javasaurus | Pit Bulls

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Pit Bulls

The world is really getting stupid. Again.

How many of you have heard the horror stories of pit bulls killing, maiming, and just plain scaring people? Because of such stories, congressmen (and other law-makers) have been trying to ban pit bulls. There's a problem. There is no such breed as a "pit bull." The American Kennel Club recognizes two breeds that are often considered pit bulls. The first is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the second is the American Staffordshire Terrier. Both are considered to be excellent family pets.

Another group, the United Kennel Club recognizes a breed called the American Pit Bull Terrier, which again is typically friendly and good with people. But even this dog, with its name, is not what most people and legislators think of when they say "pit bull."

Can you identify a pit bull?

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Do you remember this famous "pit bull"?

I didn't watch any of his shows, really, but I do remember him. He was quite an icon, for a while. The "amusing" thing is that I look at those pictures, and I see some very familiar stances and poses; Rex's ears stand up more, but I definitely see the resemblance.

Forgot to mention why I brought this up. Hagerstown is trying to pass a "no pit bull" law, and several insurance companies have recently been dropping clients who have pit bulls.

no pit bull law

insurance companies (it's about 2/3 of the way down the article)

From the first link: When it bites, it attacks in a more dangerous way than any other breed. It does not just bite you - it bites you and holds on.

That's what the type was bred for. When you're trying to protect your herds from wolves, you want a dog who's going to get a good grip and hold on, and you want a dog who can put up with a lot of abuse. Hm. It looks like the Hagerstown law is to register the dogs. Pfaugh. If they really want to impose safety, they'd do better to require muzzling any dog in public. *cynical look* And while we're at it, how about we require dog owners to provide passers-by with kevlar body armor. And said dog owners should also brand a big "PB" on their forehead, so everybody knows they have potentially vicious dogs at home.

Bah.

The problems with such legislation and ideas are huge. Pit bulls were bred for 2 things - family pets and fighting in the ring. They are supposed to be friendly dogs to people ... not to other dogs though.

However, if there is a dog-bite and it is a Golden Retriever you may hear about a dog-bite. If there is a dog-bite and it is a mixed breed/unknown breed that has a big neck and it suddenly becomes a "savaging by a pit-bull". Feh

There are some dogs that get a hold and don't let go (virtually all of the terriers). Others slash and bite (e.g. Husky). Both can be devastatingly effective.

I suspect that the Hagerstown law will register all current pit-bulls and grandfather them in. The next time a person is bitten (for whatever reason), the grandfather clause will be removed.

The drug-dealers who use dogs will get rid of their Stafforshire Terriers, their American Pit Bull Terriers, and their American Staffordshire Terriers and switch to other breeds ... or thumb their noses at the law (it isn't like they are known to be law-abiding).

Many breeds are selected for guarding, any of them could be used (and abused) by the drug-dealers to be 'protection'. Other breeds can be trained/abused into being difficult/dangerous. The worst bite I got was from a registered poodle. I've also been bitten by a Shih Tzu. The neighborhood Chow never growled at me. I have been growled at by 1 Dobie (she had just had a litter, before that and about a week after she loved coming to the fence to get attention).

Oh, I got the 'right' dog on the quiz in 3 tries ... and I was really torn between my second try and the 'right' one.°

Yeah. Michigan, I think it is, has a zero-tolerance law for pit bulls; any that are reclaimed by animal control must be destroyed. There is enough of a problem with dogfights that to do otherwise would be unsafe. Unfortunately, what they're not taking into account is that a psychotic Chihuahua can do a lot of damage as well, even without the double-hung jaw that's so distinctively "pit bull".

If you really want dangerous, though, look at kids who haven't been raised to know respect, discipline, and caution. :(

Generally speaking, most places will have a dog put down if it's proved to be dangerous... no matter what the breed.

Michigan might not be the only one with the zero-tolerance... though for Animal Control to have seized a dog, it has to have been either given up voluntarily (in some areas that means the dog *may* be adoptable still, depending on circumstances), or been seized because of a broken law (neglect, or other statues... IIRC, there's a law in Detroit (at least) requiring that people be of a certain age before being permitted to be be on their own with pit bulls/fighting breeds). In most cases, if a dog's actually been seized, chances are that it's not ever going to be considered a "safe" dog anyway in those situations (well, there are quite a few breeds, including Rotties (another fighting breed) where they might still have decent, reliable temperments).

*g* Between what I picked up years ago, and too much Animal Planet while stitching or cleaning, it's amazing the trivia I've picked up.

The problems arise when an individual breaks into your home. If your 'gentle breed' (Lab, Goldie, St. Bernard, etc.) dog bites the person, it is considered justifiable and a provoked bite. The dog may be put on restriction or observed for a while but usually gets to return home with no problems.

If your 'agressive breed' (Rottie, Bulldog, Staffordshire, Dobie, etc.) dog bites the person the dog is obviously vicious and is forceably removed (think neck choke on a pole), shoved in a crate, yelled at, etc. They then 'observe' the dog and usually declare it dangerous (many dogs will snap and lunge when you hit the door of their crate with sticks and yell at them).

Note the difference in the perception of the dog just due to breed, which leads to very different handling, which leads to a different result.

Hmm, I need to re-read "Bandit, Dossier of a Dog" in which a lot of this happened.

Xi--quick question. Double hung?

Congressmen always like a good scare--because then they can "do" something about it and point to their "doings" at election time.

My favorite was the Alar-in-apples scare a few years ago. You heard a lot about that. You didn't hear the later findings that there was so little (to no) Alar in them that apples had less Alar than cyanide.

Legislative reps do like 'doing something', even if it is the wrong thing (or possibly questionable ... like voting for the PATRIOT act without reading it).

I won't even get too started on the regs that keep coming up about horses, rodeos, slaughter, etc.

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Pit Bulls

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Legislatin'

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