Pit Bulls unleash controversy
Few topics spark more controversy among dog owners and non-dog owners alike than pit bulls: Are
they inherently dangerous?
What prompts pit bull attacks? Nature or nurture?
I'm no expert. There are several friendly, well-behaved pit bulls I've known through the years at various off-leash dog parks. I've also had two of my dogs attacked by off-leash pit bulls (one at a dog park; the other incident occurred when a huge pit bull literally snapped its leash being held by a way-too-young child and charged across the street where I was leash walking my two dogs. The pit had my Australian shepherd Mercy on her back yelping within seconds; fortunately a man doing yard work nearby ran to our rescue and finally wrestled & kicked the pit bull off).
I confess that I keep an extra close eye on the breed when they're around until I'm reassured that particular dog is "ok." It helps to have a clearly responsible owner who keeps close watch on their dog as well. Heavy chain or spiked collars and owners who appear enamored of the "gang" look raise an instant red flag for me.
My very un-expert view is that pit bulls do carry fighting dog genetics that may cause them to be aggressive. But owners also play a major role and can be a big influence by raising the animals with love along with lots of basic obedience
and discipline. They should always be careful in public to follow leash laws. (A friend who once adopted a pit bull was told by her dog trainer that she'd have to demonstrate she had exceptional control over her dog to avoid scaring neighbors or others who might see them out on a walk.)
I bring this up because fellow blogger Diana Chapman, a former Daily Breeze reporter, posted last weekend about an incident in which a neighborhood pit bull killed a cat. I can't imagine witnessing such a horrific sight, but her teen son did. She suggests a law requiring pit bulls to be registered with the authorities. She writes:
To me, this is a much better solution than outright bans on the animals, which some cities have done, or trying to prevent future breeding. Ruling dangerous dogs as potential weapons ... could give police and animal control the ability to confiscate such animals and cite owners for neglect.
Web sites abound about pits, both pro and con, Voices on both sides are passionate.
What's your take on the issue?
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About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
We had a pit bull/lab mix that we adopted after being abandoned. I was working at a homeless shelter and a man came there to eat one day, tied the dog to the front door, and left by the back door after eating. The dog struggled loose after a bit, but waited by that door patiently for about 3 1/2 hours. We were going to call animal control at the end of the day, but I couldn't bear to see him destroyed as I knew he would be, so I took him home (just temporarily of course).
We called him Gentle Ben or Benny for short. He was extremely well behaved. Our vet said that he had obviously been trained to aid the handicapped in some way. And later, I was able to confirm that this was the case.
He was very sensitive to what was going on with the humans in the house, and even when the kids tried to rough-house with him, he would never allow his open mouth to touch human skin--yet he had a great deal of spirit and strength---and independence. He used to get lose sometimes and take a tour of the neighborhood--like a king surveying his domain. 'Kingly walks' we used to call them.
He died of protate cancer several years later. We buried him in the woods behind our house at the top of our hill. We were pretty devastated to lose him. By the time we got him in the ground, it was sunset. And knowing how upset we were, a neighbor stood out on the back deck and played on the bagpipes. It made the most hauntingly beautiful echo up and down the mountain. A fitting funeral for a 'kingly' dog with a big heart.
Any dog can be a cat or other small animal killer. I've witnessed 1 cat death & 1 squirrel death in my life. The cat was killed by a Golden Retriever... the squirrel by 3 Beagles.
All terriers were originally bred by farmers to be vermin killers - rats, mice, weasles, etc. Many hound breeds were trained to hunt as packs - beagles, harriers, fox hounds, etc. When a cat kills a bird or a mouse, we say, "That's nature. The cat is a hunter." We forget that dogs also are descendants of hunters... just as we, human beings, are.
Good points from both of you. I am a strong believer in leash laws, which is why I think dog parks are so necessary in urban areas. I'll admit that since I've had a couple bad experiences with pit bulls, it has made me wary -- but in both cases, also, the dogs did not have responsible owners. The one owner's dog had attacked numerous dogs in the neighborhood before attacking my dog in the dog park -- the dog was finally taken away from her by animal control. In the other case, there were kids put in charge of walking a dog that was way beyond their ability to control. When I saw them coming, I crossed to the other side of the street but the pit bull kept staring down my dog before breaking loose and charging.
In both cases I had to pay out hundreds of dollars in vet bills (thankfully both dogs recovered). Efforts to collect the funds from the owners, however, went ignored. Arrrg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FV7aLCrgX0
as owner of a lovely lovable 7 year old pit mix girl I can only say...it's not the dogs it's the owners....while I agree and also keep a watchful eye on pit's that come in contact with any of my dogs, I also know when to keep an eye on Reba but that goes also for my Akita Sharpei mix and for my Belgian Tevouren mix ...all of which will *hunt* if allowed to do so. That's instinct and normal, therefore they will never be loose around the neighbors Chihuahuas or cats.
I have an american staffordshire terrier aka "pit bull". He is a rescue that i got as a puppy and has been the best dog i have ever had. I have 2 kids a 5 year old and a 10 year old he is wonderful with my children. I also have a 5 lb cat that puts him in his place. He is constantly in training and has been since the 1st day i brought him home. I think the media has made this breed look like some evil animal with super powers. i think as a dog owner you must be responsible for your dog whether it be a pit bull or a yorkie. The public needs to know that the American Staffordshire Terrier is an American Icon, they have been war heroes and also known as Nanny Dogs