Clearing a Myth...
There is a myth about Pit bulls that I would like to clear up. This myth has circulated around that even some pit lovers actually believe it too. Well, I want to abolish it completely as is not fair to the breeds already shattered reputation and needs to be rectified.
It has been said that pits, if raised and socialized properly, will not feel the aggression towards another dog, but you should always take precautions. That's nothing but bolony! Pit bulls are no more aggressive to man nor animals than most dogs. If this were true, then why do the scum of the earth, the slime that fight the dogs for their own selfish gains have to breed aggressive dogs together? An aggressive, fighting stud brings his owner a fee of $2000.00 or more for his services.
Let's look at it this way. If it takes a certain requirement to train a dog's aggression, and though not 100 % certain that the pups will learn aggression and therefore they are the ones used as bait...what does that tell you?
It tells you that they are not 'born' with aggression, they are 'taught' aggression and if they can not be taught, they are of no value to the heartless scum that use these dogs to fill his filthy pockets with the blood of the Pit bulls on their hands.
These maggots, along with the pitiful, paranoid drug dealers and thieves are such cowards. They have to train dogs aggression because they are too simple minded to work lawful jobs and have no compassion for anything but fast bucks.
What is more sick, is they have young children at these bloody meets as runners to collect the bets. They are already exposing children with promises of throwing a few dollars their way to rake in the blood money. This is shear child abuse. The innocence of a child does not witness violence of any sort, but to these low lives, they don't even give a damn about the kids. Greed is their Master! The dogs, the children are their victims.
Now take a pit puppy and raise it as you would any other part of your fur family and why do people thing they are born with the instinct of aggression. That is where the myth lies. A pit puppy is not born with anymore aggression than that of any other dog.
You hear the argument of the collie is a herding dog and has the herding instict, and other breeds with their particular instincts...and while this is so, what gene in a pit establishes the aggression gene? NONE! Because it's false. I'm sick and tired of hearing that at a certain age, pitties can suddenly turn.
I've been to so many pages on pitties and even amongst the lovers of pit bulls, some put out this caution. Don't confuse the name with the dog. Don't confuse the build with the dog. Look beyond that and you will see loyalty, genuine love and a comical breed that will do anything in it's power to keep you in stitches laughing. People! Don't stop at the breed, look beyond it and you just might be amazed at what you will find.
For some good reading on the subject...and some powerful horror stories, go to pet-abuse.com.
6 comments:
We went up north to my Grandparent's cabin this weekend. They have a shitzu/poodle mix that they adore!!! He, of course, can do NO WRONG :P Well, when he wants to play, he will annoy other dogs to no end, but if he doesn't want to play, he gets super pissy.
Well, my shy pit/akita mix can get rather bitchy too when she wants...so I was a bit worried when Buddy started getting cranky with her.... he even grabbed hold of her cheek once and hung there while she tried to shake him off... I thought "Oh God...she's gonna bite him back and it's not going to be pretty!" Well, she finally shook him off, then waited til he started to walk away, and tugged his tail! LMAO That was her retaliation...tug his tail because it bugged the hell out of him! (Course, this too was all anyone else saw, so they thought she was the one acting up :P)
Her shyness has made her appear aggressive, as she barks at EVERYTHING and frequently growls at new people, especially men. But she has never once tried to bite someone or run up on them to attack. She just doesn't like to be messed with. And even then, she will run away before confronting. I hate to admit it, but if any pit mix I have met has had an ability to be agressive by nature, it is mine. Her shyness is a bane to her existense and makes for bad first impressions. But even so, spending every day with her and taking her everywhere I go...I have seen that even in her shyness, she is a spectacular dog! She still maintains a level of patience with people that I do not understand. She utilizes pressure control of her mouth when playing. She is gentle and loves babies. And once she really gets to know a person, she ceases being shy with them and becomes a big baby! It has NEVER been her first instinct to bite, even when people have clearly violated her space and gotten in her face yelling at her for NOT being friendly (Go fig...people are dumbasses!)I trust her wholeheartedly that she would NEVER attack or maul someone. Unless of course, they were hurting me or someone in our family.
My old dog, Ginger, a auss. shepard mix was one of the best dogs ever! And even she once bit a jogger. (she ran to say hello and he kicked at her becuase he did not like dogs) Any dog can bite! Just like any cat can scratch and any horse can kick! Animals do what animals do. I don't think Pits are born aggressive without deliberate breeding/training. But I will say this, and maybe it is part of her shyness problem she was born with, but I have noticed that my dog appears to be lacking in the doggie brain blueprint area. She doesn't seem to know HOW to act around other dogs. A lot of things that I have seen other dogs pick up on so quickly just seem difficult for her. I have to wonder if generations of pits being bred and raised solely in houses has led to a blueprint of a shut-in..... naturally handicapped when it comes to socialization...and maybe this is what is leading to them being labeled as not good with other animals. If this is anywhere close to being true, forcing them to wear muzzles and never leave their homes is only going to increase this problem and it's frequency! Pits need to be treated like other dogs by the public..... for only then will they find the love and kindness needed for happiness.
And I wanna end on this note: Everyone of my family complained about Bridgit this weekend...about how she was a dangerous dog because she growled and barked at the men she didn't know. And about how their dogs were much safer.... ONLY to find out that MY PIT is the only one who HASN'T attempted to seriously bite a child! My Grandparents Shitzu/poodle tried biting a small girl for trying to pet him while he was in their truck (which aparently he is very territorial about and will attack anyone who comes too close) and that my Uncle's Golden retriever has not only taken to being territrial about their yard, but that as a young dog, he attacked their young daughter. Soooooooooo...... just think on that ;)
I'm wondering about once the muzzle law comes into effect and the socializing of strangers stop how that will effect the pit's here in Ontario.
After all, who in their right mind(with the exception of me and other pit owners) would pat a dog wearing a muzzle. Muzzling right away assumes the dog as aggressive and dangerous. I had that one experience already and that was only a halti. Imagine a muzzle!
There was only one time I saw Shasta with any aggression. She didn't know that my son's dog, pit/pei already knew my grandson and when Spanky made a full run to Julian in his stroller, Shasta got in front of the stroller to keep Spanky away.
I quickly intervened to show Shasta that Spank and Julian already knew each other and that he wouldn't hurt the baby.
But, is that aggression or protection? Spanky's fast move towards Julian gave Shasta the impression he was about to attack him. That showed me if my life were in danger or anyone elses that Shasta loves, she would protect us with her life. Not because she is a pit, but because she loves us and with any of the loyal breeds that would protect the ones that they love. Of course, with Shasta falling into the Pit bull breeds, that could also be her demise with how this new bill 132 is written.
But let's for a minute forget about bill 132 and Shasta and go back to your weekend and what happened...or should I say what didn't happen.
Let's just for the purpose of illistration say, your dog is a person...and that shit/poo is a person too. Kids, to be more specific. Buddy is a brat. A tease and an all around spoiled pain in the butt that everybody dreads, except the parents. Now your dog on the other hand has taken his irratation long enough, but still, shy or not, has kept his cool. Finally as a last attempt to say, 'SCRAM! he's given the brat a small tap on the behind to let him know, 'Take that you little twirp! Now LEAVE ME ALONE!'
Aggression NO! Showing a point, YES! Had your dog of been aggressive, he would have torn the head off the little monster...but he didn't.
Natually nobody saw what Buddy was doing...or was it they wanted to see how much your dog could take?
I say BRAVO!!! Your dog is in better control than a lot of people I know. Give him a big hug for me!
LOL Indeed...like spoiled children....LOL And what she did, I wish I had a video camera...for it was so "Nanner nanner nanner" as opposed to the outright grouchiness Buddy was showing LOL Buddy is only a couple of years old, but he acts as if he is 50! :P
And that's the thing with Bridget, she growls a lot, to say "Do you see him? I see him! We don't know him!!! Be careful!" She is always trying to scare the monsters away :P But she never tries to bite people out of aggression. I have noticed with my children, she will get mad if they take something away that she thought by all rights was hers because it was left on the floor, and she will sometimes nip to say "I wanted that!" But it is only a nip, and we repremand her, and she has gotten better, so I think she will outgrow it. Is a typical puppy thing.... every dog I have had has done it as a puppy. Some even never outgrew it. But it didn't make them biters or dangerous. She has complete control over her jaws.... we play rough games with her, like another dog would, to help teach her pressure control. So she knows what is too hard. And even on her CRANKIEST day, she might act up and get snippy, but it is never "biting". Just being a pain in the arse!
I think that is half the problem these days. Dogs are DOGS! They have teeth, and lacking hands, they use their teeth for just about everything. They cannot just grab someone's arm and say "mine", they use their teeth as a gentle reminder. I've never seen anything wrong with letting a dog be a dog, so long as they know the boundries. And Bridget has shown time and time again that she knows. She has had more than enough opportunities with my kids and strangers alike to really BITE, especially when threatened. And she hasn't. She knows better. And with a dog, ANY dog, that is key. Knowing what is appropriate behavior and what is not. If she ever gives me even an inkling that she is willing to cross that line... I will be the first to say it is time for her to go. For any dog, regardless of breed that is willing to maul a person for less than life threatening circumstances is better off in the Summerland than here, where they might very well take a child with them :(
Allowing a dog to be a dog also helps teach kids a healthy respect for the animal. My kids know that they must respect a dog and it's space. They also have a better understanding of canine body language and emotion. Having a happy, happy, joy, joy dog is great, but kids then tend to believe that EVERY dog they meet is going to be the same way... that is why so many do such stupid things like stick their faces in strange dogs faces :(
I know that is a crappy note to end on, but there it is. Responsible dog ownership. I don't believe that people SHOULD keep truly aggressive dogs.... and it isn't just pits..it's retrievers, pointers, spaniels, shepards, poodles, huskies.... ALL breeds! Not while so many good mannered dogs are dying in shelters. I love Bridget, but if she ever turns from shy to mean, she will join Ginger in the Summerland, and make room in our home for a dog who deserves a chance. I don't forsee it ever having to happen that way, but I also one to not be blinded by love for my dog. And just so everyone reading this understands, it is not the Pit bull in her that makes her shy.... in fact, it may be her ONLY redeeming trait. She was born shy... possibly bad breeding, possibly something that happened early on in puppyhood...it is hard to say. We will be having her thyroid checked as well. She is a bad example of a Pit Bull, for most are not like her..they are big babies who LOVE human interaction! :D But she is a good example of a shy dog, for she started out scared of EVERYTHING, and is slowly but surely making us so very proud with her progress :D Today she went to the school and let two little kids handle her up and down without so much as a peep! It is a big step for her, and someday I hope her shyness will just fade away forever.
I totally agree that a dog of any breed will express itself in one way or another, even the most laid back dog.
In my pet section, I had a dog named Bunny. (she's passed to Rainbow Bridge now at the age of 20) But my point is, she (a collie X) never growled or hurt a soul, until in her later years with the arthritis to her spine and a tumour growing inside her, she would go up to the 2nd floor when there was one neighbour that brought her bratty son. Naturally, Robert in his mothers eyes could do no wrong.
This kid had a real mean streak to him and Bunny being old and not feeling the greatest, struggled up the stairs just to keep out of his way.
I'm so grateful that Danielle was up in her room when this incident happened and witnessed the whole thing.
Bunny was sound asleep in the hall upstairs and Robert snuck up and put a toy gun that shot out balls simular to ping pong balls dirctly to her face and shot them off.
She retreated downstairs and tried to hide under the dining room table.
Danielle, young herself, followed to make sure Robert wouldn't brutilize Bunny again, but now he crawled under the table just to bug her again with the gun.
This time she gave a warning, a small growl, but Robert (about 7) knowing better, won't quit.
Bunny finally gave him a graze to the top of his head. No scratch. No blood. But all the same, Robert let out a scream and told us crying that Bunny had bit him.
I was shocked! Bunny was so docile and that was totally out of character for her.
While Robert screamed as if he had just been murdered instisting Bunny bit him and she was a mean dog, Danielle came to the defense of Bunny and told me and Robert's Mom what had transpired.
I checked Robert's head and had the neighbour check too. Then I asked Robert if all that Danielle said was true. He knew he was caught and couldn't deny it, so of course he confessed.
With that, I scolded him (since his mom wouldn't) and explained that Bunny was not only old, but also in a lot of pain. I asked why he was crying when it was Bunny that was the one that hurt and she did everything in her power to get away from him.
I was surprised to finally hear the mother yelling at her son to leave Bunny alone! I also took his toy gun away from him and told him I would give it back when they were leaving.
This is where the responsibility of a parent needs to be intervened.
Bunny never growled or did anything simular ever again and I didn't discipine her for her actions. At 17 years of age, I believe she showed an excellent ammount of restrait, but finally was desparate enough to tell the boy to bugger off and leave her alone.
Am I saying I think it is alright for a dog to take things in their own hands? No, definately not. But when enough is enough and and totally out of the dogs character, she made her point without laying a scratch on the boy. Personally, I would have wanted to do more, like take the kid over my lap and give him three good slaps to his ass, but I doubt this kid had EVER been disaplned a day inhis life.
Too bad, because now that he is a young adult, he is into drugs, stealing and various other criminal activities.
Had that mother done her duty to teach her child when he was younger, he might not have turned out how he did. She took the lazy way out and now he is constantly in trouble.
We train and guide our dogs so they learn to be well behaved pets. We should be doing the same thing for our children.
Yup, I always say the first sign of trouble is a child who torments animals, when old enough to know better, the second, is when the parents do nothing to change it :(
A dog, is a dog, is a dog..... they will do what they know to do. That is why, when we live with dogs in our homes and our lives, we need to understand the dog in order to not push a dog into situations that bring out the areas of their nature that we do not approve of.
All animals (give or take a few) are capable of hurting and even killing people.... whether thru action.. dog maulings, hippo attacks, elephant tramplings, cow kicks, horse kicks, snake bites... or thru disease.... mosquitoes, flies, rats, bad meat, infected bites and scratches.... it WILL always be that humans and animals tread on iffy ground when treading on common ground.
To say that we know all that is just and fair because we are human is BS. They have a world too. And they see it thru very different eyes. If you corner a wild tiger and she bites, she is still not the same as the tiger who stalks the man and eats his baby when he is not looking.
You know, a good example of this is when I had the birds. As they began mating (to my surprise and excitement) I quickly went to my handy dandy bird book and read up on all the stages.
Now, these birds, that had never mated before, did not need the book to know what to do. It amazed me that they followed everything the book told me, yet to them it was pure instinct. Even with the baby's, they did as the book told me they would and that's also how I could tell the males from the females.
Each baby came out a different personality, which was one thing the book couldn't tell me, and it was exciting to see those personalities grow.
Because I was handling the birds right from the start, they were not afraid of people the same as if you had a wild bird or one with no handling. The same goes for dogs or any other domestic type animal.
As for wild animals, the drive in them is still too close and that's why when older they will regain their natural drive. But with the domestics, that drive has long been genetically ultered out of them through generations and breeding.
Our pets are like baby's that never grow up and it is our responsibility to them to take care and protect them the same as we would our children. When we get a new pet, we have taken on that responsibility for the whole life of the animal. If we don't take control when a situation arises, the pet is then forced to take matters into their own hands (so to speak).
Although, they have learnt control and know what they shouldn't do, they weren't taught how to handle a situation and reason like humans do. How can they? They can't speak up for themselves except with a bark or a growl.
This is why it is so important that education not only be placed on the owner of pets, but to children and the general public.
When I was younger, we were taught that you never went up to a strange animal. If someone was walking their dog, you always asked the owner first if it was alright to pet their dog. When an animal is eating, even though Shasta wouldn't care, but I have taught my grand kids never go to a dog that is eating. Just because Shasta couldn't care less and they could actually take the food out of her mouth, doesn't mean that they could do that with all dogs. So best to teach them not to do it with any. Same goes for toys, etc.
Education isn't only the responsibility of the owners of the dog, just as in school, it shouldn't be left totally to the teachers, yet many people do just that. I believe, that for your child's welfare, you teach them about things that could in any way help them, whether to protect them or just give them knowledge.
Is it the responsibility of Eymer the Safety Elephant to teach your child how to cross the road? While that helps, the parents play a bigger role in that...or should. Education is the key element here... no matter what the situation.
With all this said, our dogs would be in much better situations because of awareness and that's the frustrating part. So many people don't think it is their responsibility to become aware and therefore don't teach their children neither. THAT is where a large part of our problem lies.
With that said, I better go give Shasta and the rest of my fur-fam their hugs.
btw...Mr Pige On is recuperating nicely and has grown back all his flight feathers. He's slowly getting off the ground and actually flew onto my head yesterday and left me a nice blobby present. LOL They say that is good luck, so who knows. ;)
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