Being in the sticks here it's not a news maker, but have a 7-year old neighbor kid (about a 60-pounder) that got seriously mauled by Grandma's Rottweiler a couple days back. No bones broken, but has both arms in casts up to his armpits to keep things stable while tendons and muscles start healing. Lots of stitches too on the back of his neck. Fortunately, his face wasn't savaged.

Don't know the specifics on the kid's actions (did he pull its tail or something), but he and his siblings have been around the dog on a weekly basis for several years. Dog was put down within an hour. Sucks to be the kid, as he has to be tended to for every activity (meals, bathroom, dressing, bathing, etc). Kid seems in good spirits though commenting that Grandma's dog decided to use him as a chew toy.

Seems even the good can go bad once in a while.

oh...but its not the breed.

Grandma's a drug dealer?

It’s a wonder my grampa’s doberman didn’t maul me.

I used shoot my rubber band pistol at his ball sack while he was snoozing. (The dog, not grampa)

Would live to know the details.
On dog and incident.

Wanted a Rottie when we were dog shopping, but had an 8 and 4 year
old. The potential scared me, but I personally would trust the breed.

Now a Boxer instead.
And idiots that don't know the breed would blame that on a bite.

I know you’re joking about the cocker spaniel, but that’s one breed I wouldn’t let near a toddler.

Had a friend years ago who had one before she had her baby. Warned her when she was pregnant to get rid of the dog. She didn’t. Dog went after the kid when she started to crawl. I didn’t have to say “Told you so”. Dog was gone in a NY minute.

Glad you made that clarification at the end.

Cockers can chew a toddler.
Scars still barely visible on my face.
Fam doesnt talk about it, I dunno what the fugg happened.
Heard from other relative I got nailed.

I got put in the hospital by a neighbor’s Cocker Spaniel when I was about 4yrs old. Bit again in high school by another. I don’t trust them.

Best to the lad .

I don't trust any dog , 99% of the time I have a Benchmade Bugout knife [ razor sharp ] hanging in my right pant pocket .

1 minute , I'm panning on moving back out west , about 2-3 weeks ago I clicked on your Burns/Hines location just for the heck of it -- wow you sure do live out in the sticks .
Nearest grocery/gas station is what ? 100-150 miles away ......

Anyone have any bad experiences with a chow?

Some breeds you are a fool to have around kids. I won't rent property to people with pits,rots, or other dangerous breeds. Just too much liability.

Better not bring a pit on my place. But I do not feel that way about rotties. Personal bias? Maybe.

My Mother had a few Rotties over the years. I never saw one behave other than I would expect from a dog born and bred to protect a herd or flock.

Her first was a very small male, about fifty pounds. He had got into the rotting salmon on a creek bank as a pup and was stunted.

We usually were at Mom's about once or twice a week. That dog lived for the time he could play with my six year old son.

Then Mom acquired an eighty pound female. One sunny afternoon my son and the male were running laps around the house. My son in the lead, the rotty male gleefully bounding along behind.

My son came around the blind corner at as close to Mach 1 as he could manage, and came face to face with the new female. She had a chance to growl, but it was cut off midgrowl. That little male had her by the throat, and pinned on her back. She was not moving.

After I got my boy collected and away from the area, the male let her up. She slunk away with, if she had a tail, between her legs.

After that, we always kenneled the female when the kids were around. But that male would have easily given his life to protect them, especially the boy. They had a special bond.

Had a vet friend tell me rotties brain case is actually too small for their brains. As a result, some run around with what amounts to a constant headache. Dunno how one would determine this, but it might explain some of the behavior.

It's not really clarified. We don't know if he shot the dog's sack while grandpa was snoozing or grandpa's sack while the dog was snoozing. We also don't know if he shot grandpas ball sack while he was awake.

So much left unsaid................

I had a super inbread cocker spaniel as a kid that went bonkers on me and tore up my wrist pretty good but no torn ligaments or anything like what the story says.

That’s insane.

Anyone who leaves a kid alone with a dog like that needs to be brought up on charges.

American Cocker, I completely agree.

I'm on my 3rd English Cocker hunting dog and I don't know what it'd take to get one to bite you, but whatever it is, it ain't happened yet. Current pup is 15Mo and the only danger he currently poses is that I'm one of the only people he doesn't jump up on. He still puts his paws up on my wife and both daughters. I've about quit trying to get them to discipline him for it. Sooner or later they'll get tired of muddy feet on some outfit, get mad at him and solve the problem.

Any dog needs to be watched around children, particularly if the kids are not "regular" friends with the dog.

When I was four or so, my uncle's dalmation did it's best to chew me into roadkill. I got out of my mom's car, started running towards my uncle in the yard, and the dog took off at the drop of a hat and mauled me for about 5 seconds before my uncle pulled it off me.

Still have the scars on my back and shoulder. Required a dozen or so stitches.

The dog caught a .22 bullet to the skull about a ten minutes after we returned from the doctor's office.

"He won't hurt you."

I don't like dogs in general...if one comes on my place and is causing havoc, it gets a 17 hmr behind the ear.

We had a Cocker when I was a kid, all I remember is that when it crapped on the carpet, it looked like liquid melted Rolo candy.

My mom had a pet shop and dog grooming business back years ago. She said chows and cockers were two of the worst to bite when she was grooming them.

Dachshunds are known as biters as well. Groomers and veterinarians routinely have to muzzle them.

About half the cockers Ive been around were cross eyed, inbred little devils. If I had to take one, it’d be to the dump.
Someone asked about chows, same as cockers. Though a childhood buddy had a big black chow that was a great dog. It was an outlier for sure.

People are stupid. They think dogs are just little babies in fur suits. I keep an eye on my kids around our own dogs and they’ve never shown aggression towards them or other people.

ol_mike:



By most scales we are in the sticks, but it's a small town with maybe close to 5000 people. About 2000 out in the rest of the county. Pine/fir forest to the north, and sagebrush desert to the south. Three grocery stores, a big hardware store, about 4 gas stations, a McDonalds, Dairy Queen, a Ford dealer, and several smaller specialty shops and stores. Also, a grade/middle school and a high school, and good little hospital. About 5 churches. No railroad or commercial flights in/out. Agriculturally cattle and alfalfa are king, too high for row crops or grain. About 70% of the 10,000+ square mile county is public land either BLM or USFS. Government (Federal, State, City, or County) is probably the major employer. Elevation's about 4000+ ft, so we have some cold winters. Annual precip in the basin is about 12" and mostly snow. Summers and falls are quite dry. If one wants Walmarts, Lowes, Wincos, Taco Bells, Burger King, Payless etc, yes, it's about 130 miles one way to either Ontario (east) or Bend (West). Five hours to Portland, Or and three hours to Boise, Id. Nearest commercial airports 3 hrs either east or west.

Seems about 35% of those that transfer in will make a career of it. Wives, used to malls, theaters, high end shopping, and fine dinning are usually the push to vacate.

Grew up back east in Tenn, Va, and WVa, and I like it here.

Housing is tough to find here now. Very little building going on, but lots of metropolis folks coming to escape city eveils.

That’s been an old story about dobermans as well. Not sure I put much stock in it.

Most references I see on Chows suggest they are a 1-person deal.

Haha! I used to hear "He (Or she) doesn't bite" from customers all the time. My standard response was "No... it doesn't bite you!" It would amaze a lot of people the dogs that are docile to down right sweet to ya when the owner is present that would try to tear you up if the owner was not home and you showed up to make a delivery.

I hope that my sarcasm got through.

A great line that around here is mostly heard during brandings. A bawling stretched out calf brings an angry mother cow in to about 4 ft and the classic line is repeated about 10 times a day. "I know that cow. She won't hurt you."

They some chicken killing machines.

Ducks too

Yes it did. It just made me laugh remembering that some people can not believe that their dog would ever hurt anybody.

I'd gotten bit by our Cocker a couple of times though it was my fault. One day our daughter was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor twirling a tupperware container with her finger while swinging her head making her hair flip all over the place. Scruffy was standing at her side staring at her like he was in a trance when all of a sudden he lurched at her, bit her on her cheek. Scruffy was broadside to me about a step away. My right foot caught him under his chest full force, he flew about ten feed and smacked into a door. He never bit anyone after that. Dumb dog would chase after birds in the back yard. Birds would fly just above him until they were close to the fence where they'd fly up to clear the fence, dumbass dog would smack a fence pole knocking himself out. Wife thought he'd killed himself a few times...

How did it taste 👅!!!

Like the owner!! 😁😁

Say how did Meeeeeeeechgan do in the big 10 tourney??

Just like Sparty eh!

I'm averse to dogs in general. Cleaning up dogschit is not my bag.

Ducks kill chickens?

That's just one of the added benefits of others sharing their dogs with you.

Oh ? Thought this a special thread for Old Toot and Jimmy “Loves him a niqqer” Jr. !

Yup.

My buddy had one as an indoor pet for well over a year.
It wasn't bad enough that it mauled me out of the blue.
It seemed fine for that whole time it knew me. Sitting in the living room munching popcorn in front of the tv.
Next week it chewed up his girlfriend's friends face.

I heard that he gave it to a farmer.

Yep, dogs with a high prey drive are not good around kids especially if they are not around them all of the time. Kids are much to quick and impulsive. I was very worried with our son (first child) with our Doberman. Not an issue. BIL however jumped at wife at a party after a few.. D. D. nailed him mid stride. Didn't tear him up, but had a good ankle hold. He did a face plant and was shocked. Nothing came to close to the wife with the Doby. Got one now that also worries me, A Kooiker Hundje. A bit skittishness and not used to young kids. Going to see grand daughters so will have to watch her. They have dogs so they should know, but will be watching like a hawk.

How about “They’re more afraid of you than you are of them”? My dad used to tell me that about horses. Total BS.

That poor kid.
It's a miracle its alive. I forget the psi jaw pressure of a big male, but in training, they require special padding to prevent pressure damage even though the teeth don't get close to penetration.
A childs bones and tendons would be easily crushed/ torn by a Rotty.

I hope that nobody speaks about this while the child is home.

A cocker spaniel bit my wife in the eye as a kid and she's dang lucky be able to see out of that eye. 56 years later and she still has to use eye drops every day.

When we first moved in the neighbor had a big female rott out in the backyard. It would growl and bark at us every time we were outside.

Got to be a PITA so I took up the practice of tossing it a dog biscuit every time I went out. Took more’n a week but the barking and growling stopped and it would meet us at the fence.

That progressed to it getting a biscuit and scratched behind the ears.

Shortly thereafter it figured out how to jump the fence and jumped through our screen door out front to be with us. Sweetest natured dog, starved for company.

Right after it figured out how to jump the fence the neighbor gave it away before we knew, we were bummed, we woulda taken in that dog in a heartbeat.

Chows are nasty IMO. Had a BIL that had one and it was vicious sob!

Why would you own a dog that "worries" you?

Correctamundo.

We don't know it the rubber band pistol was a single shot or one of them repeaters with the wheel and spike goody that holds a few bands.

Paper route rubber bands or them big strong ones they use for broccoli? Get one of them to fit on the pistol, either the dog or Gramps really not gonna be happy if the shot hits the target.

Me.

I had a few.

Great with the baby or other kids.. Never a problem.

Raised one from a pup. Would double my bag on a day of blue quail hunting. Break a wing and they outrun you. Pal got them. Otherwise, with blues i may drop 15 but only get 7 or 8.

He would get after a covey and they would play with him, letting him chase them round and round some low bush. If he got within a few feet the ones in back would jump and flutter 6 feet farther and over their pals. Id walk up and sluice a few.

Miss that dog. He'd also get the ducks that fell in or across the Pecos.

Personally, I've been bitten by more, different cockers - than any other breed.
Poor choice of comparison.

I have 2 Belgian Malinios. I put them away when the Grandkids or anybody else comes over. My brother is fine around them, and those who visit often. But strangers, not so much. But then that’s why I got them. Live in a rural area and I don’t want folks peaking in the windows when we’re not home. And they don’t. Need to be a responsible dog owner

My youngest daughter had her tear duct torn out by a Cocker Spaniel my Uncle owned. I’d have killed it on the spot but was to busy getting her to the emergency room.

Had a bigassed Boxer wander into the neighborhood and take up residence at our back door. Probably wanted some food or something. I was walking our chihuahua and the Boxer came up to say hello - our chihuahua let out a growl, reached up as high as he could reach, and bit a chunk out of the belly of that Boxer.

Boxer took off like it had been shot. LOL

Inspired by Lady, and the Tramp, I bought a Cocker Spaniel, sweet dog, we hated to lose her.

dogcatcher223,
I am only worried about Kookie because she has not been raised around young kids. She does not like being grabbed or trapped in an area. She could snip. No issue with me and the wife. It's not unusual for a dog to be that way. Some are better in new situations than others. Kids are unpredictable and move quickly. Not my first rodeo.

The few I've been around that seemed like good dogs were all field bred cockers. Short little things. Great flushing dogs that worked well with pointers.

Most others have been complete POS animals.

“Gave him to a farmer...”
Urban speak for: “The SOB got so big and rough that everyone was afraid of him, including me, and I was too much of a chickens**t to put him down myself and too cheap to hire a vet to do it.”

I had to kill a pit bull cross, a chow and a Rottweiler, when we lived on the farm. Several others also. Living near a fair sized town, we were often “gifted” dogs who had outgrown their cute stage and were no longer wanted.

Even had a shih tzu dropped off one day. He had just been clipped and bathed and had a collar with his name on it, Baxter. We took him in to town and put a lost dog ad on the radio. No response. I stopped at the bank and one of the gals in there was our neighbor lady. She had heard the radio ad and told me the dog belonged to the girls who ran the dog grooming and boarding salon down the street. Somebody had dropped the mutt off for boarding and never returned to pick him up. Apparently, the owner thought that a farmer needed a lap dog. I went down to the office picked him up and went to the groomers. Never got a straight answer - but got rid of the little devil.

Yep. Id be afraid of buying a good hunting english pointer pup nowadays, MB. I seen some high powered ones that haul ass across country so fast they miss the scent of birds in this dry country.

Guys are easily miffed when my old, slow GSP Babe points birds and finds dead their dogs have run by. I must say, some are almost as fast as greyhounds though.

Bred for field trial knuckle heads go crazy when turned loose. Round top heads nowadays and no flat heads like on some smart labs.

Pointers i had as a kid were about some of the smartest dogs there ever were, and made great, loving family pets, like the several GSPs ive had the last 20 years.

Sometimes i wonder what a good blooded English Pointer would be like if raised as a pet. Wish i knew.

I had one, was a good dog. A buddy's though, no one could pet it not even him, he would bite anyone that touched him but otherwise never bothered anyone.

Mel Brooks had this to say about cocker spaniels....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJtQkaxvXtQ

JFC

Your brain makes me laugh.

Your buddy's dog sounds like a sweetheart!

I can see the ad in the paper:

"Free dog! Has outgrown his home. Great with kids!

DO NOT pet!!"


lol

Got one in the neighborhood I'm gunning for now.





No. But one had a bad experience with me.





Same here. Don't make your mutt my problem. They don't have to causing havoc. Schitting in my yard is enough to get them fed to the ravens and magpies.

I've had 3 cocker spaniels. 2 were the most low key easy going lovable dogs ever. This 3rd one has a screw loose. He's great with the core family, but all bets are off with strangers especially kids. He walks in counter clockwise circles all day- probably at least a 1000 a day. For the most part hes ok with strangers as long as you ignore him, but watch out if you get in his face or try to pet him unexpectedly.

Whenever people come to the house to work on stuff, i tell them to watch out or he will bite. Partly because it could be true and partly because any thoughts of coming back at another time when we are not home are vanquished.

He's only bitten one kid and not badly. The mom was feeding the dog while we were gone and we told them to keep the kid away but they didn't listen. When he flips out he sounds like the devil dog-rabid, ferral and insane all at once.

Also has little man syndrome when it comes to other animals. We got a cat recently and to my surprise he hasn't killed it. They do ok now but every once in a while he flips out on it.

Yes.

As an animal control officer in the 1990's, I found that shows were a breed I would not trust. Same for sharpei, akita, pitbull, Staffordshire, etc. All so include poorly bred and trained german shepherds and Rottweiler and labs.

Never heard that about rottweikers, but did hear that about Dobermans.

Why is that dog alive?

I have never understood the mentality that holds that it is perfectly all right for dogs to bite people.

No doubt.

Bitey dogs have a place. It is not around children.

I work on irrigation and sprinkler systems in peoples yards all summer. People tend to think all their dogs are fine. They are not. I trust no dog unless I know it well. Most common biters here are healers and other small to medium size dogs. I do not have much experience with Pits, Rottweilweiler or shepherd types , because I call the owner and tell them I do not work in yards with dogs, so you have to put them up. Digging in a valve box at ground level puts you at a decided disadvantage. One thing I have noticed is since I got my rat terrier other peoples dogs act more defensively towards me. My 25 lb rat must smell aggressive....... Children should never be left with any dogs ,when we were little my cousin got his bottom lip torn most of the way off by a 10 year old beagle that would normally not harass its own fleas.... Because children do not always make wise choices.

Thanks 1minute , guess I didn't look around town closely enough .

I could live somewhere like Burns/Hines .

...nor any law-abiding people.

My cousin raised a rottweiler from a puppy, typical family dog. It was 6yo when it attacked her, taking a chunk out of her thigh.

Much of it is a form of Russian roulette, with the barrel pointed at someone else.

rather have a cocker biting me than a pit...

We know what we got and act accordingly. I think he's mostly a fear biter/ false aggressive. all hat and no cattle you might say. Great dog for the core family. He's old and deaf now.

He gets put up when strangers are around. You get a puppy and get invested in them before you know too much about them. If it was a big breed diff story. Any highly inbred species can me subject to mental or physical problems.

Living in cattle country, I have been nipped by an occasional heeler. I never have seen one of the sneaky bastards actually attack a person, but I am sure they are capable of such.

I watch heelers like a hawk. But one second of distraction and the little bastard will come up behind and get your ankle. It would probably hurt if a guy was in tennies or loafers. So far, the bite has always landed on my cowboy boots or loggers.

The little schitts will be gone and under someone's truck before you can spin around to address the issue. If the dog can avoid the flying hooves of 1000 range cows, there is little chance that I can lay a boot on his sneaky butt.

When I was a kid, my uncle had a Blue Heeler for a cattle dog. He would go out and bring in the milk cows from the pasture when it was time to milk.

He was smart that way but that damn thing used to knock us kids down from behind all the time and hump the crap out of us!

I hated that dog! lol

Kid I grew up with had 200 stiches in his face, quite the scars from a chow when he was 3yo. Years later and his birthday party, I think we were 12 or so, the same kids black lab attacked him in front of all of us. His father got the dog off in time before it got real bad. Guess there was just something about him.

Had a ranch we delivered to had a half dozen of those little pricks. They would all run around you barking, and when they thought they had you sufficiently distracted the one red male would streak in and bite you on the back of the leg. With all the noise and commotion, I KNOW that little old red headed ranch wife had to know what was happening. I'm sure she was in there looking out the window just laughing her azz off. Started carrying bear spray, and put an end to that party.

When I worked at the feed store when I was in high school, Mr. Streadl's heeler would always hide under the toolbox in the back of his truck and try to bite me when I was loading it up, he never got me. Damn dog's name was Mike. I still know Mr. Streadl and every heeler he's had since that dog has been named Mike.