5 month old and 2 year old killed by family pet pitbulls

[eucalippy]

That the family had for over 8 years without a single prior violent incident. The attack went on for ten minutes leaving the baby boy and 2 year old girl dead and the mother with an "uncountable amount of stitches and injuries"

Stuff like this makes me so sad but scares me too, I've always been scared of big dogs, but it's something I try and keep at bay and not put on to my kids. My brother and his wife have 2 Rottweilers who I was petrified of at first but have learnt to be around, they are very calm but stuff like this makes me feel like I can never take the kids round there again because what if they just turn?

I know about the whole it's owners not breed spiel, but stuff like this brings that into question surely? You can never truly know what a dog might do can you?

Link if anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about. RIP to those beautiful kids.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/baby-sister-killed-pitbulls-memphis-b2197336.html?amp

Any dog can snap, the problem is the damage that certain breeds can do if they attack.

Just awful, those poor babies.
I also think that despite careful ownership and training etc, you can’t deny generations and generations of breeding for certain traits that are now ‘inbuilt’ in some breeds and you can never really know when they might revert to them.

That is true. I was bitten by the family dog (a Jack Russell) though they were well known for being snappy, but also I don't think I've ever heard of one killing somebody.

It's the same breeds you hear of, time and again, who actually kill.

Tragic story.

Any dog can snap, the problem is the damage that certain breeds can do if they attack.

Exactly. For example staffies are very gentle, but they lock their jaws when they do snap and they can inflict a lot of damage.

Aren't pitbulls banned here?

The rule is that you never ever leave a child alone with a dog.

I suspect its virtually never true that there was no previous warning of potential for a violent incident. Just there was never an incident that involved injury or police involvement. I also think the breed is relevant despite what people say about pit bulls being nanny dogs.
I have a rescue border collie she is a lovely dog but she is nervy and I wouldn't have chosen her if I still had young children.

In regs to not leaving kids alone with them. The mum was there and fought for ten minutes to stop the attack and the kids are still dead and she ended up critically injured. Is not leaving kids alone with them enough? As I said my brothers dogs have never proven aggressive, I don't leave the kids alone with them if I leave the room but if they decide to turn what chance do I stand in stopping the attack against two Rottweilers?

I wonder when it says without a single prior violent incident…

Some owners excuse behaviours like resource guarding or describe worrying behaviours as “just snapping” and work around the dogs, or ignore signs of stress (around children, for example), or punish a dog for growling. It is hard to believe a dog attacks like that with absolutely no history of aggressive behaviour.

Unless you carry a gun, you won't be able to stop it if a dog like that does turn on your child.

There was a child killed by a jack russell.

That is true. I was bitten by the family dog (a Jack Russell) though they were well known for being snappy, but also I don't think I've ever heard of one killing somebody.

Jack Russells have killed babies before @nestofhill.

amp.theguardian.com/uk/2013/apr/09/baby-died-bitten-jack-russell

First of all, staffies and pit bulls do not lock their jaws.

No dog breed can do it. They just have a higher
tolerance to pain since they were originally bred for the pits to fight against bulls.

Its very sad this has happened, and it’s out of the blue and the dogs have given no reason before hand, it usually means there is something medically wrong with the dog.

And for PP saying pit bulls are illegal in Britain. They are. This is America.

The tragic case of a one week old baby killed by a Jack Russell is probably quite a different type of incident. Jack Russell's are bred to kill small prey. It was extreme neglect to leave a dog alone with a one week old baby. I suspect if an adult had been present they could have easily prevented the JR attacking the baby. A full size pit bull less so. A jack Russell would not be the first choice for a family with young children as they are often nippy, snappy little things.

Exactly. For example staffies are very gentle, but they lock their jaws when they do snap and they can inflict a lot of damage

No dog, including the SBT can lock their jaw. So please stop with misinformation.

They can inflict a lot of damage because they have a very strong, muscular jaw. They do not have the highest bite psi out of the breeds though.

Lots of these incidents involve children. I think people need education on dog body language and training should be compulsory for dog owners so that they can teach their children how to interact with the dogs. I can't obviously say but my gut feeling is that in most of these incidents the dogs have been pulled around by the children to a large degree and the parents have thought it cute instead of seeing the dogs stress/discomfort.

We had a Rottweiler for over 10 years. Dc never alone until probably secondary school age.. Dc were coached their entire childhood about ddog safety..
Tragedy for that family.

I knew people would find an example. They're more likely to kill rats and vermin, and our neighbours always had them also for that reason. I was around 10 and safe from being killed by him I think. It was a bite to the ankle.

No dog should be left alone with a baby, certainly.

I don't understand why people risk mixing babies/children and dogs.

I have seen quite a few stories of much loved family pets (pitbulls) who have attacked and killed family members. For awhile there was a website with the various stories but it was taken down.

So often in America the argument is that pitbulls who attack must have been trained to attack or have been mistreated but in reality many of the stories do not support that. The dogs have been loved by these families and well cared for and until the fatal attack, they had never seen aggression from the dogs that would make them concerned about having them as family pets.

I know people are saying on here they must have previously been aggressive but many of the stories I read, there is no way they would have kept aggressive pets around their young children. Of course it is possible they didn't recognize a sign that could be interpreted as aggression - but I think the defense on here that oh they just ignored their animal being aggressive is a defense mechanism that helps people feel like it couldn't happen to them. People like to think they could and would prevent this and would have acted differently than these parents or the others in the stories and would never have put their kids in harms way. It is easier to make this the parent's fault and see them as bad parents versus accepting it could also happen in their own home.

Some people just never learn. Pitbulls are quite rightly banned in this country but I'm sure some are pretty "borderline " now we seem.to have acquired a new problem, these so called XLbullies, of course most ppl in the UK will have heard that a woman was killed by a pack of 5 recently. I don't think you can ever fully trust a dog, they are all capable of attacking, although as we know, most breeds never will, but why even take the risk?

I work with dogs and I'm a dog owner.
What amazes me are the multiple " cute" videos of babies and toddlers " playing" with dogs whilst the dogs are showing stress signs.
I would no more leave a child alone with a dog than I would leave a baby alone in a bath.
This is a horrible tragedy but like many other attacks it could have been avoided.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_Kingdom

Yes, although when you read the list there are certainly dog breeds that stand out!

You have to be a certain type of person to keep a ridiculously strong and/ or aggressive dog. Arrogant and ignorant,’…. Oh and scum!
I have sympathy for the children of course but the adult owners mauled to death? Nope, better you than a random member of the public

I would never have my children around two two Rottweilers, ever.

I also cringe when I see this. Tiny baby laying next to a very large dog and it never seems to be a "gentle" type of dog like a labrador. Although having been a lab owner and knowing their lovely temperament I still wouldn't leave small child with one

Where did you see the dog was alone with the children? From everything written, it seems the mother was right there and present when it happened.

Me neither its not a 'fur baby' it's an animal.

It makes me so angry when people trot out the 'it's the way you bring them up' thereby literally contradicting what dog breeds are - they are obviously bred that way to achieve certain characteristics...

We had a mixed breed jack Russell from a puppy, raised properly etc my child loved him, cuddled up together etc but he started getting snappy, protective of his food etc we tried all sorts and he nipped my child while I was in the room when he went to gently stroke him when he was dozing. We had him for a couple of years at that point.

We rehomed him but were very open about his character and insisted he was rehomed without children. Went to visit prospective owners etc. He went to an experienced older gentleman who has had him for the last few years without issue.