[Kristina Katarina]

Yes! You read the right. A DOG! jumped in my car at the recycling center Saturday. I was buckling my 6y-o back into his booster seat (he had helped me sort the recycling) and my back was turned away from the front seat. My older son 11y had just jumped in the front when the dog jumped into his lap and then over into the driver's seat.

EEK!

I knew something was up because Nick (11y) made a noise so I turned and saw this pit bull staring back at me from between the front seats. I got ready to throw myself over my three little ones that were lined up right across the back seat in their car seats when the owner came and reached over Nick to grab her dog! She apologized, but this shouldn't have happened. At least nothing bad happened - no one got hurt. Whew!

That was freaky! My baby Katie, who just turned 16 months was sitting right in the middle only about 12-18 inches from that dog's face. I shudder when I think of it.

I had no idea exactly what kind of dog it was until Nicholas told me.

Okay, that was our excitement for the weekend, LOL!

Kristin

 

[Katybird]

Oh Kristin, that is frightening. Thank goodness you and your kiddos are all okay. I am glad that the owner was able to get it quickly out of your car. She sure should have had him on a leash.

That was an exciting trip to the recyclers.

 

[Heather]

What a scary moment!! So glad everyone is OK!:smball:

 

[SewCrafty]

I love dogs but would have been terrified! :yikes:

I'm glad no one was hurt.

 

[midwestmama]

Yikes! I'm glad everyone is ok. That would have been really scary

 

[Kristina Katarina]

Thanks. It really was scary. You just don't expect a dog to jump in your car. It was just so surprising.

And not knowing this dog was the worst part - I didn't know if he would snap or what??

 

[Lori Biever-Launder]

Ohhh, puhleeze. As the owner of a bull breed, I can tell you that nearly ALL Pits are kid friendly. In all probability, all this Pittie wanted to do was go for a ride! I am soooo very tired of dealing with the hysteria associated with the media hype over a very, very misunderstood breed. FWIW, any strange dog is cause for concern, but would you have been this upset if the dog had been a LAB?

Let me give you a few facts on the bull breeds. First, Am Staffs/Pitbulls have a higher number of animals pass their Canine Good Citizen tests than two of America's most beloved breeds: the Lab and the Golden Retriever. A well bred Pit or Am Staff is supposed to be rock steady around people. If they are not, they are not a well bred animal and should be euthanized. Secondly, in the early part of the 20th century, the Pitbull/Am Staff was one of the favorite of ALL breeds as a family dog precisely BECAUSE it was soooo good with kids!

Most people think that only low life scum own dogs like this. Many of the most famous people in American have owned Pits/ Am Staffs. "Low life" types like Laura Ingalls Wilder, Fred Astaire and Helen Keller are just a few of the "trashy" people who have owned one of these wonderful dogs.

Just how bad is my dog with kids and other animals? Let's put it this way: I use her for dog safety demonstrations at local schools. If she were a threat, do you think for a second that I would EVER take her to a confined area with thirty or more excited school kids? She is working towards finishing her championship in conformation and is around hundreds of dogs at each dog show. Even when a Manchester terrier tried to bite her on the nose, she just sood there wagging her tail. If she were aggressive, the judges would dismiss her from the ring. She spends time in advanced obdedience classes with other dogs on a regular basis. She has never EVER bothered a single one!

You say you weren't sure if the dog was going to "snap"? Dogs don't just "snap". They will give you warnings with body language if they are going to bite. If you meant "snap" in the mental sense, I have yet to see a well bred Pit who is anything more than a grinning, slobbery wigglebutt with kids.

If you are concerned with my knowledge on the subject, let me assure you that I DO know what I am talking about. I have been involved with bull breeds for over twenty years. I have NEVER, EVER been bitten by one or even threatened by one. I HAVE been bitten by a German shepherd and a Doberman. I have been threatened by numerous Labs and Lab mixes as well as more little ankle biters than I care to count. I have worked with dogs all of my life and can read a dog like you read a magazine.

Please read up on these wonderful dogs. DO NOT read all of the sensational garbage that journalists write to sell papers. Yes, dogs can and will bite. It happens every day in every town of any size in the country. To assume that one kind of dog is always bad is akin to racial profiling. Judge the animal by the deed (be it good or bad) NOT by the breed it is.:soapbox: :soapbox:

 

[pamy]

I think you are wise to be wary of any unknown dogs. There are too many cases of unprovoked attacks by dogs to be casual about it. I am also a dog-lover and know enough to be cautious around dogs I don't know.

Thankfully you and your kids were ok.

 

[voodidit]

Lori, I understand how you feel about Pits, we had a Pit and a Rottie which where the most loving dogs I have ever had.


But I think Kristina was right in being concerned for her children. You never know how a strange dog will react. Any dog can go from gentle to vicious at any time if the cicumstances are right. My dog who weighs about 10 pounds isvery sweet but when he see's the neighbors St. Bernard trying to come near me he becomes very agitated and tries to go after her even though she weighs 200 pounds.

Unless you know the dog NEVER assume it is friendly, even if wagging it's tail. I have seen people attacked by dogs wagging!

 

[captclearance]

I think that a dog not kept on a leash or allowed to run unchecked is a dangerous dog. The dog can be no better than it's training or breeding and even under the best of circumstances can still pose a threat to others. I have been bitten several times by dogs and never by a dog that bites ! People are too quick to say "My dog doesn't bite " The world is filled with irresponsible dog owners, the fact that the dog was not leashed seems to be clear evidence of that. I think she had every right to be concerned. Anyone that owns a pitbull and doesn't understand the damage that can be inflicted by it's bite, knows little about the breed. Dog owners to often cry about their rights to own such dogs and act irresponsibly with them. The rights of a dog can NEVER outweigh the rights of children or other citizens to be safe ! Far to many of these dangerous breeds of dogs are not breed well and there is no way of telling until something awful happens. I would have no reason to trust any dog that is on the loose. I owned a wonderful little dauschhound / terrier for years, but because he had TEETH IN HIS MOUTH, and was a dog, I never told anyone that he will not bite. But it's not a bias statement to say that rotts, pitbulls, and large breed dogs have the potential to cause serious harm and even death. Anyone who thinks different hasn't really looked at the potential. We would never allow a strange man to sit in our car and feel unafraid about it. Why a strange dog ....... No one can know what will provoke a dog, the playful yelling of children, the cry of a baby, children on bikes and skateboards. These breeds of dogs are all to often involved in fatal attacks and it's children that are most often the victims, it's dangerous to be so naive to say that these dogs are not without risk.

 

[Kristina Katarina]

That's okay, Lori (Biever-Launder)- you can hijack my post anytime.

I changed my subject line to "DOG" and I honestly still feel the same way. I did not know initially that the dog even was a pitbull till my son told me. And I definitely would have started to put myself between the dog and my three little ones regardless of what kind of dog jumped in my car. I don't trust a Lab any more than any other dog wagging their tail or not. I know that animals can be very unpredictable.

Lori - I didn't really appreciate the tone of your post. If I had said "A black lab jumped into my vehicle" would you have posted the same way? I stated the breed of dog because that is what it was. It didn't matter what kind of dog it was. I would have been just as startled by it.

BTW, my vehicle is a Ford Expedition. That dog really had to JUMP! to get into my vehicle.

I was merely posting the facts of what happened. NO need to jump on me.

Kristin

 

[Mom23boys]

Kristen~
I would have panicked. I love dogs, but for a strange dog to come from nowhere and jump into your car would have scared me too. I am sorry this happened to you.

 

[Sara Noel]

I just want to add that I think what Lori is trying to do is merely educate more people on breeds (pitbull specifically). I don't think she is trying to tell you that you shouldn't feel the need to be concerned about strange dogs.

Anyway, I just wanted to cut in here before this becomes something that it wasn't intended to be.

I think it's the owner's responsibility to be handling their dog properly.

We were breeder/handlers of dogs and had rottweilers before they were even stereotyped. My rottweiler was the most affectionate and brilliant dog. I was 12 when we got her.When I hear/read stereotypical stories about rottweilers, I honestly can't believe the ignorance towards that particular breed.

I will say that even though I am familar with dog "cues", I do still carry apprehension towards any strange dogs, BUT completely see how people can sometimes react completely different if I'm walking a lhasa apso vs. a bull mastiff.

I wanted to be certain that you understand that although opinions are diverse here, posts are not "attack mode" and are generally informative, educational, resourceful, or just chit chat. I think this thread could have been handled with a bit more tact, but again all I can say is that the intention is not to attack or devalidate your feelings or anyone else's for that matter.

I think everyone here agrees you had every reason to react to a strange dog jumping into your car.

Carry on everyone....:curtain:

 

[Missy]

I'd have wet my pants had a strange dog jumped in my car! LOL. DH teases me mercilessly that i freaked when one day I was out running an errand and a squirrel was trying to get in the car. It must have smelled the crackers the kids had. the minute i had the door open to get DD out the little critter was begging and trying to sneak towards us. I flipped out! lol it coulda been a particullary viscious little squirrel, what did I know?? LOL So anyhow Everytime we go to the park, DH teases me if he sees one in the parking lot near to us: "Uh-oh Missy, look at that squirrel...he's got that "look" in his eye" or "Hurry Missy, i'll throw him the keys you get the kids, hurry! We can make a break for it"

Anyhow that's my animal jumping sort of close to my car story. Not the same, I know.

 

[Lori Biever-Launder]

Krisitna, I wasn't trying to hijack your post or anything else. I just get very, very tired of having to defend my choice of breed of dog that I own. Unfortunately, the word "Pitbull" sells newspapers because of all of the sensationalism that surrounds this maligned breed, so I assumed that was why you mentioned the breed. If you had said "A dog jumped in my car" I probably wouldn't have flown off the handle so quickly.

I never, EVER assume any dog won't bite. A dog who stands in front of you with his/her tail erect and slowly waving is, in fact, just about ready to bite. Any dog is capable of inflicitng damage with his/her teeth. I have permanent indentations in my arm where a German Sheperd and Doberman have bitten me. I hold no ill will towards either of these breeds. I also did nothing to provoke either of these bites. These things just happen.

Also, let's not forget what the pulbic believes to be a "Pitbull" can, in fact, not be a Pit at all! I have seen animal control officers mislabel dogs by breed! The average Joe on the street can't tell the difference between a Dogue de Bordeaux, an American Bulldog, a Bull Terrier or a Dogo Argentino. However, as soon as someone starts yelling "Pitbull!" in a panicked tone of voice, all H*ll breaks loose. A Pit was KILLED by a police officer not long ago in North Carolina (I think it was North and not South! ) just for running up to the officer after the OFFICER let him out of some people's car! They have video of the dog and he was just running up to the officer in a friendly way. It was sooo sad.

Any dog that is owned by an irresponsible owner is an accident waiting to happen. We have one of those little white fuzzy mixed breeds in our nighborhood who runs at will. He has been picked up numerous times by AC and is STILL allowed to roam. I have never seen the owners walk him and he is too smart to get caught by the rest of us in the neighborhood. INHO, he shouldn't BE returned to the "owners" because the owners obviously don't give a d*mn about anyone else OR their poor dog.

I have had strange dogs try to get in MY dog's crate at shows. I hace had them try to take my bait off the top of my crate. I have had them hike their legs on my crate when my btich is in season. I just take it with a grain of salt anda smile. I then hand the owner or handler a rag and tell them to clean up the mess!

You said the woner apologized as she collected her dog. Did she seem to be concerned that he/she was out of the owner's car
or was is no big deal?


Also, what part of the country are you in? Back yard bred Pits are a huge problem in certain parts of the country. In other parts, it's hard to even FIND one, let alone anyone who knows what one looks like! Hopefully, you will be able to find a Pit who is as much of a kid lover as my baby is. Let your kids meet and enjoy all breeds of dogs, but mos especially thes ewonderful animals. Just use the same amount of respect no matter what the breed!

 

[frugalmel]

Kristin, it would have made me very nervous to look up and see a strange dog in my car!

Lori, I understand your feelings about your breed. I have a German Shepherd who loves everyone. I have heard neumerous stories about how someone has been bitten by a Shepherd. I just have to grit my teeth and bear it. I love my dog and he couldn't be better with children. Unfortuneately not every dog is the same.

That said I always try to educate kids at the park and neighborhood kids about basic dog safety. Not going up to a strange dog, not petting unless an owner says it is ok and is there, etc. I have also told the neighbor kids not to go in the yard after a lost ball, etc unless we are here. My dog has NEVER bitten anyone and I don't think he would, but I can't be sure what he would do if someone startled him in his own territory. I would rather be overly cautious than take the chance.

I think the owner of the dog that jumped in Kristin's car was not being a responsible pet owner. The dog can be as friendly as any other dog, but he/she should not be allowed to "go bye bye" in any car he/she finds open! ( I am assuming the dog wanted to go to-most dogs love car rides LOL) Irregardless of breed, it is an owners responsibility to train the dog, and keep it leashed. There are many places that have designated dog runs where dogs can go free for exercise. A recycling center is not a safe place for a doggie to play. There are lots of things a dog can get cut on/hurt on, hit by car, etc. And owners need to respect other people who are there and might be afraid of the dog. Owners have the right to bring dogs with them, but need to keep the dogs leashed so they are not a nucience. This is just my thoughts, not intended to upset or offend.