Dog lovers say owners to blame for dog bite cases

[bigdoglover]

Appleton Post-Crescent

By Jeannine Aquino


APPLETON - Dog lovers and dog experts agree that recent dog-bite incidents at the Outagamie County Pet Exercise Area are the fault of the dog owners, not the breeds involved.


Several dog enthusiasts at the park this week said they are not too concerned about the two incidents, both involving pit bull terriers, and do not think the cases merit a new policy at the park prohibiting certain breeds.

Nadine Keeton, of Menasha, said she has never had a problem with any of the pit bulls she’s seen in the five years she’s gone to the North French Road park with her 7-year-old Akita, Buster.

"I’ve never seen a serious scrap between the dogs," Keeton said, explaining she thinks the dog-biting cases are isolated incidents.

The first case occurred on June 23 and involved a brown female pit bull terrier biting a 23-year-old Little Suamico woman, according to the Grand Chute Police Department. The pit bull had attacked the woman’s dog and bit the woman as she attempted to separate the two dogs.

The second July 20 case also involved a fight breaking out between a tan pit bull and another dog. The pit bull, originally identified as a Rottweiler, bit a man on the left wrist after the man tried to stop the fight, also according to the Grand Chute police.

Outagamie County Parks Director Chris Brandt said if a dog displays aggressiveness, it should immediately be removed from the Outagamie County Pet Exercise Area.

"It’s not the dog’s fault. It’s more the owner’s. The owners should know if they have an aggressive dog," said Brandt. "If you have an aggressive dog, you’re not welcome there at all."

Hank Greenwood, a member of the American Dog Breeders Association in Utah, said the American pit bull terrier historically has never been "people aggressive."
Pit bulls are usually mild mannered and eager to please their owners, he said. In his 25 years as a judge for the association, Greenwood said, he has never been bitten by a pit bull.

"Usually, lack of responsible ownership is where these dogs get into their problems or issues," said Greenwood, explaining that dog-bite incidents typically happen because owners allow them dogs to display bad behavior or encourage them through training. "More responsible ownership would curtail 90 percent of these issues."

He added that more stringent enforcement of leash and containment laws would also help eliminate problems with any threatening dogs.

The Outagamie County dog park has several rules posted in various locations around the area. Some of the rules are that dogs must be licensed, have current rabies vaccination, wear owner identification tags and be kept under supervision and voice control at all times.

Carol Beck, the manager and trainer at the Dog House & Pet Center in Appleton, said a pit bull is not any more aggressive than a Chihuahua.

Yet pit bulls earn notoriety because of the type of bite they can inflict, Beck said.

"They have a very high-pressure bite," Beck said. "Some breeds might just bite and let go. If a pit bull wants to hang on, they can hang on."

According to the Pit Bull Rescue Center Web site, "pit bull" is an umbrella term grouping three breeds of dog: the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier. Yet as many as 25 breeds that look like a "pit bull" often are incorrectly identified as pit bulls.

Chad Huyck, a treasurer for the Brew City Weight Pull Club and former president of the now-defunct Brew City American Pit Bull Terrier Club, said pit bulls terriers are not supposed to make good guard dogs because the animals are too friendly to people.

Yet the terriers in general, Huyck said, can be animal-aggressive. He said this is because terrier breeds traditionally were bred for vermin control.

Huyck owns four American pit bull terriers: Ziero, Dusty, Flash and Java.

"I really enjoy the breed," he said. "They’re athletic. They’re loving. They’re loyal. And they’re very smart, too, easy to train."

Paula Pine, owner of Canine Capers in Appleton, said it all boils down to the training a dog has had and how it has been trained to respect people.

"I honestly don’t think it’s a breed-specific thing," she said about the two dog-biting cases. "A lot depends on the owners and training."

Chad Kobiske, of Appleton, who was out throwing a ball to his dog Tuesday at the park, agreed. "Even a golden retriever can be out of control if you let it."

The Outagamie County Pet Exercise Area consists of approximately 17 acres of trails, small pet area, and activity area with shelter. It is located on the north side of Appleton at County OO and French Road.

[Carrie]

That's a good article. I wish more people would get the word out like that....that it's the irresponsible owners, not the breeds fault.

[bigdoglover]

I know, when I read it, I knew it needed posted. Same goes for children.