Features Apr 1, 2010 at 4:00 am

Because nothing can muck up a sweet Seattle spring like having your face ripped off by a dog.

As originally printed Illustrations by James Yamasaki

Comments

208
Hmmmm... how to beat a DOUCHE BAG with your bare hands.
209
I delivered newspapers for four years, and was bitten 12 times by "good dogs" whose owners insisted that I "must have done something to him."

In those years, and in the years since, I have learned that there are effective strategies in dealing with dangerous dogs and their equally dangerous owners.

Firstly, stand your ground and make sure the dog sees that you are watching it. Most dogs are cowards and will back off. If this fails, then you have to kick it hard, or get something between yourself and the dog.

Finally, if you are threatened by a dog, the best strategy is to tell the owner in no uncertain terms that if it bites you, you will kill it. Then, carry a heavy steel rod or a pistol with you, and make good on the threat if you have to. Fortunately, I've never had to, as the owners have made sure their dogs are in their yards, or under control, when I'm out for a stroll or a bike ride.
210
if your a hipster don't worry, as soon as the dog realizes your an ineffectual waif full of self rightous opinions and pseudo intellectual bullshit it will realize chewing your face off isn't worth the jaw calories and move on
211
Considering how many people have had their faces mauled by dogs in the northwest recently, I consider this article quite pertinent. Thank you, Stranger, for the useful and fearless advice. No other paper would have the PETA-repellent balls to tell me to gouge the dog's eyes out or break its legs.
Hoorah for that.
212
As soon as I saw dogsbite like alot of commenters I knew the story lacked any legitimacy. I wonder if perhaps the writer of this blog is the same person who writes the dribble over at that hoakie other blog. The name escapes me at the moment. Way to throw more gas on an already out of control fire. Were not all irresponsible with our dogs, some of us work hard to educate and help people better understand the breed. If people want to learn about the real American Pit Bull Terrier tune in to The Pit Bull Positive Show every Saturday night @ 8 pm central on Ustream and Pit Bull Positive.
213
Dogs have attacked and in a small percentage of instances, maimed or killed humans. Bacteria, cars and cigarettes have each killed far more people. PEOPLE have killed in far greater numbers than dogs.

If you have to defend yourself, by all means do it. But know one thing:
I have two very non-agressive, but very high energy dogs. They love to run towards other dogs and sometimes people, so that they can lick your face and sniff you. That's what they do. If you don't want to interact with the outside world, stay indoors.

Learn how to greet or avoid a strange dog just as you must learn how to deal with a dirty, scary looking drunk you happen across. If you mace, kick or otherwise damage my dogs, I will fuck you up.
214
Seriously? Is there even and editor around to question this garbage? Let's vet the statistics cited here first. How bout a little fact checking Stranger? Weird. I used to read this rag but after being exposed to a couple of ill informed articles like this, I quit reading. Vile and ignorant. Very bad combo.
215
Love it!!! You nailed it!!! Go to www.pitattacksbystate.blogspot.com and see all the times when tazers, pepper spray, hammers, guns, etc., were used on pits and they still kept coming. Go on YouTube and see the contest on how high a pit can jump a fence. I believe it is over 10 feet now. The best way to handle pits is to ban them. The bloodsport they were bred to do is now illegal and pits should be too.
216
I've never been attacked by a pit bull, but I have been rushed by dogs when biking, had dogs run at my toddler in Seattle parks (not dog parks), etc. The info on preventing and protecting yourself from dog attacks is useful--thanks! Too bad not all dog owners are responsible so that it's not necessary.
217
Ban the breed. Period.
219
Butch's Gun Shop on Aurora Avenue also sells GUNS. Do as the cops do and shoot the motherfuckers.
220
It is absolutely incredible that pathological liar Colleen Lynn gets cited as some sort of authority in dog behavior and genetics, when in reality she is a freelance web designer. She is not a dog trainer nor animal behaviorist. She is the publisher and profiteer of DogsBite.org.

There is NO proof that she donates any money to any dog attack victim, yet she gladly accepts donations on her hate site, so she can stuff the money in her own pocket.However, her greatest claim to fame is that she is an admitted paranoid delusional that must take medication to prevent a level five anxiety attack.

Pathological liar Colleen Lynn is a certified crazy person on a crusade to complete the circle of victimization by preying on responsible dog owners, and those that follow her over-generalized agenda are of the same mindset as those that drank the Koolaid in Jamestown.
221
This is the most disgusting piece of trash I have ever read. You know how much more likely it is that a pit bull/other dog will be killed, injured or tortured by a human than the other way around? Ya ever wonder how they got to that place where they feel like attacking someone? No probably not, I'm no longer a reader of The Stranger, so I don't care anymore.
222
Seriously!? Encouraging violence against animals is your way of solving the problem? Let's not go to the source and deal with the people who neglect these animals. That'd make too much sense...

This is irresponsible and disgusting. Spread the fear, Stranger - that's definitely the best way to deal with something you don't like.
223
Let's substitute pitbull with gay people, since 68% of all serial killers (Past & Present) are gay. Maybe it is time that us normal people defend ourselves against these creeps.

Gay people are so wonderful http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200…

(Dutch shock over gay HIV rape gang)
224
@173, they actually weren't originally bred for that. They were cattle herders originally.
225
this article disgusts me.

I will no longer read the stranger
226
I agree with the many people who've commented here that the problem is not the animal, but the people who've trained it to attack and mistreated it. This article is really disappointing. It plays up the shock factor in order to delight the readers who like it when the "liberals" get pissed off, but it completely undermines the issue of animal cruelty, which is the real problem. One more reader lost.
227
I've only been bitten by a dog once, and surprise surprise, it was one of those bastard pit bulls. Bit down on my leg, and I had no clue what to do. I didn't move, and told it a couple times in a loud voice to get down, which it did, and then it slunk off. I consider myself lucky.

Next day, I bought myself a nice little CRTK folding knife, you know, for peeling apples. Or gutting the next vicious fucking beast that thinks I look like lunch.
228
If you are sick and tired of "articles" (ok, I use the term loosely) like this one and the fear-mongering that it perpetuates, then please join Families Against Breed Bans and help fight breed specific legislation!
229
If you are sick and tired of "articles" (ok, I use the term loosely) like this one and the fear-mongering that it perpetuates, then please join Families Against Breed Bans and help put an end to breed profiling! www.fabbseattle.org
230
So you are using a website (Dogsbite.org) that is NOT a fact finding, research heavy driven website to site your source? Dogsbite.org is by pit bull haters, about pit bull haters. They aren't about finding facts. That have continuously reported pit bull attacks, when it was completely different breeds. Want to get real fact, go to the CDC, you know, Center of Disease and Control....oh wait, a few years ago, the CDC made an announcement it was IMPOSSIBLE to list specific dog breeds as attacking more or less than others because witnesses are often wrong, many breeds look similar, and many dogs are mixed bred and thus, cannot properly be classified....how does one classify a Pit bull lab mix when it attacks? As a pit bull or as a lab or as both? See how they saw it? The CDC also does not advocate ANY breed bans, they are 100% against it. And when websites like Dogsbite.org and similar news rags and dog haters used their stats and the CDC's good name to trash dogs, the CDC fought back, and now only lists "DOG ATTACKS", as in, NO BREED is identified because as the PROFESSIONAL GOVERNMENT AGENTS, SCIENTISTS, and the like said....it is IMPOSSIBLE to get SPECIFIC numbers on what breeds attack. So please, before you post a blog that is pretending to be some fact based how-to, do some REAL research. Open a book, go to non-agenda based websites, etc.
231
Now THIS is a blog, written by a man who has first hand experience not with one or two dogs, but 100s. He is a professional and educated. His agenda is about FACTS, not headlines and craptacular comic book art.

For those who actually believe the BS of Dogsbite.org, please go here. I'm sure if you beliefe Dogsbite.org you won't, because you like being that incredibly ignorant and moronic. But least for those who are seeking to allow their minds to grow out of the small shell that is their thick skull, they may learn something.
http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2…
232
Now THIS is a blog, written by a man who has first hand experience not with one or two dogs, but 100s. He is a professional and educated. His agenda is about FACTS, not headlines and craptacular comic book art.

For those who actually believe the BS of Dogsbite.org, please go here. I'm sure if you beliefe Dogsbite.org you won't, because you like being that incredibly ignorant and moronic. But least for those who are seeking to allow their minds to grow out of the small shell that is their thick skull, they may learn something.
http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2…
233
This article is useful for the information it provides. If I am attacked by ANY dog - be it pit bill, rottweiler, or Yorkie - I damn well better know how to defend myself.

And as a person who would never choose to own a pit bull themselves, I understand why the Stranger would target pitt bulls as the main dog to defend against.

But at the same time - Dan Savage throws a hissy fit anytime a journalist writes an article that uses scare tactics to frighten people away from taking drugs. How is this that much different? Throw out some facts, don't bother to explain them, and keep from examining the 'pitt bull' problem in depth.
234
How do I know that its a pitbull attacking me? Should I get a DNA test first before employing your defense tactics? Thanks.
235
My question is this: Of all the people who see this article as superfluous... how many of them have been the victim of a large dog attack, much less a pit bull? I agree - there should be more regulation of the breed, but all that mean bubkiss when you have one strolling toward you while your talking you kids for a walk.
236
I agree with #8! How to defeat a hipster with your bare hands would have been much more useful.
237
What upsets me the most is not that the article was written to tell people things they can do to protect themselves, it is the manner in which it is written. It reads as if it was written by a 9th grader who loves to swear. I am disgusted that it would promote violence against dogs. I think a much better article would be the truth, that the only real way to prevent dog attacks is to promote and educate on good dog ownership. It isn't the dogs fault, humans are the ONLY reason why any dog acts the way it does, based on the care and training and home life it receives. We are the ones who know right from wrong yet so many people take a dog home and just forget about it, not training it, socializing it and even using it for the wrong reasons. You should be writing to promote animal ownership education. To classify "Pit Bulls" as the US's most deadliest dogs is proof alone that you did not even try to research facts before writing this, because they absolutely are NOT, that is not a statement that is a actual statistical fact. If you had real statistics, you would be taken more seriously here but you do not. I am in pit rescue like some others on here and we are very educated on the myths and facts about these dogs and some of us have houses full of them, some plucked right off the street. It's not the dog, it's the owner. Always. I am done w/ the stranger simply due to it's writers blatent disregard for finding the real truth before writing such an article. You have lost a lot of readers from this article. For REAL information on myths surrounding this breed...go to http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html. Sorry Stranger, but you've really done it this time. To all, those for and against this article, please know that our jobs are only to educate, not start issues, this article truly is not factual and there is absolutely no real research done here. Alls they did was looked on one website and copy/paste quotes from some man they've never met or talked to. A man that is not even a dog trainer or expert. This article should not be taken seriously but if you really do want to know how to help the bully breeds or even just know how to truly protect yourself so you don't have to fear what is more afraid of you, please see pitbullrescuecentral.com or post a comment on how we can get more educational information to you. Maturity is the only way to educate, and this article missed that by a long shot.
238
Bite statistics are difficult to obtain accurately. Dogs that are referred to as “pit bulls” in statistical reports actually are a variety of breeds and mixes all lumped
together under the “pit bull” heading. Also, many people have a difficult
time properly identifying a true Pit Bull, so added to the statistics are
those dogs that have been misidentified. Considering these factors, the
actual number of attacks attributable to American Pit Bull Terriers is
considerably lower than represented. Also important to understand is
the extreme popularity of the Pit Bull and pit bull-type breeds. By some
estimates, numbers-wise they are the most popular of all dog breeds. It
is only logical to assume that the breed with the higher number of
individual dogs would be represented with a higher number of bites.
Viewing older statistical reports for the Center of Disease Control, one
will see that trends in breed popularity reflect in the number of bites
attributed to a specific breed during a specific period of time.
-Information provided by http://www.realpitbull.com/myths.html-
239
This is a sad display of pure ignorance. IT IS THE OWNERS TO BLAME, NOT THE ANIMALS. I own two wonderfully behaved pit bulls. I also have three children under the age of 10 you LOVE and ADORE those dogs. What is wrong with you people? You have nothing better to to than to put down a breed just because of the bad rep they got due to horrible owners?? Give me a break and do everyone a favor...go get some education on a subject before you go bashing it!!! It's all in how you treat and train your animals people...get with the program here!!!
240
"A Brooklyn couple watched in horror Sunday as their pet pit bull suddenly snapped and viciously mauled their 20-month-old son.

The usually docile dog suddenly turned on little Elliot Korenblyun, sinking its teeth into the helpless tot's face inside the family's apartment in Bensonhurst."
241
@240 Christopher Frizzelle,

Gay people are so wonderful and responsible.

Dutch shock over gay HIV rape gang

A homosexual gang that raped victims lured on the Internet, drugged them and infected them with the HIV virus has shocked the Netherlands and raised questions over its liberal sex culture.

Health Minister Ab Klink called the case "horrible", as the press splashed the news across its front pages.

The matter came to light ON Wednesday, when police said they had arrested three seropositive homosexual men two weeks ago after four victims, men aged 25 to 50, accused them of rape and premeditated bodily harm.

Ronald Zwarter, the police chief in the northern town of Groningen, where the alleged crimes took place, said two of those arrested, a couple aged 48 and 33, had confessed.

"Their stated motive was that it excited them - and also that, the more HIV-infected people there were, the better their chances of unprotected sex," he said.

"They considered unprotected relations to be 'pure'."

A fourth man who allegedly supplied the three suspects with several litres of the date-rape drug GHB and ecstasy tablets was also arrested.

The gang risks up to 16 years in prison.

According to police and prosecutors, eight more victims have come forward since the case was publicised.

Officials said the three seropositive men invited men contacted on the Internet to private homosexual orgies.

242
@240

Toddler at home after dog attack

Posted: Apr 04, 2010 4:13 PM PDT
Updated: Apr 04, 2010 4:13 PM PDT

WARREN COUNTY, MS (WLBT) - Easter Sunday brings good news to the little boy from Warren County who was mauled by a dog.

Family members tell us he returned home Sunday. Twenty two month-old Jack Gaines has been at Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital since Wednesday night. That's when a six year old Black Mouth Cur dog, belonging to his grandmother, mauled the infant.

Gaines suffered multiple lacerations on his head and face. His parents, Robin Causey and Brad Gaines, say their son may not be able to open his left eye again. They have since moved out of the grandmother's home and are currently living with another relative.

According to Vicksburg Humane Society Officials, the dog was euthanized Friday afternoon.
243
Let's not ban the Pit Bulls. Instead, let's petition that it be required that all owners of Pit Bulls be sterilized along with their animals.
244
@239, "IT IS THE OWNERS TO BLAME, NOT THE ANIMALS."

Would you mind providing some facts to back this re-occurring theory up?

Of pit bulls involved in an incident what % of their owners had a criminal record compared to other dog owners?

Of pit bulls involved in an incident what % of their owners had been convicted of animal cruelty/negligence compared to other dog owners? Compared to other animal owners?

Any verifiable scientifically measured facts you can provide to support this claim would be great.
245
Let's not ban those poor animals. Instead, let's require that all Pit Bull owners be sterilized along with their pets.
246
It's not the advice, it's the tone that saddens me ... and the assumption that ONLY pit bulls attack.

247
This article is infuriating. I'm a huge advocate of the pit bull breed. I have owned a couple myself and am currently looking to rescue another. I am very, very tired of paranoid people throwing around loaded statistics. Here's a good statistic for you: 77% of dog bites happen to a member of the family who owns the dog or a friend. 77%. Dogs, pit bulls included, don't just go around foaming at the mouth and maiming innocent people. This article is only going to serve to incite more panic in people and cause them to take violent action against a dog that has no intention of harming them. I've seen many people freak out when a totally friendly put bull comes up to say hello (even on a leash). Freaking out, getting angry is a great way to provoke a dog. Shame on the Stranger for publishing such a hateful article.
248
@MacGruber, #246:

Dobermans used to be involved in more dog attacks than pit bulls. Dobermans used to be the dog of choice for people who wanted aggressive dogs. People who want aggressive dogs opt for pit bulls now. It's a self-perpetuating cycle.

You can read more in this article by Malcolm Gladwell: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/02…
249
I'm a Dachshund owner and those little beasties can be devilish opportunists.

But really, the Jack Russell issue needs to be addressed in this city. they may not attack humans as oft as PB's but they cause problem after fucking problem at doggy daycare and at the park.
250
I'm in people's yards all day - constantly meeting new dogs - and I love them, mostly. Over the years I have been attacked by a German Shepard, a Rott, a Lab, pulled a German Shepard off a kid, and once took my friend's awesome Rott on a walk, on a leash, when he unexpectedly lunged at a bicyclist and literally tore flesh from the man's ribs. That one was eventually put down after randomly biting a kid. But IMO the big dogs, when they charge you aren't nearly as scary as the little ones. A Rott jumps at me; I shove my arm in his mouth, but I confess when small dogs rush me I usually run.
So what I want to know is how to defend yourself against a pack of tiny dogs. Three times I have been attacked; twice by Boston Terriers, once by Chihuahuas. They jump up and bite and run in a circular pattern, leaving me bleeding from numerous contusions and bruises below the knees. I kick, stomp, punch and never connect with the little bastards, while the owner inevitably screeches "don't you hit my dogs!"
@202 "how about just banning all dogs over 25 lbs within city limits? "
yeah right.
251
I'm in people's yards all day - constantly meeting new dogs - and I love them, mostly. Over the years I have been attacked by a German Shepard, a Rott, a Lab, pulled a German Shepard off a kid, and once took my friend's awesome Rott on a walk, on a leash, when he unexpectedly lunged at a bicyclist and literally tore flesh from the man's ribs. That one was eventually put down after randomly biting a kid. But IMO the big dogs, when they charge you aren't nearly as scary as the little ones. A Rott jumps at me; I shove my arm in his mouth, but I confess when small dogs rush me I usually run.
So what I want to know is how to defend yourself against a pack of tiny dogs. Three times I have been attacked; twice by Boston Terriers, once by Chihuahuas. They jump up and bite and run in a circular pattern, leaving me bleeding from numerous contusions and bruises below the knees. I kick, stomp, punch and never connect with the little bastards, while the owner inevitably screeches "don't you hit my dogs!"
@202 "how about just banning all dogs over 25 lbs within city limits? "
yeah right.
252
#115 and #137 are right. Unfortunately it IS the breed. Maybe positive trait pits were once the majority but as the popularity of pits as aggressive guard dogs grew, so did selective breeding for aggressive behavior. Yes yes, there are still many sweet as pie pits out there--I've met a couple--but unfortunately there are many that are genetically predisposed to violence despite how responsible their owners are. One of my dearest friends recently had to put her pit down, despite the hundreds of hours she'd invested in training this dog (which they rescued as a tiny pup), because this beast was so f#cked up you couldn't even look at it without it wanting to eat your throat. She is by far the most committed and responsible pet owners I've ever known and still she couldn't save this dog. Some are just bad seeds. I think we should require any bully breed to pass a canine good citizenship test before being adopted out and then the owners should be required to have some additional licensing that discourages irresponsible ownership.
253
@239: Well said! I agree.
254
Just browsing one of NYC's main animal shelters. Astonishing. Out of 17 dogs up for adoption, only ONE is NOT a pit bull or pit bull mix.

http://www.nycacc.org/adoption.htm

And the pro-pit idiots think we don't have a problem.

http://injurylaw.grossmanjustice.com/201…

Spay and neuter will not stop this.

255
BTW, this is not from dogsbite.org, it's from a op/ed piece written over 10 years ago:

"First, the pit bull is quicker to anger than most dogs, probably due to the breed's unusually high level of the neurotransmitter L-tyrosine. Second, pit bulls are frighteningly tenacious; their attacks frequently last for 15 minutes or longer, and nothing—hoses, violent blows or kicks—can easily stop them. That's because of the third behavioral anomaly: the breed's remarkable insensitivity to pain. Most dogs beaten in a fight will submit the next time they see the victor. Not a defeated pit bull, who will tear into his onetime vanquisher. This, too, has to do with brain chemistry. The body releases endorphins as a natural painkiller. Pit bulls seem extra-sensitive to endorphins and may generate higher levels of the chemical than other dogs. Endorphins are also addictive: "The dogs may be junkies, seeking pain so they can get the endorphin buzz they crave," The Economist suggests.

Finally, most dogs warn you before they attack, growling or barking to tell you how angry they are—"so they don't have to fight," ASPCA advisor and animal geneticist Stephen Zawistowski stresses. Not the pit bull, which attacks without warning. Most dogs, too, will bow to signal that they want to frolic. Again, not the pit bull, which may follow an apparently playful bow with a lethal assault."
256
People make dogs into monsters, dogs are not born to be bad. Pit bulls have been made into monsters by people, bred down to destroy, people are at fault not these dogs.
257
after reading this article, and assessing the callousness of humans, I have decided to no longer read the stranger, after enjoying it for nearly 15 years. I hope that David Schmader enjoys his cat, he is most certainly a pussy to write a pathetic article like this one, and the illustrations? Not funny, not cute, just ridiculous.
258
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/…

Can you spot the pitbull? I wonder how many scary pitbulls are cases of mistaken identity....
259
Statistically there are more bites on average from breeds such as Chihuahuas. Do your homework before writing such nonsense.
260
If all these self-absorbed douchebags make good on their promise to quit reading the stranger then I'd say this article was a complete success.

261
@246 Exactly, the tone is so needlessly nasty. This isn't written as an informative article- it's written, and illustrated, like some kind of power/revenge fantasy.

I mean, look at that fourth illustration! Look at that fucker bleed! Yeah! That's what it gets! We're all sensitive, caring people worried about the children!
262
Pets are not people. Dog owners need to quit whining about their 'fur children' and recognize the pecking order.

Mutant wolverines
Humans
all the rest of God's creation

I will eat a dog if necessary, but I will refrain from eating children. Additionally, I accept that a mutant wolverine may eat me.
263
"Stand completely still" is scary as fuck to a dog, just as it is to a human. Anyone who suddenly freezes looks crazy as shit.

I mean, I agree, don't run, don't stare, don't flail your arms around -- but try to act some semblance of natural.

You know, the way you would if you had a kilo of pot in your backpack and a cop appeared. Just be cool, dude.
264
If you are truly concerned about this, I suggest you conceal a pork chop in your pants. When danger approaches, grab your meat. Abuse the pooch with it as opportunity presents. Or fling.

Works great against hipsters, too. Especially when balanced on a Vespa.

PLUS, you don't need a permit.

Duct tape? No. To have enough stopping power, it's just too bulky.

Not everybody is suited for concealed carry, I realize. At the very least learn to say "Fuck You!" like a Chicagoan.
265
Great article. Not all breeds of dogs need to exist and pit bulls are on the top of that list.
ALL dog breeds are, obviously, the result of genetic engineering (it's called selective breeding in this case). we created them, we can end them, forever.
266
well, I think it started out well with #1 and #2
pretty good eastern advice...avoid, get away
#4-#6 though possible and entertaining, would probably lead most to #3
#2 definitely the best idea esp. for children
267
This was a funny article. Too bad other people don't have a sense of humor.
268
wow, this was the most ignorant article i've ever read from The Stranger. The comments take it a step further.
270
this is very ignorant, pit bulls are actually some of the sweetest most loyal dogs. its not in the dogs nature to be aggressive it is the abuse that makes them that way. the most common dog bites are actually by smaller dogs, they just never get reported.

http://www.kitsap-humane.org/truth-about…

i cant believe that the stranger would be so ignorant.
271
I lost a lot of respect for STRANGER reading this article. What uninformed, un-dog educated fool was able to publish this. The information on self defense is consistent with any breed- including crack-flustered vagrants and punks. This proves that people that do not understand dogs (including dick-thugs or specific authors of the stranger) should not include themselves with the world of dogs.
Almost sadder, but not, "The Stranger" has some respect to earn back.

-Adamcan

272
@ #239
"This is a sad display of pure ignorance. IT IS THE OWNERS TO BLAME, NOT THE ANIMALS. I own two wonderfully behaved pit bulls. I also have three children under the age of 10 you LOVE and ADORE those dogs."

Who fucking cares who's fault it is? What does that even have to do with anything? If a Pit Bull or any breed of dog attacks unprovoked, kill the dog if possible & sue the owner. & yes, i have dogs. If they attacked someone unprovoked, they would be put down, as simple as that.

These pussies trying to muddy the water with "who's fault it is" or "what breed is worse" are missing the point. We are the ones with the opposable thumbs, at the top of the food chain. If you don't like that, move the fuck away from other people with your dog & do the rest of us a favor.

Also,if you are stupid enough to have a pit bull around small children you deserve what will probably happen to them, but the kids don't! You are a selfish ass!
273
I carry a lock blade knife that is both legal and very very sharp, and will be well within my rights if I have to gut your precious sweet pit bull like a fish if it attacks me or anybody else.

274
A pointless, fear-mongering article sponsored and written by a bitch. I've worked as a driver/delivery boy and have been attacked by dogs multiple times, but never a pit.

If you don't carry any sort of weapon and no blunt object is within reach, just jam your hand down it's throat. Never met a dog that liked choking on a hand.

276
this article is disgusting...are you advocating this as a sport? is this supposed to be funny?

the real problem with pit bulls, and the reason attacks are on the rise is:

1 - people pay more attention to their attacks...golden retriever attacks don't make the 11 o'clock news.

2 - the "thug life" motherfuckers who own them don't know how to handle the animal they got. let's have an article on how to strangle one of them for bad pet rearing.
277
everything in this article is helpful to defend yourself from an attack from any kind of damn dog. labs, retrievers, billy goats, terriers. and so on.
if you have a strong arm---remember, pits are the strongest dog pound for pound that exists (high pain threshold too)---if youre not strong enough, youre just gonna piss it off---punch it in the top of its head. if it goes down, stomp on its chest. this last action will kill it. remember, it tried to kill you.
278
File complaints against the Stranger with the Washington Attorney Generals office for inciting violence and animal cruelty. Nuke the fuckers.
279
Oh, to add one more thing, Charlie Prostrate the Self Defense Specialist who is quoted in the fucking story ? Charlie is a joke, its most likely Charlie has never really even been in a good fight. If a doggie wants to take you out ? it will happen so quick you would not have a chance to do anything but curl up and protect yourself. Macing a dog will only piss it off more, trying to gouge it eyes out ? only a stupid idiot would suggest that ? GOOD WAY TO LOSE fingers, yes lets stick our fingers near an attacking dogs head. In fact I hope the piece of sh%&t that wrote the sick story uses the methods he defined if he is attacked by a dog. As for pitbulls and dogsbite.org (lol!) Coleen Lynne who created that blog ? Claims she was attacked by a pitbull, it never happened and her data is manipulated, she is racist.

It is sad to see such a cool rag as The Stranger fall prey to the bad side of animal rights. Yes there are 2 sides to animal rights, those who hate dogs, actually who hate animals period, that would be the PETA type, then there is the good side, the serious mother fuckers who get off on finding people who abuse animals and use the some of the tatcis described above on the humans animal abuses. Is the reporter that wrote this story an animal abuser ??? What does everyone think ????

280
Really, David? Is this a belated April Fool's piece? It kind of made me sick reading it, but I also know that you have a dog that you fawn over and I can't see you seriously promoting any of the violence this little number promotes. Color me bemused.
281
Pit defenders really need to get a clue. My exboyfriend had a pit, he was a good owner. Never beat it, trained it well, raised that psychotic thing as well as any dog owner.

It was fine until it was about 5 years old. Super cuddly, sweet, well mannered dog. At 5 it started to lose it. One day it tore into my dog (a dog it had been friends with for years) for absolutely NO reason. There was no aggression on the part of my shepard mix. It tore her belly completely open and would have killed her if there weren't 3 people to pull her off. I broke up with him because he refused to get rid of it and I figured that dog would someday turn on me.

Low and behold, within a year, his dog killed his roomates dog, and removed my exboyfriends thumb for him.

Lovely breed. Simply lovely.
282
Of all the dogs that I've ever met, chihuahuas are the nastiest little fuckers around and the only breed who I have consistently run into who are aggressive fear biters. I think we should ban those little beaners instead.
283
way to further the negative & b.s. stigma attachedto pit bulls. this article title sucks & it panders to people easily swayed by shock journalism.
284
@ 281

That can happen with ANY dog. That is a DOG thing, not a pit bull thing. You are the one that needs to get a clue.
285
someone in Arlington read this

Dog is found fatally beaten

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/2010040…
286
Haters everywhere we go. Haters haters haters..haters everywhere we go! I know Betty and she's awesome! Fuck you haters. I laugh my ass of when I read comments from people dissing pitbulls. these dogs have more love in their heart than any dumbass hating on pitbulls. Unconditional love to their ownerband the people that show them love. Maybe we should ban dumbass people who have nothing better to do but to google 'pitbulls suck'. Fuck....you......haters....
287
Not a reactionary comment, just a note to let you know that it's actually reactionaries like yourself who doom the breed. I've been bitten by plenty of children, but never a pit bull.
288
This article is pathetic and David Schmader should be fired from The Stranger for writing it. Knowing how to defend yourself from an aggressive dog (or any animal/human for that matter) is definitely a good thing, especially in a city like Seattle where dogs out-populate kids by 46%. HOWEVER, the way this article was written was disgusting and down right offensive, and this is coming from a non-pit bull owner. Not only was it wrong to target a specific breed of dog, but the great detail in which David describes the various ways to defeat an angry dog is quite honestly disturbing. Would everything he mentioned in this article probably work to defend yourself? Yes in theory. But the way in which the article is written is the worst part of all. It's almost as if David Schmader (the amazing author of this lovely article) has a personal vendetta out for dogs (pit bulls). It's like his entire family tree got wiped off the face of the earth by viscous man-killing K-nines and now he's all alone, left to fend for himself. In any case, it looks like David Shmader had a bit too much time on his hands this week and decided to write a graphically illustrated novel on how to get fired from a job he shouldn't of had in the first place.

-Ian
from
FAINTLY
www.faintlyband.com
289
Huh? You needed more than the first line? Any breed of dog is capable of attacking a human. There were a whopping 23 fatal dog attacks in 2008. In the entire nation. Any idea how many stupid human attacks there were in the same year. Can we just cut this out? The dog isn't the problem. It's crappy, criminal and lazy owners. EVERY animal needs training. Including the nasty little chihuahua next door that continuously bites my ankle when I step outside. Understand...the activists get out of hand because the discrimination is out of hand. I own a gentle, loving, sweet pit bull...trained...and on his way to becoming a therapy dog. But try finding a place to live. All of this vehemence on both sides is ludicrous. Just train your dogs people!
290
Not to be uppity, but Mace isn't necessarily "Bare-Handed" is it?
291
I'm not even gonna touch the fact that this article targets one breed. That alone makes it ridiculous.

But as a very experienced dog handler, I can tell you this...if you follow most of the adversarial advice of this article with any dog over 35 lbs you are going to get hurt, badly.

When you try to bash the dog's head in with an object, it's going to whip around and latch onto your flailing arm.

While you are choking the dog it's going to bunny-kick with it's claws, and since dogs have strong neck and shoulder muscles (hello, carnivore??!!) your arm will be pushed back like a twig and the dog's most likely going to bite you in the face since it will be close enough.

Also, since you've now shown yourself a threat it will move faster and be fueled by fear and adrenaline. Good fucking luck, buddy.

If you want to avoid dog attacks, carry a good defense spray, STOP JOGGING when you see a loose dog, leave the dog alone, and call ANIMAL CONTROL. Follow up and make sure the owners who are too stupid or careless to contain their ward are charged appropriately.

And first and foremost, stop acting like a scared little girl and suck it up. Dogs have brains the size of lemons. If you can't outsmart one, what does that say about you?
292
The unleashed and unattended attack animal that will face me down will be owned--if at all--by the most uneducated or irresponsible owners possible.

To the delusional: Fuck you. If we're serious about owner responsibility, let's jail them for their dogs' attacks on man and beast. We'd see some training then.

Do not defend these owners. Do not blame me for defending myself. And if some wild dog faces me, beyond all power but mine, God help it, for it will die.

Great article.
293
To all of you who say you have a great pit bull - sweetest dog - the rest of the world is uneducated... yadda yadda...

You say it because your pit hasn't mauled another dog or person...YET.
Do you think the owners of dogs who finally maul someone say "Oh yeah, it's no surprise, he always does that." ?
295
I own a lovely Glock 19. It is the sweetest, most mild mannered handgun. We often go to the gun park and spend quality time together. It has never harmed a person. I think I'll leave it in the park so it can play with the kids.
296
Powerful dogs are dangerous, regardless of how well they are trained. They need to be supervised, especially around children and those less familiar with animals.

Big mean farm dogs where the rule where I grew up, and learning how to be careful around them was one of the first things we learned. And if a dog bit a person or got into the livestock they were shot by the owner.

297
Can you please write an article about how to defend yourself against all the gay people in the world while you are writing stupid articles that discriminate...all their bright colors & fancy hair is so frightening. The more The Stranger publish's crap like this...the closer I am to going to every Stranger distribution box on the streets every thursday night, & throwing every paper in them in the garbge...not the recycling. Focusing the article on Pit Bulls instead of just dogs is so pathetic. Just as pathetic as being racist or homophobic.
298
Genetics, Genetics, Genetics! Pit Bull proponents are in denile of this breed's original purpose: To kill BEARS and BULLS gladiator style. This debate shouldn't be based on emotions but rather statistics and facts.
299
peet bool......tear eyerr!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdRPRvhXS…

300
215 comments was where i gave up. my responses:

1. you definitely aim to annoy. says something abt you. i should know. i started getting like that on my blog. i'm not posting any more because i was being as obnoxious as those i hate.

2. the article was funny as was it's followup masterbatory response. doesn't mean either are good articles. here's where independent thought on the reader's part is vital.

3. you managed to get what you sought: polarized obnoxious snapping humans.

4. these advise tips would do nothing at all to actually save me from one of these dogs if it was of the attack variety.

i had a "girlfriend" with some kind of pit-mix. it was a wussy farting doofus that liked people & other animals. it had been a bait dog in a fighting ring broken up by police. she took the dog in after a cop who was part of breaking the fight ring had him a while. he was loathe to give him out but my ex is a good responsible owner & keeps him controlled at all times just out of precaution. i've pet this creature up close. he stayed in my house & sniffed my cats. he gassed us w/his farts whenwe had sex, ate, slept, walked... i've walked him. if he had chosen to, he could have killed me & nothing short of a lucky eye gouge would have saved me. to badly quote my ex ff, his head is basically a battering ram. his jaws are horse-sized & muscular like a horse's hind legs. his neck cannot be strangled because it's too thick for most any human. he's just an unlucky victim (scars everywhere) of asshole humans that got lucky in the end because there were non-assholes willing to take him in & be responsible for him in the demanding ways he needs. not aggressive but definitely needy. my ex chose well & got lucky too. a dog his size in full health would not be stopped by any of your tips because the animal exceeds human tolerances in most cases (i'm average; not small or huge). as i read your amusing articles i just assumed them to be jokes as my vivid memory of this dog & his owner's friends' dog flashed in my head as i read each tip, just finding them all terribly unlikely, especially strangulation or windpipe crushing. this dog had bad legs, so i don't know about that...

you only suceeded in being a troll & amusing people who like trolls. you didn't provide workable advise. if all you write is stuff like this, you're a known entity. but a casual reader might mistake this article for useful info & be more likely to allow a confrontation thinking they are "armed" with your tips. that's a disservice.

everyone: it's the dog BECAUSE it's the owners. simple. your bipolar b&w responses are totally what this guy wanted & you gave it to him. some good responses among you but mostly personal agendas & ego. the author won.

oh, i came here thru Dan's reference on slapnose for his "slog" blog. now i know what this place is & i won't be a returning reader to the rest of this site. it's tiresome & trollish. Dan's stuff was at least recognizable for being news commentary entertainment. this dog thing... bah. bait. not interested in more.
301
Lol @ 297's logic.
302
You lost me as soon as you quoted "dogsbite.org." That website is the "brainchild" of a nutsy woman who was badly attacked by a dog and so now makes it her life's work to try to get pitbulls banned. (Apparently, she doesn't ever look at the statistics that say that the number of serious dogbites across the US have decreased in the last 20 years and that the most "dangerous" dog changes every decade or so, depending on what kind of dogs thugs are favoring lately.)

Never mind that those who disagree with her include the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Animal Control Association, and every other group I know of. The only people on "dogsbite"'s side are politicians who prefer to get lots of public attention without doing any research.

The #1 thing you can do to prevent getting attacked by vicious dogs: Make sure your locality has a leash law and enforces it. All of you folks who are whining about loose dogs chasing you - are you persistently contacting your local animal control when you see this? If not, I'd appreciate your keeping your mouths shut until such time that you are willing to take constructive action.
303
Which breed is a 'pit bull' again, because - and correct me if I'm wrong, but 'pit pull' is a type of dog, encompassing a number of specific breeds. I'm also curious as to how it has come to have such a bad reputation? For a dog bred to fight and kill other dogs, it seems a strange behavior - biting humans - to be genetically imprinted on the animal. Perhaps, and I'm stretching here, the behavior of the owner has more to do with the dogs behavior. Huskies bite, with alarming frequency, and yet...there isn't a lot of noise being made about banning them. Or golden retrievers, who - due to their popularity are involved in more bites. I understand the article is concerned with 'not being killed by a dog'. But, if only 33 fatalities were recorded in 2007 then I'm not concerned. 33 out of 300 million people? Seriously? In the same year about 16000 people died from using aspirin. Can we get an article on how to defeat a pharmacist with a BOGO sale on Bayer?

Quit worrying people about dog attacks. All you're doing is foisting responsibility onto the dog, when the owner is the one who has the control. And if the owner doesn't have control? Slap the fucker. The dog will probably come down on your side.
304
Fuck you you fucking piece of shit. You should fucking go kill yourself you cocksucker. Get educated on the topic before you write an article on it. Dumb fuck.
305
Come on people...why are you attacking the author because he has a view on Pit bulls? I just witnessed a Pit bull rip a small dog out of a woman's arms and shred it. Another friend underwent chemo and a Pit bull attacked her before her reconstructive Barbie boobs had a chance to gel. The vet said it was because the dog could smell the poison in her. I'm not saying ban Pits but the owner should take full responsibility and expect some pretty harsh punishment if something happens. That's fair game.It should be the same for any breed that decides to make lunch meat out of another.
306
This article is not animal abuse. This article is not a hate letter to pit bulls. This article is not a big letter telling people that suddenly it's okay to "kick the shit" out of pit bulls. This article is an article on self-defense. Nothing more or less. It deals not just with pit bulls, but with all attacking dogs, and it says so right in the article. Pit bulls, again, are statistically- wait, why the fuck am I reiterating what the article has already said?

People thinking that this is appalling: Get attacked by a pit bull sometime and see if you:
A) Defend yourself from the dog instinctively so the dog doesn't tear your internal organs out,
B) Attempt to find the dog's owner to deliver a stern talking-to about taking proper care of pets, all while your arm is being ripped off, or
C) Write a strongly-worded letter to The Stranger telling them that in fact you are enjoying the experience of having your nutsack chewed up by a fucking PITT BULL.
307
This article is bullshit. Cops have beaten pitbulls with TIRE IRONS and it has done NOTHING - 3 rounds from a Glock .9mm finally put it down. 3 rounds!

You cannot, repeat, cannot beat a pitbull or other large animal as a human. And forget about the pathetic owner being able to control it. They are either weak ass crackers who barely have the strength to hold up their lattes for extended periods, or wankster ass wannabe's who don't give a SHIT about you anyway, and will most likely find your impending demise funny, and somewhat sexually stimulating.

The only solution is superior attacking force ala a gun. Carry a gun you fucking liberal douchebags and intersperse you loads between a hollow point and a shotshell load like the Glaser rounds. When nutso potentially LEATHAL ANIMAL approaches, steady aim for center mass of the stupid animal (that's right, read it again shitstick libtard, ANIMAL) and blast away. Once the threat has been eliminated be prepared to be assaulted by whankster Freemont / Queen Anne types who elevate ANIMALS to the status of people. You'll need a lawyer.
Lastly, to all the gayass Seattle dog owners out there being towed around by a giant rodent while carrying its bag of steaming shit, grow up and have a fucking kid already you miserable DINKs.

PS. Nothing beats a pump .12 gauge shotty but it's touch to carry one around and not get hassled by "the man".
308
The funny thing is they say 56% of attacks is by pit bulls, but what is considered a pit bull? I would like for the writer of this article to complete this in less than 3 tries for me. To show how ignorant all of you are. PUNISH THE DEED, NOT THE BREED!!!!

HERE YA GUYS GO TRY IT OUT http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/…

309
The Seattle Humane Society agreed to be interviewed for the story, and we are very sorry we did. What follows is our letter to the editor:

Dear Mr. Frizzelle,

As a former journalist, I always try to assist writers seeking information from the Seattle Humane Society on animal welfare issues. When David Schmader called wanting expert information on protecting oneself during a dog attack, our animal behavior manager Emily Keegans provided him with important information about an important issue.

We’re very disappointed in the focus of this story and sorry that we agreed to be quoted. Schmader was intentionally dishonest, saying he was a reporter writing a news story. If this was intended to be farcical, it was offensive and poorly done. Worse yet, it didn’t really address this serious issue in a meaningful way.

You no longer have our respect as a credible news source. Sorry.

Rhonda Manville




Rhonda Manville
Director of Marketing
Seattle Humane Society

Tel: (425) 274-1513


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