Pajamas Media

111 Comments

Bugs:

I’ve only had one encounter with a pit bull. I was driving through a neighborhood when I saw her lying in the gutter in front of a house. I turned around and came back to see if she was injured. Fortunately, she was ok. As far as I could tell, her problem was that she had wandered out of her yard and her ultrasonic invisible-fence collar was going off. I found the noise irritating - I can’t imagine what it sounded like to her. Anyway, she seemed disoriented by this thing so I approached her slowly to see how she would react. She was very happy to see me! Full-body doggy greetings and slobber. I led her back into the yard until the collar stopped making noise. She went to the back yard and returned with a ball, obviously wanting someone to play with her. I knocked on the door, hoping to let someone know I wasn’t trespassing or trying to steal their dog - no answer. So I threw the ball for her a couple of times, then told her to stay and left. She sat right where I left her until I was out of sight.

I know nothing about the her owners, other than their choice of dog control devices possibly wasn’t the best for this particular dog. But from her friendly behavior, I’d say they at least tried to take care of her and make her a happy dog. I hope that’s the case, anyway.

Unfortunately, some people only use the pit bull as a fashion statement. It’s no more a living, feeling creature to them than a set of fancy hubcaps. That’s sad, because they probably don’t know what a wonderful companion they have - or could have if they treated the dog with some love.

Aug 5, 2008 - 9:15 am Javelin:

What dreck, the old media bias whine is wearing thin. So now I guess the anti pit bull crowd are anti-American too. Remember the old story about the man who caused a fatal accident and was on the news all over. Why didn’t the evil media cover all the times he drove without killing someone? But this is PM and they are sending the MSM down the river with such riveting, relevant stories like this.

Aug 5, 2008 - 9:16 am Ted G.:

PitBulls are frequently publicly displayed as “walking guns” by gangbangers. They are inherently vicious, having been bred solely for that purpose.

For every hospital visitiation, I suspect that their are many more pitbull attacks on innocent victims.

Golden Labs are better animals and have a sweet disposition.

Aug 5, 2008 - 9:45 am Dark Helmet:

Ted G!

HA!

There are more people bitten by your golden lab than almost any other kind of dog!

You can make an a**hole out of any dog, just like you can out of any person, just ask your parents!

Aug 5, 2008 - 9:59 am Roark:

There may be some well behaved pitbulls, but make no mistake, they are predisposed to attacks and aggression. Pitbulls are dangerous, anyone who tells you different is lying.

Aug 5, 2008 - 10:31 am I Miss My Kitty:

Given that a pit bull recently killed my beloved cat, it is hard for me to feel much warmth and appreciation toward the breed. And this is far from the only story I’ve heard. And it’s not necessarily because they’ve been trained that way. I know of one former owner, a metrosexual type alternative medical doctor who never trained the dog to be aggressive, yet the dog killed a cat.

Aug 5, 2008 - 10:43 am Bill:

Hey Ted G check out this news story:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/pets/story/D10574A435AE798A8625749500198A16?OpenDocument
6 week old lab kills a 2 month old baby, yeah it must be a pit bull thing. Oh yeah this happened last week. Think before you go posting things that you obviously know very little about. People like you disgust me, you choose not to listen and that is just ignorant.

Aug 5, 2008 - 10:47 am Political Statements Bite:

Nice to hear vulnerable people are deliberately being put at risk purely to make a political statement about the temperament of pits. No one can predict all the triggers fighting animals have been exposed to in their hitory.

No one.

And as to puppies, puppies are left in the company of older dogs to learn the same behavior by observation of it in action. No animal coming from a set up that specializes in animal fighting can ever possibly be considered “safe”.

In those cases where rescued fighting animals are pushed upon vulnerable peeople, the associated political statements are to die for.

For the persons whose lives are endangered by the same.

Aug 5, 2008 - 10:50 am Olivia:

The problem is not the pitbull it’s the psychos who are drawn to the dog. Dark Helmet is correct that you can eff up any dog. The inner city drug dealers train them to be aggressive by putting gunpowder in their food or starving them and beating them until they react violently. There are so many pitbulls in Manhattan dog shelters its unbelievably sad.

I have encountered plenty of sweet loving pitbulls but I’ve also met crazy chihuahuas, unstable labs etc. As with all breeds, it’s usually the owners that need changing not the dog.

Aug 5, 2008 - 10:51 am Bill:

Right on Dark Helmet. Ted G obviously doesn’t know any pit bulls. Bugs had a good story and that pretty much sums up all the pit bulls I’ve met in my life. Oh yeah I’m also a suburbanite and am ashamed of any city that writes breed specific laws (i.e. Lakewood, OH). They just passed a ban on pits and similar breeds last week. What a joke! Concentrate on things that actually hurt society.

Aug 5, 2008 - 10:53 am Olivia:

TO: I Miss My Kitty

I’m sorry that your dog killed your cat. But realize that all dogs though domesticated were predatory wolves. They all have a “prey drive” some more than others. And some breeds have modified prey drives that would make them less of a threat to your cat. If the animal is not properly introduced, socialized, integrated and/ or supervised. Your new dog will perceive your cat as something to hunt, kill or eat.

You’ll have to be very careful if you get another pitbull or any dog from sight hounds and terrier groups.

Aug 5, 2008 - 11:12 am Rachel:

Once when I had my five-pound papillon in a park, I met a woman with a pit bull and stopped to chat. We had a good time watching her pit bull try to steal a stick from my papillon. The pit would crawwwl toward my papillon and reach slowly toward the stick he was playing with. He would bite her nose. She would leap backwards and then start crawling forward again.

She never did get his stick. He’s very possessive.

Another pit I knew had been stolen from her very nice owner. Whoever stole her, fought her: she was all scarred up by the time the owner recovered her (by offering a large reward). Her experiences didn’t affect her personality in the least. She was just as sweet after all she’d been through as she’d been before — which was very sweet. Nice dog. Everybody who worked at the shelter cheered when she was recovered.

I’ve volunteered in shelters and worked for vets and I have met LOTS of pit bulls. Most of the ones at the shelters had been confiscated from evil people. Almost all were very sweet dogs. This wasn’t true of the abused rottweilers, who were scary-vicious, or the abused German shepherds, who were scary-frightned (they were almost all fear-biters). The pit bulls loved the shelter staff — but were terrified of their previous owners and retreated to the backs of their runs if the old owners ever came in. Of course, almost all the pit bulls seized because of cruelty charges were put to sleep. People were too afraid to adopt them. Except for shelter staff, who often did — and none of the adopted pit bulls ever attacked anybody, let me mention. They were fine pets.

Many pits are dog aggressive and have to be carefully managed — kept on lead in parks, things like that. But so are many akitas, Chesapeake Bay retrievers, curly-coated retrievers, malamutes, Shar Peis, Chows, and hordes of terriers — to name a handful. Their owners handle them properly, for the most part, and since criminals don’t even know curly-coated retrievers exist, the breed is much better off than high-profile macho dogs like pits.

Pit bulls weren’t bred to be aggressive toward people, and most of them aren’t, unless they’re horribly abused and often not then. In my experience, there is no reasoning and usually no knowledge whatsoever behind the hatred directed at them. The usual attitude of pit-haters is “I know what I know — don’t confuse me with facts.” Pit haters should volunteer at a city shelter for two months; that would give them a torrent of personal experience. After that I’d consider their opinions.

Yes, pit bulls should be owned only by responsible, decent, knowledgeable people. But the same is true for bloodhounds — which people had an unreasoning fear of during the same era that pit bulls were widely perceived as great family pets. I’d be happier if all dogs were owned by responsible, decent, knowledgeable people. But I’d be reasonably satisfied if people would just find a new crusade to join and leave pit bulls alone.

BTW, I do not now nor have I ever owned a pit, or any dog over 20 lbs, okay? Probably I never will. Personally, I like the little guys. I’ve just known a lot of big scary-looking dogs in a lot of different contexts and I can’t stand ignorant breed bias.

Aug 5, 2008 - 11:39 am I Miss My Kitty:

Olivia

If you had read my post a little more carefully, you’d realize it wasn’t MY dog who killed my cat. I wouldn’t own a pit bull if you paid me. It was a dog visiting our neighborhood, who broke out of the owner’s van, jumped over a fence into our backyard, and killed one of our cats.

Aug 5, 2008 - 11:50 am Olivia:

I Miss My Kitty. I realized that after I clicked submit. Sorry.

Aug 5, 2008 - 12:18 pm jerry:

Olivia:

Somewhat off topic but do you live Maryland and do I know you?

The Olivia I know is also a fan of pit bulls. Personally, I prefer hunting dogs My Coonhound has two pit bull friends that she plays with on her walks.

Aug 5, 2008 - 1:09 pm jenna:

I’m so sick of this anti-Pit dreck. I’m also sick of people who intentionally buy/breed these dogs as some sort of “macho gangbanger” fashion accessory. Want to know the reason for “viscious” Pits? Look no further than those folks.

My family has been in the business of horse and/or dog training for the last 70 years — some relative always was working with dogs. Pits are unanimously considered some of the most emotionally stable, people oriented dogs by my family. They truly were at one time “America’s dog”. Loyal, courageous, hearty and ready for anything — often considered the unpaid babysitter by many Americans. The breed had (and still has in the proper circles) a long standing and well deserved reputation for being non-person aggressive. Sadly, popularity does very bad things for any breed of dogs, and once they get a bad reputation it’s very difficult to overcome.

I too worked in an animal shelter, and we got a lot of pit crosses and ex-fighting dogs. NONE of them were at all people aggressive, even the ones who were so horribly scarred, starved, and neglected when they came in. The only thing they would do was cower and wag their tails until they discovered you weren’t going to hurt them (wish I could say the same for many of the nasty tempered lap dogs, Labs, Chows, Shepherds, Beagles, etc — some of whom bit without warning or provocation when you went in to care for them). Of course they (the Pits or crosses that looked most like Pits) were always put down, the shelter had a policy of doing this to “undesireable” dogs. Many a tear my coworker and I shed for those poor dogs, who through no fault of their own had been consigned to such a harsh life with no hope of rescue from it.

I’m sorry for those who have had bad Pit experiences, but honestly there are other breeds of dog that would, could, and do just as bad things. Labs are indeed the dogs with the highest bite incidence; they are a very popular breed which has been over and poorly bred and are notorious for some very scary unstable temperments. Plus a lot of people buy them and fail to realize that they are big, atheletic dogs meant for work and need to be raised properly. Sort of like Pits.

I’d also add that in some ways there is some social politics in regards to Pit-bashing. The breed has been stereotyped, not once but twice: first as the favored breed of rednecks (mostly Southern) — obviously social “undesireables”, the quintissential “ugly, stupid Americans”, and presently as the favored breed of gangbanging, ghetto dwellers(read here Black or Latino) — again, not the sort of people who belong in civilized society. Never mind that some of those stereotyped people are not KKK members, gangbangers, or social degenerates — some are in fact very nice, decent people who just happen to be … poor. So they (and their dog) are relegated to society’s disapproval for not being of the latte crowd.

Aug 5, 2008 - 1:11 pm Night Owl:

I’ve got a Jack Russell terrier rescued from a dog pound. Small dog, only 18 ponds. No real threat to people but could and would kill small animals, including other dogs, if given the chance, due in part to it’s breeding (bred to hunt vermin) and probably improper socialization when it was young. (We’re working on socializing her, slowly and cautiously.)

The author makes good points. Blame the owners not the breed. If we go down this path of outlawing specific breeds because they “may” pose a danger, we may as well outlaw dogs altogether, since any dog can be dangerous if it is not properly trained and socialized. Even my small Jack Russell could potentially hurt a small child if she gets spooked, since she is somewhat high strung. As a result, we never leave our dog unsupervised with other people and their pets, ever.

Impose heavier fines, including jail time for egregious behavior, on irresponsible dog owners. And there are a lot out there.

Aug 5, 2008 - 1:17 pm Jon B:

Most of those who insist that PIt Bulls are so terrible are the ones that know so little about them, plain and simple.

We’ve got the “all knowing”, Javelin, whose keyboard diarrhea stinks up the comment area without saying anything of any relevance other than random lashing out – because well, that’s what intelligent people who know what worthwhile news is do. Oh, and by the way NOBODY knows what old man you’re rambling on about is.

Then we’ve got PSB’s comment that’s also dribbling out of his arse. I think it’s great that he chooses to go off on some unrelated agenda so that he can paint the column as a political statement for some reason or another.

Really, is there a political statement attached to this column? Isn’t the author just trying to say that maybe PIt Bulls are as terrible as some sources make them out to be? Is is because the word ‘America’ was used? I’m kind of scratching my head and holding my nose at this one.

I think that we a few nihilist here in the comment area, whose comments I’d respect if they actually said something instead of smelling like a bunch of crap. I’m tired of pundits who speak with such opinionated disdain for subject matter they only have a remote relationship with.

Aug 5, 2008 - 1:22 pm Jon B:

And secondly, I wished I had a better spell check.

Aug 5, 2008 - 1:49 pm jenna:

I think the political side of this debate is: the legislating of laws “for our own good and safety”, which take away people’s choice to act responsibly and even in a sensible fashion, that infringe upon rights of property of others(often with an inherently elitist agenda behind them). These self same laws actually do not produce what they espouse (and what causes some people to support them) — they do not inherently make anything safer, more healthy, etc. In fact, they often make things worse by creating a public that waxes soft and unaware because they feel “all is well” and which is incapable of creating any security for itself — which of course can (and often does) lead to even more legislative/judicial restrictions to make things “more safe, healthful, proper”.

How many people cry out about “the poor, poor doggies and kitties” languishing and dying in our shelters each year, how many who also call out for the wholesale ban on certain “killer” dog breeds, consigning those very dogs to the needle or the gas chamber — sort of an hypocrisy isn’t it?

Rather reminiscent of some other hypocrisies we have foisted on ourselves as of late.

Aug 5, 2008 - 1:59 pm Jorsher:

Everyone pretty much summed up anything I planned on saying. I am a APBT owner that doesn’t fit the general public’s idea of a pit bull owner. My pit bull also doesn’t fit their idea, and so it’s just a big confusing mess for the “pit bull haters.” The most violent thing she’s ever done was slap someone with her tail while furiously wagging it.

Teg G - Please make comments based on fact and not the opinion fed to you by media. Labradors actually score worse than APBTs in temperament testing done by http://www.atts.org (American Temperament Testing Society) who has tested thousands of dogs and found APBTs to score significantly higher than average. I think they had the 3rd highest score out of all breeds.

Unpredictable and vicious, eh? It’s a miracle that Helen Keller survived around a pit bull with her disabilities.

Aug 5, 2008 - 2:30 pm OldSkiBum:

People, the only dogs I’ve ever had are Golden Retrievers. Great dogs. I want another. I’m sure that Pit Bulls are great dogs. Your posts have convinced me. But, why would I take the chance?

Aug 5, 2008 - 2:59 pm Mary in LA:

I Miss My Kitty, I understand about missing your kitty. I will always miss my dear sweet cat who died of kidney failure. I have two other cats now, whom I love, but they can’t replace Audrey, a.k.a. The Best Cat Ever.

Some dogs do kill cats. When I was in grade school, an Afghan hound killed our kitten on Christmas Day. My sister-in-law and her husband had/have two dogs, a Shepherd/Lab mix (since gone to the Rainbow Bridge) and a terrier mix, who were fine with people, but, I hate to say, have killed one cat each. I would guess that every breed of dog harbors at least one cat-killer in its ranks.

Aug 5, 2008 - 3:11 pm Leslie:

Ted G. Why don’t ya go look at atts.org and tell me how sweet and great your golden labs are. The American Pit Bull Terrier is ONLY .3 behind them. So, if you are tellin me that they are FAR better than a Pit Bull, then you are wrong….considering not as many golden labs were tested as there were Pit Bulls.

The original Pit Bull was bread to be a loyal, family companion. Unfortunately, it was used in the cruel sport of bull-baiting. Which was outlawed then, as is dog-fighting today. These “vicious” animals slept with the family each and every night.

The Pit Bull has gotten its bad rap due to BAD breeding and BAD owners. What about us responsible Pit Bull owners, that don’t just have the dog for a “fashion statement” so to speak?

10 years ago it was the Rottweiler, and prior to that was the Doberman…..EACH and EVERY breed is gonna have its day in the spotlight for unfortunate events.

Some of you say to BAN all Pit Bulls….why? The thugs will only do it underground….what will prevent them from STILL owning them? They still sell drugs, despite the harsh penalty for getting caught….and IF the ban were to be successful….then guess what….YOUR breed is NEXT.

Breed Banning is no different than modern day racism. ITS WRONG. The Pit Bull needs POSITIVE stories told by the media. (even though its not ‘news worthy material’)

If you are afraid of something, or do not understand it, the best thing to do is EDUCATE yourself about it. Don’t live your life NOT knowing all you can know about something that “scares” you so much. You’d be surprised at the things you could learn to respect from the wonderful breed.

Aug 5, 2008 - 3:46 pm Stormi:

Excellent article. I personally share my home with a deaf, obedience titled and therepy dog certified, big baby pit bull. He’s excellent with all walks of people and other animals. He will absolutely refuse to enter a doorway if there is a cat standing in it. He’s been known to curl up and pass out in complete strangers laps. Every dog is born with the same chance to be what us humans would consider “good” or “bad”. Its all in the surroundings as they are raised as to what they become as adults.

Aug 5, 2008 - 3:57 pm Leslie:

I MISS MY KITTY: DOGS in general are predatory animals. And like someone else said, if they are not exposed to CATS in their life as a family member, then they are automatically on a dogs list of prey.

I had a black lab about 10 years ago who ATTACKED and KILLED a cat in the neighborhood. It was nothing that ANYONE could have done. I personally don’t like cats, so I never had them around her. She looked at it as a food object…something she wanted to hunt. I couldn’t blame her for doing it. It’s natural. ANY DOG IS CAPABLE OF KILLING A CAT. Unfortunately, in your case it just so happened to be a Pit Bull. Pit Bulls are NOT the only ‘dangerous’ dog. LOOK IT UP and you WILL be SURPRISED!

Pit Bulls will be the ONLY dog I will EVER own. For their loyalty, trust, compassion, tenacity, strength, courage and their never ending love and need to please their owners. They are the all around PERFECT dog.

It’s the WRONG owners that make them BAD dogs.

Aug 5, 2008 - 3:57 pm Michele:

The American Pit Bull Terrier, if bred correctly, is a loyal and energetic breed. They can be DA (dog agressive) which is a normal trait with this breed. Unfortunately, alot of owners do not know this when they get this breed. They are not supposed to ever bite a human. If anyone wants to learn more, come to: http://www.pitbull-chat.com

Michele

Aug 5, 2008 - 4:14 pm APBT:

Thank you for this article, me and my APBT, who I would take over a lab ANY day, enjoyed it. In fact, I have never met a lab I would turn my back on. You may want to look at temperment testing Ted, and you will see that my dog has a better temperment than yours.

Aug 5, 2008 - 4:45 pm Bobnormal:

I must be EVIL I own a Pit Rottweiler mix,Whoopee!! she is the most gentle,funny,and sweet dog I’ve had the pleasure to own.BTW right after WWII GIs were bringing home German shepards,claimed to be the newest “Dreaded Menace”,
this was back in the 40s

Aug 5, 2008 - 5:09 pm Chris:

Its nice to see a balanced story for a change. The fact is the overwhelming majority of pitbulls are fine dogs. Yes, I own a pitbull, my neighbors love her. I’m not an irrational person and I would not have a dangerous animal in my home.

But the fact is people are often very irrational in their reactions to pitbulls. They make a hasty generalization based on a story or a encounter or two and then they judge prior to experence about ALL the dogs in the breed.

If the study of history has shown us anything, it is that irrational fear is among the strongest and most dangerous of emotions.

And they get it wrong. I’ve had so many people meet my dog, find her a wonderful dog and be shocked when they find out she is a pitbull because their image of the breed is not based on reality but on a distorted image in their minds.

Aug 5, 2008 - 5:28 pm Gozer the Carpathian:

I too am a Pitbull owner. What’s more I’m a pitbull owner in the “bad” side of town. When I firt brought him home he was stolen five different times by drug dealers, gang bangers, and just plain wierdos. (Or at least those who have no qualms of walking into someone’s yard and taking a dog)

I’ve seen lots of the “walking gun” style of pitbulls in my neighborhood and mine doesn’t look or act at all like them. Instead of being raised or treated to be mean or muscular, mine is lean and friendly. Though he lives up too much to his name (Houdini) so I’m always trying to find ways to keep him in the yard. *Sigh*

Anyway while Pitbulls may be predisposed to be mean and agressive it doesn’t mean that if you raise them well they can’t be friendly and kind. (Or stupid and silly in Houdini’s case. I swear he thinks he’s a cat some days.)

Aug 5, 2008 - 5:40 pm jenna:

OldSkiBum, to answer your “why should I take the chance?” after 1)saying that you’re sure some Pits are nice; 2)bringing up the dog that’s supposed to be the poster child for “good doggie” — the Golden:

I find your sneaky little attack obnoxious. If you personally love Goldens, then fine, stick with Goldens. But don’t try to weasel in that you still find Pits to be “dangerous”. Some people happen to like them, and should be allowed their personal choice just like you.

And FYI: we happen to own a Golden, lovely dog, obedience champ at a very young age (got his before a year old, and with my then 14 yo. daughter handling him) lovely dog at home and with people he knows — I never, ever trust him with strangers at the door. He is VERY aggressive and territorial during that situation(and is a big dog who could bite big if he wanted to). Because he is well trained, we managed to keep his temper under control for the obedience ring (it was actually very easy as he has a strong work drive), but I don’t trust him when company comes over; he gets put up and people are told not to touch him. He has been like this since he hit maturity and is in good health, so it is a natural thing; it is what he is.

Ironically, we own a very large Doberman and German Shepherd, and yes an old fashioned style Pit Bull (not so blocky and muscle bound). All well trained, obedience whizzes, and all round good citizens. Everyone who comes over makes a big deal of being scared of them (even to the point of wondering why I trust such obviously “killer” dogs around my children and farm animals); they always want to pet “the beautiful Golden” (that they can’t understand why we keep up when company comes). So I take them out to the Golden’s run (all the while the “killers” are quietly milling about, looking for a pat or just minding their own business) — and they find out why I always tell them to keep an eye out for our Golden and not worry about the others.

Aug 5, 2008 - 6:01 pm DeputyDawg:

[quote]they are predisposed to attacks and aggression. Pitbulls are dangerous,[/quote]

Roarke,
Would you like to cite any Expert,credible source or any credible Facts
to support that little bit of gobbledygook?
We`d all like to take your word for it but….just in case we want to quote you,we`d like to be able to cite your source.

Aug 5, 2008 - 6:28 pm RustyG:

My family owns Shelties. I’ve never read of anyone being maimed or killed by a sheltie. You can go ahead and mark me down in the bigoted and biased against pit bulls column. Go ahead and abuse me with your comments if you like. Its not as if I am required to be politically correct with a dog breed. They are what they are, just dogs.

The problem I have is this. If I run in to a stray pit I don’t know if it is one of the big pussycats you describe in the numerous previous posts are one raised by some degenerate also described above. All I know is it is a breed that was bred to be a warrior. I assume they are all raised by the degenerate. To assume otherwise is not very prudent since it could result in my family or pets being hurt.

Aug 5, 2008 - 6:37 pm Olivia:

TO Jerry:

I’ve never been to Maryland. I’m sorry but I’m a Southern Gal.

Aug 5, 2008 - 8:09 pm cathy:

I really wanted to adopt a pit, partly as company for my shepherd mix dog, but after researching the breed and terrier disposition regarding prey, reluctantly concluded it would be too risky since I also have a cat. Also it didn’t sound like you should let one off leash at a dog beach(I live in a city), where my dog loves to go. I don’t doubt their overall safety around people, however, and I think they’re beautiful dogs.

Aug 5, 2008 - 8:37 pm Tiffany Schepps:

Carl Herkstroeter, the President of the ATTS (American Temperament Testing Society) says, “We’ve tested somewhere around 1,000 pit bull-type dogs. I’ve tested half of them. And out of the number I’ve tested I have disqualified one pit bull because of agressive tendencies. They’ve done extremely well. They have good temperament. They are very good with children.” The ATTS is responsible for rating breeds of dog on their attitude.

Pit Bulls are without a doubt amazing animals. Their intelligence, loyalty, love and extremely STABLE temperament make them wonderful pets. I’ve had them all my life and so has everyone in my family. They are everything opposite of vicious and unpredictable. Those who go along with the monster image are simply ignorant or uneducated.

Julia Szabo, you’re a wonderful woman!

Aug 5, 2008 - 8:57 pm Tiffany Schepps:

Oh.. and the Golden Lab woman.. you need a serious reality check. NO dog, including your precious Goldens, have ever been in any place of power like Pit Bulls have. This is for everyone else who thinks Pit Bulls are no good as well.

Hellen Keller’s service dog was a Pit Bull.

The #1 drug seizure dog for the US is a Pit Bull.

The WWI US mascot was a Pit Bull.

The most decorated war dog ever was a Pit Bull, during WWI.

The Pit Bull was the only dog to make the cover of Life Magazine 3 times (in a positive light).

The first dog to make history and travel across the US in an automobile was a Pit Bull. His goggles are at the Smithsonian Museum.

Petey from the little rascals was a Pit Bull!

The first certified hearing dog in Alaska was a Pit Bull.

Pit Bulls work for the Police, FBI and many other organizations. Go to LawDogsUsa.org to view more. LawDogs is strictly devoted to Pit Bulls and police work.

“Diva Dog”, the victim of a serious hit and run now represents all disabled dogs. She’s a Pit Bull.

Aug 5, 2008 - 9:12 pm Roark:

DeputyDawg, It’s easy, just google pitbull.-there is more than enough info. about their aggresive nature. Lions and tigers can also be tame, but mother nature instills in them killer instincts. The same goes with pitbulls. The fact is, certain animals by their very nature are predisposed to aggression.

Aug 5, 2008 - 9:18 pm DeputyDawg:

Rusty G.,
[quote]If I run in to a stray pit I don’t know if it is one of the big pussycats you describe in the numerous previous posts are one raised by some degenerate also described above.[/quote]

When I run into a stray DOG,I don`t know if it is a pussycat or one raised by some “degenerate” or irresponsible owner that doesn`t know enough to comply with leash laws.
I`m concerned when I run into almost ANY loose dog.
I`m not personally concerned about Pits because I know what they`re truly like but no dog should be roaming around loose.

Did you have a look at the list of Breeds and the fatal injuries from Autopsy reports?
Does it matter if it`s a Pit or is it a matter of the dog not being under control of an owner?

http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/canineaggression.asp
(See injuries at link)
[quote]Fifteen different breeds inflicted the fatal wounds listed above. The breeds were:

*
Siberian husky
*
Coonhound
*
Dachshund
*
Chow chow
*
Pit bull
*
Sheepdog-type dog
*
Malamute
*
Labrador Retriever
*
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
*
St. Bernard
*
German Shepherd dog
*
Wolfdog
*
Golden Retriever
*
Mixed breed (no discernable breed visible)
*
Rottweiler

It is virtually impossible for anyone to match the breed of dog with the fatal injuries listed above - as such - claims that one breed of dog inflicts injuries unlike other breeds have no merit.

(Fatal wounds / breed matches can be obtained upon request).

* Breeds were chosen for this sample only if the breed has been involved in more than one human fatality (i.e., Airedale Terrier, Pomerarian, Jack Russell Terrier, et.al, were not used as only one human fatality has been attributed to each of these breeds in the United States).[/quote]

Aug 5, 2008 - 9:55 pm RustyG:

Tiffany

A couple of more stats.

At least 25 different breeds of dogs have been involved in the 238 dog bite-related fatalities in the United States.
Pit bulls and rottweilers account for over half of these deaths.

Aug 5, 2008 - 10:01 pm DeputyDawg:

Roarke,
Are you kidding me?
[quote]DeputyDawg, It’s easy, just google pitbull.[/quote]
I said an Expert,Peer reviewed Research,something,anything?
Get serious.
No wonder you believe what you believe.

Pick up these 2 Books by Karen Delise- A Court Certified Expert
Pit Bull Placebo
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0972191410/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
Fatal Dog Attacks
http://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Dog-Attacks-Stories-Statistics/dp/0972191402/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217998908&sr=8-2
This book is out of print.Try a Library.
There`s a copy available from a secondary Seller for $299.89
It really is that good.
I`ll give you a deal and sell you mine for $199.89
Read factual sites
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/default.asp
http://www.animalfarmfoundation.org/section.php?id=5

Google Pit Bull-I don`t know whether to laugh or cry.

Media stories?
Yeah they`re reliable!
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/media1.asp
The Media is slightly biased in their reporting.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb549276.htm

Aug 5, 2008 - 10:08 pm DeputyDawg:

[quote]Tiffany

A couple of more stats.
At least 25 different breeds of dogs have been involved in the 238 dog bite-related fatalities in the United States.
Pit bulls and rottweilers account for over half of these deaths.[/quote]

Rusty G.

You`re pulling stats out of your elbow or some other part.
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites1.asp
[quote]Dog Bite Statistics: Science or Junk Science?[/quote]

[quote]”A CDC study on fatal dog bites lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998). It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites.

**** There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.”***

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/biteprevention.htm

** The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) released statement on the erroneous use and conclusions of the CDC study:[/quote]

Aug 5, 2008 - 11:11 pm DeputyDawg:

[quote]
At least 25 different breeds of dogs have been involved in the 238 dog bite-related fatalities in the United States.
Pit bulls and rottweilers account for over half of these deaths.[/quote]

Rusty G.

You`re pulling stats out of your elbow or some other part.
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites1.asp
[quote]Dog Bite Statistics: Science or Junk Science?[/quote]

[quote]”A CDC study on fatal dog bites lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998). It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites.

**** There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.”***

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/biteprevention.htm

** The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) released statement on the erroneous use and conclusions of the CDC study:[/quote]

Aug 5, 2008 - 11:13 pm Carole Raphaelle Davis:

Bravo Ms. Szabo!
What a wonderful article praising the pit bull, American icon. It’s time to stop victimizing these dogs by making them seem like criminals and putting the people who abuse them behind bars instead.
Carole Raphaelle Davis, author of “The Diary of Jinky, Dog of a Hollywood Wife.”

Aug 6, 2008 - 12:45 am RustyG:

I found the stats here Deputydawg after a quick search

http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nr_fact_sheets_animal_dog_bite

It’s the previously mentioned drug dealers and people that breed them to fight that are giving pits the bad rap. That’s the “degenerates” I was referring to. Sorry but I think the term fits. Why do they choose Pit Bulls?

Twice this summer I was walking my dogs and had a loose pit leave a yard and charge at us. Fortunately they were the big pussycats. Unfortunately I have the gangsters and some I suspect might be fighting them in my city. These people tend to be irresponsible. I assumed they are about to eat me or my dogs since I can’t tell which is which as they ran at me.

I have several friends that own pits and swear by them just like alot of the commenters and the author of this article. The are a noble breed. Tiffany, your list is impressive. It is a shame the breed is being tarnished by the drug dealers and Micheal Vick types. Because there are so many irresponsible pit owners, if I see one loose I don’t trust them. Sorry. It’s not the dogs fault, it’s the humans.

Now let me tell you about my Shelties …..LOL

Aug 6, 2008 - 7:14 am Disc Pit:

Lots of talk from people that have little to no experience on the matter. Fortunately, there are others that have the experience speaking up as well. It always amazes me how people can form such strong opinions based on very little knowledge/experience, and then post comments like they are an authority on the topic because they are mistaking their opinion as fact. People can talk all they want, but it won’t change the truth. The great thing is that I don’t need to talk. My Pit Bull can speak for himself. Feel free to check him out. http://www.wallacethepitbull.com And just for the record, we own other breeds as well. Our newest addition, former Vick Dog, Hector is gonna have a lot to say as well. Stay tuned…….

Aug 6, 2008 - 7:15 am DeputyDawg:

Rusty G. I don`t think you`re reading my posts!
You`re citing the CDC Study.

They released a statement on their study which I posted above but I will post again.
(You can`t just pick and choose)

http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites1.asp

[quote]An Analysis of the CDC Study

Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Human Attacks in the U.S. between 1979 and 1998

The critical flaw in the CDC’s study was the attempt to isolate a factor (breed) which could not be isolated and was impossible to verify.

Of all the more tangible circumstances surrounding a dog attack (sex of dog, reproductive status of dog, location of dog, relationship of dog to victim), the CDC chose, for unknown reasons, the most problematic and least reliable aspect on which to base their study.

Without any legitimate way to identify or verify breeds of dogs, and while knowing that mixed breed dogs make up a significant portion of dogs in the U.S.; the CDC, nevertheless, sought out and attempted to acquire breed information. Since there was, and still is, no national recording system that keeps track of the events surrounding dogs bites, the CDC scanned newspaper articles for breed identifications in cases of fatal dog attacks.

In addition to using newspaper articles, the CDC excluded nearly 1/4 of the small sample population (n=320) due to the fact their source (i.e., newspapers) either failed to report the incident altogether or reported the incident but failed to “identify” a breed.

**********However, unlike the Clifton study listed above, the CDC recognized the flaws in their study and clearly stated that no conclusions on breed behaviors could be drawn from their data.**********

The CDC no longer keeps track of dog bite fatalities by breed and has posted the following statement on their website:

*******”A CDC study on fatal dog bites lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years (Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998). It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.”*******

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/biteprevention.htm

** The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) released statement on the erroneous use and conclusions of the CDC study:[/quote]

Aug 6, 2008 - 7:52 am Brian:

My wife and I have an American Pit Bull Terrier named Buddy. Buddy is the most gentle dog I have come across. We joked that if a burglar was to invade our home, all he would need to do is show Buddy a stick and Buddy would be wagging his tail in anticipation. Buddy is intelligent, athletic, and very playful. We also have a three year old child. We have no concerns regarding our son and Buddy playing together.

Regarding media reports of attacks by Pit Bulls. Further investigation often reveals that the attacking dog was in fact, not an American Pit Bull Terrier. The next time you read of a Pit Bull attacking someone please keep the following in mind. The term Pit Bull has come to encompass a number of different breeds. The media reports do not differentiate between an APBT, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or even a Bull Dog. As a result, a true picture of the temperament of the American Pit Bull Terrier cannot be gleaned from reading the newspaper.

Aug 6, 2008 - 9:52 am RustyG:

I read it Dawg. I don’t think your reading my rationale for not trusting pit bulls. It’s not because of the good owners like you, the author and other commenters, it’s because of the many irresponible pit bull owners. I am as sorry as I can be that these “scum” have caused me to be cautious and not trust the dog you love.

Are you claiming that a pit bull owned by the “scum” (to use the authors term) that gets loose poses no more threat to me and my pets than an abused beagle? There is NO difference?

Aug 6, 2008 - 9:59 am Billy:

I only wish our cars were as safe as our Pitt Bulls.

Aug 6, 2008 - 10:42 am OldSkiBum:

to Jenna

How dare I be reluctant to have a pit bull? Why would I dare to say so? I don’t care about your dogs. I care about mine. I’ve had two goldens whose only danger to strangers was licking them and wanting to be petted excessively. A pit killed a kid in my town recently. I’ve never heard of a golden licking a kid to death. Keep your pits. And welcome to them.

Aug 6, 2008 - 10:43 am Sandy:

My American Staffordshire Terrier, Ted, came to me as a senior dog, rescued two days before he was scheduled to be euthanized. He was 6 years old, suffering from advanced heartworm, with teeth filed down, scarred from fights, fly bitten ears, underweight.

His head held down, afraid to meet my eyes, he slowly walked toward me on a leash held by one of the thousands of amazing people who work for rescue groups around the country. As he came closer, he looked up and saw my smiling face and I swear, that dog smiled back. His tail started to wag and it has not stopped in 2 years.

Ted now is 80 pounds of pure, muscular joy. He chases his tail, plays with my other dogs (a mixed batch of a lab, a pit mix, a pit foster, a chow/shepherd and a Heinz 57 even the vet can’t figure out), gators in the driveway to scratch his back, gives big sloppy kisses to everyone who visits whether they want one or not, and passed his canine good citizen test with flying colors. He’s fun, smart, playful, gentle, loyal, loving, grateful and happy – just like thousands upon thousands of other pitbulls around the country.

Their nature is to please people and research into animal intelligence ranks them very high. Pitbulls are not inherently human aggressive dogs and a pit that is human aggressive with no provocation or specific training to be aggressive is a genetically faulty dog. Show me a pitbull that has bitten a person and I’ll show you a dog that is either the result of irresponsible breeding or of irresponsible, neglectful, or abusive ownership.

Aug 6, 2008 - 10:56 am Roark:

HOW a dog is raised is only one half of the equation, the other more important part is the inherent nature of the animal. No matter how well you treat badger or a bear, they are still, BY THEIR NATURES, inclined to aggression. The same is true of a myriad of other animals including pitbulls.

Aug 6, 2008 - 11:33 am Lori:

Do not knock these dogs until you’ve met one. I’ve done rescue for years, never much got into Pits - until four years ago. I became an advocate in about 10 seconds. I’ve worked with all kinds of dogs, and these guys have won me over. Goldens are fine, but my heart belongs to my Pits. People who spout off irresponsible propaganda need to realize their dogs could be next. Don’t think BSL is rational. First, it doesn’t work. (They can’t find the dog fighters now. How’s BSL going to change that?) Second, it’s used by PETA and other groups who would like to see an end to all dogs. Boxers and Mastiffs are on several lists of banned breeds. Goldens aren’t far behind. Even if you’re not a Pit fan, you absolutely need to join this fight.

Aug 6, 2008 - 11:48 am cmac:

Deputy Dawg-

I have read, with rapt attention, all comments posted until you mentioned Clifton’s study. Oh God - please explain to everyone that this is not research - I am a research professional and Clifton is nothing short of a quack. In his self-analysis of his ‘research’, he does nothing short of anthropomorphise the behavior of GSD’s that were involved in bite incidents - citing that, in his opinion, in every case they did not want to bite. Geez. Either he can read their minds or they can speak to him. Funny - it only applies to GSD’s. By the way, I LOVE PIT BULL TERRIERS. Though I own a rottie, I still love them. They, in ideal living situations and even less-than-ideal situations, are simply joyous!
BTW, my son lives in the now-infamous Lakewood, OH where the pit ban recently passed. That was a fight fought long and hard by its citizens. The fight is not over. They will not lie down and take it, for they know it does not end with the pit. This is the result of an alliance of mainly the city council members with law enforcement. They feel the ban is the easy way to ‘keep the city safe.’ OK.
Your readers should know of the recent case of a Lakewood police officer who was responding to a domestic argument. The woman who lived next door to where the argument was taking place saw what was happening and went to her back yard to bring her pit inside. For reasons unknown and unexplainable by the police department, the police officer went into her yard. As he did, her pit ran up to him to greet him, when she called her dog to her, the dog was shot five times - the last shot was to the back of her head. The woman instinctively lay down and covered her dog with her body - the entire time the cop had his revolver drawn on the woman, who pled to give her dog mouth-to-mouth. The cop told her if she did, he’d shoot her. She lay over her dog while she died. Today, the woman suffers tremendously from PTSD. This is information obtained directly from the woman, who related this occurrence in one of the MANY Lakewood city council meetings. The only people who were visibly upset by her experience were the folks in the audience and maybe ONE city council member. Now please tell me why THAT had to happen. No matter how you feel about a certain breed, when a dog is not posing a threat and is doing exactly what it was asked to do, why would you hate something that much?
Those who are able to, are moving out of Lakewood in great numbers. Best way to hurt a city is through its wallet!
I digress, Merritt Clifton is a quack.

Aug 6, 2008 - 11:58 am Genee:

I have a pitbull sharpei mix, a scottish terrier and 3 cats. The dominant animal in the house is the 7 pound cat Inky. I’ve never met a sweeter more loving dog than my pitbull mix. He is 120 pounds of sheer love. Inky gets him up in the morning by getting up on the bed, crawling under his blanket, and biting the end of his tail (she is intrigued by his wagging tail and bites her own kitty tail as well). He whines at night if he sees her on the bed because he is afraid of her (Inky, the kitty, is very bossy)so I cover him up so he can fall asleep at night without seeing her. I have one pit bull mix and 3 cats sleeping on the bed with me at night and the scottish terrier sleeps right beside the bed with her head under the bed. My pit bull mix won’t go near any of the family cats except to nose the older one, when she is sleeping on the floor, to say hello, plus he’ll sleep with them. They don’t play together, but they very happily share the same space. Oddly enough a cat got into the completely fenced in back yard last year (must have climbed the 6 foot fence, why I don’t know) and both the pit bull mix and terrier gave chase (but both completely ignore the house kitties), they didn’t catch the cat, thank goodness. So maybe it is, at least for my dogs, if they see the cats as part of their pack they won’t bother them. I would trust my pit bull mix with any age child, he is VERY patient and very loving. He is a wagging machine! Actually, I’ve had some problems teaching the terrier not to hunt birds. It’s been a bit of a struggle, but she now knows NOT to pull birds out of the pine trees in the back yard. We had to go over that several times and 3 birds were lost, but now she doesn’t touch them. My pit bull mix has never hurt any other creature, ever. EXCEPT for once chasing, but not catching, a cat that got into the back yard (after scaling the 6 foot wooden fence).

Aug 6, 2008 - 12:23 pm DeputyDawg:

[quote]Are you claiming that a pit bull owned by the “scum” (to use the authors term) that gets loose poses no more threat to me and my pets than an abused beagle? There is NO difference?[/quote]

I don`t have to claim it Rusty G.
What the Media has you believing is that other Breeds don`t cause the exact same injuries.
The Beagle is not on the list.Beagles don`t seem to have caused a fatality,yet.

Please read the link below.
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/canineaggression.asp
I don`t want to list the injuries.
They may disturb some people.
There are 15 Breeds and the list of injuries from Autopsy reports.
See if you can match the injuries(at the link) to the Breeds.
[quote]Fifteen different breeds inflicted the fatal wounds listed above. The breeds were:

*
Siberian husky
*
Coonhound
*
Dachshund
*
Chow chow
*
Pit bull
*
Sheepdog-type dog
*
Malamute
*
Labrador Retriever
*
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
*
St. Bernard
*
German Shepherd dog
*
Wolfdog
*
Golden Retriever
*
Mixed breed (no discernable breed visible)
*
Rottweiler

It is virtually impossible for anyone to match the breed of dog with the fatal injuries listed above - as such - claims that one breed of dog inflicts injuries unlike other breeds have no merit.

(Fatal wounds / breed matches can be obtained upon request).

* Breeds were chosen for this sample only if the breed has been involved in more than one human fatality (i.e., Airedale Terrier, Pomerarian, Jack Russell Terrier, et.al, were not used as only one human fatality has been attributed to each of these breeds in the United States).[/quote]

I don`t own one of these dogs.
I own the Breed that ripped the face off a lady in France requiring the World`s first face transplant.I don`t sleep with one eye open because of that and they are also on the list above for having caused multiple fatalities.
I`m not trying to convince anyone to get a “Pit Bull”
I just want people to see that they have been duped by the Media and people making claims that aren`t substantiated by Fact.
Dog bites are frightening.I`ve been bitten 3 times.None were Pits.
No one is claiming that there haven`t been serious injuries and fatalities by Pits.
BTW there have been NO fatalities by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier in the U.S or Canada.
There have been 2 fatalities by American Staffordshire Terriers is the U.S and 1(unconfirmed) in Canada.
Yet those 2 Breeds are always on BSL lists.

This is from Fatal Dog Attacks by Karen Delise re her study:
Very interesting book.
Well worth that $199.89(My price)
[quote]A dog is identified as a “Pit Bull” only when the following criteria is met:
-Dog was officially identified through criminal proceedings as a Pit Bull.
-The dog appeared to be a Pit Bull and was used or obtained as a fighting dog.
-Animal Control officers determined the dog to be a Pit Bull
The dog was identified by the media,owner,animal control and/or law enforcement as a Pit Bull and there is photographic documentation to substantiate this claim.

“Pit-bull-type dogs” is used in the following cases:
The media is the only source of breed identification.
-The dog has characteristics of a Pit Bull but appears not to be a purebred Pit Bull,and no other breed of dog is apparent.[/quote]

Don`t believe all those Media reports.
That`s all I`m saying.
Question them.
Was it one of these Pure Breeds or one of their mixes?
http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Findthebull/findpitbull_v4.swf
Was it even a serious bite worthy of reporting?
The Media reported a pit bull puppy playing with a child`s shoelaces as a Pit Bull Attack for Dawg`s sake.
When you realize what they`re doing,it`s difficult to believe anything they report and they do a grave injustice to people seriously injured/killed by other Breeds.
Have a look at 4 days of reporting.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb549276.htm

All I`m saying is..when you read Pit Bull Attack…question it now that you know more.Was it really a “Pit Bull”?Was it serious?Where are ALL the other Dog Attack stories?They`re ALL biting and causing serious injuries.Why isn`t the Media reporting them?

Aug 6, 2008 - 12:26 pm Ron B.:

I had a close relative who raised Pits and I grew up around them and have has many experiences with them. Some were funny such as the time we were turned in for hanging a dog because we had a Pit that loved to swing on the end of a rope by it’s mouth and make whining noises. We demonstrated Buck’s prowess to the amazed SPCA officer and were asked not to let him do that in the front yard anymore. Other experiences were not so funny such as when my younger brother was bitten in the face. Indeed, Pits can be the most loving and loyal of dogs but I’ve never owned one as an adult. I don’t trust them.

Aug 6, 2008 - 12:34 pm A Dog Guy:

The group I travel with have just about every dog imaginable. Everything from the little guys to the big ones. Chihuahua and Toy Poodle to the Staffordshire Terrior and Rottweiler. For the most part, they are socialized, disiplined, they all know their place in the pack and get along with the others. We have a saying in our group which applies here. “You show me the dog and I’ll show you the owner.” Think about it.

Aug 6, 2008 - 12:52 pm Csilla Korossy:

It is a grave injustice to allow the government in a free country dictate what type of dogs citizens can have. Today pit bulls are banned, tomorrow it may be German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, beagles, and so on. Do what is right. Stand up for pit bulls and pit bull owners today for tomorrow you and your dog may be targeted. I have escaped from a communist totalitarian regime where oppression was of unheard of magnitude; sadly, the pit bull ban is reminiscent of that regime’s tactics, definitely not befitting of a free country.

Aug 6, 2008 - 1:16 pm Michele:

Rusty said:If I run in to a stray pit I don’t know if it is one of the big pussycats you describe in the numerous previous posts are one raised by some degenerate also described above.

Rusty: Look to the OTHER end of that LEASH and you will find an irresponsible owner. I dont care what breed it is…ANY loose dog is a dog that is owned by an irresponsible owner. Get educated!!

Aug 6, 2008 - 1:23 pm RustyG:

To cmac:

I would hope that the Lakewood cop would be fired and face a fat lawsuit if the story went down as told.

If you read Dawgs comments then you probably read mine. In my last post I posed a question to Dawg. It wasn’t meant to be rhetorical or smarta**. I’m really curious. If my logic is flawed I’ll reconsider. If a pit bull owned by an abuser or dog fighter gets loose and runs at me, my kids or my pets, does it pose no more threat than any other breed?

I’m 6′4″ and weigh 185 …kinda thin. I did some boxing growing up with my brother and kids in the neighborhood. If me and Mike Tyson are in a bar and you pinch both our wives on the butt and we both get mad, do WE pose the same threat? LOL

Aug 6, 2008 - 1:23 pm DeputyDawg:

RustyG
I answered you
DID YOU LOOK AT THE INJURIES BY THOSE 15 BREEDS?????
Dead is dead.
36 Breeds have killed in the U.S
That goes up to over 50 Worldwide
A Lab puppy just killed a baby left alone in a swing.
It`s not the first baby killed by a Lab.
It happened in Florida in 2000.

Size of dog does not matter when it`s a baby or a child.

I don`t get what you`re trying to “prove” here?
Pit Bulls aren`t even big dogs!There are many,many Breeds of dogs a lot bigger than Pit Bulls.
Are you more afraid of Great Danes,German Shepherds,Mastiffs etc etc etc?
You`re going on and on about size.
They are bigger than “Pit Bulls” and there are many,many more.

WE get it.
****You are afraid of Pit Bulls*****
For no reason other than what you`ve heard.
The FACTS don`t support your fear.

*******Don`t leave your kids alone with ANY dogs.
Very few dogs kill but Fatalities are NOT Breed Specific and NEITHER are SERIOUS INJURIES.******

Comparing dogs to a drunk hitting on your wife is ridiculous.

The leading Expert in Canine Fatalities has spelled it out for people.
It`s the Owner NOT the dog
and these are the factors leading to fatalities

[quote]Extensive research and investigation using 40 years of data has conclusively identified the reckless and criminal ownership practices that can cause a dog to become dangerous:

OWNER MANAGEMENT & CONTROL OF DOGS

Owners failing to humanely contain, control and maintain their dogs (chained dogs, loose roaming dogs, cases of abuse/neglect), and owners failing to properly supervise interaction between children and dogs.

FUNCTION OF DOG

Owners maintaining dogs for guarding/protection, fighting, intimidation/status, or as yard dogs. Such dogs are resident dogs, not family pets.

REPRODUCTIVE STATUS OF DOG

Owners failing to spay or neuter animals not used for competition, show, or in a responsible breeding program.

91% of all fatal dog attacks from 2005-2007 were due to one or more of these critical factors.[/quote]

What exactly aren`t you getting?

I don`t want to run into ANY loose dog but if I had to choose the Breed that I would most like to run into loose,it would be a Pit Bull.
They are extremely human friendly.
They love people.
They crave contact with people.
The worst thing you can do to a Pit Bull is to isolate it from humans.
They are NOT meant for guard dogs and to be left outside with no human contact.
Even back in the day when they were fought in Pits,dogs that showed human aggression were culled because they had to be handled.
Go to a Shelter or Rescue and meet some dogs.

Aug 6, 2008 - 2:15 pm Cindy's Mom:

Interesting reading. It could go on forever. Olivia, sorry about your cat, but a dog is a dog. We have three dogs and nine cats who live, play eat and sleep together in our home, but that is not to say I would trust them with an outside stray cat.Besides, it was strictly an owner not in control of their dog issue. Rachel you make a lot of sense and know your own boundaries as a dog owner. Jenna, three cheers to you. Jon B, I agree - all those finger pointers don’t necessarily know what they are talking about. A lot of what they “know” is not correct, but they think it is what the community wants to hear. Jorscher, yeah that tail wagging isn’t limited to the tail. It’s a whole body thing, but that tail sure does sting! Old Ski Bum - a dog is not a chance - it is a choice and one that should not be made lightly. This is a life you are deciding on and a lifelong commitment to something that will be forever rewarding if you make the right choice. I have been a dog owner/companion all of my life. I remember when it was shepherds and dobermans that were feared. I’ve owned beagles, shepherds, a husky, an airedale and most recently pits. I have come to appreciate my pits for what they are and who they are - my best friend. They are loving and loyal animals. It saddens me to know they are vilified and feared for what ignorant and uncaring people have done and continue to do to them. BSL is NOT the answer to any of these problems. The only people willing to go along with the rules are the first ones to lose their dogs to nonsensical legislation. Do you really think the bad guys care how many hoops you make us responsible owners jump thru? It won’t affect them at all. They just go underground or get another dog. There is no personal commitment to their animals. They are just a commodity to be used, abused then traded or destroyed when no longer of any value to them.

Aug 6, 2008 - 3:06 pm RustyG:

Sorry

I just can’t help but think some pit bull owners are in denial. They are a warrior breed that IN THE WRONG hands can be dangerous. I know that is true of other breeds as well. Unfortunately gang-bangers and dog fighters choose pit bulls. Is it a coincidince, a fad, or is it because they are the best at ripping your throat out IF so inclined?

I’ve been a blog reader for a few years now but rarely post except to throw in a “yeah what he said” every once in a while. A friend that I used to work with who is a pit owner and lover and I have this discussion all the times so I couldn’t resist.

I hope in the future the only Pit Bulls I meet are owned by kind, responsible and loving owners like my buddy, the author and commenters here at PM.

Aug 6, 2008 - 3:14 pm brujotejano:

Twenty-five years ago my wife and I decided to buy our first house in an inner city neighborhood that was in the earliest stages of gentrification as we hated the Houston suburbs and we were young enough to do a lot of the necessary renovation ourselves. However, we couldn’t afford around-the-clock security so the next best thing was a pit bull.

We have raised and bred pits ever since. Not once has my home been burglarized, nor were any of our children kidnapped, and at least one group of teenage boys will always regret trying to wrap our house.

Yes, pits do have a natural disposition for aggressiveness; however, to our family, as well as our guests, the are just big lap dogs. On the otherhand, woe be to any creature not permitted on our premises.

Aug 6, 2008 - 4:21 pm Radtop:

Pitbulls and other “attack” dogs should require licensing just like a pistol. They are definitely used primarialy as intimidation by thugs and wanabes.

Aug 6, 2008 - 4:35 pm DeputyDawg:

RustyG
[quote]Is it a coincidince, a fad, or is it because they are the best at ripping your throat out IF so inclined?[/quote]

They choose them for the same reason the good owners choose them.
Loyalty
Human friendliness
Their athletic abilities
Their gameness which means their “stick to it” attitude.

Those are the qualities that make them
Great Champion Athletes
Great Search and Rescue Dogs
Great Therapy Dogs
Great K9 Detection Dogs
Great family pets that are great with Children

The Dog Fighters like them for those same reasons.
In other words they exploit their great qualities for evil purposes.

What you should be worried about are idiots who are mixing dogs with these great qualities with much larger Breeds that you may or may not have heard of that are NOT human friendly.

There are MANY Breeds of dogs that,to use your terminology were “Warrior” Breeds.
It`s humans that set them on Bulls.
It`s humans that set them on each other when Bull baiting was outlawed.
If you were able to wipe every Pit Bull off the face of the earth,these same humans will set other Breeds on each other.
If you wipe out dogs.
They will fight cats.
Wipe out cats,they will fight Cockroaches.(I believe it`s Japan where this is done)
This is a human problem.
Humans can do wonderful things with their physical abilities(Olympic Athletes) and their minds(Set men on the moon) or they can bring down the Twin Towers.

I think you`re in denial and still blaming dogs.
Dogs,including Pit Bulls don`t form intent to kill or hurt any human or animal.
Humans set them up to do that.
The chained Pit Bull Guard dog that killed a little boy recently…he was fulfilling the terms of his “employment” by a human.
Someone forgot to tell him NOT to guard against an Intruder that was under 3 feet.
Parents allowed that little boy to trespass on to the property where that Guard dog was chained.
The child didn`t know any better.
He may have tripped and fallen on the Guard dog,startling it.
He may have attempted to pet the doggie.
It wasn`t being kept as a pet.

Neither the dog nor the child are at fault here.

There are no “dangerous: breeds and there are no “safe” breeds.
There are dogs.

Humans pose much more of a threat to dogs than the other way around and Children are MUCH more likely to be harmed and killed by their parents/Caretakers than by ANY dog of ANY Breed.
You are so obsessed with Pit Bulls,you can`t see the forest for the trees.
You refuse to acknowledge the Facts presented to you.
Present SOMETHING that supports your belief.
ANYTHING AT ALL
I`ll read it.

There`s a great page on NCRC
Read this.
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/media2.asp
[quote]Afraid of Pit Bulls?
“The Inconvenient Truth” *[/quote]
There should be a lot of dead people if Pit Bulls are the monsters that you are trying to make them out to be.
Why don`t Pit Bulls stand up for themselves and kill all the people who are abusing them around the World?
Why didn`t the Pit Bulls(who wouldn`t fight) that Michael Vick electrocuted,hanged,drowned and beat to death KILL HIM before he killed them?
Why don`t the dogs “rescued” from horrific situations kill their rescuers?
They meet their rescuers with a wag of the tail and bully kisses.
Why aren`t there a whole lot of dead Shelter workers?

No my Forum Poster counterpart it is YOU who are in denial!

This is the true nature of Pit Bulls right here
http://server.inalbum.com/show/jodipreis/Message_to_the_Media2.html?296033009

I am finished here because you have NO interest in FACTS.
You`ve been brainwashed by the Media.
Try and get over your fear because Pit Bulls are here to stay.
People in the know are going to protect them from people like you,the Media and Legislators.

AS DiscPit said
[quote]Stay tuned…….[/quote]

Last word to the dogs
http://web.mac.com/animalsite/iWeb/PSA/spot.html

Aug 6, 2008 - 4:38 pm DeputyDawg:

[quote]Yes, pits do have a natural disposition for aggressiveness; however, to our family, as well as our guests, the are just big lap dogs. On the otherhand, woe be to any creature not permitted on our premises.[/quote]

Then your Pit Bull does not have a true Pit Bull Temperament.
They DO NOT have a natural disposition for aggressiveness towards humans.
There is a saying amongst people that REALLY know the dogs.
A Pit Bull never meets a stranger.
They are human friendly and that is why they do not make good guard dogs.
They are more likely to show you where the money and Jewels are kept and try to sit in your lap while you`re looting the place than to guard the loot.
People may be less likely to break in because of their unfounded fears (Rusty!)
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/assets/NCRC%202007%20Final%20Report.pdf
There is a BIG difference between a dog kept as a Pet and what`s called a Resident dog kept outside that is
kept for guarding purposes and prompted/encouraged to show aggression.
Even if you are keeping your dog inside,NO Pit Bull with true temperament would be showing aggression towards humans(not even strangers),nor should it be encouraged.
These are people friendly dogs.

Aug 6, 2008 - 5:25 pm Amber:

I have four pitbulls, they have never hurt anyone. I have been biten in the face by a basset hound however, does that mean that we should kill the entire breed, oo and i forgot to mention i have scars because of a miniture dachshund. Everyone is to busy trying to right, im not posting this to make a friend, i am posting this because i have been told that my dogs should be kiiles because of their smile, (if you own a pit then you know what i am talking about). The breed does not matter it is how they are raised. Any dog can be mean, any dog can attack, any dog can fight.
People who want to kill the breed, or outlaw them are just scared, there is something in this world that they dont knw everything about. I have not come in to contact with one person who after spending 10 mins with my dogs wanted them to put down. Thats when i get the “these arent NORMAL pitbulls” speech. They have papers saying they are realy pitbulls.
My saying in life
When you find out that you are scared of something, or there is something that you dont like, sit down and take the time to learn about, try it out, meet someone or something, but be your pwn person, a leader not a follower and make an educated decision on your own.
When you make a choice in life you have to live with it, Do you really want to look back 20 years from now and saw i made my decisions because of someone on tv or what someone else wrote in the paper.
And any one who wants to say that my dogs are used to intimidate thugs, or are weapons, or are being used to fight, i welcome you to come to my 4 bed room house, where they have there own room, all you can eat raw hide and they are all going to hide behind me and want me to protect them from you. There is nothing scary about my dogs. People are close minded, but to me thats ok, at some point in their life someone is going to try to take something they love ffrom them, and there will be thounds of people just like them making their life h*ll because of what they know and love.

Aug 6, 2008 - 6:36 pm Amber:

And as far as the people saying why should i take a “chance with a pitbull” no one is asking you too. Were asking you to leave us alone and let us live our lives happy with our pitbulls. We are asking that BSL find something important to do with their time rather then trying to kill our pets. I am asking that i beable to take my dogs to a pet store with out some one telling me that my dog should be put down ,a dn telling me how f*cking stupid i am have haveing them, or tell me that if i was more educated then i wouldnt have them in my house. I want the freedom that every one else hs with their pets, and im sure that when my dogs go out for their weekly icecream that they could have their ears rub just the same as every other dog.
If you dont want to own a pit then dont, if you dont want to pet a pit then dont, if you dont want to know about the breed and love the breed then dont, but dont try to tell everyone else that they cant because you dont want to.
Im the kind of person, i will move city to city and state to state, but i am not letting someone else tell me that i can not have my dogs, they did nothing wrong, they love my and i love them, i will stand up for them until the day i die.
I think the funny thing is i never even wanted a pitbull and i wasnt looking for one, when i found my first 2 half starved and almost dead, I had to give the lady who had them money to take the home. All of the pitbulls i have were abused, and everyone of them almost died, but you know what, they are still wonderful dogs even though they were put through h*ll, they still love with all their hearts.

Aug 6, 2008 - 6:49 pm Roark:

The vast majority of pitbull owners, from my experience and research, are out to prove to themselves that they won’t be “pushed around” and are “tough”. Why else choose a natural born killer for a pet? The pitbull is the mascot for short mans disease.

Aug 6, 2008 - 9:01 pm Amy:

This message is primarily for people like Roark (see above post), whose driveling ignorant diahhrea-ish posts seriously make me ill. Although I do not own a pit bull, I know many people with pitties (both rescued and raised from 8 weeks) though I have seen some frigthtening pit bulls, i have also seen frightening labs, jack russells, and even chiuahuas. As a matter of fact, most statistics show that the majority of dog bites come from dogs under 30 lbs. Why? Training. Or lack thereof. Unfortunately the big guys cause more damage, so they’re targeted. I had a co-worker whose six year old had his lip torn open (he needed a plastic surgeon to fix it) by a pekingese. Having a pit, rott, dobie, etc has nothing to do with “short man’s syndrome” calling a specific breed a natural born killer, however; is the creed of stupidity. I have a rottweiler, 2 years old, comes to work me every day, and as the mailman says “he’s a love bug”. Zeus gets so excited to see this particular mailman his whole rear end wiggles and he rolls over on his back waiting for treats. Zeus is also one of the smartest dogs I have ever known (our family always had labs growing up). What I think people like Roark should ask themselves is (oh and you actually need to pay attention to the point behind the post, which may be hard because it gets in the way of you spouting nonsense): “How has the media effected my opinion of these breeds?” and “How many dogs that are one of these breeds do i know personally?” The commercials mentioned, ARE just another reason that these breeds are feared. There is another cell phone commercial for (whoever “Chad” represents Altel, I think), where a doberman chases the competitors away, and it’s another example of this breed-casting. Rottweilers, incidentally, were bred for hauling and hearding, not fighting. In Germany, they were known as “butchers’ dogs” because they would haul large carts of meat. Get it people? WORK DOGS! And smart ones at that. They’re intelligent, athletic, loyal, and very sensitive to pain. It’s no wonder they respond the way they do if mistreated, and unfortunately many of them turn into “fear-biters” as a previous post mentioned. I have been looking for a place to live, and I hate that it is so hard with a rottweiler. I introduced Zeus to a potential landlord the other day, and the guy admitted that he had always been afraid of rottweilers, but he fell in love with my dog. The point of all this is that it’s not right that these stereotypes are reinforced by our media. Have you EVER seen a rottweiler, pit bull or doberman portrayed positively on the news, tv shows, or movies. Seriously. If you have please let me know because I haven’t. It all comes down to the owner. Irresponsible and abusive owners lead to ill adjusted pets (AND CHILDREN for that matter). And I am sorry for the woman who lost her cat to a pit bull, unfortunately cats and dogs both have a prey instinct and dogs like pit bulls and rotties are known for killing smaller animals because of this and a lot of times they don’t even know their own strength (sometimes it’s accidental). Losing a pet is hard regardless, but I didn’t get the sense that she thought the breed was awful, just that she missed her cat and was struggling with the fact that one of them killed her pet. Zeus, by the way, LOVES my cat, and the cat loves him, except when Zeus gets him sopping wet from licking him!

Aug 6, 2008 - 10:22 pm Amy:

Oh yeah, and Amber, I totally agree (I’ve had the same people make the same comments to me). I know “the smile” and rotts have it too, it melts my heart every time!!!

Aug 6, 2008 - 10:25 pm JimZ:

We had owned a pit bull (staffordshire terrier/boxer mix), Chester was the most gentlemanly dog you could ever hope to meet, a lovable 75 lbs. lap dog. We had cats when we first brought him home, there was a little initial hissing and spitting on the part of the cats, but eventually they all settled down and slept togather on the sofa. Our daughter had brought home an un-weaned kitten, who look at Chester as her mother and grew up with “pit bull” mannerisms. We also have two other dogs..a cockerpoo and a basset hound… it was the basset that scared the grand children the worst..big deep bass bark. Chester died about 16 months ago..he was almost 16…. he’s still loved and missed…Our grand daughter gets teary eyed when ever she talks about him.

Aug 6, 2008 - 11:12 pm Animystics:

Looking through the posts I see that the people who hate the pit bulls seem to WANT to hate them, despite all the information showing these dogs are not all bad.

I am ashamed to say I used to be one of those people who was afraid of them until I came accross a backyard breeder who had 60 pit bull breed mixes all in depolrable condition. He was the worst of the worst. When I first met him I was terrified that he had so many all unfixed chained one right next to the other… All ages, were talking 3 month old babies on HUGE chains next to pregnant females..next to unfixed adult males.. It was a nightmare for ANY dog. Most didnt have hair, were emaciated, and had sores and wounds all over them. I had to get over my predjudice if any of them were to get help. Our local “animal cops” didnt care as long as they were fed and had houses!! I started reading everything I could about the breeds (American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and American Pit Bull Terriers). I networked with rescues, shelters, and pit bull groups and EDUCATED MYSELF on everything I could sponge into my brain during that year. While going out there and tending to these dogs wounds and giving them shots and taking some to the vet when he let me. It took me a year (and a bad outbreak of sarcoptic mange) to get any of those dogs out of there. In the end I could only save 8. 15 had to be pts due to the severity of thier illnesses and some were aggressive. (The rest of the 60 were “gone” by the time I was in a position to help them.)

I work with dogs on chains. I rehabilitate them. I have for years and love what I do.

These pit bull dogs were by far the easiest to rehabilitate. I have worked with numerous dogs and I have been bitten countless times by just 2 breeds- german shepherds and chow chows. Do I hate those breeds? No. Pit bull breeds are only DOG AGGRESSIVE unless taught otherwise and not all Pit bull breeds have that dog aggressive gene. Usually it takes up to 3 years for that gene to be “triggered”. If you have a pit bull who has not shown any aggression towards any dogs by that time you most likely have one that doesnt have the gene. Pit Bulls were originally bred for 2 reasons: working farm dogs and fighting dogs. They lived with the farm animals and protected them! Many breeds are dog aggressive and that is not a reason to wipe out the whole breed. I am glad I educated myself and evovled past the hate and ignorance.

By the way, one of those chained pit bulls was in the Dayton Daily News titled “A Pit Bull Goes to the Library”. Pearl is a pit bull and she survived 5 years at that place. Now she teaches humane education in schools and libraries! I think people need to be educated or better yet, EDUCATE YOURSELF. Theres no excuse for ignorance when library books are free to use.

Another thing, 2 of the pit mixes are going to Vermont Saturday and this couple know everything about them and love them dearly. When I took them to the vet on the way out a senior upper class lady getting into a late model Lexis asked me if they were pits. I said yes and she told me she loved pits and she was sad that people hated them so much. She grew up with them and they were loving family pets and thier family never wanted any other breed. I wanted to scoop her up and hug her. She petted HOneybear and Precious and smiled at them and got in her car. We need more people like that!

Aug 7, 2008 - 7:16 am Roark:

Pitbulls are so well natured and behaved, which I guess is why they are the breed of choice for dog-fighting, protecting one’s drug operations, and keeping unwanted intruders at bay. The ONLY reason they EVER attack is because they have been mistreated. Anyone should be able to trust their infant child with a pitbull all of the time. They ONLY attack because their previous owner abused them and any little thing will set them off.

Aug 7, 2008 - 7:17 am DeputyDawg:

WOW!

****What a difference a dog makes……..****

Now this style of reporting isn`t going to damage millions of innocent dogs around the world.

Cute smiling picture of the “PERP” as opposed to catch pole shot of dog being dragged out and put in paddy wagon with cops milling around.
No shots of that yellow police tape.Wouldn`t want that in a “nice” neighbourhood in a story about a Fluffy “killer” now would we?

No inflammatory language that might incite hatred and violence towards ALL members of the Breed and their owners.
Doesn`t make people want to go out and burn,mutilate,hang,beat,stab other members of this Breed.
HELL NO!They want to ADOPT this “killer”

No woulda,coulda,mighta`s.No mentions of previous fatalities caused by this Breed.

Some education about the Breed-Wt for an adult female.
Good idea,I might add.
Are you sure they don`t get up to 200 lbs??How about 140 lbs?
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/media1.asp

Some advice for Adoptors-Wait till children are 6,..dogs can be rambunctious..hmm
(Perhaps they might have thrown in-
NEVER LEAVE YOUNG CHILDREN ALONE WITH ANY DOGS(ANY BREED!)

[quote]In a bizarre accident,[/quote]
I guess this only happens with fluffy Breeds…hmm.
Perhaps it wouldn`t have happened at all if the child had been properly supervised…hmm.

[quote]greeted her[/quote]
Ahh nice.I can`t recall the last time I read about…one of those “special” dogs greeting a family member.
Apparently they just lunge EVERY chance they get.

[quote]just playing[/quote]
Are you sure this Fluffy dog didn`t start by (playing)”attacking” the shoelaces and it escalated from there?
http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/2008/06/fluff-that-storyline.html

[quote]”a very tragic story.”[/quote]
Aren`t they all?
Many are avoidable if children are supervised around ALL dogs.
Perhaps the Media should stop leading peopl to believe that there are “dangerous” breeds and “safe” breeds.
How about educating people in News reports?

[quote]It was a complete accident.[/quote]
Of course it was,the dog is fluffy!
I wonder if it might have had ANYTHING to do with a young child being left alone with a dog that is considered “safe” due to the Media.

[quote]well-kept homes, with S.U.V.’s in driveways and picket fences closing in spacious backyards.[/quote]

Well that IS important.That makes ALL the difference.
Those “special” dogs don`t live in these kind of neighbourhoods and they CERTAINLY don`t drive SUV`s!

[quote]never had any problems with her playing too roughly[/quote]
How would you know?
You don`t supervise your young child around your dog?

[quote]not requested that it be destroyed.[/quote]
Oh that`s right,adoption IS possible.It wasn`t shot at the scene.
But aren`t ALL dogs supposed to be shot,I mean euthanized when they kill?
Oh I see,just those “special” dogs.

[quote]gentle and is showing no signs of aggression[/quote]

That`s nice.It`s probably getting hugs and kisses rather than being dragged around with a catch pole.
Have you stamped “killer” on it`s forehead yet?
Just wait till it starts to get stressed from being in the Kennel environment,then it may start showing different behaviours that may be perceived as aggression.Then it WILL have to be put down.
You don`t put FLUFFY dogs down because of Kennel stress??
Just those “special” dogs get put down?Ah I see.
Oh wait,it`s not going to be there for a long time.
This story made it sound so adorable that I want to adopt it.

[quote]had already received dozens of calls from people asking to adopt the dog.[/quote]
Like I said,why not?
Just look at that adorable shot of it.

[quote]generally not aggressive dogs. [/quote]
Wow what a sweeping statement.
Is it known as the “nanny” dog because it`s so great with children?
How come it didn`t do as well in temperament tests as those “special” dogs?

[quote]probably a one-in-a-million chance for something like this to happen.”[/quote]
What are the odds of a child being harmed/killed by a Parent rather than ANY dog of ANY Breed?
That info might alleviate the hysteria surrounding those “special” dogs.
Oh wait this report won`t cause hysteria,
People are flocking to adopt.

[quote]golden retrievers were so gentle and affectionate that the society used them as therapy dogs, taking them to nursing homes and hospitals to cheer patients up.[/quote]

Yeah but I bet between hospital visits they`re terrorizing the Neighbourhood.
If they`ve killed once,they could kill again.
Why take a chance with these Fluffy dogs?

That`s great info to put in a News report.
Therapy dogs eh?
THAT will certainly help to change people`s perceptions of the Breed.
What?
You only mention it in News Reports if the dog is fluffy?

[quote]a board member of the ? Club and a dog breeder, said the average weight for an adult female golden retriever was about 65 pounds. She said that dogs younger than 2 years could be rambunctious.[/quote]
[quote]I usually will tell people to wait until their children are at least 6 years old,”[/quote]

A Statement from a Club Member and a reputable Breeder that knows the Breed.

What a novel idea?
But why didn`t you just interview an idiot on the Street who knows somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody….whose child`s lip,nose were ripped off by a Fluffy Breed and they will require plastic surgery OR they know absolutely NOTHING and they just wanted their 15 minutes of fame for making an idiotic statement?

http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/media1.asp

[quote] “I parked my truck and before I got 6-foot in front of my truck, a 200-pound pit bull come out and got me.”
[/quote]

My sincere condolences to the family of this child but come on Media!
Could it be ANY more obvious what you`re doing!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/26/nyregion/26dog.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Aug 7, 2008 - 8:59 am DeputyDawg:

Animystics,
[quote]I wanted to scoop her up and hug her.[/quote]

YOUR POST MAKES ME FEEL THE EXACT SAME WAY ABOUT YOU.
Thank you for doing your own research and thinking for yourself.

I had my eyes opened ~10 years simply by adopting one(sort of accidentally)
and WOW just WOW.
All I knew at the time was what I had heard.
To love one is to love them all.

Roarke
You are just making yourself look incredibly foolish here.
It`s obvious you refuse to read any factual info that has been presented here by many knowledgeable people.
You`re what is called a Troll.
You`re trying to get people to argue with you and tell you about their “nice” dog and then you can cite a News Story as “proof” to counter that 1 “nice” dog.
These dogs don`t have to prove themselves to people like you.
The real FACTS support the dogs.
FACTS trump your little ’stories’
No one here has said ANY of the above nonsense that you have spewed.
I hope you are not in any position in life where you are having an influence on young minds.
If you have ANY FACTS to support your opinions,views, I`d be more than happy to read them but no more responses to your nonsense.

Aug 7, 2008 - 9:16 am jenna:

Insofar as picking breeds that bolster my “macho” image, and having short man’s disease:

I own/have owned Dobes and Sheps because those were the two primary breeds my father worked with, and I grew up around. I appreciate a good one (well bred) for their intelligence and working ability. Plus they are so attuned to their owners.
We also used to have German Shorthairs and Brittanys (Dad liked to hunt) and I certainly wouldn’t mind having a nice one of those either.
My mom has a Jack Russel, a Sheltie, and (now passed on) Basset/Beagle/Dachsie mix — they come over and stay the weekends sometimes. Really love them — it’s fun having a dog over that fits in your lap sometimes (the big guys just don’t fit), and all of her dogs were very sweet and fun loving.
We breed championship trialing/agility Border Collies. They’re so very smart it’s scary, and really show you what a dog can be capable of in the learning department — they’re like like kindergartners with fur.
We have the Golden — nice dog with us. If I could find an honest to god reputable breeder I’d have no problem owning another. He is a super dog with his family and for obedience, just can’t trust him with guests.

My Pit? Didn’t buy her, wasn’t even looking for another dog. Found her chained up to the side of a country road on the way to a horse show in March. Eight hours later and going home we thought it odd that she was still in the exact same location as when we were going through the first time. Someone had tied her up to a tree out in the middle of nowhere. We untied her and she jumped in the truck, mighty glad for the change of scenery, a little cold, hungry, and thirsty. Nobody ever came to claim her after we advertised a found dog. I’m kind of glad noone ever did, as she is one of the best dogs we’ve ever had — obedience came almost naturally, super clean in the house, sweet with everyone and everything, a lady for car rides, a very good farm dog because she will take out varmints going after her chickens. Terrible guard dog though, won’t even bark at people passing by either.

I don’t need a dog to bolster my self image, nor does any other member of the family (and with the assortment we own, what exactly would that image we’re trying to put up be?). We have dogs because we like them. I suppose the horses project a macho image too? How about our chickens? Goats? Geese? Ducks? Milk cows? We must have gotten them for an image too.

But I’ll admit to being short — come from a vertically challenged family.

Aug 7, 2008 - 9:54 am Azzurri:

Pitt Bulls? Awful animals. Why would you purchase an inherently aggressive dog? Anytime I walk by a fence with pitt bulls behind it….lets just say I’m lucky there is a fence. And the clown that said golden retrievers are biters? and you can make an dog mean?….lol sir…lol. no matter how hard you try some dogs will never be mean. maybe it will cower…but never fight back. I have no sources….but I’m smarter than you and I’m always right. deal with it.

Aug 7, 2008 - 5:17 pm Kayla:

from a recent study of 122 dog breeds by the American Temperament Testing Society … Pit bulls Terriers archived a passing rate of 83.9% - Which is as good as or better then the Golden Retriever 83.2% ‘ or Beagles 78.2% , let alone Dobermans fight in the 60’s , German shepherds in the 70’s , Rotts in the 80’s and the pit bull is now fighting bsl.. … .. Did you know that? Check out my video for more information http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=38964023

Aug 7, 2008 - 5:33 pm Roark:

Bottom line; Pitbulls are NOT good pets, they are killers.

Aug 7, 2008 - 7:00 pm DeputyDawg:

Azzurri,
You show your complete and utter ignorance.
[quote]And the clown that said golden retrievers are biters?[/quote]

I`m not the “clown” that said Golden Retrievers are biters,I`m the person that said Golden Retrievers have killed along with 36 other Breeds in the U.S and that goes to over 50 Worldwide.

[quote]I have no sources….but I’m smarter than you and I’m always right.[/quote]

And I DO have sources.
http://www.nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/canineaggression.asp

Match the fatal injuries
[quote] *
Victim 1: Multiple penetrating wounds to the abdomen
*
Victim 2: Collapsed lungs, multiple wounds to the chest, partial devourment
*
Victim 3: Massive head and neck injuries
*
Victim 4: Multiple bite wounds, dismemberment
*
Victim 5: Extensive scalp and neck injuries
*
Victim 6: Multiple lacerations of scalp and neck, depressed skull fracture
*
Victim 7: Exsanguination from multiple bite wounds
*
Victim 8: Skull fracture and severe bites to upper back and face
*
Victim 9: Multiple penetrating wounds to back and chest
*
Victim 10: Severe bite wounds to the head
*
Victim 11: Severe bites, massive bleeding, broken facial & neck bones
*
Victim 12: Massive head injuries
*
Victim 13: Severe, multiple penetrating injuries to head and neck
*
Victim 14: Massive bite injuries to lower extremities, dismemberment
*
Victim 15: Severe scalp, facial wounds, laceration of jugular[/quote]

to the Breeds.

[quote]Fifteen different breeds inflicted the fatal wounds listed above. The breeds were:

*
Siberian husky
*
Coonhound
*
Dachshund
*
Chow chow
*
Pit bull
*
Sheepdog-type dog
*
Malamute
*
Labrador Retriever
*
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
*
St. Bernard
*
German Shepherd dog
*
Wolfdog
*
*******GOLDEN RETRIEVER****
*
Mixed breed (no discernable breed visible)
*
Rottweiler

It is virtually impossible for anyone to match the breed of dog with the fatal injuries listed above - as such - claims that one breed of dog inflicts injuries unlike other breeds have no merit.

* Breeds were chosen for this sample only if the breed has been involved in more than one human fatality (i.e., Airedale Terrier, Pomerarian, Jack Russell Terrier, et.al, were not used as only one human fatality has been attributed to each of these breeds in the United States).[/quote]

[quote]but I’m smarter than you[/quote]

BTW,it`s Pit not “PITT”
Perhaps you`re thinking of Brad.

Maybe you`re not quite as smart as you think you are!

Aug 8, 2008 - 12:05 am Pit Bull Hater:

Didn’t bother to read the story and only read some of the comments. Pit bull apologists bore me. What boggles the mind most is how pit bulls that attack are invariably deemed ill treated by their owners, but only AFTER the attack and almost never with any factual information. In the entirety of my life I have had only one negative encounter with a dog, a pit bull. And wouldn’t you know it, it was our first encouter ever with the breed. My child was attacked by a young one. It was pretty ugly (is it true that all dogs go for the kill?) The one in our life came as a bolt out of the blue without any provocation and would not let go. It took a miracle to get it off our child. It strikes me that virtually all of the news accounts of their attacks involve extreme violence. Am I biased? I don’t think so. Do the newspapers ignore vicious attacks by other breeds? Again, I don’t think so. I just don’t see the number of stories by all other breeds together as I see of the pit bull alone. So, what do you do when a neighbor has a pit bull? Do you gamble and try to love it? Right! No, you keep a vigilant eye on the ones you love and protect AND PUT THE NEIGHBOR ON NOTICE FOR ALL VIOLATIONS OF ALL APPLICABLE LAWS! Report EVERY violation to the relevant authourties AND LET THE NEIGHBOR KNOW IN WRITING THAT YOU DID! CREATE A RECORD, DOCUCMENT EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY AGGRESION! Every time the dog is not adequately supervised by its owner REPORT IT! INSTILL THE FEAR OF A LAW SUIT IN THE NEIGHBOR! I WISH I DID! I have friends who, knowing my experience, very politely did this after a couple of aggresive encounters with a neighbors pit bull. The neighbor didn’t like it but got the message and got rid of the dog. What do you want more, your neighbor’s good opinion or your loved ones life? Forget the good opinion.

BTW, this may work for ALL aggresive dogs as well. At the very least they will come to take extraordinary precautions. I for one will NEVER be complacent again.

Aug 8, 2008 - 6:48 am RustyG:

I intended for my 8/6 3:14 post to be my last, but I returned for the same reason I revisit the topic with my friend all the time. I find the debate fascinating.

I’m a hunter and own some firearms (live in Texas…they make us). My right to own a gun is spelled out in the 2nd Amendment. Never, never, EVER in the history of the world has a gun gotten out of a gun cabinet by itself, and gone down the street and killed or