But Brandau says attacks on a dog's owner are extremely rare, even for pit bulls. "It is very rare that your own dogs would turn on you and kill you and then eat you," he said.
Redirected aggression
"The dogs may have been thwarted in doing something, got frustrated and turned around and attacked the owner," Polsky told Live Science. Ron Berman, a dog-bite expert and certified forensic consultant, agreed that this could be a scenario in which dogs attack their owner.
Pitbull attacks can happen for a number of reasons, but most often, it's due to poor or improper training by the dog's owner. Some owners may even train their animals to be aggressive, which is a recipe for horror. When a dog owner fails to train or socialize any dog properly, that animal may bite without provocation.
Instead of judging a dog by its breed, experts recommend paying attention to pets' body language when trying to determine if they will attack. If a dog has a tensed body, stiff tail, pulled back ears, flicking tongue or an intense stare, it may bite.
Pitbulls are 2.5x more likely to bite in multiple anatomical locations than other breeds. Pitbulls are responsible for 60% of all injuries and 63% of ocular injuries. Pitbull attacks have higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than attacks by other breeds.
Pit bulls are inherently aggressive and more likely to attack their owners and other people.
In general, pit bulls aren't aggressive with people but are “less tolerant” of other dogs than many other breeds, says Pamela Reid, PhD, vice president of the ASPCA's Animal Behavior Center in New York. They also have “great tenacity. They put their mind to something, and they do it.
"Unlike other dog breeds, pit bulls will attack without warning signals. It will always look like the attack is sudden. One minute it's on your lap, the next minute it's attacking you. It's unusual for most dog breeds to attack their owners, but pit bulls have a history of that in spades," she said.
Pit bulls will commonly start developing signs of dog aggression between the ages of 8 months and 2 years, although it can develop at any age and can come on either gradually or quite suddenly. It is important to note that many pit bulls do not display the "typical" signs of dog aggression before a fight.
2) If the dogs have begun fighting, grab the aggressor by his tail and pull up and backwards. When grabbed by their tail, most dogs will also release a bite grip. Continue moving backwards, pulling the dog by its tail so that he cannot turn around and bite you.
How Often Do Pit Bulls Bite Their Owners? Studies show that pitbulls bite their owners at a rate of 0.33 per 1000 dogs. That means that for every 1000 pit bulls, about 33 will bite their owner at least once. In most cases, these bites are not serious and result in only minor injuries.
Call both the police and the animal control in your city to report the incident. Be sure to get the file numbers. If only animal services attends the attack, follow up with a report to your local police and get the case number. If the dog owner has broken local laws, you need to make a police report as well.
If a dog is afraid of you, they might cower or hide.
Remember, a dog that doesn't like you might actually just be kind of scared of you — and this fear can manifest itself in physical ways. "If the dog is fearful, he may cower or crouch, pull back his ears, tuck his tail, hide, or tremble," Sueda told Insider.
But Brandau says attacks on a dog's owner are extremely rare, even for pit bulls. "It is very rare that your own dogs would turn on you and kill you and then eat you," he said.
Pit Bull Terriers
Probably the most notorious breed on this list, the pit bull has a reputation for unpredictability and aggression, even against its owner or his family. State and local governments have been vigorous in restricting ownership of this dog with breed-specific legislation.
Pit bulls are unpredictable.
While we can't speak for the inner workings of the minds of every pit bull out there, experts say that pit bulls are no more or less unpredictable than any other dog. If a dog is attacking, he has likely been triggered by pain or something that has made him extremely uncomfortable.
Pit Bulls are great with children.
Pit Bulls are a loyal, people-oriented breed that thrive as part of the family. They are affectionate with both adults and children. Note: All children should be taught how to interact with animals and should be supervised when playing with any animal.
This breed is easier to train than many other breeds. Pit bulls are more likely to obey their 0wners and require fewer command repetitions. For owners who love to be active, pit bulls will keep you well exercised. This breed is very energetic and requires daily activity to stay in shape and remain content.
Some dogs will misbehave because they are bored and have not had enough exercise, others lack proper training. A dog who is feeling anxious may also exhibit behavior that appears to be a case of misbehaving.
Fisher said that pit bulls do extremely well on the “canine good citizen test.” “From my years' experience, pit bulls are the most people-friendly, children-friendly, human-social, and passed temperament tests higher than most breeds,” she said. “I will not adopt out a dog that I think has any human aggression.
Be aware of the signs that a bull is about to charge: He glares at you. The bull tosses his head about forcefully. He widens his stance slightly, lowers his head, followed by pawing the dirt.
Physical punishment should never be a course of action following a puppy or dog bite. Tapping or popping them on the nose can be misunderstood and seen as being playful. This could also encourage more unwanted biting behavior. Hitting a dog, or being too rough with a dog, frequently encourages more biting as well.
Bear spray, pepper spray and Mace have about a 40% success rate in stopping pit bull attacks. Pocket sprays such as Mace, pepper spray, ammonia sprayers, and similar devices try to replicate in miniature the fire extinguisher effect, but in truth a spray can of almost anything would work about as well.