Salukifan

Sorry, couldn't resist this link

Politically correct? Hardly. Consult a dictionary and look up "mauling". This boy wasn't beaten by the dogs. He was bitten. Severely bitten. Language matters. If you want other people to understand your point of view, accurate communication is a good start. :) I'll use whatever words I like. Thanks And when you use words incorrectly, expect people to misunderstand you. Your choice. Next time you can interpret your assignment questions for yourself.

Politically correct? Hardly. Consult a dictionary and look up "mauling". This boy wasn't beaten by the dogs. He was bitten. Severely bitten. Language matters. If you want other people to understand your point of view, accurate communication is a good start. :)

But hopefully a greater degree of understanding of dogs than your average member of the press displays in discussing these incidents. We're not selling column inches here. If I want to read hysteria about dog attacks, I want to read it somewhere else thanks. I don't want dumbed down, emotive discussion here if I can help it. Well it's not your place to dictate what others feel and their responses, people will have their own take on a situation and not just yours. Also just because they're not a member here does not automatically mean a member of the press doesn't have a clue about dogs, the reports actually seemed very well done and correct. No hype or hysteria that I saw. i'm not dictating how others should feel or respond. I'm not stifling views on the issue either. I'm taking issue specifically with inaccurate, hyperbolic language - in this case, yours. You can hold any opinion you like but If you want to label these dogs as "monsters" then expect me to take issue with it. Just as I take issue with the word "mauling".

But hopefully a greater degree of understanding of dogs than your average member of the press displays in discussing these incidents. We're not selling column inches here. If I want to read hysteria about dog attacks, I want to read it somewhere else thanks. I don't want dumbed down, emotive discussion here if I can help it. It's possible to express an opinion without resorting to hysterics.

Why is silence better? (I'm not trying to be smart! I genuinely would like to know.) Because a mild verbal correction is useless, and a harsh one might scare poor little Milo. He's already anxious enough with Tonka munching on him. There are different ways that this could be corrected silently, but you have to know your dog's own threshold before deciding what to use. I like to use a water pistol for this type of training, but it depends on the dog as to whether this would be effective. Depends on your aim too. No point in drenching the target.

I care. Labelling these dogs as "monsters" suggests that somehow they are extraordinary. Until I hear evidence to the contrary, I'll consider them highly dog aggressive dogs. No more, no less. Hyperbolic language is what I expect of the press, not people discussing these incidents on a dog forum.

Thanks! So here's how he was bitten.

Could happen all too easily if you were knocked to the ground and sheltered the dog under attack with your body. It's like getting between a tree and a chain saw.

It might pay to remember that you're not having this conversation with your family. Most would consider your use of the term in this context as describing a creature that inspires horror or disgust and not a marvel of nature or something of unusually large size.

Or that only "monster" or poorly raised or abused dogs demonstrate it. Nice owners who carefully raise and train their pups can STILL have aggressive dogs and folk who don't believe that are completely underestimating the importance of genetics in dog temperament.

Not bitten? Did they maul him with their paws?? Unless you've seen the injury report and eye witness reports, how can you categorically state that these injuries cannot be explained by someone being bitten protecting their dog? How's this for a scenario. Legs injured by dogs biting boy while he held the dog and then once he was on the ground, the ear was bitten in a similar manner. All you have to be is between a dog and it's intended target. I'm not ruling out HA or transferred aggression but the fact is we simply don't know what the dogs' motivation was and frankly I don't really think it matters all that much. Fact is you cannot label these dogs as monsters and it's actually not very helpful at all. The moment you do it, you can differentiate these dogs from your average suburban dogs - and that's not a good move at all.

You don't even know there WAS HA. Many people get themselves injured intervening in dog aggression incidents by getting their bodies in their dogs teeth. No aggression may have been intended. We simply don't know.

Don't know how you figure this will solve the issue. "Proper" APBT breeders bred dog aggressive dogs - indeed, they didn't see it as an issue and said as much in their BSL submissions. I see a lot of assumptions about these dogs being mistreated, poorly managed or raised to be aggressive. I don't see a shred of evidence that would support any of those assumptions. The only thing we know for sure is that these dogs escaped their yard and attacked another dog, maiming its owner in the process.

A set of moral boundaries is an important part of parenting. If those boundaries include teaching your child that eating animals is wrong then who are we to comment? I respect the right of parents to raise their kids as vest they see fit. Being a vegan isn't against the law

this is something I do struggle with, and I tend to try not to think about it, but it is a source of guilt for me. I've been to slaughter yards and sale yards. I've seen frightened injured animals put up for sale and know where they're headed. Who knows, maybe this thread will be the turning point for me. I saw online yesterday a chook workshop coming up, it covers poultry care and also killing and dressing the fowl for the table. An intensive pig farm visit is a nightmare I will never forget. Thank God they banned sow stalls.

that's interesting. What about captive animals in zoos? Carnivores like wolves, and seals etc. Do you think they should be fed only vegetables? Carnivores are different. As everyone has said all the way though this topic Wolves aren't obligate carnivores. They have the same digestive systems as dogs.

that's interesting. What about captive animals in zoos? Carnivores like wolves, and seals etc. Do you think they should be fed only vegetables? Soy based kibble please.

Why not? You don't think that an animal should be able to eat what it is physiologically programmed to eat?

A friend of my parents has a small cattle property. He has a fully licensed, small slaughterhouse (the health hoops you have to jump through are considerable). He drives the cattle up there, and kills and dresses them himself. His neighbours also use him. The cattle are never transported (a major issue for me). I don't have an issue with this style of livestock raising and my parents swear his meat TASTE'S better. My personal view is that if more people were aware of how livestock animals were raised and treated for mass food production, they'd be more discerning about where their meat came from. Then again, the cost is all important for some. I DETEST intensive animal farming in a major way. It is WRONG. End of Sermon.

You're not Robinson Crusoe there

I have been polite. I also happen to hold the belief I expressed. Cropping kills plenty of animals. The fact that they don't end up on our plates doesnt mean that their deaths don't count does it? I have no issues with folk who choose not to eat animals. But they have the power to choose for themselves. Our pets don't. So my view is either you feed a pet what nature intended it to eat or choose a pet better suited to your philosophy What's "impolite" about that?

Anyone who thinks a vegetarian diet is "no kill" needs to think a little more about how food is produced. If you displace animals in order to grow crops, they don't all go on to live long and happy lives ya know. Pesticides kill animals. Just not cuddly ones. If you can afford to feed your dog a completely organic vegan diet, well bully for you. But should animals be deprived of their natural diet in order to satisfy some human desire for a more moral life? If you can't handle the idea of feeding dogs or cats meat, my honest view is you probably shouldn't own one.

Oops - wrong thread

Save your breath. You'll only put your blood pressure through the roof trying. She's not going to find someone who health tests their poodles who'd let her use one as a stud dog anyway. Conclusion - she'll find someone online or in the Trading Post who'll offer a dog.