Am I The Only One Who Thinks This Is Wrong??

[KittyGurl]

My neighbor just got the sweetest dog ever and it's a pitbull. She is so sweet and nice and probably the nicest dog ever. Her name is Sandy. Well, someone wanted them to get rid of their dog because of the breed!!

Ok, I could understand if Sandy attacked someone, but she never did. I am so tired of this. Does anyone else think think this is wrong! Everybody judges dogs by their breeds! People think pitbulls, rottweilers, ect. are horrible dogs because in the past they acttacked someone. Well, they really aren't. It all depends on the training and the owner! A pitbull could be the nicest dog in the world and a golden retriever could attack someone! I just wanted to know if anyone agrees with me.

[cassiesmom]

There is a saying, "Punish the deed, not the breed." I know there are others on Pet Talk who understand this issue a lot better than I do. If I were to have a dog I would have to take training classes in order to be the best dog parent possible.

[crow_noir]

And the "Anti-BSL" movement. (BSL = Breed Specific Legislation)

There is a saying, "Punish the deed, not the breed.".

[luvofallhorses]

people need to realize ANY dog can attack at any time not just pit bulls and rottweilers. I have a 125 lb. rottweiler, golden, lab mix and she is the best dog I have ever had. she would only lick you to death. that's the only thing she would do. Everyone seems to be scared of her until they get to know her. She is very loyal and protective of us but not in a bad way.

I love, love pit bulls and it sucks they have a bad rap. I hope to have one someday, rescued of course.

I bet you if anyone met Ebony, Jadapit's pit bull she would change anyone's mind about pit bulls. I haven't met her yet, but I hope to someday since her and Jadapit and her other beautiful dogs aren't too far away from us. Just a couple states away is all.

by volunteering at the shelter, I have met so many pit bulls and all of them have been total sweeties. I think any dog can attack at any given time.

even a huge mixed breed could attack. I have never had a dog attack me. Just nibble on me a bit because they are puppies.

there are pros and cons of each breed out there IMO.. but people need to remember people make them mean and bad breeding can, too. sometimes it isn't the people who make dogs mean, it is bad breeding.

people need to do right by owning breeds like pit bulls, rottweilers, dobes, etc. everyone needs to do right by their dogs regardless of breed especially pit bulls because they have such a bad rap and keep them out of trouble because each mistake you make this wonderful breed pays their life for it. I hope I made sense here.

[catloverforever]

I agree that people shouldn't judge dogs by their breed! I think Pitbulls and rottweilers can be very nice dogs, and well-behaved as well. I think prejudice is VERY WRONG, whether in people or animals. I am glad people agree with me on this matter!

[Genny]

I think it's sad that people judge these beautiful dogs too. There are some pitbulls/rottweilers etc that are more aggressive than others, but then there are some of the same breed that are the sweetest dogs you could ever meet.

I saw a show on Animal Planet once where a pitbull had just had puppies and she was nursing some baby kittens. I also saw a pitbull letting a baby cow nurse from her. They can be very sweet dogs, and they're pretty!!! My brother use to have a pitbull mix; she was very sweet and ever tried to bite/attack anyone! She was even friendly with strangers....but sadly someone stole her and we never saw her again. She was a brindle color...very pretty...

[mylilpony]

yeah it's really sad that some people just judge pit bulls, dobes. ect by thier breeds. our nieghbors got a pit bull yellow lab mix puupy recently and she's a little sweetheart. she is still a little bratty sometimes because she's just a puppy but she would never hurt anyone. most Pit bulls are really nice animals and it's time for people to stop judging them by their breed!

[cassiesmom]

Here is a lively (CLOSED) thread on the topic. I don't know that much about it but I am thinking there are other members of Pet Talk who understand it in a lot more detail. I have learned much about the pit bull from reading posts by Jadapit. I still think that if I were ever to have a dog (of ANY size or breed) I would have to attend training classes in order to learn how best to guide and direct the dog's behaviors (what I mean is, how I and the dog move and behave as a team). Otherwise I would be guessing and I don't think that would be good.


http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...&highlight=bsl

[Alysser]

BSL(stupid legislation banning pits) is absolutely digusting. There is no excuse for it. Banning a dog isn't going to solve any problem. It's just making people more scared of these dogs, and preventing uneducated people who are scared of pits from meeting a nice one because the dogs aren't allowed to be around. Media has not helped the matter at all. Often when their is a dog attack, they say it's a pitbull, when really it's just a dog that looks like one. And all to often the dogs have the same background. Being chained up in the yard and forgotten about, unfed, etc. Unknowingly to many people this would obviously cause human and dog aggression. It's a sad world we live in today. The saddest thing is that, people who are for this legislation claim to be dog lovers, yeah, take another look at what needs to be banned.

Now this idiot, Micheal Vick, got accused of pitbull fighting. Many kids across the nation looked up to him and what example is he setting now?? Oh, lets fight dogs.

[cassiesmom]

Here is another one. Warning, the section about dog fighting has some very graphic photos. There is an interesting section about other activities more suitable for pit bulls, such as Schutzhund, agility, search and rescue, and tracking. Same activities available to dogs of other breeds. Nature versus nurture, I don't know for sure; but one thing I have learned from being on Pet Talk is that if I'm ever to be a dog parent, the way to learn proper behavior for both me and the dog is training. Both I and the dog will have to be taught the right way of doing things, otherwise I don't think it would be reasonable to expect only proper behavior. Training and patience.

http://www.workingpitbull.com/activities.htm

[tikeyas_mom]

I absolutly 100% agree that making somone move out or get rid of their dog based soley on its breed is extremely rediculas!. I own a pitbull, and we have been turned down at several homes because of her breed!. Our last house evicted us soley on her breed. It is so stupid, lemme tell ya, we have bitched out quite a few landlords because of their breedism.

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

and it could be coming to a town near you. They may legally walk into your home and take your family member and euth it.
And folks, it isn't only pits, GSDs, Rotties, Dobies...
We got very vocal with the Denver issue, but the Mayor put it in place anyway.
Folks have to move or lose their dogs. I told the Mayor, I am telling EVERYONE who loves animals to say OUT of Denver, whether to live or to recreate.
It is a frightening thing. Right here in Beaufort County, at our county shelter, you won't see a pit bull up for adoption. Ever. And yet they get them in all the time.
BSL could also translate to Australian Shepherds, all guard breeds, it really has to be stopped, the momentum is building.

[cassiesmom]

More on the pit bull discussion from today's (8/20) letters to the editor:

Don't trust pit bulls

I feel that I must draw attention to an issue that was brought out in two separate articles in the Aug. 14 Tribune.

First, in the news section's "Some animal shelters debate 'no kill' plans," the story quotes "Charlene Jones, founder and director of Animals at Heart, a non-profit in Jacksonville that works to help people keep their pets longer," as saying that some shelters "will adopt out potentially dangerous animals just to make space."

With that in mind, I read the Metro section article "Dogfight suspect stripped of animals; Judge rules against South Holland man; 20 of 37 seized canines called adoptable."

These dogs are now in area shelters, and according to Catherine Hedges, who is connected with the shelters, "They're a very highly rehabilitated breed because they're very loyal and eager to please. And that's their downfall. That's why people fight them."

I respectfully disagree with Hedges.

My son Nick was mauled by three pit bulls in November 2005 and still suffers loss of function and disfigurement from the attack.

These were family dogs that "snapped," and the violent rampage that resulted nearly cost my son his life.

My message is simple: In going to a shelter to adopt a dog, unless you know exactly where the dog came from, you don't know how it has been bred. If you are interested in a pit bull, the one you get from a shelter may have been bred to be extremely aggressive and violent. This violence can display itself at any time, with seemingly no provocation.

As someone who has seen the devastation from this sort of attack, it is not worth the risk.

All of those dogs that were seized have been selectively bred to be very aggressive and violent. All of them should be destroyed.

If you want a pit bull, you should go to an authorized breeder who can prove that the lineage of the dog does not contain aggressiveness. If you don't know a pit bull's ancestry, then you simply don't know if it will attack or not.

Polly Foley
Cary

[lute]

It's very sad that people think so ill of such a sweet and lovable breed. It happends every day. Even one of the vet-techs I work with is scared of Pitties just because of their reputation.

Hopefully your neighbors don't get rid of Sandy because of what someone else says. I hope they raise Sandy into a well mannerd, lovable dog that will change the other person's mind about the breed. It's amazing what one responsible Pit Bull owner can accomlish. I don't know if anyone remembers Juicy, the stray Pit Bull I cared for. My parents were so scared of that dog. Because of what he was. After a while of comming home to find the "big, scary dog" asleep on the couch or all the slobbery kisses they changed their minds. Now my parents accept the breed a lot better and have even been open to rescueing Pitties if the need be.

[Danegirl2208]

This once again is someone who knows NOTHING about the breed...
I know this person isn't here to read my replies but I really need to bust a couple ridiculous myths in this letter..don't believe the bull people...

Don't trust pit bulls

How about we not trust ourselves either? We are afterall, the ones who created this "monster breed"

These were family dogs that "snapped," and the violent rampage that resulted nearly cost my son his life.

Firstly my deepest sorrows about her son.

But sorry to say that dogs do not just "snap."

"Dogs don't just suddenly "snap and turn" against people. Bad apples with sketchy temperaments and/or troubled dogs that can be provoked to bite show clear warning signs well in advance of causing harm. Pit bulls in particular are a ‘What you see is what you get' breed and knowledgeable dog handlers find them easy to read. Unstable examples of all breeds give off plenty of signals way in advance of escalating to human-
directed aggression.

Dogs with unstable temperaments can be provoked to aggress via mishandling or abuse. They may be especially problematic if they’re unfixed (females in season and males who are attracted to females in season) or defending territory."
(From: http://www.badrap.org/rescue/index.cfm)

My message is simple: In going to a shelter to adopt a dog, unless you know exactly where the dog came from, you don't know how it has been bred. If you are interested in a pit bull, the one you get from a shelter may have been bred to be extremely aggressive and violent. This violence can display itself at any time, with seemingly no provocation.

This statement is so utterly ridiculous....

Time to do a little more myth busting...

"Many people feel more comfortable meeting the parents of their new puppy or dog; they mistakenly believe that the puppy will turn out to be a carbon copy of its parents. If the parents are mild-mannered and friendly, the puppy will be the same, right? In reality, two very nice parent dogs can easily produce a temperamentally-compromised puppy or litter. Additionally, the "end result" - the adult dog - is shaped by how the owners raise, train, socialize, and treat their puppy. Even a puppy with excellent temperament can be totally ruined by ignorant, irresponsible owners.

Although most rescued dogs do not come with a pedigree, and their history is unknown, such mystery does not automatically make the dog "dangerous" or "risky." At a reputable shelter, dogs with obvious temperament flaws (those that suggest the dog is a danger) are not offered for adoption. New owners of adopted dogs can also reduce the liklihood of behavior problems through proper training and socializing -- something that has to be done regardless of whether the dog is purchased or adopted.

The risk you face by adopting a dog with unknown history is about equivalent to the risk you face by purchasing a dog from a breeder. (Besides, do you really know the history or genetics of the dog you purchase, other than what the breeder claims to be true?)"

(From: http://www.happypitbull.com/index.html)