This story is equal parts devastating and so, so powerful. One of my best friends is a canine handler in the air force and last year she put on the bite sleeve and showed me how the whole process worked. One of the things that took me by surprise was the fact that dogs trained to bite (properly) don't do it out of aggressiveness. They believe the person they bite is "in on the game" because they are encouraged to bite their handlers on command. The dogs believe they're just playing rough. Your story illustrates a perfect example of how that process can go wildly south in the wrong hands just because the owner (and "trainer") have a misperception of how to make a dog bite. It's a shame that the ones who suffer most in these situations are ultimately the blameless. But I suppose that's an excellent metaphor for life. Great, great story, though I didn't expect anything less!
Fuck. This is so hard to read, but I know it happens all too much. I had a lab/pit mix (Sam), the size of a lab, but all muscle and total pit head. Scary MF-er and had been at the shelter the longest, but he was the sweetest most gentle giant. 12 wonderful years with him before he passed. Whether this story is true or not, these dogs definitely are not born this way.
I hate how animal abuse is considered so normal and barely punished and the animal is blamed. Though really people are rarely punished for abuse of humans either, whether children or adults.
This story is equal parts devastating and so, so powerful. One of my best friends is a canine handler in the air force and last year she put on the bite sleeve and showed me how the whole process worked. One of the things that took me by surprise was the fact that dogs trained to bite (properly) don't do it out of aggressiveness. They believe the person they bite is "in on the game" because they are encouraged to bite their handlers on command. The dogs believe they're just playing rough. Your story illustrates a perfect example of how that process can go wildly south in the wrong hands just because the owner (and "trainer") have a misperception of how to make a dog bite. It's a shame that the ones who suffer most in these situations are ultimately the blameless. But I suppose that's an excellent metaphor for life. Great, great story, though I didn't expect anything less!
Fuck. This is so hard to read, but I know it happens all too much. I had a lab/pit mix (Sam), the size of a lab, but all muscle and total pit head. Scary MF-er and had been at the shelter the longest, but he was the sweetest most gentle giant. 12 wonderful years with him before he passed. Whether this story is true or not, these dogs definitely are not born this way.
I hate how animal abuse is considered so normal and barely punished and the animal is blamed. Though really people are rarely punished for abuse of humans either, whether children or adults.