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Dog owner responsibility

Should a dog owner be punished?


  • Total voters
    44
I can't answer the question because, as previously stated, we don't know all the circumstances. Was the dog trained for violence? Did the owner make reasonable attempts to constrain the dog? Had the owners of the home ever provoked the dog? Has this dog ever been reported for inappropriate behavior?

There are just too many questions about this case to be certain as to the proper penalty. However, I would say, that in general you are responsible for your pets. ALL ANIMALS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE VIOLENT! They are, after all, animals. They have instincts and those instincts can and do over power even the best training. Dogs are very good at escaping confinement and it is unfortunate that someone lost their life, but as a dog owner your responsibility is to keep your dog confined so as to prevent a situation where instincts take over and the unthinkable happens. Most likely this owner should face a charge equal to or similar to involuntary man slaughter.

What if it turns out that one of the neighborhood children helped the dog escape?
 
once, while jogging, I was bitten by a border collie. ran out from the owners yard and nipped me on the back of the heel. I stopped and beat the **** out of him. from that day on, every time I jogged by that dog ran and hid under the porch.

The BC was trying to "herd" you. You were moving and s/he tried to "herd" you by nipping at your feet, which is what they do to livestock to get them to move.

IOW, that wasn't an "attack"
 
I **** my pants yesterday for no reason at all. Just did it.

The site censors have certainly become persnikety if a fellow can't even use the word iron any more.
 
I **** my pants yesterday for no reason at all. Just did it.

just because you don't know what the reason was, doesn't mean there wasn't a reason. I was sending out telepathic signals all day yesterday encouraging you to **** your pants. nice to know it worked. let me know if later on this afternoon you develop a craving for kim-chee ;)
 
The BC was trying to "herd" you. You were moving and s/he tried to "herd" you by nipping at your feet, which is what they do to livestock to get them to move.

IOW, that wasn't an "attack"

well, I herded his ass back up into his own yard.
 
What if it turns out that one of the neighborhood children helped the dog escape?

what if it turns out that those neighborhood children had been taunting the dog through the fence for weeks? dogs, unless they are freakin rabid, very very very very very very very seldom attack people for no reason. usually the person is acting in a manner that is threatening or a manner that the dog interprets as threatening.
 
what if it turns out that those neighborhood children had been taunting the dog through the fence for weeks?


It's possible

dogs, unless they are freakin rabid, very very very very very very very seldom attack people for no reason. usually the person is acting in a manner that is threatening or a manner that the dog interprets as threatening.

No, dogs never attack FOR NO REASON. But sometimes, dogs attack people who haven't provoked the dog, either intentionally or unintentionally. Some dogs have a very high "prey drive" (ie hunting instinct) which, when aroused, causes them to attack anything that moves.
 
It's possible



No, dogs never attack FOR NO REASON. But sometimes, dogs attack people who haven't provoked the dog, either intentionally or unintentionally. Some dogs have a very high "prey drive" (ie hunting instinct) which, when aroused, causes them to attack anything that moves.

just like when you are walking through the woods, it is always the SECOND guy in line that gets bit by the rattlesnake.
 
It's possible



No, dogs never attack FOR NO REASON. But sometimes, dogs attack people who haven't provoked the dog, either intentionally or unintentionally. Some dogs have a very high "prey drive" (ie hunting instinct) which, when aroused, causes them to attack anything that moves.

not true. my son was savagely attacked FOR NO REASON by a golden. the owners of the dog saw the attack, my son was petting dog with their permission. they couldn't believe it.
 
not true. my son was savagely attacked FOR NO REASON by a golden. the owners of the dog saw the attack, my son was petting dog with their permission. they couldn't believe it.

No, your son did not provoke the attack, but the dog had a reason to attack. It may not have been a "good" reason (dogs are dumb animals) but in the dogs mind, there was a reason of some sort.

The dog may have been trying to establish dominance over your son. Some dogs don't like to have certain parts of their body touched. The dog could have been ill. Your son may have move too quickly and startled the dog. etc
 
In neighborhoods/city type areas, it's primariliy the owners resopnsibility. Maybe if they had to carry insurance for dogs that are far more likely to butcher kids, they might opt for a poodle?

We had an incident in our neighborhood years back with two pit bulls locked on to a neighbors dog in his own yard. He was screaming for help, I responded. Of course, it wasn't the breed, right? I love pit bulls, I just don't know how they fit in with neighborhood living.
 
No, your son did not provoke the attack, but the dog had a reason to attack. It may not have been a "good" reason (dogs are dumb animals) but in the dogs mind, there was a reason of some sort.

The dog may have been trying to establish dominance over your son. Some dogs don't like to have certain parts of their body touched. The dog could have been ill. Your son may have move too quickly and startled the dog. etc

one of my dogs snapped at my daughter a couple of months ago when she patted him on the head. he''d never done that before and she had petted him countless times. turns out he had an ear infection and the patting caused him much pain and he snapped at the source of the pain. you never know. that is why it is a good idea to exercise caution around ANY animal.
 
just because you don't know what the reason was, doesn't mean there wasn't a reason. I was sending out telepathic signals all day yesterday encouraging you to **** your pants. nice to know it worked. let me know if later on this afternoon you develop a craving for kim-chee ;)


If Kim Chee is an Asian prostitute, I've had a craving for her for years now.
 
No, your son did not provoke the attack, but the dog had a reason to attack. It may not have been a "good" reason (dogs are dumb animals) but in the dogs mind, there was a reason of some sort.

The dog may have been trying to establish dominance over your son. Some dogs don't like to have certain parts of their body touched. The dog could have been ill. Your son may have move too quickly and startled the dog. etc

true.........but the owner was 100% responsible for the behavior of that dog. i'm just glad my son has no fear of dogs today.
 
In neighborhoods/city type areas, it's primariliy the owners resopnsibility. Maybe if they had to carry insurance for dogs that are far more likely to butcher kids, they might opt for a poodle?

We had an incident in our neighborhood years back with two pit bulls locked on to a neighbors dog in his own yard. He was screaming for help, I responded. Of course, it wasn't the breed, right? I love pit bulls, I just don't know how they fit in with neighborhood living.

 
one of my dogs snapped at my daughter a couple of months ago when she patted him on the head. he''d never done that before and she had petted him countless times. turns out he had an ear infection and the patting caused him much pain and he snapped at the source of the pain. you never know. that is why it is a good idea to exercise caution around ANY animal.

Also, insecure, fearful, or unsure dogs shouldn't be pet on the top of their head as it is seen as challening/threatening. Of course, most people don't have the first clue how to read a dog.

I'm not saying this was the case with your dog, of course.
 
Also, insecure, fearful, or unsure dogs shouldn't be pet on the top of their head as it is seen as challening/threatening. Of course, most people don't have the first clue how to read a dog.

I'm not saying this was the case with your dog, of course.


bolded: true, also many people are fearful of dogs and dogs can sense this fear. it is also always better to get puppies, that way you can be sure of their raising and avoid many of the problems caused by unfamiliarity in reading the dog.
 
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bolded: true, also many people are fearful of dogs and dogs can sense this fear.

Dogs are incredible at reading people's emotional state. They often mirror their owner's emotional state.
 
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