Because my wife Kate and I are dog lovers and know how hard the economy has hit local shelters (many people abandon or surrender their dogs for financial reasons) we made several deliveries of toys, towels and food to the Animal Protection Society of Durham last year but last fall we also decided to sponsor a dog cage. This will cover the costs to house a "guest" canines during the year in terms of food and necessities.
The APS handles the intake and adoption of animals for the city/county, with the city's Animal Control handling animal pickup and enforcement of local ordinances. This differs from, say other county shelters handle both, and having visited some, the animals spend their limited time there before euthanasia in pitiful, horrible circumstances.
The dogs at the APS are in clean cinderblock suites, kept up by the many volunteers who walk and give the dogs human affection and attention to make them adoption-worthy candidates, and that includes the often forgotten and misperceived pit bulls, which are often pit mixes. No pittie is put up for adoption without temperament testing, so it's a matter of educating folks that pits are great family dogs, love children -- but they are not first-time adopter dogs, like many breeds that prospective owners should research rather than impulse adopt.
So I'm starting a weekly feature on my blog to spotlight some cute pit bulls that deserve a chance for a forever home with the right person or family who's willing to put in the time, training and love to meet their needs, because the love they will receive from this very people-focused breed pays off in big dividends. My first two...
Too many dogs end up back in shelters, particularly after the holidays, because of the lack of understanding of the dog breed's working, herding, burrowing, lure-chasing or guarding instincts (see Jack Russell Terriers, Border Collies, Weimeraners, German Shepherds, Rotties, Dobermans -- and pits). If you can't put in the time to give a positive outlet for them, you'll have your furniture destroyed, or an anti-social, snipping, lunging, out-of-control dog -- it's not their fault, it's you the owner --and knowing what you're in for.
For those who believe in breed-specific bans what follows is some food for thought. I was shocked at the number of breeds besides the "pit bull" (which has a preposterously broad definition) that you might not think some states and municipalities ban. Your breed may be next.
We both watch The Dog Whisperer (Cesar Millan, National Geographic) and "It's Me Or the Dog" (with Victoria Stilwell on Animal Planet), and DogTown (Best Friends Animal Society, National Geographic). Anyone who wants to implement breed-specific legislation and believes that pit bulls are evil and not rehabilitable, should watch the NatGeo programs in particular. Cesar Millan is a huge advocate for pit bulls and frank about the facts and myths -- and focuses on responsible dog ownership. See his pack gallery and his stories about pits Daddy and Junior.
But when I was watching a program about owners who couldn't control their Shar Pei from going red-zone ape-sh*t when vistors came, I decided to look up the breed's history, and what do you know, it was historically used for guarding and fighting. You don't see that breed on most breed ban legislation. In fact, many advocates of the Shar Pei know the breed is no different from pit bulls in that respect, but try to hide the history to avoid getting on a ban.
Incidentally, Western breeders maintain that any dog in China that protects property is called a fighting dog, whereas in Canada and the United States, they are referred to as guard dogs. This is still a moot point. Up until the introduction of Breed Specific Legislation, designed to target breeds alleged to be "more likely" to attack and largely aimed at criminalising the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Shar-Pei was regarded as a breed designed, bred and selected for dog fighting.
After the introduction of various Breed Specific Legislation, many breeders started to deny the fighting ancestry and concocted fanciful tales of a hunting heritage. It is worth mentioning that the Chinese and Taiwanese still regard the Shar-Pei as a dog-fighting breed, although the prohibitive cost of the breed has done much to discourage such abuse.
Isn't that special? And what about Rottweilers -- how come they escape breed bans?
Rottweilers are a powerful breed with well developed genetic herding and guarding instincts. As with any breed, potentially dangerous behavior in Rottweilers usually results from irresponsible ownership, abuse, neglect, or lack of socialization and training. However, the exceptional strength of the Rottweiler is an additional risk factor not to be neglected. It is for this reason that breed experts recommend that formal training and extensive socialization are essential for all Rottweilers.
I guarantee you that a good number of Rottie owners haven't gone through formal training, and those dogs can outweigh pits by 50 lbs. or more. And I can't count the number of times I've had people recall some they know or themselves being bitted by a German Shepherd Dog, a breed rarely on a BSL list. But they are clearly a menace if untrained and do turn up in shelters a lot.
Moreover, studies rely on 'reported' bites, leading the National Geographic Channel television show, The Dog Whisperer to conclude that small dog breeds are likely responsible for more bites than large dog breeds, but often go unreported.[32] In addition, according to the National Geographic Channel television show, Dangerous Encounters, the bite of a German Shepherd Dog has a force of over 200 pounds (compared with that of a Rottweiler, over 300 pounds of force, a Pitbull, also over 200 pounds of force, a Labrador Retriever, of approximately 125 pounds of force, or a human, of approximately 170 pounds of force), which means it is important to note the impact that 'reported' bites and serious injury have on any dog bite studies and to distinguish a dog attack from 'aggression'.[33] Regardless, one source indicates that fatalities have been attributed to over 30 breeds since 1975, including small breeds, such as the Pomeranian.[34]These claims have also been disputed on the statistical basis that German Shepherds represent a higher proportion of the population than other breeds and also because of the use of German Shepherd Dogs as protection dogs, which would require controlling statistical data for "pet" or "companion" use and not military, police or guard use. An Australian report from 1991 indicates that German Shepherd Dog bites are still over-represented in Australia when the statistics take into account the difference in population (though not use).[35] Again, though, there is a difference between 'aggression' in a dog and a dog attack. It is also important to note that German Shepherds are very common in cross-bred canines. And due to their popularity the layman will likely recognize most GSD cross-breeds simply as "German Shepherd," if a report is ever filed.
In fact my brother-in-law was just bitten by a GSD recently, while riding on his bike in a park. If that had been a pit or pit mix, would it have been reported? I'll have to ask him sometime.
Anyway, take a look at this list of Breed-Specific Legislation implemented around the country. I couldn't believe my eyes on this one.
Residents of the New York City Housing Authority are prohibited from owning the following dog breeds: Akita Inu, Alangu Mastiff, Alano Español, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Argentine Dogo, Bedlington Terrier, Boston Terrier, Bull and Terrier, Bull Terrier, Bully Kutta, Cane Corso, Dogue de Bordeaux, Dogo Sardesco, English Mastiff, Fila Brasileiro, Gull Dong, Gull Terr, Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Korean Jindo Dog, Lottatore Brindisino, Neapolitan Mastiff, Perro de Presa Canario, Perro de Presa Mallorquin, Shar Pei, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Tosa Inu[45]
Honestly we're down to banning these dogs now?
Bedlington Terrier (L), Boston Terrier (R).
Bedlingtons have NO fighting history. Boston Terriers, believe it or not, do, but it has been bred down over the years to be solely a companion dog. I want to know what the f*ck kind of information the New York City Housing Authority used to make that list up.
And Dobies, Rotties and German Shepherds DON'T make the above list, despite the factual information out there?! Oh wait, those are popular breeds, regardless of their potential for possible aggression issues in the wrong hands. And there are ridiculous iterations of this statement in almost all of the legislation listed, banning:
[A]ny dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics which substantially conform to the standards established by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club for any of the above breeds.
The canine merely has to look somewhat like a pit bull to be banned/destroyed, including mixes. That means you could have a Lab/Pit mix litter with some looking like the Lab, others like the Pit, and no idea which may have a dog-aggressive nature that the legislation is trying to ban. This is outlandishly subjective legislation intended, to scoop up enough dogs and deeming them dangerous, instead let's bad owners off the hook, and punishes responsible owners.
My goal with this weekly feature is to give left-behind pit bull pet prospects some sunshine and light, rather than focus on those "pits" that generate bad headlines because of their owners. So many dogs that could brighten lives end up euthanized or ignored for purebred purchases from breeders or pet stores. Please support and encourage spay/neuter programs to reduce the population of unwanted cats and dogs brought into the world.
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Their dog was NOT sweet and even tempered. Whether purposefully because they wanted their dog to be an alarm or guard for their property or because they were simply ignorant/negligent, their dog was not properly socialized to make it so that all different types of situations, strangers and treatment (from children & adults alike) could be well tolerated.
In many attack/maulings, which frequently involve children who have not been taught about proper behavior around dogs and/or were left alone with the dog, the dogs also did not learn proper bite inhibition from their mother and litter mates. (Bite inhibition/modulation of bite strength can take up until 16 weeks of age to master and it's often necessary for humans to supplement this learning process.) With proper bite inhibition/modulation skills, a dog can give a warning nip that is a clear warning to back off, no matter what your level of dog savvyness. Without proper bite inhibition/modulcation skills, what could have been a warning nip becomes a serious injury producing dog-human interaction.
I am a first time dog owner who chose to make my first adoption a pit bull type dog. I was not initially looking for this kind of dog. In fact, his muscular appearance was initially a turn off for me. After meeting him, I loved his personality but didn't know what to think of "that kind" of dog. I spent several days doing research, reading for several hours each day and talking to experience dog trainers & dog owners. My education did not stop with that reading. My new bully mutt and I immediately enrolled in a Manners 1 class and we went on to attend Canine Good Citizen classes and earned our CGC and ATTS certifications.
While I trust my dog completely, I closely supervise interactions with children and other dogs, watching for signs of distress that suggest my dog is not comfortable with his surroundings. I would do this for ANY breed of dog. Even with very dog savvy children, I know that I can't trust that they won't decide to test their limits -- after all, testing limits is part of growing and learning. However, testing limits with dogs can lead to disaster.
A major problem is preaching outside the choir to those who have never been around a pit bull and therefore form opinions about the breed based solely on all the negative news stories they hear. I used to be afraid of pit bulls until a friend got one as a pet and I saw what a sweet cuddlebug it was - not at all the snarling monster I expected (and nothing like another friend's nasty chihuahua that loves to bite, but I've never heard of a chihuahua ban).
Until the media starts focusing on the many positives of the breed, people are going to continue to be afraid and propose breed bans. Here's an article about why breed specific legislation doesn't work: http://www.ilovedogs.com/blog/?p=3265
While "connected" with thugs these dogs have also been "connected" with Presidents, Generals and Celebritys. Dog fighters USE these dogs because they are LEAST likely to "turn" on their handlers as there are many larger and stronger breeds of dogs that could be used. People never mention that dog fighters are "in the ring" with fighting dogs, inches away from the fights, and it is not uncommon during breaks to reach down the dog's throats to pull out hair and tissue so the dogs don't choke during battle and "ruin" the "fun" for the cruel, demented and cowardly individuals who use dogs for their own sick enjoyment.
There is not one credible professional dog organization that supports BSL.
In places where BSL has been incorporated it is a complete failure. UK's dog bites and attacks have steadily INCREASED and both the Netherlands and Italy (which was UP to 93 types of restricted and/or banned breeds), after decades of through DOCUMENTATION, has recently removed their bans. They NOW look to OWNER accountabilty.
I read about the 3 year old that was left outside by himself when attacked. I read how the dog then attacked BOTH firefighters and police before it was shot. WHY would a parent leave a child with a dog who was even remotely capable of that kind of aggression? Unreal.