Truth is, as I see it, dogs have been known to attack their owners
without provocation, with many attacks resulting in the fatality of
the owner.   So I think people forget that all dogs are "animals" once
wild and untamed and have an innate violent nature which can emerge at
any given time.  The statistics presented in the link show that not
only vicious dogs are known to cause death, as was the case with the
Pomeranian killing the infant.   The correlation between dogs and
owners may have some credence within a controlled study and
accumulated statistical data but overall dogs, regardless of the
owner's temperament, can be vicious.  http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/danger.htm#meaning
I found this website to be a worthwhile read with current statistical
data.  Read through "Canine Homicides" for a real eye opener.

Here is the March 2009 portion.

March 2009: Five people were killed by dogs in the USA in March 2009,
and a sixth perished from infection after being bitten.
A two-week-old baby was killed by a dog on March 4, 2009, in Mesa,
Arizona. The mother had placed the infant in a low-lying bassinet or
crib, with a Chow-Chow in the house. Arizona is a statutory strict
liability state.
On March 16, 2009, Hill A. Williams Jr., a 38-year-old California man,
was mauled to death by his two bull mastiffs, in his own back yard.
California is a statutory strict liability state.
On March 22, 2009, Dustin E. Faulkner, a 3-year-old boy from Georgia,
was killed by a wolf-hybrid. Details are sketchy at this time. Georgia
has a dog bite statute that incorporates much of the one-bite rule
(see Georgia on this site).
Dolly Newell, an 80-year-old California woman, died on March 24, 2009,
several days after she was bitten in the hand by a dog while feeding
it. For some reason, she told the hospital staff she injured her
finger while gardening. They stitched the bite closed and she went
home, to die of infection. This death will not appear in most lists of
canine inflicted fatalities, but it should because it was initiated by
the dog bite and it is well known that the bacteria in a dog's saliva
can cause death.
On March 26, 2009, Tyso  Miller, an 18-month-old Texas boy, was
fatally attacked in his back yard by a female pit bull. His parents
had been caring for the dog and apparently thought it to be harmless.
Texas is a one-bite state and the national leader in canine homicides.
(See Dog Bite Statistics.)
On March 31, 2009, two pit bulls killed Izaiah G. Cox in San Antonio,
Texas, as the child was laying on a bed. The dogs broke through or
went over a baby gate inside the house. When the baby's grandmother
tried to rescue him, the pit bulls attacked her too, requiring
hospitalization. Texas is a one bite state and the USA's leader in
fatal dog attacks on people (see Dog Bite Statistics on this site).

Don't forget the horrible story about the....................

Death of Diane Whipple

On January 26, 2001 Diane Whipple was attacked and killed in her San
Francisco apartment building by two Presa Canario/mastiff mix dogs
owned by her neighbors, Marjorie Knoller and her husband Robert Noel.
Both neighbors were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and felony
charges of keeping a mischievous dog in 2002 (mostly based on witness
testimony regarding their level of control of the dogs and
unwillingness to take professional advice), and Knoller was indicted
for second degree murder.
Knoller was found guilty of second degree murder, but the trial judge
ruled for a new trial. In May 2005 the Court of Appeal overturned the
call for a new trial, and Knoller (a lawyer) appealed to the
California Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ordered the trial court to
reconsider the second degree murder conviction, and the court
reinstated the conviction.
On September 22, 2008 the court sentenced Marjorie Knoller to serve 15
years to life for the death of Diane Whipple.
To date, this is believed to be the only murder sentence handed out in
the United States to an individual found guilty of causing death by a
dog that they own.

Of course I do see a breed specific danger in Pit Bulls, Rots and
other large powerful breeds.

Check this out.............

 Through January 20, 2002, the log of life-threatening and fatal
attacks showed that pit bulls had committed 592 (45%) of the 1,301
total attacks qualifying for inclusion, including 280 (21%) of the
attacks on children, 222 (60%) of the attacks on adults, 51 (34%) of
the fatal attacks, and 321 (45%) of the maimings and disfigurements.

Rottweilers had committed 291 (22%) of the attacks, including 24% of
the attacks on children, 63 (17%) of the attacks on adults, 36 (24%)
of the fatalities, and 159 (22%) of the maimings and disfigurements.

Combined, pit bulls and Rottweilers had committed 72% of all the
attacks, 45% of the attacks on children, 77% of the attacks on adults,
58% of the fatalities, and 67% of the maimings and disfigurements.

Dog Attack Danger Scale
Here are the 6 danger-signs that warn of a dog attack. Knowing them
can keep you and your children safe.

1. A dog in its own yard, and no master present. In 2008, 78% of the
human fatalities were by dogs in their own yard.

2. Pit bull, Rottweiler, Akita or Chow. Most fatal dog attacks are by
pit bulls. In 2008, 65% of the fatalities were by pit bulls.

3. The pack mentality. Three dogs are worse than 2, 4 are worse than
3, etc. Docile dogs often become uncharacteristically violent and
vicious when they are in a pack. In 2008, 39% of the fatalities
involved multiple dogs.

4. Chained or tethered. Dogs that are tied up are dangerous. In 2008,
9% of the fatalities involved chained dogs.

5. Male. Male dogs are several times more dangerous than female dogs.
Unneutered male dogs are the worst.

6. Newness. A new dog in the house is dangerous for the first 60 days,
and a person who is new to a household where a dog resides is in
danger of attack for the first 60 days. In 2007 and 2008, 20% of fatal
dog attacks involved a new person or dog sharing a household for a
period of two months or less.

The presence of any one factor indicates danger. Two or more of these
danger-signs should be avoided at all costs.

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/#scale

On Apr 18, 8:42 am, archytas <nwte...@googlemail.com> wrote: