Maggie: I heard that California was trying to ban Pit bulls even though breed-specific banning is currently illegal in 11 states. There is some legislation addressing this.
Aside from what a terrible precedent it would set to be able to ban a particular breed of anything, it feels like crooked thinking. Pitt bulls have a bad reputation because of people. They are one of those breeds that people think are killers, and so people treat them that way. When Pitt bull owners try to make their dog tough, that just means they're abusing it.
The Pittie Love rescue group here in Massachusetts says that Pit bulls are "one of the most abused and misunderstood dogs of all time."
Pitt bulls end up spending a lot of their time chained in backyards and that isolation drives them nuts, just as it does to all other breeds. The more isolated they are while chained in back yards, the more likely they are to attack someone.
Pit bulls aren't like other dogs. While Labs were bred to retrieve birds and St. Bernards were bred as rescue dogs, for hundreds of years Pit bulls have been bred to fight other dogs. They do have the potential to be aggressive. But Pittie love says:
Pit bulls have superior physical and mental characteristics that make them excellent partners for responsible, active, and caring owners. On the other hand, these same outstanding qualities can make them a little difficult to handle for people who don't have a lot of experience with dog ownership, or for those who don't understand the breed very well. Luckily, pit bulls are very responsive to training and eager to lease. It is therefore strongly recommended to take them to obedience classes.
Every breed has problems that adopters should be aware of. For example, people think Huskies are great dogs because they seem so smart in movies. But Huskies were bred to work and if they don't get A LOT of exercise then owners will have A LOT of behavioral problems with their husky.
The flip side of the banning issue that if state governments don't address the fears that result from dog bites and attacks, people may take matters into their own hands. When Googling about this, I saw several references to incidents where people killed neighbors' or stray Pit bulls with golf clubs or guns because they were afraid of them.
Legislation should be addressing animal neglect and abuse, dog fighting, and other cruelty.
2 comments:
I would like a Staffordshire Bull Terrier but if purchased you will either get dropped from your insurance or your insurance can double. Just for a dog. There is a top 10 list of dogs that the agencys use. I think it is bull. I also would like a German Shepard but they are on the list too. I had German Shepards all my life, they are the smartest and sweetest dogs, but I can't have one because I need insurance for my company. Sucksville.
Pit bulls are wonderful dogs. Media had gone crazy with all the negative thing about them. I have a pit and can't tell you enough great things about the breed. The problem is bad owners. The should be banned.
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