crime

Owner of dog that mauled 90-year-old woman to death jailed for 14 months

59 Comments

The Yamanashi District Court on Thursday sentenced a man to 14 months in prison for not properly controlling his dog that mauled a 90-year-old woman to death in Fuefuki on May 1, 2012.

The court heard that the woman, Masaru Kobayashi, was talking with a friend on the sidewalk at about 2:30 p.m. when the 2-year-old Tosa dog, which was being walked by its owner, Shiro Nakazawa, slipped out of its collar, NTV reported.

Prosecutors said that the dog had not been properly attached to its leash at the time of the attack. A witness said the dog jumped at Kobayashi's neck before its owner could restrain it. Kobayashi was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The court heard that police had received complaints in the past about the dog from local residents, NTV reported. The dog is one of three kept by Nakazawa.

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my chihuahua refuses to attack even though i tell her to pounce... :(

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not all dogs are dangerous, regardless of breed. Statistics.... blah, at the moment, statistically speaking Syrians are dangerous people! Look at how their leader treats his people. How Syrians attack Syrians and are destroying their homes and killing innocent people.

Should I go on? Humans are like a Virus on the planet, You know what we do to Viruses...should we do the same to humans?

For goodness sake, not all dogs are the same! It depends on how they are raised, trained, treated, etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Bottom line is why would you want a tosa or Pit Bull? Not really the choice of a family with small children surely. And as for the line that pit bulls are OK around children - so why do we regularly hear stories of pit bulls, who never attacked before, mauling children?

Because they cause more extensive injuries not because they attack more often. I'm willing to bet on a per capita basis more children are mauled by a Chihuahuas but because the injuries are not as extensive as a pit-bull they are not reported in the news.

No dog is a choice for a family with small children period. All dogs go by a pack hierarchy and all dogs have a tendency to interpret small children behavior as a form of dominance behavior that challenges the pet dog position in that hierarchy and so will respond by challenging that dominance and that usually is done in the animal world, including humans. through violence. You as the pack leader have the responsibility to make sure the dog understands that it is at the very bottom of the hierarchy at all times.

These are dogs wired to attack and kill

All dogs are wired that way because they all eat meat. Name a single dog species that is vegetarian.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Before keeping a dog as a pet,we have to know how dangerous to keep a large dog. It is a loyal pet in front of it's owner and it is a beast in front of others.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

A dog cannot slip out of a properly fitted suitable collar.

Fourteen months is too short of a sentence, and the laws need to be enhanced to further deter laxity in such dog owners.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Bura that's the stupidest reasoning or comment I ever heard of. With proper training all dogs can be loyal obedient trustworthy. Again proper training. Police forces in the USA and other parts of the world use Am Staf's for a variety of services including drug searching at airports. They were bred to be family dogs that watched over children. What about poodles ?? They can be vicious ankle biters should we get rid of all of them as well ?? There are even more people out there with nasty dispositions ....should we get rid of all of them too??

Dogs are what the owners make of them. The responsibility is on the owner if he has a particular breed of dog with tendencies to be nasty to properly train and discipline his pet.

What they should do when you get a permit or apply for one with these type of dogs is force the owner to take a course on how to raise and control his pet, with a follow up on obedience training ..each dog has his/her own personality/trait that needs to be understood properly.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@gaijintraveller

It's not a question of "who makes the rules" - have you never heard the expression "It's the exception that makes the rule" ? There are NO exceptions to a "law", but we're talking about "exceptions"...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I know a guy who owns a Tosa. It is properly trained, loves people and will not attack a human. Anything else is fair game.

There is no way to guarantee that ANY dog will not attack a human. Yes training is number one, but even the best trained dogs on occasion will attack a human for one reason or another. It's a matter of lowering the risks and keep one's animals on a lease as well.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What a terrifying way to go. This poor lady had survived 90 years in this world full of challenge, only to be taken by a dog. I used to breed cattle dogs in Australia. It was my job to walk and train 16 dogs a day. These dogs are beautiful animals but they need a lot of attention and have to respect humans. I can honestly say this owner, of this tosa must have not brought it up and looked after it enough for it to randomly attack someone. If he had, it would have stopped when he commanded it, and also it would have not even pulled loose.

R.I.P to the poor lady that lost her life.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Your local city, or neighborhood. My neighborhood has a strict leash policy. It's when people ignore it that we have trouble.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

FightingViking, in reference to having to keep a dog on a leash, you say, 'From what I heard (from the police) it's not a law, it's a "rule".' Who makes the rules? Is there any penalty for breaking a rule? Are we legally obliged to obey them? Obviously, we are not talking about something like school rules, so I would love to know what the difference is.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Francis Yes, plenty of other animals can kill but we are talking about pets here, not crocodiles or polar bears. I think I can remember one man who was killed by his pet reticulated python, but to say he was asking for trouble is an understatement. Yes, a chihuahua can bite and a cat can scratch ( as pointed out, they should never be left alone with children ) but they usually don't kill by clamping their jaws around someone's throat.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

A chihuahua could cause a lot of damage to a young child if provoked. Any dog can turn if teased and mentally abused. I wouldn't want to put my naked forearm out to an angry cat. Would you?

Better an angry cat than an angry pit bull.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Yeah, those fatal chihuahua attacks are off the chart.

A chihuahua could cause a lot of damage to a young child if provoked. Any dog can turn if teased and mentally abused. I wouldn't want to put my naked forearm out to an angry cat. Would you?

Yes, these dogs are dangerous, as are pit bulls, and that is why they are against the law in many countries.

Jimizo, I wrote 'plenty of other animals'. That discounts certain species, wouldn't you say?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Back on topic please.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Francis Have you seen many 80kg fighting bunnies recently?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

And ask your self, would you prefer to leave your 3 year old child in a room with a well trained Tosa or pitbull or a Border Collie?

All my dogs have always been well-trained, but I wouldn't leave a 3-year-old alone with any of them. Never leave kiddies and dogs alone together.

After all, lions and tigers are just playfull but overly aggresive cats............just lacking a little training

No, they're wild animals. Huge difference.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Unfortunately that describes almost any dog under the right circumstances

Yeah, those fatal chihuahua attacks are off the chart.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Tosa's are dangerous animals. They should not be kept as pets. You have to question the mind set of someone who wants to own a dog that is known to be dangerous, unpredictable and has the ability to kill.

Unfortunately that describes almost any dog under the right circumstances, and plenty of other animals too.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

A bit about the Tosa from Wiki:

This breed originated in the second half of the nineteenth century. The breed started from the native Shikoku-Inu, an indigenous dog weighing about 25 kilograms (45 pounds) and standing about 55 centimetres high, which closely resembles the European Spitz. These dogs were crossed with European dog breeds, such as the Old English Bulldog in 1872, Mastiff in 1874, St. Bernard, German Pointer in 1876, Great Dane in 1924, and the Bull Terrier. The aim was to breed a larger, more powerful dog. The heyday of Tosa breeding was between 1924 and 1933, when it was said that there were more than 5,000 Tosa breeders in Japan.

(The article continues with a list of countries in which the dog is restricted or illegal.)

It is not surprising that the victim was 90: Most attacks by these types of dogs are against the very young or the very old. One theory for this is scent, which is vastly predominates how dogs perceive the world - that the young or old smell quite different from adults and thus are not recognized as human by certain breeds, particularly ancient breeds, as are most Japanese dogs (including the shiba - though, thankfully, the shiba is quite small).

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Bottom line is why would you want a tosa or Pit Bull? Not really the choice of a family with small children surely. And as for the line that pit bulls are OK around children - so why do we regularly hear stories of pit bulls, who never attacked before, mauling children? These are dogs wired to attack and kill - as are Tosa's. The line that it is how they are raised fails when you look at the statistics. Dogs originaly bred to fight...............have a tendency to fight and attack.

I guess if you were of a mind to you could make a Border Collie, labrador or daschound aggresive. But you would have to really work on it. Whereas with a Tosa or Pit Bull if you don't supress it then it naturally comes to the surface. And ask your self, would you prefer to leave your 3 year old child in a room with a well trained Tosa or pitbull or a Border Collie?

Dogs that are prone to attack should be neutered until the problem is reduced. Then if we really want see them they can be put in zoos. After all, lions and tigers are just playfull but overly aggresive cats............just lacking a little training.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

from the article

The court heard that police had received complaints in the past about the dog from local residents, NTV reported.

Cleo wrote

And I wonder what happened in the past when Nakazawa's neighbours complained about his dogs?

I would encourage the family of the victim to take the police/houkensho to court for failing to do their jobs. They have partial responsibility for this death.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Fightingviking I can well believe it. Jacks are as feisty as they come and without proper training, discipline and stimulation they can run amok ( as you say, the same is true for any breed, more so for some like Jack Russells ). We kept 2 at a time as companions, to chase mice and rats ( we lived near a biscuit factory ) and as guard dogs. That is why we kept them. I didn't feel like a tough guy walking along the street with Bobby and Bertie. The point I'm making is why some people, like this man, would choose to keep 3 Tosas. I'm sure not all Tosas, Pitbulls and Ridgebacks are killing machines and many owners are responsible, but there are those who choose dogs like this and deliberately cultivate its aggression. An 80kg fighting dog plus and idiot is a pretty scary combination. I can't think of too many idiots such as these choosing Jack Russells.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@jimizo

Jack Russell

My younger brother had a Jack Russell but the "window cleaner" was afraid of elder brother's German Shepherd... He should have listened to my mother who wanted to take both dogs inside... She had to give him an old pair of father's trousers to replace the ones Mr. Chips had made a big hole in...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

An aggressive dog is dependent on how the dog the was raised and train. Rottweilers are sweastest dogs that I ever met at the vet clinic. Can they be trained to be vicious fighters. Yeah of course. One of the meanest most aggressive dogs I ever encountered at the vet. A Pomeranian.

As per my link above, Pomeranians were high-risk for attack because they were bred as guard dogs. Still, we don't see many fatal chihuahua attacks. You can probably see where I'm going with this.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Kept alone, however, border collies can become dangerously unhinged.

Yes, have one in my neighborhood that's totally crazy. When I took our then 6-month-old Flattie for his first walk in the neighborhood, this dog leaped a fence and ran 150 yards just to get a bite out of my dog. Absolutely bat-sh*t crazy. Two other dogs attacked ours shortly after that, and now he won't let any breed of male dog near him, he's been traumatized. Five years of training has got him to the point we can walk outside and he won't so much as growl if he's with me, but he barks at other males as they go by the house. I tie him up to his dog house for the hour or so in the morning when all the neighborhood dogs go by, and he's fine loose in the yard the rest of the time.. I limit his access to the street side during walk time to avoid him getting upset. You wouldn't believe some of the dogfights I've seen here because so many owners are convinced that their dogs would 'never do anything like that'. The project human emotion and motivation onto animals...'that dog is bigger than mine, he should know not to bite a smaller dog' and other values that , sorry to say, dogs don't operate by...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

There are some who think that Border Collies shouldn't be kept as pets in the first place. They are working dogs who love work with extremely high energy levels and are intelligent and so bore very easily. I heard Jack Russells are becoming more popular in Japan, and as a Jack Russell owner in the past, I get the sense they are being bought for their cute appearance and size without any thought for their nature as working dogs - they won't be content sitting on laps all day. People should choose their dog with thought to their living environment ( are 3 Tosas really a good idea in a residential area? I can remember a local drug dealer in the UK who paraded around with Rhodesian Ridgebacks - lion hunters ) and lifestyle, not because of cute appearance or some ridiculous macho posturing.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Not all dogs at the shelter are mongrels... One could easily pick up a pure bred dog.

Yes, I know. I threw in mongrels as an alternative to the 'purebred from a breeder' option.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@cleo

or go to a rescue shelter and get a mongrel. And vow that the dog will never, ever head back to the 'shelter'. A dog is for life, not something to be picked up on a whim because it looked cute in the shop window.

Not all dogs at the shelter are mongrels... One could easily pick up a pure bred dog. "Nihon Dobutsu Kyokai" would be a good place to start.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Long story short, "if you play dead with a pitbull or a tosa, you will play dead!"

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Interesting data provided by Nessie http://dogbitelaw.com/images/pdf/Dog_Attacks_1982-2006_Clifton.pdf

From reading the above it seems very clear that there are some differences in the danger of breeds of dogs.

"Pit bulls seem to differ behaviorally from other dogs in having far less inhibition about attacking people who are larger than they are. They are also notorious for attacking seemingly without warning." "Woolf Hybrids are accordingly 60 times more likely to kill or maim a child than a German shepherd"

"Any law strong enough and directed enough to prevent the majority of life-threatening dog attacks must discriminate heavily against pit bulls, Rottweilers, wolf hybrids, and perhaps Akitas and chows, who are not common breeds but do seem to be involved in disproportionate numbers of life-threatening attacks."

"Temperament is not the issue, nor is it even relevant. What is relevant is actuarial risk. If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price."

Finally, in my experience dogs that are kept isolated (as often occurs in Japan) are more likely to be aggressive. That is partly deliberate - the are guard dogs. We have/had border collies and it is difficult to imagine one becoming dangerous (other than by over-zealous greeting) if kept with humans. Kept alone, however, border collies can become dangerously unhinged.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

So sad that the old lady and the dog had to die to get the owner to face up to his responsibilities. I wonder what happened to the other two dogs.

Read that again....a muzzled Golden. ..... It's a crappy owner who made the dog that way, or do we outlaw Golden Retrievers?

I hear you Hima, and agree. Also add in that breeding does play a part. No matter how crappy the owner, a Golden should not be so much as nipping, never mind sending the owner to hospital. A problem with popular breeds in Japan is that everyone wants the chien du jour, and all kinds of backstreet breeders get in on the game. Supply cannot keep up with demand, and you get all kinds of dogs bred together just to produce pups - sibling on sibling, parent on offspring, etc., with no monitoring for genetic faults, temperament, etc. Thus you get aggressive Goldens and Labs (got one in my neighbourhood), German Shepherds virtually guaranteed to develop hip dysplasia, dachs with built-in hernias, shelties that can't stop barking. Until the next fad catches on, then you have kennelloads of abandoned unsellable puppies and breeding dogs.

If you want a healthy, well-balanced dog, either go to a reputable breeder (if you want a purebred, make sure it's the right breed temperamentally for you and your family, and that you can satisfy its needs for exercise, leadership, training, grooming etc - No, 'It looks cute/cool' is not a good way to choose a breed) & ask very awkward questions (walk away if you only get awkward answers, or no answers), or go to a rescue shelter and get a mongrel. And vow that the dog will never, ever head back to the 'shelter'. A dog is for life, not something to be picked up on a whim because it looked cute in the shop window.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8597003.stm

I would like to see a system of dog registration in Japan; all dogs registered and microchipped, a huge fine and ban on keeping an animal for people failing to register. Also huge fines for abandoning a dog or taking it to the shelter. And I wonder what happened in the past when Nakazawa's neighbours complained about his dogs?

Quote from Cesar Millan - 'Aggression in dogs isn't a problem, aggression is the outcome of a problem.' And in many cases, the problem lies with the owner.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Tosa's are dangerous animals- No. As someone who has worked at animal shelters here and in the US, a dog is not violent by nature, it is how it is raised that affects that.

And as for pit bulls, "Despite their reputation, the United Kennel Club doesn't recommended using pitbulls as guard dogs because they're too friendly with strangers." http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/pitbulls-used-be-considered-perfect-nanny-dogs-children-until-media-turned-them

1 ( +3 / -2 )

They need to class dog licenses by weight and time the owner will devote to training. A typical Japanese salaryman would probably rate a chihuahua in my opinion.

I had a GSD who's genetics threw up some wolf recessives, making him naturally incredibly aggressive and domineering. Our schutzhund club actually used to use him as an example for people who they suspected didn't see the importance of attending training regularly. With an inexperienced handler he was a nightmare, prone to snapping and aggression, and even going so far as to bite his own lead so that the choke-chain was ineffective. In the hands of an experienced handler he was good as gold, knew what was acceptable (and what wasn't), and knew his place in the hierarchy (below humans). With me he was affectionate, protective, and an amazingly loving companion, and well worth the time, effort and discipline. I miss him a great deal.

What am I getting at? Training isn't just for the dog, it is for the owner too. I've seen dozens of good dogs ruined by bad handlers who give the dogs mixed signals, inconsistent rules, insufficient praise, and don't understand how dogs see the world. They also don't understand that discipline is for both the dog and the owner, an owner must obey certain rules too.

A lot of people here have been quick to blame the dog or the breed, but 99.9% of the time it is the owner's fault. A good owner will attend training, which good for the dog and owner.

I've yet to see even a single dog training club or school here in Japan, but tons of dogs. Japanese dog owners seem to be completely irresponsible.

... so yes, I may have been a little sarcastic with the chihuahua comment, but I do think that Japan needs to implement a license system based on the owner committing to a certain amount of training time. Of course I think that parenthood should be the same, since the two require a similar amount of discipline on the part of owners of dogs and children.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I have to agree many of you don't know jack about dogs other than stereo types passed through pop culture. I worked at a vet clinic for 6 years in high school and college. An aggressive dog is dependent on how the dog the was raised and train. Rottweilers are sweastest dogs that I ever met at the vet clinic. Can they be trained to be vicious fighters. Yeah of course. One of the meanest most aggressive dogs I ever encountered at the vet. A Pomeranian.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@gaijintraveller

By law a dog outside the home must be kept on a leash.

From what I heard (from the police) it's not a law, it's a "rule". The "exception confirming a rule" my Lab. is famous around these parts as being able to walk without a lead and always behaving himself. Of course, his "Police training" could have a lot to do with that. People just don't know (or care about) training their dogs over here. One nasty looking character once screamed at me saying his dog could kill mine and I asked why he hadn't thought of training it properly... he just sneered at me and kept on walking...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

oh and here's a link to his page:

http://www.cesarsway.com/news/cesarspeaks/Dog-Whisperering-Humans

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

you guys need to watch "the dog whisperer." his motto is that he doesn't train dogs, he trains humans. so in essence, there aren't really any bad dogs, just bad owners.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Agree that the character of the dog will follow the owner's upbringing. Unfortunately it doesn't start here: careful breeding plays a big roll as well, but it is difficult for a buyer to be sure that no inbreeding happened. With dog's that are not that common, like Tosa dogs, or dogs where lot's of prize money is involved like Shepard in Germany, this might easily happen. And some breeders of pit-bulls and similar breeds might even try to get an aggressive mix on purpose because it will sell better to certain individuals.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I should add that it's ironic how dog owners pontificate on the great differences in innate canine temperament until it comes to dangerous temperament, and then they go all tablua rasa.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Good to know if you want to kill someone ... Cheaper than using a knife or a gun, use a dog....

0 ( +1 / -1 )

There were a high number of fatal bites from Doberman pinschers in the 1970s, for example, because Dobermans were very popular at that time and there were more Dobermans around, and because Dobermans’ size makes their bites more dangerous. The number of fatal bites from pit bulls rose in the 1980s for the same reason, and the number of bites from Rottweilers in the 1990s.

All this proves is that tosas are not the only large breed that's dangerous.

By compiling U.S. and Canadian press accounts between 1982 and 2012, Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, shows the breeds most responsible for serious injury and death. The combination of large molosser breeds, including pit bulls, rottweilers, presa canarios, cane corsos, mastiffs, dogo argentinos, fila brasieros, and their mixes:

79% of attacks that induce bodily harm

72% of attacks to children

85% of attack to adults

69% of attacks that result in fatalities

77% that result in maiming

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:PkLTE38Ufq8J:images.bimedia.net/documents/Dog%2Battack%2Bstats%2Bwith%2Bbreed%2B2012.pdf+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShVGGufzqz7BQ9JVkdWLDTDV381BVLjAf64gKkyklRtqRfMOqRGWuhZ-sIAN4VIX5ovDJ5jAzK24iAwqEdF3Ub1GgTxKLzVrO-v9cJWlAbToOvF8_aCyKa4y4LlHDt1I1kfK-aV&sig=AHIEtbQ2gfDbzTXGnuN6JBHVsTqEYgWJqg

There could be some selection bias going on, since this relies on news reports.

More here

http://dogbitelaw.com/dog-bite-statistics/the-breeds-most-likely-to-kill.html

0 ( +2 / -2 )

From a page on the breed-

"The Tosa is loyal, sensitive to the tone of ones voice, paying close attention to their commands. This is not a noisy breed. The Tosa was once used for dog fighting and was bred to fight quietly as Japanese dog fighting rules called for silence. This natural guard dog is protective, courageous and fearless. They need an owner who knows how to display leadership at all times. Socialized them well starting at puppyhood. Aggression and attacks on people are due to poor handling and training. Problems arise when an owner allows the dog to believe he is pack leader over humans and or does not give the dog the mental and physical daily exercise they need to be stable. This breed needs owners who are naturally authoritative over the dog in a calm, but firm, confident and consistent way. A stable, well-adjusted, and trained dog is for the most part generally good with other pets and excellent with children in the family. They must be firmly trained in obedience from an early age. This is not a breed for first time dog owners. A well balanced Tosa who knows his place in the pack will not snap or bite."

There is a golden retriever in the neighborhood next to mine that has to be muzzled. Read that again....a muzzled Golden. It bit its owner and she had 30 stitches up her arm. The damned beast makes a bee-line at any other dog in its sight and attacks...it would have killed more than one small dog, but for the muzzle. It's a crappy owner who made the dog that way, or do we outlaw Golden Retrievers? Virtuoso, any dog that isn't given enough attention and exercise will go out of it's mind. For a large dog, an hour or two of vigorous exercise is necessary daily. Did he walk it?

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Virtuoso, what training did the dog have?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Give me one of those fluffy, bulging-eyed yapping things in ribbons any day over this. As pointed out, many people who own breeds like Tosas are not training these dogs to sit, play dead and beg for a choccy drop.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

My brother-in-law used to keep a Tosa. He named it Sakamoto Ryoma, and you couldn't even get close enough to pet it. It was high-strung, noisy and displayed far less intelligence than your average chihuahua. I suppose he justified it as a watchdog, but didn't dare let the animal run loose, so I'm not sure if it kept out thieves or not. Affection and companionship? Forget it. As far as this aggressive breed is concerned, "man's best friend" would hardly seem to apply.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

There is a problem with dogs like tosas and pit bulls. That is their reputation. Because they are supposed to be violent, they are often the choice of people who want a violent and tough dog to enhance their image. This is what creates. It also helps to perpetuate the bad image of such dogs.

Added to this we have the problem that few Japanese know how to train a dog, which is why there are so few well-behaved dogs in this country. Then there is the problem with the law. By law a dog outside the home must be kept on a leash. How do you exercise a big or even medium-sized dog on a leash? You don't. You cannot. A dog needs to run and you cannot run fast enough to exercise a dog properly. I suppose you could use a bicycle or motor bike as some do here, but this practice is dangerous.

Most larger dogs are kept outside on a 1 metre chain all day. Anyone, not just an animal, tied up on a 1 metre chain all day would become mentally disturbed and possibly a danger to anyone who came near me.

The problem is owners and how they treat their dogs.

"I rehabilitate dogs. I train people. I am the dog whisperer." Cesar Millan, famous TV dog trainer.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

wow, 14 months for your dog's actions? then shouldn't parents also be jailed for their childrens actions, too? it's not like he commanded the dog to attack her. it was an accident; the dog slipped its leash.

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

"No, no, Shut it ghostface !" If you get this, then you'll understand what kind of people own these macho dogs.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Let's face it - why does anyone have a Tosa or a pitbull? It's all about hard image and power. Just look at the klind of people who do. Granted not all, but in any country a high proportion are the swaggering track-suited cerebrally challenged types who crave some sort of respect or status they don't otherwise have. I'm sure some of them make nice pets, but there's a lot less damage done to humans and other animals when some of them inevitably go berserk. If my neighbour was one of these half-wits who doesn't know how to train and treat a dog, I'd rather he had a Border Collie than a Tosa. The 90 year-old woman who was killed in Yamanashi might just have survived a collie attack.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

If you have a dog pet it is your responsibility to answer for it's actions. If it poops on the side walk you have to clean it up. If it kills an old lady you will go to jail. I can not see the argument here. When you agree to have a pet you also agree to care for it, its safety and the safety of anything or anyone that comes in contact with it. It is easy to have the good part of the deal and turning away when it goes south.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Himajin has it right. Laguna and Simon, please read the following:

“A study performed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the CDC, and the Humane Society of the United States, analyzed dog bite statistics from the last 20 years and found that the statistics don’t show that any breeds are inherently more dangerous than others. The study showed that the most popular large breed dogs at any one time were consistently on the list of breeds that bit fatally. There were a high number of fatal bites from Doberman pinschers in the 1970s, for example, because Dobermans were very popular at that time and there were more Dobermans around, and because Dobermans’ size makes their bites more dangerous. The number of fatal bites from pit bulls rose in the 1980s for the same reason, and the number of bites from Rottweilers in the 1990s. The study also noted that there are no reliable statistics for nonfatal dog bites, so there is no way to know how often smaller breeds are biting.”

It's not the dogs, it's the owners, and as a responsible guardian of my dogs, I am happy to see an irresponsible "owner" getting almost the treatment they deserve.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

I know a guy who owns a Tosa. It is properly trained, loves people and will not attack a human. Anything else is fair game.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

@heretoolong

It's the owners responsibility to train it and control it.

You beat me to it ! Properly trained dogs do not attack people ! Unfortunately, very often, here in the land of Wa, people buy dogs because ALL dogs are "cute" when they are puppies BUT, just like humans, they also "grow up" and if they haven't been properly trained, they can do a lot of damage ! I'm just surprised the little "lap dogs" don't rebel against their owners who "dress them up" like little "humans" ! At least THAT I could understand ! I have a great bunch of photos entitled "If dogs could talk" (unfortunately, I don't think JT would let me upload it !)

1 ( +6 / -5 )

With everybody else on this. My best mate had a pitbull which was among the sweetest, most friendly dogs I have ever interacted with. It's the owners responsibility to train it and control it.

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Rest in peace to the poor old lady. What an awful way to go. A stretch in the slammer and criminal record is absolutely deserved , why anyone keeps these disgusting killing machine breeds of dogs such as Tosa and pit-bulls is beyond me. Gives them a feeling of power I guess. Destroy them all.

1 ( +12 / -10 )

Sorry, Himajin, I'm with Simon on this. Sure, an individual pit may be quite sweet, but statistically, they are much more likely to attack than other breeds. How many times have we read, "He was such a sweet dog, I can't believe he mauled that child." Sure, how the dog was raised is important, but then there are some breeds - such as boarder collies - that are very, very reluctant to attack.

Some breeds just seem to have a trigger, and no one knows what will set it off when. Best to stick with whippets.

11 ( +15 / -5 )

I'm sorry, hat's just wrong.

Untrained dogs are dangerous. Dogs that are praised for aggression are dangerous. Of course dogs that are beaten and goaded to become fighting dogs are the most dangerous, but that's likely not what we're talking about here.

Too many dog breeds are labelled as dangerous because of the reputation of those animals who have either never been disciplined, or trained to fight. Several states in the US have bans on pit bulls...did you know that the history of pitbulls shows that they were called 'Nanny dogs' because they were so good with children? It's people that make some of them what they are.

Any dog has the 'ability to kill' if it has the size to. You could be killed by a good-sized border collie if it puts its mind to it.

-6 ( +12 / -17 )

Tosa's are dangerous animals. They should not be kept as pets. You have to question the mind set of someone who wants to own a dog that is known to be dangerous, unpredictable and has the ability to kill.

3 ( +13 / -10 )

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