I am shocked by how many people equate dogs with humans. This is apparently a growing phenomena, as a survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association found that more than half the pet owners surveyed would choose the companionship of their pet over another human if they were to be stranded on a deserted island.
However, unlike humans, dogs are still merely animals. And, unlike humans, dangerous breeds have been BRED to be dangerous. To the best of my knowlege, we are not practicing selective breeding of humans yet.
Since there are certain dogs that have been created to be more vicious than others, it stands to reason that not all breeds are alike. For instance, the American Pit Bull Terrier was specifically bred to be an aggressive dog for dogfighting in the ring or "pit". Their "best" traits include tenacity, large wide jaws, stubbornness, aggressiveness, and a high pain tolerance. The tough ones made it in the pit; the weak ones didn't.
Sure, American Pit Bull Terriers might make fine pets...until they snap and show another side. Because they've got such violence bred deep into the bone, these traits can appear at any time. A sweet family dog can be perfect one moment, and tearing up a newborn baby the next. Is it the owner's fault? Do we REALLY believe that aggressive dogs are ALWAYS the result of an abusive owner?!
Rottweilers are definately as dangerous as pit bulls. In 2000, CNN reported on a study that claimed Rottweilers had surpassed pit bulls as America's deadliest dog breed. Their reputation has been known for a long while in the U.K., where Rotties have the same reputation that pit bulls have here.
Like American Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweilers were bred for traits that make them incompatible in domestic homes. Although their origins are shrouded in mystery, we know that they were used as guard dogs and also in dog fighting: They hardly share the same traits with a Poodle or even a German Shepherd!
I have heard it said that such breeds, though aggressive toward other dogs, haven't been bred to be aggressive to humans. Never the less, their general aggressive behavior easily extends towards humans. Whether it starts with a dog-on-dog attack or dog-on-human attack, there are (on average) 340 dog attacks on humans in the U.S.A. per year; of which (on average) 17 result in the death of a man, woman, or child.
If we truly believe that a dog attack is the result of the owner and not the breed, then all owners of such dogs should be given mandatory prison sentences when their dogs attack.
Otherwise, we need to realize that such dogs have been created over many generations and merely wishing that it wasn't so won't change the fact that they're bad to the bone.
The answer is simple: We don't have to euthanize these animals. We merely need to demand mandatory sterilization, and the problem will take care of itself within this generation.
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29 comments:
Saur,
Excellent Post.
White trash love Pit Bull Terriers and Rottweilers. These are the same losers that drive Dodge Ram pick-ups. I would love to see these dogs and their owners killed. I don't like either one of them.
Have a great day.
Don’t forget to mention the other dangerous breeds; Chows, Akitas and Dalmatians.
I too equate dangerous breeds with big trucks and small penises. Somebody is compensating.
I am a dog guy but why would I introduce something into my house that I know is capable of hurting me or my guest. I suppose I’m against dog breeding in general. It makes dogs commodities and introduces the profit motive. The abuse in “puppy mills” is well documented. I don’t think a dog should cost more than the $45 adoption fee. Neutering included.
Very good post.
Sauer,
I completely agree w/ you about dangerous breeds. The animals we see are clearly not natural decendents of wolves and I am SO tired of the old canard from owners saying that it's not the genetics but the environment.
Bull. Genetics is always part of the mix.
But I do disagree w/ this statement: However, unlike humans, dogs are still merely animals.
Correction, dogs are LOWER animals.
Did you get my motif, Sauer!?
Sauer, I wrote an article recently highlighting April as a month when we focus on the awful health disparities among racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups in this country--which is a travesty.
Ultimately, national health care would become not only a democratic mainstay but a solid plank in the republican party platform. yes, that's coming. Good NYTimes article today.
Anyhew, the minority subject-matter expert I interviewed was offended that I even brought up genetics at all (that blacks are more likely to get diabetes and whites more likely to get MS).
This is reality.
And those breeds should be outlawed.
I have no problems outlawing dangerous dog breeds. Miami-Dade County has a pit bull law on the books. It is pretty simple - have a pit bull in Miami-Dade County and Animal Services takes it away, and fines you $500 per dog. If your dog gets loose and kills something, you can face felony charges.
People who had pit bulls before the law took place had to get a $1 million insurance policy or surrender the dog. The law took place long ago so by now all the "legal" pit bulls should be dead.
Of all the dog breeds that there are, what is the big deal banning two or three of them? Really. Who wants a dog that shits more than a lab anyway? Why do you want a big ass huge dog?
There are an unlimited number of dogs that are not pit bulls, rotties, or whatever. Get one of those dogs.
If every major city adopted policies similar to Miami-Dade then you would see a lot less dangerous dogs.
I am an animal lover being the owner of three cats having to put down any animal is hard for me to handle. But an animal that harms a human when it is known to be a possible threat to said human is another issue. I have to agree with you on this one. I had my cats all fixed because I think we are too over populated with cats. I don't want the species to die out but I do think it can be better controlled. As with all species of animals.
We won't get 100% agreement on this, but you're right: Why in hell would anybody want a dog that might gut a guy? I know that says "might," but it happens too often for it to be "right."
Old Hoss, the only argument for such a violent dog would be if it were trained as a guard dog only. However, it would have to be strictly trained, watched at all times, and not allowed near the family. For instance, I had a friend who was the daughter of a mafia don in the area. They lived in a marvellous mansion with a walled-in estate and men patrolling with dobermans (even they didn't mess with pit bulls or rotties). Such a use would make sense, perhaps. Of course pit bulls are notorious for being fine, then snapping one day, so who's to say? Perhaps they're even too unreliable to keep as guard dogs.
Debbie, I'm more than happy if some breeds of dogs die out. There are plenty of others to choose from. And I'm coming from the perspective of a Doggy Person (owning 3)
Lazy Iguana, I had no idea that Miami was so smart about their dog laws. Interesting!
Matt, I agree entirely that health care should be important to both parties. It would be a slam-dunk for the Repubs, though I doubt they'll do it because Big Business has too much to lose with that. Interesting how your post was misperceived. My son recently wrote about another over-zealous race-watch incident when waiters in a coffee house in the UK refused to serve someone who ordered "black" coffee. He had to order "coffee without milk" before they'd serve him.
And, yes, dogs and humans are animals and dogs are lower, but why? Although you're an atheist, I think we can agree that sentience sets us apart.
Hans, I agree for the most part, but for allergy sufferers like my son and I... we need to have specific dogs that are bred to be less allergenic, such as poodles, malteses, etc. To me, that's worth the extra money. However, my most recent dog is part poodle and part something else (horse? Bat?) and we aren't having any problems yet (prob due to the poodle in him)
R2K, ;o)
Senor Caiman, There does seem to be a correlation between a man's income and IQ and the type of dog he has... ;o) But, there are always exceptions. Either way, these dogs must be banned.
Killing all of them seems a bit extreme, but requiring spaying or neutering for all seems reasonable. And how about licensing the owners of any dog classed "dangerous" (such as any dog originally bred for fighting), said license being more like a drivers license than the current type of dog "license" (which is just a code word for "tax"). Plus the aforementioned insurance policy.
You need a license to drive dangerous machinery. You need a license to dispense dangerous pharmaceuticals. Why not need a license to posess dangerous dogs?
argh, just missed you, Saur.
Wow, the misinformation and ignorance about the issue shown in the statements made here is mind boggling considering you are supporting the mass extermination of an entire breed...
I own 2 pit bull dogs. I am a caucasian female, white collar employment. I would hazard a guess that my IQ meets or beats that of anyone else who has posted a comment in regards to this ridiculous blog.
I have personally encountered and physically handled well over 100 pit bull dogs. I have never been bitten, snapped at or threatened in any way by any of them - I have however been bitten by a Maltese and a Chihuahua. Go figure.
To support breed banning shows a misunderstanding of the facts behind animal attacks. As I am on a news alert for stories regarding "pit bull attacks" and breed banning, I can tell you that in most news stories you are getting only partial information about the events surrounding the incident. Please RESEARCH an issue before lending your support to it. Pit bull dogs provide love and companionship to thousands of RESPONSIBLE owners. For more information on pit bull dogs, you can take a look at the following site:
http://www.bulliebuddies.org
Saur,
I guarantee you that anonymous is a fat ugly Ho who has dated black guys but prefers red neck white trash who drive Dodge Ram pick-ups..
senor caiman - thanks for proving my point.
"I would hazard a guess that my IQ meets or beats that of anyone else who has posted a comment in regards to this ridiculous blog."
I haven't met a pit bull (especially a pit bull mix) that wasn't a lovely dog. (Though they do seem to be the alpha critter in any neighborhood, and I know that they aren't all like the ones I know).
The scariest dog I ever knew was a Saint Bernard who was momentarily tamed by a well swung baseball bat (by a fried who probably saved my leg, if not my life). A husky came into my yard one day, bit through the 2X4s that made up my rabbit hutch and killed 18 bunnies (and came after me when I tried to interrupt his fun). When I was a Fuller Brush Man in Long Beach CA. I had a customer who showed Dobermans in big dog shows. Her yard was fenced by six foot chain link with barbed wire on top. Her dog routinely scared the Hell out of me jumping against the fence when I came to the door.
When I was in the house she would introduce me to the beast and he would lick my hand.
One day when I arrived to deliver merchandice (I had called in advance) no one answered the door. Her car was there so I kept knocking, and the dog went wild. I went to a neighbor's and called the cops. When they knocked down the door and subdued the Doberman, my customer was dead inside the house. Killed by her registered blue ribbon show dog. You can't neuter enough dogs to get them all, and ANY really large dog who has been abused or badly trained is dangerous. Do we kill em all over eighteen inches long?
If you have to tell people your the smartest one in the room, your not.
Dazzle us with your brilliance don't try to baffle us with your b.s.
Anon, as you can see, my readers have little tolerance. It would help if you'd at least register with a name (even if it IS fictitious). Somehow that adds credibility in a drive-by posting. If you come back, I hope you will take the time to re-read MY post... you seem to think that I'm advocating things I am NOT advocating, and you also seem to be neglecting the details. Facts are facts. How delightful that none of your dogs have attacked you or anyone else yet. Let's hope that your luck holds.
3 Score & 10, I am NOT advocating euthanasia. I'm advocating sterlization. Granted, there are always exceptions. For instance, I once knew a standard poodle that was vicious and would chase the neighborhood kids (us) and regularly tree us. However, I still own poodles because it's the exception. Too bad the same can't be said for Rotties and Pits.
Daveawayfromhome, excellent points and suggestions. Thank you!
Actually, I'll agree about the little dogs = viscious dogs thing. I used to deliver pizzas, and the little dogs worried me far more than the big ones did. But the scariest ones were a chow and a mastiff.
But that doesnt make any dog bred and trained to fight or be viscious somehow any less unpredictable to the average person, few of whom are trained in how to read or deal with canine aggression issues. Nor should they be, controlling the dog is the responsibility of the owner.
I would never own a purebred pit! But I did adopt a dog that is most likely mixed with a pit. The vet assured me that the mixes usually are just fine socially and healthy too. Funny, I grew up with a Saint Bernard, an Aus. Shepard and a sheltie. The former two were sweet and loving and nurtured all of us children in the home. The Sheltie was the Alpha and short tempered. She barely tolerated us and bossed the other two whimps around. Our Sheltie only liked my mother. I had a few mean cats over the years too! My dearly deceased cat could have beat up either of my big dogs just for thinking about sniffing her behind. She was the house diva!!! IDK, I have met nice Pits but I would not own one ever. I adopted ours after reassurance from my vet that the aggression should have been bred out with the other mixed parent
Ignorance. Pure ignorance.
I am a dog lover, and have owned several American Pits. Animals do not "snap". They react to how they are raised, and their surroundings. Bleeding hearts that have never owned or been around these breeds just spew off garbage that they hear on the news. What makes a kid snap at school and start shooting people? Because humans are a naturally aggressive breed? NO. Because they were affected by their raising and their surroundings.
You people make me sick.
Some breeds exhibit genetic traits. A pointer can't help pointing. Sight hounds can't stop running after anything that moves. and Pit bulls and other fighting dogs will not stop once they start fighting.
The real question is why anyone would want to own a dog that they had to watch every second to be sure it wasn't about to get into it with another dog or bite a person? does owning one of these dogs make the owner feel a sense of power?
Why would they want to own a dog that they couldn't take to an off-leash park? Certainly no dog wants to spend their outside life on a leash. A big part of dog ownership is watching the fun they have just being a dog.
The insurance industry will eventually reduce the number of these aggressive breeds. Most of the larger companies have a list of 8 to 10 breeds and breed mixes that they consider too aggressive or destructive to insure their owners. Bye-bye Pits, Rotties, German Shepherds, Chows, Akitas and the like.
I can't say that I'll miss them.
Ok, I agree some points and disagree with others. I am currently a dog trainer and am working towards my degree in veterinary medicine, so I know dogs. Pits and rotties, amongst other "bully" breeds become that way from nature AND nurture. So it is a mistake to assume that all pits are automatically mean and will attack. It is unfortunate though that a lot of the trashy people are getting pits/rotties/chows/etc to "show off". These dogs will usually wind up being aggressive because they were bred from backyard breeders who don't do selective breeding to ensure high standards. Also, the dog is not properly socialized by the owners, creating an unsure and scared dog that might result in aggression if pushed to it. I have owned pits for many years. Because they were purchased from a reputable breeder and raised with extra precautions (socialized the hell out of it) along with training, the dog ALWAYS looked to me on what he was supposed to do because I was his 'pack leader'. I just hate seeing all of this bad publicity on certain breeds because some ghetto trash 'owns' a dog (but really it lives in the backyard, turning it aggressive) and is not responsible. Ok, think of it this way. Most dog people have been in a petsmart/petco at some point. How many times have you seen a person holding a chihuahua/other small breed that is barking up a storm at you. If that was a pit/rottie you'd be terrified. But since it was a small dog it's exceptable....WHY?! These small dogs can still inflict serious damage, especially to children. So please, the message that I am trying to pass along is do not write off a breed because of publicity. True, certain breeds I believe should have stricter laws on who should own and breed them to ensure that the line is pure. Pits/rotts/etc are all working dogs, not meant to fight other dogs and people. trashy people have not bred them properly or owned them properly, giving us this current problem. so please...PLEASE...don't push on banning a breed. If you must, push for special licensing requirements to own and breed them, with regular checks from an agency to ensure that these rules are being abided by. Then, everyone can see why many of us good and honest folks love these breeds.
if you are going to knock rotties learn a thing or two first. they were originally bred as droving(livestock herding) dogs by the phoenicians. they were letter used as war dogs by the romans and then the germanic tribes do to there size. but also remember basically all dogs were bred to kill something. terriers kill rodents and ankles. danes, shepards, and other large flock dogs were bred to kill bears and wolves. and any dog CAN be vicious but most aren't regardless of breed unless raised to be that way. it is uninformed people like you who pass them selves off as some kinda expert that cause the majority of the problem. when pits and rotts were first being band the statistical leader in dog attacks were dalmations, but everyone still thought of them as the lovable firehouse dogs. remember only about 10 percent of all dog attacks even get reported. and at least were i live if it is a pit or rott it gets headline reporting even if there was no significant injuries, but if it is a less thought of a s vicious breed it only gets reported if someone dies or is critically injured. and how come in every major city that has banned these "vicious" breeds dog attacks have increased after the ban?
I agree with Erika! All breeds have certain characteristics which come from nature AND nurture! It is true that some Pits and other breeds were originally bred to "fight" but that doesn't mean that the pitbull next door is aggressive and a killer in the making. Pits, Rotts, Dobies etc all have 'potential' to become aggressive if raised that way (i.e. abused or trained to be aggressive)but so does a chihuahua. The only difference is the damage that could be done in an attack (though a chihuahua attack on an infant could be signifigant). Chows and akitas are also breeds which CAN be aggressive and are not very social animals and therefore the owner needs to be educated on how to deal with this breed. My lab/sheperd has been attacked twice by german shepherds but I do not hate all german shepherds.
I own 3 dogs and a cat. An 11 year old male pitbull who has never displayed aggressive behaviour (In fact he thinks he is a lap dog), a 7 year old female akita/chow who has also never attacked anyone though she is very aloof and loyal only to the owner and a 12 year old lab/sheperd who is the most good natured dog I've ever had. I also have 2 children. I write this to say that not all pitbulls are aggressive and we should not be trying to wipe out a certain breed of dog due to overhyped media attention. Years ago it used to be the rotts that were all over the news. That died down and now it is the pits! ANY dog that attacks unprovoked should be put down! There should be strict laws on all dog owners who choose to keep an aggressive dog.
There are three types of pitbulls as well. American Pitbull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terrier (known as the "nanny dogs") and Bull Terriers. Yes, they were bred to fight in the pits (against other animals not humans!), but they are also known for their love and loyalty to their family, their gentleness and tolerance with children, and their playfulness. Pitbulls are not statiscally #1 for human attacks!
ANY dog can turn! They are animals! Let's not wipe out this entire beautiful, loyal breed because of panic caused by the media! There needs to be compromise.
why dont we all go out and kill bears, lions, wild hogs, and large wild cats such as mountain lions. since they kill alot more people per year than dogs. and remember humans are animals to or do i need to give someone a 8th grade science class. anyways you people are just as crazy as people who fight dogs. people are the cause of why dogs act like they do. so do yourself a favor and euthanize yourself before you become to big of a problem.
you're kidding right? this blog and comments pertaining to it are made out of IGNORANCE. i would own a pitbull or a rottie before i would own a stupid "lap dog" such as a chihuahua- there's a breed that should be euthanized or run over.there are plenty of people who are not white trash who own these loving breeds. get off your high horse and go hug a freakin' tree!!!
I agree with most of what “anonymous” is saying. I’m an Animal Science Major at the University of New Hampshire I have worked in animal shelters for over five years and have seen first hand almost daily the oblivious general public stereotyping pit bulls as only capable of showing aggressive traits. Generalizing an entire breed bye its unfair reputation and suggesting unjustified euthanasia of an entire breed is beyond ignorant. A common misunderstanding of the breeds history is that it was breed just for fighting. The Pit Bull Terrier was originally a farm dog much like the Border Collie its main responsibility was to herd cattle into the farmers barns. This was accomplished by the breed ramming (not biting) the cattle forcefully with its head to get it to go in the desired direction. This would explain the breeds physical characteristics and temperament. The aggressive temperament and persistency to never back down is a genetic trait of the breed and important to understand to prevent any unnecessary biting. Although this trait is prevalent in almost all of the AKC working, sporting, hunting, terrier and non working category breeds. Exterminating one breed out of many would not only be prejudice it would be useless. All dogs can show signs of aggression I believe strongly in euthanasia dogs that show aggressive behavior to narrow the gene pool of aggressive traits but the only way for that to benefit anyone is for it to include every dog breed. Not every dog is going to be a house pet but every breed has the potential of generating a non aggressive dog and the reciprocal is also true every so called friendly breed is capable and will produce aggressive dogs. Singling out one breed because the media portrays this breed to be only aggressive and a threat will only perpetuate the uneducated breed stereotype keeping this breed in shelters indefinitely and in turn empowering dog fighting enterprises.
Wow you and the dumb ass people that agree with this are so damn ignorant!!! I have the most amazing blue pit bull, o and for the record for that idiot that said only white trash have those kind of dogs, I prob make more damn money than you, you piece of shit!! Anyways he is the most amazing dog, his father was a thearapy dog and he is in training to be one! Those dogs were bred to be agressive towards other dogs, not ppl. And those agressive tendancies can be bred out. You ppl amaze me, you think your so damn smart but have you EVER owned a pit or a rot?! O and rotties were never bred for dog fighting they were only bred to guard. Just because a dog looks a certain way doesnt mean they are that way. Do you judge ppl just by how they look? The number one narcotics dog in the country is a Pit, and the first recognized war dog was a pit. So before you and all these other ignorant ppl start talking shit about this wonderful breed go do some research! Pit bulls raised in a family enviornment get the same temperment percentage as GOLDEN RETRIVERS!!! So stop talking and go sterilize ppl like yourselves.
Fuck all you fucking haters out there. I hope you all fucking die. I love Pit Bulls and who the fuck are you to say that someone should not be allowed to own any type of fucking dog they chose to own. I can't fucking stand people like you. I bet you all are a bunch of fucking dumb ass republicans, aren't you? It's people like you that are causing us to lose our rights and freedom that our constitution entitles us to. In fact, I would love to stand idly by as each and every one of you sorry fucks is torn to pieces by a fucking pieces by a so called nice dog like a poodle or whatever. I would laugh my fucking ass off. Fuck You All!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get your facts right. MORE PARENTS KILLS THIER OWN KIDS THEN DOGS KILLING PEOPLE. Watch the news. People are fucking up the world not dogs. We as humans are killing more people then dogs. Dogs are family. So taking away them would be taking away your own child. So if you dont mind that then take shit. The law will never ever pass and there would be know way for people to enforce it. This really pisses me off that people like you so heartless. Dogs like "pit bulls" are very good family dogs. Go on You Tube and look at all the videos of how good they are. If you mistreat or abuse a dog yeah you will push it to bite you or someone else. Yes it is the owners who make the dogs turn. I have a couple of dogs of my own and people would say that my akita mastiff mix is a "bad breed". She is the biggest baby and lap dog. The smaller dogs are the mos agressive dogs. People mistaken many different breeds as beeing "pit bulls" so that is why there is so much bad things said about them. They are living animals and nobody has the right to make a breed endangered. So you are trying to say that because there is something about you is geneticly wrong someone can just make it so you cant have babies because you are not perfect. You need to do more research before you talk more shit. Oh yeah by the way pay attention to what type of dogs cops use to find drugs and help them get the bad guys. Oh yeah they are all mixed dogs of all diffent kinds of dogs. One of the best cop dog with the most metals was a " pit bull " so they are really that bad huh. I hope you get your ass scrared shitless by some tiny ass dog and he bits your big toe off. LOL. Send me a pic when that happens BITCH.
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