[masraum]

Originally Posted by Alan A

The small children that were left unattended with dogs.

Would the OP have posted if it were Labs that did it, or would the parents have been blamed? A 65lb poodle is quite capable of messing up a 2yo that pokes it one time too many. And they can be nasty buggers.

When there are more than one they feed off each other and it’s worse if they kick off.

We never left the kids alone with the dogs, and they knew from day one to leave them alone. No pokey, no hittie, no pulled tailee, nothing.

Stood them in good stead when they were older and we fostered rescue dogs with issues. They knew to leave them alone.

We had a 35# dog that kind of looked like a stocky German Shepherd puppy. We have no idea what she was, and assume she was a mutt. I have no doubt that if she'd been triggered on a small child that she could have done plenty of damage.

Agreed, kids need to be taught to be gentle with animals, all of them. It's tough/impossible to ensure that kids never do anything when they are 18mo, 2 and even up to 3 they may still occasionally do something that they shouldn't. You have to watch the dogs and the kids like a hawk. Obviously, the bigger and stronger the dog, the more you have to watch.

Originally Posted by Alan A

I’ll add one thing - our current dog is mid size at about 85lbs. He’s pretty well behaved except when unknown people walk in the house. He wants attention and we can’t break him of the habit of jumping up at them. So we leash him for a few minutes to introduce him, or crate him if the person doesn’t like dogs.

The only other thing he has is he’s protective of the kids. He stands between them and strangers. I’m ok with that foible. He’s also asleep in my lap as I’m typing this, so I’ll admit to some bias.

So what?

We have a family member with two little 7lb rat dogs. Zero training ‘because they are cute’. They aren’t housebroken and they think the worlds their toilet. And like all small dogs they have a napoleon complex and will bite anyone and anything. She lets them roam freely. Scale that up to even a 30lb dog and consider what could happen…

Different dogs need different owners.

Not all pits snap and kill/maim. Actually, I assume the vast majority do not. If it was most of them, I'm sure they would be outlawed. But it seems that there's a higher percentage, and it seems that it's not uncommon for it to be serious when they do.

This is interesting. I have no idea where the data comes from so it could be a total load of carp. And the site hosting the data is a law office, which immediately makes me a little skeptical.
https://www.warriorsforjustice.com/dog-biting-statistics-by-breed/

1. Pit Bull
• Attacks: 3,397
• Deaths: 295

2. Rottweiler
• Attacks: 535
• Deaths: 8

3. German Shepherd
• Attacks: 113
• Deaths: 15

4. Presa Canario
• Attacks: 111
• Deaths: 18

5. Wolf-Dog Hybrids
• Attacks: 85
• Deaths: 19

Pitbull Attack Statistics
A staggering 65% of deaths from dog bite attacks come from pit bulls. Of the 433 total dog bite victim fatalities between 2005 and 2017, 284 came from the Pit Bull breed. While Pit Bulls are known to have incredibly strong jaws and razor-sharp teeth, these statistics could be somewhat misleading.*
Pit bulls have a much higher fatality rate when they attack humans than other breeds, but they are also the most abused breed in the United States. They are illegally used in dogfighting matches and provoked to aggressive behavior.*
Another aspect of these statistics is that Pit Bulls are more efficient with their attacks because of their strength. If a small breed such as a Chihuahua bites you, the likelihood of this bite being severe is low. Even if the Chihuahua breed bites more often, the statistics will not show that a Chihuahua is the most dangerous dog because their bites do not end in hospitalizations or fatalities.*
Dog Biting Statistics
Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Presa Canarios, and Wolf-Dog Hybrids have the top dog attacks by breed. There are a few other breeds with high statistics for bite attacks. Others worth mentioning are:
• Siberian Husky
• Akita
• Boxer
• Chow Chow
• Mutts
A dog is more likely to be in bite statistics when they possess specific physical characteristics.
• Strong musculature
• Muscular cheeks
• A large, strong jaw
• A robust, wide mouth
• A voluminous head
• Parallel, straight forelegs
• Muscular hindquarters*
These characteristics contribute to having a higher likelihood of being included in high bit-rate statistics.

The death:attack ratio of the pit bull is <10%. The German Shepherd and Presa Canario are both >10%, and the wolf hybrid is approaching 25%.