ArkRescue
Adopt me please !
This story really hits the nail on the head about how careful we need to be with dogs and small children. I've always had big breeds and I know how wonderful they can be. It's so sad the child died.
Astoria-area mauling death shows how instincts can change dogs from
friendly to ferocious
Astoria-area mauling death shows how instincts can change dogs from friendly to ferocious | OregonLive.com
By Lori Tobias, The Oregonian
March 03, 2010, 7:56PM
A tragic event in Clatsop County has many dog owners wondering how a
trusted friend suddenly turns into a killer.
Animal behaviorists say it's really no mystery but rather instincts,
and virtually every dog has them. But when those predatory behaviors
are exhibited by the larger, more powerful breeds, such as Rottweilers
or pit bulls, serious injury or even death can occur.
That cruel fact was brought home Sunday to a family in Svensen, near
Astoria, when 4-year-old Ashlynn Anderson was mauled to death by one
of the family's Rottweilers.
Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin said Ashlynn was playing in the
front yard of the family's rural home about 1 p.m. and two Rottweilers
were in a separate area divided from Ashlynn by a 4-foot fence.
But when Ashlynn's mother, D'ette Browning, looked out to check on her
daughter, she saw the girl on the ground and one of the dogs standing
nearby. Ashlynn's stepfather, Jesse Browning, called 9-1-1, and medics
responded quickly, Bergin said. But it was too late. A helicopter
rushed Ashlynn to OHSU Hospital in Portland, but she was pronounced
dead on arrival.
No one may ever know exactly what happened, but animal behaviorists
say it is likely something triggered the dog's prey drive. It's the
same drive found in all canids, such as foxes and wolves, said Heather
Toland, director of the DoveLewis Animal Assisted Therapy and
Education Program.
"They scan, they alert, they target, they chase, they grab, they might
shake, they kill and they dissect," Toland said. "A 4-year-old child
moves and looks a lot like prey, and dogs are first and foremost
predators. When a 4-year-old squeals, in delight to us, to the dog
that may sound like an injured rabbit, as it's running around flailing
its arms and legs."
But it also may have been nothing the child did and any number of
triggers in the environment, said Tanya Roberts, Training and Behavior
Department manager at the Oregon Humane Society. The dog might have
become excited by a squirrel or by the other Rottweiler. It might have
simply smelled something or seen someone passing the home.
"It's very, very common," said Roberts. "It's why dogs chase balls,
kids on bicycles. It's just something that dogs do.
"We have to respect that it is something they do and put in safety
perimeters for children. I don't think it is a good idea to leave
young kids and animals in the home unattended. Guards go down; you
think everything is fine. You don't know what the environment is going
to do. It only takes a second for something to happen."
And when it involves a large, powerful dog, such as a Rottweiler, the
ending is potentially tragic.
That's one of the reasons Rottweilers are often labeled as dangerous
or aggressive. But in fact, they really are no different from other
dogs, said Toland. What can be different, however, is breeding and
training.
"I've had a fabulous Rottweiler in my therapy program," she said, but
"any dog can be ill bred."
"There is a lot to be said about careful breeding, not breeding for
looks but for temperament."
Training from a young age is also key, as is early socialization,
adequate exercise and attention.
Dog owners also need to remember that not every dog can be in every
situation successfully, said Jacqui Neilson, veterinarian and
board-certified veterinary behaviorist.
"All animals come with some risks," Neilson said. "When you know there
are certain situations your dog is not good in, you may need to take
steps to avoid those situations or manage those situations so he can't
put others at risk.
"Some of the nicest dogs I've ever met are Rotties. You can't take a
broad brush and paint it. But you do have to be more careful with
large breed dogs just because they can inflict more damage."
-- Lori Tobias
Astoria-area mauling death shows how instincts can change dogs from
friendly to ferocious
Astoria-area mauling death shows how instincts can change dogs from friendly to ferocious | OregonLive.com
By Lori Tobias, The Oregonian
March 03, 2010, 7:56PM
A tragic event in Clatsop County has many dog owners wondering how a
trusted friend suddenly turns into a killer.
Animal behaviorists say it's really no mystery but rather instincts,
and virtually every dog has them. But when those predatory behaviors
are exhibited by the larger, more powerful breeds, such as Rottweilers
or pit bulls, serious injury or even death can occur.
That cruel fact was brought home Sunday to a family in Svensen, near
Astoria, when 4-year-old Ashlynn Anderson was mauled to death by one
of the family's Rottweilers.
Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin said Ashlynn was playing in the
front yard of the family's rural home about 1 p.m. and two Rottweilers
were in a separate area divided from Ashlynn by a 4-foot fence.
But when Ashlynn's mother, D'ette Browning, looked out to check on her
daughter, she saw the girl on the ground and one of the dogs standing
nearby. Ashlynn's stepfather, Jesse Browning, called 9-1-1, and medics
responded quickly, Bergin said. But it was too late. A helicopter
rushed Ashlynn to OHSU Hospital in Portland, but she was pronounced
dead on arrival.
No one may ever know exactly what happened, but animal behaviorists
say it is likely something triggered the dog's prey drive. It's the
same drive found in all canids, such as foxes and wolves, said Heather
Toland, director of the DoveLewis Animal Assisted Therapy and
Education Program.
"They scan, they alert, they target, they chase, they grab, they might
shake, they kill and they dissect," Toland said. "A 4-year-old child
moves and looks a lot like prey, and dogs are first and foremost
predators. When a 4-year-old squeals, in delight to us, to the dog
that may sound like an injured rabbit, as it's running around flailing
its arms and legs."
But it also may have been nothing the child did and any number of
triggers in the environment, said Tanya Roberts, Training and Behavior
Department manager at the Oregon Humane Society. The dog might have
become excited by a squirrel or by the other Rottweiler. It might have
simply smelled something or seen someone passing the home.
"It's very, very common," said Roberts. "It's why dogs chase balls,
kids on bicycles. It's just something that dogs do.
"We have to respect that it is something they do and put in safety
perimeters for children. I don't think it is a good idea to leave
young kids and animals in the home unattended. Guards go down; you
think everything is fine. You don't know what the environment is going
to do. It only takes a second for something to happen."
And when it involves a large, powerful dog, such as a Rottweiler, the
ending is potentially tragic.
That's one of the reasons Rottweilers are often labeled as dangerous
or aggressive. But in fact, they really are no different from other
dogs, said Toland. What can be different, however, is breeding and
training.
"I've had a fabulous Rottweiler in my therapy program," she said, but
"any dog can be ill bred."
"There is a lot to be said about careful breeding, not breeding for
looks but for temperament."
Training from a young age is also key, as is early socialization,
adequate exercise and attention.
Dog owners also need to remember that not every dog can be in every
situation successfully, said Jacqui Neilson, veterinarian and
board-certified veterinary behaviorist.
"All animals come with some risks," Neilson said. "When you know there
are certain situations your dog is not good in, you may need to take
steps to avoid those situations or manage those situations so he can't
put others at risk.
"Some of the nicest dogs I've ever met are Rotties. You can't take a
broad brush and paint it. But you do have to be more careful with
large breed dogs just because they can inflict more damage."
-- Lori Tobias
