Pitbulls and Parolees

[Avdima]

Pitbulls get so much hate because they are the best

Did you know it was a Pitbull who saved his army unit in WW1 and received a Purple Heart and became a Sargent?

Pitbulls were in the early 20th century known as the best family dog and were used as babysitters for little kids.

Heck even Helen Keller’s dog was a pit bull.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

The thing with horses is that, while they’re bred for specific jobs, people don’t breed them for jobs that need aggression. Dog breeds such as pit bulls were deliberately bred for tenacity and aggression, so I don’t blame the dog for acting on its genes, I blame the people who breed a niche working dog to sell as a pet to the average person who is rarely trained to socialize such a dog properly. The number of pit bulls being bred for money greatly surpasses the small number of people who are qualified to own such a dog, IMO.

(…)

I’ll have to dig out my book but I don’t think pit bulls were originally bred for aggression (now, maybe, for dog fighting) and a lot of other dogs are very similar to pit bulls. There was a time when pit bulls were a popular breed because they were a perfect family pet. It was in England and decades ago.

 

[AbideWithMe]

I’ll have to dig out my book but I don’t think pit bulls were originally bred for aggression (now, maybe, for dog fighting) and a lot of other dogs are very similar to pit bulls. There was a time when pit bulls were a popular breed because they were a perfect family pet. It was in England and decades ago.

They were bred specifically for bull-baiting and dog-fighting for human entertainment–both those blood sports require aggression. They’re not a very old breed. Their breeders used to kill (cull) the ones that showed aggression towards people, and selectively breed the ones that were good pit fighting dogs. That’s how they earned the reputation of being a good family dog for a time (provided a family didn’t have a cat or come into contact with other dogs which the pit bull hadn’t grown up with); the dogs were usually reliable around their family if they’d been well trained and socialized.

Now, though, they are bred unscrupulously by some people, and human-aggressive genes are part of their bloodlines. I’m sure some bloodlines have been more carefully bred, but for the typical, sympathetic would-be dog adopter or buyer, they wouldn’t know the full genetic background and socialization experience of a puppy or adult pit bull they may take home.

And that’s where much of the problem arises, IMO. This may sound cynical, but it’s the people I distrust, not really the dogs per se. If I’m out walking my Shetland Sheepdog mixed dog, and I see someone coming along with a breed that has a history if being bred for dog fighting, to be blunt, that person is unfairly asking me to have a huge, unearned amount of faith in their dog-handling skills. ( With pit bulls, in this instance, even their most ardent defenders admit that the average pit bull is not as safe as the great majority of other breeds around dogs and cats.) The owner is the weakest link in the chain that’s keeping my dog and myself safe around a dog like pit bull. I’ve unfortunately learned from experience that kind of faith is misplaced, and I will never count on someone–especially a stranger walking their dog-- to be able to control their dog when the dog’s breed was created for fighting.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

I don’t know much about this show but it seems like a pretty good thing. Pit bulls are so frequently abused and neglected, and even when they are rescued from their circumstances they often have difficulty finding a good home. A show that depicts them as misunderstood dogs who need love and attention might do some good for the breed. This is not to say that a pit is right for every family and that we need to encourage people to go adopt them in droves. They are a breed that presents unique challenges and should only be adopted by people who are able to properly care for them. But they are not inherently evil.

I sympathize a lot with pit owners. I am a rottweiler enthusiast and I cannot tell you how many times my dog and I go for a run in the park and I get unsolicited comments from strangers telling me that my dog is dangerous and that I’m irresponsible for owning him. On more than one occasion I have been told that he should be put down. (One person who told me this was petting him and feeding him treats at the time.) Like with pit bulls, rottweilers should not be adopted by just anyone. You have to know how to train a dog and have a schedule that allows you to be very consistent. You also have to be extremely confident, because the first thing the rottie will do is try to establish that he is the dominant one. You can’t let that happen.

Dogs are kind of like people. Yes, some are predisposed to bad behavior, but with a solid, loving upbringing and firm boundaries the vast majority will turn out alright.

 

[Cider]

I’ve seen it once or twice. While I’d never own one myself I think it’s great that this group is rescuing and trying to save what ones they can at the same time that ex cons are getting a second chance and are giving back to society by giving their time to this rescue. What’s not to like about that? There are other shows on Animal Planet that rehab all breeds like Dog Whisperer.

 

[AbideWithMe]

Pitbulls get so much hate because they are the best

Did you know it was a Pitbull who saved his army unit in WW1 and received a Purple Heart and became a Sargent?

Pitbulls were in the early 20th century known as the best family dog and were used as babysitters for little kids.

Heck even Helen Keller’s dog was a pit bull.

I don’t see anyone hating pit bulls here.

I don’t view pit bulls as mis-begotten monsters. I do, however, have an experienced cynicism when it comes to people’s motives for creating some dog breeds and breeding and owning certain types of animals.

Pit bull breeds were deliberately created by humans for the ungodly purpose of pit fighting, where they were dog-aggressive but human-submissive. Who on earth needs those qualities in a working dog??? And now, as I said above, human-aggressive lines have come into the breed.

Many dog breeds have come and gone in the history of the human/dog relationship. I don’t hate individual pit bulls. I don’t hate any dog. But I would be happy to see this breed so stringently bred, if people insist on breeding it, that it effectively becomes an entirely new breed. Why must we be enslaved to our callous and wicked (watching dog-fighting for sport is wicked) ancestors who foolishly created this breed for that purpose, as if the breed genetics must be kept alive? There are so many other great breeds of dogs in the world. But people keep breeding pit bulls…

 

[AbideWithMe]

I don’t know much about this show but it seems like a pretty good thing. Pit bulls are so frequently abused and neglected, and even when they are rescued from their circumstances they often have difficulty finding a good home. A show that depicts them as misunderstood dogs who need love and attention might do some good for the breed. This is not to say that a pit is right for every family and that we need to encourage people to go adopt them in droves. They are a breed that presents unique challenges and should only be adopted by people who are able to properly care for them. But they are not inherently evil.

I sympathize a lot with pit owners. I am a rottweiler enthusiast and I cannot tell you how many times my dog and I go for a run in the park and I get unsolicited comments from strangers telling me that my dog is dangerous and that I’m irresponsible for owning him. On more than one occasion I have been told that he should be put down. (One person who told me this was petting him and feeding him treats at the time.) Like with pit bulls, rottweilers should not be adopted by just anyone. You have to know how to train a dog and have a schedule that allows you to be very consistent. You also have to be extremely confident, because the first thing the rottie will do is try to establish that he is the dominant one. You can’t let that happen.

Dogs are kind of like people. Yes, some are predisposed to bad behavior, but with a solid, loving upbringing and firm boundaries the vast majority will turn out alright.

I agree with some of what you’ve said, BlueEyedLady, but it has to be noted that as pit bull breeds were created by people for pit fighting, and it’s no misunderstanding of the dogs to stress that fact.

I think it’s really hard for those who have not been on the receiving end of dog aggression, or witnessed an example of it in person, to understand those of us who have been attacked or had one of our pets attacked. I was attacked by a Neapolitan Mastiff myself. I have never feared dogs and I still have no fear of dogs. But, it has totally changed my perspective and knowledge of dog aggression. Again, I don’t blame the dogs, I hold the people responsible.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

I agree with some of what you’ve said, BlueEyedLady, but it has to be noted that as pit bull breeds were created by people for pit fighting, and it’s no misunderstanding of the dogs to stress that fact.

I think it’s really hard for those who have not been on the receiving end of dog aggression, or witnessed an example of it in person, to understand those of us who have been attacked or had one of our pets attacked. I was attacked by a Neapolitan Mastiff myself. I have never feared dogs and I still have no fear of dogs. But, it has totally changed my perspective and knowledge of dog aggression. Again, I don’t blame the dogs, I hold the people responsible.

Of course dog aggression is something to watch (in any breed) and owners should be very careful with their dogs, no matter what their temperament. But saying that you’ve been attacked by a ____________ so ___________ is a bad breed all around doesn’t work with me. Nor should it be expected to. And dog owners by and large don’t care what people have been attacked by what dogs of what breed. We just care that our own dogs are safely on leashes, well trained, and supervised.

I had someone in my apartment building try to talk to me about their experience being attacked by a rottweiler while I was taking my dog out once. The gist of the conversation was that they had a very bad experience and that I needed to be aware of it to make an informed choice about dog ownership. I was pretty straightforward with them and told them that I was sorry about their attack, but that I didn’t care to hear their implications that their experience is in some way related to my dog.

 

[4Squarebaby]

And that’s where much of the problem arises, IMO. This may sound cynical, but it’s the people I distrust, not really the dogs per se. If I’m out walking my Shetland Sheepdog mixed dog, and I see someone coming along with a breed that has a history if being bred for dog fighting, to be blunt, that person is unfairly asking me to have a huge, unearned amount of faith in their dog-handling skills. ( With pit bulls, in this instance, even their most ardent defenders admit that the average pit bull is not as safe as the great majority of other breeds around dogs and cats.) The owner is the weakest link in the chain that’s keeping my dog and myself safe around a dog like pit bull. I’ve unfortunately learned from experience that kind of faith is misplaced, and I will never count on someone–especially a stranger walking their dog-- to be able to control their dog when the dog’s breed was created for fighting.

There are many kinds of dogs out there in need of adoption why all the effort to obtain and keep this specific kind of dog?

 

[Bruised_Reed]

They were bred specifically for bull-baiting and dog-fighting for human entertainment–both those blood sports require aggression. They’re not a very old breed. Their breeders used to kill (cull) the ones that showed aggression towards people, and selectively breed the ones that were good pit fighting dogs. That’s how they earned the reputation of being a good family dog for a time (provided a family didn’t have a cat or come into contact with other dogs which the pit bull hadn’t grown up with); the dogs were usually reliable around their family if they’d been well trained and socialized.

Now, though, they are bred unscrupulously by some people, and human-aggressive genes are part of their bloodlines. I’m sure some bloodlines have been more carefully bred, but for the typical, sympathetic would-be dog adopter or buyer, they wouldn’t know the full genetic background and socialization experience of a puppy or adult pit bull they may take home.

And that’s where much of the problem arises, IMO. This may sound cynical, but** it’s the people I distrust, not really the dogs per se**. If I’m out walking my Shetland Sheepdog mixed dog, and I see someone coming along with a breed that has a history if being bred for dog fighting, to be blunt, that person is unfairly asking me to have a huge, unearned amount of faith in their dog-handling skills. ( With pit bulls, in this instance, even their most ardent defenders admit that the average pit bull is not as safe as the great majority of other breeds around dogs and cats.) The owner is the weakest link in the chain that’s keeping my dog and myself safe around a dog like pit bull. I’ve unfortunately learned from experience that kind of faith is misplaced, and I will never count on someone–especially a stranger walking their dog-- to be able to control their dog when the dog’s breed was created for fighting.

From Wikipedia:

These dogs were initially bred in England, and arrived in the United States with the founders. In the U.S., these dogs were used as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock, and as family companions.[13] Some have been selectively bred for their fighting prowess.[14][15] The United Kennel Club (UKC) was the first registry to recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier, in 1898.[16]

American Pit Bull Terriers successfully fill the role of companion dog, police dog,[17][18] and therapy dog.[19] American Pit Bull Terriers also constitute the majority of dogs used for** illegal dog fighting** in the U.S.[20] In addition, law enforcement organizations report these dogs are used for other nefarious purposes, such as guarding illegal narcotics operations,[21][22] use against police,[23] and as attack dogs.[24]

My bolding for emphasis. I’m agreeing with most of what you say but even the dogs that Michael Vickowned were rehabilitated and he also inhumanely killed other dogs that failed to be aggressive enough so the aggressiveness isn’t that innate.