Need dog advice....

reebokandlace · #1 10-18-2005, 01:26 PM

I have a neighbor who just bought their 8 year old son a pit bull. I like dogs. It is just that "aggressive" breeds scare me when they are in the hands of the wrong kind of people.

My problem is: the boy in unable to control the puppy. The dog is already stronger than the boy and he can not control him on the leash. When I go outside to get in my car the boy allows the dog to run up my driveway toward me, I always stop in my tracks and back away, and I say to the child "please reel him back in". The boy thinks this is very funny (as he struggles to reel the dog back in). #1, the kid is an assh*le. #2, he is not real bright, not a great combination. I am not afraid of the puppy, but I do not want him jumping up on me and snagging my clothing. Which is what other neighbors tolerate, they all think the little boy and his pittbull are just adorable. I don't.

I tried to speak to the mother (with whom I am civil with) but she says "well there is nothing I can do, I just can't control the boy, and I can't take his puppy away from him." I said, well "if the dog attacks someone you are gonna have a problem". She said, " Pit Bulls have a bad reputation, this is the nicest dog, he is not going to attack anyone and if he does, I am very well insured". Ugh!

What do I do now?

DavidMn · #2 10-18-2005, 01:29 PM

Watch out for that dog. That sounds like a real moron you're dealing with there....

reebokandlace · #3 10-18-2005, 01:31 PM

Thank you David...lol...

DavidMn · #4 10-18-2005, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

Thank you David...lol...

Also, do you have your laywer on speed dial...

?

Dreammms · #5 10-18-2005, 01:37 PM

My friend has a pitbull and she is the sweetest dog ever. But yes she is very strong. Pitbulls are full of muscle.

That puppy is going to grow big very soon and that 8 year old boy is not going to be able to control it.

Good luck to you. You will need it. lol

sorry.

DavidMn · #6 10-18-2005, 01:42 PM

My sister has a Rottweiler. That thing is the biggest puss ever too. I love that dog

reebokandlace · #7 10-18-2005, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMn

Also, do you have your laywer on speed dial...

?

Of course!

DavidMn · #8 10-18-2005, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

Of course!

Good job. Now the next thing you need to do is go over and have the dog bite your arm off, and you'll be a millionaire instantly!!!

**mylittledemon** · #9 10-18-2005, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

I have a neighbor who just bought their 8 year old son a pit bull. I like dogs. It is just that "aggressive" breeds scare me when they are in the hands of the wrong kind of people.

My problem is: the boy in unable to control the puppy. The dog is already stronger than the boy and he can not control him on the leash. When I go outside to get in my car the boy allows the dog to run up my driveway toward me, I always stop in my tracks and back away, and I say to the child "please reel him back in". The boy thinks this is very funny (as he struggles to reel the dog back in). #1, the kid is an assh*le. #2, he is not real bright, not a great combination. I am not afraid of the puppy, but I do not want him jumping up on me and snagging my clothing. Which is what other neighbors tolerate, they all think the little boy and his pittbull are just adorable. I don't.

I tried to speak to the mother (with whom I am civil with) but she says "well there is nothing I can do, I just can't control the boy, and I can't take his puppy away from him." I said, well "if the dog attacks someone you are gonna have a problem". She said, " Pit Bulls have a bad reputation, this is the nicest dog, he is not going to attack anyone and if he does, I am very well insured". Ugh!

What do I do now?

Spray the kid and the dog with mace.

catinthedark · #10 10-18-2005, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

I have a neighbor who just bought their 8 year old son a pit bull. I like dogs. It is just that "aggressive" breeds scare me when they are in the hands of the wrong kind of people.

My problem is: the boy in unable to control the puppy. The dog is already stronger than the boy and he can not control him on the leash. When I go outside to get in my car the boy allows the dog to run up my driveway toward me, I always stop in my tracks and back away, and I say to the child "please reel him back in". The boy thinks this is very funny (as he struggles to reel the dog back in). #1, the kid is an assh*le. #2, he is not real bright, not a great combination. I am not afraid of the puppy, but I do not want him jumping up on me and snagging my clothing. Which is what other neighbors tolerate, they all think the little boy and his pittbull are just adorable. I don't.

I tried to speak to the mother (with whom I am civil with) but she says "well there is nothing I can do, I just can't control the boy, and I can't take his puppy away from him." I said, well "if the dog attacks someone you are gonna have a problem". She said, " Pit Bulls have a bad reputation, this is the nicest dog, he is not going to attack anyone and if he does, I am very well insured". Ugh!

What do I do now?

Wow - this kind of story makes me so sad. Because what will likely happen is that the dog will never be trained, and never taught what is right and what is wrong. He is going to be a strong, out of control dog. He will eventually be "too much" for that piss of a mother who "can't control her son." The poor dog will wind up in the pound. If he's lucky, someone will adopt him. But he may be too far gone to re-train. He will eventually bite someone - amd eventually be put down. It is heartbreaking.

Why why WHY do people like that woman buy a pit bull? I do not believe that all pit bulls are inherently evil and going to attack. But I do believe that it is all about the owner. There just are some dogs who are more inclined to be aggressive. And there is a big difference between the bite an aggressive pit bull can deliver, than a startled Golden Retriever (Goldens have soft, mushy, weak mouths - pits have incredibly strong jaws and sharp teeth). A pit bull needs a full time owner, one who will nurture it and teach it to trust and be sweet. I do believe they can be mushes - just like Rotties (aw... I love Rotties!). But, as I said, this story just makes me so sad.

I'd actually be really worried if I were you - sorry. I'd try to keep a wide berth of that dog as it grows and gets stronger.

Miss Vicky · #11 10-18-2005, 10:59 PM

I think it's a misconception that because the dog is a pitbull, it's somehow more likely to be aggressive than another breed might be. While it is true that many of the dog attacks that you hear about are from pits,
we need to keep things in perspective. For one thing, pitbulls are probably one of America's most popular breeds. In my own hometown I'd say they are the most popular. For another thing, people that buy this breed often do so because it is a status symbol a "tough guy" kind of thing. Often these people intentionally raise the dogs to be aggressive either as a guard dog or for illegal fighting matches. Making the problem that much worse is that more often than not these dogs are left unaltered. Intact dogs (especially males) of any breed are far more likely to be aggressive than those that have been spayed or neutered.

I have personally had many dogs try to attack me (and although I work at a veterinary office, only one of those attacks happened while I was on the job - a maltese bit my ankle). All of them have been purebred dogs, but not a single one of them was a pitbull or rottweiler or any of the other supposedly aggressive breeds. In fact, one of the worse attacks was by a golden retriever - a breed that has a reputation for being a gentle and loving family pet - which bloodied my face. I've also been bitten by a dalmatian, a saint bernard, a cocker spaniel, and an Irish setter.

If you've already spoken to your neighbor and she's refused to do anything about it, you should contact your local animal control and report the problem. At the very least they should be able to send an officer to speak to your neighbor and possibly scare her into compliance.