Stupid people

[Dargo]

There has been a string of news articles in our local papers and on TV where almost 2/3 of all dogs in our local Animal Control are Pit Bulls. These are dogs that have become too aggressive for their owners, yet the articles here all state that the dog is getting a bad rap. National statistics show that by far the most fatal dog attacks are from Pit Bulls. A distant second is a Rottweiler, and at about half of what the Rottweiler does is the German Shepherd Dog.

The news reporters here are so stupid as to say that those numbers are skewed because the Pit Bull is the most popular breed of dog in this country. WTF?? We recently had a post here that showed the rankings of registered dogs with the AKC. The Bull Terrier was at 62 on the list! The Rottweiler was 16, and the GSD was 4th. I love almost all breeds of dogs, but it pisses me off when a "news" reporter cannot get their facts straight.

The reporter said that German Shepherd Dogs are bred to fight and they are much more likely to attack. Okay, most people here know I really like GSD's and own two, but let's talk facts here. The GSD is 4th on the list and the Pit Bull is 62nd, yet there are 780% more serious dog attacks from Pit Bulls than GSD's. The reporter also went on to quote, and support, a dog owner who says that they feel totally comfortable leaving their 1 year old alone with their Pit Bull because it is so friendly. Sorry, but that is a very bad idea with any breed. It is a fact that all dogs can and will bite under the right (or wrong, however you want to view it) circumstances.

I mention these stupid and wrong articles to get other people's view here on responsible dog ownership. I feel that when you own a dog, you take full responsibility for what that dog does, and it's your responsibility as an owner to prevent others from being harmed by that dog. Our idiot reporter and idiot dog owners that were quoted said that they agreed that it is good for a dog to be aggressive towards strangers. Morons! There also was a picture of a happy Mastiff owner (who had 3 Mastiff dogs) sitting outside their trailer in a trailer park. To me, that's just cruel to the dog and their neighbors. Besides, it's people like that who go walk their dog on our local soccer fields and my kids play soccer in dog crap.

I'm sure that there are some dogs that are just stupid. However, my take on the local problem in my area has more to do with stupid people and dog owners who are not responsible enough to own a dog. Thoughts?


** Oh yeah, I forgot to add, there was one quote from a narcotics police officer who stated that many of the Pit Bull dogs have been taken from homes where they executed drug busts. He said that is was very, very common to find the drug stash under a baby's crib and have a Pit Bull tied up to the baby's crib! Can you imagine??

 

[Gatorboy]

The Bull Terrier was at 62 on the list!

The Bull Terrier is not a Pit Bull, the closest AKC breed would be the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the UKC breed American Pit Bull Terrier. I am sure a very small percentage of Pit Bulls are even REGISTERED with the AKC. I highly doubt drug dealers, rednecks, and those involved with dog fighting are filing any paperwork.

 

[HGM]

My take on the whole dog thing.... Well, as for the Pit(or any other dog for that matter) being bad and needing to be outlawed, or even worse geneticly removed from society(as I have heard suggested) is just plain wrong.. I do fully understand and agree with the fact that this particular breed is high profile and many of the deaths and attacks involve them.. However, this is because of the people that own them. These dogs are selected for protection(very often for drug and other criminal activity/protection) mainly because they are extremely strong, hard headed(stubborn) and loyal to their owners.. I have been arround them(though never owned one yet, I'll explain later) and know many people that have owned them with no issues.. Allot of the issues that you hear of involving dogs that turned on their owners can be traced back to inbreeding of the dog or just plain abuse(the dog finally had enough).. I hear they are REALLY good with kids, but I'm with Dargo about leaving any dog with a child..

As for why I have chosen not to have one yet.. I would hate for my son to not be able for freinds to come over to visit because we have a particular dog that has a bad rap... So, when he grows up some more, or maybe even when he moves out, I'll consider a Pit as a pet if I'm looking.. I just like the dog, and think they have been unfairly targeted because of their owners..

 

[Cityboy]

Here is a link to my states dog laws: http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusgast4_8_21.htm#s7

I have zero sympathy for any dog owner whose dog bites, maims or kills someone, especially a child. I would personally never own a viscous dog for any reason. People choose to own certain breeds for various reasons, but in doing so, choose to accept the liability.

A Pitt Bull, Rotweiller or any other dog I percieve as a danger to my family which comes on to my property will be eliminated if I can get a clear and safe shot. Most law enforcement officers in my community have little sympathy for any dog owner, especially officers who have been bitten in the line of duty.

As far as banning certain breeds, I am undecided, however given some of my experiences and the recent killing of children by Rottweilers and Pitts here in Central Georgia, I would listen to both sides very carefully and likely lean toward at least the requirement for dangerous dog owners to be licensed and take mandatory training and carry liability insurance.

 

[Melensdad]

I mention these stupid and wrong articles to get other people's view here on responsible dog ownership. I feel that when you own a dog, you take full responsibility for what that dog does, and it's your responsibility as an owner to prevent others from being harmed by that dog. Our idiot reporter and idiot dog owners that were quoted said that they agreed that it is good for a dog to be aggressive towards strangers.

We currently have an Akita (85 pounds) and a Maltese (6 pounds) and the dog we MUST put away, restrain, hold back is the crappy little ankle bitting Maltese when we let people into the house.

My take is that anyone on my property should be considered a friend until proven otherwise. My Akita is very friendly, very well socialized, and still protective of the house . . . when a stranger is OUTSIDE. When we let people into our home and introduce the dog to the person/person to the dog, the dog shows no aggression to that new friend. We trained her that way. She is just as happy to play with her new friends as she is to play with me. When she is outside and a stranger is outside, then she was taught that she does not have to act in a protective way and she should greet people as friends. . . and she does. But heaven help the stranger who crawls through a window of my home, or tries to come through a door without permission.

She comes to my office on a regular basis, she does not guard anything when she is there, but she does go from office to office for her belly rubs and treats.

No dog should be trained to be aggressive to strangers that are not posing a threat. To train a dog to be aggressive to all strangers is to train a dog to bite anyone it sees when you don't have control of the dog!