Yes it was wrong to walk the dog off leash but WHY was a two year old left standing alone on a beach where there are no lifegurds,while the guardian was swimming, To my mind a two way responsibility!! Where is child welfare?
One of the reports I read on line the ER personnel stated there were “moderate puncture wounds,” hardly mauled, still I agree this is not acceptable.
The media should stick to the facts and not sensationalize events, I doubt whether the little girl was bitten eleven times more likely teeth marks.
What has happened to “innocent” until proven guilty?
Mr Lech and his dog paid dearly, infact the worse that can happen to any dog owner!!!

Can you judge him if you have not met him or witnessed his training methods! Just by blogging you are judging him?

A trainer told me that every one uses different methods and some work and some dont on different dogs eg
I have a German Shepherd that I rescued, I have trained her intensely with great success, I have tried the same techniques with my husky/shepherd but they are NOT working at all, so I have had to go back to the drawing board and find different ways to get the same results and consult different trainers for ideas!
So is there ever a right or wrong way? Surely one must adapt according to the temprament of the dog?

I cant comment on his training methods or the incident as I was NOT there!

Cesar Milan also hads plenty critics!!!!

I came from Namibia 20yrs ago where I had never used a leash, I didnt even know how to use a leash until I got to Cape Town.
Every one use to bring their dogs to the stables and I cannot remember any dog fights or kids being bitten at the stables!!!
I have come to the conclusion that city sleakers transfer their “hang ups” to their dogs.

I strongly believe that breeders, SPCA and all shelters before they adopt a pet out, should teach the future owners “body language” and how to read a dog’s body language.

Council spends millions ont paths for joggers, cyclists etc and space gets taken away from dog owners where they can exercise their dogs freely!!! How about some dog parks and specific beaches for dog owners only, where joggers and people with children are fined!!!
Oh by the way I have three grandchildren but they know how to behave around dogs as my daughter had two Rottis!!

I’m finding it difficult to think anything beyond profound anger right now. It really is time for some kind of clear response from civic authorities, welfare organizations, the animal behaviour and training profession and SAVA about this, before we have a repeat.

Thanks for your reply. With regards to obtaining inputs from dog/animal professionals in making a decision on which dog/dog breed to select, I think like most things in our country and elsewhere in the world, it boils down to being informed and educated. I for one never even thought once of going to my vet or consult with professional before getting any of my dogs. It could be that its quite a new idea (for me at least), I’m also not sure how long this profession has been around for in this country (referring specifically to Animal Behaviour Consulting) and if its been taken up as seriously as it might deserve. I suppose with programmes such as Caesar Milan’s Dog Whisperer people will start getting more informed about this type of profession.

I was not unaware of the controversy surrounding American Pitbull Terriers but being the optimist and lover of dogs that I am (and my wife), I suppose we wanted to decide for ourselves. This might have been a bad decision – only time will tell. What I do know thus far is that my Pitbull (female) is completely different from my German Sheppard (male), in many ways. She is extremely playfull and very amuzing. She is a bit stubborn at times but she knows who is boss (My wife, then Me and then my German Sheppard). So far I can only say it’s been a great pleasure, apart for her destructiveness in the garden when we’re not home. I really do not think that this is a dog for people that do not have strong leadership qualities or inexperienced owners, and I suppose this is also one of the reasons you do not advocate having these dogs as pets. In my humble opinion most people should not even own any kind of dog, simply because people do not take the responsibility of owning a pet seriosly. It’s almost as if some people don’t see animals as living beings that require lots of attention but rather as a toy for their children / or simply just a guard dog and not a family member. So, I have to agree with you that Pitbulls should not be promoted as family pets, simply because most people don’t even know how to raise a “normal” dog, nevermind a potentially dangerous dog.

Oh and just to add – we have 2 x yorkies, and 2 x cats as well. All living under the same roof. The one cat we got as a kitten when the pitbul was already 1 year old and they get along like a house on fire.

Lets just hope the switch never trips.

Quintin

Anyone who buys a Pit Bull, having read up extensively on the breed, and still remains unaware of the trenchant controversy surrounding them, might be considered to be in a little denial themselves. My blog posts on Pit Bulls explain in greater detail why I don’t subscribe to any narrow, deterministic approach, and nor do I consider Pit Bulls to be a ‘breed’ in the modern understanding of the term. Opinions about dogs, breeds and assumed behavioural characteristics are usually drawn from a variety of sources, some evidential, some anecdotal – and some agenda-driven. It doesn’t mean people are ‘sick’, just that not everybody thinks the same about everything, and some have axes to grind,

What is a dog profesional? And where in the process of getting a family pet do they fit in? When I decide to buy a dog and have not decided on a specific breed I google and read up as much as possible on my shortlisted breeds whereafter I make a decision to buy a dog. Is this process of research the “dog professional”? Because I’ve never heard of any profession like this where you call a person or meet with him and he tells you what dog you should get. And if this were to be the case surely we would end up with max 10 to 15 preferred breeds?

I bought a pitbull as a result of all my reseach on the breed and other breeds. If false advocasy of breeds such as pitbulls are done and portrayed as loving harmeless, good with children dogs, when they are in fact the opposite, then there must be many sick people or people living in denial out there!

quintin

Regarding your articles on dog attacks – I think that your analysis of the social and economic roots of these attacks is particularly helpful and gets us out of the ‘bad owner vs bad breed’ paradigm. It is also worth noting that in African communities, dogs have a particular cultural significance and are seen to be associated with the ancestors. I think that any intervention aimed at improving conditions for dogs must be based upon a thorough understanding of the cultural and social milieu in which they move. I am also not convinced that there is a dog over-population problem. This seems to be a subjective assumption which reflects the prejudices of mainly white South Africans. I have noticed in urbanised African communities that the dogs that circulate within a certain area are recognized by local people to the extent that some of them have names, although no-one claims ownership of them. This might offer an entry point in supporting local people in the management of these dog populations.

Regards,

Eric