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

[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)

[critter crazy]

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...


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



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)



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)

Okay first off I would like to say That i LOVE Pitbulls!! I hope to own one someday!

But I also do agree that Shelter dogs, can be very unpredictable! They have been tossed from home to home, most abused, and then thrown in a cage! How the heck would you feel??? Not that this has stopped me from adopting shelter dogs, cause it sure as heck hasnt! But I have also had a shelter dog turn on a family member, My son! He will forever have scars on his face due to a Shepard mix, that Just snapped!! We understood, that it wasnt the dogs fault, and he just needed more time to adjust and feel love! But two weeks later, he went and attacked my Nephew who was Asleep at the time, and sent him to the hospital as well! So dont try to tell me that shelter dogs, arent unstable in some way! You would be too, if you had to go through what they have!! And just so you know, not all shelters have the abilities to Temperment test all dogs that come in! This shelter did not, and still does not. We no longer adopt from this shelter anymore, for this simple reason! Just my two cents!

[Callie]

I have to agree with CassiesMom, not just on pit bulls (and, yes, I've known some good pitties) BUT one must be careful in adopting ANY dog from a shelter unless they know the truth about the dog's background. Voice of experience here.

We adopted a lovely Australian Shepherd/German Shepherd/Sheltie mix from a shelter. Everyone said, and it appeared, that he was a beautiful, intelligent animal with no bad habits. About a week after bring him home, he tried to bite our neighbor's child when they came to visit (the kid did nothing...not even reach out to the dog), he took to snarling at everyone who came near the front porch. What did it tho' was the day he turned on me when I came out of the garage. My throat was the target when he launched himself at me.

When we took the dog back to the shelter and reported on it, they at first couldn't find the records, then they found them and said that dog should never have been adopted out to a family because it was trained to protect property as in a used car lot night patrol dog. He was behaving exactly as he was trained to...protecting any enclosed area (like the porch) against any and all intrusions. The child wasn't injured...a bruise on his hand was all, thankfully, but I could've been...and I was 'known' to the dog at that point. The shelter apologized and put the dog down since they couldn't, legally, release it after a negative attack report. Felt awful about it but at least no one else will be in a similar situation, or worse.

I have adopted other animals from shelters and they've been wonderful but you do definitely take a risk unless you have some idea of the background.

Callie

[merlin26]

pit bulls and the like should not be judged as one, all dogs have different personalitys and anyway the most likely a dog is to attack is when under threat or trained to do so.
I believe that this issue has bee raised purely because of irresponsible owners who cannot keep their dogs under control.

[shoodle2]

i sooooooooooooo agree. it is humans who have taken the so special relationship between humans and dogs and twisted these poor animals into fighting dogs. pit bulls raised like any other dog are noble, terrific animals. If you don't believe it look at the dogs that have been rescued from horriffic, brutal situations that have been adopted inot loving families.

[lute]

The pit that attached the mother and baby...why don't they look at HOW the dog is being kept? Was the dog socelized well as a puppy? Do the owners abuse the dog?

It's my understanding that Pitties are NOT the only breed to attack unprovoked. I've seen more Cocker Spaniels, Collies, and Labs be euthinized because they attacked unprovoked. Only because the Pit Bull has a bad reputation we fear it. Back in the 80's everyone feared the Doberman for the same reason. "They attack unprovoked". It's an unfortinate faze that our society makes the breed seem "dengerous. Most if not all Pittie attacks, the dog is living in an unproper home.

What about all these crazed Chihuahuas? We muzzel more Chihuahuas than Pit Bulls at the vet clinic. Maybe no one fears them because of their tiny teeth. They think it's "cute" that such a tiny dog thinks it can be so aggresive. It's not cute. ANY breed aggresivness should be taken seriously.

I watched a video on youtube not long ago about Pit Bulls. I'm sure some of you have seen it. It said in a seven years study of 100 dog breeds likely to bite a human the Pit Bull came 4th...from the bottom. The Cocker Spaniel and Lab were 1 and 2. Which leads back to my "I've seen more Cockers and Labs be euthinized because of unprovoked attacks." Why don't we fear Cockers or Labs???

Cockers are known as cute dogs. Labs are known as loyal dogs. If ya ask me we need to change things up a bit and see what it's like for everyone to fear the Cocker Spaniel. Doesn't it seem wierd that someone would "fear" a Cocker? Why? They are cute fluffy dogs. I guarentee if the Pit Bull had cute fluffy hair no one would fear it nearly as much as it's feared now.

As a proud owner of an American Pit Bull Terrier I'd just like to say to anyone that doubts the breed needs to meet my boy, Brick. He is fiercly loyal, a couch potato, a snuggle bug, and he's even submissive to my Pomeranian, Beanie. Right now Brick is asleep at my feet like he always is when I'm on the computer. Always by my side, a comedian, A food hog, a ball fanatic and a perfect specimen of what a Pit Bull should be.

[Joe Fitz]

You are right, hold on to your dreams.

[GSDluver4lyfe]

I went through something like that with my grandmother. I had a pitbull, named Jessica (sweetest dog in the world) and my grandmother gave her away because we were moving to a "better" part of town and she didnt want people to think she was bad or trashy so she gave her away. Found out a year later Jessica died from being overbred at uner 2 years of age. The guilt still kills me.

[Danegirl2208]

Oh my that is awful GSD, I am so sorry