Letters to the Editor
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who are these vicious pit bulls?
Even if it is true that there is a certain pit bull breed that is predisposed to aggression (note that we are talking about dog, not people agression), most of the dogs that are labeled this way are in fact mutts, or are unlucky enough to have some characteristic to make them look similar to pit bulls. What pit bull ban laws do is legislate against a whole slew of dogs that may or may not in fact be pit bulls, but are unlucky enough to look 'close enough.'
See for yourself:
http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
I own a mutt, which may or may not have pit bull in her. People that I've run into on the street have seen all kinds of breeds in her, from boxer, to cattle dog, to pit bull, to corgi. Who knows what she really is. The truth is that I am afraid to intimate to anybody that she may be part pit, because of the hysteria that's out there.
In temperament, she has NEVER shown any kind of people aggression. She is a sweet, submissive lazy lump. She is afraid of my cat, but will chase after squirrels. She doesn't like big dogs. Do any of these things prove that she's a pit bull? The bottom line is that she has never harmed a human being, and I'm willing to bet my last dollar that she never will. She's so docile that sometimes I wonder if she would even have it in her to protect me in an emergency.
The last I heard, we live in a free country, so how can it be that they could pass a legislation that would take my dog that has never done anything to anybody away from me, just because somebody decides that she looks a certain way? I mean, that's just fucked up.
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Good Dogs that need experienced conscientious owners!
This is a tuff one. As the owner of a Pit Bull Mix I love these dogs, BUT I would never leave him alone with a child, or another dog.
I also will never let him off the leash or take him to a dog park.
He is a well mannered & well socialized dog, (in fact he is my 6th dog & the friendliest & smartest of all of them) but I feel that given the proper circumstances he could be dangerous.
97% of all fatal dog attacks are un-neutered males.
Fix your dog & he is statistically much safer.
Also there have been no fatal attacks involving a single neutered pit bull in the last 20 years. It seems that packs of these dogs running loose are a danger.
Here are some good common sense guidelines for safe PitBull ownership.
http://www.pitbulllovers.com/responsible-pit-bull-owners.html
I love this guy & trust him but I keep an eye on him & I am strong enuff to defend my self if the need ever arises.
I take him rollerblading everyday & do not allow him to get into a focused hunting mode ever.
My girlfriend has a 95lb Lab that is constantly harassing him, & my dog has no problem just sitting on the Lab(no teeth or biting).
I would never leave the 2 of them alone or leave my guy with children or any elderly person.
NO child should ever be left alone with any dog period.
If you don't have at least an hour a day to walk & train your dog, you have no business having one.
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In defense of killer Chihuahuas and a bad pit bull owner story
I have a Chi and try to be as responsible a dog-owner as I can. He never goes outside without his leash and I am constantly on alert when he is around other people and dogs. It's my responsibility as a dog-owner to make sure he never hurts anyone - human, canine, or feline.
I can't take him hiking in a favorite spot here in LA anymore because unleashed dogs are allowed. My vet friend cautioned me against it because she has seen too many small dogs mauled in her work. For some strange reason, the pit bulls love my dog. None has ever been vicious, but one pinned me up against the side of the mountain and his owner was very slow to call him off. I ended up getting into a verbal fight with the white, male, middle-class looking owner - he scared me more than the dog, he was so vicious when I asked him to control the pit.
Every animal will occasionally try to challenge your authority. I have been bitten very badly by one of my small parrots. And animals recognize the authority of humans that are strangers to them, but quite often they don't.
Know your dog, control your dog, and never forget that it is an animal as well as being your sweet baby. That goes for all breeds. And pick up the poop! If all dog-owners were responsible, we wouldn't have so many dogs biting people or pets.
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Kudos to Mr. Foster
Speaking as someone who has lived with two aggressive rescued dogs, I can speak to the truth of what Mr. Foster says: very rarely is a dog's problem "in the blood" or uncorrectable. My wife's golden retriever was extremely aggressive due to the horrific abuse he suffered during his first year of life. With us (and a few select others), however, he was as kind and placid as could be. After his passing, our new dog, a labrador retriever and also a rescue, was very aggressive towards dogs. With a year's worth of intensive training, he has become gentle, social, and a joy.
There are very few truly bad dogs, but many, many bad owners. If one does the numbers, for example, in Denver, more people were hurt by Akitas than by pit bulls. But Akitas (who were bred to hunt and fight bears) are not subject to the stigma a pit bull is. However, by the logic of the pit bull ban, Akitas should be next. But such a fuzzy and friendly looking pooch has nothing to fear.
Most dog-related injuries and accidents revolve around humans neglecting to undertake the requisite education; either owners don't know how to control their dogs or adults don't know how to act around them, and fail to teach their children the same.