Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath’s 6-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, Leo, has been declared “dangerous.”
Namath, 66, appeared before a hearing officer on Thursday in West Palm Beach on charges his dogs have attacked people who came to his home just outside of Miami.
The lab must now be muzzled and leashed even on Namath’s property. leo must also have a microchip implanted and carry a special “dangerous” dog designation tag. Namath will also have to put signs on his property warning vistors of his dogs.
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User Comments:
Pat - Labs are not dangerous…but they are animals. Animals respond instictively, so my question is what were the humans doing that would cause the dog to attack? I would expect any animal to go into attack mode if the animal didn’t “know” me or “startled” me.
what a shame that the lab is being punished for what a human caused.
Lisa - Any time any animal whether breed is prone to being dangerous or not attacks anyone it needs to be taken seriously. Common people use your common sense! The dogs need to be restrained, muzzled or put to sleep before someone is seriously mamed for life or worse.
Fido - Makes me wonder what you need to do to get a Lab fired up enough to bite you. If it doesn’t, how you going to sue the rich guy who owns the big fancy house as well as the dog?
belleverna - Labs are usually – not always – extremely people friendly. That being said, they do have the reputation of being ‘mouthy’. Sometimes people misunderstand and think they’re being attacked. The answer for this is training. It’s better to start at a very young age (the dog’s, not the trainer’s)but, even adult dogs can learn. If Ceasar can’t make it call Victoria Stilwell – I hear she’s still working in the USA
Mona - all of my friends have dogs ,and all dogs are protective of their home ,I tell my dog guard ,its her job,I trust my dog more then the alarm system,people know I have a dog ,and the call first.I would never go into someones house ,unless I know that dog very well,or my dog is with me.
Lisa - Work with your dogs, they are pack animals and will react if they feel they have to protect. I have raised guard dogs for 30 years. There is training and knowldge to keeping them in control. Only one of the 5 I’ve raised bit a person, but it was a drunk stranger who came into my home.
I have my front gated with a bell at the gate & a beware of dog sign, still idiots don’t yeild or use the bell!! It is a sad world if your dog can not protect it’s family. Remember when you could take your dog to the store and tie it up outside, not anymore!
Muzzles are great tools, in Europe dogs go everywhere off leash wearing a muzzle. Get the Greyhound muzzle in plastic, it’s the best one I’ve found for comfort, protection and ventilation, can even drink and give treats through it.
Tam – I never trust people who tell me “…it’s o.k ,Spot won’t hurt you .He’s just being friendly”. These words usually come out of the mouth of a person without proper Canine Education. Just because you live with a dog(ie;animal)does not make you an expert.Sure, you can guess at your pet’s reaction to people and situations. But in reality it only takes being wrong one time to have your dog injure or wound another person or their pet.
Another pet peeve of mine is people that are too lazy to train their dogs properly. If you are too lazy to socialize your dog or teach them proper dicipline then,in my opinion,you don’t deserve to have a dog. Dog training is just as much for the dog’s safety as it is for innocent bystander.
My guess is that Namath probably plays with his dogs in an agressive (teasing) manner causing the dogs to relate to other people in this same aggressive style.
I think Namath should have to wear the same get-up as his dangerous dogs. He might learn a thing or two in the process.
By the way,I’m a lifelong dog enthusiast. Even been a registered Labrador Retriever Breeder,so save your hate mail.
it’s funny i have a pit bull for 8yrs,and he is great with people and i trianed him to be a great dog!! labordors , i can’t stand them!! the family dog, has a good rep,in my book all dogs can be crazy!!
Please folks, the assumptions are just too much.
Joe Namath should wear a muzzle because he plays too aggressively with his dog? What do you know about this situation that we don’t from reading the article.;
That said, Labs are my favorite dog and it is unusual;
thank god, they did not want them put to sleep (is it them or one dog?) I personally would not allow the people on the property; I would rather have the labs.
i think it is right for these dogs to be muzzled, as it’s obvious Joe hasn’t been taking care of them..
The man has signs on his property, “Wait Here!” and “Beware of dog”. Dogs are to alert on problems and protect the premises and owners. I have been around dogs all my life,.. bird dogs, deer dogs, coon dogs,..all kinds of hunting dogs as well as pets of all types,..German Shepards, Labs, Retrievers, Rottweilers and Bulldogs. The biggest issue is always people who try to act like it is their right to be anywhere they want to be regardless of whose property it is. The dogs live there & they have one boss, Namath. The other idiots who are visiting have no business throwing things at the dogs and if anyone is prosecuted its them. Labs are notoriously sweet animals. What might these trespassing jerks have done to provoke the kind of response attributed to them (which I seriously doubt happened) and why is it the owners’s responsibility to keep his dog from doing its job? No one had stitches so it could not have been bad unless they are just looking to sue someone famous.
Joe needs to make a call to Cesar Milan. He has helped a lot of dogs of the stars and regular folks, also.
It is the OWNERS responsibility to make sure that the dog is not allowed to be able to harm people that are visiting….trespassers are a different story.
I’m in a somewhat similar situation because my Border Collie nipped someone who trespassed onto my property. That person PROVOKED my dog, yet it remains the animal’s “fault” that the person is truly at fault. Now, I have to protect my DOG from stupid people. Give me dogs any day !
Obviously dogs have much more sense than some people!!!
How about people learn to use some common sense when entering somebody else’s PRIVATE property because a normal dog, no matter what breed will still be protective
I had a German Shephard in a fenced in back yard and a kennel inside the yard for when we could not be with him. and a schipperke and pit bull in the house. Paper person deliverys the paper every day while i’m gone. i’m home on vacation 1 week and EVERY DAY this paper person comes to the house to deliver the paper and every day he YELLS at my dogs. after i listened to this 3 straight days-just to make sure it wasn’t a one time thing, i went out as soon as the paper person got done yelling at my dogs and politely told him that if he did NOT quit yelling at my dogs I could NOT guarantee that they would not get aggrevated enough with him and get out of the fence and house and rip him a new a## hole! and i would NOT
be responsible for his actions! then i call the newspaper and told them exactly what i had said to the carrier and why! they understood and said they would talk to him also. so don’t tell me that people do not love to irritate dogs to see what kind of a reaction they can get out of the dogs!!!
by the way- he does not deliver our paper anymore:)
Idiot people who go onto private property need to be bitten. I have 3 “vicious” Pomeranias who raise hell even if you come near my home,,,my yard is fenced for them to get exercise and not run out…one did and was struck by a car before the fence….Have had several dogs..never seen one as protective as the Poms or jealous either.
Namath’s dog(s) were doing what it and all dogs do…protect the master or mistress and their home. We all know dogs are terriortarial(sic), but we keep approaching them.
I have had many labs through the years and can tell you it takes a lot to get them that mad to bite someone. and what are these people doing on his property anyway…were they suppose to be there..invited…or vultures..? was the dog protecting him?
Most all dogs respond well when they are treated well. This Lab could have been a victim of abuse as a pup and something or some smell has triggered a reaction now? I found that to be the case in a dog that bit me. He had been tortured into a fighting dog. A neighbor rescued him and he was always great. Shy and terribly afraid so we always came over with calm voices and tried not to startle him. One day he came after me and it turned out that it was the smell that got to him… And he was only 4 months old when he was rescued. 2 years later he still remembered. I think he was more upset about the bite on my leg than I was.
Leave the dog alone! Call before you enter, stupid
Its amazing that things like this can be in the news and its not hardly advertised..if his dog was a pit bull this story would be everywhere and thats sad, owners should be blamed for their dogs actions period.
Any dog that attacks or bites unprovoked should be put to sleep, regardless of breed.