# Hearing to decide fate of sled dog...



## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Hearing over fate of sled dog that attacked child ends in deadlock | Mat-Su | ADN.com


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

That's a tough one.... 

If I understand correctly, the family boards some of their dogs there and they went to pick them up? 

No, I don't believe they should have taken their children. I don't know how dog boarding for sled dogs works, but should they have been there while the homeowner was absent? 

If there are no signs stating children shouldn't be on the premises, stating you cannot pick up dogs if the homeowner is absent, etc. then I don't think the family is in the wrong. 

The dog should have been contained (on his chain?), yes. But regardless, that doesn't excuse such a vicious attack on a child. Especially if the family was their to pick up their dog(s) that they pay to board there monthly.


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## CeCe (Jun 1, 2011)

Interesting story. In my opinion the dog should be put down-it doesn't matter the circumstances because a dog that is capable and willing to injure a person to that extent is too dangerous.


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## OUbrat79 (Jan 21, 2013)

CeCe said:


> Interesting story. In my opinion the dog should be put down-it doesn't matter the circumstances because a dog that is capable and willing to injure a person to that extent is too dangerous.


I agree. 


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## GSD2 (Jan 27, 2012)

Interesting story. I would like to follow up on this story to see what the board decides to do. Those dogs are working dogs, not pets. I was watching a television program a long time ago where a man wanted to purchase property to start up his sled dog program. In the film he looked at some property that was not yet vacant. Those dogs looked mean! I can't imagine taking 3 children and a dog through there! If i had one child and were holding her hand I don't think I'd do that. And then to fall with the baby in the backback, trying to get to that child, oh what a nightmare that must have been, and with a third sibling watching, how awful. I can't even imagine. 

She had permission to be there but I think the owners may have thought no one in their right mind would retrieve there dog through there bringing 3 small children. Poor little girl, how awful.


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## Rangers_mom (May 16, 2013)

When we were visiting Alaska several years ago they had sled dogs tied up in several places that we visited - Denali National Park, our B&B to name a few. At each place they encouraged us (kids included) to walk up to the dogs and pet them. They were all friendly and seemed starved for attention. I was sickened that they all spent their time tied on 5 foot chains. It was very depressing, but not scary. Now granted this was all for the tourists and according to the article native Alaskans must be aware that most sled dogs are dangerous. Still, I could see where the mom would expect all "dangerous" dogs to be properly restrained at all times. I think the dog is too dangerous and should be destroyed.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Tough one. Very tough. But I think that the mother knew not to bring the kids. She said so. That when she worked there she was told not to allow the children out of the van at the other kennel. It was reckless of her to think she could control 3 children under the age of 5 and a dog in that situation. 

That said. This dog is not safe at all. And his confinement was inadequate. 

Both parties are at fault. It's split down the middle for me. 


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

It's the mothers fault. Who in his right mind would bring small kids into a yard with riled up dogs? LEAVE THEM IN THE VAN!


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

PS: these dogs are not like our companion dogs. These are working animals and probably neither of us could handle these dogs the way the musher does. The confinement was just fine and typical for Sledding dogs. Who could have possibly thought that the mother would bring her kids into the yard? These dogs are being kept like that for hundreds and hundreds of years and one mother had the glorious idea to take her kids through a yard with riled up, wild animals... which in itself is mindblowing. 

The mother knew about the risk. If you grow up or live in that area long enough and even told your Nanny not to take the kids to the dog yard, you KNOW the risk!


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## K.Creek (Apr 7, 2013)

gsdsar said:


> Tough one. Very tough. But I think that the mother knew not to bring the kids. She said so. That when she worked there she was told not to allow the children out of the van at the other kennel. It was reckless of her to think she could control 3 children under the age of 5 and a dog in that situation.
> 
> That said. This dog is not safe at all. And his confinement was inadequate.
> 
> ...


I agree. Both parties are at fault. The mother was negligent in 1) bringing 3 small children into a dog yard, 2) not keeping the children at her side.

However, 1) The kennel owner should've reiterated that the children shouldn't be taken into the yard and 2) could've asked the woman to pick up her dogs when they were home to assist/monitor etc. that being said, i don't believe any dog (saying this without knowing how "wild" this dog and other sled dogs are) should be that aggressive. 

I read the article in its entirety but I don't recall whether the little girl was in front or behind her mother. If the child was lagging behind her mother, there are things the child may have done that were not seen. I'm not condoning what happened, just hoping someone can answer that for me, child's location: front or rear of her mother? 



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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

The confinement was not fine. The dog BROKE its chain. The confinement failed. Hence, not fine. 

I know how sled dogs are kept. A dog yard is a bunch of dogs, with dog houses, tethered. I get that. But this dogs chain failed and a child nearly died. 

A 6x12 kennel is fine for containment as well, until the dog scales it and mauls a child. Then it failed. 

But no, the mother made a huge mistake. Huge. She is as much at fault. I just think both parties share responsibility. 


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## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

Another thing that muddies the water for me is that the family was there to pick up dogs they had boarded there? I'm assuming that they are probably the same type of dogs?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Remember the video of the sled dog on a chain playing with a polar bear? Moose, Grizzly Bears, Polar Bears, Sled Dogs, it is a dangerous place for humans that do not respect how powerful animals are.

Huskies have strong prey drives, and often make the list of dangerous dogs. But these dogs are working sled dogs. Working sled dogs can not be kept inside like family pets. They have to spend their lives in the elements. They are a pack animal, and the pack members are other dogs that can be pretty violent. They have to be strong, with tons of energy, and because these are racing dogs, they need lots of drive too. 

I do not think that poor judgement on the part of the mother should cause the owners of the dog to lose their dog. I think we are expecting a lot out of these animals that are not kept as pets. And what purpose will it serve to seek vengence on a dog? Really?

Will that make other racing huskies less dangerous? This was an accident that the equipment failed. If another dog's chain failed it may have done the same or worse. I can understand requiring the kennel owner to enclose the dog yard and padlock the gate, only allowing entrance to people with an owner present. But I do not know that I would order them to kill the dog. What good would that do?

If this was one of my GSDs, I would take it to be euthanized. But this is not a GSD, and it is not a pet.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

These are sled dogs, not companion pets. What that lady did isn't much different than walking her kids down a path of bears on chains. And her kid was 120 feet away from her. That's ridiculously far away for a 2 year old to be. It also kind of sounds like her daughter was behind her as the article says "She ran _back_ to her daughter..."


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I think they are both at fault, but the mother was just stupid. She had her own rule to never let the kids in other yards, that alone would put me on the side of the dog owner. They have to prove negligence and the child is not the one that is negligent. I believe the dog should live and the confinement area for that particular dog should be beefed up as part of the conditions he is not put to sleep. I witnessed a husky biting a vet one time, that dog wasn't playing and the vet had a hole in her hand.


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## Contrary (Jun 12, 2013)

The dog needs to be put to sleep, and the mother needs some parenting lessons in a major way. Having lived in AK for 6 years, I met lots of sled dogs. They're great, but most of them ARE wild, and anyone with a lick of common sense would have known better than to traipse through that dog yard with small children.

That said, this dog now HAS attacked a child...and if allowed to live, WILL be exposed to children in the future. The Iditarod is a BIG DEAL in Alaska, it runs right through towns and TONS of people (INCLUDING children) turn out to watch it. Yes, sleds have brakes, and yes, the dogs are harnessed together, but accidents can and do happen.

I am sorry for the dog that this woman was so stupid, I truly am. I am particularly sorry for her little girl, and her son that had to watch. I am sorry for the dog's owner. But the dog needs to be PTS, because he isn't safe to do his job (run the sled/Iditarod) anymore.


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## HuskyMal89 (May 19, 2013)

First off, I own SLED DOGS-6 of them. Kept in kennels but you see these kennels can be found to have been chewed out of. They can chew through chain link with no problem if there is something they want to get to outside the kennel bad enough. they also can dig out of them if the kennel is not on cement. My Malamutes are kept on logging chain due to the pure brute strength they have.....a 115-130 pound ball of fur and muscle is nothing to mess with. Malamutes and huskies are pack animals as previously stated but they are also very territorial and will not tolerate anyone or thing or animal invading their space just as a human wouldn't. The dog may have reacted to this invasion the same way he/she would've reacted to an invasion of his/her space by another dog. GSDSAR-the confinement is and always will be just chain for most of these dogs for their own safety as they can hurt themselves chewing chain link and by trying to break through the chain link. The mother is totally at fault as most pet huskies are fine with people but racing dogs and sled dogs do not get much interaction with humans for good reason because it affects the dogs mentally. Sled dogs have a pack order which is similar to the wolf...this order is most likely chosen by position on the team in all one breed sled teams. Your alpha is female and is a lead dog with her mate usually the Alpha Male the other lead then the wheel dogs which are the last two pairings in a team and usually the strongest 2-4 dogs in the pack but not the smartest lol. Then the middle 4-6 or more are on the bottom of the pack chain. These huskies are more wild than house pets and are not PETS and shouldn't be punished for a humans lapse in judgement. These are essentially wild dogs when encountered by a stranger but to a musher or fellow musher or someone knowledgable about sled dogs can be great companions and pets. Not a beginner dog breed by any means....especially sled dogs with very high energy and drive in general.


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## HuskyMal89 (May 19, 2013)

Additionally, the wolf cross was never bred out of the Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute and sled dog owners/breeders will occasionally breed with a hybrid or a wolf to have the enhanced endurance and stamina the wolf has. Also, the greater ability to perform on a high level with a diminished calorie intake over longer periods of time than most other dogs. The bad also comes with this as they are increasingly unpredictable and will kill each other to assert pack dominance or to keep it. One of my dogs is missing part of his ear because of this. Most sled dogs are totally fine with people but they are wild animals and part wolf and people tend to forget this.


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## HuskyMal89 (May 19, 2013)

I know a Canadian musher who runs the Iditarod and knows Jake rather well. From how he has talked of Jake he takes great care of his dogs and they are always in top shape and always a force in any race he and Jake have entered. The biggest mistake the mother made was walking her dog through the yard with her children at the same time. Like I said before they are very territorial and will not tolerate outsiders dog or human and the dog the mother had brought with kids most likely stirred up these dogs and really got the adrenaline going.....Again, mother is totally at fault and I personally think deedee or Kelly should've been able to testify. Not surprised Jake didn't have a kennel license though because most mushers up there don't. Even if it is against the law...most use their near celeb status to avoid having to get one.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

I get the thing about the way they are confined. I don't have any problem with it. Sorry if I gave the impression that I did. 

My point was that the confinement failed. Plain and simple. If the chain had not broken the child would not have been injured. 

I still don't think the child should have been there. Mom was in the wrong. But the chain still failed. 


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## HuskyMal89 (May 19, 2013)

I agree with you gsdsar, a stronger and thicker gauge chain and better clip is needed to keep him contained.....if he is allowed to live.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

The dog should be allowed to live. 
The article says if they do allow the dog to live, the owners would be allowed to blame the victims. I don't agree with blaming the victims but I fully agree to take responsibility for your own actions. 

This was stupid on every level. 
She lives in this area. She has sled dogs herself, she told the nanny not to take the kids into the sled dog yard. She KNEW the risk. 

Yeah, the chain broke. Nobody could have known it would break. However, you just don't take a 2 year old into a yard full of dogs and THAN have the kid not even close by your side. 

She was negligent. She knows it too. She is probably angry and wants to blame everyone else but herself but the matter of the fact is, it was HER fault.


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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Syaoransbear said:


> These are sled dogs, not companion pets. What that lady did isn't much different than walking her kids down a path of bears on chains. And her kid was 120 feet away from her. That's ridiculously far away for a 2 year old to be. It also kind of sounds like her daughter was behind her as the article says "She ran _back_ to her daughter..."


I went dog sledding once and my co-worker said his brother did it and the dogs all got in a fight. I said that was probably a pretty rare occurrence. Guess what happened on my sledding trip?? :laugh:

They are pretty intense dogs, the sled dogs and not ones to be trifled with.


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

selzer said:


> Remember the video of the sled dog on a chain playing with a polar bear? Moose, Grizzly Bears, Polar Bears, Sled Dogs, it is a dangerous place for humans that do not respect how powerful animals are.
> 
> Huskies have strong prey drives, and often make the list of dangerous dogs. But these dogs are working sled dogs. Working sled dogs can not be kept inside like family pets. They have to spend their lives in the elements. They are a pack animal, and the pack members are other dogs that can be pretty violent. They have to be strong, with tons of energy, and because these are racing dogs, they need lots of drive too.
> 
> ...


Sue, as usual I agree 110%.


This is NOT aggression on the part of the dog, it is unrestrained prey drive. These are essentially WILD animals, who are not taught impulse control. They are also heavily under the influence of pack mentality. This is how sled dog yards operate. 

There are a LOT of sled dogs in AK who are used for tourism purposes...the ones you see at Denali, etc. These are essentially household pets, who are trained and socialized. Very, very, very different animal. 

The owner testified that he couldn't even imagine why the mother would have brought her children, when the MOTHER had expressly forbidden his wife (the kid's former nanny) from EVER bringing the kids to other dog yards. 

The fact that the mother keeps dogs there should make her WELL aware of the mentality of dogs in these environments. People need to stop looking at this as a "pet" dog who is behaving aggressively.

Who is to say if this dog is an Iditarod dog? He might not be, and there may never, ever be a time in that dog's life when he is out of control of the owner around children.


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## HuskyMal89 (May 19, 2013)

I agree with you Mrs. K. Mother was very negligent and knew better! That fact should spare the dogs life. Sled dogs are essentially watered down wolves and should be treated with the respect their appearance and actions deserve. Blackshep-that happens all the time lol. I run against mushers that have had dogs killed by their own dogs. I have been fortunate to have not lost a dog but they do fight sometimes. They are very intense...think of the best Schh dogs and police K9s and how high drive they are and how intense they get when they work....Sled dogs equal or surpass that intensity when working or training on a daily basis. The pack mentality they keep and that is encouraged is a big catalyst to the intensity and drive they have.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Ever been kicked by a horse? Doesn't feel good. If a baby was kicked in the head by a horse it might die. If a mother was 120 feet away from her kid in the paddock area of a racing stable and a child wandered behind a race horse and got itself kicked in the head, permanent brain damage or worse, would you blame the race horse and euthanize it? 

Dogs are considered an attractive nuisance. Cujo snapped a couple of times in his seven years. One of them was at a two year old that jumped on him. The boy, his mother tells us, does this all the time to his own dog. Cujo did not connect and could have, but the point is, babies, toddlers will be attracted to dogs, especially if they have a dog. A toddler might walk right up to a chained, crazy dog. And talk about unpredictable. Dogs are ALL 100% more predictable then children all the way down to toddlers. "Why, why did you do that??? What were you thinking???" Who hasn't said that or thought that in relation to children. All of us can have pretty good theories on why the dog did that -- _that _was predictable. 

The crocodile hunter had children services screaming for some type of child endangerment charge when he was dangling his two year old around some crock. This woman ought to be charged with child endangerment for walking through a dog yard not paying close attention to her baby, and not being close enough to prevent the child from getting tangled up with a dog even if it _was _securely chained. 

It was horriffic, and I feel for the child. And I really don't feel like any dog or dog's life is more important than a child, but I do not see anything positive coming out of euthanizing this dog. If it was a GSD or Pit Bull or Rottweiler, then it would have its wires crossed, and it would be necessary to prevent it from ever harming another child, or procreating. 

People have to use some amount of common sense when raising kids. The mother failed her child, but she has a been given grace and her child is alive. The real victim here is the child, the children. Killing the dog won't help them.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

selzer said:


> *Ever been kicked by a horse? Doesn't feel good. If a baby was kicked in the head by a horse it might die. If a mother was 120 feet away from her kid in the paddock area of a racing stable and a child wandered behind a race horse and got itself kicked in the head, permanent brain damage or worse, would you blame the race horse and euthanize it?
> *
> Dogs are considered an attractive nuisance. Cujo snapped a couple of times in his seven years. One of them was at a two year old that jumped on him. The boy, his mother tells us, does this all the time to his own dog. Cujo did not connect and could have, but the point is, babies, toddlers will be attracted to dogs, especially if they have a dog. A toddler might walk right up to a chained, crazy dog. And talk about unpredictable. Dogs are ALL 100% more predictable then children all the way down to toddlers. "Why, why did you do that??? What were you thinking???" Who hasn't said that or thought that in relation to children. All of us can have pretty good theories on why the dog did that -- _that _was predictable.
> 
> ...


Not just race horses, ANY horse!

Growing up with horses, you have no idea how many times we heard "DO NOT WALK BY THE HORSE LIKE THAT." 

"THINK BEFORE YOU WALK BY A HORSE!" 

"ALWAYS COME FROM THE SIDE, NEVER FROM BEHIND!" 

Sheesh, it was like a record, run on a daily basis and it became muscle memory and every new child that is coming to the stable, learns the same thing. 

The same ought to be for dogs! Make it MUSCLE MEMORY!

And yes, I've been kicked, thrown off, bucked off horses and always went straight back up. Never broke a bone. My sisters did, I never did and I went straight through a solid fence. I also once fell off a walking horse (not trotting or canter) because I didn't pay attention, that was hilarious though.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Mrs. K, you did not fall off the horse at a walk, it was an unplanned flying dismount. 

True though, safety rules were pounded into our heads at pony club and 4-H.

Over and over and over.....


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

My actual contact with horses was a six week set of riding lessons, and my mom got me to about four of them, when I was 10. But years before when I was about six, my father and I were on a farm -- we lived in the city then, but for some reason we were on this farm where friends or relatives were living. A girl maybe a year or so older than me ran up and I did not even see what she did, but her father hauled off and gave her the worst tongue lashing I have ever heard -- and my mom could have won championships if swearing and tongue lashing were a competition event. Anyhow, she had walked behind the horse, and her father literally drummed that into my head for certain. 

But we are talking about a 1200+ pound animal. If it let fly with its heels it can do serious damage that could kill a dog and probably the right human if it hit it right. A person leading a horse in one direction may not see a kid come wondering up in another direction if we are talking about a two year old. Who's fault would that be. 

Parents NEED to respect animals. If we get our dog kicked by a horse, are we going to be mad the horse, or the owner of the horse or are we going to beat ourselves up about it? Why is it that no one can take responsibility when something happens these days? I watch little kids. I know what they are capable of, and I also understand how they are not capable of being safe 100% of the time, making good decisions all the time -- that's why they are given parents. Parents have to watch out for their toddlers, babies, and small children 100% of the time, or put them in another RESPONSIBLE Adult's care.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Tragic all the way around but I think the dog should live, even tho I don't condone what it did, the mother is at fault.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Gwenhwyfair said:


> Mrs. K, you did not fall off the horse at a walk, it was an unplanned flying dismount.
> 
> True though, safety rules were pounded into our heads at pony club and 4-H.
> 
> Over and over and over.....


LOL. 

I got my first pony when I was three years old. Sonja. A Shetland Pony, once I got to big for Sonja, I got Georgy Boy a Welsh. He was not an easy pony. He even bucked my Dad off and my Dad was not only a magnificent dog handler but also a great horseman. He rode with Olympic Gold Medal winners and could have gone as far as he wanted but he was more interested in the dogs and you can only concentrate on one thing if you want to do it right. 
(I should heed that, actually... I'm more of a jack of all trades LOL)
Anyhow a Welsh Pony bucked off my dad... so Georgy Boy only stayed a couple of years. We also had Windsor half Haflinger/Arabian. Wonderful horse and than came Nancy a "German Pony". After Nancy I had Top Magic and Tiffany (both Oldenburger Horses) (All three, Nancy, Top and Tiffany retired at home and died at home too). Than I quit English and started Wester and I got Vandy (Bar Vandy None a beautiful Palomino Quarter Horse)

I have ridden many different horses. Like my sisters I was very talented but I was never as competitive as my sisters. We had the best training you can possibly think off. I have not ridden a horse for 16 years though and I'd have a little brushing up to do but believe me, I know every rule I have ever learned, my mom even trusted me to take over instructing the Kids when I lived with them for a month before we PCS'ed. I know my way around horses and dogs and I am forever thankful for that. 

We were taught responsibility and anytime we screwed up, not ever was one of the horses or dogs blamed. It was us. We screwed up, we took responsibility for our own actions. We also had to muck the stables of our horses and if I didn't behave I also had to muck the stables of our customers. A 15 year old mucking over 20 stables and not getting to go to Martial Art Training, that was more punishment than any "go to your room and no TV" could have ever been. 

Oh, and we never had any time to get in trouble with drugs, alcohol or police unlike a lot of classmates.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Mrs.K said:


> LOL.
> 
> 
> 
> We were taught responsibility and anytime we screwed up, not ever was one of the horses or dogs blamed. It was us. We screwed up, we took responsibility for our own actions.


We didn't have horses, but we always got blamed growing up to. If the dog did something to us, my mom wanted to know what we did to the dog first. I kinda grew up with the same mentality. It must work because I never had an issue with my son with any of the dogs either.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Oh my gosh, well I am not too far from the same tree as you! It's in the blood I tell you. 

Opa on my father's side, big time into dogs, German Shepherds. My uncle was very involved in Schutzhund for many, many years.

Opa on my mom's side, horses, big time into horses. Mostly Holsteiners, which he used both for jumping and to pull carts, matched greys he usually had. He only jumped though, no dressage. He competed in his riding club pre WWII and then quit but that's a story to be shared over Tasse Kaffee. (if you ever come down GA way, let me know!)

So I started with the horses but always have had a love for German Shepherds, didn't realize why until digging through some old family photo albums. 

I was raised with similar sensibilities and did not get in big trouble growing up either, too busy with the animals. 




Mrs.K said:


> LOL.
> 
> I got my first pony when I was three years old. Sonja. A Shetland Pony, once I got to big for Sonja, I got Georgy Boy a Welsh. He was not an easy pony. He even bucked my Dad off and my Dad was not only a magnificent dog handler but also a great horseman. He rode with Olympic Gold Medal winners and could have gone as far as he wanted but he was more interested in the dogs and you can only concentrate on one thing if you want to do it right.
> (I should heed that, actually... I'm more of a jack of all trades LOL)
> ...


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

btw- On topic (sorry OP)...

I haven't commented on this because I didn't know that sled dogs were as described in this thread. I have had a greyhound that was a rescued ex-racer and they too are a racing breed but they are also bred to not be extremely human or dog aggressive. It was explained to me that the breeders who race the dogs don't want them wasting time or energy on unwanted behavior. They run together on the track and even though muzzled they do not want them stopping to fight or being distracted and going after a track worker/handler. They can't win races that way.

So I had assumed racing sled dogs would be similar since the goals are the same, speed in a race?


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

I'm not sure if track racing and sled dogs can be compared at all.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Yeah, it's very big in my family as well. Everyone is involved with Horses and it's deep in our blood. Most horse people make very good dog people too. 



Gwenhwyfair said:


> Oh my gosh, well I am not too far from the same tree as you! It's in the blood I tell you.
> 
> Opa on my father's side, big time into dogs, German Shepherds. My uncle was very involved in Schutzhund for many, many years.
> 
> ...


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Gwenhwyfair said:


> btw- On topic (sorry OP)...
> 
> I haven't commented on this because I didn't know that sled dogs were as described in this thread. I have had a greyhound that was a rescued ex-racer and they too are a racing breed but they are also bred to not be extremely human or dog aggressive. It was explained to me that the breeders who race the dogs don't want them wasting time or energy on unwanted behavior. They run together on the track and even though muzzled they do not want them stopping to fight or being distracted and going after a track worker/handler. They can't win races that way.
> 
> So I had assumed racing sled dogs would be similar since the goals are the same, speed in a race?


I think that northern breeds, are powerful, need to live on small rations (because they had to be able to pull the dog food necessary for weeks out in the wild), they have to be able to manage the harshest conditions: -40, -50 degree temperatures, constantly. And I think it makes sense for them to be bred back occasionally to native wolves to take on those very characteristics required. They do guard their pack and camps. 

Greyhounds are sight hounds -- never bred to be any type of guard dog. It is totally apples to oranges. 

Breeding out human aggressiveness in these dogs is lower on the priority list than muscle, drive, fight, survival, etc.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

another big difference between the greyhounds and the sled dogs is that a racing greyhound will be off leash in close quarters with strange dogs while on the track. While a sled dog will be racing against other teams, the dogs are harnessed and contained away from the other dogs.

I've been torn on this. But, in the end I really don't see the dog being at fault. The woman RAISES these dogs. She has visited this yard before and knows what these dogs are like. She even warned her nanny to never ever let the kids out of the car while visiting a different dog yard. 

I don't know what she was thinking, even if it WASN'T a sled dog yard who in their right mind would want to be handling a dog, a baby in a backpack plus 2 small children while walking through a kennel full of dogs. Even at your typical boarding facility, Anywhere USA, that would be a lot to handle. Add in that these dogs are chained, not in kennels, and that the 2 children are lagging behind mom and out of her line of sight equals an even bigger "what were you thinking??" 
I would agree that tougher steps need to be taken to insure that the dogs don't get loose. And perhaps they should never let anyone enter the facility without the owners there, not even the owners of a dog they are boarding. 

I'm still torn on whether the dog should be put down. He is merely a product of his own upbringing. If he were to get loose, would he attack another child? Is there any way to insure that he will never get loose?


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

O.K. interesting info about the sled dogs guys. 

I've never been around the sled dogs that are used for racing, huskies and some malamutes (conformation show and pet) but not racing sled dogs. 

Thanks for the info!


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Musher wants dog that attacked child put down by family vet | Mat-Su | ADN.com


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## redandgold (Jul 2, 2013)

llombardo said:


> We didn't have horses, but we always got blamed growing up to. If the dog did something to us, my mom wanted to know what we did to the dog first. I kinda grew up with the same mentality. It must work because I never had an issue with my son with any of the dogs either.


Sounds like a good mom! It nearly always is human fault.

I wouldn't want the dog to be put down. It is mightily unfair to kill a dog for something a human did wrong.


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## Contrary (Jun 12, 2013)

I applaud the owner's decision, and I am so sorry for him that he had to make it.



> Her attorney *[the mother who caused this to happen!]*, Mike Patterson, would not say if the family plans to file a civil lawsuit related to the attack.


This almost made me throw up. If anything, the dog owner should sue HER. Her child is permanently injured because of HER stupidity, NOT the dog owner's.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

People are idiots.....and it is too easy to sue instead of taking responsibility for their own stupidity!

RIP Wizard.... :rip: 

Lee


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I hate when animals have to pay the ultimate price for human error  I honestly think it was for the best, even if he was allowed to live the stigma would have been awful for him and his owner. Noone wants to live with a dark cloud over their heads for the rest of their life. I just hope that the death will be enough for the family and there won't be any civil suit or the likes

At least Wizard is free and he was able to be surrounded by his family at the end. RIP Wizard


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I feel bad for the kid and for the dog. Kids and dogs need responsible adults to protect them and keep them safe. I understand why the dog owner is letting them euthanize his dog at this point. Months in a very restrictive environment for a high energy, high drive, pack-oriented critter is really hard. 

If anyone should be sued though, the mother of the child ought to be sued on behalf of her child, and on behalf of the dog. Where is Child-Protective-Services??? There ARE laws about putting children into very risky situations.


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