![](http://wpmedia.fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/12/pit_bulls.jpeg?w=620")
Posted on 01/03/2015 9:39:36 PM PST by RBStealth
Last weekend in Saanich, B.C., a 16-day old baby was mauled by her family’s pit bull-Rottweiler mix on the same day as an elderly man was attacked by two pit bull dogs outside a Langley, B.C. dollar store. News like this is reported, but commentary-wise, dog-related public safety is virtually an orphan topic. Which is why I adopted it.
Public-safety regulation is usually linked to what is deemed a critical number of injuries or deaths. Between 1971 and 1980, for example, Ford produced three million Pintos. Due to a peculiarity in the Pinto’s structural design, its fuel tank was prone to puncture in rear-end collisions. Consequently, over Pinto’s 10 years in operation, 26 people died in fires that a better design could have prevented. Ford was forced to retire the model in the interest of public safety.
By coincidence, there are about three million pit bull type dogs in North America today, representing 6% of all breeds. But about 26 people die from pit bull type dogs in the U.S. every year (out of about 40 from all 400 breeds combined). Pit bull type dogs maul, maim, disfigure or dismember hundreds more. By no coincidence, when pit bulls were few in number — 200,00 before 1970, most clustered in marginal districts — dogbite-related fatalities in the general population were freakishly rare. In my youth, when middle-class neighbourhood dogs ran loose, and average families didn’t own fighting dogs, years went by without a single fatality. If pit bull type dogs were cars, they’d be long gone. But unlike car victims, pit bull tragedies don’t arouse public outrage.
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I have a fascination with Judge Judy and watch her show religiously. There are lots of cases with pits attacking people or other dogs and the defendant ALWAYS says “my dog was provoked” or “he’s never done anything like that before.” Judge Judy gives them that “you are such an idiot” look and says “do you know how many times I’ve heard that? Do you know how many times the people in the audience and across America have heard that? You’re an idiot. Judgment for the plaintiff.”
“That is, you may have a really nice one, but if something goes wrong it will do more damage than a poodle.”
An old friend had a sweetheart Staff. She flop on her back as soon as she saw me, knowing she’d get a tummy rub. One day my friend came home from softball practice, and was talking on the phone in his living room. Daisy attacked him. He managed to kill her with his aluminum bat. 84 stitches. Only reason he’s alive is his friend on the phone heard him screaming and called 911. He was a few minutes from bleeding out when the medics reached him. Those dogs aren’t wired right!
I’m not really thinking that it meant that the dogs I’m seeing are mean, I think it maybe means that they are the most popular dogs in this area. I just never figured that pit bulls would be most popular because so many fear them.
Just found it interesting as I’ve always read and it appeared to be true— lab and lab mixes were most common at shelters, especially black ones. That black dogs were least likely to be adopted, too. There seem to be more white dogs at our animal control. I think I will count colors next visit.
Pit bulls have a very short fuse. And when they flip out they don’t just defend themselves or their honor, they go for a kill.
Step on a lab’s tail and he will snap at you or even bite, a “get way from me” response.
A pit bull does a “you stepped on my tail, your dead,”
Having a pitbull (some other breeds also)around children is beyond foolish.
“....guns don’t have free will.”....
BINGO!
They are illegal in the town I live in and I won’t take a dog case involving defending the owner of a pit bull.
My grandparents, who lived on a farm back off the main road, had a massive, beautiful German Shepherd. He was primarily a guard dog and allowed loose at night and patrolled the property. The “word” around town & the countryside was to avoid my grandparents property because of the dog and he was known/feared & referred to by name. If folks drove up in the yard, they stayed in the car until someone told the dog to stand down. He did bite at least one person I know of who decided to get out of their car before the dog was secured. My grandmother never worried if granddad was away at night and when we visited, I was never afraid at night because I knew who was on patrol. The dog was particularly attached to my grandmother and was gentle with the grandkids. My grandparents had subsequent GS dogs, but none were quite like this one and he was greatly mourned & missed when he died of old age.
I agree, there are some very good dogs that are pit bulls. There are some aggressive pit bulls same as there are aggressive of other breeds.
I think the biggest problem is building the fear into people, fear will get you antagonized by a dog and perhaps even attacked, quicker than anything else will in my opinion.
I think that there are people who refuse to fix a dog that tends towards aggression and will still breed that dog. I know enough to know that I don’t know enough to be a dog breeder. But I can pick out a dog that shouldn’t be bred.
Boxers are the dog for me but I have run into the occasional boxer that is aggressive. I actually have a foster at the moment and this dog is very dog aggressive (she’s also very, very small for a boxer—barely 35lbs and full grown), she’s a lot of work but getting better. I think she is going to stay with us.
Funny, my large boxers scare the poo out of many people even though they are stable, well mannered, don’t bark, growl, raise hair or any of that. People will almost always want to pet the foster because she is small and cute as hell. The foster doesn’t want to be touched by strangers—she will go as far away from them as her leash allows. Most people form opinions and make decisions about dogs for all the wrong reasons.
It is my belief that there are too many people who don’t know enough to be breeding dogs and we end up with many dogs with the worst traits passed down. I also think some of the commercials showing the pitiful abused animals and asking for money would do better if they spent the money teaching the public about dogs and dog behavior.
Anyone see a Right of the people to Keep and Bear pit bulls written anywhere?
Some want to ban guns. Some want to ban plants. Some want to ban certain dog breeds. Some want DUI checkpoints. All need to move to the northeast commie states where they belong.
“All need to move to the northeast commie states where they belong.”
Speakertoanimals has spoken. All must comply.
In the ‘hood, dangerousness in a dog is a feature, not a problem.
If your dog gets out and hurts or kills someone, “someone left the gate open, it's not my fault” is just not good enough.
A stiff fine and the dog gets put down, for starters. 2nd offense and the owner does jail time.
Colorado has been ruined by those types fleeing the mess they made of their home state. You know the states - they lost seats in congress due to fleeing population.
A good dog suited to the owners and their circumstances is a great thing to have. Especially in the countryside and rural areas, one or more such dogs is essential for security. Reading many criminal law cases over the years, I was long ago struck that a family dog was usually lacking. Given a choice of a gun or large, devoted and reliable dog for defense and security, I would choose the dog.
A story about that GS ... he was a really big one, very handsome dog. As I said, he was especially devoted to my grandmother. Granny’s brother came from New York to visit her. He was a bit of a “fluke” - 7 feet tall. Although he was a nice man, he was just a little “different”. We were all sitting outside under some shade trees (no AC in those days) and Granny got up to go check on something in the kitchen. Her brother got up maybe a minute later to follow her. The dog met him half way to the kitchen door, blocked his way and looked at him ... my great-uncle didn’t take the “hint”. The next thing he knew, the dog was on his hind legs, big paws on my great-uncle’s shoulders and looking him in the face, giving him a “smile”, if you know what I mean! No growling - didn’t make a sound which, to me, was more intimidating than if he had growled or barked. He absolutely meant business, but he was doing it “politely” for lack of a better term. My great-uncle didn’t say a word, just backed up a couple of steps and the dog dropped down. My great-uncle went and sat back down. It was pretty interesting to see how the dog handled it all - I have no doubt he picked up that there was a ‘connection’ between Granny & her brother , but he wasn’t comfortable with Granny’s brother following her into the house. Later, when she came back out, we told her what happened. The next time she went in, she told her brother to follow her & told the dog “it’s ok” and the dog didn’t move a muscle. He really was a terrific dog.
God gave man dominion over animals.
Animals are not "guilty" or "innocent" in the social-contract sense, or philosophically.
People are responsible for their animals. Under the social contract every member has with society, the society has the responsibility for ensuring its members are safe, balancing individual freedom with the safety of the society in general. It is selfish to portray the social contract as "punishing everyone for the acts of others".
We could apply that "logic" to the anti-gun debate and it remains equally as senseless.
Exactly. Interesting, isn't it, that so many who wish to employ that lame argument against a breed of dog will reject it outright when it comes to guns when both are nanny state control over the citizenry.
The problem is most people do not know how to raise certain breeds of dogs. Labs and golden retrievers are easy, not much to do about raising them. The terrier is a complete different story. He has to learn at a very young age that his owner is the alpha male And the owner should never let him have his way. When a terrier of any size comes to think he can do as he pleases with no repercussions that is when they become dangerous to his owner and the public. Even a trained attack dog will respect and obey his master compared to one who was raised with no discipline and thinks he is the boss. Not much different than raising kids really.
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