Wichita can’t ignore the threat of dog attacks in some neighborhoods. It’s a tragedy waiting to happen. But as we argue in today’s editorial, banning or restricting ownership of certain breeds such as pit bulls isn’t the answer. Large, aggressive breeds such as pit bulls and rottweilers can make wonderful pets if properly trained. It’s irresponsible dog owners who are the real problem.
Current ordinances targeting misfit dogs and owners seem tough enough. The city needs to hire more animal control officers to enforce them.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
114 Comments
I agree – it is usually the owners who turn a dog bad. However, i do have some concerns with pits. One is that they are so strong that if one gets out of hand it can be very dangerous. My other concern is whether they are becoming inbred. That also creates problems.
It’s not dogs that hurt people, it’s people who don’t control their dogs that hurt people.
My friend has a pit bull who is the sweetest and smartest dog I know. He does agressively lick my face when he wants his tummy rubbed. He has a nine-year-old girl that visits him often, who loves to play with him, and he puts up with much!The pit bulls I’ve seen that were agressive were the ones trained to be agressive.
Blaming the owner is a nice thought.Only problem is that you can’t blame the owner until AFTER someone is attacked.How are you going to police and decide what a bad owner is, as a preventative measure????It’s a hell of a lot easier to spot the animal than it is a “bad” owner!!
Gas the dogs. Sterilize the owners.
This one hits home.
My son was ALMOST attacked by a pit bull.
The dog had escaped from a neighbors yard. It caught sight of my son riding his bike.
Folks? It was like watching a light go on in that dogs eyes. Pure instinct kicked in. My son was not a child on a bike. He was prey.Only my shouting and running at the dog distracted it. He turned to attack me. Fortunately an animal control van arrived at that very instant. A second or two either way for me or my son and the outcome could have been very bad.
This was a young dog. It was not even fully grown. It took animal control more than an hour to apprehend him.
I want to say first and foremost, there is no such thing as a bad dog.
Dogs are what we have made them. They have been selectively bred and in-bred to enhance various traits.
In the case of pit bulls, the desired trait was an animal that would violently fight to the death when put in a pit with a similar dog. A sickening “sport” that some among lower browed human beings enjoy.
As such, pit bulls are NOT fit to live in close quarters with anyone but their owners.I’d call even that a hazard if there are young children in the home.
Personally? I’d like to see the breed go extinct. These animals are extremely dangerous. Short of that, ownership of a pit bull should be conditioned on having an escape proof enclosue checked out by animal control.
My neighbor could not meet those standards. It cost her her dog. Following the incident with me and my son, the dog was put down.
Ben,If being big and strong is the criteria for banning dogs, I guess I’m out of luck since I can’t stand the little yappy ones that act like they’re on speed all the time! Case in point is the only dog that ever seriously bit me was a Lhasa Apso.
There COULD be a brighter and less controversial future for the breed. That is if those who love the breed were to pursue it.
English bull dogs were bred for aggression similar to that in a pit bull.
The big jaws of a bulldog were meant to clamp down and hold on to a twisting jumping bull.
Another example of humans entertaining themselves through the abuse of animals.
But more than a hundred years ago, lovers of that breed started selectively breeding them to gentleness.The result of their efforts is a an animal with a body for fighting but a big tender heart.
Pit bull lovers could do the same. They could breed the dangerous traits out of pit bulls. They seem unlikely to do so though. Most folks with pit bulls like the fact that they are aggresive.
Its not the dog but the human that trained, or not trained, the dog. If the dog does attack then something must be done. But if putting the dog down is inevitable then the owner must be put down too. I would see not one problem in putting the human down since it was the human that was the ultimate cause.
Oh and while you are on the case of dogs, why not go after the idiots who turn their cats out of the house. Open season should be declared on any cat roaming the neighborhood.
Jed – I have always tended toward the “work breeds” – shepard, husky, lab etc. They seem to combine the gentleness and strength and are great with the little munchkins.
Where is hank these days? It would be good to get his informed input here.
“In the case of pit bulls, the desired trait was an animal that would violently fight to the death when put in a pit with a similar dog.”
They would violently fight other dogs. Any aggressive behavior toward humans led to the dog being killed immediately, because humans were in the pits with the dogs. A Lab or a doberman is just as likely to bite a human as a pit with a true bloodline is.
If one believes the statistics from the folks that gather dog-attack facts, the golden retreiver is the top “biter” of all breeds.
Is this to say the gr is more likely to attack? What it says is that any breed left undisciplined will bite and attack, just like a human.
JR,Unfortunately, too many large dogs are abused in training to fight or be watchdogs. In such cases, it’s the trainer that should be put down, not the dog!My personal preference is for German shepherds, but I have friends who own pit bulls, and not one of our dogs has attacked anyone without severe provocation (once one bit a kid who had cornered him in his own yard and was beating him with a broom handle. That was the only time, and that dog was as friendly as dogs get!). Most of the trouble between people and dogs is caused by ignorant or cruel people.
JR,
You make me wonder how far you live from my daughter. The neighbor behind them has at least one Pit Bull, a Rot, we think a Doberman, and one or two others of like breed. The house my daughter & her husband bought had been vacant for a year. They moved in with 2 small children and now have 2 puppies. The neighbor dogs busted through the wooden fence 3 times. The last time, the dogs were IN my daughter’s backyard and one was coming through the doggy door they have and attempting to get into the house. That was the last straw. They had already started rebuilding a new fence to reinforce the old one after the first two times. They had no choice but to call animal control.
For a week following the incident, they were “stalked” by their neighbors, who continued to drive slowly by my daughter’s house.
Animal control told my daughter and son-in-law to let the dog get in the house the next time. AC would shoot it.
I can’t verify this, but I heard it from someone who knows dogs, who said the brains of Pits continue to grow, causing extreme pain and making them more vicious.
If someone has verifiable info for or against that, I’d willingly look at it.
I’m a big dog lover, too.
The following breeds of dogs were involved in the most dog bite fatalities in the U.S. from 1979 to 1998:
Dog breed and number of deaths.
Pit Bull — 76Rottweiler — 44German Shephard — 27Husky — 21Malamute — 15Wolf-Dog Hybrid — 14Mixed Breed — 12Chow-Chow — 11Doberman-Pinscher — 9Great Dane — 8St. Bernard — 8(Dr. Jeffrey Sacks – Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
The primary concern should be serious injury, not getting nipped by a yappy little dog. As illustrated above, certain breeds are inherently more dangerous. Breeds bred to aggression can be trained to be more gentle, but if not properly trained and left to nature they will be dangerous.
So if banning pit bulls will save 3 to 4 lives a year (statistically),then what’s the hold-up?JR, you should have seen what happened to one of my kids.She was being carried by her mother when a pit bull came at a full run and went after my daughter, who was about 6 yrs old.The dog completely ignored the three adults who were trying to beat it down, and concentrated on the child.As far as I’m concerned we can kill them, ban them, whatever.
If it looked like a pit bull, it must have been one.
It was a pit bull.No doubt.Fact.
We do not need more animal control officers. Any police officer can be dispatched to put down these dogs. Boy isn’t that something Randy is all ready to spend thousands of taxpayer dollars a year when all he needs to do is dispatch one of Wichitas finest and his favorite caliber bullet. Probably some meth or child abuse in the home too if the occupants have a pit bull out of control that authorities have to respond to. What we need are Illegal Alien Control Officers. Yeah, thats what we need Randy, Illegal Alien Control Officers. How about just one Illegal Alien Control Officer, can we have just one Randy, please?
A dog’s temperment depends on the breed, the breeding, and the trainer/owner. I’ve known sweet dogs of all the breeds listed by outlander and have personally owned 2 Chows and a Husky/Shephard mix. All that a small kids, too!
I know Chows are notorious, but from personal experience I found them great with kids and very protective. They’re one-family dogs. We lived out in the boonies, and both of ours would keep strangers in their cars by barking at them. The only time we had a problem was when a friend of one of my kids would come out and tease one of the dogs by swinging a ballbat at her. One day, he made a move toward her and her puppies when they were a few weeks old. She bit his leg. I didn’t blame her.
Typical leftist, do-gooder bullshit: ban guns, ban confederate flags, ban “hate speech”, ban politically incorrect thoughts, ban ciggys, ban gas guzzling vehicles, etc., etc., ad freaking naseum, ENOUGH!
PS: Where is Hank Hill, he hasn’t posted in a long while? I hope he is okay.
Viva La Raza Blanco!!
RD, I have a husky-shepherd mix.The most wonderful dog I’ve ever owned.She’s a sweet, but protective family dog who lives in the house.She is one smart bitch also.
Ian, old pal.There’s nothing on your list that I want to ban.
In order to keep ANY dog, the owners should be made to take a training course, or have the dog attend a training course, so that dogs can be properly trained. Most dog owners I know would love ot train their dog, but have a hard enough time house breaking thier dog, and would never be able to properly train otherwise unless forced to take a course.
City dog tags should not be issued to any dog that hasn’t passed a course. Any dog not licensed should be put down (after giving the owners a short notice to license thier dog).
TRACY – my last dog was a husky-shepherd. VERY protective of my wife and son; then of the grandkids. Passed away a few weeks back – old age. Gentle as could be.
I once had an 85-pound shepherd/collie/samoyed mix. Neighbor kids would climb all over him and he would take it. Me, however, he would draw blood! (rough-housing) Funny thing was, my cat ran roughshod over him.
Ian – I must not be a lefty – I don’t favor abnning them either.
The AKC has a program that provides trainers and certifiers for training dogs. It is the Canine Good Citizenship program. In order to get your dog certified the dog and owner have to pass a ten point behavior test.
I’m not sure that it should be mandatory, but only CGC certified dogs should be allowed to be kept in apartment buildings, etc.
I don’t think breed specific laws are the solution. The fines and penalties for keeping any aggressive dog that hurts someone should be a lot more severe.
Hank
I have some experience and expertise with Pits going back to my days in Texas in the 70s. I owned one for a while.First, let’s clear up a misconception. Pits weren’t originally bred to fight. They were originally cattle dogs. To watch a good pit work cattle is a thing to behold. I’ve seen a 35 pound Pit Bull take down a 1500 pound steer. I’ve also seen the dark side of pits, the fighting. It used to be a huge sports thing near Alverado Texas. Those dogs were bred to fight.
Now we can talk all day about owners and proper training and “socialization, but the fact is, Pits are extremely powerful and agressive. They’re also very difficult to safely contain. The only really safe way to keep them is to chain them (and I HATE chaining a dog). They can climb a chain link fence faster than you can.
You can site statistics about other biters all you want. The fact is, a Golden Retriever will bite you. A pit will maul and possibly kill you. Once they’re triggered, they’re almost imposible to stop.
A couple of years ago, a 5 year old girl in Salina had her face pretty much removed by a Pit Bull. The dog climbed the fence and attacked her in her back yard.
Folks, your right to own a pet is superceded by everybody elses right not to be mauled or killed. Pit Bulls are dangerous as a breed. They need to be outlawed as a breed.
Hank – can you comment on breeding/inbreeding? I seem to recall many years ago there were problems with dalmations when just everyone had to have one. Breeders were trying to crank them out way to fast. Has anything similar happened with pits?
Sorry but the Eagle is just wrong on this. I owned a pit that attacked a child. I used to believe that it was all in how you trained them too. I would never abuse neglect nor train a dog to bite. We went through all the professional training, had the dog since a pup. And despite all of the socialization, she still attacked.
So no, it’s not always the owner.
And conversely, a dog that has been abused can also turn into a wonderful loving dog. You just never know. It’s not a chance I’m ever willing to take again- not with a dog that powerful.
Oh, by the way, if anyone wants to get their dog CGC certified I’m willing to help you train and get him prepared. I can also get a person that will certify him. I’m free, certification will be around $20.
Even though it’s sponsored by the AKC, your dog can be a mutt and still get certified.
Hank
Hank – when I get my next dog I might need to talk with you. I need a playmate for the boys so am currently looking.
Politicalmom,I see you’re also a former Pit Bull owner that learned the hard way. My Pit was a great pet. But she was a horror when the instinct took over. I got rid of my Pit because she was a lawsuit waiting to happen.
I think what scares me with pits is that they are SO powerful I don’t know that I could overpower one if I had to. A neighbor has one and, although I know is has been raised ‘right’, it stll makes me nervous. That has not been the case with other breeds, including dobermans.
“It was a pit bull.No doubt.Fact.”
I’d like to know how that was verified.
All dogs should be in a fenced yard, house, or on a leash no matter what the breed. Any dog will attack if provoked, surprised, or feels threatened.
The characteristics of the aggressive breeds have to be respected by the owners and take precautions not to put them in a situation where they are dangerous to others. I’ve owned an aggressive breed of bull dog and she was the best dog I ever had. I always put her out when children were present and didn’t take her for walks.
I’m not for bans on certain breeds. The owners of these breeds need to be responsible.
Ben, your fear is well-founded. You’re probably not strong enough to stop an attacking Pit. Once they get a grip, they don’t let go except to get a better grip. Sooner or later, they get an artery, and then you’re finished.
“Sorry but the Eagle is just wrong on this. I owned a pit that attacked a child. I used to believe that it was all in how you trained them too. I would never abuse neglect nor train a dog to bite. We went through all the professional training, had the dog since a pup. And despite all of the socialization, she still attacked.”
Yeah, I used to have a poodle that was the same way. It has NOTHING to do with the breed.
XXX yes I did learn the hard way, it was a heartbreaking experience- one that I hope to spare others from. Heartbreaking to the child who became scared to death of dogs and will forever have the scar, and heartbreaking when we put our dog down that night (my vet trainer came in personally to do it in her off hours)- but knowing it was what we had to do.
I know these people who say they KNOW their dog will never bite…I know they believe it. I guess they’ll have to learn the hard way too.
A contrast in dog styles: I was bitten not too long back when I got too close to the children. When I backed up the lab disengaged. Basically “no harm no foul” when it was over. In the case of a pit I would be concerned that the dog would continue to attack. Then real damage can ensue.
Ban the dogs. I have felt this way before I became a parent and now am adamant that pit bulls and rotweilers be banned. My 2 yr. olds life, or any 2yr. olds life is worth protecting, even if it means dog owners have to give up their breed.This debate would not be occurring if people had not been marred and/or killed by these animals. I think that answers the question – ban the dogs. Is there a rotweiler or pit bull owner willing to speak at a 2yr olds funeral and explain how good and valuable the dogs are? If you are out there, I will eat your lunch.I am a non-violent person (generally) but would not hesitate to shoot any dog that approaches my daughter. Stiff fines, short jail sentence, banished from the community, all are worthwhile if it means I am protecting a little ones life….or an older persons life.Since we cannot account for the commitment of dog owners to training and detaining their dogs, we have to act in the best intentions of the citizens – ban the dog. This removes any doubt.No human life or human arm is worth protecting these dogs. Inject the dogs and let them run free in doggy heaven.
Todd: You will notice that poodles aren’t on the list of dog breeds that have killed people.
You can’t really believe that generations of breeding for strength and aggressiveness don’t make a huge difference in propensity toward behavior dangerous to people. Kind of like the difference between keeping firecrackers and hand grenades.
The problem though, in banning certain breeds, is defining what a particular breed is. What about cross-breeds? I can foresee it being difficult to enforce. I do think it is worth a try to get special restrictions and licensing requirements on dangerous breeds.
Out,Nipped by a yappy little dog? That Lhasa bit his way through 33 stitches worth of hide before I could shake him off!
Ben, one of our Chows did that. Kids (teenagers) playing on the porch, and one started tickling my daughter. She screamed (laughing), and the dog grabbed the guy’s back pants pocket. Never actually bit, just made it known that the guy had overstepped. Daughter told the dog it was okay, and she backed off immediately.
Dear Ben,
Almost all of the breeds have serious problems that are directly related to the fact that we are breeding them for one trait or another. When you start breeding for a certain head set, tail set, or whatever it seems that you almost always get some behaviour or characteristic that is unwanted.
Name the breed, I can name you a few problems they have. The 101 Dalmations movie inspired a lot of ‘backyard breeders’ and puppy mills to start cranking out puppies to meet the demand. It also bankrupted the Dalmation Rescue organizations with the adult Dalmations that were no longer wanted.
In-breeding is a lot of the problem, but indiscriminant breeding for profit is also a large part of the problem.
Hank
Hmm, negroes and non-White latrinos commit crime way, way ,way out of proportion to their numbers in society. so, I take it that could and should ban certain races from society as well, right?
V.L.R.B!!
RD – that is as it should be. In my case I got a small cut in a finger – basically nothing. Obviously never reported or anything; if it had been it would have been tossed as a “provoked bite” since I had encroached. Check the shot record and get a bandaid.
Outlander is right some breeds are inherently more dangerous.I was raised around English bull dogs, we have never had any of our dogs made aggressive.But one day we had one that saw a horse and rider and it broke its 1/4″ inch chain and made a lunge for the horse’s throat, luckily we were able to get a hold of the dog before it did any harm.As gentle as English bull dogs can be but still yet there is always the instinct of the animal (it will surprise you) that you have to consider.Ownership of any animal is solely the responsibility of the owners no matter how that animal is.
Hank,
I’m going to pass your offer along to my daughters. One got a 1/2 Lab pup, who delighted in jumping on the two kids (a 2 & a 3 year-old), so they bought a Basset to keep her company. The Lab has calmed, considerably. And I ADORE the Basset. *grin* Both need some training, however.
The other daughter just got a Hybrid-Husky pup, which escaped the yard last week but luckily was found and returned by a neighbor. My daughter’s doing the best she can, without knowing exactly what needs done.
Both girls are looking for some training for the dogs AND themselves. Before you’re inundated with emails from my animal crazy family, at what age is the best to begin training?
This is a good place to mention 2 points that are just a bit off topic.
Hank is correct. Pure breed dogs can have HORRIBLE health and behavior problems. I had a Westhighland White terrier that eventually became allergic to it’s own skin. My folks lost a poorly bred Chow Chow to a heart attack. German shepherds can have terrible hip problems starting in their mid years. With each breed, there are unfortunate results of breeding dogs true.
If you want a dog and are not particular, the best thing to do is to adopt a mutt from the shelter. The life you save may greatly enrich yours. And mutts do not have the health and behavior issues of pure breed dogs.
If you are drawn to a certain breed, choose your breeder carefully. The internet is a great resource for this. Most of the breeds have web sites, societies and clubs devoted to them. There you can find links to breeders TRULY interested in the future of their dogs. They breed and sell with an eye toward the health and future of the dogs they love. You WILL pay more. But the health problems that may later break your heart and your wallet might be avoided.
Pit bulls are notoriously NOT so carefully thought of. I once saw one hang from a tire hung from a tree for a half hour!
I learned after my pit incident to train with the steps that service dog trainers use…dominance training…where you become the alpha dog. I wish I could find the source, I have it printed off in a manual now. I’ll never use anything else…it’s been awesome. But if you can find someone who knows how to do it, I highly recommend it. Something about training in 14 days. And you start VERY young.
When I worked in a veterinary clinic, I would rather handle a 180-200 pound St. Bernard than a Pit Bull, because of their unpredictability. Either way, large dogs handle that way need to be muzzled when restrained. So, large dogs need to be discipline trained by experts that prevents them from attacking other dogs, people or objects. This cost of training should be by the owner and a certification presented to the Animal Control Office if you want the priviledge of owning a large dog within city limits. I do feel that there should be a special registration fee and fencing requirements for pitbulls and other top “biters.”
Boy Randy, you really do have your head up your ass. My you or yours get mauled by a well behaved Pit Bull
Dear RD,
You should start training your dog when it is still a puppy! As a minimum, any dog should be house trained within a few weeks; have a recall by a few months; be able to walk on a loose lead after a few weeks and be able to meet strangers calmly.
Any one that is interested in training their dog for a CGC certificate can email me privately and I’ll try to set up some formal classes for free. I would like to have at least five or six dogs and handlers, no more than ten.
I’ll then arrange for the dogs to be evaluated. (around ten bucks each plus five bucks if you want a nice certificate from AKC). If you think you might be interested, here’s the AKC page:
http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm
Let me know. The dogs should be at least six months old. I’m not Cesar Milan, if your dog has any bad behavior problems I can’t help you!
Hank
I wonder if the editors ever rethink their editorials based on feedback. I’ll bet Randy, if he reads this thread, will probably be scratching his head wondering where all the support for inherently dangerous dogs is.
Cut down on dog attacks? Write Postmaster Jack Potter asking for the right to have mailmen carry sidearms. Dog problem GONE.
That’s PM General, not Wichita, btw. The law governing possession of firearms on postal property is not decided at this level.
Thanks, Hank. I’ll forward the info to my kids. One reads here often, but she doesn’t post. She let’s her mouthy mama do it. ;)
Postal,
My mom carried mail for years. She’s retired NALC. I remember her spray. She didn’t have a lot of problems, but there were a few.
People with questionable dogs were sent a letter and did not receive their mail, right?
“I learned after my pit incident to train with the steps that service dog trainers use…dominance training…where you become the alpha dog.”
That’s especially true with big dogs. I raised Dobermans for 20+ years and with one exception, I ALWAYS established dominance. The exception was a huge Dobe that I rescued. He was 18 months old when I got him. He was too big and tough to dominate, and I had problems with that dog.
The only safe place to have a pit bull is on a farm or a closed property like ….well like a junkyard.
Again, dogs are not bad. They are what we have made them. Pit bulls are capable of becoming mindless killers because that is what some chose to make them.
Little story here to demonstrate how dogs are “hardwired” by breeding.
My folks raised poodles when I was a kid.
Now alot of folks don’t know that the poof ball froo frooey coat cut of the poodle is NOT just a glamor sissy thing. It was origially a matter of functionality.
Poodles were originally water retrieval dogs. They fetched the shot ducks and geese long ago. That puff ball coat cut aided in swimming.
Proof of that hardwiring? Once my folks took one of our poodles to the lake.
This dog had never seen water more than his water dish. But he spotted a duck on the water and BANG he was in the water after that duck!
A pit bull has the same but different “hardwiring”. XXX says they were cattle dogs. I didn’t know that. But it makes sense. A cattle dog pursues. He can be taught to do other things, but his main bred instinct is to pursue. The nasty training some introduced to the breed laterwas to kill another dog or die trying.
It is just the flip of the wrong switch with those dogs that causes tragedy. They are not bad. They just are what they are. All the training and sweet care in the world cannot change that.
You’re so very right JR, I just wish more people took that warning more seriously.
I do have a german shepherd now. I think she’s the best dog ever. She learned so quickly, and is so eager to please. I don’t think I’ll ever have a different breed now. But will I trust her 100%…no way.
Yawn.
There is absolutely NO scientific or evidentiary basis for many of the statements made here. Someone trotted out the old ’swelling brain’ myth, I’m surprised I didn’t see the other favourite, ‘locking jaws’.
The authors of the CDC papers, typically referenced above, have stated repeatedly and even in the publications that their findings were not scientific and were not intended to be used the way they have been. One clue is that under ‘breed’ or ‘purebred’, depending on which of the papers you are reading, they list ‘pit bull type’. This is not a breed of dog.
Furthermore, as up to 90% of dogs are unregistered and therefore mongrels, and there is absolutely no way to determine the ancestry of a mongrel dog, I tend to discount the comments of people who believe they can identify a mixed breed accurately.
In view of the fact that most members of the public are unable to accurately identify more than a small handful of purebreds, it becomes apparent that all this ‘pit bull’ nonsense is just that – nonsense.
In Canada, where I live, the ‘husky’, another slang term for a shape of dog rather than a breed, is responsible for at least 11 and up to 16 of the fatal dog attacks since 1983. A pair of mixed breed dogs referred to as ‘pit bulls’ have been responsible for just one death under the typically sordid circumstances associated with these incidents during the same period.
Funny how, in the US, there are over 40,000 fatalities due to motor vehicle accidents annually yet the dubious headlines are reserved for dog bite related fatalities, which average about 15 per year.
It’s a propaganda campaign and space prohibits explaining how it’s done but it’s not new and it’s not true. Think of your own experience around dogs, not the stories reported using tricks popular with the media.
First of all “fighting Pits” are not the problem, they won’t last a minute after turning on a participant in a dog fight. They’re usually shot on the spot. The problem is the back yard breeders and irresponsible people who just have to have a pit bull. Usually these are low income, uneducated, mouth breathers who assign a macho status to having a mean dog. They have created a market for pit bulls that is out of conntrol in Wichita. Did you not read the story?? 25-30% of ALL THE ANIMALS brought to local shelters are pit bulls! If that percentage were poodles there would be a problem with poodles being overbred, the only difference is a poodle isn’t going to be successful at jumping into “prey” mode and try to take your jugular out. I have worked with animals my whole life and I have never had to separate 6 week old puppies from each other UNTIL I fostered some pit pups. They were trying to KILL EACH OTHER on a daily basis. The influence of the owner is important, but with this breed it is only one of many factors, and the instinct can not be fully overcome. I say make the owners spay/neuter them and have strict pen standards. This will keep the bad ones in, calm their aggression, make them illegal to breed, and less attractive to the gang bangers, trailer trash, and WWF fans out there.
“It’s not dogs that hurt people, it’s people who don’t control their dogs that hurt people.”
No, not really. It’s the dogs.
Caveat,
The only person who brought out the “swelling brain” myth was me, and I asked for proof of it, either way. If you have proof, post a link. I’m more than willing to look at it.
TODD, TODD, TODD.NEVER DOUBT AN OLD BLOGFART.Just kidden’.I knew the owner.The dog was registered.He subsequently shot the dog.
Yesterday in KC, another attack on a lady by two pit bulls.Luckily some people were nearby and fought the dogs off.
And another damn thing….I live very near where a high school girl was killed by a trained tiger, during a photo shoot. No amount of training can make a naturally dangerous animal safe. Ever. Tigers, dogs, whatever the animal is. You can’t train away aggressive instinct. Period.
Doggyman, David.You guys rock.Good posts, long and short.
Two save woman from pit bulls“They would not let go,” said one of the rescuers. The animals had escaped from their owner’s fenced yard in KC.By CHRISTINE VENDELThe Kansas City Star
Two pit bulls attacked a 32-year-old woman Monday morning as she walked down a Kansas City sidewalk, ripping chunks of flesh from her legs.Gloria Reed suffered possible permanent injuries to her legs during the 7 a.m. attack on Prospect Avenue near 34th Street, police said.Two passers-by rescued the woman by scaring the dogs away.“If someone would not have intervened, this woman could have been killed by these dogs,” said police Capt. Rich Lockhart, the department spokesman.Just before the attack, Dell Wells was driving himself and Willis Hughes to their jobs at a nearby liquor store when they saw the dogs running loose. The sight concerned Hughes.“They just didn’t look right,” Hughes said. “I was thinking to myself, ‘I hope no one comes by there walking.’?”When the men stepped out of the pickup they were in, Hughes heard a woman screaming.
“I think those dogs are attacking someone!” Hughes said to Wells.They jumped back into the pickup and drove one block, where they saw a woman on her back with a dog clamped onto each of her legs.“She was kicking and swinging and yelling for help,” Hughes said. “They would not let go.”Wells pulled his truck to the curb and honked his horn, startling the dogs. They started to run but then paused, as if to return.Wells drove closer to them and honked again.When the dogs were gone, Wells and Hughes helped Reed, whose legs and hands were bleeding. She couldn’t move her left leg, Hughes said, and could barely move her right.“It was the most horrible thing you could ever see,” Wells said. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
An ambulance took Reed to Truman Medical Center, where she underwent surgery Monday afternoon.When officers visited Reed at the hospital, she told them she was walking along the sidewalk when the dogs pulled her to the ground. She told officers she took off one of her shoes and hit the dogs.Shortly after the attack, police searched the area for the dogs and encountered a pit bull in the 3300 block of Park Avenue. The dog charged an officer, who shot and killed it, police said. That dog was not involved in the attack.Police then saw two dogs with blood on their fur inside a fence in the 3200 block of Olive Avenue. Animal control officers impounded the animals and cited the owner, Ron Washington, with two violations because his dogs were running loose and had injured a person. The violations together carry a minimum fine of $325 and up to six months in jail.Washington said his dogs apparently dug a hole and crawled underneath his chain-link fence. He said he had owned the dogs, named Buster and Spotty, for two years without any problems.“I don’t understand,” Washington said. “But they did have blood on them.”Washington said the dogs protected his property but weren’t trained to fight or be violent.“I take them out with me on my bicycle, and they don’t bother anybody,” he said. “It’s hard to believe.”According to a police report, the dogs also escaped from the fenced yard two days ago. Washington told police he put boards over the hole, “but it must not have worked,” the report said.Washington said he planned to check back with the city’s animal control division in 10 days to try to get his dogs back.Andrew Perez, an animal-control supervisor, said the fate of the dogs had not been determined.
“We have to do-our investigation” he said.
Perez said that officers would check whether the dogs had bitten anyone before and consider the seriousness of Monday’s attack before deciding whether to return the dogs to Washington.The Kansas City Council last month adopted an ordinance requiring that pit bulls be spayed or neutered unless an owner obtains a breeder’s license.
Several area cities, including Kansas City, Kan., Overland Park, Liberty and Grandview, have banned pit bulls. Several others are reviewing their animal ordinances. The attention to pit bulls follows a spate of attacks that severely injured a man in Independence and killed a Kansas City, Kan., woman.
Wow!!!!And the cops were attacked by ANOTHER, DIFFERENT pit bull while looking for the guilty dogs.AND HAD TO SHOOT IT!!!!
UNBELIEVABLE!!
GO AHEAD AND BAN THEM.IT MAY BE ONE OF YOUR FAMILY THAT IS SAVED.
Caveat–Yeah, all americans are liars who are easily fooled by MSM propaganda.Right.
The Pit Bull has met its match!
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060919/NEWS99/60919013
Maybe we should bring in some bears to handle the Pit problem.
My favorite dog was a malamute wolf cross. His mom was all wolf. He weighed 130 pounds and stood tall than me on his hind paws. he was also the biggest, baby I’ve ever met. Protective, but gentle. He never even growled til he was 3 years old. when someone disciplined my grandson, he protected the toddler by getting in between him and his “attacker.” He was brilliant too. He could’ve taught Houdini a few tricks. I had to give him up when I moved into an apartment. I just bought a house and can’t have another because malamutes – not wolves! – are banned by my insurance company. I miss him.
malamutes banned?! Every malamute I have seen has been a wuss! (like yours lyn)
NoJo shows up, insults the regulars, then wants us to look at his funny ha ha link.
What a guy.
Most of the “bad” pit-bulls come from mom & pop breeders and puppy mills. Band this breeding and future problems will not be there. While you are getting rid of the disreputible breeders get rid of those pet stores such as Gupton’s that sell puppy mill dogs.
rrichardsen, um, uh…..hmmm,…..right.
I go to several ‘puppy mill auctions every year to buy Beardies to get out of the system and find ‘forever’ homes.
If people could see the conditions that most pet store puppies are bred in they wouldn’t buy their dogs there.
For every three puppies that are bought in pet stores one is lost or destroyed. You neer know who the breeder is. If you particular line has problems you will find out from your vet, not the breeder. If you have a question for the breeder, give it up.
I would only get a dog from the pound or from a reputable breeder. If you are interested in a paricular breed go to the AKC website, they link to all of the national clubs. Most national clubs have a breeder list. Most national clubs have a rescue program that in many cases will be more than willing to rehome a dog with you.
Hank
It would be nice if “aggressive” breeds like Pit Bulls, Rots, Dobies, etc. needed to show proof of obedience/canine good citizenship for dog licensing. Some cities just outright ban the breeds.But any dog can bite or attack same with cats.My chihuahua is very protective of me and my girls especially. If MM gets “out of line” with me the dog growls and if MM keeps on the dog goes and pees on him.
Hank – I would add another place to your two for getting a dog: a ‘barn’. That is where I got my last one “free to good home”. The mother was a farm dog, the father … ???
My big shep/collie/samoyed mix had a seeing-eye dob mother and a fence-climber father.
Great mutts! (oops! I mean carefully bred hybrids!)
Julie- I’m trying to see that chihuahua up on a step ladder trying to reach MM. Hm….
Dear Julie,
I think that is a pretty good idea. All of my dogs, except the puppy have their CGC. If your dog has its CGC then the license could be $5.00. If your dog is over a year old, the license could go up to $25 without the CGC. After the dog is older than 2, then the license would be $100 annually.
The problem with breed specific laws is most of these so-called pit bulls are mixes. Also these laws don’t cover the great percentage of dogs that do attack.
Stiff penalties for the owners is the answer.
Hank
Dear Ben,
I agree. Some of the best dogs I’ve ever owned adopted me!
The Humane Society will work with you to match a dog with your lifestyle. Volunteers there work with dogs to get them ready for adoption and have them classified as to behaviour.
Dogs from creative and spontaneous breeding ‘in the barn’ are ussually a good bet!
Hank
Y’know, that French woman had her face torn off by her own Labrador. That must mean the breed is vicious and eeeeeeevil. Lets ban all Labs!
So, to those of you who claim that if it saves one life, banning pit bulls is worth it. What about people who would have died were it not for thier pit bull? Or the young man who was killed around a month ago because his pit bull was muzzled and couldn’t save the 19 year old boy from being stabbed to death?So, you would get rid of the therapy pit bulls, the drug detection pit bulls, and the service pit bulls? What about the search and rescue pit bulls, who have saved many lives?
And then there’s the fact that banning breeds is proven not to work. Winnipeg tried it, and 10 years later, they have more people being attacked by dogs than ever! I’m sure the next person who is mauled by a GSD, or an Akita, or a Great Dane, will feel so much better because you protected them by getting rid of pit bulls.
Pretty scary stuff I’m reading here, folks. If you are advocating shooting, gassing, injecting, and otherwise harming and killing dogs while my Pit Bull snoozes on the couch next to “her” cat, who is the dangerous one?
JR, what you said about breeding the dogs for stable temperaments is on the mark. The problem is that good breeders are already doing that. They wont breed a dog with human aggression or even excessive shyness. The unstable, man-biting dogs are not coming from the breeders who are on board with improving the breed. Unfortnately, as long as people think they need a suspicious, aggressive dog to protect them, disreputable backyard breeders will continue to pump out unstable animals to fill that demand. Dogs bred in that manner will be a risk even in the hands of a sensible owner.
Even if you eliminate Pit Bulls, other breeds will fill the void. Miami-Dade has had a Pit Bull ban for years, and people have recently been mauled and/or killed there by other breeds. The number of dog-related deaths has remained consistent over the last 40 years, in spite of the flow and ebb in the popularity of dog breeds. If Pit Bulls were gone tomorrow, there would still be people getting mauled and killed by dogs.
Pit Bulls are not more dangerous by virtue of what they are. Bred to the breed standard, they are wonderful, sound animals and a joy to be around. Hapazard breeding and poor handling will combine to make a dangerous situation in any dog. Sadly, many people cannot reliably control their Labradors and Border Collies, and these same people can get Pit Bulls for $50 out of the newspaper. I don’t like it any more than anybody else does. Its my breed they’re ruining.
But as long as my dog and myself do not bother anybody, please keep the bloodthirsty pack at heel and off my doorstep. Grazie. :)
Quote:”Most of the “bad” pit-bulls come from mom & pop breeders and puppy mills.”
EXACTLY. If the breeding was controlled, meaning you don’t get to breed your dog with big head to that bitch with pretty eyes (who cares if dog is a man-biter and bitch is fear agressive), creating UNSTABLE, NOT TRUE TO TEMPERAMENT, POOR REPRESENTATIVES TO THE BREED, and just plain dangerous dogs, then there won’t be any pit bull attacks.
Lindsay
I had NO IDEA there was actually an effort to work toward the positive with this breed. That is good news.
Hank and I have shared a few things about responsible breeders. Here is a bit more.
A truly responsible breeder will ask or even demand that you spay or neuter your pet. If you do not intend to show or very carefully and responsibly breed the dog, spay or neuter really is the best option. The dog will be healthier and accidental breeding is avoided.
Perhaps an answer for pit bulls is for the responsible owners and lovers of the breed to push for licensing of ALL dog breeding. The provisions for license could inclued a necessary endorsement from other responsible breeders of a particular breed.
Historically, and in too many cases even today, pit bulls are bred for the genetic propensity to charge across a pit and without any provocation whatsoever, attack another dog. The quality of “gameness” (prized by pit bull breeders) means that the dog will KEEP attacking until the other dog is dead. He will ignore the submission signals given by the other dog.
Even if there weren’t substantial numbers of pit bull breeders breeding dogs who are also human aggressive, the fact that pit bulls were (and are) bred to be extremely dangerous to other people’s canine family members should give anybody pause if a pit bull moves in next door. You will notice that pit bull advocates always defend pit bulls by saying that they aren’t “properly” “human aggressive.” No…but since a lot of really scummy people are attracted to pit bulls because of their violent tendencies toward other dogs, it isn’t surprising that there are a lot of people breeding them PRECISELY to be human aggressive.
And even if there weren’t, the majority of pit bulls ARE dog aggressive. This is a useless trait that requires an owner to be perfect if his dog is not going to present a danger to other people’s dogs. How many perfect pit bull owners do you know?
Pit bulls present breed specific problems that demand breed specific solutions. EVERY responsible pit bull owner spays/neuters his pit bull if the dog isn’t being shown. Simply requiring mandatory microchipping for all pit bulls and mandatory spay/neuter of non-show dog pit bulls (the worst slime mold pit bull owners will neither show their dogs nor spay/neuter them) won’t even inconvenience responsible pit bull owners. It will put many of the worst pit bull breeders out of business and also help pit bulls.
By the way, folks who believe the myth that any dog fighting pit bull was (or is) killed immediately if it was human aggressive should look at the historical record. Many famous pit winning pit bulls were also known for aggression toward human beings. And if they won, they were bred. “Chinaman” for example, was known to be aggressive to people. In his book “This is the American Pit Bull Terrier,” pit bull expert Richard Stratton describes “Corvino’s Blackie” who was so dangerous to the spectators that the dog fighting pit had to be enclosed in wire, the referee had to carry a club to protect himself from the dog and the muzzled dog was brought to the pit by three handlers with three separate lesahes.
It is also not true that “the number of dog related deaths has remained constant for 40 years.” Despite the fact that leash laws are MUCH better enforced than they were forty years ago, and a MUCH higher higher percentage of male dogs are now neutered, (both factors often cited as important in curbing dog dangerousness) Karen Delise’s book “Fatal Dog Attacks” documents that the absolute numbers of fatal dog attacks has been steadily climbing. In 1965, for example (the first year Delise studied), she found six deadly dog attacks. In 2001 (the last year she studied) there were 22. I don’t yet have figures for last year, but the number far exceeded 22.
In fairness, there are more dogs and more potential for dog interactions now than forty years ago. On the other hand, there are a whole lot more people breeding dogs specifically to be weapons (and pit bulls are the prime example). The breeds that are bred as weapons are ALWAYS the breeds that are killing people. Despite being the most popular breed by a huge margin for many years, labradors have never appeared even in the top ten of the dogs who kill people.
I dont own a Pitt, but I own a Rott. I agree with the training and socialization part. But there is another part too. Responsible ownership!!!!!!!!! I see being with Gunner as a chess game, think MOVES AHEAD. He is a well behaved dog and while I dont anticipate him biting, I also am going to make sure as night and day he never ends up a news story. This means he is always on leash! I decide where hea goes, and who pets him. I control the circumstances he is in to the best of my ability because he is a Rottweiler, not a little dog I can stick in my pocket. People MUST have a healthy respect for these dogs or simply NOT own them.
Actually, Susan, the problem is that it isn’t true that “people MUST have a healthy respect for these dogs or simply not own them.” Any idiot who feels inadquate and wants to look tough can buy a pit bull puppy on the street corner for $75. Sadly, there is no “MUST” involved.
It is absolutely true that the problem is a people problem. But the only way to regulate the behavior of PEOPLE who don’t have any business owning this kind of dog is to regulate the breeds themselves. Breed specific legislation is necessary both to protect communities from pit bulls and to protect pit bulls from many of the people who own and breed them.
it’s not the dogs fault it’s the owners. they need to punnish the owner not the dog.
Hey i’m writing an essay to the mayor for my school project to convence him not to ban large dogs in Jacksonville. I need someting to convince him not to. Any ideas?
it’s not the dogs fault it’s the owners. they need to punnish the owner not the dog.i’m writing an essay on why pet owners should be ban and not the dogs and i need informaton on that topic
Stats don’t lie, Pit bulls are violent dogs and should be banned. Yes I do agree that the owners should be punished accordingly for owning them.
kool dude thanks!
The sad things is that MOST of the so called “pit-bulls” that attack children are either raised to act this way, by being left in a cage all day and night never socialized hardly fed. So, the first instinct is to attack!!! Secondly, they are back yard bred pit bulls.I am a pit bull owner, grew up with them. I have never thought twice about my dogs and they are massive. Its that whole Golden Rule thing. . . Do unto others as you would do unto them. I realize we are talking about dogs but they have feeling, souls and hearts.And please would people stop posting these statistics that say Pit Bulls attack the most!! It’s insane!! Because if you check the websites that are sponsered by the American Kennel Club, even on their website it give you a list of all dogs and their temperment, and compatibility with kids and other animals….Pit Bulls rank well below most common house hold dogs.BAN THE DEED NOT THE BREED!!!!It’s just like raising a boy in a home where the dad is abusive towards the mother, when he grows up he is going to think it is okay to be abusive towards women.Pit Bulls are very giving, and want nothing but to please thier owner.Does the name Stubby the pit bull of WWI,that saved his entire unit…ring any bells? Or what about the dogs that found the bodies from the spaceship Challenger that blew up…pit bulls too!! And the ones that found Lacy Peterson and her un-born son….pit bulls again!!!The worst part is that if we end up banning the breed completly, the people whom have ruined it for the good owners…will jsut find another breed to demolish…and it might be yours!!!TAKE A LOOK AT THIS WEBSITE. . .WWW.SORRYAGAIN.COM
TRACY – - LET ME GUESS YOU MUST OWN A CHIHUAHUA ????
You can’t just single out one breed like that. Each and every dog is different. Why don’t we just all just become Hitler and eliminate all dog breeds, I mean…. seriously people. Ban pitbulls because they are strong?! That’s absolutely ridiculous! Have you heard about any of those deer attacks lately, let’s eliminate all of them too! And you know what why don’t we eliminate my aunt’s boxer who is the most lovable dog ever, just because he is big, strong, muscular, and has the ability to hurt someone if he wanted to. And while we’re at it let’s take out my lab and my brittany spanial, you know they could tear a person to shreads if they really wanted to. *eyeroll*People who want pits eliminated are completely uninformed. Statistics don’t mean jack! Pits may have the highest stats for attacks and whatnot, but consider what they as a breed have been through. Most of them come off of the streets who got there b/c of irresponsible owners or from those sick and disgusting people who fight them…. actually, I have an idea let’s go on an irresponsible owner’s killing spree! That makes a whole lot more sense. All of you people who want to ban pits need a reality check, why don’t you look up dogfighting on the internet and maybe that will give you reason to believe that it’s not the dog’s fault. Don’t punish them. So if you really want to punish the dog for something that was caused by a human, go for it. It will only make you look like an ass, but if that’s what you want to be than go ahead. But if you honestly want to eliminate pits, then you better take those little yipey rats, that they call dogs out right next to the pits. I know of more people being hurt by shih tzus and lhasa apsos, than I have heard of people being injured by pits. That’s all I have to say.
You know, the more I read the people’s comments above me the more sick and disgusted I get. It kills me that people are so clueless to what is going on here. Pits are exactly the same as any other breed, the difference is the fact that people misunderstand them.
Reading some of the ignorant comments above has truly been a disturbing experience. And yes I own an American Pit Bull Terrier…which by the way is the breeds correct and official name. I’ve never read so much hate against a single animal by so many people who have probably never even met a real APBT. And then there are those that have let once experience taint their view of an entire breed.
The Akita was and is a Japanese “fighting breed”…very dog aggressive as a breed. Want to wipe out that breed also? Write to the AKC and trounce them for registering this canine aggressive breed before one kills your pooch! Your argument; “You hardly hear about Akita’s attacking”….Think about the sheer number of ABPT’s to Akitas, it’s not even close. And news agencies get much more pub with “PIT BULL ATTACK”.
Fact: The APBT has dog aggressive tendancies. If you want to ban the breed due to this then you better start adding other breeds to the list! If you think the APBT is the only dog genetically pre-disposed to dog aggression then you need to do some real research!
Fact: The APBT has NEVER been bred for human agression…always just the opposite! I stand firm that any dog that shows true human aggression should be put down.
If anything, please remember this; DOG AGGRESSION AND PEOPLE AGGRESSION ARE TWO TOTALLY SEPERATE ISSUES AND CONCERNS. That is a fact!
I do not think pit bulls should be banned in salina kansas because it is the owners fault not the dogs.
I believe that a dog is only as bad as the owner treats and trains it. I have a dog, he is a lurcher which is a breed for hunting other animals like rabbits but because we got him when he was a pup he has turned out to be a fantastic pet. He is not agressive at all. I am convinced that if i were to get a pitbull pup (as soon as it can leave its mother) it would turn out just as wonderful as a “nice” pet. Sort of as an experiment and as a way of showing (if successful) that how a dog ends up is a reflection on how it was brought up.I’m particularly interested in this discrimination against pitbull terriers and the fact that some gangs will train pitbulls to fight for them. I think that’s just foul!BAN THE BAD OWNERS, NOT THE BREED!
I would also like to add that they produce the sweetest puppies in the world!
You know this topic hits home with me because I own 5 pits. They live at home with me and my two young kids who love them to death. It is sad that such a wonderful breed is stereo typed as bad as it is. You will never understand the breed until you live with one. Yes they can be a challenge at times but what dog isn’t? Yes they don’t always get along but what dogs do all get along? It is time for pet owners of any breed of dog be more responsable for their pets and raise them right. You don’t have to teach a pit to be mean, teach it to obey and follow commands and the dog will naturally protect you and your home. If something ever happened to any of my dogs my life would be incomplete. They are like my kids and who would want to take someone’s child from them? Only someone who pre-judges someone or something by it’s cover. It’s time for Wichita to take action on the real problem which is the owners of dogs (I’m talkin about “ALL” breeds). If you can’t keep your dog confind to your yard and inside your home then you don’t need it.
When I read an artical about a Pit that was shot when an officer tased a teenager and the officer was bit I was appolled. The dog was protecting his home and the kid. The officer should have tased the dog instead of killing it. Any dog who is in a situation where his home or a person in his home is being harmed they will protect it. If the situation was reversed and it was someone who tried to break into the home and harm the people there and the dog attacked, the dog would be reconized how he or she saved it’s owner from harms way. That’s a bunch of bull, it don’t matter who you are if you are going after someone and their dog protects them, dont kill it, tase it. We do everyone else.
Kudo’s to you Melissa. I however am a owner of many dogs. I am a proud owner of an APBT. He is a 1 1/2 year old brindle male. He came to us about two months before Christmas of 2006. He was found as a stray, but as research came about, his past was exposed in the small town we live in. He had two previous owners. The last ones of which were very young and ignorant and thought that having a pitt was “cool”. Well, they tried to fight him and he simply WOULD NOT fight back. Long story made short, we have had him for 7 1/2 months and he is the sweetest, loving, intelligent, lazy, most timid, dog that I have ever encountered let alone owned in my life. I have professionally groomed for 12 years. I am a proud owner of 7 labs, 2 jacks (they are the real “killers” in our dog family!), and our beautiful Zeus. He has never once showed a sign of aggression towards any of our 3 children ages 5, 7, and 8. And I must not forget to mention the first time he was prevoked by my 11 month old JRT ( Jack Russel Terrier ), Sophie. She literally attacked him by the throat being outweighed by a good 65 pounds or better!!!!!!!! Zeus simply surrendered on his back and got up running down the hall with his tail tucked and whimpering! He refuses to bark at a stranger. He greets every single human that enters our home. I have been around 100’s of breeds of dogs my whole life. As I stated before, I am a professional dog groomer/boarder/breeder, and I am currently enrolled in Vet Tech school. I am not saying that a mean pitt doesn’t exist. But I will never say that a mean lab, sheltie, golden, beagle, or other mild tempered breed doesn’t exist either. The point that I am making is one that others are trying to put out there as well. It’s just like the saying about guns not killing people. Stupid people with guns kill people. Same thing with pitt bulls people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wake up for gods sake! There is no such thing as a bad child. Poor parenting is the disturbing cause of this. These dogs have unfortunately caught a bad rap b/c of their capabilities and it’s sad. I am a responsible loving pet owner and my animals behaviors are proof! And my rescued pitt is the angel of them all. He is truely a gift sent from heaven and he is in our life for a reason just as we came into his and saved him from the life of hell he was FORCED to live. NOBODY WILL EVER BREAK THAT BOND… NOT THE LAW, THE IGNORANT INDIVIDUALS IN SOME OF THESE ARTICLES, AND ESPECIALLY NOT SOMEONES OPINION!!!! He is in our lives to stay until the good Lord says it’s his time to go. He is a part of our family. OH and by the way, for your information, he has now completed his canine citizenship award and on his way to becoming a therapy dog!!!!!!!!!
Some of you hit the nail right on the head. It’s not the dogs that is a problem, it is by far irresponsible and uninformed owners. Let’s ask this question to all involved, how many of those “bad dogs”, dogs that have bitten, whether they are pit bulls, rottweilers, or others. How many of those dogs have received and passed basic obedience class, been properly socialized, or received regular vigorous exercise??? Probably few to none. Is this the dogs fault?? HELL NO, it is the owners. I have had the priveledge to rescue and re-train ex-fighting pits, absused Rotts, amd many many others. Some are now part of my family and most are part of other loving, knowledgeable, responsible homes. Frustration is most of the problem that many dogs face, locked in a crate all day, chain up, or in a kennel. Image if those owners lived in the middle of nowhere with no car, no friends, no job, no TV, just generally nothing constructive to do. Most those people are your career criminals!! Society would not euthanize them now would they?
it is really true what they say about the pittbulls that they are very over protected dogs no agressive it all depends on the owners if the owners raise the dogs to attack and act agressive then teh dog is going to do what it was taught in the young age. But the owners need to be punished not the dogs the owners. i love animals as you can tell but my favorite dog breed are all the dogs that have a bad reputation like the pitt bull.
We also have a Zeus, who is supposedly a choc lab/pitbull mix.What a guy. H e lives for our affection and only wants to be touched and loved.We have him because of a very narrow-minded mentality in Sterling KS and a redneck cop.(the officer decided he is pitbull, not our daughter, who bought him as a choc. lab mix, and ordered him out of town).Point being, Zeus is less likely to bite than our late cocker spaniel who was extremely territorial and would have bitten anyone who was threatening .I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dog who is a bigger baby. He loves everyone-even the mailman!
As the owner of a dog (shepherd/chow mutt, on leash) who was the innocent victim of a pit bull (off-leash because the owner didn’t tie him up tight enough) attack this weekend while we were at a campground, a friend pointed me to this blog…
Kate, who says “Pits are exactly the same as any other breed, the difference is the fact that people misunderstand them,” and the other people who are posting in defense of the pit bulls are entirely missing the point.
Pit bulls are NOT exactly the same as any other breed. They (and perhaps other breeds too, I’m not necessarily singling out pits) are more agressive than many other types of dogs, and when they DO attack, the damage done is much, much more serious than most (all?) other breeds.
Both the ER vet and the surgeon (who put back together the pieces of our dog’s leg in 4-hours of surgery last night) asked after looking at his x-rays, “Are you *sure* your dog wasn’t hit by a car?” Neither of them had ever seen a bone pulverized so badly by a bite wound. I asked, and neither of them had treated a fracture for dog attacked by a pit bull before – because all the other victims brought during their combined 10 years of practice had died before they could bother.
Had this dog been just about any other breed – perhaps even a dog just as agressive as this one was – we expect we would have been looking at something more like multiple lacerations and a bunch of stiches. Instead, our dog barely escaped with his life and we’ve got $5000 and mounting in vet bills to fix him back up.
It took the dog’s two owners a LONG time to get the pit to let go and pull him off of ours. They were yelling at him, pulling on him, hitting him… and all the while our dog was submissively on his back and the pit just kept coming at him.
Yes, these seemed very much like irresponsible dog owners, that much is true. But hey, I’d so much rather be bitten (or have my dog bitten, or my children bitten) by an irresponsible poodle, lab, Lahsa Apso (know that intimately, was bitten many times as child by ours), jeez just name the breed! than mauled and likely killed by the next pit owner with whom we cross paths.
I certainly don’t presume to think that I know the best solution to the problem, but that there IS a problem with pit bulls (and perhaps other extra-agressive and damage-inflicting types of dogs) and a *very* real danger to both people and animals in proximity to these dogs cannot be denied.
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this is all a bunch of crap….pit bulls are not the reason for these attacks…it is all in how u raise them. i know from personal experience…i have raised about 5 myself and i have a 4 year old and a 1 year old who will sit and stick their fingers in his eyes and hit him hard and bishop will not move an inch!!!!! pit bulls are loyal to their owners and never have any of the many i have owned even offered to bite or attack anyone!! These dogs are protective and if they feel like their owners are being “attacked” they will fight for them. Now, if u are raising your pitt to fight and be aggresive, he or she will be toward anyone…also, i know it sounds crazy but you have to refrain from feeding them certain foods…this causes some chemical imbalance and can make them aggresive. Pitt bulls are very protective and loyal, and they are by far the smartest dog i have ever seen….thank you and quit blaming the animal. just like a child, the parent raises them to be who they are
you know pits arn’t that bad its thoughs small dogs that get me, why banned pit if not the lil ankle biters for crying out loud! i never been bit by a pit but ankle biters yes