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Flakes · 08-07-2005, 09:58 PM

Like many others here I have always believed that a dog is only as good as his training. If you train any dog to be agressive chances are that's what he'll be. However it only took one tragic experience for me to change my thinking on pit bulls. My brother-in-law owned a pit bull along with several dobermans. The pit bull was a mean looking so and so and did a fabulous job of guarding the house, except if he was inside and then he'd lick the thief to death. My brother-in-law also had a young daughter who had been raised with the dogs and there had never been a problem. One evening after supper we were sitting at the table having coffee and my niece was in the livingroom watching TV. She got up to come into the diningroom and Pig the Pit lunged half way across the room and grabbed her by the arm. My brother-in-law who had trained many police dogs yelled the command that the dog was supposed to know to drop whatever it was, but the dog just continued to shake this young child by her arm. That dog would have killed her had it not been for the fact my brother-in-law has a black belt in karate. Sadly however the damage was done and my niece lost her arm.

Here is the problem with pit bulls and many of the other "agressive" breeds, and that includes labs, they are so interbred that you can no longer rely on them being true to breed. It's not the dog's fault obviously but until such time as we can get a handle on the poor breeding tactics these dogs cannot be trusted no matter how sweet and gentle they may seem. They can turn at the drop of a hat.

I completely understand how responsible owners of these dogs feel. But when you have entire countries legislating how these dogs are to be handled in public you surely must ask yourself if so many people can be wrong. If I were a pitbull owner I'd not want to take the chance that my dog would/could bite anyone or anything and I would keep it muzzled while in public places. Perhaps if responsible pitbull owners were to do that it might alleviate the fear surrounding these dogs and restore some confidence to those tasked with enacting the legislation. IT would at least be a starting point. Otherwise I fear they will be banned completely.

08-07-2005, 09:58 PM	#58
Flakes Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Victoria Posts: 218	Like many others here I have always believed that a dog is only as good as his training. If you train any dog to be agressive chances are that's what he'll be. However it only took one tragic experience for me to change my thinking on pit bulls. My brother-in-law owned a pit bull along with several dobermans. The pit bull was a mean looking so and so and did a fabulous job of guarding the house, except if he was inside and then he'd lick the thief to death. My brother-in-law also had a young daughter who had been raised with the dogs and there had never been a problem. One evening after supper we were sitting at the table having coffee and my niece was in the livingroom watching TV. She got up to come into the diningroom and Pig the Pit lunged half way across the room and grabbed her by the arm. My brother-in-law who had trained many police dogs yelled the command that the dog was supposed to know to drop whatever it was, but the dog just continued to shake this young child by her arm. That dog would have killed her had it not been for the fact my brother-in-law has a black belt in karate. Sadly however the damage was done and my niece lost her arm. Here is the problem with pit bulls and many of the other "agressive" breeds, and that includes labs, they are so interbred that you can no longer rely on them being true to breed. It's not the dog's fault obviously but until such time as we can get a handle on the poor breeding tactics these dogs cannot be trusted no matter how sweet and gentle they may seem. They can turn at the drop of a hat. I completely understand how responsible owners of these dogs feel. But when you have entire countries legislating how these dogs are to be handled in public you surely must ask yourself if so many people can be wrong. If I were a pitbull owner I'd not want to take the chance that my dog would/could bite anyone or anything and I would keep it muzzled while in public places. Perhaps if responsible pitbull owners were to do that it might alleviate the fear surrounding these dogs and restore some confidence to those tasked with enacting the legislation. IT would at least be a starting point. Otherwise I fear they will be banned completely.