I like the guy in Boise that just blew away the pit bull from next door when it came after him. Give him more ammo and send him out in the world.
Pit bulls have no place in a civilized society.
“Pitbull” is a generic term for a number of breeds.Most of them do not have behavioral proplems.It is the owners who train them to be bad.
Regulate/punish the owners not the dogs.
Our neighbors who are wonderful gentle people had two pitbulls who were soft and cuddly older dogs. One day we were all visiting on the patio and suddenly the pits turned into killers and shredded our kitty to death in front of us. Visit a no kill animal shelter and see all the pits! I agree with Joe and have never trusted one since.
It is a shame how certain dogs are branded as problem pets. If they are properly cared for and trained, they can be safe. Where I live, there is only one insurance company that does not discriminate against certain breeds of dogs. It just so happens that the head Underwriter there has a soft spot for Dobermans and he understands that good owners make for good dogs.
Owners most definitely play a part in a dog’s behavior. Time and time again I see dog owners who do not train their dogs, or worse yet, train them to be vicious. My own uncle is guilty of the latter. Years ago he had 2 Dobermans. I was never afraid of a dog in my life until I met these 2. He trained them to be that way. Ironically enough, I actually grew up with Doberman’s my whole life and absolutely love them. I would own another one in a heartbeat. (And no, I am not the head underwriter I am referring to above.)
I agree with Court Jester in placing the responsibility back in the hands of the owner. I also commend the Kenmare City Council for working with their residents on a very touchy subject to find a middle ground.
those of you who continue to say “it’s not the breed, it’s the owner” need to open your eyes and do a little more research. the vast majority of deaths by dog mauling are two breeds – and they ain’t cocker spaniels. (pit bulls and rotts)
wake up – the pit bulls were special bred to kill each other and other animals – period. you can’t train that kind of killer instinct out of them.
Joe is on point. These tendencies of Pits and Rotties is GENETIC. The fact is, knowing these breeds have the POTENTIAL, to maul, maime, and kill, there is no acceptable reason for anybody to have one as a pet in a residential area. It only takes one incident for one of these beasts to “snap”. They don’t just bite, they maul and kill. No human being should be subjected to that risk. If it’s your face or that of your child you’d think twice about defending the “right” to own one. And, no amount of insurance makes the risk any better. With all the breeds of dogs in the world to choose from, nobody has to have a Pit or Rottie. They should be banned from ALL residential neighborhoods.
You are the one who needs to do more research.Two of the most common breeds called “pit bulls” are the American Pit Bull and the American Straffordshire Terrier. Both are very sociable with people including small children.
Can someone come up with 10 dog breeds that were bred for something other than hunting/killing/attack or guard. And when I say I don’t mean the little mops with tails that need to go to a day spa, I am talking dogs (30lbs or larger).
I know I can’t
Beagle…fox hunter
Collie…herd/coyote deterrant
Airedale….
Lab…birds
Dauschaund (SP)…rabbits/badgers
Greyhounds…small game
Terrier (any)…rats/vermin
Rhidesian Ridgeback…lion
Mastiff…does it need listed
Bermese Mountain Dog…guard/attack
German Shepard
Seriously, name one that wasn’t bred to fight/hunt/kill. They are carnivores, all have an inherant trait to “bite”.
So a kitty walked infront if a dog and was attacked and you are surprised, are you just as surprised to see a cat go after someone’s pet hamster if it walked infront of it?
Seriously folks – the dogs behaviors reflect the owners 90% of the time.
Jester: speaking from 35 years of handling liability claims including hundreds of dog attacks/bites, I believe your defense of these breeds is naive. They “usually” are sociable with people and children. The issue is they have an inherent propensity, albeit recessive, to attack. When they do,it is’t just a bite. It’s mauling or worse. Some people simply don’t think it’s worth the risk to be around one in the event it “goes off”. Following an attack or mauling, most owners of these animals say something trite and stupid like “he’s never done anything like this before.” Well, that may be. But it’s of little consolation to the young girl that just had her face ripped off and the rest of her life ruined because some jackass just had to have one of these beasts. When it comes to choosing between somebodys technical “right” to own any breed of dog he/she wishes versus preventing a human disaster, human beings win everytime. At least in most responsible and rationale peoples minds. It just isn’t worth the risk.
I agree that the city council in N. Dakota has taken an intelligent approach to the dog situation. I remember reading somewhere that dog bites are the single most common liability claims under homeowners policies and, at the time, represented some $4.5 million in settlements from that coverage, if I recall correctly.
We had a Doberman from puppyhood until he had to be put down, due to cancer, at 8 years of age. He was the most affectionate dog and he just loved people although some who would see me walking with him on a leash on a sidewalk towards them would cross to the other side of the road as we approached. They could not ahve known how gentle he was. He would nuzzle against you or put his head in your lap and look up at you so you’d pet him – even doing so with strangers. (we really miss him, too.) Still, whenever our grandchildren visited, we would kennel him for their stay because we didn’t want any accidents to happen should one of the kids made a sudden move, as they often do, scaring the dog, which might have caused him to react, especially since he wasn’t used to having little kids around all the time.
Again, it’s how you train and handle the dog and knowing the limits that are most important. All dogs were derived from wild ancestors and although quite latent in their genetic makeup, their wild instinct can be triggered by certain circumstances, so caution is always the key.
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I like the guy in Boise that just blew away the pit bull from next door when it came after him. Give him more ammo and send him out in the world.
Pit bulls have no place in a civilized society.
“Pitbull” is a generic term for a number of breeds.Most of them do not have behavioral proplems.It is the owners who train them to be bad.
Regulate/punish the owners not the dogs.
Our neighbors who are wonderful gentle people had two pitbulls who were soft and cuddly older dogs. One day we were all visiting on the patio and suddenly the pits turned into killers and shredded our kitty to death in front of us. Visit a no kill animal shelter and see all the pits! I agree with Joe and have never trusted one since.
It is a shame how certain dogs are branded as problem pets. If they are properly cared for and trained, they can be safe. Where I live, there is only one insurance company that does not discriminate against certain breeds of dogs. It just so happens that the head Underwriter there has a soft spot for Dobermans and he understands that good owners make for good dogs.
Owners most definitely play a part in a dog’s behavior. Time and time again I see dog owners who do not train their dogs, or worse yet, train them to be vicious. My own uncle is guilty of the latter. Years ago he had 2 Dobermans. I was never afraid of a dog in my life until I met these 2. He trained them to be that way. Ironically enough, I actually grew up with Doberman’s my whole life and absolutely love them. I would own another one in a heartbeat. (And no, I am not the head underwriter I am referring to above.)
I agree with Court Jester in placing the responsibility back in the hands of the owner. I also commend the Kenmare City Council for working with their residents on a very touchy subject to find a middle ground.
those of you who continue to say “it’s not the breed, it’s the owner” need to open your eyes and do a little more research. the vast majority of deaths by dog mauling are two breeds – and they ain’t cocker spaniels. (pit bulls and rotts)
wake up – the pit bulls were special bred to kill each other and other animals – period. you can’t train that kind of killer instinct out of them.
Joe is on point. These tendencies of Pits and Rotties is GENETIC. The fact is, knowing these breeds have the POTENTIAL, to maul, maime, and kill, there is no acceptable reason for anybody to have one as a pet in a residential area. It only takes one incident for one of these beasts to “snap”. They don’t just bite, they maul and kill. No human being should be subjected to that risk. If it’s your face or that of your child you’d think twice about defending the “right” to own one. And, no amount of insurance makes the risk any better. With all the breeds of dogs in the world to choose from, nobody has to have a Pit or Rottie. They should be banned from ALL residential neighborhoods.
You are the one who needs to do more research.Two of the most common breeds called “pit bulls” are the American Pit Bull and the American Straffordshire Terrier. Both are very sociable with people including small children.
Can someone come up with 10 dog breeds that were bred for something other than hunting/killing/attack or guard. And when I say I don’t mean the little mops with tails that need to go to a day spa, I am talking dogs (30lbs or larger).
I know I can’t
Beagle…fox hunter
Collie…herd/coyote deterrant
Airedale….
Lab…birds
Dauschaund (SP)…rabbits/badgers
Greyhounds…small game
Terrier (any)…rats/vermin
Rhidesian Ridgeback…lion
Mastiff…does it need listed
Bermese Mountain Dog…guard/attack
German Shepard
Seriously, name one that wasn’t bred to fight/hunt/kill. They are carnivores, all have an inherant trait to “bite”.
So a kitty walked infront if a dog and was attacked and you are surprised, are you just as surprised to see a cat go after someone’s pet hamster if it walked infront of it?
Seriously folks – the dogs behaviors reflect the owners 90% of the time.
Jester: speaking from 35 years of handling liability claims including hundreds of dog attacks/bites, I believe your defense of these breeds is naive. They “usually” are sociable with people and children. The issue is they have an inherent propensity, albeit recessive, to attack. When they do,it is’t just a bite. It’s mauling or worse. Some people simply don’t think it’s worth the risk to be around one in the event it “goes off”. Following an attack or mauling, most owners of these animals say something trite and stupid like “he’s never done anything like this before.” Well, that may be. But it’s of little consolation to the young girl that just had her face ripped off and the rest of her life ruined because some jackass just had to have one of these beasts. When it comes to choosing between somebodys technical “right” to own any breed of dog he/she wishes versus preventing a human disaster, human beings win everytime. At least in most responsible and rationale peoples minds. It just isn’t worth the risk.
I agree that the city council in N. Dakota has taken an intelligent approach to the dog situation. I remember reading somewhere that dog bites are the single most common liability claims under homeowners policies and, at the time, represented some $4.5 million in settlements from that coverage, if I recall correctly.
We had a Doberman from puppyhood until he had to be put down, due to cancer, at 8 years of age. He was the most affectionate dog and he just loved people although some who would see me walking with him on a leash on a sidewalk towards them would cross to the other side of the road as we approached. They could not ahve known how gentle he was. He would nuzzle against you or put his head in your lap and look up at you so you’d pet him – even doing so with strangers. (we really miss him, too.) Still, whenever our grandchildren visited, we would kennel him for their stay because we didn’t want any accidents to happen should one of the kids made a sudden move, as they often do, scaring the dog, which might have caused him to react, especially since he wasn’t used to having little kids around all the time.
Again, it’s how you train and handle the dog and knowing the limits that are most important. All dogs were derived from wild ancestors and although quite latent in their genetic makeup, their wild instinct can be triggered by certain circumstances, so caution is always the key.