got snapped at...

[Chestnuttymare]

by what i think is a pit bull.
A dog appeared a couple of years ago around our way which looks for all the world like a pit bull. Initially it was muzzled and always on the lead. I always put Cara on the lead when i saw it as i take no chances. It always looked really aggressive in its body language but the man has always said, a bit like a mantra 'oh he just wants to play'. I have always had my doubts and why have it muzzled if it just wants to play. He said it was just a mongrel but has def got staffi in there but bigger and longer legs. dark brindle.
Now it is still on the lead but no muzzle and has been for the past few months. I leave cara off now because she doesn't go near it anyway, in fact takes a really wide berth.

The man stopped to chat tonight and asked about Cara, the dog was lungeing at the end of its lead and looking like if it got off it would have her. The man went on about it being so friendly so I put my hand down and it snapped at me. I half expected it tbh so was quick enough to pull back.
I said what it had done and the man said oh he was just trying to lick you! what with its jaws clamped round my hand??
He did ask if i was ok and i said that his teeth just brushed my finger so i was fine.
Then he said that he thought it was just a bit excited!!

I jsut thought it was a bit strange that he lied about what it was like. He isn't a chav type trying to be hard, he's a middle aged quite respectable type.
What if it had been a child doing that. I just thought it was a bit strange really.

 

[RuthnMeg]

scary stuff. Just, in future trust your instincts first and don't even think about petting a dog like that. Iam sorry for any 'bull breed' fans, but I don't like them and won't trust them with a bargepole. I had an encounter today with a dog, AND i had both my children... I felt very nervous... which is not what a dog wants to sense. Actually I was more nervous of the owner thinking about it.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Agree, if you are nervous, be sure a dog will sense it!

The only dog which has bitten me and meant it (and TBH it was still my fault) was a Rough Collie (Lassie dog) so it takes all sorts!

 

[Chestnuttymare]

I wasn't nervous, i don't think i have ever been nervous of a dog. I was kind of ready for it though. I know that any dog can bite. It just annoyed me that he said it was friendly then it went for me and also pretending that it is just a mongrel when it obvously isn't. I will certainly trust my instincts in future as Ruth says. I think that i was just confused that I was reading one thing from the dog and its body language and the owner was telling me something different. I suppose I just had to find out for myself.

 

[Mogg]

My sister's niece (on OH side) was badly bitten by an off-lead terrier the other week. The owner was an elderly respectable looking gent who, when the dog was latched onto her arm ragging her about, insisted the dog was 'only playing' and made no attempt to grab the dog, the store owner waded in and managed to free her. The owner said the dog was a recently aqquired rescue and was 'gentle as a lamb'.
She spent 4 hours in surgery to repair the damage and the police are taking the owner pics of her injuries to try and make him see exactly what the dog did as he is still insisting that the dog is harmless.

The only thing mum can think triggered the attack is that she was carrying daughter into the store then put her down (she didnt see the dog was off lead). Her young son was also with her and whilst was unharmed physically is v traumatised by seeing his baby sister being attacked.

Being a rescue we can't know what the dog has faced in its previous life, but i despair at the casual attitude of the owner and the lack of care and caution he took with a rescue dog that's he's only had for 2 weeks

 

[soloabe]

I would be willing to place money on it not being a pitbull.

And also a snap is different to a bite if the dog had wanted to bite you you wouldn't have had a chance to pull your hand away.

 

[Teasel]

Whilst you have my sympathy for this happening, I need to just point out that staffies and pit bulls are NOT the same!
You say you think it looks like a pit bull and then say it definitely has staffie in it.
I can't speak for pit bulls, but the majority of staffies are people-friendly cuddle monsters.
I have been 'told' in the past that our dog 'definitely has some pit bull' in her - she is in fact mainly GSD with some staffie (and a few other things in there too). Please don't tar all bull breeds with the same brush.
"She's a mongrel, has def got staffi in there but bigger and longer legs. Dark brindle". She's NOT a pit bull!!!! She's not vicious.

Picture of my cuddle monster below, taken at Gatcombe in August:

..and fast asleep (on someone else's shopping!)