Let's try this again. It was pointed out to me that my arguments were weak. I just assumed you had all come to the same conclusion as I had come to in my crazy brain. I was confused about the hate mail I received. Sorry about that...
After a recent wave of dog attacks, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson has again suggested banning Pit Bulls and related breeds within Indianapolis city limits. While that idea has its merit, it is essentially unenforceable and a waste of money. How many of you have actually registered your dog as is required by local ordinance? No one can stop you from buying any dog you want, and if the dog isn’t registered, it can’t be “banned." This essentially makes the ban unenforceable.
Pit bulls have been banned in some communities, and people still owned them, and continued to get more of them after they had been ticketed. At this point, the ban becomes a waste of taxpayer money: police have to respond to the complaints, the humane society/animal control must house and destroy the animals and the courts have to prosecute the individuals. The laws should be targeted at the dog owners, providing stiff penalties and jail time. Those laws can’t get passed because they do not garner popular support; too many dog owners are also voters. According to NPOS, there are 50 million dog-owning households in the U.S., spending $34.3 Billion annually on pet care. We’ve now come full-circle. The laws that can get passed are expensive and ineffectual; the laws that need to get passed can't get enough public support.
Since we can't count on law enforcement or dog owners to protect us from dangerous dogs, let's quit being crying Americans and make our own safety our own responsibility. These attacks could have been prevented by one person, the person bitten (or their parents). Here are some basic rules to keep yourself safe around strange or dangerous dogs.
1. Stay away from strange dogs - this one is simple, teach your children not to approach any dog that they do not personally know.
2. Don't look a dog in the eye - to a dog when you look him in the eye, it appears as if you are trying to show your dominance over him. This is not wise.
3. Don't smile at a dog - this is a threatening move, it shows your teeth which are a dog's primary weapon. It would be the same as waving a gun at a police officer. Unwise.
4. If a dog has any food, or is carrying any item, do not approach it. It may think you are trying to take its tasty treat away.
5. Do not run or shout near a strange dog - this can make him nervous and more likely to bite. If you run, it can also provoke his chase instinct: the instinct to chase down any moving animal for food.
And most importantly...
If you are afraid of a dog, do not run from it. Back away slowly without making any loud noises to a place where there are people nearby. Again, if you run, you will stimulate the dog's chase instinct.
If you are attacked by a dog, protect your face and neck. Roll up in the fetal position with your hands covering the back of your neck and your knees pulled up to your chest. This will keep your most vulnerable places (face, neck, chest, groin) protected from the attack.
If you can't get away from the dog, or you're the fighting type (like me), here's what you can do.
1. Wrap a piece of clothing, like a jacket, around your arm for some protection.
2. Make yourself as large as possible, chest out, shoulders back, lean forward, protected arm at groin-level in front of you, and make loud, aggressive sounds. This may intimidate the animal and make him flee. Though, if he is cornered, this will ensure a fight.
3. If the dog attacks, offer him your protected arm. Once he bites, make sure to offer resistance to make him clamp down. Use your (hopefully) superior weight and fall on the dog to knock him down. Use your protected arm to hold his head against the ground and use your unprotected hand's thumb to take out both of his eyes.
I hope that you never have to face a dangerous animal, but crying about it is going to do you no good. YOU are responsible for YOUR OWN safety!
Click here for some child-oriented dog safety tips from the AKC.
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2 comments:
I would disagree that as a general rule, responsible dog owners don't want legislation that is tough on irresponsible owners passed. In fact, as a responsible dog owner, I would very much like to see the existing laws enforced before we start paying thousands of dollars to kill the innocent pets of responsible dog owners.
In my Franklin Township neighborhood, there is a small pack of stray dogs (non-bully-types) who growl menacingly and have been known to chase people. I have called REPEATEDLY to have these animals caught before they hurt someone, yet Animal Control is so overworked that they are unable to do more than drive by and give a quick look and if they don't immediately see the animals, they are on to their next call.
Some of my neighbors choose to chain their dogs for hours out in their yard, which is known cause of frustration/aggression in dogs, particularly unaltered males. While Animal Control may have come out for an initial call on the complaint, there appears to have been no follow-up as the dogs continue to be chained outside for long periods nearly every day. Last year, Indianapolis enacted a law with tougher penalties for irresponsible dog owners, including a law against leaving unaltered males - those most often involved in attacks -- chained in your yard unattended, but without adequate numbers of Animal Control officers to rigorously enforce this and other codes, the laws (including breed specific bans) are meaningless.
I am the owner of a mixed "bully" breed who believes in responsible dog ownership for dogs of ALL breeds. I take pride in the fact that my dog is never subjected to being left out in a yard (fenced, chained or otherwise) for hours at a time which can lead to high levels of frustration and/or aggression in ANY breed of dog.
Although my dog has NEVER shown any kind of aggression toward people or other dogs, I am careful to NEVER allow children to be alone with my dog and I actively supervise their play, taking care that my dog is on lead while interacting if the children are darting about. Although my dog has NEVER shown any aggression toward any adult who has tested him for food/toy guarding behaviors, children are never allowed to take toys from my dog and must ask me to get a toy for them if they would like to have my dog play fetch with them.
I would caution that particularly with school aged children, it's important to not allow them to play with even familiar dogs without supervision because a nasty bite from even the smallest dog can be very painful and frightening to a child. You never know what might happen to spook a dog and make it nip/bite a child. There have been cases of "familiar" dogs of various breeds inflicting serious wounds on children who had previously interacted safely with the "familiar" dog.
I work hard to make sure that my dog is socialized to all types of strangers (humans & dogs). Even with all of this effort to ensure the my dog has been well socialized, I still take extra precautions because under the right conditions, ANY breed of dog can bite a person. Unfortunately, most "bully" breeds/mixes have very powerful jaws and a genetic predisposition for being tenacious and focused that can result in a more severe bite than with other breeds/mixes.
Dear Anonymous,
As a responsible dog owner myself (I also own a "dangerous" breed - a Rottweiler/Aussie Shepherd mix) I would like to agree with you about how us "responsible" dog owners would support sterner laws, but in general, those laws don't get passed because they can't get popular support. If the laws are are passed, they're not stringently enforced.
The point of the article is that since you cannot count on law enforcement or most dog owners to protect you from dangerous dogs, you should take steps to protect you and yours.
Thanks for reading!
Regards,
Brandon
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