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James Nevils, 5, mauled to death by dog in Gresham; dog killed | abc7chicago.com
Another day, another life lost due to irresponsible pet ownership.
The question I pose today is: Should we ban "dangerous" breeds of dogs, and in particular the pit bull (a term encompassing several breeds of dogs)?
Let me preface my opinion with the fact that I am a pit bull/Labrador mix and pit bull owner. They are the sweetest dogs on the planet and get along with people, dogs, cats, children, etc.
When discussing pitbulls and breed specifics, excluding the very valid statistics involving incidents of bites, maulings, unpredictable behavior, etc, it is my personal opinion that pits are like any other dog in their instincts, their loyalty to their owners, their response to firm pack leadership, their intelligence, etc. Anyone who has ever came across a pitbull owned by a responsible dog owner knows they can be great family dogs capable of much love and affection.
The issue with pitbulls, and I'm sure this will be debated, is not the breed itself, and not even good/bad owners, but the types of people attracted to pitbulls in the first place. They are seen as a status dog, much like Rottweilers and other larger, stronger, more brutish, intimidating looking animals. And for that reason, many people seek them out and own them for the wrong reasons.
Any dog can have a good/bad owner. Bad ownership usually implies a lack of understanding towards the establishment of a pack leader, not honing in and nipping negative traits while fostering positive traits (laziness), not exercising the dog enough, allowing aggressive behaviors to manifest without addressing them, not taking advantage of puppyhood to socialize and train them, etc.
However, most people don't SEEK to be bad owners. They just don't understand or take in all the responsibilities that owning a dog entails.
Pitbull owners in many communities across the country SEEK to have a badass, intimidating dog. That's why their associated with ghetto black and white trash communities (coincidentally where pit attacks happen most). You don't hear of cocker spaniel maulings or maulings from many other breeds to often because these dogs aren't sought out as a status symbol. These maulings usually come from bad pet ownership because of the reasons listed above. Pitbulls have a bad wrap because of the types of owners they attract.
Are pitbulls dangerous? Like other large breed dogs, they are more muscular, heavier, and can inflict much more harm to someone than a Yorker terrier. In this regard, all large dog breeds are dangerous.
It's people that are dangerous. Irresponsible, stupid people who don't take their role as a pet owner serious enough. And for that reason, pitbulls suffer from unfair criticism and stigmatism in this country. Pit owners like myself face apartment discrimination all the time, and have to deal with negative perceptions (quite deserved) from people who don't understand the breed.
So to sum up - should pitbulls be banned? My answer is neither yes nor no. I think enough irresponsible people out there in the world seek out pitbulls that it's to be expected that I may have a tougher time having certain communities accept my dogs. With owning a pitbull comes different sets of challenges, mainly public perception that you must be willing to accept and deal with. And that perception is definitely justified, though unfair to the breed as a whole.
I have known only few Pit Bulls. Let me say that they were all of fine character and reliable with kids.
I have seen lots of oother dogs purebred and mut that were quite the opposite. All of these had one thing in common: Humans that should not have had them.
Sometimes the worst treated dogs on the planet can turn out to be the best dogs in the world when handed over to the proper parent. As well, sometimes the best training in the world can't help a dog that is beyond any help.
Most dogs are though. The fact that bad people seek out certain breeds such as pitbulls shouldn't deter one from owning one. However, it's always safe to assume you have bad people in your neighborhood or community, so even though your pitbull may and probably will turn out fine, you shouldn't trust other pitbulls unless you know the owner and are familiar with its temperament. And even then, ultimately a dog is a dog. You must always be careful around them.
-- The issue with pitbulls, and I'm sure this will be debated, is not the breed itself, and not even good/bad owners, but the types of people attracted to pitbulls in the first place. They are seen as a status dog, much like Rottweilers and other larger, stronger, more brutish, intimidating looking animals. And for that reason, many people seek them out and own them for the wrong reasons.
-- snip --
Pitbull owners in many communities across the country SEEK to have a badass, intimidating dog. That's why their associated with ghetto black and white trash communities (coincidentally where pit attacks happen most). You don't hear of cocker spaniel maulings or maulings from many other breeds to often because these dogs aren't sought out as a status symbol. These maulings usually come from bad pet ownership because of the reasons listed above. Pitbulls have a bad wrap because of the types of owners they attract --
I would like simple poll answers Yes, No, Maybe, Other added if possible.
Why should I?
Pit Bull is a great rapper :roll:
JKD...
Pit Bull is one of the most loyal kind dog....
James Nevils, 5, mauled to death by dog in Gresham; dog killed | abc7chicago.com
Another day, another life lost due to irresponsible pet ownership.
The question I pose today is: Should we ban "dangerous" breeds of dogs, and in particular the pit bull (a term encompassing several breeds of dogs)?
Let me preface my opinion with the fact that I am a pit bull/Labrador mix and pit bull owner. They are the sweetest dogs on the planet and get along with people, dogs, cats, children, etc.
When discussing pitbulls and breed specifics, excluding the very valid statistics involving incidents of bites, maulings, unpredictable behavior, etc, it is my personal opinion that pits are like any other dog in their instincts, their loyalty to their owners, their response to firm pack leadership, their intelligence, etc. Anyone who has ever came across a pitbull owned by a responsible dog owner knows they can be great family dogs capable of much love and affection.
The issue with pitbulls, and I'm sure this will be debated, is not the breed itself, and not even good/bad owners, but the types of people attracted to pitbulls in the first place. They are seen as a status dog, much like Rottweilers and other larger, stronger, more brutish, intimidating looking animals. And for that reason, many people seek them out and own them for the wrong reasons.
Any dog can have a good/bad owner. Bad ownership usually implies a lack of understanding towards the establishment of a pack leader, not honing in and nipping negative traits while fostering positive traits (laziness), not exercising the dog enough, allowing aggressive behaviors to manifest without addressing them, not taking advantage of puppyhood to socialize and train them, etc.
However, most people don't SEEK to be bad owners. They just don't understand or take in all the responsibilities that owning a dog entails.
Pitbull owners in many communities across the country SEEK to have a badass, intimidating dog. That's why their associated with ghetto black and white trash communities (coincidentally where pit attacks happen most). You don't hear of cocker spaniel maulings or maulings from many other breeds to often because these dogs aren't sought out as a status symbol. These maulings usually come from bad pet ownership because of the reasons listed above. Pitbulls have a bad wrap because of the types of owners they attract.
Are pitbulls dangerous? Like other large breed dogs, they are more muscular, heavier, and can inflict much more harm to someone than a Yorker terrier. In this regard, all large dog breeds are dangerous.
It's people that are dangerous. Irresponsible, stupid people who don't take their role as a pet owner serious enough. And for that reason, pitbulls suffer from unfair criticism and stigmatism in this country. Pit owners like myself face apartment discrimination all the time, and have to deal with negative perceptions (quite deserved) from people who don't understand the breed.
So to sum up - should pitbulls be banned? My answer is neither yes nor no. I think enough irresponsible people out there in the world seek out pitbulls that it's to be expected that I may have a tougher time having certain communities accept my dogs. With owning a pitbull comes different sets of challenges, mainly public perception that you must be willing to accept and deal with. And that perception is definitely justified, though unfair to the breed as a whole.
It is also a matter of their anatomy. Pits don't attack more often than the rest of the breeds. But WHEN they attack, because of the way their jaws lock, they do much worse damage than other, even larger, breeds.
But no, they shouldn't be banned. I worked in the kennel of a vet clinic through highschool and college and dealt with many pits. Every one of them was sweet. Of course, the type of owner who brings their pit to a vet is usually a loving owner.
Don't get me started on Chows, though. Most of them that came in were mean (in that particular environment at least), regardless of how nice the owners were. But I don't think they should be banned either.
I say no.What we should do is hold irresponsible dog owners responsible.If a dog is dangerous it is because that dog's owner did not properly train it, nor was that dog properly secured.The huge vast majority of pit bulls and other dogs deemed to be pit bulls by the media do not attack or kill people.It is only a tiny fraction of a percentage that do this and it is due to irresponsible owners.James Nevils, 5, mauled to death by dog in Gresham; dog killed | abc7chicago.com
Another day, another life lost due to irresponsible pet ownership.
The question I pose today is: Should we ban "dangerous" breeds of dogs, and in particular the pit bull (a term encompassing several breeds of dogs)?
It is also a matter of their anatomy. Pits don't attack more often than the rest of the breeds. But WHEN they attack, because of the way their jaws lock, they do much worse damage than other, even larger, breeds.
But no, they shouldn't be banned. I worked in the kennel of a vet clinic through highschool and college and dealt with many pits. Every one of them was sweet. Of course, the type of owner who brings their pit to a vet is usually a loving owner.
Don't get me started on Chows, though. Most of them that came in were mean (in that particular environment at least), regardless of how nice the owners were. But I don't think they should be banned either.
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