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She lived to around 12-13 too - R.I.P Amber
(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome
akjmpplt 0
QuoteObviously, it's the owners, not the dogs. When I see a pit-bull, tied to a stake with about 30' of log-chain, I know what that's about! I've known folks with pit-bulls, Rotweillers, Dobermans, etc. that thought they were lap-dogs and would love you to death before they'd bite. I don't believe, these dogs are mean and nasty, by nature but are mean by their raising. I've seen mean cocker spaniels and mean horses, for that matter. It was the owner. Maybe, I'm naieve!?
I don't know, I used to think that way. That it's how the dog was raised, not it's breeding. I raised/trained/raced sleddogs for several years. You don't have to teach the dog to run, it's bred into them...it's what they do. IMO it's that way with the aggressive breeds. Not that good training can't mellow them out and help in control, but the aggression is still there and must be considered.
QuoteObviously, it's the owners, not the dogs. I've known folks with pit-bulls, Rotweillers, Dobermans, etc. that thought they were lap-dogs and would love you to death before they'd bite.
I think you have a valid point with regard to owners. That said, the pit that mauled my greyhound was a sweetheart when it came to people, it was only around other dogs that his instincts swam to the surface. That kind of territoriality (word?) on the street NOBODY needs.
It is ignorance like this that continues to perpetuate the stereotype that Pit Bulls are "killing machines." No breed of dog is physiologically capable of locking their jaw. If you spoke with any vet before making such a statement, you would realize it's absurdity.
Like children, the way a dog will behave as an adult is a combination of nature and nurture. A dog of any breed who has been abused or neglected as well as a dog who has been trained or encouraged to behave viciously is going to behave in a very different manner than a dog who has been raised with the appropriate amount of discipline and love.
Pit Bulls were originally bred as fighting dogs. They fought bulls, bears and other dogs. During this training, they were also bred NOT to bite any human, be it the opposing dog's handler who had the right to inspect each dog prior to a fight or an individual breaking up the fight. They were NOT bred as protection or patrol dogs.
As a result of this original breeding, Pit Bulls can be dog aggressive and any responsible Pit Bull owner is aware of and deals with this in their own way. Those who don't should be punished just as a parent who knows their child likes to play with fire and gives him a lighter anyway should be punished when that child burns down the neighbors house.
In the case of Pit Bulls biting humans, know that there is usually a back-story that the media does not expound upon. It is more sensational to say "Family Pet Mauls Child" than to say "Neglected dog kept on a 6 foot chain in the backyard for three years because family didn't have time for it with new baby bites child who repeatedly poked it in the face with a stick while said child was left alone in the years unsupervised."
While it is true that the number of fatal bites is greater among large powerful breed breeds, data from CDC studies show that small dogs such as dachshunds, cocker spaniels and even a Yorkshire terrier have killed humans. In Los Angeles last year, a Pomeranian caused fatal injuries to a 6-week-old baby in her crib. "Bites by Chihuahuas are probably as numerous as bites by German shepherds," says Bonnie Beaver, executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists at Texas A&M University.
It makes me sick when I hear stories of parents telling their children never to pet "that kind" of dog when what they should be teaching them is to never approach any strange dog, ask the owner of a dog on a leash whether you can pet it, etc. ... these things are common sense. Much of society seems to accept this, but what if that same parent was overheard telling their child instead of "don't talk to strangers," "don't talk to that kind of person" (referring to a certain race or ethnicity). Why is bigotry OK when we refer to animals that we created? Why is prejudice OK when we are referring to a breed with the word AMERICAN in it's name?
During WWI, an American Pit Bull Terrier named Stubby was the wars most outstanding canine soldier. He earned the rank of sergeant and a medal for warning of a gas attack. Teddy Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, Sir Walter Scott, and Fred Astaire all owned APBTs.
I have no problem with saying that both the dogs and owner's of the dogs in this case should be held accountable, but to make this a "Pitbull" issue is just wrong. I would be surprised to learn that the dogs were even UKC / ADBA registered purebred Pit Bulls, but more likely some sort of a mix commonly referred to as a "pit bull."
I bet if it had been a Golden Retriever that had done this damage, the headline would have simply said "dog" instead of the breed and that there would be no commentary of "locking jaws" and breeds with" a "tendency to attack." In a seven year study ranking the likelihood of 100 different dog breeds to bite a person, the APBT ranked 96th, more than 50 places behind a Golden Retriever.
Something to think about !
QuoteIn a seven year study ranking the likelihood of 100 different dog breeds to bite a person, the APBT ranked 96th, more than 50 places behind a Golden Retriever.
Quote
Not that I disagree with alot of what you said in your post, but unless you can supply some kind of proof to that statement, I call bullshit.
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Controlled and Deliberate.....
tsisson 0
I've met many pit bulls that were very sweet, but they are capable of inflicting terrible damage. I believe the problem with many pit bulls comes from some types of people that are drawn to them.
They are definitely a breed to be raised with care and require hightened responsibility.
Derek
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