People don't get euthanized for humping sheeps...

Of course the boy needs to move now to somewhere that noone will know his or his family'* name. For if his future grade school chums find out about it...

That is awful. I agree, it'* not the dog'* fault.

such a nasty mental picture

Am I the only one here with a low enough opinion of humanity to think that the dog may have learned that behavior by experience?

Actually, it seems to me that is the general consensus. I have never heard of this happening before, which makes me tend to believe that it was a learned behavior.

My old dog tried to hump me once when my brother was pulling me around in my radio flyer wagon. It didn't get so far as this, it was no more than putting his paws on my back and hunching his back. He looked rather ashamed after I thumped him upside the jaw. That'* what boy dogs do. You can train it out of them or remove the appropriate hormone producing organs... as far as the dogs mind goes, this was no different than a chihuahua humping your leg.

All 3 of our dogs have been spade. The larger two a Husky and a Beagle mix (both 50-60lbs) often hump each other. Which always results in the 2 of them playing pretty rough, border line fighting. Our vet says it’* their way of trying to tell the other "I'm in charge." Aside from that they are best buddies any other time.

I didn't even want to post this here because ...gosh...what an awful thing for the boy and the family to go through.

As far as learned behavior...I don't feel that way... I learned (in dog obedience school) that dogs view humans to be other dogs. In any group, there is the Alpha dog - the leader of the pack. As an owner, I was trained that I had to prove I was the Alpha dog in order to get mine to be obedient.... if this is true, the the 2 yr old playing on the floor could certainly be viewed to be "just another dog" to this pitbull. Dogs hump other dogs... I don't believe that we have a sexually deviate dog here...

And yes, proper training by the family is key...how many times have you gone to someone'* home only to be greeted by Rover humping your leg...most folks get a good laugh over it and push the dog aside. Unfortunately, a two year old cannot do such a thing.

This is a tragic situation that could have been prevented...it makes me sick to think about that poor little boy...but blame the dog? I don't. Last month a similar incident allegedly occured in Wisconsin with an 8yr old girl, according to one of the vets interviewed today.