Pippin13 Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 It was a dog act — but it was a heroic one that saved a young boy's life. A fostered pit bull in the US has won itself a permanent home after it saved the life of the homeowner's four-year-old son Peyton when his blood sugar levels mysteriously plunged in the middle of the night, My Fox Twin Cities reports. Last week Minnesota mother Christi Smith was woken by Tater Tot, a 10-month-old pit bull she had saved from being euthanased only hours earlier. "He (Tater Tot) kept on whining and barking and running between the two of us so I checked on (Peyton) and he was like, barely breathing," she said. The canine alerted the woman to her son's plight after being unable to wake the child despite licking and jumping on him. Peyton Anderson was rushed to hospital where doctors performed a number of tests before discovering that his blood sugar levels had plunged dangerously low. View Fullscreen Isis Sanchez, of Blue Pearl Veterinary Clinic, said in that state the boy's body may have produced ketones, which the dog was able to detect and correctly interpret as harmful. "What, for us, is barely a whiff of something gives them a huge picture of what's going on," she said. Peyton tested negative for diabetes and doctors remain unsure about what caused his blood-sugar level to suddenly drop. However, his mother is in no doubt that Tater Tot is responsible for saving her boy's life. The family will now keep the dog, which they initially planned to foster until a home became available. Source: My Fox Twin Cities http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2013/10/10/07/48/pit-bull-saves-boy-s-life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Yes I saw this on fb. Bad parenting aside this is not that unusual, not just for dog's in general, but for pits in particular. There are heaps of stories of pits saving their owners from various dangers, from burglars, to life threatening accidents due to drunkenness ll the way to alerting them to medical issues. I am glad of each story that highlights the breed in a positive light though, they are actually fantastic dogs and to be honest, I am at a loss as to how exactly this breed ended up with the terrible reputation they have. They are and always were, a people dog and even with the fighting pits there was an emphasis on lack of human aggression. The dogs were supposed to be able to be physically handled by not just the owner, but also the judge and the opponent's handler during a fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 (edited) The story didn't surprise me, as BlackJaq said there are masses of stories from the USA about Pit Bulls saving their owners. What surprised me was the fact that Ninemsn and channel 9 Facebook both covered it online. I'm seeing the shift happening. Twelve months ago you would NEVER hear a positive Pit Bull story in the media but this is the second one I've seen that Ninemsn has shared. The stories always get HUGE amounts of likes, shares and comments - way more than any of their other stories. And the comments are overwhelmingly positive. Which is great because they're more likely to keep sharing them in the future. The shift is happening, which I'm ecstatic about. We're on the home run now. ETA: To put in to perspective just how much people love hearing positive Pit Bull stories: 9 News facebook page - of all their posts today the top amount of likes is 108. Yesterday one post got 870 likes and 130 shares. Another got 3,220. This story? 15,911 likes 2,778 shares 819 comments The difference is staggering. It's in their best interest to keep sharing the positives... Edited October 11, 2013 by melzawelza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Unfortunately I believe it's the same thing that happened previously with other breeds and I think media focus will simply shift to another breed as the "bad dog"- I believe we were discussing this re bull mastiffs the other day. Unfortunately the public seems to have a collective memory like a gnat and are oblivious to the fact that GSD, Rotts, Dobes and others have previously been in the same boat. Truly I hope it is not so but I don't have much hope... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Unfortunately I believe it's the same thing that happened previously with other breeds and I think media focus will simply shift to another breed as the "bad dog"- I believe we were discussing this re bull mastiffs the other day. Unfortunately the public seems to have a collective memory like a gnat and are oblivious to the fact that GSD, Rotts, Dobes and others have previously been in the same boat. Truly I hope it is not so but I don't have much hope... Yes I fear the same thing. A simultaneous improvement in the public's view of the Pit, and so much negativity surrounding the Bull Mastiff at the moment... it's very possible that this isn't the end of breed discrimination but just the beginning of it shifting to a new breed. I sincerely hope not, and will keep fighting if that's the case. The USA at this point seem to have avoided it.. maybe we can too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Yes I saw this on fb. Bad parenting aside this is not that unusual, not just for dog's in general, but for pits in particular. There are heaps of stories of pits saving their owners from various dangers, from burglars, to life threatening accidents due to drunkenness ll the way to alerting them to medical issues. I am glad of each story that highlights the breed in a positive light though, they are actually fantastic dogs and to be honest, I am at a loss as to how exactly this breed ended up with the terrible reputation they have. They are and always were, a people dog and even with the fighting pits there was an emphasis on lack of human aggression. The dogs were supposed to be able to be physically handled by not just the owner, but also the judge and the opponent's handler during a fight. Yes, this! SO many times over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I'm struggling to get past that a parent left their child alone with that dog, only pulled from the pound hours earlier Very lucky for the boy and his mother that the dog was able to alert her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I'm struggling to get past that a parent left their child alone with that dog, only pulled from the pound hours earlier Very lucky for the boy and his mother that the dog was able to alert her. Same. "unable to wake the child despite licking and jumping on him" Fortunately it worked out well in this case but leaving a dog unattended with a sleeping 4yr old? That bit is mind boggling. At least doggy earned his permanent home. Well done Tater Tot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeckoTree Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Great story! I think because these dogs are so human centric and people focused they will if they could bend over backwards to help any people if it's possible, I remember a few years ago the Pittie who alerted it's owners and neighbours to his house burning down in Tasmania, seemed a lot more than just a panicked dog raising an alarm. It seemed concerned for the people around him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Not to be a wet blanket, but I think the story is hokum. After 4 hours the dog would have had no bonding with the kid and the parents were totally nuts to leave dog and child alone together. If Tater Tot did save a life, it was purely by accident. "The canine alerted the woman to her son's plight after being unable to wake the child despite licking and jumping on him." That shows absolutely irresponsible parenthood. As for: " Isis Sanchez, of Blue Pearl Veterinary Clinic, said in that state the boy's body may have produced ketones, which the dog was able to detect and correctly interpret as harmful." B.S. A dog may react to a chemical compound, but 'correctly interpret as harmful' ? That takes a big stretch of the imagination. Pit bulls are part of life in many parts of the US. Where I live (North Central Florida), they are widely found chained in back yards, and clutter the pet section of the equivalent of Gumtree. Sometimes bloodlines are specified in ads; I can't read pit pedigrees, but I presume they are advertizing known good fighting lines. Sometimes it's noted that they are good with other pets and children and not from fighting stock. They are hardy, thrive in this hot climate, and tend to throw very large (10+) litters, so there are always lots of pups around for adoption or for sale cheap. Free spey neuter clinics help, but there are still pups begging for homes, and litters born and raised outside, with little care or attention. It would be as hard to ban them here as it would be to ban SBT's in much of Australia. They're just part of daily life. They come in lots of flavors, and the bad comes with the good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dezzyno.1 Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 (edited) When we got our boy Dezzy we had only had him for one week and he was on the couch then all of a sudden he got up and went to our sons bedroom door and barked.....not knowing what was going on we told him to be quiet but he just kept on barking....I got up and went into my sons room and my son Jordan was having a seizure and Dezzy went into the room and licked his face and once he was satisfied he was okay went back down to the loungeroom and went back to the couch.....Dezzy did not really know us but alerted us to him having the seizure and he has alerted us every time he has a seizure....Dezzy also visits nursing homes and in one nursing home every time we saw this man he would lick his foot in a certain place and after doing this three times the man informed me that he went to the doctors and yes he had a problem there....some animals are amazing in doing these sorts of things and alerting us to problems but then again I have two girls and they couldn't care less....I suppose some of them have it and some don't :laugh: Edited October 12, 2013 by dezzyno.1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 When we got our boy Dezzy we had only had him for one week and he was on the couch then all of a sudden he got up and went to our sons bedroom door and barked.....not knowing what was going on we told him to be quiet but he just kept on barking....I got up and went into my sons room and my son Jordan was having a seizure and Dezzy went into the room and licked his face and once he was satisfied he was okay went back down to the loungeroom and went back to the couch.....Dezzy did not really know us but alerted us to him having the seizure and he has alerted us every time he has a seizure....Dezzy also visits nursing homes and in one nursing home every time we saw this man he would lick his foot in a certain place and after doing this three times the man informed me that he went to the doctors and yes he had a problem there....some animals are amazing in doing these sorts of things and alerting us to problems but then again I have two girls and they couldn't care less....I suppose some of them have it and some don't :laugh: I'll agree that this is amazing and to be valued. I think calling it 'heroic' debases the word hero. It is possible that this dog had a strong response to something going very wrong. It's also possible that, had it been 20 mo old instead of 10 mo, it would have killed the kid because he smelled funny. We just don't know. Pit bulls, like most of the breeds with a history of blood sport, are a mixed bag. Some people go way out of their way to label the whole bag as angelic or demonic. Both extremes are equally destructive. And the newsmedia involved will do whatever draws readers. As for the breed question. If you cry foul when someone labels the breed as 'pit bull' in an attack case, you also need to question the breeding when the dog does something good. Sensationalism does not help understanding and proper care/management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DakotaJ Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Sorry to go off the point but I think it is hilarious that they named their dog "Tater Tot "! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 When we got our boy Dezzy we had only had him for one week and he was on the couch then all of a sudden he got up and went to our sons bedroom door and barked.....not knowing what was going on we told him to be quiet but he just kept on barking....I got up and went into my sons room and my son Jordan was having a seizure and Dezzy went into the room and licked his face and once he was satisfied he was okay went back down to the loungeroom and went back to the couch.....Dezzy did not really know us but alerted us to him having the seizure and he has alerted us every time he has a seizure....Dezzy also visits nursing homes and in one nursing home every time we saw this man he would lick his foot in a certain place and after doing this three times the man informed me that he went to the doctors and yes he had a problem there....some animals are amazing in doing these sorts of things and alerting us to problems but then again I have two girls and they couldn't care less....I suppose some of them have it and some don't :laugh: I'll agree that this is amazing and to be valued. I think calling it 'heroic' debases the word hero. It is possible that this dog had a strong response to something going very wrong. It's also possible that, had it been 20 mo old instead of 10 mo, it would have killed the kid because he smelled funny. We just don't know. Pit bulls, like most of the breeds with a history of blood sport, are a mixed bag. Some people go way out of their way to label the whole bag as angelic or demonic. Both extremes are equally destructive. And the newsmedia involved will do whatever draws readers. As for the breed question. If you cry foul when someone labels the breed as 'pit bull' in an attack case, you also need to question the breeding when the dog does something good. Sensationalism does not help understanding and proper care/management. ALL breeds are a mixed bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 When we got our boy Dezzy we had only had him for one week and he was on the couch then all of a sudden he got up and went to our sons bedroom door and barked.....not knowing what was going on we told him to be quiet but he just kept on barking....I got up and went into my sons room and my son Jordan was having a seizure and Dezzy went into the room and licked his face and once he was satisfied he was okay went back down to the loungeroom and went back to the couch.....Dezzy did not really know us but alerted us to him having the seizure and he has alerted us every time he has a seizure....Dezzy also visits nursing homes and in one nursing home every time we saw this man he would lick his foot in a certain place and after doing this three times the man informed me that he went to the doctors and yes he had a problem there....some animals are amazing in doing these sorts of things and alerting us to problems but then again I have two girls and they couldn't care less....I suppose some of them have it and some don't :laugh: I'll agree that this is amazing and to be valued. I think calling it 'heroic' debases the word hero. It is possible that this dog had a strong response to something going very wrong. It's also possible that, had it been 20 mo old instead of 10 mo, it would have killed the kid because he smelled funny. We just don't know. Pit bulls, like most of the breeds with a history of blood sport, are a mixed bag. Some people go way out of their way to label the whole bag as angelic or demonic. Both extremes are equally destructive. And the newsmedia involved will do whatever draws readers. As for the breed question. If you cry foul when someone labels the breed as 'pit bull' in an attack case, you also need to question the breeding when the dog does something good. Sensationalism does not help understanding and proper care/management. ALL breeds are a mixed bag. True, but the mix varies between breeds. In the US you can find people actively selecting pits for fighting. It doesn't help the mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 People who keep certain types of dogs for fighting don't usually keep them inside the family home though sandgrubber... T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 (edited) The percentage of pit bull type dogs in the USA that have even had a whiff of dog fighting is tiny. Those that are rescued from fight busts are overwhelmingly suitable for adoption either very quickly or after behavioral rehab. All breeds are a mixed bag. Edited October 13, 2013 by melzawelza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 That Vet needs a refresher on Diabetes. Low blood sugar does not produce keytones. It can result in seizures, loss of consciousness and death - but definitely no keytones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 People who keep certain types of dogs for fighting don't usually keep them inside the family home though sandgrubber... T. No, they keep them chained in the yard ... at least in the rural South. The fraction of pits that are ever seriously fought probably a few percent or less. But the number who belong to wankers who select a dog because it has fighting potential may well be over 10%. Who knows. It's not an easy census to take. I'd recommend the novel, Salvage the Bones (2011) by Jesmyn Ward if you want a picture of how dog fighting fits into life in this neck of the woods. (Ward's father kept fighting pits in rural Louisiana). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 (edited) I'd recommend you look at how many dogs from fighting busts are actually euthanized because of temp reasons. Most are killed because of lack of space and resources and the Vick dogs are a brilliant example of how well many can be rehabilitated and homed http://www.badrap.org/vick-dogs Aside from this, dogs are bred for unsavoury purposes all over the world, not only to fight other dogs but other animals and some even to actively hurt humans. Even pet dogs are often bred for poor reasons and with poor temperaments. Not sure why you believe that pits are so much worse than other dogs who are bred carelessly or for reasons other than pet temperament. Edited October 14, 2013 by BlackJaq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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