but Eric, precisely what is the difference iwth gun ownership? On Sun, 23 Mar 2008, Eric Yost wrote: > >>Fila Brasileiro > > Friend of a friend owned one of these dogs. They > were originally bred by the Portuguese for > protection and to hunt jaguars. Slavers used them > to track runaway slaves; police to hunt escaped > criminals. They are superb, albeit slobbering, > bodyguards and home guard dogs. Worst > characteristic seems to be that they give no signs > of pending aggression. No barking. No growling. No > tail movements or raised hair. Mostly silent when > confronted by strangers, they suddenly attack. > > Years ago, in a city dog run, I had to defend my > dog against a bit pull who suddenly attacked her. > Acted without thinking, and managed to take down > and subdue the pit bull without being bitten, > knocked it out, and eye gouged it until it > released my dog's neck from its teeth. It was one > of the most traumatic experiences I've ever had > ... made me realize in frantic horror how weak I > was, how relentless that block of muscles and > teeth was, how overmatched I was by a simple pit > bull. I was lucky to escape the fight without a > scratch. My dog lived several years after the > attack. (Dog run association wanted me to sue the > pit bull owner, but I was too traumatized to > follow up with anything.) > > Imagining a similar situation with the larger Fila > Brasileiro, I supposed I would have acted in a > similar way, and would probably be dead. > > In an urban environment, it makes sense to control > people's ownership of such animals, and to > regulate the animals themselves. If you had such a > dog on a ranch, I would be a different situation. > > > Eric > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, > digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html > off address: #201 West Building, Philosophy, Duke University box 90743, Durham, NC 27708 home ph#: [1] 9196881856 cellph#: [1[] 9195997065 (voicemail is available on said numbers) email palma@xxxxxxxx ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html