Pit Bull down the hall

[CA girl]

What is the name of your state? Ca.
I live in an apartment that allows dogs up to 25 pounds. A few months ago, a man moved down the hall from me with a Pit Bull. I told the landlord and she acted like the man had lied to her and she said that she would investigate. The Pit Bull is still down the hall. The dog has lungged at my 11 year old daughter twice when she took our two chihuahuas for a walk. When I told the landlord, she said that the owner of the Pit Bull said that it didn't happen. The mans girlfriend has since moved in and now walks the dog on a stretchy leash with a regular collar while she talks on the phone. I have asked the landlord to ask her to take the dog down the steps on her side of the hallway instead of walking right past my door. The landlord told me that she had told the owner not to let her walk the dog and had told him several times to take the dog down the stairs on their side of the hallway. The girl continued to walk the dog past my door until one day I came out and asked her why she was doing it after the landlord told her to take the dog down the other steps. Apparently, she had not heard anything from the landlord. She stopped walking past my door for a few days, but is now doing it again. This is just an accident waiting to happen. If my daughter or I open the door to go out to walk our dogs when this dog is walking past, I'm really afraid of what could happen

Does anyone have any advice?

CA girl

 

[Cvillecpm]

You need to stop calling the landlord and start writing (documenting the situation) the landlord. The LAST LINE of your letter should be ....Does your insurance company know that your residents have a pit bull?

Document with pictures how the dog is being walked and that it is being walked past your door. Note when you asked GF to walk the dog down the "other" steps and call your local animal control and ask what additional efforts you should take to protect yourself.

Teach your daughter about not going near the dog and being in the area when the dog is outside.

You need to keep the pressure on the landlord to get the dog off the property.

 

[PghREA]

You may want to check with your local municipality to see if there are any rules/laws concerning agressive dogs.

 

[moburkes]

I agree with the others, however, I don't think that person's lease states that they cannot use certain hallways, or that only certain people can walk the dog. You'll have to use the threats about the insurance and laws about aggressive dogs.

 

[fairisfair]

Where is GAWM when you need him . There is NOTHING aggressive about the breed of pitbulls, I know, I have had several, sadly only one now.

The problem is with the owners, just like it is every other agressive dog.

The only concern is the fact that the poster says that the dog "lunged" at her daughter. I would have to wonder, did the dog lunge, biting and growling at the child, or did the dog lunge towards the other dogs, which is much more likely, and was it in an agressive mode or in a manner that ANY dog would make when meeting a strange dog on the street?

There are no more pitbull attacks than there are attacks by any other breed of dog, in fact, there are fewer. You just remember them because when pits do damage, they usually do major damage. Actually small breed dogs, like the chihauhaus for example, are much more likely to bite.

 

[melody301]

Where is GAWM when you need him . There is NOTHING aggressive about the breed of pitbulls, I know, I have had several, sadly only one now.

The problem is with the owners, just like it is every other agressive dog.

The only concern is the fact that the poster says that the dog "lunged" at her daughter. I would have to wonder, did the dog lunge, biting and growling at the child, or did the dog lunge towards the other dogs, which is much more likely, and was it in an agressive mode or in a manner that ANY dog would make when meeting a strange dog on the street?

There are no more pitbull attacks than there are attacks by any other breed of dog, in fact, there are fewer. You just remember them because when pits do damage, they usually do major damage. Actually small breed dogs, like the chihauhaus for example, are much more likely to bite.

I totally agree with you Fairisfair. Pitbulls have a bad reputation not because of the breed of the dog but because of what owners do with the dogs. I wonder if the poster would be as concerned if it were a Poodle or Sheppard. The only other thing you can stand on is the weight of the dog if the dog appears to be over 25lbs. then you may want to push that issue with the landlord but unless you weigh the dog you can't be sure.

Find out if pitbulls are banned in your state after a certain date. In the state of MD you can't own a pitbull after February 3, 1997. If you do own one you need to have the papers stating the dog was born before that date.

 

[Alaska landlord]

Where is GAWM when you need him . There is NOTHING aggressive about the breed of pitbulls, I know, I have had several, sadly only one now.

The problem is with the owners, just like it is every other agressive dog.
.

That’s a bunch of crap. I read all the same nonsense before getting one. I had one that was my pride and joy. They bond with one person and don’t have the common sense to distinguish a gesture from an attack. I had to get rid of mine when it snapped at a little kid just for being there. I was not going to wait for an attack before doing something about the danger present.

 

[fairisfair]

That’s a bunch of crap. I read all the same nonsense before getting one. I had one that was my pride and joy. They bond with one person and don’t have the common sense to distinguish a gesture from an attack. I had to get rid of mine when it snapped at a little kid just for being there. I was not going to wait for an attack before doing something about the danger present.

And you are full of it. How long did you have your pit? What did you did to ensure it's socialization? If the dog behaved badly, then it was a reflection of YOU.

 

[xylene]

That’s a bunch of crap. I read all the same nonsense before getting one. I had one that was my pride and joy. They bond with one person and don’t have the common sense to distinguish a gesture from an attack. I had to get rid of mine when it snapped at a little kid just for being there. I was not going to wait for an attack before doing something about the danger present.

Wow - we see eye to eye.

There are no more pitbull attacks than there are attacks by any other breed of dog, in fact, there are fewer.

If I believe your ascertion on face value it means nothing. Its not the number or attacks... It is the RATE per breed ( US Pit Bull Attacks / Number of US Pit Bulls )

You just remember them because when pits do damage, they usually do major damage. Actually small breed dogs, like the chihauhaus for example, are much more likely to bite

Point two - severity.
One bit from a pitbull - you are talking major reconstructive surgeury.
It is a valid consideration RISK = SEVERITY x LIKELYHOOD

Point me to refernce where a chihauhau (or even a pack of them) fatally mauled anyone.

Now you can name any snappy little rat breed you want, but the bottom line is that if it came down to a smallish dog trying to seriously injury me - I could barehand choke the life out of it or stomp it stone dead before I needed anything more than stitches.

 

[Alaska landlord]

Had him since at six weeks old raised in a house full of kids who showed him nothing but love. The little boy was new to the area and did nothing but walk past him. But you’re right; it was a refection on me. One should not believe everything you read about this breed or any for that matter. If a dog shows aggressive tendencies you should get rid of it!

 

[fairisfair]

Wow - we see eye to eye.



If I believe your ascertion on face value it means nothing. Its not the number or attacks... It is the RATE per breed ( US Pit Bull Attacks / Number of US Pit Bulls )



Point two - severity.
One bit from a pitbull - you are talking major reconstructive surgeury.
It is a valid consideration RISK = SEVERITY x LIKELYHOOD

Point me to refernce where a chihauhau (or even a pack of them) fatally mauled anyone.

Now you can name any snappy little rat breed you want, but the bottom line is that if it came down to a smallish dog trying to seriously injury me - I could barehand choke the life out of it or stomp it stone dead before I needed anything more than stitches.

Partially true, and I believe that I stated, that pits cause severe damage, the issue was not which dog can cause the most damage, but rather, which dogs are "agressive", not the same thing.

Here is a lovely story about the United states most popular family dog. (thanks GAWM)

Lovely isn't it?

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa070322_kd_dogmaul.821fe3a.html

Please provide me with facts to back your assertion that the ratio of number of pit bulls attacks per number of dogs, EXCEEDS that of all other breeds, or in fact that it exceeds that of any other breed. Other than of course, sleeping dogs. LOL

 

[fairisfair]

Had him since at six weeks old raised in a house full of kids who showed him nothing but love. The little boy was new to the area and did nothing but walk past him. But you’re right; it was a refection on me. One should not believe everything you read about this breed or any for that matter. If a dog shows aggressive tendencies you should get rid of it!

I had to get rid of a poodle mix for the same reason. Does that mean that all poodle mix dogs should be listed on a dog banning?? I don't know what you did with your puppy, the dog that I had to get rid of was a rescue dog from the pound and was obtained as an adult. None of the pits that I have ever had have been agressive. But they are/were also extremely well socialized. They are NOT the dog for everyone, they are extremely high maintenance.

 

[Alaska landlord]

I gave my dog back to original owner. I saw him a few times with the new owner in a pickup.

*****

Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has conducted an unusually detailed study of dog bites from 1982 to the present. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006; click here to read it.) The Clifton study show the number of serious canine-inflicted injuries by breed. The author's observations about the breeds and generally how to deal with the dangerous dog problem are enlightening.
According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:
If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.
Clifton's opinions are as interesting as his statistics. For example, he says, "Pit bulls and Rottweilers are accordingly dogs who not only must be handled with special precautions, but also must be regulated with special requirements appropriate to the risk they may pose to the public and other animals, if they are to be kept at all."
The financial impact of dog bites
http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html

 

[xylene]

Please provide me with facts to back your assertion that the ratio of number of pit bulls attacks per number of dogs, EXCEEDS that of all other breeds, or in fact that it exceeds that of any other breed. Other than of course, sleeping dogs. LOL

I have no idea what the ratio is.

But ratio data by breed population would be the only data that would be a valid way of comparing breeds - since some dogs are more common than others.

Total number of bites / injuries by breed is not enough.

 

[fairisfair]

I have no idea what the ratio is.

But ratio data by breed population would be the only data that would be a valid way of comparing breeds - since some dogs are more common than others.

Total number of bites / injuries by breed is not enough.

Well, I am certainly with you on all of that.