Posted on 11/02/2009 11:19:23 AM PST by solosmoke
But I have a problem with pit bulls. And it has more to do with the two-legged creatures holding their leashes (if there is a leash).Because of their sheer numbers—estimates show that there are anywhere from 5 million to 10 million pit-bull-type dogs in the U.S. today, out of about 61 million total dogs—pits have become the dog du jour for a lot of people, not just gangbangers and wannabe thugs who use a pit as proxy for toughness. About 20 percent of dogs in ASPCA shelters are pit mixes.
I've seen those who adopt these dogs for all the wrong reasons. The fearful might get a pit because they want a great guard dog. (Pits make lousy guard dogs. A well-bred pit is just too human-friendly to protect your property.) Some get a pit because Rachael Ray has one and they want to rescue a dog. (Why didn't you take up cooking instead of getting a dog that you know nothing about?) And the trendiest pet owners spend thousands of dollars for a "blue" pit because the dogs are rare. (No, they aren't, and you just got swindled by an unethical breeder who contributed to the overpopulation problem.) But pets aren't purses, and people who jump into pit-bull ownership without the requisite training and education can often do more harm than good. That's why when I see a pit off-leash and I'm walking Turk, my 20-pound schnoodle, I'm scared.
Let's face it: pit bulls are public enemy No. 1. That's quite a comedown for a pup once considered "America's dog." But in talking with pit-bull experts, it's clear that some current owners are too easy to spook, are too ill-informed, and have unrealistic expectations of what pit bulls can do.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
“About 20 percent of dogs in ASPCA shelters are pit mixes.”
Around here, I’d say it’s more like 60%
shoot, I was hoping this would be a Sarah Palin thread!
Pits are great dogs, and every dog was bred for a purpose.
I have noticed around here that many many people have pits or pit mixes. Most of them are whatever we call Yuppies these days, well dressed, out walking them, taking them to dog parks etc. I wondered why, with all the bad press, and it occurred to me. These days it’s trendy to rescue a dog from the shelter, having a purebred is not *enlightened* enough in our new *green* culture. And, if you go to the shelters, they are bursting at the seams with pits and pit crosses.
Having said that, I’ve not met one yet that was anything other than a typical nice dog.
This is about the first year I can remember that no pits wandered up to my door looking for rescue. (Maybe the toy poodle mix scares them off)
On the other hand, I’m surprised that they only tested 85% for ‘people friendly’; can’t imagine what might outscore them.
The American Straffordshire Terrier is a wonderful dog. Unfortunately, as you rightly point out, owners have them for all the wrong reasons.
When well cared for ( as is true for most breeds) they are loving, protective, and extremely loyal. When trained by dog fighting organizations, drug dealers, and other idiots they are overly agressive and fearsome.
I say shoot all the bad owners. Handles mulitple problems with a single solution
I read a book by Temple Grandin: Animals Make Us Human.
In it she notes that Pitbulls, once called Nanny Dogs, were bred to fight other animals, but not people. Over the last 10 years or so, owners have been selectively breeding for a wariness and readiness to attack people.
I don’t trust them.
Very few people are breeding them to be human-aggressive. The mere fact that out of 5 to 10 million pit bull-type dogs, an infinitesimally small percentage attack people. There are thousands of idiot owners that get them and encourage vicious behavior, only to be disappointed by their inherently trusting, friendly nature. It’s an interesting phenomenon occurring, that dogs being purposely bred for certain attributes simply aren’t being born with them. The dogs just don’t have that in their makeup, and the ones that are attacking seem to be doing so because of gross negligence and mistreatment on the owner’s part, as is noted in the above article, and on the CDC’s study.
There’s no such thing as a schnoodle. Ms. Raymond has a mutt named Turk.
Oh, I agree. The “oodles” really get to me. Especially their price, considering the fact that they are indeed mixed breed dogs, no matter how cutesy the breeder’s name for them is. What’s worse is they claim the dogs are hypo-allergenic, but they all come out with different types of fur/hair, and the dander (skin) is what people are allergic to in the first place! Golly, don’t get me started...it’ll be a rant for sure.
We have four dandies which we occasionally show (one finished). But if someone wants a “snoodle” or a “boodle” or what ever, its okay with me.
So happy to see a well-balanced article on “pit bulls”. I have a mix - he’s a sweetheart. The perfect dog for old ladies, babies, toddlers and cats (the group with which he was raised). It has taken time and work to minimize his dog agression, but he has made dramatic progress in that area. I know he can be dog agressive and I manage that very carefully when I have him in public. He is NEVER without his lead and a person who knows how to manage the situation if he is to be around other dogs.
My stepdaughter has a lhasa apso that is far more dog agressive than my pit mix. Its funny to watch them together because my guy knows he isn’t allowed to murder that annoying little dog - he tolerates the agression for awhile and then he simply lays down on the annoying little sneak.
Thanks for your input solo,
To be honest, I find those dogs intimidating. I’m used to shepherds (collies and Alsatians, etc.) mostly and I love them. They’re the ones I grew up with and understand.
I honestly don’t understand Pits. They seem to have been bred for their jaws.
A friend of mine, father of one of my son’s best friends, has one. He explained the whole thing, and I understood; when you look for a dog, you expect to get a little more than a mere pet.
But once, I went to pick up my son, and the dog answered the door with the mom. I was already well acquainted with the familly and the dog. The dog barked and jumped up, playfully it seemed, but it also gave me a good nip on the arm. I pushed the dog away, as you might to an Alsatian; no go, he kept coming. I know, the mom was there with the kids; dad was away and I’d want my dog to do the same under the similar circumstances. But similar; this implies a matter of degree. And, that dog was the strongest creature I’ve ever encountered, never having taken on mountain lions or bears, or the like.
All that said I will confess, the dog has never threatened my son, and that’s what counts. Also, I’m sure I handled the situation badly, reacting to one breed as if it were another.
It can be uncomfortable to be around a dog that has a bad reputation. However, the behavior you described sounds more like an over-exuberant dog that has not been properly trained. When my mother’s black lab was younger, she would jump and nip like that. It was really annoying and she would break the skin often, and my mother never bothered to break her of it, so she stopped it on her own when she was old, but if it had been a pit bull, I myself would have been freaked out to say the least (back then, I really hated pit bulls...I’ve since done lots of research on the subject and feel differently, obviously).
I think sometimes its hard to view them like other dogs, even when their behaviors are the same. I look at my american bulldog (picture pit bull with long legs and a stubbier snout, 60 pounds heavier) now, and sometimes when she’s playing with her basketball and shaking it and running around, I think man, she’s pretty darn strong, kind of scary. But then I picture a golden retriever doing the same thing and realize that I’ve seen goldens do that! (How can a golden look like anything but a slow, sensitive mush, they’re such clowns!)
I find it interesting you mentioned Alsatians. I fostered a wonderful imported working GSD pup for nine months and fell in love with the breed. They are definitely intelligent and obedient, but they have a wary side, too. I noticed the pup took a while to really warm up to us, but by the time he left, he was to the point where I think he would do anything to protect me, my husband, and our cats. I think those dogs are so smart, you kind of have to earn their trust. They make wonderful home protectors. We are currently looking for a male as our next companion, and will probably spare no expense to get one like Viggo, the foster we had.
Thanks Solo;
I’m starting to see things your way.
About Alsatians: I fear they have been damaged by breeders, less confident and more timid than I remember them being, not good since this often gets expressed as aggression.
Many are also prone to hip dysplasia and arthritis. There’s nothing worse than watching a dog go down with that.
Another breed that’s declined, in my view: the collie. Early ones had a broad, intelligent head. Years ago it seems breeders preferred the long head profile. Result:stupider, more neurotic dogs, it seems.
These are just subjective experiences, and I’ve always preferred mixes. The finest dog I ever had was a collie-German shepherd whatever, a farm dog. Boisterous as a pup, protective and loyal but easy going and sociable. We never trained him, except to bring in the paper for us; he just found his place in the family and fell in.
We just got a new dog, a sheltie-pommeranian mix. We were looking for a small dog because of it’s predecessors arthritis. My wife and kids were smitten by this pup, so now we have what my mom said they used to call a “society dog.” But she’s pretty, smart and spunky.
I think breeders, at least show breeders have always been attentive to the integrity of the breed, and are more so now. But selective breeding is narrow in focus. All dogs, it seems to me, should have a little wolf in them.
The ATTS test is used to measure a dog’s overall stability. Here’s a little bit about the test if you are unfamiliar with it: http://www.atts.org/testdesc.html “Failure on any part of the test is recognized when a dog shows panic, strong avoidance without recovery or unprovoked aggression.” My mother’s bitch just passed her TT last week :-)
Yep, we’ve got pits and pit mixes in spades at our local shelters. Was at local rescue a few weeks ago and woman walked in w/ a pit bitch who was just drying up and asked if the rescue knew anyone who wanted some pittie puppies...they can’t give them away here.
ANd it’s so easy to keep from having puppies you can’t find homes for.
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