When a Male Dog in Kill Mode Attacks

This...

...becomes this in 18 months.

Yesterday I read about the tragic deaths of two Tennessee children mauled by their family's two pit bulls. Here's advice which I saw put into action at the yearling barn one hot summer day in Louisiana years ago. This one action will save lives when in an instant your pet dog turns into a killer.

Most people have no idea how to handle dogs. They see a cute puppy wag its tail while rolling over to have its belly scratched and think, "O-o-o-h! So adorable! Gotta have it for the kids!" They know nothing about housebreaking a dog, feeding, grooming or "what causes that dog to growl at my child all the time?" Sadly, the number one main lesson they don't know to teach their children is to never invade a dog's space when it's eating. That food lying on the floor in the bowl that says "Fido" is its prey, albeit handed to it from a can by a person.

Inflicting Greater Pain

"Look, Mommy. He's smiling."

Have you ever seen a dog fight? Not an illegal dog fight in a ring with betting. I mean a real honest to goodness fight to the death between two male dogs that have happened upon each other by accident in a normal setting? I have and it's horrifying, but I saw with my own eyes a hero step in and stop it instantaneously. Snap! And it was over. Just that fast. The dog on top, his teeth already sunk into the other dog's throat slowly killing him, leaped off his victim yowling in pain.

It happened at a Thoroughbred training barn where grooms, riders, owners, trainers were free to bring their dogs while milling around the barn talking horse talk and watching daily workouts. One of the exercise riders had a German Shepherd and another person had a pit bull. Both dogs were full males. The German Shepherd was frequently at the barn since his owner worked there. The pit bull's owner was visiting and brought his dog along. I'm not certain he meant to let his dog out of the truck but suddenly there the dog was zigzagging around the courtyard intently sniffing the ground.