Dog eats police car

From Chattanoogan.com's YouTube feed: "A Chattanooga Police officer, while running radar at 1410 Workman Road on Sunday night, had his patrol car attacked by a ferocious bulldog. Officer Clayton Holmes said he had stopped to work on a report when he felt his car shaking. He got out to investigate and what he found was a bulldog chewing on his patrol car. The dog chewed two tires and the entire front bumper off of the car."

Winston the Bulldog vs Patrol Car (Thanks, Mary!)

Previously:

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Anonymous

That wasn’t a pit bull terrier. If it wasn’t a mutt it was an american bulldog or one of the lesser known bully breeds. A pit bull should only top out at 60 lb, and ideally should be in the 40-50lb range.

And that kind of destructive behavior really isn’t unique to bully breeds. I’ve seen couches demolished, beds eaten, chairs busted to bits, and my own dog, a cattle dog, decided she didn’t like the carpet in a room one day and remodeled for us.
Anonymous

TO: All
RE: WHERE’S….

…Alfred Hitchcock when we REALLY need him?

I can see a sequel to his hit The Birds….

…The Dogs!

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Life imitates Hollywood....

....or is it the other way around?]
Tim

Tail wagging only indicates excitement, not whether the dog is playing or not. It can just as easily be communicating dominance or territoriality.
MadMolecule

Love it. Thanks for posting.
Kerov

Completely unimpressed with the police reaction here. These people are charged with protecting the safety of the public, but upon encountering three dogs that literally chewed their front bumper right off, their reaction is to … drive off at high speed. No concern was evinced for the motorists on the busy road next to them, no worry that the dogs might attack another vehicle. The cops totally forgot what their job was.

I agree with the previous comments that if it had been a human damaging their car, they would have been tazed or shot almost immediately, because the cops’ “must not tolerate any disrespect” reflex would have kicked in. I guess a non-human attacker doesn’t trigger the same domination urge.
- prepareducate
  
  The officer should be billed for the damage from the point he was aware and did nothing.
  
  Just like columbine, they accept their pay and benefits but when the job gets risky they slack off.
  
  If he worked in my department he would be at home on suspension right now.
- prepareducate
  
  That’s why they carry pepper spray and tasers, tasers are frequently used on dogs (as well as political protesters and little old ladies)
Anonymous

@cjp that dog is clearly NOT a pitbull or a bulldog, go check your breed types a little bit better.

Hate the owner not the breed, the anti-pitbull legislation in Ontario is a cartoonish waste of time and money. I had a lhasa apso bite through my hand and collies are THE most likely breed to have a bite resulting in a hospital visit, no one is trying to string up Lassie though.

I have two rhodesians they’re the only dog I’m aware of with a floating jaw and they’re used to hunt down sick and older lions, yet no one attacks that breed and calls them a menace though clearly they’re capable of doing some serious damage. Get better informed on animals dude.
- Anonymous
  
  I agree. I had a lhasa bite through my lip. Had to go to the hospital to get stitches and a tetnus and blah blah blah.
Anonymous

What does the cop think he’s doing there pulling the car back and forth? Obvious the dog thinks it is a giant game of tug o war!
Anonymous

It is WAY too easy to anthropomorphize these dogs…
Anonymous

They should get the repair money back from whatever body shop has the municipal contract. The put a replacement bumper cover back on without anything else that goes underneath it. This is all to common with shops trying to make an extra buck.

“Hero dog uncovers auto repair fraud.” Is the headline we should be reading. Go Winston, go!
Anonymous

It’s not funny at all. I imagine these dogs attacking my kids. This just should never happen in a civilized society: the owner should be charged and the dogs terminated. Period.
- lyd
  
  Anon, I imagine these dogs attacking your kids, too.
- Anonymous
  
  It must be horrible being so paralyzed by fear that you can’t seem to see what’s really going on. Anyone how has the slightest knowledge of dog behavior can see that this is not aggressive/attack behavior. While we are at it, why don’t we just wipe out the entire middle east, since one of “those” people could blow up your kids. Oh, I’ve got it, you should just lock your kids in an underground bunker, where they would be safe from attacks by animals, other humans, the harmful rays of the sun, the toxins in the air, the possibiliy of a lightning strike or tornado (oh, wait, what if there is a flood?)Your screwed, there is no way to protect your kids from everything. But hey, we might as well start “putting down” these percieved threats, I mean ti’s just a dog right?
Anonymous

Maybe it’s because I grew up with large dogs, and maybe it’s because I expect police officers to put their muscle and training to use actually protecting people and things, but I feel like if I had been there, even being not in shape and having no training as I am, I could have gotten those dogs to calm down.

It’s a simple matter of communication, like most police interventions. Those dogs were not aggresive in the least. Destructive, sure. But then I’ve seen dogs tear apart sofas because it was fun, then run away and whimper when I approached and scolded them. Most dogs, even “dangerous” breeds, are actually quite tractable creatures. It’s been bred into them over centuries.

What would have worked? Well, I know that dogs have a hard time distinguishing between vehicles with people in them and vehicles without people in them. If the officers had gotten out of their vehicles, the dogs would have seen, smelled, and heard humans, and that alone can change their behavior. They go from attacking a large, weird thing that sounds like an engine and smells like diesel to being submissive to a “dominant” human if they display even a little power. Doesn’t mean the dogs will just roll belly up at the sight of an officer, but it does mean they will rethink their activities.

Deep and loud voice, broad shoulders, solid stance, even stride… it works on people, it works on dogs. You take command and command is given to you. But remember not to abuse it, if people or dogs don’t listen immediately you have to keep talking – if you get abusive and back someone into a corner, they fight back.

~D. Walker
cwclifford

oh, the humane(socie)ty!
Anonymous

In Chattanooga dog hits car?
- Anonymous
  
  The dogs’ owner thanked the police for not shooting the dogs, and I do, too. I hope all police use their hearts and discretion, as did these police officers, and not shoot dogs or other animals when it is clearly not necessary and no life is being threatened. this is a priceless video! The dogs are having a blast!
Anonymous

@cjp: the “bite, hold, shake” behavior happens in all terriers, and even most dogs. as an owner of a pitbull, this happens during playtime – and anyone who knows anything about dogs can see that this dog just found the biggest, most interesting playtoy ever. observing their body language, none of these dogs are displaying predatory, dominant, or human- (or even dog) aggressive behaviors – they’re just bored dogs getting into trouble.
Anonymous

Ha ha, what’s the other one? His cheering section? And bulldogs aren’t aggressive? Yeah, right.
Ubernostrom

This is the funniest thing I’ve seen in days. Absolutely hilarious.
Digilante

Good boy!
Anonymous

In Russia, car eat dog.
Lis Riba

I heard about this on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me but seeing it is something else.

Look at how fast those dogs’ tails are wagging!
Anonymous

I wonder if a prankster sprayed some sort of doggie pheremone on the patrol car. The dogs seemed to be interested only in the one car.
LS

Scary dog. Very scary. Imagine those dogs locking onto you leg. Nice of the owner to let them run around on the street.
- Moondoggie
  
  Apparently the dogs were locked up in a scrapyard. They ate the fence before looking for a second course.
- Anonymous
  
  Exactly what I was thinking. Hope the owner got hit with hefty fine or something.
Anonymous

This just in: Dog Bites the Man
Syd

Good thing that’s not a sci-fi author chewing on the bumper.
Anonymous

Don’t think they’ll let the dog watch any more M*A*S*H after that…
Anonymous

Sadly, this is just the latest in the string of desperate measures that people (and now animals) are forced to take as a result of today’s struggling economy.

Can’t anyone see, all these dogs wanted was the opportunity to serve as part of the K-9 Task Force ??

These poor pooches don’t need any ‘obedience training’.. ..they need ‘Canine Bootcamp’ !!
help i cant comfirm my username themelonbread

Never thought I’d witness a Chattanooga chew-chew.
- mlw99
  
  “Chattanooga Chew Chew”
  
  Aargh!! That one hurt. But clever.
  
  Oh, I guess I can add another reason to include comprehensive coverage on my auto policy. Like to see those dogs try that on some old 50′s Chevy!
  - Anonymous
    
    There are a handful of dogs who could, potentially, tear the solid steel bumpers off of older fashioned trucks, but these Olympians are few and far between, and typically reserve their attention for higher priorities, like basking in the glow of their own awesomeness.
    
    ~D. Walker
That Evening Sun

There’s 2 t’s in Chattanooga. Thanks!
Ben Morris

It doesn’t seem particularly aggressive to me – more like its just having fun and treating the car like a chew toy or a stick.
- Moondoggie
  
  Ben, don’t be so quick to judge. We haven’t heard how the car felt about this yet.
- arboretum.ind
  
  And what sucks about this is even though that may be the case, there’s pretty much a 100% chance that that dog is gonna be put down.
  - annick
    
    If it hasn’t already been “accidentally” run over…
mgfarrelly

Look, people, Warren Ellis has warned us for years. Dogs are the enemy of the human.
http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=7676
Anonymous

Powerful animal no doubt, but the behaviour doesn’t look very agressive at all, to him that’s just a game. A properly trained dog shouldn’t do that, but scary? No. You could take that bumper and throw it, he would bring it back, tail wagging…
Owner didn’t let him run around BTW, he broke out.

full story here:
http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12139979
- Anonymous
  
  Thank’s for posting the original story, that is very helpful.
  
  I didn’t think the dog looked aggressive either!
ADavies

Man, that cop is lucky this got caught on tape. Just imagine him trying to explain it to the duty Sargent.
cjp

As far as I can tell, that isn’t a bulldog, it’s a pitbull terrier, which is an entirely different breed. This one seems to be exhibiting the typical pitbull ‘bite,hold, and shake’ behaviour which makes them so dangerous. I live in a province which has banned them and I’m enjoying my runs a lot more these days.
- pinkeeestrange
  
  Yeah, but do they ban negligent dog owners?
  
  Let’s try not to perpetuate (false, harmful) stereotypes about pitbulls.
- Anonymous
  
  You should educate yourself on what “typical” PB behaviour is.
- Anonymous
  
  you really need to read a dog bible. This not a pitbull. Your just prejudice. There is mastiff & pitbull in allmost every single breed.
- Anonymous
  
  Sir,as a child I pretty much had free run, as my mother never wanted kids, and my father had to work. My father appointed John, a pit bull terrier mix, as my guardian. Let me tell you, he literally saved my life more than once! Once was against a kennel full of standard poodles that had gotten out and saw my little 4 year old body as nothing more than tender meat waiting to be eaten. Although each of the more than 20 poodles outweighed him and were a foot taller, i never received a scratch. I was a little shaken, but unharmed, thanks to my guardian. Treat animals with respect and they will behave accordingly, cage them up and abuse them, and even poodles will become vicious.
annick

“Why don’t you just run them over!?” Gotta love the fuzz. Good dogs.
ryan4isu

He could have just fired his handgun into the air a couple times…I’m guessing the noise probably would have scared them off.
- prepareducate
  
  Firing a gun in the air is “reckless discharge of a firearm” and is illegal. but the officer had pepper spray and a taser, both legitimate options for a non lethal response.
Anonymous

Chill out. I saved a dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks purebred black Lab (as per his thankful owner) from the busy street outside of my house last year when the joyous creature was playing NOMNOMNOM with every tire on every car going down the incredibly busy street. The dork was covered in soap and had escaped his owner’s backyard during a bath attempt. If he had been lucky enough to have a stationary target, I’m sure he would have thoroughly enjoyed chewing it as much as Winston did. Was I afraid of the dog? No. Was he injured? YES. Luckily, not enough to threaten his life. But apparently chewing on 30mph+ cars, flaying off flesh from your face, and breaking nails on moving cars is fun for Labs. Are they dangerous too? No…. some dogs are just happy, unintelligent, and amusing. There is no reason to read so much into “pit bulls” being vicious because of this video. Dorksoaplab and Winston are just lucky they didn’t get run over chasing a truck.
ADavies

Man, that cop is lucky this got caught on tape. Just imagine him trying to explain this to the duty Sargent.
Felton

Well, the car did smell like bacon.
- Anonymous
  
  #13 you actually made me laugh my fvcking ass off
Anonymous

That is definitely not a bulldog…biiiiig difference between a bulldog and a pit bull.
Anonymous

what’s more embarrassing? having your police car eaten by happy dogs, or having your police car eaten by happy dogs while your colleagues videotape the fun?

good on the cops for not hurting the dogs!
slywy

Update: Obedience school for Winston.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_determined_dog
- LagerVsAle
  
  Wow, what a normal and reasonable response. Frankly I’m shocked that the police didn’t just kill the animal on the spot for being a danger. I gotta say all three dogs looked incredibly playful over the course of the video. Makes me wonder if there would have been lots of licking had the cop gotten out of the car and told them to sit/stay.
jjasper

Hey, bulldog, if you’re lonely, you can talk to me.
TuesdayWeld

This talk of “shoot the dog” and “run over him” needs to stop. Yes, doggie is eating police car. Big deal (and funny), but they’ll make the owner of the welding shop pay the damages. The only time shooting an animal that’s displaying this behavior is when it is attacking a person or possibly another animal.

To me it looks like a Staffordshire Terrier (which may be related to bulldogs, I’m not sure), and the fluffy black one looks almost like a young Newfoundland, but I could easily be wrong about that.
- 23refugee
  
  Sorry but I don’t think most people are willing to wait until this happens. I’d love to keep a lovable tame grizzly in my yard. I’d probably have as much ability to conrol it as many aggressive dog owners do their dogs. Sadly, my neighbors aren’t concerned with what my lovable pet does, theyr’e worried about what he could do.
Anonymous

Anon114: You’re wrong. “Classed by AKC as “American Staffordshire Terrier” and by UKC as “American Pit Bull Terrier.” The American Staffordshire Terrier, are generally of larger bone structure, head size and weight then their cousins the American Pit Bull Terrier.” http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanstaffordshire.htm

“Since the UK Dangerous Dogs Act made it illegal to own breeds such as the pit bull terrier, the press have reported many cases of attacks by Staffordshire Bull Terriers or dogs described as a ‘Staffordshire bull terrier cross’ on children, adults and family pets.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] The RSPCA fears that breeders are re-naming pit bulls as Staffordshire bull terriers to avoid prosecution.[13] Also, the description ‘Staffordshire terrier cross’ is frequently a euphemism for a dog such as the American Pit Bull Terrier.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire_Bull_Terrier

Most common dog owned in the US: pitbull and pit mixes.
That classic dog face/build/appearance? Is that of a pitbull.

Most of you wouldn’t know a pitbull kissing your face from a lab biting your neck.
Freddie Freelance

The other dog obviously is egging him on: “Ya chase cars? What’ll ya do if ya catch one?”
brittlehorn20

First off rofl…
yay to the cops for not shooting/tasing the dogs and yay to the dogs for having such a good time eating a car lol
Razzabeth

Kudos to the cop for not getting out and shooting the dog, as lesser cops have done in more minor situations.

This kinda reminds me, in a roundabout way, of the time Larry David acquires a racist dog in Curb Your Enthusiasm. He’s a rescue dog retired from the police department.
Anonymous

Wish we could train him to eat the traffic cameras in town too!!
Anonymous

Actually, it should read that the patrolman was awoken from his slumber to find that a dog had eaten his car…
hacky

I got one! I got one!
Anonymous

gah, pitbull apologists piss me off with their absolute denial of what their pwecious lil’ poopsies are not only capable of but are bred to do.

a greyhound, even an individual not trained to, is highly likely to give chase to small animals. it’s what they were bred to do.

a beagle, even an individual not trained to, is highly likely to trail a scent and howl over it. it’s what they were bred to do.

why is it so difficult for these people to admit that dogs bred specifically for bloodsport are inherently dangerous?
somnambulance

Take a bite out of crime-fighting!
Felton

We’re gonna need a bigger cruiser.
Daemon

That’s some fine craftsmanship on that car there. Remind me not to get one of those.
- dculberson
  
  Ehhh, almost every car out there today has bumper covers made of the exact same material and would probably be torn apart in the same manner. The visible piece isn’t structural, it’s just a flexible cover. The structure is an aluminum or plastic honeycomb material underneath that designed to absorb initial impacts and spread the remaining energy out over the whole front of the vehicle.
  
  I guarantee you that this dog could have done the same damage to everything from a Kia to a Bentley.
Jesse in Japan

That is exactly what happened to my homework!
Anonymous

Pitbull phobics annoy me.

Most people watch this and see a young dog playing and being destructive. Young dogs chew on everything.

Pitbullphobes see this and think, “What a dangerous dog. It obvously thinks that bumper is a human face. I’m glad those things are banned in my province so that I can jog without THE FEAR.”

To those who would embrace that fear I say this: Your problem is not the pitbull. Your problem is not that you are afraid of the pitbull. Your propblem is that you are afraid to admit that you are afraid of the pitbull. This is not an issue of you defending your neighborhood from monster dogs, it is an issue of you defending your own rationalizations of your fear of dogs by using the most extreme examples you can find to make your fears seem more acceptable.
Anonymous

Man’s best friend for the win!
alec999

If that had been an 82 year old woman in a wheelchair vandalizing his bumper, would he have tazed her.
IronEdithKidd

Sorry in advance…

Om nom nom!!11!1
ferdinandcc

That siren sounded about as threatening as track 2 of Reiki: Whale Song.
Anonymous

Agree with earlier poster – that is not a bulldog. No breed of bulldog (English, Old English, or American) have tails like that.
- Anonymous
  
  Anon #28, There’s nothing about that dog’s tail which suggests it couldn’t be an APBT or an American Bulldog.
  
  Anon #35, you’re right. it looks like either a Scott/standard AB or a tall rangy APBT.
  
  Anon #45, Thank goodness the cops on duty weren’t clueless spazzes like you. They showed admirable restraint. You have no ability whatsoever to judge canine behavior and drives. As many have noted, the dog showed zero aggression. He was playing, and he didn’t think the car was a big animal.
  
  Anon #50, You’re wrong. Those standards haven’t applied for decades since people began breeding APBTs larger b/c they’re for guard work or catch work which doesn’t require as small a dog as old school dog fighters prefer. Even in the despicable fight game the “urban/ghetto” dog fighters of today know nothing about how the old timers did it and routinely brred enormous APBTs every bit as big as weight pull competition bloodlines. Bottomline, you can find pure APBTs traced to great bloodlines anywhere from 35lbs to well over 120lbs. I had a triple Jeep grandson back in 1986 who was a lean mean 92lbs of pure muscle. It’s very difficult and sometimes impossible to distinguish an XL APBT from a Scott/standard American Bulldog without even thinking about all of the APBT/AB hybrids and APBT and AB mutts out there.
  
  Anon #57, you and Anon #45 would get along well, but you speak from pure ignorance.
  
  prepareducate, It’s not a crimne when a cop or even a citizen has reasonable cause to take such action, e.g dogs eating your car.
  
  Anon #76, I don’t see a Bullmastiff, maybe a BM-mutt, or a Presa Canario, or PC-mut, or APBT-cross, or AB-cross…
  
  Anon #112, APBTs and ABs have no more potential for inappropriate aggression than ANY OTHER working breed and several sporting breeds. The behavior is 100% a matter of training & socialization. If an owner is irresponsible, APBTs and ABs are among the most dangerous dogs to be loose, unsocialized and untrained along with a few other Working Breeds. APBTs have one of the highest pass rates for temperament evaluations. APBTs have been present and popular since the 1860s, yet the surge in incidences of attack is a very recent phenomenon making it clear, it’s a human behavioral issue. When man fails in his stewardship of the domesticated dog, tragedy results. When we’re talking about APBTs, ABs, Rotties and other powerful working breeds, the tragedy can be human as well as canine.
  
  Anon #124, You’re wrong and Anon #114 is right. Amstaff’s and Staffy Bulls are distinct breeds though they and APBTs all draw from the same exact antecedent genetics (one breed in 1860). That website is simply incorrect. A prevalence of show brreding for AmStaff;s versus catch work and fighting w/ much less conformation and showing led to a perception of such differences at one time, but now it’s impossible to distinguish if for no other reason than that there are dozens or hundreds of breeders with dual registered bloodlines. All dogs that are UKC and AKC are both APBTs and American Staffordshire Terriers and either breed can show the same range of physical characteristics and size ranging from 35-120+lbs. Staffy Bulls are smaller and not common in America.
  - 23refugee
    
    Anon #131
    “When man fails in his stewardship of the domesticated dog, tragedy results.” It must certainly be clear to an obvious dog man that when “urban/ghetto dog fighters ” breed dogs that it isn’t the dead loser passing on its genes and temperment. The winners are the ones running loose and filling shelters with puppies passed off as
    “lab-mix”.
    As for “the surge in incidences of attack is a very recent phenomenon”,wasn’t this breeds “work”(in addition to fighting) union busting and crowd control around the turn of the 19th century. Maybe this led to the breeds unpopularity and a drop in the number of attacks?
    I think that it’s your right to have ” a lean mean 92lbs of pure muscle”. I also think that, should your stewardship fail, Anon #45 or Anon #57 have the right to put a bullet in its head.
Anonymous

Taz a Pit and the rewards might be more then he planned on.

One officer told him to quit moving his car around, had he did that they would have quit and wondered off after a bit.

Also, when he had a chance to get out of there, he just fooled around till the dogs got back after his car. Not the brightest cop in town I imagine.
Cowicide

This is hilarious. Dogs seemed to be having lot’s of fun.

[cow looks at concern trolls in thread and makes masturbatory motion with hoof]
Anonymous

One thing to note at least about the brown dog, that’s a Bullmastiff. They are bred to NOT bite, (they were meant as game warden dogs going after poachers). Their instinct with people that are intruding on their territory is to knock them down and basically sit on them until the game warden arrived. Very cool dogs and great with kids, even if they don’t know the kid. The whitish one looks like an American Bulldog. Also another very neat breed.
JoshP

There is something so right about this video, I’m not quite sure what. The pitbull, american terrier is a bulldog breed of bulldog descent. Pretty sure it has to do with the shoulders, jaws, etc. Yeah, they are bred to fight and are watchdogs.
But for @above about not just shootin’ them or what have you. Look at that video. No cop I’ve ever met. (Let’s not bring up why I know so many) Wants to just shoot things. Particulary not some scrappy little bastard that is demolishing the bumper on a prowler. These guys live with the responsibility of dealing with reality, not media actuality of violence. Those guys will be talking about the pit bull forever. Rightly so.
Plus, I loved that look when the other car turned its siren on. It was like, Oh hai… you bring us more?
weatherman

Funny that cops don’t hesitate to taser old ladies, students, pastors, kids, moms or even themselves but they can be so careful with a pack of wild dogs.
Anonymous

This proves what I’ve said for years — dogs are smarter than cops!
Anonymous

Seems to me that mace would be a better first response than running it over. Even if at the end of the day, the dog probably should be put down.
- Anonymous
  
  as it happens they sent him to animal control for eval. he passed with flying colors, NO agression to people. Seems he just likes plastic. the workers at animal control vouched for him in court!
Anonymous

His partner, the brown dog, looks just like mine.
akassan

You can hear him thinking
“WHO LET THE DOGS OUT”
(sry I just had to)
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Speaking of Who Let The Dogs Out, I apologize in advance. Where are those pit bulls when you need them?
  - 23refugee
    
    I must admire the skillful way you lighten a thread. Sharp wit.
Anonymous

Dogs do not come off an assembly line as easily defined make/model emblazoned with a logo for instant brand recognition. Even highly experienced dog ‘experts’ cannot with integrity take a casual look at an online video and state with authority, yes this is a ‘so and so.’ For you to chime in about pit bull is only reflective of your media brainwashing and need to parrot false information. Why do you think that pure breeds come with papers? The lineage has to be accurately documented or you really can’t be sure. You should also know the demonizing of particular breeds is an age old tactic and it cycles from one to another like a fad.
Anonymous

Go Winston, go!
Now we just need that everyone brings a dog trained like him at demonstrations.
Anonymous

That’s not a bulldog…its a pittbull(probably a cross)…only they could have the jaw strength to do such a feat!
elevatedprimate

It’s pretty obvious why the cop didn’t just “drive off at a high rate of speed” to keep his cruiser from being chewed up. It’s the same reason that three other cop cars showed up. It’s also why the cop who used his dashboard camera to shoot the video repositioned his car at least three times in order to keep the action in-frame. They did these things (or didn’t do other things) because this event was hilarious as hell.
Anonymous

“To me it looks like a Staffordshire Terrier (which may be related to bulldogs, I’m not sure)”

Staffordshire Terrier (or American Staffordshire Terrier) is just another name for Pit Bull Terrier, which as its name implies a type of bulldog. Bulldogs were bred for the bloodsport of bullbaiting and, when that was outlawed, for dogfighting, which is why these breds are particularly aggressive.
Lobster

Huh. So that’s what they do when they catch them.
xzzy

Not sure what I’d do in such a situation, it’s pretty unique, but I do think that driving back and forth several times would not be my choice. It seemed to aggravate the dogs more, seems like stopping the car and just waiting would have diffused things faster.

And tasers. I’m surprised there were no tasers involved.

And snickers. Whoever was in the car running the dash cam did a great job not laughing.
- Tdawwg
  
  Imagine the audio:
  
  “Wroooof! Wron’t wrase wrme, wro!”
Anonymous

I had something like this happen to my car! A gopher got in the engine of my car and it was parked in front of my garage in my farm yard. My dogs smelt the gopher and went after it. Tore out my main wiring harness and my front bumper off and put a huge dint in the rad support!
Pipenta

These dogs are chewing and playing, NOT attacking. They see the cop car as a big toy, as a chew toy. Is this destructive? Yes. Is it a problem? Yes. Is it an attack? No. Does it call for destroying the dogs? Not at all.

Those of you who think otherwise frighten me. You take a quick glance at something and make snap calls (I won’t give them the dignity of calling them judgments) and you expect immediate action, damn the consequences, damn the validity of your calls.

Bull and terrier breeds are strong. When they are young, they are quite frisky. They can be stubborn. They are rather more than the typical modern day dog owner can handle. This is because people get most of their information about the way dogs are supposed to be from watching cartoons or Disney narratives. A dog is an anthropomorphized buddy, not, heaven forfend, an animal with behaviors that are not exactly like your own. Or worse, a dog is a fashion accessory or a toy for your kids, a throwaway or something to be left out in the yard and ignored. Because hey, your furniture might get dirty and you’ve got better things to do.

Do idiots go out and buy breeds as some kind of macho statement? They sure do. Is that the dog’s fault? No. Do some of these breeds get out of hand in the wrong circumstances? Sure. Are there ever situations in which a clearly aggressive dog (one that is attacking humans) should be immediately put down? Hell yes. Sometimes they even have to be shot. But using a firearm on a dog because he is chewing your tire seems excessive in the extreme.

I’ve had bull terriers, four of them. They all could have eaten your couch down to splinters in about twenty minutes, given half the chance, when they were young and ambitious. One of them was dog aggressive, and had to be trained, but not a single one was aggressive towards people. I used to take my dog-aggressive bully into schools and the children would run around him and scream, and when they realized he was not going to hurt them, they’d all grab him and manhandle him with love. And he was as gentle as a lamb with them. I put a lot of time into obedience work with him and he was beautifully trained. He could heel and go on a long down as pretty as a picture. But he’d have taken that bumper apart in two shakes, if such a thing had occurred to him, and had he been off duty and unattended.

Bull and terrier breeds are like frat boys at a decent school. They do the homework they have to do, but come the weekend, they party hard. This is not a bad thing. This can be a beautiful thing, a joyous thing.

My son grew up with these dogs and when he was a toddler, he did the things that toddlers do. He poked the dogs in the eyes, he grabbed their ears, and once, with the plastic handle of a jump rope, he, oh never mind. You don’t need to hear that one. I didn’t intend to allow these things to take place, but they happened quickly, right under my nose. I saw no point in keeping the boy and bully apart, because they adored each other. They followed each other around the house and yard. The dog helped the kid learn to walk. But the dog was a dog and the kid was a kid.

While some people fear bull and terrier breeds because they assume they will be aggressive, those of us who can handle the obstreperousness of the breed appreciate the fact that they don’t freak out when things get a little too physical. So while your fluffy little peekapoop might take a chunk out of your visiting nephew for pulling his sensitive ears, a bully is likely to just give the kid a big slobbery kiss, if he notices at all.

I was neither an irresponsible parent, nor an irresponsible dog owner. My dog, my kid and my neighbors all seemed well content. Dog and kid interacted. Outside of the neighborhood, total strangers would come up to me and rail about how dangerous my dog was. Because, I dunno, they’d seen something on TV or read a pithy two-paragraph analysis of the situation in People magazine while they were in the waiting room at the proctologist.

These are just sturdy dogs being real dogs. It is a pity they don’t have a responsible owner. I hope the cops fine the blazes out of the guy. But the dogs aren’t the problem.
- RedShirt77
  
  “These are just sturdy dogs being real dogs. It is a pity they don’t have a responsible owner. I hope the cops fine the blazes out of the guy. But the dogs aren’t the problem. ”
  
  I am sorry, I have a dog, I love my dog and I understand loving a breed. My dog is a rescue that had a history of some biting. But this idea that large dogs with massive jaws are somehow “not the problem” is freakin absurd. Some percentage of dog owners will always be neglectful and if neglect turns a breed into a loaded gun they will inevitiably hurt someone.
  
  Neglected toy poodles can cause a mark and maybe draw some blood. These things can take your face off.
  
  I have met all sorts of these dogs and thought most every one I met was wonderful, except for all those that tried to attack me.
  - Anonymous
    
    Couldn’t agree more, Redshirt. Being from an area where, until recently, dog fights were a fact of life, I’ve had the misfortune of seeing pitbulls in action. Granted they’ve been bred to not bite their handler but they’ve also been bred to fight to the death. It isn’t a matter of nurturing. There’s no comparison between these and any breed that wasn’t bred for fighting or bullbaiting.
    As for the provincial bans, why should a society that discourages it’s members from arming themselves allow such a weapon?
Anonymous

I believe (but can’t tell for sure watching the video) that the dog is Scott-type American Bulldog. Bulldogs are known to enjoy chewing all sorts of things. My own chews on metal lawn chairs and kettlebells. He also enjoys wood, trees, grass, and leaves. When we change collars, we give him the old canvas one to nom. Pitbulls are not the only dogs who grab, hold, and shake. All dogs kill prey that way. They don’t just bite off a bit off flesh and, let’s be clear, all dogs are hunting animals bred to kill something. None of the dogs in this video are exhibiting aggressive behavior but the stupid cop who suggests running them over deserves some. He can’t call animal control? When you ban breeds, the people who brutalize those dogs and teach them to attack and fight just continue to breed and sell them underground, the same way they do when they are legal. cjp, you’re no safer than you ever were. ls, looks to me like the cop is pulled into a private drive in rural area without a sidewalk or much foot traffic. I don’t think this owner is irresponsibly letting the dogs “roam the street.”
dculberson

I got to admit, if I lived around there, I wouldn’t be too comfortable with just obedience classes for that dog. The video was fun to watch but it would’ve been pretty scary to be there outside of a car. (Notice the cops weren’t exactly running to pet the little guys!)
Antinous / Moderator

I get the idea that the driver of the cop car has never actually interacted with a dog before. Everything he does prolongs the action. There are other stopped cars. There are other moving cars. But there’s only one car moving slowly and randomly like a wounded elk.
- Cowicide
  
  But there’s only one car moving slowly and randomly like a wounded elk.
  
  You just made me laugh pretty good thar.
Anonymous

In fact, Winston got loose. “Owner Nancy Emerling said Winston got out of a fenced-in area at a welding shop March 14.” http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_determined_dog
simonbarsinister

Note to self:

1. Spread peanut butter on police cars
2. ???
3. Profit!
simonbarsinister

When I was young I had a dog that chased cars down the road, trying to bite their tires. Until the sad day he caught one.
Anonymous

Hehe. But I’m sure the dogs got scolded for that or somethin’.
Anonymous

Maybe Obama should have a “beer summit” with the dogs and cops.
JayByrd

It’s the Chatanooga Chew-Chew!
- Adze
  
  Damnit, you beat me to it :)
- Miss Jess
  
  That. Is. Hilarious. I’ll take a big band pun reference to pitbulls any day of the week.
Hawkman

goddamned punks!
Anonymous

I wish everyone would stop being so prejudice against pitbulls. Yes they do have the possibility to become violent but so does every other freakin’ dog on the planet. Pitbulls are singled out only because they look more ferocious than others, so people CHOOSE to teach them to become violent and aggressive. That way it looks and behaves scarily enough to make sure nobody tries to mess with them. Again, any other dog can be taught these ways so don’t single out any old breed. My aunt has a pitbull mix and she’s the most affectionate dog I know.
- 23refugee
  
  I’ll remember that next time I read about a pit dragging a toddler under the porch or gnawing off Grandma’s feet.
SpaceGhost

The dog just smelled some bacon in there, that’s all.
anachronismo

I am amazed the cop did not shoot the dog. Cops have shot dogs for much less. Last year in Danville, Va. a cop shot a tiny weiner dog because it was barking.

Basically these cops are awesome for not shooting it, because they easily could have.
Kylini

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_determined_dog

The judge assigned the dog obedience training classes which, upon completion, will result in the dismissal of any charges. “The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that a judge ruled that Winston had been a very bad dog.”

Nice followup and AP bounce.
Anonymous

LOL! JayBryd, winner of the Internet today. :)
Anonymous

we need more dogs like that in this country,lol
Eth

“This one seems to be exhibiting the typical pitbull ‘bite,hold, and shake’ behaviour which makes them so dangerous.” – CJP

All dogs do this, it’s nothing unique to pitbulls (or bulldogs).
btb

He probably ran over a skunk
Anonymous

The dog has some “issues” that will require some gentle persuasion and training tools.

1 Bull whip
2 Chair
3.Tire iron
Anonymous

I think it was photo-shopped.
brookswift

The officer already used his taser AND pepper spray, both to no effect. when the dog was tasered he just “rolled over and chewed the wires, pulling out the barbs”. the video didn’t start until backup arrived after the initial attempt at calming the dog down verbally and using reasonable force (taser, pepper spray) failed.
Anonymous

A dog is eating a car. A DOG IS EATING A CAR.

Shoot the damned thing.

“Oh! How cruel!”, you say. No. There is an animal on the street, eating a car. A large, dangerous, undisciplined animal, that has no qualms taking on an opponent much larger and perfectly capable of killing it in an instant. Can you say what scent, false move or other stimuli prompted this attack? Do I have to point out what this thing could do to you, or your kid?

Shoot it already. No “accidents”, no “putting it down”. Shoot it. Then fine its owner for being a putz.

And send a nasty note to whoever does the purchasing for the city, citing them for buying such a crap police car.
Anonymous

@felton & JayByrd Thanks for the laughs

By driving back and forth, the officer was actually playing ‘tug of war’, a favored wolf game which is practice for tearing meat from a carcass.
- Anonymous
  
  Absolutely. The dog was playing tug of war. This is not to say that whatever prompted the dog in the first place was something else, but once he got ahold of the bumper, the cop was just playing an elaborate tub of war game with the dog. Most big dogs, especially, enjoy such play. Winston just hit the jackpot — he got a whole automobile to play tug with!!!
MadMolecule

By the way, according to this article, the officers DID eventually tase and pepper-spray the dog; I gather that’s how he was finally caught. It also says Winston’s been a “model prisoner” and will be sent to some obedience training.
dhalgren

What is so awesome about this video is that the three dogs look like they are having fun playing. All their tails are wagging like they just caught the biggest chew toy they could find and it moves back and forth for more play. I was wondering what breed that big thick brown furry dog was if anyone knew?
Anonymous

Dogs don’t know it’s not bacon!
synthsis

I’m actually surprised he didn’t try to pepper spray the dogs. As bad as it sounds it’s a much better outcome than shooting them or running them over. That was a pretty funny 3 minutes from the perspective of a dog lover/owner.