The Killer Baby : Pit Bulls

The Killer Baby : Pit Bulls

by shannon | Published on October 1st, 2009, 10:34 am | Life

Who doesn't love the big lovey eyes of an adorable new puppy? I am an avid animal lover and yes, I admit, more extreme than some. I strongly believe in dog adoptions and providing a stable loving home for your pet. I got a call from my family this week and found out that my brother spared the life of a puppy by taking it in after the owner could not take care of it. kudos to him on that! However, my brother has taken in this baby unaware that it was a pit bull/ boxer mix. wow! Gorgeous puppy, but very strong breeds. I am a firm believer that a responsible owner dictates the behavior of your dog. I am well aware that every breed has a purpose. Liv and I have opposing views about pit bull terriers. She is against this completely! She thinks it's an unnecessary danger irregardless. I believe it is all about proper training and exercise. While i worked at the vet I encountered more vicious pomeranians than aggressive pits. I am not unaware of this breed's shortcomings, but I do believe that certain owners, certain families and certain homes can be the perfect fit for this energetic breed.

One thing we do both agree upon is that so many problems would be averted if there were a program in place. As with children, wouldn't it be great if you had to take a test before allowing a pet to be in your care? Sadly we both joked that many pit owners would be issued goldfish based on the test results. It's a serious concern though I agree. You have to go through certain procedures for a gun or to drive a car. Aggressive dogs can be a deadly weapon. I plan on educating my brother as much as I can to help his newly adopted baby girl, while Liv boycotts the new addition. Oh, if puppies just weren't so cute we might all be better off to be like the Brits.

As I was explaining.... there's enough options as alternatives, the risks aren't worth the trouble of owning a dog capable of mulling off your child's face.

Are there dogs a cute as pit bulls? As Ugly? As Small? As big?

Yes?

Then why do people buy them?

Simply because it's an act of rebellion. Like tattoos, piercings, so are dangerous dogs.

That's not a good enough reason.

You can take the pit bull out of the fight, but you'll never completely, 100% take the fight out of the Pit Bull.

It's like a civil war era land mine in your neighborhood. It may never go off, but it only takes once.

When there's such a vast, alternative, and diverse options for pet ownership it's irresponsible and ignorant to choose a dog which has been bred for "fighting" and attacking large animals like cows.

Grow up America

shannon wrote:While i worked at the vet I encountered more vicious pomeranians than aggressive pits.

Many small dogs are vicious but being football-sized places limitations on the damage they can cause a person. The worst they can do before being punted for a field goal is some minor puncture wounds. A pitbull bite can break arm bones and kill. Even if they are trained to protect the family they can and do attack visitors. I wouldn't keep any animal with that potential.

The problem with having an animal like a pit bull is that no matter how well raised, genetics are against them. This breed was specifically bred as a dog-fight animal. Those that had no fight were killed. Only those with a very strong instinct to attack, and hold the bite even through terrible injuries on themselves were allowed to live and breed. Exactly where do people think guys like dear Mr. Vicks get their dogs? Definitely not from Ye Olde Pet Store. They get the from guys who bred the most aggressive, tenacious fighter in the ring to a female that came from a very aggressive, tenacious attack dog.

Genetics being what they are, a bunch of pit bulls will not breed true and some won't be aggressive at all. But the problem is, the aggressive ones are adorable, sweet puppies. And properly raised, they grow into wonderful family dogs. And some stay that way until they die, never causing anybody a single problem.

Unfortunately, a few of those sweet, faithful family pets will someday be overtaken by their genetics. From the stories I have heard, a fairly large number of the awful attacks came from Pit Bulls that had been the sweetest pets in the world. At first, the owners are in total disbelief. Unless, of course, it is their own child they see in the jaws of that dog. And nobody---NOBODY--can pedict which sweet, calm, loving pet is going to turn into a demon someday. So, why would ANY parent take such a chance with their beloved child?????

Its comforting to know that we have so many experts on canine genetic predilictions towards aggression. As an owner of a pit mix, I could trot out anecdotal stories of how gentle my pup is with my, and my neighbors, children. Those stories hold little water with those who hate the breed. Yet similar anecdotal stories about pit attacks are generally swallowed whole. In dog attacks, the offending breed is usually based on eyewitness reports and then mindlessly repeated by local sensationalist media outlets. Very rarely is the breed of the dog confirmed by any meaningful analysis. Take this test, see if you can find the pit. I've rescued several, and I had trouble. The point is that we dont know the breeds behind most dog attacks. Dont assume that you do..

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

PS are many of you aware that the American Pit Terrier used to be known as the " nanny dog" because of its loyalty to is owners and its gentleness with children?

pps: pits are difficult dogs to own. They are powerful and very high energy. One needs to be more than a responsible owner; one needs to be completely committed to the welfare of the dog. Do that, and you will be rewarded with the best dog that you will ever know

A Person wrote:
shannon wrote:While i worked at the vet I encountered more vicious pomeranians than aggressive pits.

Many small dogs are vicious but being football-sized places limitations on the damage they can cause a person. The worst they can do before being punted for a field goal is some minor puncture wounds. A pitbull bite can break arm bones and kill. Even if they are trained to protect the family they can and do attack visitors. I wouldn't keep any animal with that potential.

My neighbor has a pit bull, and I've met her out in my yard a couple of times. The critter has the sweetest disposition you could hope to find in a canine. She seems to enjoy meeting strangers, which is rather rare in house pets.

Still... in the wrong situation, if she felt threatened, I expect she would become a serious danger. As would many large breeds of dog.

My neighborhood is filled with Pits. And guess, out of the 20 or so dogs in our neighborhood, which ones have attempted to fight with Savannah? The pit bulls.

There's another side to this. My brother in law, lives in So. Cal., lawsuit crackin capital of the world. It's not like out here where you have maybe 20-30 feet between houses. The windows of the two houses are literally 5 feet away. All it takes is one bite, one attack, one run loose, and my bro-in-law finds himself seriously in trouble with the law and financially. It's not a smart decision.

If you want to own a Pit bull and own 20 acres of land in the middle of butt-freck North Carolina... go for it. But owning a pit bull in a urban setting is like having Hannibal lecter on a leash.

There does seem to be a genuine issue with pit bulls. Not all pit bulls are dangerous but the consequences of a pit bull (or Staffordshire bull terrier, presa-canarios or similar breed) in a bad mood are just that much more serious than for say a Jack Russell. This study uses only documented attacks where the breed was identified by a competent person.

The study found reports of 264 people killed by dogs over the 24-year period, of which "pit bull terrier" or mixes thereof were reportedly responsible for killing 137, or about 43 percent, of the 314 people killed by dogs in the attacks identified in the study. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 67 fatalities or about 21 percent of the study-identified fatalities; in aggregate, pit bulls, rottweilers, and mixes thereof were involved in about 64% of the study-identified fatalities

Temperament is not the issue, nor is it even relevant. What is relevant is actuarial risk. If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.

Pit bulls and Rottweilers are accordingly dogs who not only must be handled with special precautions, but also must be regulated with special requirements appropriate to the risk they may pose to the public and other animals, if they are to be kept at all.

When this is coupled with the attraction these dogs have to people who see a large vicious dog as an extension of themselves and do little to discourage anti-social behaviour in the dogs, since they are themselves anti-social it's obvious that there is a problem to be dealt with.

A Person wrote:there is a problem to be dealt with.

I'm rather fond of the U.K.'s Dangerous Dog Act.... I think it's a fair proposition:

The act states that anyone who owns a "type of dog known as a pit bull terrier" must have it neutered, and keep it muzzled and on a lead in public.

The act bans the breeding and sale or exchange of four kinds of dog - pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosas, the Dogo Argentinos, and the Fila Brasileiros. Cross-breeds of those dogs are covered by the law.

If a dog injures someone, the owner can be jailed for up to two years. via