Guard dogs aren't always a good idea...

[Preacherman]

From Reuters (http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=3187641):

Guard Dog Chases Medics from Dying Owner

Wed July 30, 2003 11:08 AM ET

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian man paid the price for training his guard dog too well when the snarling animal held off paramedics long enough for him to die of heart failure.

The ferocious Staffordshire bull terrier kept doctors at bay as they tried to approach the middle-aged patient on Wednesday.

"Doctors and the man's wife tried to approach the man for a long time, but the dog was furious and would not allow it," Andrei Rudomyotov, a regional police chief, said by telephone from the city of Chelyabinsk near the Ural mountains. "The doctors had to call the police, and our officers shot the dog, but by the time the doctors could get in, the patient was dead."

Russians living in small apartments often own large and energetic dogs. Fighting dogs, such as bull terriers, are fashionable as a means of protecting property against post-Soviet crime.

 

[444]

I have been confronted with this situation several times in my work as a paramedic. I simply shot the dog with a fire extinguisher. The dog always backed off long enough for us to get the patient or it ran into another room where we closed the door on it.
My partner got bit a couple weeks ago by a dog after I had to kick in the front door of a house. I thought it was hilarious that the dog didn't want any part of me. I am the biggest dog lover in the world, and he knew it (the dog that is).

 

[DigMe]

I read one article a few months back in which a woman who breeds pit bulls (not sure what specific breed as the newspaper only said "pit bulls"...makes a much more exciting story to capitalize on the bad rep than saying "presa canario" or something like that) had a seizure or something and when she lost conciousness and hit the ground her dogs basically chewed her up and she died of massive blood loss. From what the LEOs said it seemed like most of it came from her head and they felt like the dogs were trying to get her back up or something. They apparently thought they were helping and everyone said the dogs were always very protective of her. Of course the headline only said something like "Woman killed by pit bulls."

Forgive me if I've gotten some details wrong in that. My memory is hazy.

brad cook

 

[El Tejon]

Sharik, bad dog! Sit, *gasp*, I, *gasp*, said sit.

 

[Sharpdogs]

My two "guard dogs" a boxer and german shepherd, have proved their weight in gold in non-defensive manner. I have had Type I diabetes (aka juvenile diabetes) for 3 years and one of the unfortunate side effects of treatment with insulin injections is low blood sugar due to too much insulin or too much physical activity. A low blood sugar level can lead to passing out, to seizure, to coma and possibly death. Both my dogs have woken me up when my blood sugar dropped below 50 (70-120 is normal). They usually just cry, lick my face or jump on to the bed. I would not use my dogs to replace blood testing meter, but they have saved my butt more times than I can to count. I think there's a million positive stories about dogs and their owners for evey bad story about a dog hurting someone.

 

[gryphon]

If you really think about it, the dog was only protecting its master who it perceived to be injured. Can't really blame the dog for doing what is in it's nature to do.

 

[Navy joe]

Any dog owner should have a plan to secure his pet before the paramedics arrive. Many cardiac arrest victims are initially ambulatory but have proceeded to fall out by the time help arrives. There are also many stories of dogs detecting minor heart attacks, low blood sugar as mentioned, fires, severe weather and such long before the owner knew anything was amiss. Still man's best friend I think.