I REALIZE THIS IS A POULTRY SITE BUT!

[hypnofrogstevie]

I was upset when I went to NC and so a beautiful pit. Guess who it was owned by... Michael Vick. He was going to a pitbull reserve in ohio I beleive or PA. They should ban the owners who train them this way and not the breed. Thank you for reminding me the breed birdnutz. It was on the tip of my toung but I could not get it out lol.

 

[Oblio13]

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They're actually pretty serious predators in their own right - miniature distant relatives of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Ask any bug.

Hey, why don't we have any bug's rights activists?

 

[Beekissed]

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Its easy to change that, you cannot let her act out at all. As soon as she shows aggression you have to stand strong and even have to smack her. Even if she gives a dog, a human "THE LOOK" you have to say NO BAD and give a quick slap. In that instant it will break her concentration and will prevent her from acting out. If you can do this enough then she will understand and she will not lash out to anything. If shes being territorial you need to give her basic training, shes not the boss of the yard YOU are. so if other dogs come over, you can try bringing her out on a leash and make her sit..if she stares at the dog yank the lease and say NO, until she is submissive and is looking elsewhere. If shes being mean to her bunkmate then you do the same thing. It helps to keep a short lease on her at all times for better control. Also its important that you show no sign of fear. As in fear of her biting another dog, animal etc. Its important that you have that GRAWRREE with you lol.

Edit to remove other quotes

also the more you let her be mean to other animals, the more she will be...she wont get better on her own...she thinks your okay with it..so she does it.

Well, this is difficult to do when the fights happen during the night, out in the yard, but I know what you mean. When she does it in the daytime, she is removed from the area and shut in a building with the harsh BAD DOG! stance of the alpha dog (me!) in control. When she gets let out of the building she heads straight for the dog house and won't come out the rest of the day!

Actually, the younger dog gets neutered next week...I think he's been "bothering" her too much and her temper is shortened towards this behavior since he's matured. When he was still a pup, she was very patient with him.

Also, I think her teeth are hurting her. She had very bad teeth and gums when I got her, but the vet said there wasn't much I could do for it, as it was a result of her puppyhood nutrition and care. I've brushed her teeth and gums before, pretty regularly, hoping to help this, but it didn't help. Other than a VERY expensive surgery that I cannot afford, I can't help her but to give her something for the pain when she seems grouchy.

But this new attitude towards strange dogs is.....well.....strange for her. Personally, I think she feels more bully because she has a "partner in crime" in my young dog. He's friendly to other dogs until SHE gets aggressive...then he's got the tail-end while she gets the front! Like a pack attack! Makes me very ashamed of my "bully" dogs! When they are in this mode, three people pulling on their leashes and collars and screaming at them does absolutely nothing! The last time, she was bubbling at the mouth and sounding like Cujo as I was dragging her by her collar to the building(80 lbs of frothing fury)! Scary!!! As soon as she is gone, the young dog will then proceed to play with the visiting dog like nothing happened! Go figure!

I agree they need some training time, but noone will bring over their dog anymore for this to happen!

As I have chickens, I'm kind of glad they are aggressive to visiting canines....but I'm still keeping an eye on her for other signs of aggression. Better safe than sorry.

 

[BFeathered]

Wow, hot button, great discussion. Everyone here has had something valid to add and great personal experiences to back it up. My 2 cents... the dogs is question from the OP-- Rhodesian Ridgebacks: developed to hunt/guard against lions on large properties. They have a highly developed prey drive, are quite intelligent, trainable, and a bit stubborn. The owners in question should be held accountable for everything- they have shown an obvious lack of intelligence and courtesy regarding their own responsibility to their dogs, their neighbors and the entire neighborhood. My own Ridgeback is a big goober who would certainly "play" with a small feathered quick-moving object and unfortunately has. Not a mark on the chick, but neck was broken, and dog was really unhappy at the result. My Airedale is also a breed meant for hunting (vermin) and protection (they were among the first police dogs). She too is a big goober who "played" with a chick with unfortunate results (again, no marks, broken neck). She too was very unhappy about it. Now, would I make the mistake of leaving dogs and chickens out together? NO! Am I currently training the dogs slowly to leave the chickens alone? YES. That said, I've worked with too many dogs, both my own and others, to ever truly trust a dog around something small, flighty and fast moving (birds, toddlers, etc) without close supervision. Jody has a bad case of STUPID people on her hands, and I'm not sure that is a condition that can be "rehabilitated". Humans have to be some of the dumbest animals on the planet, and unfortunately we all pay for that.

 

[cicene mete]

I have a question for any pitbull owners here. Why would you want a dog that's been bred for aggression and the ability to kill? I'm not talking about people who participate in dog fights. It's obvious why they want them. I mean for those of you who have them as pets. I really am interested in the answer and I'm trying not to be overly judgmental.

 

[lovemychix]

Dogs get loose...understood. Not all people control their dogs in my neighborhood. So I always watch my chickens when I let them out. Sometimes my chickens range out of the yard. Accidents happen we just really need to be careful to protect our pets. You never know when a big dog is running loose. I'm lucky because my neighbors are not big dog people.
I'm lucky because I think my roo could take the pansy dogs in my neighborhood.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

Ok I had a mixed pit and a pure pit. I love the color and there temperent towards humans. I was a caring owner to my pittie. He was loved by my mom, her b/f and my neighbor who had a different side with this breed. After they saw his personality they changed thier minds. Now a dog is a dog no matter what breed. You have the ability to change that. Mine let the chickens peck his ear and sleep and (poo) on him. He attacked hawks and other preds that came into contact with the chickens. Now like I said beofre they where bred for attacking dogs not killing humans. Mine was attacked by a german shephard. He never hurt a human or any dog. If you want to know what happeend to him. Hthey are very acceptable to diseases. He got parvo and died the night that he showed symptoms.

Also if the story is still on this site go to www.justiceforgage.com

 

[BFeathered]

Answer to pitt bull question--- Pitts were not originally developed to fight dogs, but were used to harrass bulls in the fight ring (another hot button!). A well-bred, properly loved and treated pitt is one of the sweetest tempered dogs on the planet in my experience. (the same can be said for most breeds) The only pitts we ever had problems with were puppy mill products that were abused from day 1. The responsibly bred pitts were a joy to be around.

 

[horsejody]

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OK, I'm assuming you are referring to my post. Thank you for your sympathy.

Those of us that think the dogs should be put down don't take it lightly. Most of us have dogs and love them dearly. The dogs in question have not only killed chickens. In the the past they have gotten loose and killed or injured other dogs. A pomeranian was ripped apart in his own yard and killed by them. A Lhasa Apso suffered bite wounds and bruising from them in his own yard. A mixed breed was seriously wounded and nearly died when attacked by them in his own yard. Yes, the original problem is the people that own the dog. But keep in mind that these dogs are a problem now too. It shouldn't matter what type of pet is killed. If a dog is savage and goes on brutal killing sprees, it has to be stopped. You may not think that a chicken shouldn't take precedence over a dog, but why should these dogs take precedence over my chickens?

Also, we should use our sensibilities and not confuse the issue. Nobody was complaining about noise. The chickens were on my property and the dogs were off theirs. The only wandering involved was the dogs'.

Chickens are not only domesticated dinner. They are also domesticated pets. If you don't belief that, go to a poultry show. If they were strictly dinner, we wouldn't have some of the beautiful ornamental birds we have. Dogs do have hunting instincts, but when the domesticated hunter is out of control, something has to be done. Since we can't remove the owners, we only have the option of removing the dog. Also, when the domesticated hunter is indulging his nature to kill, and a small child panics and tries to save a beloved pet from from the beast, is it OK for the hunter to also indulge in his instinct to guard his prey and attack the child? I guarantee that will eventually happen if these dogs aren't stopped. I thank God that my neighbor's grandson wasn't in the yard or in the coop petting and feeding the birds when this happened. When he visits his grandpa on weekends, he comes to see the birds. I keep a stash of corn in a place he can get to so he can throw them treats. That child could have been in the middle of this if it happened on a Saturday instead of a Thursday. Think about it. This is a tragedy waiting to happen. The lives of those dogs do not take precedence over the rights of people and other pets to live safely.

Go ahead and be angry. That's your right. We all have freedom of speech and the right to our own opinions. But please don't think that others don't have a right to be angry that their chickens are slaughtered. BTW the way I'm glad that you mention that our chickens are precious, because they are just as precious as any other pet. My chickens are obviously more precious to me than marauding dogs are to their irresonsible owners. If those owners actually valued and loved their pets, they would be managed and kept on their own property.

Yes, stuff happens. Sometimes difficult decisions have to made. Sometimes dangerous animals have to be put down. Sometimes bad owners have to be prosecuted. So take a deep breath and realize that sometimes we have to do what we have to do. It's just unfortunate that some owners of domesticated hunters don't take responsibility, and they force others to have to make hard decisions and take action. And it is only common sense to realise that the lives of these dogs are not more valuable than what they have taken or are capable of taking in the future. If your dog is precious to you, keep it in your own yard. Problem solved.

 

[Mom 2em All]

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Pit bull dogs, as a majority, are not human aggressive. Even the dog fighters do not want human aggressive pit bulls. Imagine how hard it would be to run their fights if the dogs were more interested in tearing into the humans than into the other dog?
My pitbull is the sweetest dog I have owned in a very long time. He is docile, tolerant, and a big goofball. He has killed two chicks- by accident. A mistake on my part, negligence if you will and failure to make my chicken yard escape-proof. He didnt want to kill them, he was playing with them. Big pit paw, little chicken. No contest.

My children, their friends, my toddler nephew- my pit loves them all.
I trust him more than I do my stupid weiner dog.