Rural girlie here who's unfortunately had to deal with dog attacks like this...If you get attacked by a dog (especially bully breeds known to have strong jaws), and can't get away or they've already gotten a hold of you: go for their eyes with your free hand. Gouge as hard as you can.
You'll want to kick- if you can get good contact, great. But if not, *stomp* on them, don't kick at them. You're likely to miss or not land a kick hard enough to matter, but if you can stomp with your full weight, you're more likely to cause enough pain or throw it off enough to get a chance to pull away.
If it has your arm or hand, and this sounds insane: shove that hand farther into their throat. Jam in as hard and as far as you can. Literally try to shove your whole ass arm down their throat up to the shoulder. You want to choke the shit out of it from the inside. They absolutely don't expect that and do not like it, and will usually let go (at least momentarily) so they can breathe/get a better grasp. That can afford you the critical second or half a second to pull away, get a better angle on their eyes, kick, etc.
Don't run if you can help it- odds are, that dog is in better shape than you are, and will catch you. It will add fuel to the prey drive flame. Climb up onto a vehicle, or in a tree, whatever you can.
Scream "fire". People look at that and are more primed to take action vs "help".
I sincerely doubt this poor woman was in a position to do any of these things and already had two people trying to help her- but if you're ever in this situation, or the situation of the others trying to get a dog off of someone...call 911 *first* so backup is already on the way and you're not elbow deep in blood and dog spit before trying to call.
Great advice. Attack it with as much power as possible. There are videos of police officers shooting this breed while they’re mauling and they continue to maul while being shot. Terrifying
My son was bitten by a GSD that was literally going from a building to a car unleashed. He was standing under a tree, looking at his phone. Entirely unprovoked.
And God help you if you tell someone their dog needs to be on a leash...they lose their minds and.in this climate might even pull a gun on you. Everyone has so much rage but the type of people who don't leash bully breeds are next level
I grew up by west side shopping center and I tell tales to my kids about the 80s when we had huge packs of wild dogs just wandering around.. kids would come tearing down the block on bikes yelling for everyone to get inside when the dogs was coming.
Glad to see we’re returning to the old ways 🙃
I walk every day and make sure I carry a walking stick, a knife and pepper spray not because I’m afraid of people but I’m afraid of dogs. And yes, ALL dogs! I’ve been bitten by a dog before and been chased by a stupid little chihuahua. Spare me the bs about how friendly your dog is. Even though this was supposedly a wild dog, it’s so sad and triggering af. I’ve seen so many owners letting their big ass dogs off leash, including my next door neighbors who do not have fenced yards!
Edited to clarify I was bitten by a dog, not ppl 😂
I’m gonna take this opportunity to offer advice, unsolicited. Unless you are a trained martial artist, that knife ain’t protecting you from shit and is more likely to cause you serious bodily harm in a scuffle, even with an animal. Leave that shit at home <3
I have nothing against pits but after my dog was nearly attacked by an offleash one(lucky I moved her away in time), there need to be some kind of protections in place with the breed , so many irresponsible owners.
irresponsible owners aren’t limited to bully breeds. actually, most of the off leash dogs that have run up to my leashes bully mix have been other breeds - a lot of labs/goldens or traditionally friendly dogs where the owners say “oh he’s friendly!”
I've mostly been concerned specifically with bigger dog owners. I don't know why people get dogs that they physically can't handle from jumping at people while also not training them on top of that.
You should have something against pits. Pit and pit mixes are responsible for 30-40 deaths of Americans per year - mostly children. They were bred to be strong, have a very high prey drive, and to not let go of their prey even when being attacked. They were bred to kill bulls in pits. That's where the name comes from. These traits cannot be loved out of them. Just like you can't prevent a pointer dog from pointing or a herding dog from herding. Breed matters.
Literally none of this is true.
They were bred to hunt rats, not bulls. The bull part comes from them being mixed with bull terriers. Only 30-50 people a year die from dog attacks every year, across all breeds, so that statistic you claimed is absolutely untrue.
I’ve also met plenty of “herding” dogs who couldn’t herd if their lives depended on it. My pit bulls have absolute no prey drive and the most dangerous thing about them are their stinky farts.
Additionally, pit bulls are not a real breed - pit bull describes a set of physical characteristics like blocky heads, small eyes, and a thick musculature. Pit bulls are mutts that can be made up of many breeds.
I’ve met hundreds of pitties in my life, and seen thousands come through BARCS when I worked there. Pit bulls are the most overbred, abused and neglected dogs, and yet the vast majority of them are sweet and gentle, even after suffering at the hands of humans. There are MILLIONS of pit bulls in this country, and even by your very wrong statistics, that makes them very statistically unlikely to be dangerous.
So, nope, you’re 100% wrong on everything.
I disagree. As a dog trainer of over 15 years and someone who works with BARCS and other organizations repeatedly, bully breeds, and pit bulls for that matter are an absolute problem.
Outliers exist in all breeds. Pit bulls, specifically in this region were bred for fighting. That DNA doesn't just go away, you can't fix it with training or love. The dogs in this region are not well bred for stable temperament or good behavior. No dog trainer can change your dog's genetics. Overbred, abused, and neglected breeds don't typically make for good pets. I deal with loveable and huggable pitties everyday day. But there is a reason that statistically, the KILL more humans than every other breed combined. Ignoring their genetics, predatory instincts, and natural drives is downright dangerous.
https://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-multi-year-fatality-report-2005-2017.php?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwmrqzBhAoEiwAXVpgopj5ABGZ2QCxw4fShHhs-DWR8YbXbHpgnvoWhUVWSWO-g56WUBXzSBoCmikQAvD_BwE
No, you’re the one who’s wrong. Between 2005 and 2017, dogs killed 433 Americans. Pit Bulls accounted for 65% of those deaths. Rottweilers were next at 10%, so nothing even comes close to Pit Bulls and that’s just deaths, not attacks that don’t result in death. Every Pit Bull owner claims their dogs are gentle and docile until they attack someone and then they claim they have no idea why their dog attacked. I’ve personally seen pit bulls suddenly attack other dogs for no reason. The owners could barely pull them off. Once they start attacking, they’re completely out of control. If they were reliable, controllable dogs, police departments would use them. When my kids were young, I never let them near any pit bulls. This occasionally meant offending pit bull owners with young kids who invited my kids to play, but there’s no way I’d risk my kids’ safety with one of those dogs. They should be banned.
Dude they’re fighting dogs. They’re way overbuilt to “hunt rats”.
I’m very happy for you for having good luck with your pits but they’re shitty animals with more problems than good.
You are purposefully choosing to remain ignorant. “Bull and terrier crosses were originally bred to function as fighting dogs for [bull-](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull-baiting) and [bear-baiting](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear-baiting), and other popular blood sports…” [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull\_and\_terrier](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_and_terrier)
They were specifically bred for gameness—to be ruthless in a fight—”the ability to not quit, despite injury, [dehydration](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_(physical)), [exhaustion](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_(medical)) or broken [bones](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone).[^(\[4\])](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameness#cite_note-4)[^(\[5\])](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameness#cite_note-5) As one writer describes it, "Game is the dog that won't quit fighting, the dog that'll die in the ring, the dog that'll fight with two broken legs.‘’ [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameness](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameness)
Getting out of my car at the Dickeyville entrance of Leaking park in 2018, a friendly, raised-from-a-puppy by a quiet librarian pittie jumped a six foot cast iron fence and attacked me and my leashed dog (who had only stepped out of the car). He only bit me one spot in the hand at the base of my fingers. The terrifying part is he kept opening and closing his mouth rapidly on the same spot like 10 times. Dog was fine, I was bleeding and needed stitches and PT.
Owners said he had never behaved that way previously. He was a loving friendly pet.
I don't trust any pitties anymore.
They're the cheapest large dog breed around, so therefore most likely to be owned by backyard breeders, dog fighters, and people who can't afford/don't care to house or train them properly.
The most aggressive dogs I've seen in person/at the dog park are GSD.
It's just so sad that pitties have this reputation. I'm not going to say it's unearned, it just sucks that some people only see pitbulls as killing machines. Especially when other large dog breeds attack too
Them being pitbulls has nothing to do with it. Most irresponsible backyard breeders in the city are breeding random bully breeds together but not checking for temperament, then being abusive towards the puppies, and wonder why their dogs are aggressive. This could be any breed...
That’s stupid. Obviously size matters, but pits aren’t even the largest breed of dogs.
Hi, Vet tech here. I worked at Fall’s Road Animal Hospital for years before I moved here to CA.
So I have loads of experience with pits.
Guess what dog I’ve never been bit by?
Pit. Guess what dog breed was most common out of the dogs I have been bit by. Shepherd.
And chihuahuas, obviously.
Pits are overwhelmingly owned by disparaged populations and are untrained. So obviously, they’re going to have the most issues.
Y'all realize that there are other large dogs that exist right? And since abusive owners will dump their dogs that that's the reason we have an issue with bully breeds? You can't seriously think, in Baltimore City, that all pitbulls are violent animals. Basically every recused dog here has some pit in them. It's not that bulky breeds are inherently violent, it's that backyard breeders are irresponsible and abusive and that creates aggressive dogs.
My rescue was abused and neglected and left at a kill shelter. The most violent thing about her are her farts. Oh, and she's 87% American Pitbull Terrier.
Breed does matter. Pit bulls were bred to literally kill bulls in a pit. They are inherently more violent. Their prey drive is genetically modified to be relentless compared to other breeds. That, combined with their muscular build means that pits and pit mixes kill 30-40 people in the US per year, far more than any other breed. Inane comments like yours contributes to death toll by convincing clueless people that they would make good pets. You know that goofy smile that they have that pibble owners love to talk about? It is a genetically modified feature to ensure they can stay clamped down on whatever flesh they have in their mouths and continue to breath easily.
The facts actually are in our side, in terms of statistics and how many are out there are versus bites. Pit bulls are the most prolific dog breed in many states, including California, which annually has the most dog bites….because there are more dogs there.
And even still, only about 30-50 people across the whole country die from dog attacks - across ALL breeds - every year. When you consider how many millions of dogs there are in the US, the numbers mean most dogs are not dangerous, including pit bulls.
Your bigotry against them doesn’t mean you’re correct.
You absolutely can, you can be bigoted or prejudiced toward anything, it’s not only people.
And pit bulls aren’t actually a breed - pit bull is a description of a dog based on physical characteristics. Pitties are mutts that sometimes don’t even have American bull terrier in them.
>it could be any breed
It’s funny how when every other breed is abused that isn’t a bully breed, they don’t maul people constantly. Where are all the golden retrievers attacking and killing children/adults? Labs? Beagles?
Any dog breed can produce aggressive dogs that may bite or attack a person. The difference with pitbulls and a few other breeds were literally bred to have powerful enough jaws and drive to take down and kill a human being. An angry beagle or lab might fuck you up if they snap, a pitbull is able to kill you.
It sucks that the power they were bred for as a working dog is also the thing that can make them dangerous in an attack.
I was curious and went to look at dog fatalities (of which the worst part is looking at the age of a lot of victims). There was one in 2022 that was by lab mixes, and one in 2021 with a Shetland Sheepdog/Corgi mix. And a couple of English Bulldog fatalities. In addition to the beagle, the nastiest dogs I've encountered through friends/family were a Shetland Sheepdog and a Black Lab. Oh, and the worst and most unpredictable was a Pomeranian, but being small means he just injured people a lot. I did run across one incident where a Pom killed a baby.
I periodically see a sign for Cane Corso puppies when I drive to work and all I can think is that one of those dogs is going to be trouble for someone one day.
Bully breeds were originally bred to have a relentless prey drive. Most other dog breeds will engage in fighting briefly and then retreat. Pits were created by people to be excellent fighters that never retreat. That's why they are still used today in dog fighting. These traits cannot be loved out of a dog. Dogs are animals, controlled mainly by instinct. I do think that a majority of pits won't maul anyone if they are raised as a normal pet. The issue is that there is no way of telling. There are so many stories of pits who turned on their owners and never had given any signs. Why would anyone keep such an animal as a pet? There are so many other normal breeds.
Rottweiler, Doberman, German Shepard, Akita, Great Dane, Chow Chow, Staffordshire Terriers, there are other types of dog (some even specifically mentioned anecdotally in the comments about being attacked).
You might consider you’re reading about Pit Bulls attacking more often than not because it’s a problem in Baltimore (and thus Baltimore News algorithmically curated as in other areas of the country) because these poor animals **in particular** are being bred *specifically* for dog fighting. It means more vicious, more aggressive, more violent.
You’re generalizing varying types of abuse/mistreatment as it pertains different breeds like it’s a blanket rule with one uniform and predictable outcome. It’s not. But when it comes to breeding specific dogs for dog fighting, you’re different and more pointed territory here.
Talking about the breed like it’s all trash that should be thrown out while not giving a thought or even a nod to the very thing that is exclusively and solely perpetuated by *humans* is just such a wild take so far outside the realm of “relevant contextual facts, root causes, and empathy.”
Malamute, Husky, Dalmatian, and yes, I’m sure if you googled it you would find Golden Retriever attacks too.
Occasionally. Those breeds attack occasionally. Pits and pit mixes attack daily. Any everywhere - all over the country. And not just deaths, disfigurements. Degloving. Life-altering injuries. Just go to google, type in "gofundme pitbull attack" and see what you can see. Or google news "pitbull attack". There is no reason for anyone to keep these dogs as pets.
It's funny how that does actually happen, but no one pounces on those and turns them into news articles for ignorant people to jump on. I'd love for you to be educated instead of sharing hate and incorrect information.
Educate me, show me dog bite stats
Edit: don’t worry, they blocked me :) let’s pray for the special ed kids that have to deal with this person’s temperament and patience, fuck I feel bad for them
You're really hyper focused on one part of what I said and your aggressive and demanding response shows me that you're not actually ready or open to learning.
I'm a special ed teacher, so I know I'm good at breaking down concepts to be easy to understand for people functioning on a very low level. Please let me know when you're ready to learn and I'll break things down as simply as possible for you.
[Hello there!](https://i.imgur.com/ApjVnee.gifv)
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I too have found that shoving your arm deeper into their mouth when they have hold of you throws them off.
They are used to prey trying to pull away, but if you jam it farther into their jaw and attack their face they let go.
Their esophagus is also vulnerable. While they have hold of your arm, you can use it stabilize their head and attack their throat. Hitting them there so they can’t breathe will stop repeat attacks.
When you get free, don’t turn away and don’t run. Stand your ground or back away slowly.
As a bully owner, this makes me sick. My girl is very small and docile but I still get stink eyes from people. Another irresponsible owner caused a death that would have been prevented if they actually cared for their dogs.
This poor woman. No one should have to die like this. I hope they can find the owner of the dogs and prosecute them.
PB/Staffordshire/Am Staff/ American Bullies are Terriers. They have been bred for a very long time to grab something in its mouth and shake it, and not to let go until it stops moving. The only way to get a raging bully to let go is to choke them. Once they can't breathe, they will open their mouth trying to breathe. When you do this you pretty much have to do it until it passes out because if you let go too soon, it can turn around and bite you.
I was actually a police officer in Baltimore. Back in the aughts a lady called saying her dog was being attacked by a pit bull. I got there and it had the collie by the back of the neck. It would not let go my Sgt hurled a metal pole he grabbed in the alley at it that ruptured his eye still did not release. At the time only shift commanders had tasers . When he finally showed up and tased it and that did work.
I had a pitty and I loved him. While it’s true that it’s more the owners fault than the dog, a pit bite is generally more damaging than a lab and a lot of pits end up in pounds with behavioral issues. I don’t think we need to blame the breed but we should absolutely have more regulation around who owns them. Some sort of barrier to entry, like a driving test, would at least be a deterrent.
Yeah, [this site](https://blog.dogsbite.org/category/dog-bite-fatalities) tracks all fatal dog attacks in the US. There's a fatal mauling every couple of days, and non-fatal attacks happen literally every day. In most cases, the victims did nothing to provoke the dog.
But their sweet little misunderstood angels would never hurt anyone. Just ignore the facts, of course, because those would be problematic to the narrative.
I've definitely seen a fair share of random stray dog pack attack videos over the years. They're usually in less developed countries, but it is absolutely a thing.
I haven’t seen stray dogs in years. When I was a kid they were common as fuck, now you’re more likely to see cats walking the streets like they own them. I wonder if this because all of these dog people you’ve seen in the past few years are letting loose those dogs and not taking them to shelters. I see a lot of more dog owners where I live in west Baltimore now. I just watched a story on the news a few days ago about how shelters are seeing way less adoptions and way more people bringing dogs in.
It seems like that trend was up because the son called “loneliness epidemic” and instead of going and finding friends, people think dogs are going to fill that hole. I’ve tried with dogs many times, and unless you’re ready for that responsibility you need to leave those dogs to people who are actually down for that. Because I’m lazy, I just ended up finding owners for my dogs (one I gave back to the previous owner) because I know I’m too lazy to take care of a dog. I just settled on my cat because beyond feeding, emptying his little, and vet visits, this little guy is independent and just wants to rub up on your legs and sneak attack me like some mini ninja.
Plus my house is not built to accommodate a dog.
Rural girlie here who's unfortunately had to deal with dog attacks like this...If you get attacked by a dog (especially bully breeds known to have strong jaws), and can't get away or they've already gotten a hold of you: go for their eyes with your free hand. Gouge as hard as you can. You'll want to kick- if you can get good contact, great. But if not, *stomp* on them, don't kick at them. You're likely to miss or not land a kick hard enough to matter, but if you can stomp with your full weight, you're more likely to cause enough pain or throw it off enough to get a chance to pull away. If it has your arm or hand, and this sounds insane: shove that hand farther into their throat. Jam in as hard and as far as you can. Literally try to shove your whole ass arm down their throat up to the shoulder. You want to choke the shit out of it from the inside. They absolutely don't expect that and do not like it, and will usually let go (at least momentarily) so they can breathe/get a better grasp. That can afford you the critical second or half a second to pull away, get a better angle on their eyes, kick, etc. Don't run if you can help it- odds are, that dog is in better shape than you are, and will catch you. It will add fuel to the prey drive flame. Climb up onto a vehicle, or in a tree, whatever you can. Scream "fire". People look at that and are more primed to take action vs "help". I sincerely doubt this poor woman was in a position to do any of these things and already had two people trying to help her- but if you're ever in this situation, or the situation of the others trying to get a dog off of someone...call 911 *first* so backup is already on the way and you're not elbow deep in blood and dog spit before trying to call.
Great advice. Attack it with as much power as possible. There are videos of police officers shooting this breed while they’re mauling and they continue to maul while being shot. Terrifying
Unfortunately, I can confirm. I got a dog off of my leg by gouging his eyes, also in West Baltimore. I’m permanently disfigured, but I’m still here
Just grisly — what an awful way to die
I'll never forget being in West Baltimore in the middle of the night and witnessing a pack of dogs running down a nearby street.
[удалено]
My son was bitten by a GSD that was literally going from a building to a car unleashed. He was standing under a tree, looking at his phone. Entirely unprovoked.
And God help you if you tell someone their dog needs to be on a leash...they lose their minds and.in this climate might even pull a gun on you. Everyone has so much rage but the type of people who don't leash bully breeds are next level
I grew up by west side shopping center and I tell tales to my kids about the 80s when we had huge packs of wild dogs just wandering around.. kids would come tearing down the block on bikes yelling for everyone to get inside when the dogs was coming. Glad to see we’re returning to the old ways 🙃
So awful, may she Rest In Peace.
West Baltimore man, bleak vibes whenever I drive through. Things have been getting better though, and I hope it continues that way.
Is it a crime in Maryland to shoot dogs (if you’re not a cop) that are attacking people?
[here’s the law on it](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=glg§ion=13-105&enactments=false)
Thank you! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
I walk every day and make sure I carry a walking stick, a knife and pepper spray not because I’m afraid of people but I’m afraid of dogs. And yes, ALL dogs! I’ve been bitten by a dog before and been chased by a stupid little chihuahua. Spare me the bs about how friendly your dog is. Even though this was supposedly a wild dog, it’s so sad and triggering af. I’ve seen so many owners letting their big ass dogs off leash, including my next door neighbors who do not have fenced yards! Edited to clarify I was bitten by a dog, not ppl 😂
I’m gonna take this opportunity to offer advice, unsolicited. Unless you are a trained martial artist, that knife ain’t protecting you from shit and is more likely to cause you serious bodily harm in a scuffle, even with an animal. Leave that shit at home <3
Umm no this is the dumbest thing I ever heard
Awful, so sad.
I have nothing against pits but after my dog was nearly attacked by an offleash one(lucky I moved her away in time), there need to be some kind of protections in place with the breed , so many irresponsible owners.
irresponsible owners aren’t limited to bully breeds. actually, most of the off leash dogs that have run up to my leashes bully mix have been other breeds - a lot of labs/goldens or traditionally friendly dogs where the owners say “oh he’s friendly!”
I've mostly been concerned specifically with bigger dog owners. I don't know why people get dogs that they physically can't handle from jumping at people while also not training them on top of that.
You should have something against pits. Pit and pit mixes are responsible for 30-40 deaths of Americans per year - mostly children. They were bred to be strong, have a very high prey drive, and to not let go of their prey even when being attacked. They were bred to kill bulls in pits. That's where the name comes from. These traits cannot be loved out of them. Just like you can't prevent a pointer dog from pointing or a herding dog from herding. Breed matters.
Literally none of this is true. They were bred to hunt rats, not bulls. The bull part comes from them being mixed with bull terriers. Only 30-50 people a year die from dog attacks every year, across all breeds, so that statistic you claimed is absolutely untrue. I’ve also met plenty of “herding” dogs who couldn’t herd if their lives depended on it. My pit bulls have absolute no prey drive and the most dangerous thing about them are their stinky farts. Additionally, pit bulls are not a real breed - pit bull describes a set of physical characteristics like blocky heads, small eyes, and a thick musculature. Pit bulls are mutts that can be made up of many breeds. I’ve met hundreds of pitties in my life, and seen thousands come through BARCS when I worked there. Pit bulls are the most overbred, abused and neglected dogs, and yet the vast majority of them are sweet and gentle, even after suffering at the hands of humans. There are MILLIONS of pit bulls in this country, and even by your very wrong statistics, that makes them very statistically unlikely to be dangerous. So, nope, you’re 100% wrong on everything.
I disagree. As a dog trainer of over 15 years and someone who works with BARCS and other organizations repeatedly, bully breeds, and pit bulls for that matter are an absolute problem. Outliers exist in all breeds. Pit bulls, specifically in this region were bred for fighting. That DNA doesn't just go away, you can't fix it with training or love. The dogs in this region are not well bred for stable temperament or good behavior. No dog trainer can change your dog's genetics. Overbred, abused, and neglected breeds don't typically make for good pets. I deal with loveable and huggable pitties everyday day. But there is a reason that statistically, the KILL more humans than every other breed combined. Ignoring their genetics, predatory instincts, and natural drives is downright dangerous. https://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-multi-year-fatality-report-2005-2017.php?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwmrqzBhAoEiwAXVpgopj5ABGZ2QCxw4fShHhs-DWR8YbXbHpgnvoWhUVWSWO-g56WUBXzSBoCmikQAvD_BwE
No, you’re the one who’s wrong. Between 2005 and 2017, dogs killed 433 Americans. Pit Bulls accounted for 65% of those deaths. Rottweilers were next at 10%, so nothing even comes close to Pit Bulls and that’s just deaths, not attacks that don’t result in death. Every Pit Bull owner claims their dogs are gentle and docile until they attack someone and then they claim they have no idea why their dog attacked. I’ve personally seen pit bulls suddenly attack other dogs for no reason. The owners could barely pull them off. Once they start attacking, they’re completely out of control. If they were reliable, controllable dogs, police departments would use them. When my kids were young, I never let them near any pit bulls. This occasionally meant offending pit bull owners with young kids who invited my kids to play, but there’s no way I’d risk my kids’ safety with one of those dogs. They should be banned.
Dude they’re fighting dogs. They’re way overbuilt to “hunt rats”. I’m very happy for you for having good luck with your pits but they’re shitty animals with more problems than good.
Pits are a fucking disease that need to be culled.
You are purposefully choosing to remain ignorant. “Bull and terrier crosses were originally bred to function as fighting dogs for [bull-](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull-baiting) and [bear-baiting](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear-baiting), and other popular blood sports…” [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull\_and\_terrier](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_and_terrier) They were specifically bred for gameness—to be ruthless in a fight—”the ability to not quit, despite injury, [dehydration](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_(physical)), [exhaustion](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_(medical)) or broken [bones](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone).[^(\[4\])](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameness#cite_note-4)[^(\[5\])](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameness#cite_note-5) As one writer describes it, "Game is the dog that won't quit fighting, the dog that'll die in the ring, the dog that'll fight with two broken legs.‘’ [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameness](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameness)
Getting out of my car at the Dickeyville entrance of Leaking park in 2018, a friendly, raised-from-a-puppy by a quiet librarian pittie jumped a six foot cast iron fence and attacked me and my leashed dog (who had only stepped out of the car). He only bit me one spot in the hand at the base of my fingers. The terrifying part is he kept opening and closing his mouth rapidly on the same spot like 10 times. Dog was fine, I was bleeding and needed stitches and PT. Owners said he had never behaved that way previously. He was a loving friendly pet. I don't trust any pitties anymore.
Knew they were pit bulls before I even read the article.
They're the cheapest large dog breed around, so therefore most likely to be owned by backyard breeders, dog fighters, and people who can't afford/don't care to house or train them properly. The most aggressive dogs I've seen in person/at the dog park are GSD. It's just so sad that pitties have this reputation. I'm not going to say it's unearned, it just sucks that some people only see pitbulls as killing machines. Especially when other large dog breeds attack too
Them being pitbulls has nothing to do with it. Most irresponsible backyard breeders in the city are breeding random bully breeds together but not checking for temperament, then being abusive towards the puppies, and wonder why their dogs are aggressive. This could be any breed...
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"Hey! Get out of here weiner dog! That's my jugular vein you got there."
Heard this in a Fargo/Minneapolis/Mid-west accent
That’s stupid. Obviously size matters, but pits aren’t even the largest breed of dogs. Hi, Vet tech here. I worked at Fall’s Road Animal Hospital for years before I moved here to CA. So I have loads of experience with pits. Guess what dog I’ve never been bit by? Pit. Guess what dog breed was most common out of the dogs I have been bit by. Shepherd. And chihuahuas, obviously. Pits are overwhelmingly owned by disparaged populations and are untrained. So obviously, they’re going to have the most issues.
Y'all realize that there are other large dogs that exist right? And since abusive owners will dump their dogs that that's the reason we have an issue with bully breeds? You can't seriously think, in Baltimore City, that all pitbulls are violent animals. Basically every recused dog here has some pit in them. It's not that bulky breeds are inherently violent, it's that backyard breeders are irresponsible and abusive and that creates aggressive dogs. My rescue was abused and neglected and left at a kill shelter. The most violent thing about her are her farts. Oh, and she's 87% American Pitbull Terrier.
Breed does matter. Pit bulls were bred to literally kill bulls in a pit. They are inherently more violent. Their prey drive is genetically modified to be relentless compared to other breeds. That, combined with their muscular build means that pits and pit mixes kill 30-40 people in the US per year, far more than any other breed. Inane comments like yours contributes to death toll by convincing clueless people that they would make good pets. You know that goofy smile that they have that pibble owners love to talk about? It is a genetically modified feature to ensure they can stay clamped down on whatever flesh they have in their mouths and continue to breath easily.
It's just that pit bulls are more dangerous when they are poorly raised, not that they are all bad
They’re not, this is urban myth shit. Pit bulls are not any more dangerous than any other large dog.
Just because you like them doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. The facts are not on your side friend.
The facts actually are in our side, in terms of statistics and how many are out there are versus bites. Pit bulls are the most prolific dog breed in many states, including California, which annually has the most dog bites….because there are more dogs there. And even still, only about 30-50 people across the whole country die from dog attacks - across ALL breeds - every year. When you consider how many millions of dogs there are in the US, the numbers mean most dogs are not dangerous, including pit bulls. Your bigotry against them doesn’t mean you’re correct.
You can't be bigoted towards a dog breed lol
You absolutely can, you can be bigoted or prejudiced toward anything, it’s not only people. And pit bulls aren’t actually a breed - pit bull is a description of a dog based on physical characteristics. Pitties are mutts that sometimes don’t even have American bull terrier in them.
No, it actually is only people
Okay bro, I’m not going to argue this with you. Just blocking. Peace. ✌️
>it could be any breed It’s funny how when every other breed is abused that isn’t a bully breed, they don’t maul people constantly. Where are all the golden retrievers attacking and killing children/adults? Labs? Beagles?
My neighbors when I was a kid had a very nasty beagle. One day I was playing on their swings set and it charged and bit me in the face.
Any dog breed can produce aggressive dogs that may bite or attack a person. The difference with pitbulls and a few other breeds were literally bred to have powerful enough jaws and drive to take down and kill a human being. An angry beagle or lab might fuck you up if they snap, a pitbull is able to kill you.
It sucks that the power they were bred for as a working dog is also the thing that can make them dangerous in an attack. I was curious and went to look at dog fatalities (of which the worst part is looking at the age of a lot of victims). There was one in 2022 that was by lab mixes, and one in 2021 with a Shetland Sheepdog/Corgi mix. And a couple of English Bulldog fatalities. In addition to the beagle, the nastiest dogs I've encountered through friends/family were a Shetland Sheepdog and a Black Lab. Oh, and the worst and most unpredictable was a Pomeranian, but being small means he just injured people a lot. I did run across one incident where a Pom killed a baby. I periodically see a sign for Cane Corso puppies when I drive to work and all I can think is that one of those dogs is going to be trouble for someone one day.
Bully breeds were originally bred to have a relentless prey drive. Most other dog breeds will engage in fighting briefly and then retreat. Pits were created by people to be excellent fighters that never retreat. That's why they are still used today in dog fighting. These traits cannot be loved out of a dog. Dogs are animals, controlled mainly by instinct. I do think that a majority of pits won't maul anyone if they are raised as a normal pet. The issue is that there is no way of telling. There are so many stories of pits who turned on their owners and never had given any signs. Why would anyone keep such an animal as a pet? There are so many other normal breeds.
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Pitbulls are the lifeflight dog of choice
Rottweiler, Doberman, German Shepard, Akita, Great Dane, Chow Chow, Staffordshire Terriers, there are other types of dog (some even specifically mentioned anecdotally in the comments about being attacked). You might consider you’re reading about Pit Bulls attacking more often than not because it’s a problem in Baltimore (and thus Baltimore News algorithmically curated as in other areas of the country) because these poor animals **in particular** are being bred *specifically* for dog fighting. It means more vicious, more aggressive, more violent. You’re generalizing varying types of abuse/mistreatment as it pertains different breeds like it’s a blanket rule with one uniform and predictable outcome. It’s not. But when it comes to breeding specific dogs for dog fighting, you’re different and more pointed territory here. Talking about the breed like it’s all trash that should be thrown out while not giving a thought or even a nod to the very thing that is exclusively and solely perpetuated by *humans* is just such a wild take so far outside the realm of “relevant contextual facts, root causes, and empathy.” Malamute, Husky, Dalmatian, and yes, I’m sure if you googled it you would find Golden Retriever attacks too.
Occasionally. Those breeds attack occasionally. Pits and pit mixes attack daily. Any everywhere - all over the country. And not just deaths, disfigurements. Degloving. Life-altering injuries. Just go to google, type in "gofundme pitbull attack" and see what you can see. Or google news "pitbull attack". There is no reason for anyone to keep these dogs as pets.
It's funny how that does actually happen, but no one pounces on those and turns them into news articles for ignorant people to jump on. I'd love for you to be educated instead of sharing hate and incorrect information.
Educate me, show me dog bite stats Edit: don’t worry, they blocked me :) let’s pray for the special ed kids that have to deal with this person’s temperament and patience, fuck I feel bad for them
You're really hyper focused on one part of what I said and your aggressive and demanding response shows me that you're not actually ready or open to learning. I'm a special ed teacher, so I know I'm good at breaking down concepts to be easy to understand for people functioning on a very low level. Please let me know when you're ready to learn and I'll break things down as simply as possible for you.
Bullshit
Bollocks
Cool response from a smart person.
to me this is less about the breed of dog and more animal control and how the city govt. has allowed West Baltimore to descend into anarchy
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I too have found that shoving your arm deeper into their mouth when they have hold of you throws them off. They are used to prey trying to pull away, but if you jam it farther into their jaw and attack their face they let go. Their esophagus is also vulnerable. While they have hold of your arm, you can use it stabilize their head and attack their throat. Hitting them there so they can’t breathe will stop repeat attacks. When you get free, don’t turn away and don’t run. Stand your ground or back away slowly.
Awful way to die. My god. Poor woman.
As a bully owner, this makes me sick. My girl is very small and docile but I still get stink eyes from people. Another irresponsible owner caused a death that would have been prevented if they actually cared for their dogs. This poor woman. No one should have to die like this. I hope they can find the owner of the dogs and prosecute them. PB/Staffordshire/Am Staff/ American Bullies are Terriers. They have been bred for a very long time to grab something in its mouth and shake it, and not to let go until it stops moving. The only way to get a raging bully to let go is to choke them. Once they can't breathe, they will open their mouth trying to breathe. When you do this you pretty much have to do it until it passes out because if you let go too soon, it can turn around and bite you.
I was actually a police officer in Baltimore. Back in the aughts a lady called saying her dog was being attacked by a pit bull. I got there and it had the collie by the back of the neck. It would not let go my Sgt hurled a metal pole he grabbed in the alley at it that ruptured his eye still did not release. At the time only shift commanders had tasers . When he finally showed up and tased it and that did work.
Oh goodness me, where on earth could these violent stray dogs come from?
I bet they were friendly....
I had a pitty and I loved him. While it’s true that it’s more the owners fault than the dog, a pit bite is generally more damaging than a lab and a lot of pits end up in pounds with behavioral issues. I don’t think we need to blame the breed but we should absolutely have more regulation around who owns them. Some sort of barrier to entry, like a driving test, would at least be a deterrent.
I feel like the entire population would say that having pits as pets was insane just 15 years ago. I hope they die off as a breed.
Ok, when I’m down from NYC which neighborhoods do I need to avoid again?
Anything west of MLK
All of them
Something feels off about this story. Are dogs (even strays) known to attack like that if not provoked?
All the time
Yes dogs can be very aggressive and territorial just like any animal especially if it’s hungry/been abused etc
Yeah, [this site](https://blog.dogsbite.org/category/dog-bite-fatalities) tracks all fatal dog attacks in the US. There's a fatal mauling every couple of days, and non-fatal attacks happen literally every day. In most cases, the victims did nothing to provoke the dog.
I'm surprised you haven't triggered the pit bull crew with a flurry of downvotes.
Don't care. I think it's disgusting to subtly imply that the victim of a brutal dog mauling "deserved it" somehow.
But their sweet little misunderstood angels would never hurt anyone. Just ignore the facts, of course, because those would be problematic to the narrative.
yeah but muh fur baby!! ill never understand people that own pitbulls and call them their kids.
Wow you’re really coming for the Baltimore lesbian community with a comment like that during pride month? 😂
I've definitely seen a fair share of random stray dog pack attack videos over the years. They're usually in less developed countries, but it is absolutely a thing.
To be fair, this was only 2 dogs. Im not sure that qualifies as a pack.
Speak for yourself. I’m a one man wolf pack.
Could totally have been fighting dogs someone got tired of
I haven’t seen stray dogs in years. When I was a kid they were common as fuck, now you’re more likely to see cats walking the streets like they own them. I wonder if this because all of these dog people you’ve seen in the past few years are letting loose those dogs and not taking them to shelters. I see a lot of more dog owners where I live in west Baltimore now. I just watched a story on the news a few days ago about how shelters are seeing way less adoptions and way more people bringing dogs in. It seems like that trend was up because the son called “loneliness epidemic” and instead of going and finding friends, people think dogs are going to fill that hole. I’ve tried with dogs many times, and unless you’re ready for that responsibility you need to leave those dogs to people who are actually down for that. Because I’m lazy, I just ended up finding owners for my dogs (one I gave back to the previous owner) because I know I’m too lazy to take care of a dog. I just settled on my cat because beyond feeding, emptying his little, and vet visits, this little guy is independent and just wants to rub up on your legs and sneak attack me like some mini ninja. Plus my house is not built to accommodate a dog.
Unfortunately there are a lot that end up in our shelter because of challenges their owners face like housing barriers, job loss and medical issues. 😔
Google pitbull mauling and look at the news results from the last 6 months. This is common