lola1
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Lola and Reed
Posts: 372
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Post by lola1 on Dec 1, 2008 21:23:24 GMT -5
I'm looking for some thoughts on these signs. I have mixed feelings myself.
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Post by lpyrbby on Dec 1, 2008 22:05:47 GMT -5
I've always heard, and it makes sense to me, that should you display one of these signs and an incident DOES happen on your property, it's viewed as an admittance of guilt.
The best thing I've heard to use if you want a sign of any sort is one that simply states, "Dog on Premises" because, well, you are telling people there is a dog on your property. Nothing more nothing less.
Either which way, whether you put up a sign or not, if someone wants to nail you to the stake, they'll look hard to find reasons...
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Post by valliesong on Dec 1, 2008 22:38:03 GMT -5
I've always heard, and it makes sense to me, that should you display one of these signs and an incident DOES happen on your property, it's viewed as an admittance of guilt. The best thing I've heard to use if you want a sign of any sort is one that simply states, "Dog on Premises" because, well, you are telling people there is a dog on your property. Nothing more nothing less. Either which way, whether you put up a sign or not, if someone wants to nail you to the stake, they'll look hard to find reasons... What she said. A beware of dog sign can be construed to mean that you knew your dog was a bite risk. If you need a sign, I agree to use "Dog on Premises."
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lola1
I Love RPBF!
Lola and Reed
Posts: 372
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Post by lola1 on Dec 2, 2008 2:15:57 GMT -5
That's exactly why I'm asking, because a friend told me that in our state (Michigan) that IF my dog were to bite anyone, for any reason, that a sign would , I guess help me out, in a way. I don't think I need one because our dogs are always under control, whether just by collar or in their crates. I refuse to open my doors if my dogs are at the door trying to see who it is. I am still working on the stay command, but I still make sure they will not jump at people, or the door when there are visitors.
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Post by RealPitBull on Dec 2, 2008 8:52:32 GMT -5
I've heard mixed messages about signs, too. But I think in most cases the 'prior knowledge of viciousness' thing can get you in trouble, and a 'beware' sign or anything that can be strued as "I knew my dog was dangerous" should be avoided. I think the generic 'dog on premises' is a good one.
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Lissa
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Post by Lissa on Dec 5, 2008 10:48:42 GMT -5
I always liked that sign that said "Be aware, because the dog is"
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Post by RealPitBull on Dec 5, 2008 10:59:51 GMT -5
I always liked that sign that said "Be aware, because the dog is" Oo that's cool, I like that.
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Dec 5, 2008 11:26:04 GMT -5
Several years ago in Mississippi, a guy broke into a home in the early morning hours (2-3am) and was bitten by the resident Amstaff (a UKC/AKC Ch with a CDX) and the burglar sued the owners.
Because the dog bit and the owners had a beware of dog sign (with a sillouette of an amstaff) on their gate, the judge ruled against the owners. The dog was euthed and the owners had to pay all medical bills PLUS additional $$ for pain and suffering.
Not that this has a whole lot of relevance to the topic at hand, but my point is sometimes you just can't win even as cut and dry and logical as it seems.
Then again, this *was* Mississippi.
I don't have signs on my fence but then again, my dogs are never out unless I'm out there with them.
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Post by RealPitBull on Dec 5, 2008 11:29:36 GMT -5
WOW, I think I remember that........that is such an extreme miscarraige of justice. Did the sign say beware of dog, do you know, or did it just have the silhoutte?
I don't have a yard, and I live in an apartment building, so I don't have any signs right now, but I admit to liking the idea of a sign even to just give a 'heads-up' to any would-be criminals. I really don't know what the best thing to do is, sometimes it really is a 'd@mned if you do, d@amned if you don't' kinda world.
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Post by tank on Dec 5, 2008 11:31:45 GMT -5
My neighbor has a sign that says "Beware of strange dog" I think its funny, mostly because his dog is anything but strange, just a common, lazy, friendly black lab.
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Post by bamapitbullmom on Dec 5, 2008 11:41:25 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure it was a "beware of dog" sign which was what the judge said was an admission of harboring an aggressive dog. It's just insane that the dog was in his home, probably the criminal did something (aside from breaking in at an odd hour) which warranted a bite. I like the big "Save my..." window stickers for firefighters. They sell breed specific ones now on some sites. If I decided to post signs it would likely be a "no trespassing" or "dog on premises" or something general like that. When I had Rottweilers, we had beware of dog signs on our privacy fence and it seemed to encourage peekers and sneekers. Now I'm out in cowville on over a 100 acres with no real neighbors or traffic to worry about. Not to mention a city cop lives nearby. Cop cars in driveways I think are sometimes more effective crime deterrents than admission of pit bull ownership.
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Post by RealPitBull on Dec 5, 2008 11:50:21 GMT -5
Jeez, 100 acres? *Sigh* I'm so jealous.
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Post by maryellen on Dec 5, 2008 11:50:51 GMT -5
beware of dog sign means you KNOW the dog WILL bite. which opens up to a lawsuit even if a burglar or murderer breaks into your house, if the dog bites them they CAN sue, and WILL win only because of the Beware of Dog Sign... now if you have a sign , Rotties at play, or something cute like that, there is no knowledge from you that your dogs will bite.. any type of sign that says Beware, or something to that effect warning strangers can be used against you in court. sucks doesnt it?
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Post by lpyrbby on Dec 5, 2008 13:14:19 GMT -5
See, me...I guess this comes to living in apartment type settings, but I don't want ANYONE to know I have dogs, much less pit bulls. God forbid they figure out they could probably just walk in my house and just TAKE my dogs.
I've heard that a lot of burglars watch a house before they go to rob it though. They pay attention to me long enough, they'll figure out my schedule, but they'll also figure out just how many dogs I have and won't try.
The biggest thing for me, I don't have to advertise I have dogs. People know. And I'm not sure I'd really want to let someone know that I do have dogs. I don't want them to TAKE my dogs or be prepared to harm them I guess....I dunno.
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lola1
I Love RPBF!
Lola and Reed
Posts: 372
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Post by lola1 on Dec 5, 2008 13:29:59 GMT -5
I had never even thought of a sign, of any type, until my friend said something about it and he thought a warning sign would somehow help me if the situation ever came up. I do like the "dog on premises" idea though because I live in a rough neighborhood, and you never know when someone may try to break in. Or have some jerks hiding in the yard after robbing the corner store. My dogs are always crated when we can't supervise and just their barking would scare someone from my door. So if a sign keeps them away, that's fine with me. As far as someone taking or hurting my dogs, they don't go outside by themselves. On the other hand, I understand the other concerns as well.
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Post by RealPitBull on Dec 5, 2008 14:05:34 GMT -5
See, me...I guess this comes to living in apartment type settings, but I don't want ANYONE to know I have dogs, much less pit bulls. God forbid they figure out they could probably just walk in my house and just TAKE my dogs. I've heard that a lot of burglars watch a house before they go to rob it though. They pay attention to me long enough, they'll figure out my schedule, but they'll also figure out just how many dogs I have and won't try. The biggest thing for me, I don't have to advertise I have dogs. People know. And I'm not sure I'd really want to let someone know that I do have dogs. I don't want them to TAKE my dogs or be prepared to harm them I guess....I dunno. Good points.......
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Post by lpyrbby on Dec 5, 2008 14:12:06 GMT -5
I became a nervous wreck for a couple of months after I adopted Cyrus. He's a "rednose" (I just call him my red dog lol) and people were eyeing him HARD. I hated it and would have mini visions of what actions I would take if this happened or if that happened, etc. And yes, I seriously considered a security system for the house to act as a larger deterrent. I'm still nervous about it sometimes, especially fostering but I'm better than I was because we are pretty visible and I'm out with the dogs ALL the time. They'd have to be pretty slick to get them past a neighbor that doesn't know who's dogs those are.
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Post by tank on Dec 5, 2008 14:38:18 GMT -5
I too, am more nervous of people breaking in because they know I have a dog to grab her. I have had SOOOOO many people do the "can I buy your dog" thing numerous times a day, probably because she's a "red nose pit" and I live around a bunch of rednecks. So I probably wouldn't put a sign out for that reason, although I did consider it for a while because I thought it might deter someone from breaking in, but I think the bark would do that anyway, and Lucy always barks at noise in and around the house.
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Post by DiamondTiger on Dec 6, 2008 5:31:07 GMT -5
We had a "Beware of Dog" sign on our gate at our old house. Mainly because we lived on a very busy road where they were doing a lot of construction and I didn't want someone opening the gate (which crossed our driveway) on a whim without permission. The dogs were never out alone unless they were on the tether and even then it was only long enough for me to grab a drink or go pee. When we weren't home, everyone was tucked away safely in their crates.
We don't have anything up now indicating that there's a dog on the premises. Being that my husbands folks yard isn't fenced and Karma can't be (or rather I won't let her be) outside unsupervised for more than a few minutes while she's on the tether... she's in plain view of anyone who might approach and they'll hear her long before they get close... when she barks and if she's out alone for whatever reason, someone is on the porch within seconds to see what the commotion is about...
Anyway, yeah... I tend to ramble a little. LOL!! If we were to put a sign up it would be something simple and probably even a little funny. Something like... "Dog on premises, beware of owner" would better suit my personality I think, because it lets people know there is a dog around but also that it isn't my dog they need to worry about... it's my 12 gauge should they come around with ill intentions.
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Lissa
New Member
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Post by Lissa on Dec 6, 2008 10:09:05 GMT -5
My two buddies are companions first but they have a job while I'm not home. When my other half and me are both out the house, my buddies go to work. Even though APBT are NOT guard dogs, just the presence of two 60-70lb dogs works on most people. Our attached garage is full of our racebikes that I constantly, CONSTANTLY worry about. Motorcycles have always been a high theft item with little to no help from the cops in locating them and slim chances of ever getting them back once stolen. For my dogs, I have made them a raised platform bed off of the floor, I put a heater in the garage (even without the heat, it never gets below freezing in the garage) and have a doggy door out to a huge 6' fenced in play area. When I originally adopted "Hazel" when we moved out to our location, I worried alot about her being by herself in the garage/play area. Granted, we live on close to 9 acres of land surrounded by farmers with no neighbors but that can present a problem itself. With no neighbors means no watchful eyes noticing if someone is stealing my dog, breaking-in, etc. when we're not home. Home security alarms are only as good as the local police force is to responding to your location. I, fortunately and unfortunately, live right on the outskirts of our town. By the time they'd get to my house, it'd probably be way too late. Out of fear for a lonely little Hazel being stolen, I adopted "Blue". I figured with two dogs barking and raising hell the temptation to see what's in my garage is greatly diminished. Even "IF" they get in the garage, they still have to contend with the spider web of chains, cables and burly padlocks on every bike. Heck, even the garage door has three locks on it! Currently, I have a "Beware of Dog" sign up on our garage, but I've been concerned with the legal issues of a douchebag trying to break-in getting bit. It's ashame that "Beware of Dog" can be construed to be an admission of guilt of having an dog who may bite when any dog can bite when put in the wrong situation. The better question is if you see the sign and you precede to do something illegal anyway then you get what you got coming to you, but unfortunately lawyers can spin the truth and reason anyway they like. I guess I gotta change my sign.
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