Mean or misunderstood?

I can't agree with many of Ruark's statements, such as Pit bulls having to be trained against opening umbrella's or his comment on being more aggressive.

Not one bullie in our class of seven had a problem during these tests in our CGN, CGC Training. As far as aggressive, if you teach the dog aggression by putting it in aggressive situations, then yes, you're going to have problems. But you can also remove that problem by simply teaching it non-aggression. In most cases, what can be taught in a negative way, can be untaught by positive reinforcement.

Bullies simply want to please their owners. They strive on pleasing. That's why irresponsible owners are a menace to the dogs and to the responsible owners and the general public. Their need to please has been taken advantage of and turned into a negative way.

This artical can be found in the Vail Daily News.

Mean or misunderstood?
Pit bull fear unfounded, owners say, though some still fear the dogs

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Tobi, who is 10 months old, is a prime example of how friendy and well-behaved pit bulls can be, his owner says.Shane Macomber/Vail Daily

EAGLE COUNTY — As he stalks toward you, a snarling frown stretches across his imposing head. Muscles ripple through his thick chest and broad neck. Your instinct is to run.

But the most pain Tobi can inflict is with his wagging tail or lapping tongue, said Kevin McKenna, the 10-month-old American pit bull terrier’s owner.

“Once he gives you that look, no matter how scary-looking you think he is, you know he’s not vicious,” McKenna said.

There’s no reason to fear pit bulls just because they’re pit bulls, Eagle Valley Humane Society director Char Quinn said. In Eagle County, more people are actually bitten by labs and retrievers.

Since 2004, eight pit bull bites have been reported in Eagle County.

In the same period, 25 bites from retrievers and labs were recorded and 28 bites from German shepherds and border collies.

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Dog trainer Mark Ruark of Pets Incorporated said these stats are probably due to the fact that there are more labs and retrievers in Eagle County than pit bulls, but he agreed people are misinformed. Even without proof, many people perceive pit bulls as inherently vicious, he said.

Still, pit bulls’ aggressive reputation is entrenched. “They scare me to death,” said Sandi Carstensen, although she has never had a bad experience with a pit bull.

“Dogs in general don’t scare me, but there’s something about that breed. They look imposing. I know some owners are responsible, but it seems that there are more irresponsible pit bull owners.”

Carstensen, of Littleton, said she is will soon buy a dog for her children, but a pit bull is out of the question.

McKenna, of Minturn, bought Tobi last October after seeing how well behaved his friends’ pit bulls were, he said. McKenna’s mother was initially nervous about her son owning a pit bull, he said.

“She was leery at first, because she only knew pit bulls from the Denver news,” he said. “But within weeks of spending time with Tobi, she opened up. Now she comes over to take him for walks.”

McKenna said the initial reaction to Tobi is sometimes fear, but the canine is quick to win people over. McKenna said when he takes Tobi to the dog park, labs are usually the aggressors and their owners are the ones who fear the pit bull the most.

“Tobi is submissive to other dogs. He just wants to be friendly,” McKenna said.

Breed not to blame

Pit bulls were originally bred to fight other dogs, Ruark said. Aware of pit bulls’ potential aggression, some owners have bred their dogs to be guard dogs, creating the violent image that summons fear now.

Breed basics

Pit bull is usually a generalization that refers to American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and other dogs that resemble these. American and English bulldogs are sometimes also included in this category.

Source: “Fatal Dog Attacks” by Karen Delise

“Pit bulls were never meant to be aggressive toward people,” he said. “But owners have taken their tenacity and turned them into watchdogs. It’s not the dog’s fault.”

Some dogs, like labs and retrievers, tend to be easier to get along with, while potentially intense dogs like pit bulls require more experienced owners, Ruark said. Because owners control upbringing, they have the biggest influence on a dog’s temperament, he said.

“It’s not the dog. It’s the owner,” he said. “Just because it’s more aggressive doesn’t mean it’s a bad dog.”

Whether you’re bitten by a pit bull or a dachshund, the breed’s not to blame, Quinn said.

“It’s rare to see a dog that’s actually an aggressive dog,” she said.

“In most cases, bites are provoked.”

Dogs must be socialized to their environment and be taught to tolerate things like car rides or strangers, Ruark said. Anything out of the ordinary — the sound of a skateboard or an umbrella opening, for instance — is a stress that could invite biting, he said.

Is a ban on the way?

Considering pit bulls potential aggressors, several cities and counties have banned the dogs. Denver passed a ban in 1989 after several attacks, and the law has survived despite multiple challenges of its constitutionality.
Minturn local Kevin McKenna says he'll move away if pit bulls are ever banned in Eagle County.

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Impounded pit bulls are returned to owners who prove they will remove the dog from Denver, but abandoned and smuggled pit bulls are euthanized.

Aurora, Commerce City and Lone Tree have also enacted bans.

Eagle County Animal Services Manager Natalie Duck said there is no real threat of a ban in Eagle County, but McKenna said he is preparing himself for it.

“Breed-specific legislation is restricting dogs because of how they look,” McKenna said. “It’s just like racial profiling. It’s like getting arrested for fitting the profile of a certain ethnicity. Every dog in the world can bite and attack, but people don’t do their homework.”

Although breed-specific legislation makes mothers like Carstensen confident their children are safe, bans target the wrong victims, Ruark said.

“The bottom line is it’s not the dog,” he said. “It’s the owners that need to be educated.”

If the ban does make its way to Eagle County, McKenna said he would pack up and leave the same day.

“I’m a diehard,” he said. “I’d like to imagine there’s something we can do to fight it, but it’s a hard thing to get people to listen to.”

Brooke Bates can be reached at vdeditintern@vaildaily.com
Vail, Colorado