What has four legs and one arm?
A PIT-BULL!
“What are you gonna write about in your blog this week, Doug?” a friend asked the other day. “Well, I’ve been thinking about weighing in on the debate over whether or not certain breeds of dogs, like Pit-bulls, Rottweilers and Dobermans, should be banned in the city limits of Sioux Falls because they’re vicious,” I said. “Waddaya Nuts? Don’t you realize that dog lovers are going to tear into you like a…well, a Pitt-bull on a bunny rabbit?” he warned.
Point is, I’m not advocating for or against the proposal but I do have a few questions and observations. First and foremost is that every one of those breeds scare the snot out of me and, in my walking days, the site of a pair of Dobermans barking wildly and charging the backyard fence each day as I’d pass by, always caused my bowels to loosen just a little bit. Oh, I tried stopping and would speak softly..calling them puppy but they’d have none of it and kept looking for a hole in the fence large enough to squeeze through and get at my throat. Well, Doug, dogs are territorial and they’re just defending their territory. Well, that sidewalk is my territory paid for with my tax dollars and I should have the right to stroll by without being terrorized. There were lots of dogs of all breeds and sizes along my three mile route but only two (why are Dobermans usually in pairs) that wished me dead. Well, it must be the owner’s fault for not spending enough time with his dogs training them. I guess everybody agrees on that. I think most would also agree that these dogs..especially the three mentioned above..were genetically designed to be powerful, intimidating and in some cases, like Pit-bulls, vicious. What I don’t understand is why so many people feel the need to own one knowing that these creatures will require a lot of extra attention to train out the natural nastiness bred into them. I can hear it now, you don’t know what you’re talking about Lund, my “Rottie’ or my “Dobie” or my “Pittie” is the most gentle friendly dog on the planet. They also claim guys like me in the media are to blame for giving them a bad rap; only reporting attacks by these animals while, in fact, more people are actually bitten by lovable Labradors..failing to mention that labs outnumber Rotties, Dobies and Pitties by a gazillion to one so your odds of an unfortunate encounter with a mean one are somewhat greater. Plus, unlike a Pit-bull, a lab is likely to bite once and take off rather than hang around until the attackee is dead as a carp.
How do you see a Pit-bull? Like this:
Or This:
It seems on one hand they detest the media for what they believe to be unfairly labeling their dog vicious, while on the other they love the fact that their animal is a more effective watchdog because it has the reputation of simply having to do nothing more than stand there to keep trespassers away.
I personally think people like having these breeds of dogs mostly for the wow factor. “Wow, you have a Pit-bull?” “Isn’t he dangerous? Aren’t you afraid?Has he ever attacked anybody?”
Sort of like those who go to Buffalo Wild Wings and order the hottest ones on the menu and consume them in pain in order to impress their friends. “Wow, how can you eat those? Aren’t you on fire?”
I literally don’t have a dog in this fight (Even though I’ve tried to convince Linda we should get one) and I’m certainly not advocating the extermination of Pit-bulls but unless there’s a way to make sure they don’t wind up in the care of idiotic uncaring owners, I wouldn’t mind allowing the breed to naturally go extinct.
Okee Dokee commenters…SIC ‘EM.
83 Responses
Everyone should have a little Yorkie like me…………they aren’t very mean! Ours lives on the farm with us & thinks he is a cattle dog so he does have a bit of an attitude…….toward cattle anyway!
I have been saying for years that getting a pit bull is idiotic. I agree that not all of them are bad, but why would you want to tempt fate? They are usually at the top of the rescues & most insureance is much higher if you own these breeds. I love all dogs, but I don’t want to own one that could do any damage to anyone or thing. When we were on the farm we only had dogs that could not be accused of killing sheep-I would have hated that. I sold Lynnal her Yorky-she knows what she’s talking about!! (P,S. I have 3 babies for sale-who needs one?)
My son has a rottweiler and he is the sweetest dog you could ask for. I don’t believe every dog should be punished for what one did. If you banned dogs for everytime someone got bit, well nobody would have a dog, because i am sure every breed had bitten at one time or another. I myself have got bit by a collie. my son got bit by a dog riding his bike. blame the owners not the dogs.
Aggressive dogs are almost always the result of either poor breeding, poor training or both.
A bigger issue is simply owners, that do not properly control their dog, regardless of breed.
We all should have a Gumby or Sadie!!
The dogs I find to be most apt to bite are those miserable little chihauhau’s (sp?). Yes, I know they’re just little ankle biters but they seem to be overwhelmingly nasty tempered. Of course, 1 of my brother’s cocker spaniels sent both his kids to ER at different times, and the biggest wuss of a dog I’ve ever known was a doberman named Daisy. By far the most impressive dog I’ve ever seen was a German Shepherd/Great Dane cross – who took a massive dislike to our cocker spaniel.
The point is, most any dog can and will bite if the circumstances are right. I’ve tried to teach my grandkids that you never approach any dog w/out asking the owners permission. I also tend to cross the street if I know there are naughty dogs along any route I’m walking – not that I walk much.
My point is, if everyone shows a little forethought and takes a little responsibility we’d all be better off.
I’ll stick with Cockleburr, and 80 pound scud missile of a Lab-mutt, in a nice way. She likes everybody…medium rare.
Two guys are walking their dogs on a hot day. They spot a bar. One says: “Let’s pop in for a cold one.”
The second guy notes that bars don’t allow dogs.
The first guy leashes his dog, dons a pair of sunglasses and the next thing you know he’s having a beer at the bar.
Seeing this fraud, the second guy puts on his sunglasses and tries the same ploy, but the bartenders says: “Hey, bud, no dogs in here.”
The guy says, “but he’s my seeing eye dog.”
The bartender says: “A Chihauhua!”
The guy says: “You telling me they gave me a #*&^%@ Chihuahua?!”
<> As the biggest dog loving daughter in the world I can assure you 99% of the time it is the OWNERS issue with not properly training aggressive dogs. There are bound to be a few untrainable dogs in this world, just as there are humans. For the most part too many people get a sweet cute pet but don’t give the time consuming and necessary training that is necessary. My two labradors are sweet as can be—-unless you stick your hand in my car window when I am not in the car. No one is allowed in my car unless I am in there. Same goes for my house.
I remember when our own Sadie started doing her job in the house rather than outside, and we knew it was time. I came and got her and we had treats on the way to the vet and I was with her and holding her to the very end. I comforted her and talked to her and held her as she went. It was my responsibility and the very least I could do for my very very best chidhood friend and confidant.
Dobies, Rotties, & Pitties ?
I think its in there DNA to attack and bite.
Its not a question of if…its a simple question of
who & when. Owner’s have zero control over it.
Fact.
During my late high school and college years I worked at a Vet clinic. We never had problems with the above mentioned breeds. In fact, they were some of our most favorite clients! On the contrary, it was the cute little guys that gave us the most attitudes lol. Especially Chihuahua’s and Lhasa Apso’s. I remember the staff would take dibs on whose turn it was to restrain those little guys! The only large breed dogs I remember giving us issues *on occasion* were Chow Chow’s and Neapolitan Mastiff’s. Either way, I love all the breeds, big and small 🙂 After working with so many different breeds for all those years, I learned not to judge the breed. I do believe their temperament has a lot to do with their upbringing and training. Even before meeting the dogs, we could usually tell how the dogs were going to behave upon meeting their owners :/ Of my years working there, I did get bit once by an ill-mannered Weimaraner. These dogs are usually very sweet, unfortunately he mirrored his owner.
I know that all dogs have the ability to attack, I have 3 chihuahuas and they are sweethearts unless I am threatened or someone directly threatens the dogs. I firmly believe that all bad behavior is caused by lack of time, attention, and training on the owners part!!!!! Rather that banning the dogs, we should make the owners get licensed to have the more “dangerous” breeds. I am also a member of the ASPCA and have had mostly rescue animals, even if they were abused, time and loving attention can change them into the sweet loving pets everyone wants. So, please when you are choosing a pet, look at activity levels, lifespan, possible health issues(one of my dogs is now blind), and the cost of owning a pet over it’s lifetime. Not only would we have happier, healthier, better behaved pets, there would be less abandoned pets in shelters. Adoption should always be the first option!!!!!
I cannot agree more with you Doug. People get pits alot of the time because they want a big mean looking dog. Personally, I think they are trying to make up for something that they’re lacking but, whatever. My roommate has a pit, and although he has been a baby for the most part, there are a few times he has snapped on our Boxer-lab. No worries though, my chihuahua has put him back in his place. 🙂
I HAVE HAD 3 DOBIES OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THEM .THE 1 I HAVE NOW NOW CAME FROM A BREEDER IN IOWA SHE IS THE MOST PATHETIC GUARD DOG ON THIS PLANET SHE HAS ONLY BARKED 3 TIMES IN 3 YEARS IF SHE SEE”S ANOTHER DOG OR CAT SHE WILL RUN TO THE HOUSE . SHE WONT CHASE RABBITS OR SQUIRRELS OR ANY OTHER CRITTER I ALSO HAVE 16 CHICKENS THAT WILL EAT OUT OF HER DOG DISHE OUTSIDE SHE WILL LET THEM EAT WITH HER WITH NO PROBLEMS . SO THE WORD BAD DOBIE IS JUST NOT TRUE THEY ARE JUST LIKE PEOPLE SOMETIMES YOU GET A BAD ONE..
All this talk is in response to the recent attack on the guy playing basketball in the park. Let’s see, do I have my facts straight? The dogs escaped from an open house door while the owner was out on his lawn arguing with his girlfriend and beating her ith a beer bottle at something like 6:00 a.m. after an all night party? And the guy had been cited twice before for problems with his dogs? And the whole dog breed is at fault? Pardon me, but there is a lot more wrong here than the breed of the dogs. I am the proud owner of a female part pit bull mutt that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I can’t see where she should be banned because of the reckless acts of another IDIOT woman beating owner who should have had the dogs removed from his home after the first citation and definitely after the second citation.
I understand the full blame can not be on a dog breed. But what about the victim who was minding his own business and ended up being terrorized! If the breeds are not banned, how about VERY stiff punishment for the owners? Someone needs to be held responsible. The basketball player was not threatening anything or anyone. It is not as if the dogs were protecting what is theirs.
Claude: where did you get your fact that it is in their DNA? I’m interested in seeing the research.
This is the “Progressive Party” at work folks. Get used to it.
I can not believe some of the comments on here. Do the one’s that think the dogs should be to blame, really have ALL your facts? I have an American Bulldog, 98 lbs and everywhere I go people ask me, is that a pitbull? UMM NO, but if she was, what about it? I have tons of friends with pitbulls, and they think they are human and think they are lap dogs. They are the most cuddly dogs ever! I can promise you that if you knew what these dogs were meant for with the breed type, you wouldn’t believe me. They first started out helping VETERANS, yes that is right, and then have any of you looked into California rescue dogs! You will see Pit Bulls right there. ANY dog type is going to be a territorial, just like HUMANS!!! Sorry to say, but if some idiot breaks into my home, I can promise you, it won’t be my dog attacking that person, it will be me with my gun right at their face! If I feel threatened at any time, I would not be afraid to shoot! That doesn’t mean I teach my dog to attack anyone! The way these dogs are raised are do to the owners. Dogs that are dumped off in the middle of know where, or beatin from one owner, those dogs go through classes before they are actually up for adoption. The one’s with tempers, are put down. Again, do to the OWNERS raising. You all sit here and stereotype and forget German Shepperds are taught to attack with K-9 units. They have it in them, and someone else could raise that dog very easily to do that in their home. What I am trying to get at is this. You can’t just put this on certian types of breeds. You need to put blame where blame is due. And that is on the owners.
To everyone with the opinion that any of these “scary breeds” are naturally driven to bite or attack you should note that credible research groups and government agencies (the Center for Disease Control most notably) publicly oppose breed specific legislation and state that there is no evidence that it is effective or statistical proof that any breed is more dangerous or likely to bite than another… which means your opinion is just that, an opinion. And you are more than entitled to it and welcome to share it, but that doesn’t mean we can enact legislation based on it. The duty of our representatives is to consider ordinances based on our community needs as a whole group, which includes everyone who disagrees with you (and that may be more people than you realize), along with the realization that policy cannot be created on personal opinion (yours or mine) but rather sound and reasonable evidence. We should all share our thoughts on this subject in order to come to an educated conclusion, but if your part in this sharing is only a personal feeling based on an experience you’ve had or something you’ve heard in a news story it will be difficult for that input to be very seriously considered as valid for legislative discussion. Be sure you are bringing facts to the table, but be cautious because the internet provides a lot of inaccurate and ridiculous information on any given topic and those who don’t carefully select what they say will not carry much credibility.
In response to Lynnal, a Yorkie has a higher percentage of bites than more than 100 other breeds of dogs, mine included. The pit bull has a higher temperament testing pass rate than ANY other dog, at 84% pass rate (average across all breeds is 72%). The real issue with breed specific banning is that it removes the good ones from responsible owners, not the people that shouldn’t have them. A study by Michigan University has shown that BSL’s have had no positive effect, and in some cases have made the problem worse. In California, in the areas where pit bulls were banned, their population, and popularity grew. It became “cool” to have a pit, just because they were banned.
The real solution is to have EVERY dog registered with the county, and very stiff penalties for dogs running free, and the harshest of penalties for those dogs that do attack. If my pit bull, or yorkie attack someone, unprovoked, I will personally put them down.
I agree with Farmer John, that the owners should punished if they are not going to be responsible for their pets.
So let me get this straight: you were afraid of Dobermans, & due to what you’ve read or heard you now hold an opinion, that you don’t mind sharing on your media blog, based on no personal experience against 3 very different breeds of dogs? The media does sensationalize these attacks. Did the man in the park who was attacked lose any limbs? It’s funny to me that the bite makes the news, legislators open discussion on breed bans & you never hear the outcome of the victim. I suppose 3 stitches & bruising don’t make the same statement headline as vicious pitbull attack. Kelo posted a story about pitbull owner faces charges, no where in the story does it state anything about charges because of a pitbull.. but kelo still shamelessly used the headline. If you don’t understand something it doesnt make it dangerous, and if you choose to follow media outbursts instead of actually educating yourself with personal research & experience, that just makes you ignorant, which by the way, you cannot blame on a dog. I am through with kelo & their exploiting of these animals.
@Andrea, that’s amazing that your Chihuahua is able to put such a “vicious” dog into his place. I hope my sarcasm isn’t lost somewhere here. Also, you think that pitbull owners are making up for something lacking, I think that Chihuahua owners are wanna be bratty socialites, but I wouldn’t support a ban on the breed regardless.
Like other towns with BSL laws, before you ban a specific breed you should consider making them carry some kind of insurance or just to keep them on a leash or in a fenced yard. ANY dog should be in a fenced yard or on a leash. ANY kind of dog can bite. ANY kind of dog can be dangerous. It is dumb to try and ban a specific breed when they are so loved and there are so many lovable ones out there. So I believe that it is the owner, not the dog. Do you think if you mistreat, abuse, or never socialize your dog that it will be nice? No… That is the owners responsibility to take care of their dog the way they are suppose to.
So here we are all talking about one dog bit this year… And it was a English Stafford terrier(aka pitbull). How bout we talk about the two black labs that attacked someone this year or the lady overseas that got here face ripped off by a black lab a couple of yours ago……labs don’t make good head lines right Doug….o I got one more for yeah . What about he guy in Florida that at the face off of another man…..that happend only one time this year too…..so may be we all should be band from going out side… Just never know when your neighbor is going to eat your face off
To: Claude and Jen
From : someone with facts
Your both morons….thanks and have a great day.
P.S. Get the Real Facts before you open your mouths to speak
As a lifetime dog owner I have been convinced of several things over time. Things that I did not believe before owning dogs. Dogs have been bred over the years for very specific tasks. These things are instinctive to them.
I loved hounds, they were beautiful. I have had a couple of them. Different breeds. Fact is they hunt. They don’t stay in the yard by nature, they take double the training to consistently come when called (there are a lot of things that smell good or run from you that you might go need to explore) and you may never get them to not run off after the squirrel, or chicken or bunny or the neighbors cat at least occasionally. It’s what they do. Training can make this remarkably better – but it isn’t going to keep them from defaulting to their natural tendencies from time to time.
I have many friends with border collies, healers etc. They are herding dogs. They have a natural need to herd things. The kids running in yard, the chickens, the kittens, the cattle. They don’t care what it is – they are born wanting to follow things around, to herd and not just chase. I could try to train my Jack Russell to to herd the end of my wits and she’s going to chase things – but never with the intention of rounding them up.
Rotties, Pitties and Dobbies have been bred for some pretty specific tasks as well. And as dog owners. Even good dog owners we have to remember that. Sometimes regardless of good training they will do what genetics dictate. I have a Rottie, one of the best dogs I’ve ever had. He’s ten years old and never done a thing wrong – but I respect that his instincts are to protect his people and his place.
I am respectful of what it means to have him. It means if there are kids over – though he loves them, he gets kenneled. It means that I don’t leave him out unattended to bark at people at the fence. Doing nothing but lying on the floor people are scared of him (He’s a sweetheart and I don’t think he’d ever harm anyone), but fearful people do things that may make dogs react in unpredictable ways – they run, scream, yell, swing at the dog, try to be threatening, stare at them, kids in a group running and yelling while playing -some things are a recipe for an instinctive response rather than a trained one. Particularly in an unattended dog. Maybe only 1 in 100 times but these dogs are big, powerful and if they mean to bite you it’s just not the same as getting the fighting end of the nastiest Chihuahua you can find.
If the people can’t control their fear reactions every minute of everyday we can’t expect the dog to either. Faced with something they perceive as threatening (even if it’s not intended to be) or that gets them over excited, these breeds may do what their programing dictates; defend their family or their yard or themselves. It’s their programed job, just like digging holes and chasing squirrels seems to be my Jack Russell’s job.
As owners of these breeds we not only have to give them adequate attention and training, but need respect what they are and what they are capable of if we screw up. AND not go around telling ourselves and others that training is the sole solution. Or that OUR rottie would never do that. It’s bad owners that cause that. We have to respect what years of breeding for specific tasks have programed them for and keep them out of situations that have the potential for the unexpected and potentially dangerous.
Dobbies at the fence barking at passersby are about ten times more likely to bite someone all riled up , more than one dog and allowed to act aggressively than a single dog, under supervision in the yard who’s not allowed that behavior even behind the fence. Multiply by 2 if the kids scream and run. In exactly the same manner as your Healer may chase the horses past the point of exhaustion herding them around the pasture if left to their own devices. Or your cute JRT may do lasting harm to the neighbors cat if she can catch it.
If you have the attitude my dog would NEVER – you are a danger to everyone.
It’s a combination of Breeding, Training and Respect/Knowledge.
The real issue is the out come of an attack relative to the breed of dog . An attacking Pit-bull will create a more serious injury because of their powerful bite and intensity to inflict damage. It can be the differnce of being shot by a BB gun versus a shot gun.
Interesting point Daniel makes… so we should ban shot guns and any other gun that can cause serious injury because some people may use them inappropriately. Or would that be an unpopular opinion because a very large population of people in South Dakota use their guns responsibly?
Maybe u should write about irresponsible dog owners. Ive known friends who have and grew up with these breeds without a single issue. Sometimes the ppl in this state get way too scared too soon.
It would save more lives if we were talking about drinking and driving deaths. That would have a larger impact than this breed of dog issues. I think SF is wasting my money on this crap. Let’s make sure our residents can take steps to be more responsible before we talk about vicious dogs.
Drinking and driving is a way more important issue and a much better use of my tax dollars. This topic will not change the quality of life. Come on….
Every dog has a different temperment. I’ve seen labradors act a hell of a lot meaner than I’ve ever seen a pit. I have had ptibulls and they are some of the sweetest dogs on earth. It all depends on their training. Even little dogs can be vicious little jerks. Not all dogs are the same, just like not all people are the same. Rotties’ original purpose was to protect, and dogs bred for such a purpose have a tendancy to be more territorial. Is that their fault? No. People need to know what the hell they’re doing when they get a so called “dangerous” breed. Golden Retrievers are on the top 10 list for biting; they are very family oriented and thus territorial and protective. Should we ban them too? Maybe there should be a ban placed on idiotic owners.
Are you grooming for a job with the National Enquirer? Responsible journalism, anyone? I know this is an opinion column, but you have just added fuel to a fire for your own entertainment. Shame on you!
I have a small, female, spayed pit bull who was adopted from a very responsible rescue organization. I’ve yet to hear her growl, and only heard her bark a couple of times. She is always on a leash, or in our home. She is being trained, is up to date on her veterinary care, and is kept out of situations (like running loose along a fence) where she could be put in danger, or a danger to someone else. I doubt that I could get her to bite you, but she is learning to pee on command (makes it easier to take 2 dogs out on leashes to potty). Maybe I could get her to pee on your foot?
Ive been bit by a lab before and ive had 3 pitbulls and none have ever bitten anyone.. if youve never had a pit then dont dudge one. We dnr get them because they are strong or “possibly” dangerous. I like how they look and they are super loyal. So pleade dnt assume they are bad because clearly u dnt knw what youre talkin about (claude m) fact!
Hey Daniel. Where did you get your facts about there bit power….I would love to read about it. They have the same bit power of about 90% of all other dogs. Once again get your facts straight before you open your mouth thanks and have a great day
First of all, there are no bad dogs, it’s not bread into them! You need to understand that right off! It is taught by humans. As a pup, any breed, you can train and teach them good behavior! How would you react if you were always abused, mistreated, no food, water to fend for yourself? Dogs need humans for food, water, shelter, love and respect! It is the humans responsibility to TEACH and TRAIN their dogs to be obedient. There are more people bitten by little dogs than any big dog breed put together. FACT! I work with and have handled over 200 of all sizes of breeds of dogs in the last year and a half. I have NEVER been bitten. A good portion of them are Pit Bulls. With my hands on work, I need to be aware of every movement they make with their body language, if they have any sore area’s, any dog can get aggressive to protect themselves from further harm. The most important point is knowing and reading the signs and the knowledge of all types of breeds and what their typical behaviors are. The owner of the dogs are responsible for the actions and reactions from their dog! Your actions on how you approach, talk, body language can send the wrong signals to a dog as well, if you show fear to a dog that is protecting a person or property the dog senses it. If you show aggression towards a dog, they are going to be more aggressive back, it’s their natural instinct. Yes, I do believe the media reports on certain stories about certain breeds, because that gets people to watch their news! You can’t convince me that it does not happen, I see it way to often to be coincidence!
Doug,
My heart dropped when I read your editorial. I think that many of the facts are off by the people commenting about things. I was so hurt by your words and my daughter would be to.
About the only thing I can agree with is your comment about idiotic owners. So we punish good owners of any breed and only punish bad pit bull owners but not other bad dog owners.
Did we not just see some 18 year old brutally beat his mother’s dog with no punishment. Wasn’t it just recently we saw a neighbor brutally beat his neighbors dog with little punishment. Yet we see this as no problem, yet majority of serial killers were animal abusers.
Do we forget that the owner of these dogs was beating his girlfriend? Your right we should not allow people like this to own dogs of any breed. We should not allow people that have had multiple DUI’s drive and kill a 9 year old like in Mitchell. We should not allow people that have shown violence against people work with kids. There are a lot of things we should not do.
When I adopted my last dog I did more to get that dog than when I bought my house. I filled out an application, they called my references, they called my vet. Is that going to prevent someone from going out and stealing or buying one. However your ordinance would not stop it either. It has been proven that when city’s place ordinances, the people that are bad owners will still have them however they will hide them and socialization is the key part of it.
My neighbors neglect their black labs. They are loose all the time, they bark all the time, and they are in my yard all the time. Where is something to stop this. What would happen if that lab was to bit my daughter in my yard? Would we have the same conversation as we are now?
Mr. Lund, before you tell me how scared you are of these dogs I invite you to come to the Sioux Empire Pit Rescue’s adoption day or to their poker run. My 4 year old daughter spent hours playing with pit bulls.
Come do a story about neglected and abused dogs. Come talk to shelters and rescues. My mom hated the idea of me having a pit. Now she volunteers to watch them when I am gone.
I could go on forever, I just ask you to see both sides. Also could someone produce all the dog bites in Sioux Falls for the last year?
Andrea,
I did not get a pit to be big and mean. I met one and fell in love. It is my daughter’s best friend. She sleeps with them and everything else. The last thing I wanted was a big mean dog. Have you been to most humane society sites…..what dog do you see the most…black dogs. Why because big black dogs are the hardest to adopt.
We need to address issues of importance: BAD OWNERS, Over Breeding, Animal Abuse, and enforcing current city ordinances.
One person mentioned it is in their dna. It isn’t. Well wait all dogs are canine’s so all dogs in their dna have a hunting, fetching, and other canine elements in their dna.
Please don’t judge things so easily. I would want nothing more than bad owners of any breed to be punished, however don’t punish me for caring for a dog that cares for me.
I currently have 3 Pitbulls in my house…with my 11 and 5 year old sons and 4 year old daughter. Guess what? I’ve never had a problem. Not with my children and not with any neighbors or kids. And my dogs have been around a lot of people. I also use to have 2 other Pitbulls with my ex before he took them when we split up. My kids were 8, 2, and 1 then…guess what??? No problems then either. I even took those dogs with me everywhere. They road in the bed of my truck and NEVER jumped out at another person or animal. I even turned a few “pit-fearing” people into absolute pit lovers…including my own mother. So say what you will about our “vicious” dogs, but you don’t know jack. Do reseach and educate yourselves before attacking a breed that use to be used as nannies and were prominent in our military. They also don’t have lock jaw or any of those other bogus myths you have heard about them. If we want to be fair here, I have children. I want ALL child molesters banned from the town I live in. And since I’ve been the victim of domestic assault, I want all “women beaters” banned from Sioux Falls also. How ridiculous does that sound? Pretty out of line…but that’s what you are doing to our dogs. Punish the deed, not the breed.
I find it interesting that you are saying you have a neutral stance on the subject, but the tone clearly states that you, having no knowledge of the breeds, would fully support a breed ban. No, wait, you said “I’m certainly not advocating the extermination of Pit-bulls but…I wouldn’t mind allowing the breed to naturally go extinct.” Same thing in my books. Also, please, please, please, learn how to spell pit bull before writing such a biased essay, otherwise you just sound like an ignorant, pompous jerk.
If you insist on writing anything about having an opinion, perhaps you should actually form one on your own. Do the research, read a book or two, but be carefully of your sources– some of them will fudge the facts just to make their point. I would suggest sources like the CDC, National Canine Research Council, Ceasar Milan, bestfriends.org and a book entitled “The Pit bull Placebo.”
For those interested in the cost of BSL and a breakdown of what all the costs are associated with it, check out the following link:
http://www.guerrillaeconomics.biz/bestfriends/
Please note that at this time, costs in Sioux Falls are already past $150,000 a year.
Fact.
How about we deal with the facts instead of use this issue to try to discriminate against certain breeds of dogs?
FACT: A dog owner allowed their 2 dogs to run free in the neighborhood.
FACT: A person was bitten by one of these dogs.
FACT: One of these dogs lunged at a police officer.
FACT: A person has been bitten and a dog is dead.
Now let’s discuss the difference between a “responsible” pet owner and and “irresponsible” pet owner.
RESPONSIBLE pet owner: Supervises their dogs at ALL times. Doesn’t allow their dogs to get out and run in the neighborhood. Obedience trains their dogs. Knowledgeable about their dog’s breed and knows how to handle that breed of dog. Spays/neuters their dog. Obeys the leash laws of the town they live in. Doesn’t abuse their spouse/partner or their dogs!
IRRESPONSIBLE pet owner: Doesn’t supervise their dogs. Allows their dogs to run in the neighborhood. Doesn’t spay/neuter their animals. Has unwanted litters. Doesn’t work with their animals. Doesn’t obey the leash laws. Puts their dog on a chain in the backyard and forgets about them.
The real fact is that if the dogs had not gotten out of the house NONE of this would have happened!! Nobody would have gotten bit, the dog would still be alive and we would not be talking about this issue.
Another FACT: Unaltered male dogs are more aggressive than neutered male dogs. Were these dogs spayed/neutered?
You do have some good points! But you are also way off track should we not sell guns anymore? Because people rob and kill other people! And what about child molersters and rapest and women beaters should we cut of the human race because of their DNA? No it’s not their DNA it’s the way the are raised or I guess technically aren’t raised it’s their mind nothing to do with white black brown green or purple! Stop putting blame where it doesn’t belong and call a spade a spade I own both a rot and a pit and ya you break into my house I would hate I be you! But there is so much more to these dogs than you know and that’s why you wrote these aritcles and say is DNA or breed. It is the owner and nothing more and the fact that on a 3 mile walk only them two dogs barked I have to say I don’t believe that dogs bark. Thats what they do just cause they bark don’t make them mean or vicious or a bad dog that’s how they get your attention! Look I realize a lot of people get bit every year and their are a lot of pits in there that’s because people treat them very badly if you have never gone to the shelter are simply scared of them because of the media bs then don’t get one but stop pushing blame on something that only does what it is taught!!!!!
To: You have no facts
My question to Claude was to prove a point: there is NO research and/or facts in reference to her DNA comment. She is another individual professing her opinion as fact not realizing the ignorance she is portraying. I am a proud pitbull owner and this recent “ptibull topic” has really shown me how absurd some people think.
After reading all of the posts on this blog I’ve come to a couple of irrefutable conclusions:
1. People are passionate about their pets.
2. Most of you need to return to school to update your spelling and grammar skills.
3. Some folks aren’t very good at deductive reasoning.
My favorite comment was when Brittany took Daniel’s comparison of dog breed bites to wounds from various guns and somehow got the idea he was proposing a ban on guns. However did you
I hope you’re all as passionate about wearing seatbelts, donating blood, signing up to be an organ or bone marrow donor, etc., etc., etc. God Bless You All – and don’t bother asking me not to inflict my Christian blessings upon you – that was a whole different blog!
Ok, now I look like a dork! Had to answer the phone and didn’t finish my last sentence in the paragraph about Brittany and Daniel. The last sentence should read:
However did you get from what Daniel said to your conclusion he wants to ban all guns?
I apologize.
done with Kelo……media bias…tired of it. Have to listen to it on the National Level but don’t need it here in SD. Get a life, Doug…or better yet…a Pittie!!!
Velly Interesting
So Doug–
If pit bulls are so vicious (as you say they are) and it takes a GREAT amount of training to control the viciousness. (I’m sure this statement comes from years of working with pit bulls or extensive research online about the pit bull breed.) Tell me how I was able to do the following without an incident.
I am a volunteer with the Sioux Empire Pit Bull Rescue (SEPR) and very proud to be part of that organization. I and another volunteer had an opportunity to speak with approximately 150 10-13 year old children on responsible dog ownership. (Yes, Doug, we had a pit bull with us.) I am very proud to say no one got bitten or mauled.
What did happen? The children were fascinated with the dog, loved watching him brush his teeth, and of course, came up to pet him. The children were not afraid of this dog. The dog loved the attention. You see, Pit Bulls in the past have been called “nanny dogs”. For generations if you had children and wanted to keep them safe you wanted a pit bull, the dog that was the most reliable of any breed with children or adults.
Doug, if at some time you would like more information about pit bulls please contact our organization. We would be more than happy to talk with you.
Let me ask you this? Who is the one and only breed of dog that is a decorated war hero???? Look it up
Sgt. Stubby!!!!! Enough said that’s the true pitbull breed
Mr Lund, it’s time for you to research your subject before you open your mouth and spew garbage comments. You and the news stations are part of the problem for causing “frenzy” and seem to love the sensationalism. Do the research and put out those facts in your blog….I use to respect you, not so much anymore.
Years ago a Doberman/owned by our neighbor…. killed our little cockapoo in our garage/door open in the winter when we were out for the afternoon…. our little one was probably dumb enough to defend her dog dish….. we came home, saw the tracks in the snow… the doberman also terrorized the kids who wanted to ride their bikes by the yard… not fenced… on the edge of our little town… so my husband gave the neighbors 2 options: get rid of the dog, or we would see that it “disappeared” if ever in our yard again…. They got rid of it…. so I”ve never been a big fan of that breed.
Doug, after reading all the comments i had to go back and re-read your blog. WOW….How do things get so blown out of proportion. I married the love of my life six years ago who already had 2 dogs. They are Great Danes. One thing i have come to realize is that you stay neutral when it come to pet owners and their pets. Some see them as pets, others see them as their children and you dont cross that line or be prepared for an attack that many times are worse than the one their pets are capable of. I know first hand where i stand on the pecking order. I personally dont see where you said anything out of line, you are just in the same pecking order as me. Keep up the good work.
I would really like to see a response from the author on this. It’s apparent from the reader feedback that he’s lost a good chunk of credibility, and KELO a good chunk of its viewership, because of it.
I am afraid of Rottie and Dobies…don’t know why, but I am, therefore I don’t own one. That does not give me the right to take away YOUR beloved Rottie or Dobie, or advocate that ALL Rottie’s and Dobie’s be destroyed based on my own anxieties. This is what BSL does.
We adopted our beloved *Charlie* from SEPR in February. He is a pittie mix, and most importantly, he is a dog. He has not mauled anyone, bit anyone, run loose and terrorized anyone, nor broken any laws. Why? Because HUMANS have trained him, and taught him how to behave.
Shame on KELO for allowing such biased and inaccurate information on their *News* site. Mr. Lund based most of his opinions on hysterical rumors, and media bytes, and did little(if any) research with reputable statistical sites. Shame on your editors for allowing such an awful feature to be published at this time in Sioux Falls.
BSL does to Pitties what gun control does to gun owners…..the law abiding citizens will not own them, the law breaking, irresponsible owners will. The key to ANY dog problem is holding OWNERS responsible for proper care and control of their animals. This woman beating monster who let his pits out of the house has been cited in the past for failing to take proper care & control of his dogs. If Sioux Falls was to enforce its CURRENT animal laws, this owner would not have even HAD these dogs in his possession! Hold OWNERS responsible for not controlling their dogs…any dogs and any breed. Don’t punish ALL responsible/loving owners on one particular breed.
To Farmer’s Wife: I’m so very sorry to hear about the loss of your dog, and it is true that some dogs can be vicious, however, that was the owner’s fault as much or MORE than that dog. If the owner had been responsible and kept the dog in a fence or on a leash, that would not have happened. Again, I am sorry about the loss of your dear family member, my pets (dogs and cats) are all members of my family, my mother even calls them her fur-grandchildren. I know how that can color your view on a certain breed, as I was bit once and almost bit a 2nd time and both times by a German Shepard. The first time the dog was young and excited to see a new person, I don’t believe that he meant to hurt me, the 2nd time I walked to close to the dog’s young owner and he told me so by snapping at me. I am now extra careful around the breed but I also am very careful around any dog or cat that I don’t know. Again, it all comes back to RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m a huge dog lover, but some dogs are dangerous….I walk all over the western part of Sioux Falls, and have seen dogs of many breeds want to attack, if they had the chance. Banning specific breeds is not the answer, nor is the blanket statement that intact males are more likely to be aggressive.
What is most important is proper breeding, and training. Dogs that are aggressive (bad temperment) should not be allowed to breed. Also training is extreamly important. There are several places in the Sioux Falls area where training help is available, at a nominal cost. I have an unaltered male, and is friends with everyone. We have been doing pet therapy for over 5 years, in many different situations, and never once has he shown any aggression towards any person or another dog. But as a responsible owner, I am ALWAYS IN CONTROL OF HIM. If I see some one doing something that could cause any kind of unwanted response, I quickly remove him to avoid ANY kind of incident. Any dog, no matter what precautions are taken , can be provoked to defend himself.
Bottom line is that in almost all incidents involving a dog it is because of the human owner not doing what needs to be done to keep both others and his/her dog safe.
“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind you don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don’t mess around with Jim.”
Perhaps Jim Croce should have replaced “Jim” with Pit Bull owners if comments to my latest blog are any indication. Good Grief! Did those of you who calling for my head on a platter actually READ the damn thing? As predicted, I’ve been accused of not knowing a blasted thing about any of the three breeds mentioned. If I’d have bothered to do any research before shooting my big mouth off, I’d discover that these dog breeds (yours anyway) are the sweetest most gentle animals on earth and great with children. That’s wonderful. But those of you who deny the fact that Pit Bulls have a violent streak bred into them (not yours, of course,) aren’t being realistic or refuse to accept the information provided by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals quoted below:
“Pit Bulls are descendants of the original English bull-baiting dog—a dog that was bred to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head. “Bulldogs” were bred to hang on without releasing their grip, until the animal was exhausted from fighting and from loss of blood. When baiting large animals was banned in the 1800s, people then started to fight their dogs against each other instead.
As the “sport” of dog fighting developed, enthusiasts bred a lighter, more athletic canine. These dogs made their way to North America, the ancestors of today’s Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls that were not used for fighting were considered ideal family pets—affectionate, loyal and gentle with children. Serious problems started when these dogs gained the attention of people looking for a macho dog—and to meet their demands, unscrupulous and uncaring breeders are producing puppies that were not only aggressive to other dogs, but also to people.”
Insurance companies don’t seem to have any difficulty determining which dogs have the potential to be more vicious than others basing their liability rates on a study by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Here’s the website:
http://quotewizard.com/home-insurance/dog-breed-insurance-rates
I had to check my blog again to see if I said these breeds should be banned. Nope. Did I come down hard on idiotic owners who don’t properly care for their animals? Yup. Do I believe that certain dogs were bred for specific purposes and are genetically predisposed to that end? Of course they were. Can dogs that have historically been bred to be aggressive be taught to become just the opposite? Absolutely. So why does the lady who owns a pitty want it to pee on my foot? Others basically have called me a son-of-a-(female dog). There are a few reasoned comments I would urge you to read such as the ones from Tara, Bruiser, GMAX9 and others. Most of you believe I have it out for your precious Pit Bull and have read into that blog a whole hell of a lot more than intended. What I did say..and still believe..is the breed should be allowed to go extinct. There must be a reason that the shelters are full of them (many on death row) and there’s even a Sioux Empire pit rescue organization desperately trying to find homes for these animals.
It should also be noted that this past week, Don Jorgenson did a report on the proposed ban and interviewed my old friend, Tom Gunlicks who is a dog behaviorist. You can watch the story on Keloland.com. Tom was not challenged about his views on banning certain breeds of dogs yet some of you have vowed to quit watching Keloland because we’re such a biased bunch.
Although it is within my power to not allow certain comments to be posted on the blog, I have let everyone who wished to say something speak their piece even though a lot of it has been personal and amazingly inaccurate. Never do any research?? Please, I have access to the same information you do. Never done anything on shelters or have a clue about dogs? Check with the folks at Mitchell animal rescue ask them about my stories on their facility over the years..especially when we helped find homes for dozens of dogs and cats lost or abandoned that had been sent up here following hurricane Katrina.
I’ll be away from the computer for a day or so. Don’t read anything into it if you want to comment but haven’t been approved so it doesn’t show up. Besides, I’m going to be a bit more selective in the future.
Dear Mr. Lund,
I need to apologize for my snarky remark. It just frustrates me when issues become so frenzy-driven and polarized that nobody “wins” in the end. I did not make my decision to adopt this dog lightly. I did tons of research on both sides of the equation, consulted trainers and vets, and talked it over with friends and family members. Since she has come to live with us, countless hours have been spent working with her to overcome her issues (she was abandoned), and to help her to become a happy, well-adjusted pet. I wouldn’t think of putting her in any situation where she was a danger to herself or others. Over the years we have had several dogs. She has a better temperament by far than our last rescue dog, a scottie/lab mix.
Like you, I don’t appreciate being frightened by other people’s dogs. I don’t like it when they run up to me, loose, whether or not they are “friendly.” I’m often on my bike, and several of these “friendly dogs” have caused or nearly caused crashes. I don’t like taking my dog for a walk in the evening and having large dogs run along their fences barking and growling, defending their turf even though we are on the sidewalk. I don’t like small dogs off leash coming up to us snarling and snapping. If a problem occurs, it will be my dog’s fault because of her breed. I didn’t like it when my daughter was small and packs of roaming dogs, in farm country in Illinois, would come up to us. People believed they just needed “room to run.” All these things are wrong and should be addressed.
Still, I didn’t have any right to be rude or disrespectful to you. Once again, I apologize.
Hey, you go Doug, but after reading all the comments it still is the simple answer, the Owner. I have a pit bull and I am not going to tell you how sweet he is,which he is, but I am a responsible pet owner and have enough respect for the dog to take care of him in which the manner he should be. He is neither chained nor fenced but I do live in the country but still have neighbors close by. Banning breeds of dogs in your city would not be the right thing to do. Maybe they need to give more attention to the animal control people to help stop situations like this from happening.
Where I used to come from a pit bull was a sign of being cool as to say but that was only show and I don’t know who was scarier the owner or the dog. So all in all it boils down to the owner not the dog so why make the dog pay for the stupidity of a human.
Doug how dare you bring buffalo wild wings into this! You pit owners need to cut Doug some slack this is a blog about HIS thoughts and feeling ( Im with you on this). Im just courious as to why a city the size of Sioux Falls needs a pitbull rescue center would those resources be better used for drunk driving awareness as someone stated? I hate to break it to you but those dogs are a danger to the community every last one of them. I remember watching a special about the bear from Semi Pro guess what he killed his trainers brother whom he was video taped playing with 5 minutes before. Why you ask because he’s an animal just like your Pit. Do everyone a favor and keep your very loving and playful Pit at your HOUSE with your kids. Doug keep the blogs coming!
It’s apparent that people that have pits love em.. people that don’t (for the most part) don’t care for them. Writing anything that doesn’t give the “offended” side (pit owners) any positive light will be an insult to them, while it will be a good read to the rest of the population. Loved the story 🙂
Doug, I do see that you have mentioned that you are an advocate of responsible pet ownership, but unfortunately, I also believe that the nature of your article, claiming that the breed should be allowed to go extinct simply because humans are irresponsible simply lends a hand to what is called the media bias. Often times, reporters, who are often considered by the public to be figures of authority and knowledge, will make offhand comments such as you have done in your conversational blog post. Unfortunately, people do not heed your warning that you admittedly know nothing of the breeds which you speak and use it as further proof that these dogs are simply dangerous.
I find your example of the dobermans you passed by while walking to be one sided. Yes they are territorial, but how many times have you seen a tiny little min pin, chihuahua or shiatsu viciously attacking a car window or screen door when you pass as if the thing they would like best is to end you? They are too small to be taken seriously, but are easily just as viscous as the larger breeds you mention in your article.
If you are against dog attacks, don’t go after the breeds, but instead be for the promotion of responsible dog ownership and education of people about how to properly handle dogs. I also urge to you further research the topics you have discussed and possibly create a more refined post that simply has more knowledge about these breeds included within the text.
I feel that you have greatly misrepresented the Sioux Empire Pit Bull Rescue in your response. They are not desperately trying to find homes because no one wants to adopt pit bulls. The mission of the SEPR is to find happy homes with responsible owners so that the Pit Bulls that do find their way into shelters will be sure to be placed with responsible families instead of another irresponsible owner that is looking for a Pit Bull for reasons similar to your “hot wings” example above. In effect, they share the same goals as you claim to have, responsible pet ownership.
I should also note that there are also Dachshund and Chow rescues in the Sioux Falls area that are also just as passionately looking for responsible homes for those breeds, but that does not inherently mean that they are desperate to find someone who wants that breed of dog. A rescue is simply a group that is passionate about a breed and committed to the well being of the dogs they help.
I can fully understand why you have been defensive in your response, but I also feel that you have only tried to defend yourself instead of apologizing to the readership you have so unintentionally offended. While you have posted the link to the one home insurance site, there is plenty of evidence supporting the temperament of Pit Bulls.
The American Temperament Test Society has a standard test for all dog breeds and rates their temperament as a pass/fail percentage. Please view these statistics here:
http://atts.org/breed-statistics/
As you will see, Pit Bulls have a better score than Corgis, Schnauzers, and Pomeranians, and their overall score of an 83.9% beats even the general dog population score of 77%.
Perhaps this will assist you in your next response to the many comments you have accumulated. And to those who are posting rash and thoughtless comments: Please be reasonable in your responses. You will gain a far better response from Doug and other readers if you can show your point without anger or violent comments.
There are NO BAD dogs ! It’s People who are BAD ! All animals can and will Bite ,even Humans Bite ! I have 3 dogs,I was raised with dogs and other animals all my life,I raised my 4 kids with dogs. NOT once has any of our Loving pets hurt anyone ! But a guy who lived 2 houses from us had a cocker spaniel who bit a neighbor boy,why? Because that guy BEAT that dog ! With LOVE ,food,training and socializing of a dog it is VERY LOYAL to it’s human ! Some people are just STUPID !! It’s SAD we always blame the dog !! Well it’s usually a Human who Abused it and made it mean !! I have GOOD dogs ,they are FAMILY members ,and I’d FIGHT for my dogs to Protect them from people who would hurt them because they are Pits ! Stereo type as usual !
”What I did say..and still believe..is the breed should be allowed to go extinct. There must be a reason that the shelters are full of them (many on death row) and there’s even a Sioux Empire pit rescue organization desperately trying to find homes for these animals.”…….I believe this statement is disingenuous, and an innacurate portrayal of rescues in general, and Sioux Empire Pit Rescue in particular.
SEPR, just like any rescue, advocates for the breed they are passionate about. Not all of their rescues are even FROM the Siouxland area. Our rescue dog, Charlie, came to SEPR via Cedar Rapids, IA. Your statement seems to paint a mental picture of SEPR desperately trying to pull out as many pit bulls as possible out of Siouxland shelters because the dogs are somehow inherently bad and have to go to *death row*. This is not the case. Pit bulls end up in shelters for the very same reason Cockers, Retrievers, Labs, etc. do….their human owners cannot/will not take care of them. The fact that ANY animal is in a shelter does not mean the animal is defective. This is true of ANY breed of dog, or any other animal. Please keep in mind, shelters in some communities are FULL of pit bulls due to Breed Specific Legislation. Not because they were bad dogs, but because they looked a certain way.
I get the impression that Mr. Lund wrote a blog he thought was clever, funny, or entertaining. In reality it came off as somewhat cruel without much logical thought. Of course a blog is personal opinion, but when that blog is posted on a NEWS site, it is the responsibility of the news organization to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the piece. Mr. Lunds piece was not neutral in tone, and not followed up with reliable statistical data, or open minded thought. This would be why readers are angry with KELO, and disappointed in their lack in judgement.
Also, Mr. Lund ended his blog with the words *Sic ‘Em*. I am led to believe from this statement that he KNEW his words were inflammatory, and he KNEW there would be emotional backlash. I do not understand why he seems so upset in his follow up….it would seem he got exactly the response he was looking for.
Hold owners accountable. Don’t ban an entire breed because of the reckless acts of one person who beats his girlfriend in public. You can only imagine how those dogs were treated behind closed doors.
When I read this blog I took it as it was meant. Some dogs are meaner than others and need special attention and control by their owners. However, after reading all this hoopla, I am no longer sure who is more aggressive, the dog or the owner. Who are they trying to convince????
I’m shocked at all the so called dog lovers who insist on keeping these big, energetic breeds of dogs in the city! Pit Bulls, Labs, German Shepards, Retrievers, etc. etc. belong in a home that has space for them to run, sniff and enjoy life. Not cooped up in some kennel or backyard on a chain! These are outdoor dogs! If you want a dog in town, get a little poodle or the like. If you really want a big breed of dog, you will provide a space for them to live a full dog life, and that requires lots of space. So, save your money and buy an acreage! The dog will love it, your neighbors in town will love it too! Don’t give me this “I just love Pit Bulls, Labs, German Shepards and other big breeds crap! You are being cruel beyond belief to give these animals a life in a virtual prison cell.
Pit bulls are ANIMALS just like bears and cougars can I move in next to any of you pit owners without a complaint? We both know the answer is NO and I wouldn’t blame you. For the saftey of everyone please (your family included) let the breed go away. I always ask what does/will your dog do? A lab will return a pheasent a hearder will bring the cows in what will a pit do besides bite? Sure he will love YOU and your family but what about the rest of us? Can the neighbor kid hope the fence to get a ball? Not if he want to throw it again. Laws are made to protect everyone. Nobody is saying you can’t own a pit you just shouldn’t own one in town.
You are spot on, as usual, Doug! Love reading your blog!
What is the most common phrase uttered by a neighbor when they find out the guy who has lived next door to them turns out to be a serial killer? “He was always so quiet and he kept to himself”
What is the most common phrase uttered by a dog owner after their dog ends up biting, mauling, injuring, or even killing someone? “[Dog’s name] was always so kind and gentle and great with children”.
Like it or not, some dogs are capable of doing much more damage than others. Temperament might have something to do with it, but when a small dog bites someone, chances are the damage can be addressed with a band-aid rather than a trip to the ER. Due to the jaw structure and power of some larger breeds, they can easily result in massive injuries or even deaths.
Check the statistics surrounding dog bite fatalities, and you will soon find that Pit Bulls (and their associated mixes) as well as Rottweilers are responsible for a vast majority of the deaths. This isn’t opinion, it is supported by hard evidence. Example A: http://dogbitelaw.com/images/pdf/breeds-causing-DBRFs.pdf
Since numbers without context are meaningless, lets ask ourselves if we find it feasible that these same breeds make up the vast majority of dogs in the US? I think most people would agree that isn’t the case… in fact per AKC registrations, where Labrador Retrievers are consistently the most popular dog, and Bull Terriers come in somewhere south of 50th most popular, these statistics SHOULD alarm everyone. What would should see (and what Doug actually mentioned in his original blog post) was Labrador Retrievers being responsible for the most dog bites simply due to statistical averages. However that isn’t the case, and when speaking of significant injuries and/or deaths the numbers are even further skewed.
The facts are that certain breeds of dogs have a higher propensity to maul, injure, and kill. We can blame this on humans for a lack of training, or we can blame it on the breed, or we can blame it on specific dogs, but the facts are the facts. If you read the actual reports from many of these dog bite fatalities, you will find that in many cases the owners had never witnessed any hostility from the dogs in the past, and at one point the dog(s) just snapped. I dare say no matter how well trained they are, almost any dog can still revert to their instincts in some situations, and in some cases those instincts can result in significant injury.
When you boil it down and remove the emotion to simply look at the statistics and the facts, you soon realize that it is an indisputable fact that Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are dangerous when compared to other breeds. That isn’t to say other dog breeds are never dangerous, or that other dog breeds aren’t responsible for injuries or deaths, or that certain Pit Bulls and Rottweilers aren’t the gentle and peaceful dogs that so many owners claim they are…. it is just a fact that as a whole, these dogs are more dangerous.
It is like comparing a modern Volkswagen with 10 airbags, ABS, stability control, crumble zones, and active head restraints to a 1950s Volkswagen with no seatbelts, no crumple zones, no airbags, and doors that were less than three inches thick. One of these is clearly more dangerous than the other, but it may never be obvious until it is too late.
In this case Doug is not suggesting a breed ban is necessary and I have no idea if that is the answer, but clearly there is an issue at work here. I believe Doug’s suggestion that a certain type of person is attracted to Pit Bull type dogs because they want to have that “wow” factor holds true. Just walk though the more “colorful” parts of town where you find people with a tattoo to limb ratio above 2:1, and who tend to wear their flat brimmed hats over their ears. When these people are out walking their dogs and what breeds do you think are most common? I’ll give you a hit… it isn’t a Yorkie or a Chihuahua.
So yes some people might help contribute to certain breeds having a bad reputation, but when a dog is bred to do certain things, those traits can come to the surface even if they aren’t desired. It is their nature, and I hope many of the same people telling us how sweet and innocent and kind their Pit Bulls are never have to experience and event that would make them change those opinions.
Perhaps we should simply mandate anyone who wants to have one of these dogs registered within city limits needs to be bonded for any potential damage it may cause. The size of the bond needs to be tied to the risk factor… which shouldn’t be too hard to obtain since insurance companies already have a pretty good idea of which breeds are more likely to result in their claim payouts being higher. If someone is found to not have their dog licensed or bonded, then that dog needs to be confiscated from them and they need to be fined at a level which would prevent them from ever doing it again ($500 to $1000).
Finally, I’m not the type of suggest we euthanize any dog which has not shown aggression, but if and when a dog does bite or maul someone it should be put down no questions asked, and again the owner should be held responsible via fines (and likely a nice civil court case from the victim(s).
Clearly there are other ways to address these concerns other than breed specific bans, since people find clever ways of getting around such bans in the first place (unless the city is going to perform DNA checks on dogs, it is difficult to prove that a dog is primarily a banned breed rather than a mix with only a small portion of that specific breed).
I felt compelled to write in one more time on this subject and after this im going to let it go. I work in an industry that requires me to go to hundreds of different customers houses. Less than a week ago or before i even read Dougs blog, i had to go to a place where there was a bull mastiff. I must add that this was a very intimidating looking dog… the dog was very friendly and let me pet him each time i walked into the place, let me roam around and do my work without any reason to be scared until i attempted to walk out the door. Then he would lunge at the door and act as if he had never seem me before. This would happen each and every time i would walk out the door. I asked the owner why he did this and his reponse was I dont know. Thats it!!!! We dont know!!!! He also went on to tell me that this dog loves everybody except one person who the dog would just as soon shred, This person has been a friend of their family for years but the dog just seems to hate him for no reason. I once again asked the customer why he hated this peticular friend of his and his response was the same….. I dont know!!!!! Similar things have happened with all differnt breeds of dogs since i started doing this 15 years ago and i have been bitten several times, fact is these larger breed dogs are capable of doing massive amounts of damage in a very short period of time where it would take the little ones hours just to get through my work boots. nuff said
First off I’m really unsure as to where you stand on this issue. First you say they are bad. But then you tell your girlfriend you two should get one. Then you end your article with they should got extinct. So can you clarify your “opinion”? Because it seems to me your a little confused. So how you even have an opinion or feel like you can put it out there is beyond me. I still can not believe this is still even up. I don’t understand where you get off saying you know why I picked my dog. The wow factor? How about I did lots of research on the breed before I choose to go with it. I read the pros and cons just like every dog has. People this breed is not for everyone. Just like other breeds. You need to do your research. I decided on the American Pit Bull terrier. So my next stop was a rescue. I don’t support breeders. I thought of a shelter but I have a friend who does Pit Bull rescue so I went to her. I was screened. Got tons of information. Talked with the volunteers and had a home check. All before I even met a dog or had one in mind. They wanted to make sure I was a good fit for this breed. Also if my lifestyle was a good fit. Once they approved me. I met the dogs. I fell in love with my guy 2 years ago. I don’t feel like I need to explain myself to you or anyone else. I pay those same taxes you do. I have never been in trouble. But people like you think you are owed some sort of an explanation, even when I have done nothing wrong. I’m writing this because everyone seems to have such a messed up image of how and why we get these dogs. Some maybe this will enlighten you. I now currently volunteer and foster for the rescue I got my dog from. Now I’m sure your all thinking well not everyone does what did. Your right. There should be proper screening for any breed. But that is a long shot at best. So what can everyone do? Well banning has got everyone nowhere. Why you ask? Well because there are so many people who incorrectly identify a Pit bull. It happens all the time. Animal control does it. People walking down the street do it. So though you may think that only a pit bull can be the culprit you are wrong right along with the rest of them. You can judge each case separate. ALL dogs can bite. The people who say ” If its a small dog it doesn’t really matter” are foolish. Because it does. What if that owner didn’t vaccinate like he should have? Now this little dog who had rabies bit someone. That’s ok in some of your minds? NO its not. It doesn’t matter how big or how small. The issue should be dealt with. The dog and the owner need to both be punished. Once you start doing that I bet everything dog bites will go down. Now Id like to address all of you who think us owners are tempting fate . Dogs where breed for certain things. To help human in some way they saw fit. HUMANS breed them that way. They were never breed to kill people. In fact those dogs who ever showed signs of any human aggression where destroyed and never breed again. For you people to say well one pit bit. So they are all bad and must be destroyed. Its like saying to a family who’s father murdered someone. The kids must be destroyed because he may have passed the gene on. Which No one would do. Instead you would punish the one who did the wrong. Why is it any different now? America needs to deal with the issue at hand and stop pointing fingers.
Seems to me you ‘block’ all the answers you don’t want to hear. I have worked with pit bulls for years and believe it or not have only been bitten by two dogs in my life…a cocker spaniel and a german shepherd. But I guess you know more than those of us that work with them. I am sorry to see someone who is in the public spotlight write such a biased, totally untrue blog. Say what you want….what goes around….comes around…..
I feel this is just somewhere for complete bashing. There have been many people who have posted comments as to why we are AGAINST the BSL, and they are NOT APPEARING! How many people have actually met one of these dogs? Some i’m sure have, but others have not. They simply hear what society has to say! It’s very unfortunate what use to be labeled as “nanny” dogs are now deemed “Viscous,” All because some irresponsible owners did some very bad things, and now the animal has to suffer for it! I wish people would open up their minds and realize that they are NOT all bad, and A LOT of people will be loosing a family member whom they and there children have come to love. It is nothing more than a different shot of Racism and should NOT be tolerated
.http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&tbnid=QU-EX_-ana-mJM:&imgrefurl=http://pitbullpatriarchy.blogspot.com/2009/04/pit-i-said-pit-i-will-pit.html&docid=BTHtu5egldrr8M&imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jg42u5r2o6k/SetsTImMpYI/AAAAAAAABHY/jBPL0B2Snm4/s400/RacialProfiling-PitBull.jpg&w=400&h=250&ei=8_jgT9yUE5Ok8ASjyJicDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=372&vpy=181&dur=386&hovh=176&hovw=283&tx=100&ty=98&sig=110758347856201059322&page=2&tbnh=119&tbnw=191&start=18&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:18,i:137
I love to see peoples opinions and love the fact that we are all ale to express those opinions freely. Has anyone considered that if its not Pit Bulls it will be something else. If we continue banning and hoping for extinction because of horrible owners and lack of training canines are going to be extinct period. I have barking snarling ankle biters that live around me but I certainly am not telling my neighbors to put their dogs to sleep. About every ten years the focus on which breed is viscous and needs to be banned changes. This has happened before people with German Shephards, Dobermans, Rottweilers and Chows. This doesnt surprise me at all, it disappoints me that we as a community dont think there is a way to help people in our community be responsible that were just. going. to punish everyone and every dog because they fit the description of a Pit Bull. Maybe we should be the community that sets the example for Pit Bull owners around the country by not punishing the dog but the irresponsible owners. Keep people who use and abuse the breed for everything it was never meant to be from owning anymore animals. Make the punishments more severe. You beat the crap out of a dog and the consequences are trivial. Why? Theyre living beings. Cant we find a way to be a leader for change? Why is this issue any different then others we’ve refused to jump on the bandwagon with? Lets not take the easy way out lets set things straight once and for without being bias towards the only thing that has limited resources to stand up gor themselves. And people you better believe Pit owners are PASSIONATE about people disrespecting their family members. The loud and proud pet owners arent the ones we should be concerned about….its the ones that refuse to draw attention to themselves at all cost that we need to worry about.
I love pit bulls. No I do not own one, but I do not support ignorant remarks such as “make them extinct”. People believe that banning or destroying a breed gets rid of the “problem”. The only thing that would do would cause those that taught the previous breeds to move on to the next powerful breed. It’s also funny how people honestly believe that “Pit Bulls” are actually a breed and that their jaws lock. Both are false. Yes, there is an American Pit Bull, but most people mistake breeds such as Boxers, Mastiffs, American Staffordshire’s are all “Pit bulls”. I do pity those who may have been attacked, but that doesnt mean that you ban someone elses dogs who havent done anything but give love. Today there is a rise in “Pit Bull” service dogs (such as for the blind, therapy dogs, etc). They’re loving animals, but unfortunately their love for the owners and loyalty causes them to follow the bad ones whose hands they often fall into. 30 years ago this same issue was with Dobermans, and German Shepherds. Where will we be in 30 years from now? No dog breed is perfect, and banning does nothing.
I know there’s a lot of rumors going around, but you have to realize that every single breed of dog was bred for a specific purpose. Even small dogs were bred at one time as guard dogs. My friend has a rottie that is so completely laid back that a grown adult or a smal child could roll all over him, tug and pull on his hair/ears and the dog would do absolutely NOTHING in response. People make a very big mistake of rewarding their dogs (unknowingly) when they are puppies for acting protective or what have you. These rewards tell the dog that this is good behavior and they continue to do it as they grow older/stronger. Yes, the dogs were bred for a certain reason, but CAN ABSOLUTELY be trained differently. Pit bulls have the strongest jaw in the dog world because their jaw muscles go all the way to the top of their head, whereas Golden Retrievers are known to have the “softest” mouth in the dog world, but that doesn’t mean a golden retriever wont bite. ALL dogs are followers of someone, a “pack leader”. As owners, we need to assume the responsibility of the “pack leader” and show our followers what is correct behavior, and discipline when necessary. A dogs life is to please and thats what makes them happy, not to run wild and crazy with no rules/restrictions and attack things. Yes, a dog (any dog) may bark and charge the fence. That doesn’t mean they want to eat your face or attack your throat. They are protecting what they are told is their area. Even if you are on the sidewalk, the dog is saying “Hey this is my kingdom, and you’re getting a little too close for comfort so I’m just letting you know. If people would just do the research and watch for the signs of when a dog is being aggressive vs. when a dog is just saying hey I see you there and this is my place. THEY ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT REACTIONS. From my personal experience, small dogs scare the crap out of me i.e. chihuahua’s, pomeranians, yorkies. They are some of the most territorial/protective animals I’ve ever met. And in fact have seen more attacks from them just because you came near their owner, than from any pit, rottie, or doberman. These three breeds are great dogs and completely about pleasing their owners. Whether their owner punishes them or not for negative behavior is their own fault, not the breeds. The dog is only trying to please.
Hi Doug, I am the owner of Paws and Reflect pet grooming here in Sioux Falls. I would like to extend an offer for you to hang out with us for the day and gather some opinions and some facts of professional pet groomers who have been working with dogs for several years. I think you will have a good time and be able to observe dogs of many different breeds from a different perspective. I welcome your response and hope to here from you. 🙂 Feel free to contact me @ 274-1974. Have a good day!
It is very sad that these poor animals have been used to protect, guard and even fight over the years. Had they not been used in such manners, they may not have such a bad rap. My family has owned Rottweilers and Dobermans. They have ALL been very good dogs and have not shown any aggression. In fact, my family members have gotten 2nd and 3rd dogs of the same breed after the 1st passed. I visit the dog park in SF often and have come across several of these dogs. I have not seen any of them act out or cause harm to other dogs.
As for all of you that have a fear of large dogs…I would be more afraid of some of the little ones! I have seen more people bit and more issues with other dogs starting with the small ones! I am by no means saying little dogs are all bad, they are just reacting and protecting. One of my favorite dogs in the whole world is a Chiwawa, but I am more concerned that she will bite vs the big dogs in my family.
I do agree that the issues with ANY dog starts with the owner. Dogs that are left outside in the yard, alone all day, are not going to have that special bond with humans. They really need to be part of the family. If you do not want your dog to be part of the family…why get one?? It all comes down to training and spending time.
When it comes down to it, I would swear that my dogs would not hurt another dog or worse yet a person, but they are dogs and put in certain situations, they will react like dogs. This goes for ALL breeds. I own one of the kindest, gentlest breeds, but if you put them in a situation where they were protecting or surviving…I hope they would step up and take care of business.
Doug….I would invite you to come out to the dog park….see for yourself and maybe get your “dog fix”. I will warn you…wear comfortable clothes that can take a little slobber!
I absolutely agree with “believeitornot” and I think you should take Jennifer up on her offer. I have been a pet groomer for several years and in our salon we see 30 – 40 dogs a day, every day, 7 days a week. In the 7 years that I have been working with dogs I have never come across a pit bull that was the least bit aggressive toward me, the dobies have all been big chickens, the rotties have all been happy butt wigglers, and German shepherds basically like to act tough but are cuddly babies.
The breeds we have had to send home due to aggression were exclusively small breed dogs. There is nothing like experience to really give you perspective on the different breeds.
As far as letting breeds go extinct… some dogs may be aggressive but it is exclusively human to be cruel. Humans kill each other, torture each other, abuse each other (as well as other living beings), so I have a better idea – we should let humans go extinct. That would solve far more problems 😉
All pet owners need to be responsible for insuring the safety of others and their pets, whether the pets are cats, dogs, birds, rabbits etc.
Owners must also use extra precautions when there is the potential for harm to either humans or animals. My cat is a “door dasher,” I have to take extra steps to insure that she does not get outside.
I like dogs. Some make me nervous because they are big and can, in their friendliness knock me down. When I see a big dog, even if the dog is on a leash I move away as far as I can. Even a Yorkie can knock me down if I don’t see it coming.
Pitt Bulls, or mixed breed Pitt Bulls, Dobies, Rotties, Labs, German Shepards are bred to be big and powerful animals. They can be very mild and be the “Gentle Ben” of dogs, but because of their strong jaws and teeth they can do a lot of damage. What I propose is that dogs that are ever outside (fenced or leashed,) the owners should take the extra precaution of putting muzzles on their dogs.
The muzzles can be easily taken off during period throughout the day to allow them to eat and drink. If the dogs are “indoor” dogs, the muzzle can be removed at the owner’s discretion.
The issue, to me, is not so much about breeds of dogs and the pros/cons of dogs, the bigger issue is owners using extra precautions to insure the safety of others and their pets.
I’ve owned six Rottweilers over the past 12 years. I am not one of those owners who believe Pitts and Rotts are just big pillows that everyone and any one should own. I have always equated owning large breed dogs with owning a gun. Guns in and of themselves are not dangerous, but in the wrong hands they are a tragedy waiting to happen. My dogs are trained, secured and well socialized. I as the owner am responsible to maintain positive control at all times, again very much like owning a gun. Banning specific breeds, as someone has already pointed out, will not end the problem of unfit owners. Washington DC has some of the nation’s most stringent gun control laws and at the same time the highest murder rate in the country, bans do not work. When bans are passed law-abiding citizens like myself are the ones who pay, not the unscrupulous criminal types who will do as they please any ways. The only answer is to hold irresponsible owners responsible for their actions and punish them with harsh penalties.
Doug, I’d love to have you over to meet my Rotts, yes when you pull into the drive way they are going to jump up on the fence and bark at you, that’s something I want them to do. But enter into their space and the worst that is going to happen is you will be relentlessly bothered to throw a slim covered ball for them. I’m at the Spencer dog park a lot on Monday mornings, stop and see if I’m there or lets just set a play date.
If there is something wrong with this post that it won’t pass moderation could you please at least drop me an email and tell me why?? Thank you, Tim
I was walking down the street the other day and these Pitt come running at me barking! Seeing no leash I started to scream, two feet from me this invisible rope appeared and snapped the dog back!! Rope? The owner came out and just held the rope and shouted for his dog to be quiet. No use cause the dog was on attack status. As I continued to walk by, scared as ever, The dog never retreated and the owner was laughing. Like it was cool for this dog to be doing this. I love dogs all dogs! But the unpredictable ones are a danger to everyone who live in the city. Suppose all the dogs had owners who used rope to hold their Pitts Dobies or Rotts? These breeds of dog, I think, require a different type of owner. Until the day I see a little blind woman being led by a trained Pitt, Dobie, Or Rott without being easily distracted, Than that is the day I myself will purchase one of these breeds. My opinion is these dogs are dangerous and unpredictable and need owners who live out in the country. Take away the danger add the open space equals happy dog happy city people!