76 Comments

So sad! And scary! I love pitbulls, and have never experienced anything like this. If I had been the owner though, I definitely would have come home right away. I would also have searched until I found a reputable dog behavior specialist to work with the pitbull, I’d want to do everything in my power to help him with his issues with other dogs and prevent any other incidents from occurring.

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I love them too, and this one was super sweet aside from this. I feel sorry for dogs who obviously don't have much of a social life due to issues. If I were the owner I'd want better for him too.

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Horrible. I’d have come home. I think any dog can turn, (except this one didn’t “turn”, he was always reactive). Pitbulls are bigger and stronger than many dogs, so when they do turn, they can do more damage. Just my two cents worth.

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I certainly thought about going home! I wish the owner had as well.

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I meant if I was the owner. But with dogs like that I bet they rarely get away. No note or tip because he’d have been super defensive. We have had dogs attacked several times, and only once managed to get our vet bill paid

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I am a pit bull mom, professional pet sitter of 13 years, and now a dog trainer. Hearing/experiencing horror stories of clients who either fail to disclose (or address) their pet's behavior issues was what finally pushed me to get certified as a trainer – and get really selective about what clients I take on. I'm so sorry you went through this. I've definitely had clients who set their own pets up for failure, and don't take accountability when something goes wrong. I do think they should have returned home: (a) to locate the couple and handle the vet bill, and (b) to relieve the sitter, pay for the service in full (and a *generous* tip), and see if you need your injury checked out.

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Lisa, thank you for this validation!!! What really picked my ass is that he didn't leave a tip OR write a positive review (or ANY review) for me on the site. It really confirmed what kind of person he was.

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And the couple with the little dog never came back? Wow, that's very rare. Even a reasonable person might expect the vet bills to be covered. His coming back to repair the gate was extraordinary! I would've searched high and low for such an amazing human being. Wow. I'm glad the little dog was apparently ok. I know the horror you must've experienced. Been there. Yeah, your employer sounds clueless and uncool. Thanks for sharing this! 💟

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Even the sweetest and most loving dogs can turn vicious in the blink of an eye. I grew up with a standard poodle who we all thought would never harm a fly until one day something snapped in her and she took off after a rabbit and came back drenched in blood. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that situation. It must have been terrifying. I’ve always been wary of pit bulls because of horror stories I’ve been told. One day, when my son was a toddler, he was playing outside and I was in the kitchen watching him from the open window. We lived in a rural area, on top of a hill at the time. My heart stopped when I saw a pit bull approach out of nowhere. Fortunately, my cat was outside and immediately placed herself in front of my son, and managed to trick the dog into thinking she was as large as a tiger. She chased the dog away before I even got outside. It all happened so fast and I shudder to think of how it could have turned out.

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Omg

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Very terrifying incident indeed, Kristi! It's a reminder that we can't know everything. In a long ago career, I used to test food products that needed to be cooked in a microwave oven to determine what would happen to them under varying situations that might occur by humans. Basically, we were trying to figure out what inadvertent or stupid things humans could do to cause failure and what would that failure result in. What we learned was that there are infinite ways in which things can go wrong, and we have no way to map every single one of them - until after they happened. It sounds like the dogs' parent gave you a lot of information about how to stay safe with the dogs. You made the best decisions you could and didn't walk the dogs. The fence was designed for safety. Who knew the gate would be the weak point in the system and yield to the weight of the frantic dogs. This sounds like the true definition of an accident, not malice. Thank goodness for helpful neighbors and those willing to right a difficult situation. (P.S. While dog breeds can trend towards a behavior that humans elevated through genetic modification, ALL dogs have an innate abilty for rage - as animals, rage is what gives an animal strength to try to break free from a predator. We humans have this belief we can "control" that behavior or breed it out of an animal. We can't. We can learn to manage behavior and environments. Our foster dog Crosby, ten pounds of maltese/poodle mix was as charismatic as the day was long. Every human loved that jokester. Most dogs, including my own, loved to play with him. Yet, there was one neighbor dog who was on alert anytime we walked the neighborhood. What was it about Crosby that irked the other dog- hormones, confidence, some communication only dogs decipher? What was it about the other dog that raised Croby's ire? Crosby's adoptive family never saw him, or other dogs, exhibit aggression around each other. He lived to be 15 years without incident. So, was the spotty aggression because of the neighbor dog? Was it Crosby working through abandonment issues while in our foster home? Was it just the fact that not every being gets along with every being - human or otherwise? I'm glad you were ok. I hope the little dog was ok. I hope the people were ok. I hope the dogs that created the chaos lived decent lives that probably got smaller in scope after that incident.

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Cindy, thanks for this. What a fascinating take on accidents and probability. I agree with you on all points, especially that these are animals. We'll never have them fully figured out. Sometimes I look at my own dog incredulously thinking, wow...I can't believe I/we as humans, allow 85 lb animals to just exist in the same houses we live in. It's fascinating

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That was absolutely terrifying to read, so I can’t even imagine being there. As a child I was afraid of dogs, and I still am fearful of large dogs until I know they’re friendly. I would never be comfortable alone around an unleashed pittie or similar breed. I once read something by a pet psychic who had talked to a pitbull who told her that it didn’t know why sometimes it just snapped. At those times it was like something else took over. Whether you believe in pet psychics or not, this made sense to me. Something was triggered, causing a sweet companion to turn into the hunter or fighter it was designed or bred to be. Like split personalities. The first time I ever heard of a pitbull was at least 30 years ago, when a friend of a friend came home from work to discover her two pitties had killed her smaller dog. I would never be able to trust one. 😞

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You're right about the dogs they were bred to be. I don't think they're all easily triggered but I do think that it boils down to owner involvement and vigilance. They aren't the trophy dogs that some people think they are.

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That owner should be sued out of existence

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This is heartbreaking. I hope the little dog was okay.

I watched many seasons of Pit Bulls and Parolees and I still would never get a pitty. I would never get a Rottweiler either. Those dogs have jaws of steel. In the US homeowners and rental insurance is higher if you have a pitty. A pity for the pitty.

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It's the same here, many rentals have restricted breeds. Pits, Rottis and German Shepherds are at the top of the list.

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As the owner of the dogs, I'd have come home immediately.

I am so sorry to hear that the owners of the dogs you were sitting, did not come home immediately after being told what had happened.

That said..I'm not going to get into who was right here, and who, was wrong.

What I am going to say, is to say that any dog, of any breed or temperamental persuasion, can have a moment or four of aggression. They are dogs. There's an unpredictability quotient involved (as you know, and all too well).

I hope you recover quickly and cleanly from this experience, and without any further drama.

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Thanks for you insights Deb. This actually happened in 2021. I never did hear another peep from the owner regarding the incident. But I'm certainly more on guard in future situations.

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Unfortunately as much as we don’t want to admit it, aggression can be bred into our pets. I used to think it was untrue until I happened across The Russian Farm-Fox Experiment.

In the experiment the researchers actually proved how fast they could breed both aggressive and passive traits into fox’s (they are canines and chose them over wolves probably because of size I suspect.)

They also showed that the foxes surprisingly changed in coat color to adapt and show us that they would be friendly. Things like spotted fur coats and playful behavior appeared in the friendly foxes. While grey more wolf like coats and attacking the cages as soon as the scientists walked into the room for the aggressive foxes.

A very interesting experiment on domestication of our animals. And a good argument for why we should not turn wild animals into pets until they have been domesticated. (I’m talking to you big cat owners!)

It’s an unfortunate fact that pit bull are just that. They were bred to be pitted against bulls for sport. It was bred into them from the start. Even more unfortunate that trait has led them to be popular in dog fighting rings. (Believe me they are real and still happen. Every few years the government shuts it down when they get big enough. It’s doesn’t seem to stop them permanently though.

Mastiffs have a similar history if I’m not mistaken. So do many other breeds. It’s one reason I’d never recommend getting a historically aggressive breed from a shelter. You do not know their breeding history and are taking a huge chance there. On the bright side there are people and breeders especially who are trying to breed responsibly and I suspect have a better outcome than mystery dogs with unknown characteristics. It takes an experienced and responsible dog owner for many breeds.

I personally think people need to think about what they are getting their pets for. (Not to be crass we love our pets but a bored pet is an unhappy pet.) a working dog is just that. Much like how many breeds were bred to be companion pets. Growing up my family had terrier’s and we had zero vermin problems because much like cats they were created to get the vermin. Knowing this and stimulating our pets properly is our responsibility in a modern world. And maybe a call for us to be a little less modern if our pets no longer serve us in their original capacity. 😅

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Sarrah, thank you so very much for that information! I had no idea about the fox experiment, by any chance might you have a link to it, please?

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Your welcome,

I actually originally came across this in a documentary years ago and cannot remember the name of it.

https://evolution-outreach.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12052-018-0090-x

This is one article I found explaining the experiment. But you can always google Russian grey fox experiment or Russian domestication grey fox experiment and you’ll find many links with information on it.

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Another fun fact they started this experiment 60 years ago. So as far as a basis for facts they hold a ton of only on how long they’ve been working g on this.

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Wow Sarrah, that's a lot to unpack. Thanks for all that info!! Now I have lots of Googling to do 😁

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Haha sorry was suffering from insomnia last night and my brain decided it needed to info dump. 😂😂😂

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Lol no apologies necessary! It was all GOOD information, there's just no possible way I could reply to it all 🤣

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A fun fact about that fox experiment was that they now sell pet foxes with the right license to anyone who wants a domesticated pet fox.

A mastiff if I remember right was bred to defend people from lions. It’s why they are so massive and have so many skin folds. They were also used for fighting and hunting.

A collie (known to not be aggressive) was bred to herd sheep. That takes energy and smarts, it’s those things that causes behavior issues with that breed.

Of course in the end not all dogs are true to breed so we should not assume they are aggressive just as we should not assume friendliness. Or believe owners sometimes even the owner is unaware of issues. Unless they go out of their way to train their dogs and expose them at early ages.

Ever wonder why golden retrievers are often used as guide dogs? They’re known for being friendly and smart. But what many do t know is they’re also selected as puppies for personality and demeanor. Some even after training are cut from the program too! Dogs and stuff like this can be so very interesting y’all.

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There is an instinct in Pitbull's to be super aggressive towards other dogs and people. It is not a good pet, IMO

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Scary all around. I have small dogs so in a worst-case scenario I’m stronger.

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I was waiting for my wife in a super market parking lot. Standing beside our car. A couple walked by with two beautiful Mastiffs. Gorgeous dogs. I mentioned that. The owners stopped. i asked if the dogs were friendly. They said super friendly. I petted one of them but the second one circled behind me. They were unleashed. The woman shrieked at her husband ‘OMG HE IS BETWEEN THE TWO DOGS!’ The husband grabbed me and yanked me away. Literally in a crisis type moment. I said ‘so they attack when there is prey between them?’ The woman said, in baby talk, ‘oh no, she is so sweet. She just gets excited that’s all. She’s my baby, aren’t you’. While hanging tightly on to her collar. I said ‘you and I both know these are dangerous dogs. Put the female down before the two of them hurt a child’. They scurried off.

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Holy shit, that's NUTS!!! The fact that the dog PUT YOU in between them is the scariest part!!!! People like that need to be put down...especially having them unleashed in a public place. 😳

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Yeah. The female hunted me.

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The man literally grabbed me with two hands and yanked me, putting himself between me and the dogs. They knew exactly what would happen. I am suspecting the male on its own was probably okay.

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BTW…you wrote above ‘people like that need to be put down’. That seems a tad harsh!

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LOL my humor can be "in your face," yes 😁

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The thing is/ genetics are real. They contribute to more than most people realize and for that reason, I will never have one. Especially around children. Honestly, my first thought was why would anybody have a mastiff and a pitbull? What is this guy afraid of? Apparently he’s not afraid of getting sued.

You seemed to do everything right in the situation and wow, you must’ve been terrified. And that poor couple. They had every right to call animal control out. In fact, they should have – what if they had gotten hurt or there had been a child?

I’m really glad everybody was OK.

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And as mentioned, I desperately wish I could've known where that couple lived so I could have checked in on them and their dog. I felt horrible. In situations like this, whether the dog was injured or not, surely it'll now have fear for the rest of its life. 😪

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It must have been terrifying for you-and you handled it the best way you could have! Glad neighbors were there to help as well and everything ended ok. Whew!

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Dogs of the pit bull variety are powerful dogs, and are so unpredictable they can turn on a sixpence. I don’t think I could go near one tbh. If the owner wasn’t too far away, I would’ve expected him to come home. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for them.

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I felt the same way. He was only 3 hours away in a different city and if I was him, I would have come home for sure!

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It does seem somewhat irresponsible of him to have left you with them, considering one’s a pit bull!

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I can feel the terror radiate from the screen and I am so sorry for everyone involved. It is also a good reminder to all of us dog lovers that all dogs, not just pitbulls, become Mr. Jekyll to their usual Hyde (or is it the other way round), when the pack mentality kicks in. I have seen my guru-like dog Ody, kindest dog in the world, turn into a mobster when the flock rage kicks in. It's also why I do not let Ody sit on the floor with our grandchild, who is now grabbing at everything in sight. That's the grandchild, not the dog. We need to protect our dogs against themselves. And then there are dogs, like that pitbull, where there is just no stopping them, even though you did everything right.

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Thanks for this Lysanne. Like you, I don't put my dog and my grandson in the same space because she's not fond of kids and I would hate to be the reason something goes horribly wrong.

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