Death of child mauled by family dogs

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Should just kill all dogs.

No we really shouldn’t. Dogs have an incredibly wide range of roles in society that are next to irreplaceable. From guide dogs to rescues dogs to just the general health benefits owning a dog gives millions.

[Strawberry]

What? Rottweilers are fantastic dogs.
They are NOT Pitbulls and alike. Completely different mentality. Rottweiler is a guard dog, not an attack dog.
My guess is that they kept the dogs separate and not allowed them to socialize with the kid. So when the kid entered their territory, they did what guard dogs do.

[Pony Soldier]

That is sad. Rotts and Pitbull mixes, are not dogs to have around childern. They are capable of doing a lot of damage very quickly. There was a jogger in Michigan last year, who was attacked and killed by two Rotts. Look up the statistics for bites and death's caused by dog breeds. Rotts are right there below the Pits.

Yeah and I wonder what kind of people owned those Rotts and Pits?

As I have said before it's all on the owner. If you're not going to be responsible enough to train your dog to behave properly around other people then you don't deserve to have any sort of dog, period. It could be a lab, a poodle, a corgi, or even a little shit chihuahua. Any dog is capable of hurting or killing someone if not trained properly. You can't just get a dog and expect it to learn the rules of human society on it's own. A lot of people just get a dog because the idea of owning one seems fun but they never think about about the work, dedication, and responsibility required to own a dog. Dogs aren't toys, they're animals.

I also just have to add that it amazes me the amount of ignorance people have with dogs in these threads lately.

[Strawberry]

The original purpose of guarding breeds was not to attack/kill anyone that enters the property it’s “guarding”. That’s just a poorly trained/socialized (dangerous) dog.

Don’t confuse guard dogs with attack dogs, which are trained to attack and don’t just attack anything that comes near them.

Uh, my dad's rottweilers never attacked anyone unknown.
Meanwhile, attack dogs attack everything.

[Ghostpanther]

Yeah and I wonder what kind of people owned those Rotts and Pits?

As I have said before it's all on the owner. If you're not going to be responsible enough to train your dog to behave properly around other people then you don't deserve to have any sort of dog, period. It could be a lab, a poodle, a corgi, or even a little shit chihuahua. Any dog is capable of hurting or killing someone if not trained properly. You can't just get a dog and expect it to learn the rules of human society on it's own. A lot of people just get a dog because the idea of owning one seems fun but they never think about about the work, dedication, and responsibility required to own a dog. Dogs aren't toys, they're animals.

I also just have to add that it amazes me the amount of ignorance people have with dogs in these threads lately.

No argument from me. Having dogs, requires a lot of attention to them and being aware of what they are capable of and also, showing concerns for their well being. But accidents can and still do happen. I would not want to have certain breeds around any children. Knowing some are more capable of killing quickly than others are.

[lockedout]

They are great guard dogs. But most dogs, if they are in a pack of two or more, can become more aggressive.

This is more the problem, packs of dogs. Rotts are guard dogs and pits are game dogs. Both are tenacious and will inflict great injury. You rarely hear of smaller dog attacks since the wounds are no where near as substantial as the 2 above mentioned dogs. I would wager other dogs are more aggressive but the attack doesnt require a hospital nor is it fatal so it's never reported to dog bite statistics.

[Ghostpanther]

This is more the problem, packs of dogs. Rotts are guard dogs and pits are game dogs. Both are tenacious and will inflict great injury. You rarely hear of smaller dog attacks since the wounds are no where near as substantial as the 2 above mentioned dogs. I would wager other dogs are more aggressive but the attack doesnt require a hospital nor is it fatal so it's never reported to dog bite statistics.

Some good points. I certainly would avoid certain breeds to have as a pet. My top preference is Border Collies. Second choice would be mini Aussies.

[Themius]

What? Rottweilers are fantastic dogs.
They are NOT Pitbulls and alike. Completely different mentality. Rottweiler is a guard dog, not an attack dog.
My guess is that they kept the dogs separate and not allowed them to socialize with the kid. So when the kid entered their territory, they did what guard dogs do.

Rottweilers are more prone to being violent though and when taking population size into account they’re the deadliest but that could also just be due to the fact their temperament and their owners. All the Rottweilers I have seen have not had great owners.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Consider the amount of registered Rottweilers around the world.
Then consider the percentage involved in incidents.
Then consider how many of those are fatal.

Yeah, no. Rottweilers are amazing dogs. I know X amount of breeders having raised their family amongst grown and young Rotties for decades, never a single incident. Rottweilers from reputable breeders have some of the strongest, most reliable mentalities one can find in the dog world.

Children and dogs should never be left alone, period. That's human error at play.

- - - Updated - - -

Of course not. I was just making the point that Newfoundlands, while very large dogs, have been bred to also be gentile. Same way the huge draft horses, because they are so large and powerful, special attention was given when they where bred. They are also gentile animals. The subject of the thread is about large aggressive dogs attacking people after all.

Rottweilers displaying aggression towards human beings when there's no cause, are an offense, not something that's readily bred on by reputable breeders. Being a breed suitable to guard =/= being a breed that's meant to kill family members.

Of course, the shitty owners will by default be getting their dogs from shitty breeders, at which point there's no accountability for the mentality. That's not a breed issue, it's a human created problem.

[Strawberry]

Rottweilers are more prone to being violent though and when taking population size into account they’re the deadliest but that could also just be due to the fact their temperament and their owners. All the Rottweilers I have seen have not had great owners.

It probably has to do with where you live. In Sweden, I don't think anyone uses dogs for more than companion pets.

[freezion]

It probably has to do with where you live. In Sweden, I don't think anyone uses dogs for more than companion pets.

Plenty of herding and working dogs in sweden.
You just dont hear a lot about them, because people who keep them are in general doing a fairly good job at training and raising them.

[kail]

Should just kill all dogs.

Kay.

So edgy replies aside, I can't help but see neglectful parenting in the article. A 3 year old child climbed out the bedroom window??? That line just raises too many questions.

That is sad. Rotts and Pitbull mixes, are not dogs to have around childern. They are capable of doing a lot of damage very quickly. There was a jogger in Michigan last year, who was attacked and killed by two Rotts. Look up the statistics for bites and death's caused by dog breeds. Rotts are right there below the Pits.

Any dog bigger than a French Bulldog can kill a 3 year old. A dog's teeth strength and jaw muscle is something many owners underestimate. There are toys and chews that are advertised in being super durable/tough for a reason and even they are a mean's to an end.

I have been raised around a Rottweiler kennel, you have sweethearts that are scared of cats and others that will go after anything that moves. Upbringing from their puppy stage is a huge factor that determines their behavior around people and other animals. We're those Rotties intended to be guard dogs? Do they know about the 3 year old?

Blanketing breeds tends just makes people look like idiots most of the time. This is coming from someone who is related to a long time dog breeder and trainer.

[Ghostpanther]

Any dog bigger than a French Bulldog can kill a 3 year old. A dog's teeth strength and jaw muscle is something many owners underestimate. There are toys and chews that are advertised in being super durable/tough for a reason and even they are a mean's to an end.

I have been raised around a Rottweiler kennel, you have sweethearts that are scared of cats and others that will go after anything that moves. Upbringing from their puppy stage is a huge factor that determines their behavior around people and other animals. We're those Rotties intended to be guard dogs? Do they know about the 3 year old?

Blanketing breeds tends just makes people look like idiots most of the time. This is coming from someone who is related to a long time dog breeder and trainer.

For sure. I would not trust our border collie around a 3 year old alone. Odds are she would not attack them, but some 3 year olds can pester a dog and that can trigger aggression.

And I understand and agree that owners of aggressive dogs are mostly to blame. Training is very important. But even some dog trainers, the dog whisperer on the TV show is one, said there are red flag dogs which simply can never be trusted.

Well, the law in some states does do exactly that. For example, in some cities in Ohio, the owners of Pitt bulls and Pitt mixes, have to get a permit to have them. I think some countries have bans on certain breeds? I will stand by my personal decision not to have certain breeds of dogs. No matter what anyone else thinks.

[Strawberry]

Plenty of herding and working dogs in sweden.
You just dont hear a lot about them, because people who keep them are in general doing a fairly good job at training and raising them.

Never heard of herding and working dogs in the civilized parts of Sweden.
Those must be far north, but that doesn't count because it's basically Finland.
Comparing Stockholm and northern Sweden is like comparing Los Angeles and Alaska.

[freezion]

Never heard of herding and working dogs in the civilized parts of Sweden.
Those must be far north, but that doesn't count because it's basically Finland.
Comparing Stockholm and northern Sweden is like comparing Los Angeles and Alaska.

Im talking from experience with Halland, Jönköping and västra götalands län.
If you get a bit rural you'll find them quite a bit. Hunting dogs, herding dogs (especially where there's sheep) and the odd guard dog here and there on some farms.
Hunting dogs is especially common with the quite heavy hunting culture there is in a lot of parts of sweden.

And not to mention that quite a bunch of naturbruksgymnasiums have a hundeförare/skötare specializations.

I think it's more a city vs. country-side thing whether you know about their existence.

[Vash The Stampede]

Once more, no shitty dogs, only shitty/irresponsible owners.

Can't it be both?

[Mekkle]

Can't it be both?

If the dog has a mental condition sure.

[Sylvandoh]

We know so very little about the context in which said dogs were raised.

Anyone jumping to conclusions with so little information is ignorant at best. And at worst they are… well I really can't say it on here without getting infracted, so I'll leave that one up to your imagination.

[Nefastus]

Dogs really should be banned in society.

Certain dogs at least should. I got a dog home, a small one, but I don't let it get close to my younger son thats still a baby.

[Gaaz]

I have been around and closely involved with dog training for almost half a century now. And while I truly love these animals in general, I would never let my child stay alone with certain breeds, unless I know the dog and the owner very well. This includes all Pit Bull breeds, rottweilers, German shepherds and dobermans, to mention a few. Especially the former two. Dog breeds have different memory spans and natural aggression/volatility base. When I look at a Pitt Bull (no matter the subtype), I know that unless this animal went through rigorous training during the last 12 months (and every year of his life), chances are it will not respond to commands when under stress (i.e. attacking someone). Coupled with extreme volatility of the breed (a large portion of the population expresses aggressive behavior), leaving small children around them is just asking for trouble. If you want a large dog at your house and you have kids, you have to take these things very seriously. Pitt Bulls need at least a couple of weeks of serious obedience training every year or so just to keep up. Preferably every 6 months. German Shepherds are above average in terms of memory and training (but are still more volatile on average, to the point of me not willing to take chances). The most easy going breeds in terms of aggression prediction and response, in my opinion, are Black Terriers (I and my father trained 21 of them between us), Irish Wolfhounds and Newfoundlands. Strangely enough, never had any troubles from Afghan Shepherds as well, despite them having a bit of a reputation among trainers. Do not get me wrong, any one of these will kill a human if provoked and driven (or ordered) to attack. But generally speaking, if a child (who was introduced first obviously, by letting a dog sniff him and remember the smell and you ordered the dog to "ignore", or whatever the English command equivalent is) pesters one of them, their response would be to move to another room, rather than bite back. Black terriers and Newfoundlands are also excellent in terms of memory, so you can basically reduce you training upkeep to a short crash course every 1.5-2 years. Assuming good initial training investment of course.
But I must stress that this is just an opinion. I am by no means the final authority on the matter. All dogs should be treated as potentially dangerous animals at all times. It is just some of them are like guns stored away in a safe, with safety on and a mag detached, while others are like an AR-15 lying cocked and loaded on a couch during a drinking competition at your house.