(08-15-2013, 02:06 PM)bluekittymama Wrote: I'm glad to see that (as far as I can tell) this isn't directed at one particular breed of dog. One of my dogs is a pit bull - a breed that I was previously terrified of, but this dog was dumped on me. He was a puppy and we've been to obedience classes. He's a little over a year old now and the sweetest, most laid back, well behaved dog. To be honest I still wouldn't be comfortable around a pit I did not know, but that's true of most big/very strong dogs.
I agree! While I've never had a pit bull, I feel the need to step in and defend the breed. Every few years, there's a new danger dog. Before pit bulls, it was Rottweilers. I knew a breeder of Rottweilers, beautiful well-trained show dogs, and she was furious over the bad reputation of the dogs. It's not the dog—it's the trainer. She had a very, very strict screening process and refused to give up her dogs to anyone who wanted a "tough-looking" dog—she even had a 100% no-cops policy because she feared they'd be used as police dogs. And if I recall correctly, before Rottweilers, it was Dobermans (remember The Omen?).
Big, strong dogs like these can certainly cause more harm to a human being than a small dog; I'm not denying that there might be something in their temperament, as well, that makes one breed more aggressive than another.
What I do believe is that there is no dog that will attack without provocation. It might have been abused, it might be ill, or it might perceive a threat we don't, but I don't believe any dog is inherently violent. The public perception of pit bulls (or the media propaganda, if you will) as violent dogs is awful, not only because it unfairly brands the dog, but because terrible people who do want a tough, violent dog now have a breed to pick.
Quote:Many cities and counties – even whole countries – have laws that ban pit bulls. Law enforcement officers can go into people's homes and take away any dog who has "the appearance of a pit bull." Even if they're 40 percent poodle. They can be taken to the pound and then killed.
That's why so many of us don't like these breed discrimination laws. In the right hands, any dog is a good dog. In the wrong hands, any dog is a bad dog. Breed or type has nothing to do with it.
How many of the reported pit bull attacks are real pit bulls, and how many are just stocky-looking dogs that would go with a great headline?
Anyway, in regard to the article, I'm glad that humans are being held responsible. While I find it painful that so many dogs are "destroyed" because of neglectful pet owners, I hope that holding the owners accountable will help bring about some change. The dog doesn't know any better—it's strictly up to its owners to keep the dog out of dangerous situations and to ensure its good temperament.
