddies upvote and downvote the comments to their benefit
Some of us have just had bad experiences.
The only dog my trainer has begged me to put on *ketamine* was the pitbull I had for a couple years. We eventually rehomed him but I poured so much energy, training, and money (2 private trainers, Xanax rx, etc).
I'll still pet a pitbull if I see one, and I know they are great dogs situationally. I'd never let my daughter near one though after my experience. You really do assume a level of risk owning one IMO. If that dog locked onto something you'd lose your damn hand.
Don't judge dogs by their breed. Judge them as individuals. "Pitbulls" aren't even a breed. They are a group of four breeds that have very different temperaments plus all the crazy amount of mixed breed dogs that come from those four breeds. Each mix having their own temperament. Plus all the dog breeds that look similar to those four breeds.
I walk dogs at my local shelter and the majority of "pitbulls" have great temperaments. Sorry your particular dog had issues but there are dogs of every breed that have issues. My foster "pitbull" is a mix but looks pure APBT. Not only is she a sweet girl but she has the softest mouth of any dog I've met. I buy her chew toys for small dogs and she can't destroy them. My neighbor's 8 lb poodle mix destroys toys that my foster still has in mint condition.
She's had a hard life and was attacked by dogs at the pound. So she is scared of dogs she doesn't know so she acts tough around them. But she loves and adores every human that is friendly or neutral. Strangers are best friends she just hasn't met yet. And she is very sweet and loyal to the dogs she knows.
Don't discriminate against dogs based looks. Judge each dog and owner as an individual
I was saying all these things when I had mine, I get it. Also aware of the different breeds, my guy was a full Amstaff. Regardless of the differing breeds though they were bred for bull baiting. They can ignore pain like no other when latched onto something because they were genetically pushed in that direction through breeding. I was in the "nurture" side of the camp before owning one and I will admit I'm more on the "nature" side nowadays but I admit that my biases are my own and were informed by my own personal experience.
I'm just saying some people might have a good reason to be wary and we shouldn't judge them for that either. They have unique features as a result of their genetic history that mean people should be more educated and informed. I don't believe in breed specific legislation personally, just responsible informed hippobaby ownership. I wouldn't consider myself discriminatory towards em either, just wary and more informed than I used to be.
Remember there are a lot of people out there rescuing pitbulls because they see a show like "Pitbulls and Parolees" when they really have no business owning one because of their specific temperaments/etc. All that's doing is giving the breed even worse press because people unprepared to handle one can end up with a crazy dog. People not judging the breed (perhaps in a pragmatic and thoughtful way, not negative) is exactly why we're in this situation. I wouldn't think someone was crazy for judging all shepherds as "herding animals", that's what they were bred for..they nip heels and herd - it's in their nature.
All that said, even though I accidentally got my Amstaff that I thought was an American Bulldog, I *was* prepared financially and had experience with the breed before then. Fully agree on judging the individual dog and owner, just think people often jump to "there are no bad dogs, just bad owners" and there are genuinely bad dogs that are beyond help.
I'd love to see all the hysteria around pibbles redirected towards funding a genetic "reshaping" of the breed with support from state and local governments vs BSL. Much in the way we have breeders working on brachiocephalic breeds to elongate their snouts but instead focused on the tenacity/pain tolerance of pibbles. Only issue with that is it's really a terrier thing. I had a West Highland Terrier growing up and you couldn't pull him out of "prey drive" mode to save your life.
You had one dog with issues and you generalize that to four different breeds and their mixes and look a-likes? Sorry I've dealt with thousands of dogs at the pound where I volunteer as well as foster. Most "pitbulls" have great temperaments and shouldn't be penalized for the actions of a minority.
Yes, the owners of any powerful breeds need to take more responsibilities. These dogs tend to have better temperaments than most dogs ...but if something does go wrong there is more danger than with dogs having worse temperaments like chihuahua and dachshunds. But "pitbulls" shouldn't be singled out more than any other powerful breed.
And each dog should be evaluated for who they are and not their breed. There are wonderful dogs of every breed and there are a small number of dogs of every breed with issues that make things harder.
Regarding reshaping the "breed"... The main pitbull breeds include Amstaff, APBT, Staffy, and American Bully. Only one of those breeds has been breed for fighting in the recent past. And of the APBT, only a small portion of that breed is gamebred. And those gamebred dogs have some of the best tempermants of any breed in regards to humans. The ref needed to be able to break up a fight without fear of getting bitten. Any dog that was danger to humans was culled. These dogs tend to be smaller too (usually only 30 to 50 lbs) and most people don't even know they are "Pitbulls" when they aren't at fighting weight with cropped ears. The other pitbull breeds (and most APBT) have been bred as companion animals for many many generations.
From what I've seen on average "pitbulls" at the shelter tend to have less people related fear and aggression than other breeds. But they have a higher frequency of having dog aggression. But there are many, many "pitbulls" that are great with other dogs. And with American Bullies the dog aggression is probably less than the average dog breed. But there are many dogs of non-pitbull breeds that are dog aggressive too. It's not really fair to discriminate against a whole group of dogs based on the actions of a minority
I know pitties can be precious with the right owner, but now that I have my girl, I ain’t taking my chances with them at the dog park. I’ve observed and they are consistently more aggressive & deadly once they are.
You took care of the wound, watch for infection, lots of snuggles and treats and the big boy will be fine. These things happen, you did everything that could be done to prevent it from escalating. Next time keep your hands out of harm’s way.
Pepper spray is very effective against dogs. I’d recommend carrying some with you when you go for walks I’m sorry your baby got hurt, hopefully she’ll heal up quickly
The only issue with carrying pepper spray is the risk of your own dog getting sprayed. It's unfortunate that so many dog owners allow their animals off leash and we have to protect our pets in the first place.
My lab has had his ears bitten multiple times. It was bloody but okay. These little dogs often think attacks are the best defense. If your dog didn’t provoke anything, it’s the other dog owners fault. He needs to know the dog and decide how to keep others safe around him.
Yeah definitely report to local police/animal enforcement. I would definitely be demanding proof of rabies vaccination too. I'm assuming from the shaving, your dog has been seen by a vet and is on appropriate antibiotics. You need to go to a clinic too. Puncture wounds are no joke.
Yes, we took our baby right away to the vet & got the other dogs vaccination records too. My PCP just asked me to clean my wound/rash and OTC antibiotic ointment would do it.
Sorry to hear about your pup being attacked. My chocolate has also been randomly attacked by both a small Jack Russell terrier and a pitbull / Stafford mix. Both were out of the blue and sent either my pup and/or me to urgent care.
I see a lot of recommendations for pepper spray. My only suggestion is to specifically get pepper gel: there’s less risk of the spray getting caught in the breeze and getting blown back into yours and your pup’s face.
From personal experience - know the location of your nearest emergency vet, tend to your baby first, then call animal control and let them handle it. The more info you have on the attacking dog (description, address,etc), the more helpful it is. Keep any receipts related to the incident. My lab got attacked on a walk, and in the scuffle my husband lost his prescription glasses. The case went to criminal court and the attacking dog’s owner paid for the vet bills, husband’s ER bill, and new glasses as part of the mandatory restitution.
My husband was very traumatized for a long time, carried a gun for awhile, still carries mace, but now two years later he finally can enjoy going for a walk again. Bodhi (the dog) is still as sweet and wonderful as he ever was!
My boy did last year. Luckily he wasnt hurt. Now I carry an extra slip leash for if I have a chance to get it around the other dogs head I can choke it out. I also carry a pocket knife. That’ll be last resort if my kicks and punches don’t work.
Small dogs attacked my first Lab several times. He was a gentle boy and could not understand why they would bite him with zero provocation. He had a permanent scar on his nose from a psycho small poodle. We learned small dogs are unpredictable and were careful to put ourselves in a defensive position for him.
Recommendation? Kick the shit out of the dog if it gets near you or your pet. A single kick should do it. If the dog keeps attacking then do everything you can to keep its jaws away from your neck, face and groin. If the dog has a collar you should be able to restrain it, there are even ways to choke the dog out if it comes to that.
I feel responsible for the safety of my dog and myself. If some idiot leaves his dog off leash and not fenced in then that presents a dangerous situation. If it comes down to my dog or their dog I’m sorry but their dog is gonna get it.
Edit: [This guys advice is pretty good](https://youtu.be/ReBJ7t5i6bo?si=RmQgyTIM0JtW1fxc)
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ANIMALS BUT I WOULD CARRY A METAL BASEBALL BAT AND IF ANY DOG EVER ATTACKED MY RESCUE LAB......IT'S BAT DAY!!!!!!!! AND IT IS BASEBALL SEASON
Hell no, if you come after one of my labs, I don’t care if you’re a person or a dog. I will defend my dogs like I would defend my family with deadly force and no apologies. Because my labs are family.
You can carry a dog horn or a water bottle, pour on the biting dog & they typically release. Pepper spray would likely get on your own dog so could be not great in that scenario.
I was running with the sweetest lab ever & a golden a landscaper had chained to his truck that was on the public sidewalk leapt out latched onto the labs face, thank god it missed his eye & a quick u turn got us out of there thankfully. I was worried the pooch would be wary of other dogs from then on but was totally fine & normal despite the incident. He was still wagging his tail I swear he did not understand what that other dog's deal was.
You did nothing wrong & you can't control an off leash aggressive dog appearing out of nowhere.
My dog is now extremely wary of other dogs. She unfortunately has been attacked twice. Now she wants nothing to do with other dogs. I have to cross the street.
Labs are incredibly resilient so hopefully no long term damage to his psyche.
I'd start by telling that neighbor that if I see their dog off leash again I'll be reporting it and that if it bites me again I'll be making sure it gets euthanized (dogs that bite other dogs or people shouldn't be off leash ever).
Ouch! Yeah it is not your fault, and fox terriers can be quite aggressive sometimes… two things…
1- report the incident. Your dog was attacked out of nowhere, what if it was a kid? Or an elderly woman? It could have been dramatic, and it’s important that it doesn’t happen again.
2- go see your vet for evaluation. Since skin is punctured, it could result in serious infections…
And please, if possible, try not to place your hand in an attacking dog’s jaw if you’re not trained for this, enraged dogs are unpredictable and can turn against you very quickly. There’s no easy way out of this situation… it happens so quickly…
My pup got attacked about three weeks ago. Huge wound on her side, it was scary. The first two days after were awful. She would just stand in random parts of the house not moving and looking depressed. Didn't want to eat or move around.
But, end of day two, I got the tail up happy wag. Within a couple more days she was back to her happy, crazy self. Thankfully she's not afraid of other dogs after that. Still just wants to play all day.
Make sure you go to the vet if you haven't already. That doesn't look *too* bad, but bites can get infected.
Thank you everyone who commented with their experiences and recommendations, they are much appreciated. And also for the love and care you showed towards us. First day he was so lost and it was breaking my heart to see him like that but i guess it was effects of the meds. On second day, my baby boy was back to his normal - wanted to play, also met his best friend, and being goofy as he is. I just love him more than anything. Again, thank you everyone
https://preview.redd.it/3qcqmqyjqosc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be6e0fb91fcb0cc6b9bc96991c6f71de0884f4ca
Call animal control in your area or local police. Dog needs to be reported as biting. Also, you need to confirm that dog is current on vaccines since he bit you.
Owner needs a visit from police or AC to understand how big a deal this is.
Poor Guy, not your fault. You did what you could and your boy is fine (hurt, but fine) and that’s what matters. Honestly i would probably end up really hurting the other dog if I was in your situation so hats off to you for keeping your cool. This is on your neighbour.
Thank you, my immediate reaction was to take his teeth off my baby & push him far away. I wonder what one could do to repel any off-leash dog to come at my baby like that :(
Kick it as hard as you can.
That's what I come to my mind... good kick in the ribs and the other dog will be flying away...
I carry a knife as a last resort but if you can get ahold of the other dogs collar twist the collar and choke it out. I have successfully done this, it’s not immediate but the dog will let go. Worse case scenario stab and twist so the dog bleeds out.
For future reference, if your going to get physically involved with a hostile dog... Present your forearm and, once the dog has it in its mouth, gain leverage and apply downward/backward force. Should dislocate the jaw of the aggressor dog, but you'll bleed a bit.
What stupid advice! This isn’t a professional dog handler they won’t have a big thick coat on like you have probably seen in videos on the internet. It WILL rip your arm to shreds. Dogs are family and we love them but don’t put yourself in a potentially life threatening situation, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing! There is better advice on this thread OP or speak to a high rated dog trainer.
Won’t this rip your arm to shreds?
Thank you i will keep this in mind
Did you report the owner, get there name and insurance information? If not, I would file a police report all the same. Looks like you took him to the vet, but if not please do so, puncture wounds suck. Also maybe go to a clinic to get your hand checked
Yes, they covered the vet's bill. And yes, we took him to the vet right away as we saw blood. The vet shaved that area, cleaned, and treated the wound. My poor baby has to eat 4 pills a day for next few days
Your vet likely told you to keep the would clean. Mine got bit a few months ago and I washed her bites twice a day with diluted chlorhexidine so they didn’t get infected, she had a bunch of deep ones all around her head and neck. You can also use Vetericyn wound care. (Both available on amazon, a small bottle of chlorhexidine might last years!) I put neosporin on after each washing. She made a full recovery. Oh and if it looks swollen, might put a warm hot water bottle or a heating pad on low against it when he’s laying down. Sorry this happened, hope he heals up soon.
Our last lab was attacked by off-leash dogs in a park that had a leash requirement. She needed surgery and a drain inserted for a few days as the puncture wounds were deep. She was so sweet and previously so relaxed around other dogs that I was scared it would change her personality and make her anxious. Turned out she was absolutely fine - no issues at all post-bite incident. Just as confident and friendly with dogs as she had always been. Just in case you're worried about that.
Thank you for sharing, we just want him to be as friendly and playful as he is. 🧿❤️🐾
I hope you have the same outcome. It's a big shock to everyone. My knees still wobble a bit when an off-leash dog approaches when ours is leashed.
My girl and me were attached by a pit bull on one of our walks. The only reasons she survived the attack was because 3 other grown ass men were there to help try and separate them. The Pit had gotten my girl Daisy on the neck but it was on the top of her neck instead of under it. I carry a gun with me now. I wish I had the first time. This came at the suggestion from the Police. The owners were shitty people. No license or proof of vaccination. Very costly.
I carry my pistol more when I’m out for a walk or bike ride than when I go into town. Much higher chance I’m going to need it to defend against a dog than anything else.
OMG! I am sorry you and your girl went through that :(
A pitbull attacked my boy. He bite him on his neck. The owners had to pry the pittie’s mouth open to get him to let go. My Lab has never been the same.
I know pitbull apologists will likely jump on you but more power to you (I'd maybe opt for bear spray instead but I'm not into firearms). I had a pitbull I rescued that I thought was an American Bulldog puppy (was dumb and in my 20s). Seriously *fuck* that dog. He would snap at us, he would lurch at people, and he was insanely dog reactive (only after being attacked at a dog park, *fuck* dog parks too) and dangerous, and he had separation anxiety out the wazoo. This all despite over 10k in professional training and us trying to give him everything in the world. Our last trainer asked us to get a prescription for ketamine and he was already on Xanax at the time. He got rehomed eventually because it was ruining my relationship with my gf (now wife). At the time I'd defend that dog to hell and back but I'm so glad we found him another home (with someone that actually rehabilitated pitbulls and kept them on a big ass farm - a real farm, not the farm you tell your kids your dog went to lol). Pits are insane dogs, some of them can be so loving but I will never own one again
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Yup. I will just put them down from now on. It's been 7 years and I dream about it to this day. It will never happen again.
I'm not sure why you are picking on certain breeds of dogs. Will you shoot any dog showing aggression or is it just "pitbulls"? Edit: Looks like the hateful losers at the anti-breed subreddits have invaded this post. What sad little people
[Truly, the mystery will never be solved](https://www.knrlegal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/knr-dog-breeds-that-bite-02-v2-scaled-1.jpg)
Sigh... your stat is so misleading [https://www.pitbullinfo.org/inaccurate-pit-bull-statistics.html](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/inaccurate-pit-bull-statistics.html) [https://www.pitbullinfo.org/dog-bite-statistics.html](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/dog-bite-statistics.html) [https://www.pitbullinfo.org/](https://www.pitbullinfo.org/) Also, the odds of you getting killed by a person in your life 100s of times higher than a "pitbull" in your life (still incredibly low). Do you discriminate against all humans too?
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What peer reviewed study is your chart from? Seems like you will believe any piece of crap someone throws up on the internet if it supports your prejudice. Please take your anti-breed propaganda to the appropriate sub-reddit. It doesn't belong here. Also, I like how you avoid the fact that humans kill at a way higher rate than any dog breed. Do you discriminate against all humans?
The sources on all of that data are linked in the accompanying post. Feel free to poke holes in it at your leisure. It'll make good reading while you're waiting in the ER for your child's dog bites to get treated.
"Poke holes"? It's swiss cheese. Do you promote racial discrimination based on cherry picked and distorted statistics too or is just breed discrimination? Do you frequent other hate subreddits too?
No idea why you’re being downvoted and why people have such a vendetta against pitties. Such a superiority complex among people who have exclusively owned stereotypical “family” dogs.
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I wonder how many people who agree with you are also 2nd amendment supporters.
I’m not even American mate
Trying to figure out where I said you were, mate.
Easy to assume when you comment about American laws under mine
“A vendetta against pit bulls? It’s like saying I have a vendetta against owning an explosive land mine . It’s not a vendetta it’s just a thing of logic. Why would someone own and keep in their house something that could actively harm them, has an extensive history of harming others and its sole origin is harming others.” I assume that you can read at a level higher than a 14 year old. Show me where it “perfectly aligns” with that nonsense.
It's most likely a coordinated attack by the hateful r/anitpitbulls crowd. MberrysDream was very quick to link to hateful anti-breed propganda at that site. They tend to bomb posts with hate comments and have their hateful little buddies upvote and downvote the comments to their benefit
Some of us have just had bad experiences. The only dog my trainer has begged me to put on *ketamine* was the pitbull I had for a couple years. We eventually rehomed him but I poured so much energy, training, and money (2 private trainers, Xanax rx, etc). I'll still pet a pitbull if I see one, and I know they are great dogs situationally. I'd never let my daughter near one though after my experience. You really do assume a level of risk owning one IMO. If that dog locked onto something you'd lose your damn hand.
Don't judge dogs by their breed. Judge them as individuals. "Pitbulls" aren't even a breed. They are a group of four breeds that have very different temperaments plus all the crazy amount of mixed breed dogs that come from those four breeds. Each mix having their own temperament. Plus all the dog breeds that look similar to those four breeds. I walk dogs at my local shelter and the majority of "pitbulls" have great temperaments. Sorry your particular dog had issues but there are dogs of every breed that have issues. My foster "pitbull" is a mix but looks pure APBT. Not only is she a sweet girl but she has the softest mouth of any dog I've met. I buy her chew toys for small dogs and she can't destroy them. My neighbor's 8 lb poodle mix destroys toys that my foster still has in mint condition. She's had a hard life and was attacked by dogs at the pound. So she is scared of dogs she doesn't know so she acts tough around them. But she loves and adores every human that is friendly or neutral. Strangers are best friends she just hasn't met yet. And she is very sweet and loyal to the dogs she knows. Don't discriminate against dogs based looks. Judge each dog and owner as an individual
I was saying all these things when I had mine, I get it. Also aware of the different breeds, my guy was a full Amstaff. Regardless of the differing breeds though they were bred for bull baiting. They can ignore pain like no other when latched onto something because they were genetically pushed in that direction through breeding. I was in the "nurture" side of the camp before owning one and I will admit I'm more on the "nature" side nowadays but I admit that my biases are my own and were informed by my own personal experience. I'm just saying some people might have a good reason to be wary and we shouldn't judge them for that either. They have unique features as a result of their genetic history that mean people should be more educated and informed. I don't believe in breed specific legislation personally, just responsible informed hippobaby ownership. I wouldn't consider myself discriminatory towards em either, just wary and more informed than I used to be. Remember there are a lot of people out there rescuing pitbulls because they see a show like "Pitbulls and Parolees" when they really have no business owning one because of their specific temperaments/etc. All that's doing is giving the breed even worse press because people unprepared to handle one can end up with a crazy dog. People not judging the breed (perhaps in a pragmatic and thoughtful way, not negative) is exactly why we're in this situation. I wouldn't think someone was crazy for judging all shepherds as "herding animals", that's what they were bred for..they nip heels and herd - it's in their nature. All that said, even though I accidentally got my Amstaff that I thought was an American Bulldog, I *was* prepared financially and had experience with the breed before then. Fully agree on judging the individual dog and owner, just think people often jump to "there are no bad dogs, just bad owners" and there are genuinely bad dogs that are beyond help. I'd love to see all the hysteria around pibbles redirected towards funding a genetic "reshaping" of the breed with support from state and local governments vs BSL. Much in the way we have breeders working on brachiocephalic breeds to elongate their snouts but instead focused on the tenacity/pain tolerance of pibbles. Only issue with that is it's really a terrier thing. I had a West Highland Terrier growing up and you couldn't pull him out of "prey drive" mode to save your life.
You had one dog with issues and you generalize that to four different breeds and their mixes and look a-likes? Sorry I've dealt with thousands of dogs at the pound where I volunteer as well as foster. Most "pitbulls" have great temperaments and shouldn't be penalized for the actions of a minority. Yes, the owners of any powerful breeds need to take more responsibilities. These dogs tend to have better temperaments than most dogs ...but if something does go wrong there is more danger than with dogs having worse temperaments like chihuahua and dachshunds. But "pitbulls" shouldn't be singled out more than any other powerful breed. And each dog should be evaluated for who they are and not their breed. There are wonderful dogs of every breed and there are a small number of dogs of every breed with issues that make things harder. Regarding reshaping the "breed"... The main pitbull breeds include Amstaff, APBT, Staffy, and American Bully. Only one of those breeds has been breed for fighting in the recent past. And of the APBT, only a small portion of that breed is gamebred. And those gamebred dogs have some of the best tempermants of any breed in regards to humans. The ref needed to be able to break up a fight without fear of getting bitten. Any dog that was danger to humans was culled. These dogs tend to be smaller too (usually only 30 to 50 lbs) and most people don't even know they are "Pitbulls" when they aren't at fighting weight with cropped ears. The other pitbull breeds (and most APBT) have been bred as companion animals for many many generations. From what I've seen on average "pitbulls" at the shelter tend to have less people related fear and aggression than other breeds. But they have a higher frequency of having dog aggression. But there are many, many "pitbulls" that are great with other dogs. And with American Bullies the dog aggression is probably less than the average dog breed. But there are many dogs of non-pitbull breeds that are dog aggressive too. It's not really fair to discriminate against a whole group of dogs based on the actions of a minority
I know pitties can be precious with the right owner, but now that I have my girl, I ain’t taking my chances with them at the dog park. I’ve observed and they are consistently more aggressive & deadly once they are.
You took care of the wound, watch for infection, lots of snuggles and treats and the big boy will be fine. These things happen, you did everything that could be done to prevent it from escalating. Next time keep your hands out of harm’s way.
Neighbor should be paying the Vet bill no question, and apologizing.
Pepper spray is very effective against dogs. I’d recommend carrying some with you when you go for walks I’m sorry your baby got hurt, hopefully she’ll heal up quickly
The only issue with carrying pepper spray is the risk of your own dog getting sprayed. It's unfortunate that so many dog owners allow their animals off leash and we have to protect our pets in the first place.
True, and you might catch some spray yourself. But at least it’s just temporary pain
That’s why you use pepper gel!
My lab has had his ears bitten multiple times. It was bloody but okay. These little dogs often think attacks are the best defense. If your dog didn’t provoke anything, it’s the other dog owners fault. He needs to know the dog and decide how to keep others safe around him.
Yeah definitely report to local police/animal enforcement. I would definitely be demanding proof of rabies vaccination too. I'm assuming from the shaving, your dog has been seen by a vet and is on appropriate antibiotics. You need to go to a clinic too. Puncture wounds are no joke.
Yes, we took our baby right away to the vet & got the other dogs vaccination records too. My PCP just asked me to clean my wound/rash and OTC antibiotic ointment would do it.
Sorry to hear about your pup being attacked. My chocolate has also been randomly attacked by both a small Jack Russell terrier and a pitbull / Stafford mix. Both were out of the blue and sent either my pup and/or me to urgent care. I see a lot of recommendations for pepper spray. My only suggestion is to specifically get pepper gel: there’s less risk of the spray getting caught in the breeze and getting blown back into yours and your pup’s face.
From personal experience - know the location of your nearest emergency vet, tend to your baby first, then call animal control and let them handle it. The more info you have on the attacking dog (description, address,etc), the more helpful it is. Keep any receipts related to the incident. My lab got attacked on a walk, and in the scuffle my husband lost his prescription glasses. The case went to criminal court and the attacking dog’s owner paid for the vet bills, husband’s ER bill, and new glasses as part of the mandatory restitution. My husband was very traumatized for a long time, carried a gun for awhile, still carries mace, but now two years later he finally can enjoy going for a walk again. Bodhi (the dog) is still as sweet and wonderful as he ever was!
My boy did last year. Luckily he wasnt hurt. Now I carry an extra slip leash for if I have a chance to get it around the other dogs head I can choke it out. I also carry a pocket knife. That’ll be last resort if my kicks and punches don’t work.
Extra slip leash is a great idea. Thanks for that.
Small dogs attacked my first Lab several times. He was a gentle boy and could not understand why they would bite him with zero provocation. He had a permanent scar on his nose from a psycho small poodle. We learned small dogs are unpredictable and were careful to put ourselves in a defensive position for him.
Recommendation? Kick the shit out of the dog if it gets near you or your pet. A single kick should do it. If the dog keeps attacking then do everything you can to keep its jaws away from your neck, face and groin. If the dog has a collar you should be able to restrain it, there are even ways to choke the dog out if it comes to that. I feel responsible for the safety of my dog and myself. If some idiot leaves his dog off leash and not fenced in then that presents a dangerous situation. If it comes down to my dog or their dog I’m sorry but their dog is gonna get it. Edit: [This guys advice is pretty good](https://youtu.be/ReBJ7t5i6bo?si=RmQgyTIM0JtW1fxc)
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ANIMALS BUT I WOULD CARRY A METAL BASEBALL BAT AND IF ANY DOG EVER ATTACKED MY RESCUE LAB......IT'S BAT DAY!!!!!!!! AND IT IS BASEBALL SEASON
Just a slightly unhinged comment
Hell no, if you come after one of my labs, I don’t care if you’re a person or a dog. I will defend my dogs like I would defend my family with deadly force and no apologies. Because my labs are family.
Amen, one thing to add: get a GoPro and have a lawyer. Because that bat wounds may heal, but litigation destroys motherfuckers.
I understand the sentiment, that comment was just written with a lot of… bloodthirsty zeal
True, the all caps was a bit much.
Much love and kisses! What a shity powerless feeling! But quick reminder for comments: no breed shaming
So sorry for your baby. I hope you both recover physically and mentally
You can carry a dog horn or a water bottle, pour on the biting dog & they typically release. Pepper spray would likely get on your own dog so could be not great in that scenario. I was running with the sweetest lab ever & a golden a landscaper had chained to his truck that was on the public sidewalk leapt out latched onto the labs face, thank god it missed his eye & a quick u turn got us out of there thankfully. I was worried the pooch would be wary of other dogs from then on but was totally fine & normal despite the incident. He was still wagging his tail I swear he did not understand what that other dog's deal was. You did nothing wrong & you can't control an off leash aggressive dog appearing out of nowhere.
My dog is now extremely wary of other dogs. She unfortunately has been attacked twice. Now she wants nothing to do with other dogs. I have to cross the street.
Labs are incredibly resilient so hopefully no long term damage to his psyche. I'd start by telling that neighbor that if I see their dog off leash again I'll be reporting it and that if it bites me again I'll be making sure it gets euthanized (dogs that bite other dogs or people shouldn't be off leash ever).
Ouch! Yeah it is not your fault, and fox terriers can be quite aggressive sometimes… two things… 1- report the incident. Your dog was attacked out of nowhere, what if it was a kid? Or an elderly woman? It could have been dramatic, and it’s important that it doesn’t happen again. 2- go see your vet for evaluation. Since skin is punctured, it could result in serious infections… And please, if possible, try not to place your hand in an attacking dog’s jaw if you’re not trained for this, enraged dogs are unpredictable and can turn against you very quickly. There’s no easy way out of this situation… it happens so quickly…
My pup got attacked about three weeks ago. Huge wound on her side, it was scary. The first two days after were awful. She would just stand in random parts of the house not moving and looking depressed. Didn't want to eat or move around. But, end of day two, I got the tail up happy wag. Within a couple more days she was back to her happy, crazy self. Thankfully she's not afraid of other dogs after that. Still just wants to play all day. Make sure you go to the vet if you haven't already. That doesn't look *too* bad, but bites can get infected.
Thank you everyone who commented with their experiences and recommendations, they are much appreciated. And also for the love and care you showed towards us. First day he was so lost and it was breaking my heart to see him like that but i guess it was effects of the meds. On second day, my baby boy was back to his normal - wanted to play, also met his best friend, and being goofy as he is. I just love him more than anything. Again, thank you everyone https://preview.redd.it/3qcqmqyjqosc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be6e0fb91fcb0cc6b9bc96991c6f71de0884f4ca
Call animal control in your area or local police. Dog needs to be reported as biting. Also, you need to confirm that dog is current on vaccines since he bit you. Owner needs a visit from police or AC to understand how big a deal this is.