isabellaB

just modified my original post, from just the link, because I guess there was a lot more that i wanted to say...

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/08/26/256071_ntnews.html Story in the NT news recently, quite upsetting being the owner of a beautifull dogue de bordeaux and can only imagine what this lady went through...but dont want to lay blame on the breed, was it a pit bull or pit bull type, was it trained, well socialized? regardless of breed? Having lived in darwin there are a lot of pit bull type dogs, especially crosses.. shar pei x pit bull x mastiff x etc advertised in the local paper .. As an example having a dog jump the fence and attack one of my aussie bulldogs years ago and nearly riping hes ear off, while i was walking him , i had my 3 little children with me, my poor boy tried to fight back but he really didnt stand a chance, that dog just wouldnt let go no matter how much i screamed and yelled, a neighbour ended coming out with a broom, it was horrible....the other dog looked more like a ridge back cross though to me, even though the owner said he was a pit bull ...they ended up paying half in vet fees and i was pretty adamant they confine their dog a lot better as it happend in a childrens play ground... I am also the proud owner of a lovely little staffy whos tail never stops wagging and hate this blaming the breed because my 2 breeds are similar in type to the pit bull......I dont want them to be discriminated because of there looks...IMO i think its back yard breeders putting any dog to any dog not having a clue...these puppys going on to good responsible homes will not cause any problems its when they go onto irresponsible homes then you will have problems...just my opinion and i have put a lot of thought into this and am still very open minded to other opinions.... dogs are not supposed to be killing children........something does need to be done... A TOP End woman is taking legal action after she was attacked by her neighbour's pit bull. Christine Vanderburgh had to call a council ranger to remove the American pit bull terrier she trapped inside her Darwin home. She said the attack was frighteningly similar to one in Melbourne last week where a four-year-old girl was killed. Ms Vanderburgh was mauled and her pedigree dog had its testicles partially ripped off when the pit bull attacked them in her yard. She said the pit bull dug underneath the fence of her Tiwi home in a surprise attack one afternoon when she returned from work. The dog chased Ms Vanderburgh through the yard and cornered her and her two french mastiffs at the front door. "It bowled me over and lunged under my boy's legs," she said. "I managed somewhere in the attack to throw the dog through the doggie door." Ms Vanderburgh said she slammed the door shut and called Darwin City Council to help remove the vicious animal from inside her home. The chef had a dislocated wrist, bites and two fingernails ripped off. Her french mastiff, Spencer, had to undergo surgery to stop internal bleeding and have his testicles removed. Darwin City Council regulatory services manager David Neall said owners of the pit bull were fined $822. The dog was declared a category one animal, which means the owners had to put a sign on their Trower Rd home warning people about their pet. They also had to reinforce their fence. American pit bulls are not illegal in the Territory, but it is illegal to import the breed into Australia. The attack cost Ms Vanderburgh $2000 in vet bills. She is seeking compensation from the pit bull's owners.

Ok i think i have figured out why i am hesitant of Pit Bull types apart from the media hype because they were originally breed to be a fighting machine, fight to the end, especially gameness a pit bull in the wrong hands can cause a lot more damage than some other breeds and unfortunatley the pit bull attracts the wrong kind of owner probably still breeding for this "gameness" where else other breeds that were originally breed for fighting are now breed for family companions first and foremost, maybe BSL is making the problem worse with these type of people going underground as pointed out before.....I know socialization has a lot to do with it but I think genetics would too once again as pointed out.

I dont usually post on any forums but this terrible, terrible tragety has really shocked me...I saw what steve austin said this morning and think i agree with him its just one attack to many by a pit bull type and something needs to be done, (what i dont know) BUT in saying that i am still a little undecided, I know of a lot of pit bulls that are great family dogs and well socialized and wouldnt hurt anyone. I have never owned a pit bull, being a proud owner of 2 breeds that could be mistaken for a pit bull that worries me and would never want my breeds to be discriminated against or steriotyped...but to tell you the truth i am always a bit hesitant of pit bulls..is that because of the media hype? Its a hard one and do feel for all the responsible owners of pit bulls but I feel more strongly for the poor little girl who lost her life and what her family are going through now....

Thank you both so much for your advice. I have e mailed the breeder and am sure they will get back to me soon. I will try my best with him he is a sweetie and I dont want to give up on him...the breeder did say if things didnt work out they wanted him back. I will see how things go over the next weeks, Im unsure if we have a behavourist in town but will look into that aswell. Thanks once again....

Hello, I am looking for some advice. I have recently added a 7 month old chinese crested to my family. The breeder said it would take some time to settle in so maybe thats all he needs..... When he arrived off the plane, he was terrified he bit me when I reached into hes crate but he was cornered and i understand him being scared. We have had him for a week...at first he would hide in corners and growl at me, now he has bonded with me and follows me everywhere. The problem is he growls and barks at my children everytime they come near me..the kids are scared off him now and dont want anything to do with him. I have tried to encourage them to give him food treats but he wont have anything to do with them either. My children are aged 4,7 and 9 typicaly they play and make lots off noise and this really seems to bother him. I am really upset about this I dont want to give up on him and send him back to the breeder , but I want him to be part off the family and well I definatley dont want this problem to get worse and bite one off my children....I dont know what to do ....any advice is appreciated... Oh I have been telling him a firm "NO" when he barks and growls is that the right thing to do...