I am going to weigh in on this subject.
I have to say that the RCMP seems to be taking this seriously. They have increased the security of the kennels the dogs are in immediatly following the incident by adding a secondary lock to them.
They are investigating the occurance.
The incident is being looked at by the areas highest ranking official and the dog is being re-evaluated for temperment and character.
The why did the kid get bitten question?? On the surface easy. The dog chases stuff including people (encouraged to folks) The dog is trained to hold on once it has bitten someone.
The number of stitches probably would have been reduced if people wouldn't of beaten the dog up.
To disparage this dog for biting after he is trained to do so is a sad state of affairs. They are way too simple to evaluate the circumstances.
Rake the handler over the coals?
His/her involvement was a failed latch on two gates after a windstorm???
Typical....find someone to blame, easier than saying that this truly was an accident and that foreseeing it was the responsibility of the handler. Maybe we should also blame his/her immdiate supervisor for not checking up on the handler's kennel and yard latching system.
Or maybe the administration should be blamed for not putting into place a policy for the immediate supervisor to do so on a post wind storm basis.

It really sucks that a boy was bitten. I would not wish that on any child. I know my stomach would turn. I also know that i have had dogs that if they weren't under supervision that just such a thing could occur. That is why my kennels have a latch and a chain and i have a secure fence around the kennels that also has a latch and a chain and another fence around the whole yard that is latched and chained.

Yet, several years ago I had a dog escape from my yard and got hit by a truck; a workman had left the gate ajar.
I still feel awful for that animal. I should have checked the gate before I let the dog out of the kennel into the excersise yard. A stupid oversight. Worthy of some serious investigation...no.
Way too simple of a issue for that.

Nicely stated Kevin. I have to agree wholeheartedly.

Michele, I took your "PS" as a friendly poke at me and not a direct inslut.. hope I was right to do so. I did understand your wording of some-one and did not mean to imply, but my own words, that Americans are all "gun toters", so to speak. In fact I beleive quite the oposite! Anyhow, I hope to make friends here not the "E" word so if I was insulting or degrading in my comment I appologize to you and anyone else who may have been hurt by that, but I still stand by my opinions regarding the real topic of discussion. Didn't mean to take this so far off topic...

Looks like professionalism and cooler heads prevailed. Good for the RCMP.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=5788420f-77a6-4577-aa8f-c3b952f05038&k=65550

I'd like to clear up what I said so that I'm not misunderstood in my questioning.

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I think because this dog was "removed" from the boy in the manner it was... saved the boy from further trama.

I'd like to disagree with that and will explain what I mean a bit later.

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I don't understand what your saying John, you think the dog should have been calmed down, then pleeded with to let go of the child from complete strangers? I don't see your reasoning.

Not at all! The dog was calm by the account given.

The bottom line is that people reacted very badly IMO to a situation that required calm and clearheaded thought (something that is demanded of dogs doing work) for the boys sake more than anything else. Panic form adults, would I assume, panic the boy even more than he already would have been. How much additional trauma, mental and physical, may have been caused by this reaction?

Can you imaging being a young child with a dog hanging onto your arm and "frenzied" adults shouting, screaming, beating and clearly not in control of the situation, when what you really want to see is someone who knows EXACTLY what is happening and going to happen and can calm you down a bit? I know which I'd prefer in the same shoes!

This quote from Kevin highlights perfectly what I was getting at.

 Quote: Kevin Sheldahl

The number of stitches probably would have been reduced if people wouldn't of beaten the dog up.

Also Bradley mentioned dealing with the dog more efficiently which I also agree with, but maybe not with the severity Bradley may have been suggesting (sorry if I got that wrong Bradley).

I know it's very easy for us to sit here and speculate as to what should have been done in any of the circumstances leading up to this horrible accident, and, what could or should have been done to better remove the dog. I know I most likely would have reacted badly as well and done something very similar to what was done, but that's NOT how it should be dealt with IMO.

We weren't there, and the best we can do is remember this and learn from it, which was the whole point of my original question which still stands!

Q - Is there a better way to remove a dog in this situation other than beating it to death? I'm talking about quick, effective, non leathal techniques, or if there are none then lethal techniques will do.

John

I have no idea about police dogs or personal protection dogs, I have learned from people that deal with Pit Bulls that when they are latched onto something an effective way to get them to release is to put your fingers under their collar and twist to cut off the air supply, thoerizing that at some point air will become a priority and release. I have been told by people that have experience with PBs that this is effective because the odds are the dog will not redirect....I would be interested to know what techniques could be used for a GSD, Mal in this instance as well. I wonder if lifting the dogs legs from behind and then rotating them in the air like Eds video shows for separating two dogs would be effective here. A dog that won't out might just hold on...interesting question...what should one do?

I am glad to see that the dog will not be put down. However, there was one thing about the "conclusion" article that heightened my attention:

"Lemaitre said the dog was reacting in a way he was trained to do with the child that is, clamping on to his arm and not letting go and was not "mauling" him."

Ok. Understood that the dog was trained to bite down. However, how was the dog doing what he was trained to do by charging and biting a kid without a command to do so?

It would have been nice if they could have addressed the natural prey drive *somehow*. That part of the article just jumps out at me...the (yes AND no) part that the dog was doing what he was trained to do...JMHO.

valerie: i'd also been told the one about umm.. shall we say "digital back-door entry".. *ahem*. i have no idea as to it's validity, but as i'd heard the same thing you did i would probably try the "choking" idea first too.

 Quote: jamie fraser

valerie: i'd also been told the one about umm.. shall we say "digital back-door entry".. *ahem*. i have no idea as to it's validity, but as i'd heard the same thing you did i would probably try the "choking" idea first too.

OK this makes me giggle...first I had never heard about the "digital back-door entry"...but mostly because I have my male, APBT and (here is the funny part) he has lets say a rather "large" back door hahahaha, I just have these visions of being engulfed ...hee hee. My female is an Am Staff and a very tiny "back door". Sorry I wonder if that is an effective method, but the idea of it is a funny visual.

well i must say, if i were busy doing something that had all my attention and someone did it to me, i'm pretty certain my reaction would be to quit whatever it is i was doing... i was just curious as to whether it actually works on pits or not.

if it's all the same though, i think twisting the collar would keep your fingers cleaner.