In the spirit of fairness

I tried to research Great Dane attacks. They were once a bugaboo breed, so I assumed I would find quite a few. I was wrong.

Googling "Great Dane attacks" yields 16 results. By comparison, bull terrier attack yields 52 results and pit bulldog yields 125 results. The "Great Dane attacks" results are as follows:
1. a Sept 1899 human fatality featured x3 in those 16 hits
2. lion baiting with a Great Dane -June 1899
3. a savage non fatal attack - Aug 1904
4. a savage non fatal attack - March 1907
5. a savage non fatal attack - Oct 1905
6. brief mention of german training a great dane to attack anyone in a french uniform - Sept 1899
7. multiple attacks by one Great Dane (they sounded like minor injuries) - Oct 1897
8. a Great Dane attacked a flock of sheep (it was shot) - June 1906
9. attack on two kids - March 1908
10. attack on a theater procession was featured x2 - Nov 1904
11. minor attack - Jan 1905
12. attack - June 1898

By far my favorite of the lot was from the Evening Star May 12, 1897.
13. the attack by a "mongrel bull terrier" on a Great Dane and the bull terrier owner shot the Great Dane.

Just another case of your everyday run of the mill psychopathic pit bull owner - Mr William E. Prall Jr.

Gustav Erni's Great Dane was attacked by the bull terrier belonging to his cousin,William Prall. Mr Erni secured his aunt's small white dog before attempting to break up the fight. He returned just in time to find his Great Dane had been shot by his cousin from the balcony.

William Prall was tried for the shooting. Prall denied shooting the Great Dane and called an "expert" to testify on behalf of the bull terrier, stating that it is peaceable and good natured child's pet. The prosecutor interjected, "The law makes all bull dogs vicious, per se." 

Once it had been determined that Prall was guilty of the shooting the Great Dane, Prall changed his story. His lawyer stated that Prall had to shoot the Great Dane in order to save his bull terrier and "no cruelty had been perpetrated." 

This scenario has been faithfully playing out for over 100 years, well, except for the part about the law designating bulldogs vicious. That is rapidly changing.

Safety before bull-dogs

There is super fine vintage muckraking over at Pit Bull Attacks and Dogfighting in Illinois. It's the kind of research that should be done by a "research council" rather than livestock fear mongering and the other sleight of hand tricks that KAREN DELISE has become so well known for.

Here's a taste. Be sure to check it out.

1. The bull-dog is essentially a dangerous animal, and when kept under present conditions it constitutes a perpetual menace to human life. Enough accidents have already happened to admonish all thinking men that women and children are entirely unsafe under present conditions.
2. These conditions will become even worse when these bull-dogs will have bred with the street curs, producing a generation of mongrels even more dangerous and under less restraint that the pure bred individuals.



If bull-dogs are unsafe and vicious, as they seem to have proven themselves within the last few weeks, let us get rid of them. Let us get some other kind of dog. Safety before bull-dogs.

The Utah Solution

Before Denver, before Miami, before Ohio, there was Utah.


The Salt Lake Herald, Salt Lake City, UT, August 5, 1906




The lesson of all this is that a bulldog is a dangerous brute and that not one of the animals should allowed to go unmuzzled.

The Evening Standard, Ogden, UT, May 19, 1911


Why so much attention given to the Beehive State?

Could it be a member of the PBTB Assoc lived in Ogden?

Could it be that pit breeder F.W. Matthews' curs made their way from the pit to the pram? Could it be they did not integrate well outside the of the box.


(notice the spelling of pit with two TTs)

See also
Hmmm...I thought pit bulls were the CURRENT bugaboo breed?

The Bulldog Menace

Early Equine Grippers

America's dog doesn't like muzzles, duck trousers or hobble skirts

Pit nutter doesn't want to subject his gripper to the indignities of the mandatory muzzle, so he paints a muzzle on the dog in hopes of convincing others he is in compliance. Only one problem. A painted muzzle doesn't actually prevent America's dog from biting. But hey, it is all about appearances for the owners of America's dog.



Breed specific legislation is NOT a new idea.

The Washington Herald, July 15, 1911

ps The ATTS should include split skirts and dock trousers in their walk in the park temperament test.

The average man has no more use for a vicious bulldog than he has for a tiger

Breed specific problems require breed specific solutions.

Los Angeles Herald, December 30, 1909

Hmmm... I thought pit bulls were the CURRENT bugaboo breed?

Here it is, 1911 and a BREED SPECIFIC LAW is being proposed - not against Bloodhounds or Newfoundlands or St Bernards or German Shepherds or Dobermans or Rottweilers but BULLDOGS, ie pit bulls.



Gentlemen: I observe by The Washington Herald that the nine-year-old daughter of Thomas Hayes, of 2200 H street northwest, was seriously injured yesterday by a bulldog owned by Dr Norval Herbert, of 2145 H street northwest. It seems to me that this is becoming such a frequent occurrence that out government should take immediate steps to rid the city of this particular breed of dog. If you will remember, it was only a few months ago that a child was almost torn to pieces by one of these dogs on Columbia road, and in that case it was the pet dog of the household.
About two years ago I was attacked by one of these beasts, and since that time I have taken note that it is not an uncommon occurrence for one of these ferocious animals to turn on children without the slightest warning and literally tear them to pieces, and in every case would have killed the person attacked had some person not come to their rescue, as did the boy in saving the life of the little girl yesterday.
I might add that the muzzle law does not protect children from the attacks of bulldogs, for the reason that they always make the attack on their master's own family, or within the home or yard where they are not require to be muzzled.
It seems to me that the bulldog is more dangerous than the lion or tiger, for the reason that we protect ourselves against such animals, but there is no protection for the helpless child against this treacherous beast.
I trust that this object lesson will make the same impression upon you, gentlemen, as the killing of the little girl did the other day with the motorcycle carrying two passengers, which you promptly investigated and passed a rule prohibiting. I hope now that you will take the same fearless steps and banish all bulldogs from the District of Columbia.
I again wish to state that it seems to me criminal negligence on the part of our government to allow these dogs to remain in our district another day.
Fulton R. Gordon
September 29, 1911


The Washington Herald, September 29, 1911

THE BULLDOG MENACE

Wait a minute, I thought that pit bulls were originally bred as working dogs and enjoyed nanny dog and war dog hero status back in the day? I thought bloodhounds and newfies were the first targets of media hysteria?

stubby dog

bloodhounds

The Ogden Standard, Ogden, Utah, Thursday, January 29, 1914