Posted on 07/22/2007 5:36:41 AM PDT by libstripper
Our dogs were more like comedians than commandos. They showed zero unwarranted aggression towards people and pooches. They had amazing discernment, insane athletic ability and undaunted courage. This breed impacted me so much I wrote a book about their magnificent spirit (go to amazon.com The Bulldog Attitude).
As far as I’m concerned, the Pit Bull is one of the most awesome animals on the planet. And before hype hit the fan, and the local news needed fresh chum for the gullible ones and the pimps and thugs became the owners of this noble animal, The United States of America thought so as well.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
Ping.
Perhaps you suffer from “I wish I had a bigger Vick” syndrome
I don’t own a pit. But this is only because of the rep they have recently got due to bad owners. I actually think the dogs are good dogs. The rep is so bad that as a pit owner, you are already assumed to be guilty and so is your dog. Cops regularly shoot pits BEFORE the pit bites them. You’d never hear of a cop doing such a thing to a lab or a setter. It’s not fair, but that’s the way things are.
So, in my opinion, If you killed a pit that was threatening you in any way, no one is going to get too worried about it. The law will assume the dog deserved it simply because it is a pit.
Don’t risk getting bitten. Home owner’s insurance doesn’t cover pits. That means you will not get a dime out of them for your treatment or suffering.
No doubt that a family pet can get its feelings hurt. Yes, they definitely have feelings.
A pit bull dog attacked a horse here locally last Wednesday. The horse died.
I let my dog run lose when we go on walks. He’s a lab. He doesn’t need a leash because he listens to me and when he was younger and I was first letting him go without a leash no one ever had a problem with him.
That’s not a good thing.
A friend of mine used to have a german shepherd that would chase horses and grab onto the horses tail and hang there while the horse ran around jumping and kicking. It was really funny to watch.
The 'maximum force' response to pit bulls -
Well demonstrated when my pit was a puppy, got out of the yard and was saved by an observant doctor's receptionist from being whacked repeatedly by an old lady's cane. Dog never stopped wagging her tail and spent the rest of the day playing with the doctor's patients.
The owner, not the dog -
I've rescued about five abandoned pits, all but one female who had recently had litters. Every one of them allowed me to walk up, sit with them, make friends, and fairly soon walked with me to my house. Only problem with that is that my pit is very big and very playful, she nearly squashed one emaciated dog being friends (no biting from either).
I fear for the litters those dogs had but I'm glad I was able to find homes for those left in the street.
Veterinarians -
I have never met a vet who feared pit bulls in their office, never. AS a breed they are welcomed and quite stoic about being treated, mine thinks she is there to play and the thermometer is only the price she pays.
However, most vets I know, and most other sane people, would be leery of any stray until they could determine attitude.
Bites -
This is tricky, yes, pits have lots and lots of jaws. However;
1. They use those jaws as sensors (tactile) and will gently grip your wrist both to show they want to play and direct your attention. Mine is so gentle about it that I've watched her carry a ripe tomato around the yard for days without damaging it.
2. ANY DOG WILL BITE. But the 'tear your arm off because it's in their DNA' argument is cr#p. A neighbor's pit was allowed to run (with two puppies attached) and was becoming a local worry. Eventually, someone's visiting father in law kicked the dog (in front of it's own home) and was bitten - one time, just enough to break the skin, and the dog moved back into defensive posture afterward. Although I suggested euthanasia for the owner (and classes for the kicker) Animal Control allowed both dog and owner to live so long as the dog is restrained. (it's telling that the dog was NOT put down by authorities)
3. I have been 'bitten' once by a pit, recently. A very nice former stray that found (literally) a home with two others and a GS. The owner told me the dog had just had a litter (the other pit looked guilty as heck) but NOT that the puppies were under the desk. When I approached too quickly I received one very neat hole in my pant leg while momma arranged herself in front of her pups. After apologizing and going through the required introductions I was allowed to pick them up, momma came to me to nuzzle, and, mostly, I understood the behavior.
There is still one very, very, nice male pup left for sale and I played with all three, including the sire, yesterday.
Dominant behavior -
What?
When any of my three dogs sidles up and presses against me it ain't for domination. The poodle wants security (I found him in the street), the terrier wants equal time, and the pit has one of two clear facial expressions; either 'pleases scratch me here' or 'you've been gone too long'. (She can, however, knock you down trying to press her squeaky toy into your hand).
Aggressively friendly - very much so.
And since mine pulled the pants off of a repairman when he flashed the dreaded 'plumber's crack' - got a sense of humor as well.
Finally, of the three dogs currently residing in my home, its the poodle you need to watch out for - he's become very defensive of his new home and strikes terror in the hearts of postal workers and the LDS but somehow allows the pizza delivery guy to pass.
Kimmel:
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has been indicted for organizing pitbull fights at his house, and he’s in a lot of trouble. He could do six years in prison. Whatever happens, the one thing they’ve decided, “Who Let the Dogs Out” is definitely off the play list.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted yesterday in connection with some vicious dog fights that allegedly went on at a house he owned in Virginia. Some of these dogs were executed. Michael says he was just following Bob Barker’s lead trying to control the pet population.
Let’s not rush to judgment. Maybe he had a good reason for electrocuting and shooting those dogs. Maybe they were conspiring to kill him.
Leno:
Boy has it been a hot summer. They call this the dog days of summer. Especially if you’re Michael Vick.
Atlanta Falcons Michael Vick has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a dog fighting ring. You know how he got caught? A pointer picked him out.
Did you hear his excuse? He said, “The bitch set me up.”
Exactly. We have a couple of dog beaches here in SoCal, and the most reliable way to assess another dog is to consider the owner. When it comes to APBs, owners (and by inference, their dogs) vary from pleasant looking professional types to inbred, troglodytic street thugs.
For some reason the reliable owners have the more traditional, leaner & taller looking pits, while the scary ones have the really short, stocky & ugly dogs. And to cap it off, the 'tards need to accessorize their "pets" with the requisite harness & chain link leash.
Thanks, but in my business (service), I'll be arriving about the same time when I make a call and hope the dog is never off-leash as I, no doubt, left an 'imprint' in it's brain that could have bad consequences.
Perhaps I could tape some jerky-sticks or Milk Bones to my legs before getting out of my truck.
The author seems to be confused over Bulldogs and Pit Bulls. These are two very different breeds.
What a good thing to say. There are three pits buried outside my bedroom window, all dead from old age and greatly mourned. They never harmed a soul and were good friends to my family and me.
Both your comments made me cry. My Pit is 13 and a half years old. She has a tumor on her teet, and is slow moving and cannot hear as well any more. Had her since she was 3 months old. She still wants to go on walks with me, just can't go as far. She is eating well still but losing weight. We give her asprin twice a day to relieve her achy bones. Best dog we ever had and I am so sad in anticipation of her death.
The only breed of dog with American as part of the breed name. RCA used them as their logo, with the tipped head, "listening to their masters voice."
Michael Vick wanted to prove how tough he was, so he volunteered to go into a room with Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, and Charles Manson. He said, “I ain’t goin’ in there without my gun and my guard dog.” So, they gave him a gun with three bullets, and a pit bull.
Vick and the dog entered the room, saw Manson, Hitler, and bid Laden....and then Vick shot the dog three times.
Vick lost plenty of endorsement deals as a result of this indictment, but he did pick up a new one: He’s going to be the spokesman for Chinese-made dog food.
When Vick’s Falcons play at Soldier Field, which former Chicago sports stars will avoid the game? Blackhawks center Pit Martin and Bears’ running back Ronnie Bull.
Chihuahuas and Cockers aren’t capable of mauling people to death.
I got a “pitbull-mix” - from a rescure group. She has larger then normal ears but I suspect she is all APBT. I think rescure groups and shelters know that the pitbulls seems scary to folks but if you call them a mix more epopel will consider adopting.
I love pitbulls. Like any powerful dog owners need to keep them on a leash and properly supervised.
I didn’t know that...wow.
No, their owners have.
Much of the Michael Vick indictment are charges of animal cruelty to dogs that WOULD NOT FIGHT.
Ron Artest lives across the road from our development and for awhile his dogs would escape and come to my house because they knew I would give them food, water and attention. There were a couple of Pits in the mix and I have to say they were really sweet dogs. I would give them a treat and they would carefully take it from my hand. My Lab on the other hand I have to remind him to be gentle when taking a treat. I am not ready to be a Pit owner but I do know there is a gentle side to them.
That's wonderful. What does it have to do with the poster's original ridiculous statement about outlawing ALL large breed dogs?
Unless it's your position that Great Danes, Akitas, Newfoundlands, and other such docile breeds do not count as large breed dogs?
My reply was designed to point out the obvious flaw in blanket absolute statements. I guess it went over your head.
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