Refer to The Dog Walker's Handbook for more details.
Pit bulls are sweet, nice dogs. We saw an adorable little pit bull puppy at the park yesterday. For a while, Econo-Girl and Leisure Lad ran an unofficial pit bull rescue in Columbia Heights, DC. People would just dump them on our lawn, and we would find good homes for them.
Most shelters just kill them.
For every dog that comes into our home, we start immediately taking food out of their mouths. From the first minute. And toys. socks, etc.
Another thing we do is to put our faces near the dog and scratch their bellies. Since we primates insist on putting our faces near dogs, even strange ones, Leisure Lad and myself want our dogs to be very used to that.
Actually, in dog world it is considered very rude and aggressive to put your face near a dog's face. It's a great way to get bit in the face.
We also have the dog around children and other dogs as much as we can, so they can get used to it.
Remember, you are your dog's leader. He looks to you for protection and guidance. So provide it. Don't be one of these people who hides behind an imposing dog, thinking it is their protection. It's not good for you or the dog.
4 comments:
Pit Bulls are illegal in Miami-Dade County. People found in possession of them face a $500 fine per dog, and of course the County removes the dog.
This was due to a series of horrible pit bull attacks in the 80s. They were the drug dealers dog of choice. People would train the dogs to attack. Several of the attacks were by the dogs on their owners.
The attack that caused the law was by a pit bull on a little girl. The dog got loose and just attacked. The girl's mother tried to block the dog, but that did not work. She got mauled first. Then the dog went after the girl.
The girl's father heard the screams and got his gun. When he got to the front yard, the girl was bleeding bad from the face and the dog was locked on her leg. Neighbors were beating the dog with sticks and whatever they could get. The father shot and killed the dog.
Fire rescue had to use a crash hammer to break the dog's jaw in order to get the girl free.
We also have a large population of barbaric third world refugees who think that animal fighting in an exciting sport. The most common fighting animals are roosters and dogs.
The problem with this breed is that you just do not know where the dog came from. It is a result of generations of fighting dogs? If so, aggressiveness is in the DNA. Lurking. Waiting for a chance to come out.
Was the dog bred to be an attack dog? If so, same thing. Somewhere in that DNA is a time bomb.
You never know. Maybe the dog is nice and non-aggressive, and has a bad rap just because it is a pit bull. But maybe it is in the core a fighting dog, from a long line of pit fighting champions. You can not tell by looking at the dog.
People are not responsible enough for this sort of animal. At least not in Miami-Dade County. Is it the fault of the dog, or the people? I vote for the people. But whatever the cause - there are many dogs people can get that are not pit bull terriers.
Pit Bulls are illegal in DC, too. The story you tell is an awful one. But it is not the fault of the breed.
Pit Bulls are a wonderful, loving, and loyal breed that my wife and I have had as companions for many years. Like yourself, we ran a Pit Bull rescue in a part of Southern CA where they were destroyed by Animal Rescue after 3 days in a shelter. That includes Pit Bull puppies. Owners simply have to know that they're adopting a dog that needs lots of exercise and training, in addition to love. Give them that and you'll have a wonderful friend that will happily give it's life protecting you.
Wait until you live next to nuts with pit bulls and see what you think then.
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