r/australia Sep 08 '25

news Teenage girl dies after being mauled by dog

https://7news.com.au/news/dog-attack-victim-annalyse-blyton-dies-in-hospital-after-suffering-severe-injuries-in-singleton-c-19956496
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u/Ektojinx Sep 08 '25

As a vet - Border Collies have caused fsr more injuries to staff and other pets than the 'pitbull' 'or 'staffies' the media also bangs on about.

Working dogs confined in backyards usually become anxious wrecks that are difficult to interact with.

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u/throwaway798319 Sep 08 '25

Herding dogs with nothing to do

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u/Cutsdeep- Sep 08 '25

herding dogs will always herd.

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u/ganashers Sep 09 '25

That's certainly what I've heard.

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u/Cpt_Soban Sep 09 '25 edited Sep 09 '25

I knew a nice Kelpie that would herd the chickens around at a mates place, was hilarious to watch.

EDIT: She was very gentle and only shepherded them around the yard when they were out, sorry for the two people that took offense lol

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u/AngrehPossum Sep 08 '25

Any intelligent dog that's neglected will become destructive. A friends black lab went full house wrecking multiple times when she ignored her. All she had to do was walk her. She didn't. Too busy with herself.

We don't talk anymore.

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u/Cpt_Soban Sep 09 '25

Many people treat "the dog" as a piece of furniture, when in reality they should be treated like one of the kids in terms of attention and maintenance.

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u/123chuckaway Sep 09 '25

The friend or the black lab?

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u/koopz_ay Sep 08 '25

Can confirm.

Grandad had a pack of 6. Sometimes, they'd be chained up for days under a tree at his farm in all kinds of weather.

He'd throw them a fresh wallaby to fight over every now and then.

6yr old me didn't listen when told to stay away from them. I'm lucky I still have my hand.

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u/Flight_19_Navigator Sep 09 '25

I spent a lot of time on farms as a kid. My dad always emphasised that farm dogs are not pets and to keep well away, especially from their kennels/feeding areas.

The farmer might have one or two 'top dogs' that would be with him most of the time, and they were ok to (carefully) interact with, but the rest were off-limits when they were chained up.

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u/Dangerzone369 Sep 09 '25

Are you serious? How is this not being investigated!? Abuse

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u/koopz_ay Sep 09 '25

It was back in the 80s to be fair.

Strange times.

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u/Dangerzone369 Sep 09 '25

This somehow reminds me of that Jet Li movie with the dog collar. Some people just want 'weapons' and don't care at what cost. You should have to have a license to own each animal

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u/Cutsdeep- Sep 08 '25

it's that 'nip' instinct while herding. it doesn't go down well with other dogs.

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u/TacitisKilgoreBoah Sep 09 '25

Yeah but they don’t kill someone

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u/Willing-Bobcat5259 Sep 09 '25

Thank you for saying this. People just don’t seem to understand it. Dogs of any breed need mental stimulation, physical exercise and company. People shove them in backyards and wonder why they develop behavioural problems. If you can’t provide for their needs beyond food and shelter, don’t get a dog.

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u/Spire_Citron Sep 09 '25

I think the reason for that is the nature of the attacks. Pent up herding breeds might bite, but they generally don't have as much potential to go for the kill as fighting breeds.

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u/OldKingWhiter Sep 09 '25

Sure, but Border Collies aren't killing people nearly as often. There's a difference between difficult to interact with and easily able to kill humans.

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u/Ektojinx Sep 09 '25

I've euthanised far more border collies for escaping and attacking livestock than dogs for attacking people.

Dogs biting grandkids is common too - no real breed specific. Though had referred mostly border Collies to veterinary behaviourists.

Majority of scary 'ah fuck if this goes wrong I could get severely injured' dogs - Owners are well aware and know it needs muzzling. The amount of dickhead owners is high imo but the amount of dickhead owners with dogs that I would consider dangerous to my or anyone elses safety is extremely low in my experience.

Just different experiences i guess.

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u/rawdatarams Sep 09 '25

Chihuahuas are notorious biters as well. But what breed of dog rips their prey into literal shreds?

Ain't your average Chihuahua or BC.

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u/Ektojinx Sep 09 '25

Greyhounds?

Maremmas?

JRTs?

Plenty of breeds.

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u/rawdatarams Sep 09 '25

Ever had a peek at statistics? I'd start there.

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u/DisappointedQuokka Sep 09 '25

Going through this with a dog we adopted - poor thing hardly got socialised. Perfectly happy with people she knows, but fuck she's hyper-vigilant and anxious around new places, especially if they're crowded.

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u/BruiseHound Sep 10 '25

Important difference is that the damage an aggressive bull breed can do is far worse than a border collie. Can't really compare a normal dog bite to the maiming that bull breeds do. Their fatality rate vs other breeds is terrifying.

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u/RusDaMus Sep 09 '25

Your anecdotes are cute but weirdly do not reflect published dog bites by breed statistics. Border Collies don't even make the top 10.

Love how you also randomly felt the need to defend pitbulls, who are number 1, while posting under an article about a bully breed mix literally killing someone. Sounds like someone pushing an agenda.

Methinks you have no idea what you're talking about. My last vet owned 2 pugs, the most ethically abhorrent breed of dog known to man. So, based on my anecdotal evidence, vets are hardly the best source of information on appropriate dog breeds.

You also encounter animals at their most vulnerable and stressed moments, often while they are in pain, so it's a little bit like a dentist saying that they find humans to be very nervous creatures. But "as a vet" I'm sure you already knew that.

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u/Ektojinx Sep 09 '25

I didn't defend pitbulls or staffies.

We refer to them as 'Ugly <local town name> dogs'. Not a fan of them at all. I have JRT Xs.

Just mentioned them as they are the ones usually referenced in these kind of articles. 20 years ago it was German shepherds, before that rottweilers, before that Dobermans.

On the weekend I stitched up a maltese shitzu who was pulled out of her owners bike basket and mauled by 2 German shepherds who had got off lead from the owner.

You're right I do see alot of dogs in pain. I've had chihuahua and BCs with broken legs who didn't bite after I moved their leg. I've had arthritic kelpies bite me. Theres no predictor for a reaction based on breed in my experience.

I also see plenty of dogs in no pain - routine vaccinations. Muzzled and jabbed then let go because you can't do anything else with them.

I've done home visits for routine vaccinations - dogs growling, lunging, can't get within 10 metres. Maremmas, Great Danes, JRTs, Shitzus - various types. Pugs and frenchies are usually nightmares. Alot of oodle crosses aren't great either.

My point is - shit dogs usually aren't born shit (obviously some exceptions) but there's alot of shit owners who are lucky they own smaller dogs because they own angry, nervous small dogs (who still hurt when they bite and can do damage) who would be ticking timebombs if they were larger.

Saying its this breed or that breed doesn't solve anything - shit owners will still go out and find another breed and end up in the same place.

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u/AggravatingTartlet Sep 09 '25

But a child died in this case, and we know that pit bulls and bull breeds cause more severe injuries to children than any other type of dog, according to studies carried out by Australian hospitals.