Pit Bull bans...WTF?

[mwood322]

We have a softer type of Breed Ban here is Boston. It is only softer because euthanizing is a last resort. Anything that resembles a "pit bull" costs more to license, has to be sterilized, and must be muzzled at all times when on public property. It all came about after 3 or 4 attacks within a few weeks of each other. I still want to know if the dogs that started this stuff were licensed. :rant:

I feel that breed bans are never a good idea. Number one due to inability to recognize a dogs actual breed. I might be able to id 80 or so breeds of dogs, but no one else in my family can. My sister asked me about a brindle dog that came out of Petco once, and had no idea it was a pit mix (though I have to admit I liked the fact she doesn't even know what pits look like).

Number two. You end up punishing the more responsible people. The poeple who licensed their dog truthfully as a pitbull get nailed first, whereas the unlicensed dog gets to stay loose for a bit longer.

Number three. They will just move on to another breed.

http://www.understand-a-bull.com/

Are there dog breeds with a higher tolerance for pain, higher prey drive, more dominant bearing, and independant personalities? Yes. Staffies, Pitties, Rotties, Akitas, Terriers, Sight hounds, Livestock guardian types, and some herding types. For their original purpose they were expected to work independently of a handler, to think out problems on their own. A stable well bred dog of any of these types should still not be something you distrust. I mean if you distrust your own dog how well is that relationship going to work.

I have a Border Collie mix, who is wonderful with everyone, does that mean I leave her alone with kids? Never. She is a dog. And kids are kids. She know her manners, but you never know if the kid does. I spent a lot of time, playing with her ears, and tugging her tail and pinching fur to kid proof her. If annoyed she will just leave or at worst put your hand in her mouth without biting.

The number one problem with dogs of any breed is a lack in proper socialization, training and responsible care. A dog is not mentally equipped to stay outside tied to a tree alone for its entire life with no training, or socialization, but magically expected to endure the kids who keep throwing rocks. When that dog gets out, no matter what breed it would remember kids mean pain, if I get them first maybe they can't hurt me. I love how people refer to these ones as the dog snapped. He didn't snap it was causee and effect. Someone ignored there dog and let them be abused repeatedly by children. The dog gets out,a nd suddenly it is all the dogs fault. Did the dog have thumbs to tie himself up... An unsocialized, untrained dog is an accident waiting to happen no matter the breed. :rant:

I am all for aggressive dog laws. If you have a dog that lunges at people, or bit the delivery guy, then I believe that dog should be muzzled in public even if it is a poperanian. I don't want to be bitten by any dog, I don't care if it is small or not. I have met way more badly socialized dogs unter 15 lbs than over 50. If that aggressive little dog met a larger dog and got themselves killed the larger dog would be blamed, even though the little dog was a problem. To me the damage is important, but come on. An aggressive dog is an aggressive dog. If my dog did it she would be muzzled. :rant:

I personally do not own a bully breed. I like my dogs with more fur. I'm a sucker for BC and Aussies, though I love my mothers lab mix too.

P.S. I'm not directing this to anyone specific, just the world in general. Dog issues drive me nuts.

 

[Aqualung]

It's sad that Pitbulls are such a misunderstood breed. If raised and trained by responsible owners, they are no more aggressive than any other breed. The media plays a huge part in the prejudice towards pitbulls. Irresponsible owners and public misconceptions are the problem, not the breed. I have never been uncomfortable around any pit, even a couple that were (unfortunately) trained to be aggressive. I have seen some rottweilers, shepherds, labs, and many mutts that I wouldn't trust however.

My pit has been well trained and socialized from a young age, and she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. My grandparents have a sheltie that doesn't like her and attacks her any time he gets the chance. She just wags her tail and rolls over on her back while the sheltie bites her. Yes, my pitbull submits to a sheltie! I have irresponsible neighbors that have two rotty/shepherds and they always let them run around loose. When I let my dog out (on a run) they let theirs out just to see them attack mine. Animal control has been called on them numerous times, but they still won't tie them. My dog defends herself of course, and last time this happened their dogs got hurt (not badly though). Now they don't let them out when they see my dog out at least. The dogs aren't to blame.....the owners should not even have dogs if they can't be responsible.

Pitbulls require proper training, as does any dog. They also need to be well socialized at a young age, both with people and other animals. They do have a tendency to be aggressive towards other dogs, but with proper socialization they will be excellent canine citizens. The ones that turn on people were either abused or trained to be aggressive 99% of the time. They are NOT naturally aggressive towards humans, quite the opposite actually.

It is sad to see my dog try to make friends with people that are afraid of pitbulls. She likes to "talk", and some people think she is being mean when really she is trying to be friendly. When she realizes that the person doesn't want to make friends, she gets a sad, dissapointed look on her face. My dog would never bite anyone unless someone was trying to hurt me, or MAYBE if someone broke into the house. I think in that case she would probably just bark though.

Here's a pic of her:

I think banning any breed of dog is every bit as ridiculous as banning all firearms. This IS supposed to be a free country right?

 

[iamgroovy]

It's murder plain and simple and it's out of ignorance and fear....Come to think of it ignorance and fear are the cause of a great deal of the trouble on this planet. I personally don't believe there is any way to justify genocide, which it what this is. I will be writing letters and I encourage others to do so as well. If we all raise our voices maybe we can stop this before it spreads any further. The suffering of the responsible due to the actions of the irresponsible never seems to end. It just infurates me!

 

[Holly9937]

Aqualung, what a cute dog !! It has such a happy face. And I know what you mean about your dog "talking" my boxer does that all the time and my cousin told my grandma that my dog had "growled" at her :thud:

 

[neon7]

this is america the great yea right! we are letting them do this to us.the more we give the more they take, guns, dogs,t.v. before long we'll have to have a permit to go to the bathroom!!! this is not a free country anymore!!

 

[ash]

Aw, who could think that face is scary? What a cutie.
Calicogoat- I think you misunderstood me, I don't support breed bans at all.

 

[Aqualung]

Aqualung, what a cute dog !! It has such a happy face. And I know what you mean about your dog "talking" my boxer does that all the time and my cousin told my grandma that my dog had "growled" at her :thud:

Thanks. She really is a sweetheart - I think the picture shows her personality pretty well. I can understand how some people that aren't used to being around dogs much can misinterpret their intentions. If the dog is of a breed perceived to be aggressive, then people are more likely to be afraid even if the dog means no harm. More than one person that had not been around pitbulls before and actually got to know her, said that my dog thinks she's a golden retriever (since golden retrievers are generally considered very friendly dogs). In reality, she has a similar personality to every pitbull I have met that was raised responsibly.

 

[Ramirezi]

I also live in the Denver area and think the ban is pitiful.

Many good points have been made in this thread. I believe that is not the breed of dog but the breeding and training of the dog that really counts. I think any breed can be aggressive. I also agree that parents should encourage their children to be cautious around all dogs, not just the big ones or the breeds with bad reputations. I have worked in veterinary medicine for many years now and have seen good and bad dogs of a variety of breeds.

I have a golden retriever that is very sweet. She loves children and other dogs and is actually used to help train puppies and is working toward her canine good citizen/therapy dog registry. However, I do not allow any children to pet her unless the children ask me first because I want them to know they should always ask to touch a strange dog, not just reach for one.

I have seen a lot of research about dog bites and several people believe that dogs try to warn people before they resort to biting but people, especially children, do not see the warning signs. Obviously this is not always the case.

Again, this is just my opinion and I hope it doesn't sound testy. I respect how well spoken people have been on this thread, very respectful and understanding

very well said. i agree. i have 3 dogs, a female amstaff/pit mix, a female ACD, and a male Rhodesian Ridgeback mix that looks like a sweet ole hound dog. when my gf and i walk our dogs, we will sometimes pass by houses with children playing unsupervised. sometimes, a child will just run up to us and try to pet the dogs. NOT GOOD! period. guess which dog growls at the child? no not the pit...my rhodesian ridgeback. he's not being mean, he's worried that the child will hurt his "sisters" or us. he doesnt know this stranger and he's being protective. until he gets reassured from me that it's ok, he will continue to growl, warning the child to stay back. i do wish that parents would watch their children and teach them NOT to approach a strange animal. most children will ask from a distance if they can come and pet the dogs. if more parents taught their children this, there would be far fewer dog bites.

and owners need to be responsible for their dogs. IF my dog ever bit anyone i'd take full responsibility for it. it's the owners resposibility to train their dogs and to care for them. if i spent 24 hrs outside on a chain, i'd be pretty angry too. it's not fair to kill the dog if it hurts someone. it doesnt fix the problem of bad dog owners. that owner will just get a different dog, and mistreat it.
and it definitely doesnt fix the problem of dog attacks by just picking one breed and killing it.

 

[Ramirezi]

I totally agree with this situation. After all, "junyard dogs" protect some businesses too!

On the other side of the ongoing situation about Pit Bulls killing people, and maulings; perhaps certain 'counties' or 'Homeowners Assoc.' should prohibit these animals. This is a case by case issue and those that want a "no Pit Bull area" should have that right. I have yet to get my concealed weapons permit, but I would never want to face one of these dogs with my bare hands if the pit had "a bad hair day"! (..kidding aside, this is a serious issue..)

Sorry... These dogs are not your average beagle, and have incredible power in their jaws... I doubt a bull mastiff has more crushing, and holding power.

no these dogs are not your average beagle. i wouldnt let a child in my home that has never been around dogs before. and not just because of the pit, but because of both of my large breeds. my pit is actually very gentle, but sometimes she doesnt realize how large and strong she is. they require responsible owners.
and i dont agree with the counties or homeowners assoc. banning pits either. they should ban bad owners. the people who own the pits involved in maulings and killings arent good dog owners. the pits were unsupervised or were allowed to run loose with no owner watching them. i think leash/fence laws are enough. and even i've got around pit bull bans before at apt complexes, my pit's papers say Bull Mix. which means she could be a mix of any bull breed. my old landlord said "we dont allow any pit bulls or other aggressive dogs...what kind of dog is that she looks so sweet!" i said "she's a mutt". and i got the apt. she had no idea what a pit bull looks like. she probably expects some growling snarling, spitting, ugly mean dog.

 

[Ramirezi]

Labont865. We're talking about dogs and you're talking about cougars and bears... and let me put it this way. IF COUGARS AND BEARS COULD BE KEPT AS PETS AND WALKED ON THE STREET, I'D WANT THEM BANNED AS WELL. Does that make it clear how I feel Since you brought up the situation..rediculous situation might I add.

How much more clear does it have to be. Pitbulls have been bred by people as fighting dogs. On purpose, they have been bred to be aggressive, not give up (because they are fighting dogs) and to have a higher threshold of pain so they can continue their fighting. This means that IF and WHEN something triggers them to fight, they are more likely to cause damage because they are more likely to continue. Seems very basic to me.

a higher threshold of pain? i've never heard of this...and i dont believe it. my pit has arthritis in her hips. she's in pain everyday and she lets you know it. i wish to god she had a higher threshold of pain or better yet, could feel no pain. and 99% of pit bull owners do NOT fight their dogs. they have to be TRAINED to fight. they're not born that way. my pit was rescued as a puppy from a dog fighter. the older dogs were put down because they were badly mistreated and far to aggressive to be adopted. my pit has showed no aggressive tendencies, even after being born to a fighting mom and dad. and what would trigger them to fight? my dog has bitten no one. she just barks you to death. she's even been attacked by a stray dog when i took her for a walk and she didnt attack him back. she just growled and barked at him. you think that would have triggered her so called "fighting instict"...but it didnt.
it's all a bunch of bunk. half the dogs i see on TV that are said to be pits involved in attacking someone arent even pits...not even Amstaffs.