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So I held off posting this, why I dont know, but here it goes.
Last night I was at a friends house, just hanging out and we were going to watch a movie. They have 2 adult pits who are all realy friendly, and a 3 month old pit. Well I was holding the pup with the female right beside me watching my every move. I dont know these dogs very well, but everytime I have been over they have been friendly. So I asked my friend "is she OK?" I mean she was just staring at the pup in my hand. He said, "oh yeah, she's fine. The pup is like her baby, she's just making sure you dont hurt it." OK so whatever Im not hurting it, and I was petting her as well. So she calms down and rolls over for a belly rub :rolleyes: yup, people eater this one is. LOL.
Well I picked the pup up because she was sleeping and about to fall of the couch. I guess I scared her because she yelped. What did "momma" do? You guessed it. Yup she lunged and grabed ahold of my arm. My friend jumped up and told her to let go, wich she did. That says something for her training.
She didnt bute as hard as she could because she knew me and she's a VERY well tempered dog.
So I went to the hospital and of course they have to fill out a dog bite report. :( I didnt say the breed. I said I didnt know what breed, that is was a mutt of some sort. I told them exactly what happened. Since I work there on occasion I asked for a specific nurse, who I knew loved pits and she filled out the paper work. So far we havnt heard anything. She doesnt think we will.
Here a dog isn put down for the first offence. This dog has her CGN tittle as well and does weigh pull, rally-o and agility.
She's a great dog and very well trained. She just thought I was hurting some one in her pack. No I dont blame her and I am going back over there tonight. I have 10 stiches in my forarm. This sucks. Mind you if she was really biteing with the intent to kill and not stop me from hurting "her" pup she probably would have broke it and not let go.
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Ouch. Sorry you got hurt, Jenn. Any soreness or bruising? Vitamin E oil will usually help skin to heal with minimal scarring. It helps keep you from itching from the stitches too ;)
And thanks for posting and letting people know publicly that you don't have to panic if you get bitten! I wish 'they' would take the circumstances of dog bites into consideration. There's no need to report one that happens under the circumstances you've described.
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It hurts. Thank god for Tylonol right? :D LOL. I am black and blue all over were she bit.
Thanx for the Vitamin E suggestion I will try it.
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Even the best tempered dogs of any breed change a bit when they have a litter. Momma dogs are very protective, as you've now found out!
I'm glad you weren't hurt worse though!
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My only concern would be that a dog should be able to percieve a real threat. It sounds as though she reacted without thinking. Definetly a dog I would not say has a "great" temperment. I agree that dogs can be overprotective when it comes to their own puppies but my understanding was this pup was not hers.
On a side note, my husband was bit a couple of months ago and was told by ER that they almost never stitch up a dog bite due to risk of infection. I thought that was odd because when I was bit several years ago they stitched it right up. Now I am wondering about this hospital.......Did you hear anything about waiting to stitch it or not stitching at all? :confused:
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The pit may have adopted the younger one as a surrogate and thus reacted like it would have if it was her own.
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Yeah, the pit basicly adopted it.
please keep in mind, like I said the dog didnt know me well I had only seen her 2x before and only for a min or two.
The stiched because I asked. As a medic I know about the infections and such, but I dont want to risk a huge scar. I am on powerfull atibiotics and it was bleeding very bad and tore open with a hige flap of skin. It depends on the situation if they will stich or not. Nothing is black and white in medicine
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i sure hope that puppy and "momma" dog aren't together around any children...
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Hmmm....I wonder if we would have the same responses from all these forum members if it were say a 6 year old child who was innocently touching the puppy, and had, lets say...it's face torn open with a flap of skin hanging off and huge bruises.
I really doubt it. Also I will not say kudos to you for lying to the nurse.
I'm fairly disappointed. I bet if it were a cocker spaniel, or a poodle who bit you, it would be there in the report wouldn't it?
I'm not trying to cause a huge fight here, but you say it's bad to discriminate against the breed. This is also a form of discrimination, just in the opposite direction.
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So sorry to hear that Jenn....hope your arm heals very fast!!:)
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Pits h ave enoug of a bad reputation as it is. Of course it would be different if even I was just petting the pup and the dog atacked me. In my opinion this was almost being provoked. I scared the pup and the other dog thought I (a stranger) hurt it. She has adopted the pup as her own so it is mom mentality.
You know perfectly well that if I would hae said it was a pit they would have been all over it. Besides I checked and this isnt something that has to be repoted. There is a loop hole wich is why I asked for the specific nurse.
None of the dogs are allowed around children. They dont have kids and dont ever plan on kids. They take the dogs out late at night for walks. The dont beleive in having kids around larger dogs.
I'm not trying to cause a huge fight here, but you say it's bad to discriminate against the breed. This is also a form of discrimination, just in the opposite direction.
Well you are probably goin to start one. Stay on topic and if you want to debate discrimination start a new thread dont hijack mine.
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Hmmm....I wonder if we would have the same responses from all these forum members if it were say a 6 year old child who was innocently touching the puppy, and had, lets say...it's face torn open with a flap of skin hanging off and huge bruises.
I really doubt it. Also I will not say kudos to you for lying to the nurse.
I'm fairly disappointed. I bet if it were a cocker spaniel, or a poodle who bit you, it would be there in the report wouldn't it?
I'm not trying to cause a huge fight here, but you say it's bad to discriminate against the breed. This is also a form of discrimination, just in the opposite direction.
*ding ding ding* And the debate begins.
Jenn I would have done the same thing as you. Also glad your okay :).
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Golly sorry, I was under the the impression that forums were for expressing an opinion. Oh...wait....they are!
You acted irresponsibly, and you will feel terrible if that dog injures a child, or you again to a point disfiguration.
Haha you checked and a dog bite requiring 10 stitches isn't something that needs to be reported? where did you check?? I'm not against this breed, I am against any dog that can't control itself and injures a person.
So if a guy beats up on his girl and it requires less than 11 stitches it doesn't need to be reported?
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It was reported as a dog bite, but not the breed of the dog.
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Sorry, I don't buy it. I co-breed Rottweilers and always welcome people to visit pups at a very young age and have momma present. Once again, a dog should know when a threat is real or not. While I hate to see breeds that are facing BSL have yet another battle I know reality and from the OP that dog reacted without thinking, not a good thing.
Almost provoked? Maybe with a unbalanced, bad tempered dog.....
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I definitely would not call that a dog with a stable temperament - especially if that dog knew you. And that's especially unacceptable for a Pit Bull, imo. I'd rather a Pit lean to the side of being LESS protective rather than more. Sorry, but I would be getting that dog checked out and seeing a behaviorist.
Sorry you got bit :( hope it heals quickly!
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Golly sorry, I was under the the impression that forums were for expressing an opinion. Oh...wait....they are!
You acted irresponsibly, and you will feel terrible if that dog injures a child, or you again to a point disfiguration.
Haha you checked and a dog bite requiring 10 stitches isn't something that needs to be reported? where did you check?? I'm not against this breed, I am against any dog that can't control itself and injures a person.
So if a guy beats up on his girl and it requires less than 11 stitches it doesn't need to be reported?
OMG this is pathetic. I will NOT feal terible if the dog injurs a child. Why? Because it's not my dog and not my responsibility. I reported it as a dog bite to the hospital like Im required. I DONT have to report the breed. They have the information if they want to give it to the police. I was asked if I wanted to press charges. I said no. It was on private property, I was in their house with them so it is my choice to press charges or not. The police will get the report and choose to fallow up on it.
Why would I feal bad if the dog atacked a child? Did you not hear me say the steps they have taken to reduce the risk?
If I get bit again I whont feel bad. I am planning on takeing the steps to properly get to know the dog so I am no longer a stranger.
So if a dog isn't perfectly behaved around people it should be Killed huh? Thats what you sound like.
So if a guy beats up on his girl and it requires less than 11 stitches it doesn't need to be reported
Yes beacause that has EVERYTHING to do with topic.
Stay on the topic. Like I said if you want to debate this start a new thrread and not change the topic of this one. If you keep doing this I will go to the mods. Im not saying dont have an opinion Im just saying stay on topic
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I am on topic...go get a mod.
If you don't feel bad if the dog injures a child there is something wrong. If I were riding a bike, and the tire was about to fall off, I know it's not a stable bike. So do I leave that bike laying around and if I kid gets on it and smashes it's face I have no responsibility? Not true. I know it was dangerous and just didn't care, cuz "it wasn't my bike".
I didn't say kill the dog, but it's not a stable dog and should be reported, and should be temperment tested, because to react with a bite like that is dangerous! A normal dog would have givin a warning growl and not just bit like that.
What were you expecting of this thread? Lots of "ohh poor you get better"'s? You just started a thread where you got bit (big time) by a pit bull? Come on...
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I'm so sorry to hear about the bite! :( I hope your arm feels better soon!
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If you don't feel bad if the dog injures a child there is something wrong
So if someone is bit by someone elses dog I should feal bad? Why? I did what I was suposed to do. AGAIN I will say it, she isnt allowed around kids.
I didn't say kill the dog, but it's not a stable dog and should be reported, and should be temperment tested, because to react with a bite like that is dangerous! A normal dog would have givin a warning growl and not just bit like that
Did you read? She has her CGN. Things happen. Even the bes of dogs can react if they feal threatened. I bet we wouldnt be having this conversation if it was a lab.
but it's not a stable dog and should be reported
It's called reading. I repoted it. Read the whole thing.
I didn't say kill the dog
I am against any dog that can't control itself and injures a person
Ok your right, you didnt say kill. But since your against her because she cant "controll" herself then what? tie her to a tree for the rest of her life?
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You just started a thread where you got bit (big time) by a pit bull
Big time? you are saddly mistaken if you think this is "big time".
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Well considering they don't yet have "doggy prisons" for dogs who can't be rehabilitated, then yeah I guess the only option for a dangerous dog is to be put down.
I don't care if she has her CGN, or her EKG, OPM, OPP, or CNN for godssake....she is a danger.
No we wouldn't be having this conversation if it were a lab because you would have stated that it was a lab in the report.
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Ok let's get this thread back on topic. Jenn was sharing her experiences with us. Personally I don't think she did anything wrong and it's people that 'attack' like this that make it harder for others to admit anything ever happens. Well this isn't a perfect world and instead of judging we should be able to just talk through this issue. If you want to talk about how dog bites should be handled start your own thread.
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I'm sorry to hear about the bite, but I do agree that the dog does not seem to have a stable temperament. You shouldn't feel bad about it, though. The dog and what it does it not your responsibility.
But you should have told the truth about the breed. It's not a matter of bad publicity, reverse breed discrimination, etc. that bothers me. It's the fact that you flat-out lied in the filing of an official report. I just can't condone that kind of thing.
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Big time? you are saddly mistaken if you think this is "big time".
No I'M not sadly mistaken, YOU are bloody lucky your arm is still in one piece.
And where I grew up 10 stitches isn't something to laugh at.
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If you read her post you would see that she requested the stitches meaning they were optional.
Now back on track!
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Hope it heals well, Jenn. I hope it's an eye opener for the owner. To me this isn't a discrimination against the breed .... it's against any owner that has an aggressive dog. Having 3 dogs that can't have visitors over and have to be walked at night is not an enjoyable situation. That's why I've stuck with Goldens. Again .... please don't bash the breed.... I've seen this happen with many, many breeds over my many years.
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I can't just go into a hospital and request stitches for a wound if it isn't required. I also don't see how a "stitches optional wound" ended up requiring 10 or them.
I don't see how this isn't on track, she told a story about what she did, and this is the reaction I had to the story.
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That's fine. You don't have to see it. And I guess you haven't gotten hurt much. I usually get several options when I go to the doctor. Choices. Choices. Choices. And I'm sure being a medic had some pull.
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Regarding her not being able to control herself. No, Jenn, tying her out will do no good (lol)
I have a dog who can't control himself. He is aggressive and will bite if given the chance. With rather unpredictable dogs like mine, and like this individual's Pit Bull, it's up to the owner to be responsible and set limits for the dog. The owners were foolish to allow such intense behavior (possessiveness of the puppy) and even dumber to brush it off as "oh she's fine". It's their fault that you were bitten.
No dog is 100% trustworthy, CGN or not. Just because the dog is decently trained (seriously, a CGC requires very little from a dog. I think even a Fila could pass the CGC/CGN.) doesn't mean that it's a wonderful, trustworthy dog. I love my Papillon, but I've had to accept the fact that I will never be able to trust him with strangers. He may seem friendly, but like this Pit, certain things will set him off and someone will be bitten. Trouble is, a Pit bite does a hell of a lot more damage than a Pap bite. I hope this dog is never around children.
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My point here had nothing to with the breed at all or reporting it for that matter. What I am concerned about is someone reading this thinking that it is normal for a dog to react like that. It is NOT normal.
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Well yes I have, I know full well what 10 stiches, and 15 stitches and even 45 stitches looks like. I also know how they feel.
I'm not saying this happened because it was a pit bull...I'm saying it happened because of an unstable dog, and her lying to the authorities was wrong.
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She used her discretion as to whether or not the bite should have been reported. She knows the owners, she knows the dog, she feels the owners have taken steps to insure the safety of others and she's comfortable with that. None of you were there, none of you know the dog, none of you can fully grasp the context in which this happened.
I've been around a few "moms" that are completely stable dogs great nerve and great drive, that act a little goofy with their pups. So if they bite someone I should have them put down? So you feel safer? what gives?
I've been bitten before too, and just said it was my own dog, no questions asked. I knew the situation i was in and can more than judge what state a dog is in. There was no need to go through all their hoops to report it and if I deem another situation to be that way, i'll do the same.
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When I first got Mojo, we were playing roughly, and he end up clamping down on my arm and he wouldn't let go. It wasn't hard enough for punctures, stitches, or torn skin but enough to leave me bruised from wrist to elbow all around my arm. I didn't report the bite, I felt that it was my responsibility because I had been the one to allow rough play to get out of control.
I have cut out all rough play in our relationship, save for tug of war games, which i control completely - they start, end, and proceed on my word alone. If Mojo gets over excited, game ends and the toy gets put away without a word. I supervise all of the games that my boyfriend plays with Mojo - which are a little more rough that I play - and if I don't like something going on I make the game end. The boyfriend doesn't always like my "over bearing" stance, but I remind him that Mojo is MY dog, and thus MY responsibility if he ever bites ANYONE. Boyfriend backs down.
Now... as to what happened to you Jenn? I can sympathize. I really can. I definately hope that your arm heals with little scarring. The dog in question may need some more behavioral work, and/or have some training done in regards to her attitude towards her surrogate pup.
I also don't think she should have bitten you, a human, without warning. Pit bulls aren't supposed to do that with humans... other dogs yes, but not humans. That goes against what the breed was built on.
But that is merely my opinion on the situation... based off of what I know about my favorite breed, and the observations I have made with them.
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Yes, it has bitten, but only when provoked. If the owner is responsible(she sounds like she is) and takes precautions, I don't have a problem with this situation. Jenn, I am sorry people are being "jerks". :D This is the last thing this breed needs, when clearly this dog is trained and handled well(because of its performance events that it participates in).
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hope your arm heals quickly, Jenn. I have to say, tho, that 10 stitches is one heck of a bite in my book. it may seem off topic, but if you talk about the bite then you are talking about the dog. the dog...no matter what breed...reacted to a relatively small action...and that is scarey, scarey, scarey. put it down...of course not. just making a simple statement, but I would not trust that dog again.
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I'm sorry to hear you got bit. Ten stitches is a BIG bite - I've been bit several times in the past 17 years of training and I've never been injured badly enough to need stitches.
From what you describe, this bitch is not a "VERY well tempered dog" by any stretch of the imagination. She over-reacted to a yelp from a pup (who is not even HER pup) and attacked without any true provocation. This is a dangerous dog. If such a simple action can cause her to bite like that, imagine what she'd do if she truly thought there was provocation. Very scary.
It's also scary that this dog is out there doing things in public (agility, rally, etc.). This means the dog has access to other people and children too. You made a choice not to report the dog .. which is your choice, yes .. but how will you feel the next time this dog hurts someone? I know, these were your friends. But this is not a safe dog, regardless of the breed and regardless of the CGN title.
I hope you heal quickly and without infection.
Melanie and the gang in Alaska
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Yes, this animal is a bit unstable. Yes, it has bitten, but only when provoked. If the owner is responsible(she sounds like she is) and takes precautions, I don't have a problem with this situation.
The dog was not provoked. There was no real threat. A stable dog would NOT react that way.
As far as none of us being there, we can only go on what was posted.
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I do feel bad for you to be in this situation, but agree this dog is unstable. I think the owners were very iresponsible, if the dog was staring at you like that and they knew how protective she was of this pup, the dog should have been put away in another room.
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"Unstable" isn't an accurate adjective from the description Jenn gave us. "Protective" or even "over-protective" would be more appropo to the situation.
Jenn, I feel for you . . . some of you bite much more quickly than an overprotective dog! Learn to disagree without being snappish.
And no, Jenn didn't "go and get a mod." We saw this one all by ourselves.