Pit bulls' visits heal patients, reputation

[Palehorse]

Lolly and Lester: My dog thanks you for your straightforward answers in an attempt to dispel the mythology around his breed. But as you can see, years of conditioning and blind acceptance are a hard thing to overcome.

My wife and I have done our very best to train our dog to be an ambassador for the breed, and in that respect he does very well on his own in just about every situation. Once he knows you are welcome in our home you will have no problems from him. If he finds you are afraid of him, he takes it upon himself to prove to you how mistaken you are. In the end despite our best efforts, he himself is the most efficient myth buster around. And he is good at it.

ANY dog is a threat to human life if in the wrong hands. Same as a loaded firearm. A good friend of mine raises dogs for personal protection and I have seen the damage a properly trained dog of any breed can do to a human being.

I can also recall the same accusations being levied toward Doberman's, Chows, and Spitz's when each of these breeds achieved popularity with humans. And as with the pit bull, eventually the media frenzy died off and along with it the myths and eventually the stigma.

Elsewhere I posted statistical data the established a "bite rate" for specific breeds, and not surprisingly to me the pit bull had a very low incident rate in comparison to other popular breeds. Its just that their population is far and away larger than those other breeds, and as a result the number of abusive owners are proportionately higher as well. (IE of course there are more pit bull incidents, because there are more pit bull owners!)

To be honest about it, I kind of enjoy the fact that so many hold such falsehoods as factual. It makes them afraid of my dog and makes his job easier, and increases our personal safety as a result. Those who would consider violating our home are more likely to pass us by because of him, and we like it that way.

The truth is something that is 180 degrees from the present day mythology concerning the breed. Those lucky enough to understand this find themselves with a treasured and trusted companion, capable and willing to give his/her life in defense of yours, without hesitation. And equally as capable and willing to return your love and affection with the same, times ten.

I know my dog, I trust my dog, and he in return trusts me. I know he will not knowingly ever violate that trust. For my wife and I that is enough, and more than any one of us would do for the other. . .

[LOsborne]

Lester, I did some research to. 

Source?

[LOsborne]

Also I will come out and make a confession I keep secret from most people - I only completed 9th grade in high school.

This is actually true. But he doesn't tell you how far he went in college.

[Palehorse]

Source?

[Sandy Eggo]

Henry, I just read a book about retrievers and it basically said if you're looking for a guard dog, then you have the wrong pet. It would indeed take some work (or neglect).

PH, you've got a tough fight against you because sensationalistic media will rarely tell your side of the story. You just keep on, keeping on and lets hope the negative tide changes.

[Henry Hawk]

Henry, I just read a book about retrievers and it basically said if you're looking for a guard dog, then you have the wrong pet. It would indeed take some work (or neglect).

PH, you've got a tough fight against you because sensationalistic media will rarely tell your side of the story. You just keep on, keeping on and lets hope the negative tide changes.

I had a great retriever, that was the sweetest dog ever, but he was VERY protective of my kids, he did not like strangers, and if I would wrestle with my kids he always tried to stop me, usually by licking me, but it made him very nervous when we wreslted...it was a sweetheart...he was stolen from us, in a blink of an eye, and we never say a trace of him after that.....and we have never replaced him, but I hope to get another dog MAYBE this next spring.  I'm not sure what kind I wil get at this time.

[Sandy Eggo]

I'd recommend a pound puppy.

I'm partial to big dogs. I hate to think of the day when I'll be in the market for another dog because I love Benji so much. I know you and your family were devistated. What kinda jerk does stuff like stealing dogs anyway?!?

[Anne]

We had a springer spaniel mix and while she wasn't a really large dog she was very protective of our kids. One time when our daughter was a teenager and a group of her friends were over one of the boys decided it would be cute to pretend to spank her. The dog grabbed his arm and would not let go until our daughter walked across the room and called her. The dog didn't bite hard but I am sure she would have if the kid hadn't let go of our daughter.

We have had mostly cocker spaniels and I have found them protective of children but not adults so much. They can be territorial and I have seen a couple hold their own with much larger dogs. The one we have now is more timid and laid back than the other ones we have had.

Our neighbors have a pit bull and it is a very nice dog, very strong and imo needs a little more training because he is rambuncious.

[The Troll]

  The Anderson, Indiana Hearld Bulletin Newspaper

  Monday.  Family pet Rottwieler attacks 18 month girl.  Breaking her leg in three places and causing bruising of her head and cuts requiring many stiches.

 

[LOsborne]

How does this story of a Rottweiler attack support your blanket condemnation of pit bulls?

http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x847470890/Baby-airlifted-after-mauling-by-dog

Tangent: it was gratifying to see Rottweiler spelled "Rotttweiler" in the first sentence of the story, since the Washington Times-Herald, another CNHI rag, yesterday told us about the guy "driving without never being licensed." I actually think "Rotttweiler" is more embarrassing, since spell-check would have caught it.

[The Troll]

How does this story of a Rottweiler attack support your blanket condemnation of pit bulls?

http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x847470890/Baby-airlifted-after-mauling-by-dog

Tangent: it was gratifying to see Rottweiler spelled "Rotttweiler" in the first sentence of the story, since the Washington Times-Herald, another CNHI rag, yesterday told us about the guy "driving without never being licensed." I actually think "Rotttweiler" is more embarrassing, since spell-check would have caught it.

    Asshole.

[Sandy Eggo]

Lovely

[Lester Sasquatch]

How does this story of a Rottweiler attack support your blanket condemnation of pit bulls?

http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x847470890/Baby-airlifted-after-mauling-by-dog

Tangent: it was gratifying to see Rottweiler spelled "Rotttweiler" in the first sentence of the story, since the Washington Times-Herald, another CNHI rag, yesterday told us about the guy "driving without never being licensed." I actually think "Rotttweiler" is more embarrassing, since spell-check would have caught it.

Yeah, the online edition of the WTH had this headline today - North Daviess Schools act on bullyibg complaints

Can't even use a spell check, idiots!

[Sandy Eggo]

Rottweilers were yesterday's pit bulls. They were feared and villified constantly. Ironically at that time I was the co-owner of one and my experience with her is similar to the one PH has with his puppy. She was a sweet and very much overgrown lapdog. We had her obedience trained and she even topped out at the obedience trials. She was loving, supportive, eager to please and would stop on a dime w/a single command.

My story isn't intended to answer Lolly's question though. I'm just sharing...

[The Troll]

Rottweilers were yesterday's pit bulls. They were feared and villified constantly. Ironically at that time I was the co-owner of one and my experience with her is similar to the one PH has with his puppy. She was a sweet and very much overgrown lapdog. We had her obedience trained and she even topped out at the obedience trials. She was loving, supportive, eager to please and would stop on a dime w/a single command.

My story isn't intended to answer Lolly's question though. I'm just sharing...