Not a fan of pit bulls, but DU's foaming at the mouth (pun intended) over this breed has become rather tiresome. I'm sure by July all of the lemmings will be on to shark attacks, bear attacks etc.

Until then, it appears that some find the topic worth discussing.

Media driven hysteria that's almost completely irrelevant to the average person's life.

But by all means, carry on with your cliff diving....

Very little that occurs in the news is actually relevant to the average person's life, including 99% of what goes on in DC.

How magnanimous of you to declare which subjects are worthy of discussion and which are not.

Till then you will have to settle for ill tempered Sea Bass.

Thank God for levity.

It's not the dogs, it's the owners.


eta: in one of the "pit bull attack threads" the hero is a chihuahua. I'm not at all surprised that a chihuahua took on a pit bull. Chihuahuas can be mean little dogs if not properly socialized. I was bitten by one such chihuahua. Lucky for me, it had had its rabies shot.

You can't go two days without reading about a chihuahua ripping a child apart.

I have had pit bulls and Rottweilers and none of them were vicious. They have all gone to doggie heaven. But now I have a Chihuahua that if she were the size of the pits or Rotties, she would be classified as a Dangerous Dog. She is an excellent watch dog and thinks she is a pit bull.

I sent her to puppy boot camp at Man's Best Friend for obedience training when she was 5 months old. I had to leave her there for 2 weeks. I wanted her trained because she was a wild child. But what I got back was an attack Chihuahua. She loves me, but I have to lock her in another room whenever anyone comes into my house. Otherwise she would eat them up.

So what's the point?

and fail to socialize them properly and fail to neuter/spay them.

...and who didn't like me.
And there are LOTS of them around here.
Infinitely friendlier that Goldens (who tend to be friendly) or Irishes (who don't).

But, you know, whatevs...

Not all breeds are the same. They have different temperaments, instincts, needs. Not every dog in every breed will fit the description, but most will.

Dog buyers/adopters need to learn that they must choose a type of dog that suits them, not just one they think is cool. This means doing research about the breed first.

Then they need to get the appropriate level of training for themselves and their dog.

or they'll become monsters. Border Collies as well. There are so many real, clear, definite personality traits that have become bred into certain types its insane to refuse to consider those traits.

Its far too simplistic to say ALL dogs of a certain breed are one way - but when the breed has been specifically designed to do certain things well, don't be surprised when the dog's exhibits those characteristics. Some things are almost impossible to "train" out of a dog - like herding instincts or digging after something (like a terrier).

Training is imperative to understanding your pet imho. But being cognizant of what you're getting yourself into with certain breeds is also paramount.

And will only be able to post such stories in GD when Skinner makes an exception (like when a new pit bull pope is announced)

:rimshot:

Must be true.

I have a lab-x, along with a rhodesian ridgeback-x. Everything I've ever read or known about labs is they are loving, trustworthy family pets.

That's why it was such a shock to me when my next door neighbors lab came into my pasture one afternoon and started to attack me. It was absolutely terrifying. I've *never* see such a look in any dog's eyes before, including dogs that were growling at each other or about to get into a fight. I'll never forget that look.

My big lab-x was running around wagging his tail. He just wanted to play. My rhodie was still a puppy, just 45 pounds, and as a former stray was terrified. He ran through the gate and up the hill toward the house, then stopped at the top of the hill and looked back, baying.

I had crouched down a bit, held out my hand, and called to the lab, Homer, by name. I was going to take him home, but instead totally stunned by what happened next. Instead of coming to me, or even heading for home, his eyes changed expression and he dropped his hindquarters, let out a low growl and started to launch.

Luckily, my rhodie was wise to him and came barreling back down the hill full tilt, flew through the gate, and launched himself at Homer's neck. Tiny Luna, less than half Homer's size, stayed at his shoulder and ran him off the property.

The same thing happened with cocker spaniels back in the 50's

http://www.cherishedcockers.org/allaboutcockers.htm

They are antisocial nuts and Mrs. Neighbor once tried to mow my dogs down in my own driveway. Big asshole family in town full of assholes.

Mr Neighbor once told me that "Homer is really stupid."

Setters, pointers, shepherds, etc were all bred for specific purposes. Some of those behaviors are now re-purposed in family pets.

Sometimes breed temperament is accidentally changed. Cocker spaniels were bred for appearance, and suddenly the breed became known for biting people.

I think the temperament of a german shepherd depends on the breeding line - some lines emphasize an intelligent family pet, others emphasize the qualities needed in a guard dog. My beagle/german shepherd mix is a very good family dog, but I wouldn't get a pure German shepherd without very careful investigation.

The fact is that a lot of people out there selectively breed a dog called a pit bull to be aggressive and dangerous. As we discovered when Michael Vick was arrested, those are difficult traits for breeders to preserve. On the other hand, when the traits come through the dogs are very dangerous to people and other dogs.

I think as long as we have a significant number of people selectively breeding pit bulls as attack dogs, it's a crap shoot getting a pit bull unless you know the breeder and breeding line.

I had a dog that never bit anyone - until the day he darted out the door past me to nip the mail carrier. I was lucky - she was wearing a heavy winter coat and it was one nip and he was content he'd made his point. If his temperament had been to bite hard and keep biting....

"In the book "Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog", authors John Paul Scott and John L. Fuller explain the developmental stages of puppies. They say that from 4 to 6 weeks, it's important for puppies to become socialized to other dogs... and that from 6 to 12 weeks it's important for puppies to become socialized to people."

http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/philosophy.html

...in the face of all the contradictory facts that show it is so very very misplaced.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2579004


Hint: Know why those undesirables buy pits? For the same reason the clueless think they're "inherently dangerous".

1. They look scary.
2. The ignorant have built up a completely false mythology around them.

Therefore, housecats are more dangerous than bears.

You win the Non Sequitur Of The Year award!

Someone will be along shortly to deliver your prize.

And Pomeranians are much more dangerous than pit bulls, according to pit bull advocates.

Imho

At that point we need to examine the relative danger imposed by the bite-strength of one dog type versus another.

Those people are trash, and the dog is only as good as its owner/handler.

I have a mittel spitz that was thought by its first owners to be a Chihuahua/Pomeranian cross and fed accordingly. He doubled his weight in 2 months at the rescue shelter, and is still food anxious, even though there is always a bowl of food sitting out!

But can anyone really be certain that a dog with inherited behavioral characteristics can be kept from acting on them? Can anyone know that nothing that ever happens will trigger those characteristics?