Predator Dogs and a Dog as a Loaded Weapon...
...Parents Against Canine Killers
Originally, all dogs were predators. They actively sought out innocent prey among the human species, particularly the young, old, weak or maimed.
Unnatural selection through human designed breeding programs has steered the genetics either away from predatory instincts, or at the other extreme, has honed the instincts and steered the genetics toward increased stamina, muscle strength, bite strength and tenacity (not letting go) and sometimes a tendency to attack with little or no warning.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A PREDATOR DOG
- Is of sufficient size to be menacing to an average adult human (sorry Chihuahua, you just think you are).
- Has been bred, socialized or trained toward aggression. Read More: Children are often below dogs in the dominance hierarchy.
- Actively seeks opportunity to attack innocent people and domestic animals.
- Behavior of the prey, especially if young or old, can do little to stop an attack.
- Attack behaviors include hitting the prey with great bodily force and shaking the prey violently.
Please note that the above includes, but is not limited to, existing breeds in the USA today that have a known history of exhibiting a propensity to attack without warning or provocation, coupled with increased bite strength and tenacity and stamina.
Money is the driving force for predator dog breeding programs. Such dogs carry a high price tag as fighting, guard, and protection dogs.
The first owner for which a predator type dog was produced will often use them for personal protection, a cheap alternative to a home security system, or as a business alarm system. If the first owner is irresponsible, the dog may be abandoned if he causes trouble. The second owner, after the dog has been abandoned, may be the kindest most responsible sort of dog owner, thoroughly dedicated to the happiness of their dog and the welfare breed of dog as a whole.
One or two breeds of dogs that are popular in a region or country at a time are singled out as the predator dogs that need to be eliminated. But, if they were tagged for destruction, replacements would abound. The list of breeds and, especially, mixes of breeds that could replace them is extensive.
Any effective means of controlling the number of predator dogs needs to be directed at the person behind the dog. Since money is the driving force, it should be used as the limiting force.
Responsibility and accountability in the dog owner is the answer and must begin with linking the identity of the dog owner to the dog through microchipping and licensing. If the dog owner is unwilling to have the identity of the dog linked to their own identity, there may be a telling reason.
Responsible dog owners only need the process to be convenient, inexpensive and personally rewarding, and they are likely to participate.
Insurance rates for dogs deemed to be potentially dangerous by insurance companies may dissuade a person from acquiring such a dog, and especially more than one.
Rewards for participation in the micro chipping program include:
- The safety of knowing that if their dog is lost, he will not be destroyed by the animal shelter if the owner is not located within the increasingly short waiting period.
- Knowledge that participation reduces dog attacks on people and abuse of puppies deliberately socialized toward aggression.
- And finally, we need to create incentives of goods and services for the good people who voluntarily participate in the micro chipping program.
- Innocent dogs of the same breed may not be automatically destroyed because of the deeds of their relatives.
Sometimes a predator dog is abandoned and dog is taken to the shelter and adopted back out to an unsuspecting family, sometimes with young children. Micro chipping would provide the prospective adoptive family with an attack history which may prevent a mauling of a child in the family.
In civilized society, you should not have to feel, while on a morning walk in your neighborhood or local park that you may have to put your life on the line to save your child because of the existence of predator “pets”.
A DOG - AS A LOADED GUN: predisposing factors make the dog a gun, specific events pull the trigger
Warning signs: aggressive behavior toward strangers, predatory or dominance posturing toward children, unprovoked attacks on other animals, disappearing from the premises to join a pack. If your dog likes to attack small animals, particularly if he grabs and shakes the animal demonstrating intent to kill, this is a serious warning sign. It is instinctual for dogs to see beings smaller than themselves that exhibit fear or flight behavior as prey, the next step up from attacking other animals, is children.
Unnatural selection through human breeding practices for several generations is used to select desirable traits in certain breeds of dogs. Whether it’s the Border Collie that can’t help chasing almost anything that moves, or the guard dog selected for aggressive behavior, size and strength; human directed breeding programs have altered the behavior and appearance of most dog breeds.
Man made selection for guard or fighting dogs in many circles includes selecting the strongest, most aggressive dogs, often with a tendency to bite and not let go, breeding those, and repeating the process over and over. The intent is to create the super killer. If you compare a Chihuahua to a bb gun, these super killers are assault rifles.
The aggression is inbred and genetically coded into the nature of these dogs. The more aggressive dog is then prized as a marketable guard or attack dog. Some people are empowered by such a dog, or feel they need it for protection of themselves or of their personal property.
It’s a gun, lock it up!
And control who has access to the weapon, especially when children are anywhere near. See “characteristic of a safe enclosure under buying a guard dog”. Read More: Drunk husband angry with wife, throws pitbull into room with 5 sleeping children, toddler boy gets ear torn off and jaw ripped open. This story has been archived.
PRIMITIVE HUNTING PACK INSTINCTS
Groups of predators who hunted in packs were more successful and survived to pass their genetic material. So successful was the pack structure behavior, that pack behavior became prevalent in many hunting groups across several families within the animal kingdom. In times of scarcity or change, only the most efficient of the packs survived.
If a pack was fighting amongst itself, it perished. Fighting was reduced or eliminated for periods of time by the establishment of a hierarchy within the pack. Symbolic displays of aggression replaced the full blown fight, unless the dominance hierarchy was to be challenged and re -established. Survival of the pack was of utmost importance to the individual. The next most important; was his place or status within it.
The dog’s place in the hierarchy was of utmost importance for him as it could affect his ability to access food and mates, and ultimately impact the survival of his genetic material.
A hierarchy, or pecking order reduced fighting within the group. Infrequently, fights burst out when dominance was challenged. Then, when dominance was redetermined, order was reestablished in the smoothly functioning and life sustaining pack. Mere symbolic displays or gestures of dominance and submission served to maintain order. The dominant dog could snort a quick growl, raise his hackles, take a dominant stance, position his body in a dominant position relative to his inferior, give the dominant stare, or otherwise communicate warning to his subordinate, avoiding an injury and energy wasteful attack. If the subordinate did not heed warning, an attack may be warranted at some point.
PACK SYNERGY: Refers to 2 plus 2 equals 5. In dogs of the wild, it refers to the combined and concerted energies of the individuals in the pack ensuring the survival of the genetic material of its members.
In domestic dogs that “pack up” , it refers to the little bit of wild dog in each of them sparking each other into a more dangerous unit than can be explained by adding the aggressive tendencies of the individuals together. Read More: Even the Corgi was covered in blood.
Refers to the stimulus or event that sets the dog off and causes him to bite or attack. He may have predisposing, or underlying, factors that make it more difficult to pull his trigger, such as genetic selection for friendly family dog characteristics, and plenty of loving socialization at a young age. Read Why Dogs Bite for more discussion of these factors.
On the other hand, his trigger may be very easy to pull if his genetic selection over many generations was geared towards aggression, and he received no socialization or negative socialization towards humans at a young age
and/or training intended to activate his trigger.
Triggers involving motion:
This can be as accidental and innocent motion, such as when:
- An infant rolls over on a bed.
- An infant or toddler makes unpredictable and sudden motions or sounds. Read More.
- The motion of infant swings may have been the trigger in recent fatal attacks by the family dog(s), when the baby was left unsupervised in an infant swing. Read More.
- Running past a dog.
- Sudden or fast movement: such as jumping when startled by the sudden appearance of a dog.
Triggers involving possessions:
- Taking a possession from a dog.
- Coming too close to a dog that is eating, especially if he is very hungry or a very dominant dog.
Triggers for dogs with strong predator instincts, dogs in a pack, and when the victim resembles prey:
- Prey is usually small or weakened in some way. Being young or old and being accessible to the predator dog will trigger an attack in such a dog.
- Prey smells or looks fearful.
- Prey runs (which is a double trigger, since motion alone can trigger an attack).
Triggers involving painful or noxious stimuli:
- Hitting or kicking a dog.
- Some noises can be noxious to a dog, especially high pitched noises. Could the sound of an infant crying be a noxious sound to a dog?
A dog that was improperly or negatively socialized can be triggered by anything related to the negative socialization:
If he was hurt, the presence of someone resembling the offender can trigger an attack; if hurt by a child or stranger, the presence of a child or stranger may trigger an attack.
A dog trained to attack will attack when a pre-programmed trigger is pulled:
The trainer teaches the dog to respond to the command, which is the trigger. Giving the command is essentially pulling the trigger.
Male hormones in the intact male (un-neutered) dog not only makes him more prone to attack due to dominance, but also makes other “triggers” easier to pull as well. Neutering your dog can greatly reduce his aggressive tendencies. It is better to neuter him young, before he is allowed to breed, and before he has established his adult behavioral patterns. It is better for him to form his behavioral habits and tendencies without the aggression inducing influence of testosterone.
Territorial aggression can be triggered by a person entering or reaching into the dog’s territory:
- The territory is usually dog’s yard, but can be a much larger area if the dog is allowed to leave the yard and mark, leaving glandular secretions of their scent, a larger territory.
- When he is in containment away from his property, he may delineate a small territory, such as the back of a truck, interior of a car or interior of a buggy.
Dominance aggression can be triggered by a challenge to his dominance:
- Staring directly into a dominant dog’s eyes.
- Taking a possession or location from a dominant dog.
- Not giving a dominant dog what he demands, explain that to a toddler with a cookie.
- Taking a dominant position to the dog: such as getting on his back or hugging him around the neck.
Safety on the trigger: Early loving socialization helps put a safety on the trigger. Negative socialization such as the abuse of puppies to make them aggressive, or attacks by people or other dogs can remove the safety.
When a child is reported as attacked or mauled to death by their own family dog, it is particularly disturbing and prompts disputes over the definition of “family dog.” If the puppy was acquired as a young puppy and socialized by the family during the first 16 weeks or so, there is no dispute. At the other end of the spectrum, if the dog belongs to a grown child of the family, was raised and lived elsewhere, and is periodically visiting or introduced into the family as an adult, then the dog may not see himself as a member of the family pack, in fact, technically may not be a family pet.
If parents marry and an adult dog is introduced into the house hold as part of the blending families, again, there is question as to whether the dog is technically the family pet. Whenever an adult dog, raised and socialized elsewhere, is introduced into the household, questions arise as to whether or not he should be considered a family dog. The debate exists because attacks by the family dog are particularly disturbing and highlights the potential danger when introducing an adult dog into the household.
The bottom line is that whenever an adult dog is introduced into a family with small children, whether through adoption from a shelter, blending of families, or an adult child bringing their dog home for the parents to care for it…extreme caution should be exercised where there are unknowns such as: genetic heritage, early socialization, negative life experiences, training and attack history. Just because he shows all appropriate signs of submission to you, the adult, does not mean he can be trusted with the children. See “dominance aggression” and “tips for parents.”
Evaluations and precautions are in order. If the breed(s) of the dog are unknown, your small animal veterinarian can assist by performing a test to identify heritage. He or she can also assist or refer in matters of temperament testing. Attack and bite history knowledge is invaluable in deciding whether he is suitable as a family pet in a family with children, particularly small children. It is unacceptable that predator dogs are re-circulated into families with small children.
Micro chipping dogs would prevent fatal maulings caused by adding a dog with an unknown attack history to a family with children.
Microchipping dogs would prevent fatal maulings caused by adding a dog with an unknown attack history to a family with children.
Knowledge of the breeder and the intended purpose of the dogs he is producing could be found through early microchipping Read more: Mandatory Microchipping.
Attacks by the family dog frequently involve addition of a newborn human into a household with existing dogs: Never leave your infant or toddler alone with your dog, no matter now nice the dog is to you! Dogs have eaten infants alive in the bassinet as well as in infant swings.
A dual-purpose family dog/guard dog is not a good idea. Children visiting the household are particularly at risk.