It's not the breed, it's the owner!

C

CoMF

Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2012
Messages
1,494
Reaction score
1,449
Nothing makes my forehead vein bulge more than a whiny hand-wringer throwing a tantrum over an injustice, whether it's real or perceived, and expecting his or her elected officials to "fix the problem" with a ban on the offending object that has their knickers in a twist.

Case in point, an elderly man writes a letter to the editor of my local paper describing how two "pit bulls" savaged his wife who is thankfully alive but hospitalized. Now, rather than reporting the irresponsible owner for having their dogs off a leash and uncontrolled (a finable offense under PA state law), filing a criminal complaint and perhaps also suing said owner for civil damages and leaving it at that, he sounds a clarion call for breed-specific legislation so he and his wife can feel "safer." Because we all know how well that works. :rolleyes:

I truly hope the guy obtains justice for his wife, but not at the expense of loving and responsible dog owners who know not to let their pets go "free range" in their neighborhoods. In all honesty, the two dogs should probably be captured and put down, but it breaks my heart that they would have to die for their owner's stupidity. :(

Well, that's my rant. It wasn't intended to be political or combative. If you want to voice a "strong" response, please PM me instead of posting it here.
 
Register to hide this ad
I agree completely.

I've had Beagles, Cockers, Springers, mongrels, Pekineses, Bulldogs, a Spitz and a Chesapeake.

All were friendly, well-behaved dogs.

And I've seen examples of every one of those that were nasty viscous brutes who were asking for either a good clubbing or a lead pill.

It's NOT the breed. It's the jerk that owns it.
 
No, I heartily agree with you.
The puppy doesn't know it's a pit bull when it's born. A couple of my kids and grandkids have pit bulls and they are the lovingest biggest ***** cats you ever want to find.
 
Gents,

Thank you for all your replies. It's always nice to know you're not alone.

And yes, bad dog owners malign good and responsible ones. I also have met pit bulls that were big loving goofballs and "family" dogs that were mean and nasty. It all hinges on the owner.

Incidentally, anyone here ever get whipped by a wagging pit tail? Ouch! :p
 
I am against breed bans, but have mixed feelings about "pit bulls".

Dogs have genetic behavior predispositions. I know, because my beloved Shetland Sheepdog used to herd me around.:) I suspect that "pit bulls" tend to be aggressive, but that with proper socialization and care, they turn out just fine. When they have bad owners, they turn out to be more aggressive than other breeds with bad owners. In other words, the problem is a mixture of genetics and ownership, not either one taken alone.

My local Animal Humane Society used to euthanize all incoming "pit bulls". Now, they treat them like any other dog. If they pass their disposition testing, they are put up for adoption.

An acquaintance had his dog killed by "pit bulls". It was really horrible...
 
Every time I almost feel like backing off on pitbulls, they kill somebody else here in NM. The owners are most certainly a major part of the problem.
But when the problem people have the problem dogs, it can get ugly in a hurry for the rest of us. That is the problem.
The pitbulls have so much jaw power that an attack by them often turns deadly.
 
I happen to love dogs. I have met wonderfully loving pit bulls and I've met the kind whose vocal cords were cut by their drug-dealer owners who starved them and used them for "security." Any loved, well cared for pit bull who is properly socialized by a humane owner will be loving in return. Just my $.02.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
JohnSW said:
Dogs have genetic behavior predispositions. I know, because my beloved Shetland Sheepdog used to herd me around.:) I suspect that "pit bulls" tend to be aggressive, but that with proper socialization and care, they turn out just fine. When they have bad owners, they turn out to be more aggressive than other breeds with bad owners. In other words, the problem is a mixture of genetics and ownership, not either one taken alone.
Click to expand...

I think you've hit the proverbial nail on the head. Pits were originally bred for fighting and baiting, but like you said, with the right care and reinforcement, you can prevent those instincts from leading to undesired outcomes. It's not much different from training an Australian Cattle Dog (heel nipper) or a Cairn Terrier (destroyer of small animals).
 
Why does my supermarket have to stop using plastic bags? Because some people litter. Why not just start writing tickets and collecting fines for littering, instead of making me take a remedial juggling course every time I buy more than three items at the store. Jeez.
 
I've seen Pits I cross the street to avoid. Also those that like their tummies rubbed. In other words about like other dogs.

If some city/town/whatever actually did ban Pit Bulls, just HOW would they determine what a Pit is? Looking like a picture of one? Is a Pit/Lab mix a Pit? How much Pit DNA gets doggie sent to the death camp? 1/2 -1/4 - 1/8 ? How do we determine how "Pitty" they are? Maybe we could get Dr. Mengale to take skull measurements?.
 
Never been a dog person. Probably never will be. Canis Lupus puts me on edge. I like my domesticated animals to be herbivores.
 
therevjay said:
I've seen Pits I cross the street to avoid. Also those that like their tummies rubbed. In other words about like other dogs.

If some city/town/whatever actually did ban Pit Bulls, just HOW would they determine what a Pit is? Looking like a picture of one? Is a Pit/Lab mix a Pit? How much Pit DNA gets doggie sent to the death camp? 1/2 -1/4 - 1/8 ? How do we determine how "Pitty" they are? Maybe we could get Dr. Mengale to take skull measurements?.
Click to expand...

I realize your question is somewhat rhetorical, but check with the City of Toronto. They've banned them. There was a news item a year or two ago that a MLB pitcher was traded to Toronto and had to leave his dog behind because it was illegal to own one there.

I've seen German Shepherds and Dobermans that were perfectly reasonable pets - and those that chased me and bit my leg just because I was riding my bike past their house. It's all how they are raised. Just like children.
 
I had an English Setter. She was a beauty and a kind soul. When she went into heat I would get a "visit" from a pit bull (Bruiser) that lived a mile away. He would ALWAYS escape from his yard and end up in our yard. ALWAYS.

The first time my wife said "He's got a tag on his collar see who he belongs to":eek: For friggin' real? Stick my arm in front of a pit bull with his mind on sex and grab his collar?

I cautiously read the name and owner info on his collar. I called Bruiser's owner who was very nice. He said the dog was a push over and wouldn't hurt anyone. Turns out Bruiser was a pussycat. After while when he was looking for love in our front yard I would just tell him to get in my car and drive him home. We'd walk by his house and stop by to see him (even when walking our other dogs). He was a total sweetheart.

I always give pit bulls a lot of respect when I see them. Some are trained to be fighters or defenders, but most are absolutely great dogs with amazing disposition. IMHO There are many breeds who are inherently "nastier" than pit bulls.
 
Had dobermans,everybody thought I was nuts.Great dogs.Pits make me nervous,not because they're pits but because of what I see on the other end of the leash.Pretty sure I know what the dog is like because of that.
 
Like JohnSW, I too have mixed feelings about pit bulls. On the sensationalistic news programs & court shows, the pit figures heavily in personal injuries. Then I read something stating that the dog most apt to bite is the dachshund! Go figure. All I know is I stir clear of them & most dogs I don't know, whether its a "vicious breed" or not. I don't know how they were raised or trained, so its best not to take chances. People that raise animals to fight or be aggressive deserve the worst that can happen to them. Years ago when I was newly married, I was meeting some of my in laws. Later on I was told that one of the nephews I had met raised pits for fighting. My then wife & I had a pretty big blowout over that one, because I told her he was never to enter the house again, & if he did, I would throw him out myself. I don't care about tradition;if its wrong its wrong!
 
I'm on the dog's side so this is going to be biased.

recently there was a news story about a mail carrier that killed a dog on his route. He said he was afraid for his safety from the dog. He had been delivering on this route for some time and was familiar with the dog according to all involved. He hit the dog in the head and basically made it a brain dead dog so the owners put it to sleep.

Oh yeah, it was a 10lb terrier puppy. ggggrrrrrrrrr :mad:
 
timn8er said:
Like JohnSW, I too have mixed feelings about pit bulls. On the sensationalistic news programs & court shows, the pit figures heavily in personal injuries. Then I read something stating that the dog most apt to bite is the dachshund! Go figure. All I know is I stir clear of them & most dogs I don't know, whether its a "vicious breed" or not. I don't know how they were raised or trained, so its best not to take chances. People that raise animals to fight or be aggressive deserve the worst that can happen to them. Years ago when I was newly married, I was meeting some of my in laws. Later on I was told that one of the nephews I had met raised pits for fighting. My then wife & I had a pretty big blowout over that one, because I told her he was never to enter the house again, & if he did, I would throw him out myself. I don't care about tradition;if its wrong its wrong!
Click to expand...

I agree about the wiener dogs - my aunt used to raise them and they were the nastiest dogs I have ever had the displeasure to be around. My sister-in-law has a miniature one I call "spawn of satan".
 
My former next door neighbor had two pitbulls. He had one put down because it was mean.

I visited him at his new house recently and the other pitbull came running out jumped into my van and started to lick me wildly.

Both were raised in the same way, but one was mean and one was gentle. I believe there is a little bit of genetic behavior in there, but that can be curtailed usually.
 
Nurture

I believe that a dog that is treated well will not become aggressive. Some dogs, however, are just plain mean.

My wife the mail lady delivered mail in many different neighborhoods for over 25 years w/o getting bit. Animals can sense that she is a gentle person. Out of the blue,one day this one dog about ate her up.
 
Last edited:
rwsmith said:
I believe that a dog that is treated well will not become aggressive. Some dogs, however, are just plain mean.

My wife the mail lady delivered main in many difference neighborhoods places for over 25 years w/o getting bit. Animals can sense that she is a gentle person. Out of the blue,one day this one dog about ate her up.
Click to expand...

Funny you should mention that. The last person killed here in NM was an older lady killed by her own dog. Her son came over to check on her and found her dead in the pitbull pen.
 
MY15-22 said:
Sounds like I heard this before, but not with dogs. :(
Click to expand...

Religion of Pace and all that.......:rolleyes:



Any way you slice it, dogs are still a bit more on the wild scale than humans. Face it; we domesticated them. They did not come to us looking to cut a deal: "I'll get you the paper and pee on the hydrants, and run off the Jehovas' Witness' on Saturday morning if you agree to feed me and walk me 3 times a week. Do we have a deal?? Arf!" :p

That certain breeds have traits which they wear like a badge of honor, is a FACT, not a behavioral pattern you can easily train out of them. And..... certain traits are MUCH stronger than other traits in dogs.
German Shepherds; protective, smart family dogs. Wanna get chewed ALIVE by the meanest, most ferocious dog you have ever seen??? Go start beating on a 7 year old walking a German Shepherd, and watch your leg turn into confetti in its' mouth. Very family protective dogs.
Labradors; got a cheeseburger you want to see demolished? Want to see a dog who will literally kill itself trying to please you? Look no further. They even hunt when they are allowed to... A pretty good nose on them.
Springers; you want to see lightning in a bottle, which is set off naturally by birds? Have yet to see a springer who did not keep his eye and nose on birds. It's his gig, and he does it without training if you let him explore. If you train him- he gets real good at it.
Beagles; want to never, ever have silence in your house, so long as the dog shall live???:cool: You simply can not train a beagle to be a quiet dog. Wonderful dogs..... but man, they talk up a storm.

And we can go down the list, but when we come to Pit bulls, we find that yeah, thru all the training and good family environment we can supply they are good dogs. But they are STILL dogs, and yes, they earn their reputation. What they have inside them; their special skillset is not to chase rabbits like a beagle. It's not to sniff out birds like a springer. .......It's not to handle extremely cold weather like a St. Bernard. A pit bull was, and always will be...... a dog of war. They were bred for fighting. It's in their DNA, and it ranks higher in their programming than it does in lets' say a Labrador. And THAT is why we WILL read about a good, loving family dog that kills a baby brought into the house by the family. And that dog...... is not going to be a lab. It's not going to be a Shepherd. It's not going to be a Springer, or an Irish Setter. It's going to be a pit.:(
To be fair; about 60% of all dog on human fatalities are from Rottweiler's, and they most certainly do not make up 60% of the dog population in the US. I think the fatality factor comes from the sheer size of the dog, whereas many breeds bite more people, they just do not have the power of the bigger breeds. (I don't think a Scottie would kill the average adult, but I got ripped by one pretty good as a kid. a little 15lb dog did a number on me. Go figure. Glad it wasn't a full size model....)

I say this with the full understanding of having had pig hunting dogs in my family in Hawaii growing up as a kid. Some were hunters. Some were straight fighters. Most were really nice dogs. And yet, the family dogs, dogs with litters, dogs who lived in the house indeed from time to time wound up going off the deep end, if even for a second, and damaged people. And not just ANY people. Family whom they slept with and rolled around on the floor with.
Would I have another pit as a pet? YES. But it would be always- ALWAYS treated with more scrutiny than my guns. 'Cause whether you like it or not......a pit is just as always loaded as any gun in your collection.
 
Last edited:
flundertaker said:
I dont know, ive done everything I can think of to turn my 3 basset hounds into stone cold killers but so far its not working. I think the breed may have something to do with it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

A man died just last week because his basset hound fell asleep on his foot and he suffered atrophy, which turned into withering disease as the dog slept for 8 days.:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Faulkner
Dixie
2
Replies
46
Views
3K
Puller
Puller
C
Check out our new dog, "Josie Wales".....
2
Replies
35
Views
1K
DeathGrip
DeathGrip
Faulkner
Buck, the one eye'd horse
Replies
8
Views
969
okiegtrider
okiegtrider
C
Bad dog owners ruin it for the rest of us.
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
CoMF
C
federali
The Home Invasion. Could you be Better Prepared?
2
Replies
50
Views
6K
Eddie Southgate
Eddie Southgate

Latest posts

Back
Top