i never leave our yard without carrying my pointed hiking stick, when walking our dog.
those f’n rescue pit bulls next door are prepared for attack, at all times.
the one p-bull sounds like a yelping banshee - at the mere sight of anything.

This brings back memories.

About 30 years ago, I was out mowing my front lawn, with my Golden Retriever laying under his favorite shade tree, offering his ever helpful advice ("you missed a spot"). Adjoining our property was about 18 acres of undeveloped timber land (my kids' "big backyard"). I heard someone in there riding a dirt bike, but didn't think much of it. Then the noise stopped, and two young men (maybe older teenagers) came walking out, one pushing the bike, with a pit bull accompanying them.

The Pit didn't hesitate when he saw my dog. He took off in a mad, snarling rush straight for my dog, closing the fifty-ish yards very quickly. Not a peep from either of the young men, no, they actually found it quite amusing. My dog got to his feet and met the Pit at the curb at the edge of my yard.

It was absolutely "on", with that Pit clearly trying to kill my Golden. Well, I was wearing a pretty heavy pair of steel toed work boots, and I sprinted down the hill of my front yard right on my dog's heels. I caught that frickin' Pit at full speed, full on "field goal" kick (I actually played soccer, not football, all through school) with my steel toe. That fifty pound dog made it up to my eye level, quacking like a duck, before he fell into the street in some kind of epileptic fit looking convulsions. He couldn't get up.

Those two young men were on me immediately. I think they were ready to go... until they saw the intense rage on my face. I had to laugh - one of them managed a very weak "bad dog" as he tried to pick up their writhing pet. I think it actually tried to bite him, it was so panicked and in pain. They finally got it onto the seat on the dirt bike and started to leave. I told them if I ever saw that damn dog again I'd shoot it. Never saw it again. I'm actually not even sure if it made it. It had to have had some pretty significant internal injuries.

^^^Ah, Jeff, same story here and told before. I was a jogger. I get in a half assed trot a couple times a week at 78. I walk more.

Back in the day I used to pass a little yelper that wanted to nip at my heels but I kept it away somehow. Until that day that I was lined up and my stride matched the distance to the dog. So just like the field goal kickers that used to run straight at the ball, I took my next to last step and kicked a field goal. Now this dog probably weighed 9 pounds or close. So I got at least as much free air as you did.

But this turned out OK because I somehow didn't hurt the dog. Tough little SOB's. It never barked at me again.

There's more: before I started dating my wife of 42 years I was actually working as a contractor at her house. We did become friends for awhile and then dated. You might wonder how I survived this incident. She had a Dalmation that did not want me in the backyard. Low wrought iron fence with an inswing gate. So as this Dalmation was carrying on baying and snarling at me I reached out and unlatched the gate. I stepped back as he stepped right up to the gate.

You know what came next, I kicked that gate hard like the Karate Kid. I slammed that dog half way across the yard and strode right on in. Later when we married that dog came with the deal. He was OK but I could not train him well. He would sit at the edge of the open garage door to the street as long as someone had an eye on him. The moment he knew he could sneak, he was gone.

And I'd have to go get him. But he never snarled again. Then 2 loose Rottweilers killed him in his own driveway. I was too late. I was still not quite 40 then so I didn't do what I would do today.

Well, the Rottweilers owners moved for work and then he died. Too bad. Eventually I would have killed the dogs.

I still feel bad about that poor dog. 30 some odd years later, I'm still wishing I would have taken it out on those two young men. While the dog was the immediate concern, those two were the real problem.

So I’m walking in the woods with my two grandsons (5, 7 YO) when a big ‘Old Yeller’ comes barreling down the trail at full speed with bad intent at the 5 YO.

Reflexively, I jump in front of the kid just a the dog reaches him ready to do battle when that dog stopped, dropped his ears and rolled over on his back wanting a belly rub.

That was a terrifying few seconds for all of us but only after it was all over.

IDK. The dog was a menace inspite of the humans. And inspite of humans, menacing dogs need to be dealt with. Once they attack they will again. Unless there is some serious intervention. Those kind of people don't intervene.

In the late 80s a high school friend’s family had a pitbull, a very nice dog actually, that they kept outside on a runner in the side yard. From his runner, he could see neighbors passing by and he would get very excited about them. One time we were swimming in their above ground pool and a woman was walking past with her toddler and pushing a stroller with a small baby in it. The dog went nuts, ran full force to the end of his runner and threw himself against it and managed to yank it apart; he was now free and bolted straight towards the woman and her kids. She was filled with mortal terror and started screaming, “Pitbull! Pitbull!!!” Help!!!” at a pitch and shriek that I can still recall. It was probably something she had always thought might possibly occur. The (completely untrained) dog reached her in seconds and jumped up on her with his front paws just about on her shoulders and tried to lick her face, almost knocking her down. Then he went over to the baby in the stroller and stuck his head in there. Then he took off down the street. By the time my friend was able to get out of the pool and run yelling after the dog, barefoot and soaking wet, the woman’s fear had turned to anger and she was screaming at him. He, like the idiot 18 year old he was, was laughing. She was not.

It’s a funny memory now. But if that dog had wanted to wreak havoc, he was equipped to do so. He used to chew the **** of a tire swing they had, and he would hold a chew toy and you could lift him in the air and thrash him around and he would not let go.

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Dolly Parton the 21% pitbull, 20% german Shepard, 10% lab, 10% American bully, balance mutt is definitely more scared of you than you are of her.

Yup, you are absolutely right. We do need to deal with the dogs. Not just in the moment, as I did in this instance, but in the long term as well. Assuming this one survived, I'm sure (although I never saw it again) it continued in this behavior.

The root of the problem, however, lies with the people who are attracted to these kinds of dogs. Assuming it did not survive, I'm sure they just got another one just like it, and treated it in the same fashion that led to this one's behavior.

Took an alligator-watching boat tour in Florida.

The guide explained why gators who've been hand fed have to be killed.
"They have a brain the size of a pea. They think a piece of you just fell off. And then they want the rest of it."

There are humans on that level as well.

Posted 5 days ago in our local Nextdoor......

Our neighbors have abandoned their 2 dogs, please help us find a loving home for them!

They’re 4 years old and from the same litter, not sure of their breed or medical history.

The owners have left them and collectively the neighborhood has taken it upon ourselves to take care of them until we find a loving home. It’s been a strange and sad situation… I don’t know how someone can do this, but what we know for sure is the dogs are sweet playful and friendly and need someone to give them the attention they deserve.

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Another one.......

I have googled Port Orange excessive dog barking ordinance and no avail. How do I report this? Yes, excessive is debatable these new neighbors leave their little dog out and he barks all day. Help. Please no haters...if you lived next door to this...you would be discouraged also.

My old boy still goes up to greet people and dogs walking by on the sidewalk.
Especially the ladies. He mostly ignore the dogs.

Head down submission. Stupid open mouth poop-eating dog grin trying to imitate a smile. Looks like a shark. Once they pet him or give him treats like the mail lady, it's game on. Find the tennis ball bark and demand play of the puny humans now under total control. buhahaha. Nobody has been willing to take him off my hands.
It looks totally creepy at first.

But he's still traumatized from going up with greeting and suddenly being mauled by a pit as a puppy.

I'll wager you are correct on that.

Says it all.

I don't know about the "pure breeds", but I have had 3 pit/boxer mixes that loved everyone.