Local Trainer

Putting the dog in that situation can be harmful sometimes. But in this situation here, it could be any breed.
Mose Hugghis

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We are banging our heads in frustration!

It is not true to claim that, in similar circumstances, a Golden Retriever or a Yorkshire Terrier would have killed Savannah Edwards. It's dishonest.

Here is the excerpt in its entirety:

A local trainer with 25 years of experience, Mose Hugghis, says this sort of thing could happen with any breed.

"Sometimes you need to know the health of the dog, if it's not feeling good, if it's not active around other kids," he said. "Putting the dog in that situation can be harmful sometimes. But in this situation here, it could be any breed."

Mr Hugghis' claim is a close cousin of the more commonly used phrase All dogs bite or Any dog can bite. Of all the hundred of versions we've seen in news accounts the most extraordinary example was uttered by Michael Linke, the CEO of RSPCA Act. His phrase is so unbelievably grandiose that we named it.

The phrase, and variations of it, have been repeated so often by people who should know better that it is  now treated as received wisdom. The purpose of the phrase, clearly, is to divert the attention away from the horror of the victim's death, in this case the death of two year old Savannah Edwards, while at the same time pretending that pit bulls are no more vicious than your Golden Retriever. This, if we stop to consider it, is obscene.

During the last thirty years 2,146 Americans have been disfigured by dog attacks; 1,350 of those by pit bulls. During the same period 495 humans have been killed by dog attacks; 244 of those by pit bulls.*  Though pit bulls have never comprised more than 5% of the U.S. dog population. they are responsible for half of the disfigurements and canine homicides.

If we are to believe his website, Mr Hugghis is a dedicated and serious dog trainer, having been successful with his own dogs in Schutzhund competitions. But he also raises Presa Canarios, the breed responsible for the notorious Diane Whipple killing. Mr Hugghis may train dogs for obedience, but he also openly trains Presa Canarios as attack dogs.

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Notes:

* Statistics are from Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, published by Animal People. To view or download the current PDF click here.

News:
Dog Attack Victim Identified
     (WIBW.com, Dec 14, 2012)

Related Post: Helping Hands

See Also:
  MoKan Kennels
  IronHeart (formerly Vom Kaiserhofe Training Center; Lawrence, Kansas; )

Google News: Today's pit bull attacks in the US