Steve Dale's Pet World

Name another breed of dog that will rip a child's face off even after living with that child for years. In Europe, where civilisation was born, such breeds are controlled for a reason, and it's not because some people allegedly said that 'they're not a problem'. One cannot change a thing's nature.

There are plenty of "other" breeds that will attack. People have just zeroed in on Pit Bulls. I have done rescue for umpteen years, and I gotta tell you, I have come across some not so nice smaller dogs. I have a Pit Bull rescue right now that was found on the side of the road all covered in blood, thrown away like common trash and someone picked him up and he went to a rescue that deals with this breed. Do you want to know why he was found on the side of the road covered in blood???? Because he was basically USELESS to the people who tried to fight him, he is TOO MUCH OF A BABY, all he wants to do is be by you, sit with you and love you, THAT'S IT, not asking for anything more basic than any other breed out there! Unless you have owned a Pit you cannot speak of what you know nothing of. These dogs that are turning on people, specifically this breed...you can blame THE PEOPLE who bred them that way and taught them nothing but a killing temperment. They do as we say and teach them, unlike the human race who has a choice and people who fight their dogs to the death, deserve a taste of what they do to these animals. Come to my house, I GUARANTEE you, you will be greeted with a tail wagging, 65 pd love bug that you can get past, try getting past my 3 lb chihuahua (another rescue), that on the other hand will be interesting to watch!! Oh by the way, my big ole' mean Pit is my 2 1/2 yr old granddaughters "puppy" and she will proudly tell you that as she plays ball with him, she throws, he brings it back to her and she takes it out of his mouth and throws it again and they can play forever like that. This awesome dog started his life really crappy and could've chosen to have been like they wanted...mean, but he isn't, and if anyone or anything with as many scars as he has on his body had a right to be "vicious" he sure as hell does!!

Terri is spot on ... the love of my life, my pit bull, Tucker, was bred for fighting and kicked out ... I rescued him (and he, me) at the Evanston shelter ... he was abandoned because he would not fight ... kiss, lick, cuddle, absolutely ...
I truly believe that these dogs are bred for fighting, partly because they are sensitive and loving ... abuse makes anyone hurt ergo angry ... like abusive men are all frightened little boys. I would rather have my pit bull around children than my abusive ex-husband!!!

please dnt add comments based on total ignorance. No pit bull has ever attacked it's owner when they were in a responsible home. i have worked with these dogs and even met a few of the Vick dogs, they are amazing. Rated #2 in temperament by the akc, in the right home they are lovers.

Hmm, actually you *can* change the nature of a breed of dog, that's what breeding aims to do!

Honestly, I get sick of hearing about "oh they were bred for fighting" or "bred for bull baiting 300 years ago" A Lab was bred for hunting, how many people actually field test their Lab and breed it because it can hunt? How many Dachshunds currently hunt vermin in rat holes? How many German Shepherds still herd? Ok, maybe that's not the best examples, but-- You have to selectively breed for a trait to keep it up!!!

Even in dog fighting bloodlines, (which by the way are not the majority) not all of them will be cut out for fighting, that is why the dog fighters dump or kill most of them. They were never bred to be aggressive towards humans, they are not a "guardian breed" such as a Rott, Dobie, or German Shepherd. They are not used as police dogs, either.

The majority of Pit Bulls are not bred to dog fight, they are bred for pets. And to make the best point, even ex-fighting dogs can be rehabilitated and live as good pets. The problem is idiots who get a dog, chain it up, leave in the backyard, don't train it, and then it bites a child.

My sister was attacked and had her scalp ripped off by a great pyaneases, they had to staple her head back together, last year an infant was killed by a husky mix in another town in my area, and a friend of mine had to have reconstructive surgury on her face after a beagle attacked her. I have been biten by several dogs, from all breeds, yes even a pit bull mix. In fact all dogs can be dangerous, they all have teeth, pitbulls are strong dogs so yes if something happens they can do more damage to an idividual then a small yipper dog, but so are rotties, shepards, st bernards, border collies, but are they banned? No. It all comes down to the individual dog and the way they are raised, not the breed.

Name another breed of dog, really? In the 70s, it was German Shepherds. In the 80s, it was Dobermans. Why do the breeds change over time, because their OWNERS do. That should tell anyone with minimal intelligence that it is about the owner, not the breed. The first ever face transplant victim, had their face ripped off by a LAbrador Retriever, but the papers only reported on it because of the medical aspect. Papers are only interested in what "sells" and Pit Bull attacks are what sell now, which is why a study showed that pit bull attacks are reported 230 times more than any other breed. This is not a nature issue, but a nurture issue. As for your ridiculus argument that in Europe, "where civilization" was born, they have banned pit bulls--true, but they now have a HUGE problem with Cane Corsos, which will tell you that it has nothing to do with breeds, but bad people. The Netherlands reversed their pit bull ban after 10 years, finding it completely ineffective. Most places do (http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/steve-dale-pet-world/2010/01/breed-specific-bans-have-done.html). No dog "snaps"-- any scientist or vet can tell you that, which is why 100% of veterinary and Humane organizations are against breed bans. Your comment is dripping with ignorance. I bet you have never, ever met a pit bull in your life, but you believe everything you read online, without ever bothering to truly understand why the media tries to sell you fear.

Well, if what Europe is doing is your measuring stick, both the Netherlands and Italy have repealed their legislation controlling dogs based on breed. Kudos to these countries for saying breed-specific laws don't work and then doing something about it.

O.K. I'll name one. A pomeranian. Yeah that's right. A man left his baby laying on the bead with the family pet pomeranian to go warm up a bottle for the child and when he got back the cute, little, furry rat dog had the baby's face in it's mouth mauling it. Once the baby was taken to the hospital, they relized that not only had "little fluffy" ripped the baby's face almost clean off, but also that it had ripped her throat out as well. Her larynx was almost comepletely gone. So don't sit there on your high horse and act like pit bulls are the ONLY dogs that ever attack people. Because when you have a dog, no matter what breed or size it is, You need to be responsable and train that dog properly. Don't just bring it home and assume it already knows right from wrong. It's like having a child. You need to teach it that.

Any breed of dog not properly socialized with a child unsupervised may (and do) "rip a child's face off". If you search for dog bites you will find plenty that are not "pits". If you let the media "feed you" you will only see "pits". All dogs bite in the wrong situation and it is never for no reason.

As far as Europe goes, it is a continent, not a country. Pit Bulls are only banned in the UK and Germany as far as I know. That is 2 out of 50 countries in Europe. I don't know what "things nature" you are talking about, but hopefully it's the people that will change although you don't show any hope. The english people have tormented, enslaved, murdered, conquered, raped and oppressed people for centuries. The Germans in the 40's came closer than any other "civilization" to causing the extinction of an entire race of people. I guess this is a good example to follow? They must be right?

I'm Irish and your username is an insult to me.

Pit Bull Ban Ordinance or any breed ban ordinance would:

you couldn't possible more mis-informed. It's always the owner/handler, not the dog. most bites happen with german sheperds

Dog bite attorneys? Ambulance chasers! Seriously! That is your souce of information. As an attorney my self, I find that laughable. What is your statistic for there not being dog fighting in Miami? Lack of prosecution? That is ridiculous. There are tons of pit bulls in Miami. Walk down the street. Miami's pit bull ban isn't even enforced! There are over 5 million pit bulls in this country...You have to be kidding me! I live in Austin, and although pit bulls are the #1 bite statistic (Labs are #2, but no one talks about that), they are also the #1 abuse statistic. DUH, if you abuse a dog, it is more likely to bite. In the 70s, when Shepherds were being abused, and pit bulls were big family dogs, they only made up 2% of all bites. This is common sense, but common sense is too much for people, they would rather through around big, scary words like "maim."

I am really shocked that you would make such strong statements without citing your sources. You're right that Miami Dade has a pit bull ban, but dog fighting is still going on. They just sneak the pits, and other breeds in. When you say dog bites, I do not know if you are referring to dog-dog bites, or dog-human bites. I believe that all other Florida counties are prohibited from having this ban. I'm not sure, but if you want to know some facts, check this out and I will be glad to read it.

I would like a list of the "dog bite" attorneys-I just have never heard ot that specialty.Since I own a Pit Bull, I would love to talk to one of these specialists, just to get his actual statistics...

I would like your source for the insurance companies concurring with your statements. Again, I want your sources.

The reason pit bulls were used for fighting is a certain percentage of them (and this was not a high percentage) had the nerve and had the "game." What game means is the will to take it to the end. Although I'm sure they have passed away, I was always thrilled with the 2 Search and Rescue Pits in the SF East Bay. Dakota, and I'm sorry, I can't remember the other name. In every long and terrible trial, when the other dogs would finally give up, they would not give up until they found their man. That is what game means.

I really think you should stay out of print until you can present statistics to support your opinions.

I really love how your primary examples are LAWYERS and INSURANCE COMPANIES. Insurance companies are just trying to get rich. They're always looking for some poor excuse to take all of your money and then not give you the service you pay for. And lawyers will tell you anything you want to hear as long as you pay them the right price. That is such a bad example, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

First of all dog fighting is an illegal activity and I have never heard of any dog fighter reporting statistics, so I don't even know how to answer that ridiculous statement.

As far as the rest of your statements you should read this as it states nearly the opposite of what you've stated:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/27348308/Miami-Dade-Dog-Bite-Statistics-Does-BSL-Work

Most insurance companies have a large list of dogs that are excluded, and due largely to the media and uninformed individuals such as yourself all dogs will be excluded soon.

Yeah Dog-Bans work,now we should start using Bans on us perfect humans,lets start Banning Blacks they are the known Murderers and Rapists,Ban Muslims they are all Terrorists and Jews are all Financial Crooks.
Also you are correct in Miami-Dade the publicity on Dog- fighting is rare mainly because it is not being addressed.
For the record my best friend is a Muslim,I am Jewish and am certainly not Racist like some that are on these blogs.

You asked a fair question - how can a breed ban cause bites to increase? Typically an increase in bites after a law has been inacted intending to decrease bites would be considered a co-incidence. It does not prove that banning a breed causes more bites to occur, but it does prove that banning a breed does not cause less bites to occur. But in other municipalities where breed bans have been inacted and where they have seen an increase in bites, they have found a few factors that have a direct correlation. One, is that people get a false sense of security. They assume that all other breeds not banned must be safe and then accordingly do stupid things with dogs that are not of the banned breeds. I can't remember where I read it, but a woman was quoted as saying "I thought a Doberman would be ok with my kids since it wasn't one of the breeds they banned. I wish they had banned Dobermans too so this wouldn't have happened." Two, when breed bans are put in to affect, they are often bundled with another law requiring medical personnel to report all dog bites. Often there are no decent bite statistics in place before BSL is inacted, and then suddenly the real picture comes out.

Simple Audrey when BSL (Hitler's Law)then the animal control units become far more interested in going after the law-abiding and their family pets,they become totally disinterested in strays that do not look like pits,as they also lose interest in the dog-fighting community.Miami-Dade county has not taken down a dog .fighting ring in 5 years but they have managed to murder 1000's of family pets each year.You just have that many more strays running around.
smarock10@yahoo.com

What about the Merritt Clifton report that looked at 2200 dog bite incidents in the US and Canada from 1982-2006. Based on his findings: pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings.....
pit bull terriers are noteworthy for attacking adults almost
as frequently as children. This is a very rare pattern: children are normally at greatest risk from dogbite because they play with dogs more often, have less experience in reading dog behavior, are more likely to engage in activity that alarms or stimulates a dog, and are less able to defend themselves when a dog becomes aggressive. Pit bulls seem to differ behaviorally from other dogs in having far less inhibition about attacking people who are larger than they are.....
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....

You can read the full report here
http://www.dogbitelaw.com/Dog%20Attacks%201982%20to%202006%20Clifton.pdf

See my answer above. By the way, I am a proud pit bull parent. She is Canine Good Citizen Certified and a working Therapy Dog. I believe in owner responsibility. I have no problem with serious fines or responsibility for owners. I just don't want to be treated any differently because of my dog's breed. If there is penalty X because my dog Y, that should apply to all owners.

I grew up in a dogfighting neighborhood and once feared pitbulls like they were the dragons of the South Side of Chicago. Owning one has openend my eyes. My 63 lb. pitbull has the demeanor of a puppy after six years. She's great with both of my small children, and generaly better behaved. She may not be the smartest dog I've ever owned, but she's all heart and loves the kids like a parent.
I've faced facts that there are places I can't live because a member of my family is the "wrong type." Sounds like some places before Civil Rights... Try finding an apartment with all the breed restrictions (my pitbull is not physically capable, nor even vaguely likely, to destroy more than my security deposit will cover. So why the restirction?) It's prejudice against a dog that, though physically powerful, can be as docile as any breed and generally very friendly.
I love my pitbull. The lawmakers aren't the ones walking, feeding, training and caring for these dogs, so why should they decide where they can live?

Actually, it is not a ridiculous contention. It is proven time and time again. When you ban a dog, all of the good owners comply. Then, you make that particular breed even MORE attractive to drug dealers and thugs. These people do not comply with the law. Enforcement cannot keep up with these bans, which is where the major expense to tax payers come in. These people tend to chain their dogs, which makes a dog three times more like to attack-- fail to socialize and abuse their dogs, which also makes a dog more likely to attack. ALSO, BSL also imposes heavy fines and restrictions or threatens euthanasia on dogs. Many people will let their dogs run free, rather then let the county or state seize their pets. It happens over and over.

You are correct about owners of motor-cars ask Michael Bryant who used his vehicle to start murdering cyclists,as ex-attorney general of Ontario he was responsible for the deaths of 1000's of family pets,these pets had hurt no-one in our master -race so present scorecard.
10,000 pitbulls = 0 kills
Michel Bryant = 1 human kill plus 10000 family pets s killed Can any statician on this work out a stat here please.smarock10@yahoo.com

Kudos for taking the time and effort to do the right thing by your pet!

I adopted my first dog about 1 1/2 years ago. I had never owned a dog before, however had always been around dogs/pets growing up...The only reason why we even considered was because my neighbor's dog had puppies. She's a pit bull, american bulldog mix..
Although I probably underestimated the amount of work and exercise needed, this really opened my eyes to the misconceptions surrounding this breed. She has even been used as a "training dog" at the training place she goes to once a week.

Based on this experience, I have become very passionate about this breed and will continue to try and help others understand how misunderstood these dogs are. I can tell you, most people who view these dogs in a negative light, have never met one.

I adopted my first dog about 1 1/2 years ago. I had never owned a dog before, however had always been around dogs/pets growing up...The only reason why we even considered was because my neighbor's dog had puppies. She's a pit bull, american bulldog mix..
Although I probably underestimated the amount of work and exercise needed, this really opened my eyes to the misconceptions surrounding this breed. She has even been used as a "training dog" at the training place she goes to once a week.

Based on this experience, I have become very passionate about this breed and will continue to try and help others understand how misunderstood these dogs are. I can tell you, most people who view these dogs in a negative light, have never met one.

I used to have pit bulls. They are such gentle dogs. In 19th C England, pit bulls were referred to as the Nanny Dog because they were so good and patient with children (which they are!). My pit bulls were under the impression that they were 50 lb lap dogs, but they are work. Be prepared for a very energetic dog who needs lots of training.

Actually, no, it's Staffy Bulls that are the Nanny Dogs. It's a separate breed, but they are very similar to Pits.

One thing that may not have changed is the number of people who have been killed or bitten by dogs. If there is more of a problem with pit bulls it doesn

For the record in the year 2008 this info might help:
In the whole USA Fatalities caused by dogs(all breeds)=16
info supplied by CDC(Canine Disease Centre)
Murders human upon Human same year =16000
info supplied by the FBI
So no I do not think there is a pitbull pandemic just many more failing politicos who fear they will have to take their fat paws out of the cookie jars.
smarock10@yahoo.com

Heil Hitler,you are right we are the only perfect creatures and that why G-D gave us the entire planet for our exclusive use and his prophets are the politicos,hence Obama is busy signing bills to rid the USA of those pesky wild-horses that are eating far too much,Harper of Canada is hiding under his desk thinking out why the decent humans are getting pxxsed off with his country over a few million baby seals that get their heads bashed in by us nice humans on a regular basis,we murder dogs because of the way they look.Who the Hell are the Terrorists???????????????

As a 33 year old guy I have to say that I never heard of anyone I know getting attacked by a dog of any breed without them knowing that it was a suspect dog to begin with. I had friends with pit bulls growing up, and I can recall 1 bad one, and we all knew he was unstable and his owner put him down. He was acquired from a gentleman who fights dogs. Go figure, mans' impression runs deep with all dog breeds in one form or another. As the author pointed out, I find it astonishing that a breed considered heroic 50 years ago is now an outcast. I believe 2 US Presidents invited decorated war hero pit bulls to the white house. I know that one in WW1 cornered German soldiers intending to kill some of our boys. Hell Teddy Kennedy owned one and I believe there were a handful of other US Presidents. The facts of this dogs' history and breed are strongly manipulated by organizations like PETA with political ambitions who put more dogs to sleep than they help and have outright endorsed the extermination of this breed. How can we outlaw a breed of dog that isn't even in the top 3 breeds of dogs that have bitten people. Enforce the laws we have and hammer down on these animals who abuse these dogs. Create new common sense legislation that allows say gangbangers or people who get caught with drugs or guns along with the dogs to suffer stiffer penalties. Most of the people who do this are criminals. Good dog owners don't fight their beloved dogs.

Wow.

Anyone else think it's stupid to make analogies between the Holocaust and animals?

Identical barring the victims previously 2 legged now 4 legged,what confuses me ,is I am not really sure who the bloody terrorists are anymore,we have the Canadians bludgeoning baby seals heads and murdering family pets aka Michael Bryant etc Obama signing Bills to wipe out all the wild horses in USA,UK sending out the Libyan that did the Lockerbie Bombing killing 270 men women and children back to a heroes welcome in Libya simultneously refusing to release a little Staffy that had done nothing wrong barring he looked a bit like a pitbull.Who are the bloody Terrorists???
I have said this before if I was younger I would consider moving to Iran where I would be safe from Murderers as there they get executed,and my 2 Staffies would be safe from aspiring,failing Politicians in our Free world.

Neither are pitbulls a breed.

smarock10@yahoo.com

No, pit bulls are not a breed, but that IS what BSL stands for, and when it is enacted the politicians make a fumbling attempt to ban based on breed. No matter how you look at it, it is somewhat of a poor analogy. And, no one loves pitties more than me :O)

Two things I have to comment on...first, you are correct Steve the CDC report that everyone keeps commenting on and stating is the most recent report regarding dog bites IS the most recent report since the CDC stopped doing referring to that report more than a decade or so ago. They found the conclusions based on flawed information and have publicly come out and said as much (to their credit) in a statement which I have on their letter head.

Second, I would like to stress NOT to lie to your home owners insurance agent IF they ask what type of dog you have. If they don

"Legislation is due, laws are in order, and the situation is out of hand. Let's be sure of our focus. Laws are for humans, not for animals who have no say about the captive environment they must endure." -Rod Jones

www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/legislation.php

The AKC refused to register them because of the word "pit" in the name as they said it inferred to fighting. They changed the name to American Staffordshire Terrier and began breeding for conformation. This breed is also included in the "Pit Bull" title with APDT and Staffys.

Pitbulls need to be banned in Chicago. Not only is the breed dangerous, in most cases the owners are usually violent or people affiliated with some power trip or aggressive activities, illegal activities, or just plain bad neighbors that are proud of their arrogance. Chicago also needs to make graffiti & texting laws punishable with jail time.

Every pitbull owner in our neighborhood has to be forced to put a 6 ft fence up with proper locking gate. They all think their nice white shark of a dog will not hurt anyone, even though when you try to walk by on the way to school or the store they snarl growl and bark and try to jump over the fence.