4 Pit Bull Attacks in 4 Days Prompt Call for Breed Ban in Garland County, Ark.

Originally Posted by Stealth.Pilot

I agree. A Federal ban on all dogs would be better. Maybe then more people would pursue human relationships.

Forsooth! For sale, for naught.


Thrice the brined Imperial Blue'd.
Thrice the Oyster Nappa Hides,
Harpies cry:-Convenience Package!
High beam Automatic Ride;


Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
....Eye of newt,
..........Its sale we ban--
550i Dinan Sedan.


Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
(Pissed'em off , so drop a log,
Lizard's leg, and M-sport Package,-
Hex Upon the seating package


Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.


Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
....Eye of newt,
..........Its sale we ban--
550i Dinan Sedan.


Witches' mummy; maw and gulf
sport Automatic paddles, (ralph)
Root of hemlock digg'd in the dark;
Nappa Dashbord faux grained shark

Gall of goat, and slips of yew --- Drive assistance Package, too.

Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse;
Integral active Steering slips,
Heated seats and Premium sound
Gruel like something dropped from hound.
Add the retro driver's smell
Controls-Ceramic forged in hell,


Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
....Eye of newt,
..........Its sale we ban--
550i Dinan Sedan.

Originally Posted by MatWiz

Tone it down Ryan. You can't call people idiots or morons even when they don't agree with you.

Originally Posted by nightmareuki

what if he's a doctor?

Originally Posted by MatWiz

Then he should work on his bedside manners..

I'm definitely not a doctor, and I certainly should tone it down. Conversations about pits always get me riled up

I volunteer at a couple humane societies, and I devote a lot of time with rescued/abandoned/abused pits (there are tons of them here in Madison), so I feel as though I've grown to understand the breed pretty well, along with the situations that have created this general feel of hatred/distrust towards them. IMHO, it's unjustified, and could probably be compared to racism in some instances. Its just complete ignorance fueled by the media and those that dont care to think for themselves. A couple bad apples in the spotlight makes the whole batch seem bad.

Someone else said it too; but absolutely NO animal should be left alone with children, regardless of its size. I'll never understand why people are honestly surprised to read about children being mauled when left alone with animals?? Yeah, a pit will do more damage than a kitten, but both can be temperamental when poked in the face and grabbed by young children..

Originally Posted by Capobranco

First they came for the Pit Bulls, and I did not speak out
Because ours was not a Pit Bull.

Then they came for the Rottweilers, and I did not speak out
Because ours was not a Rottweiler.

Then they came for the Dobermans, and I did not speak out
Because ours was not a Doberman.

The they came for my German shepherd
and there was no one left to speak for us.

Capobranco

Me gusta.

Originally Posted by MatWiz

........

So saying that pitbulls are like any other dog, or that all dogs are the same and that it depends on the training, and the owner... I say that is not this simple. Sure of course if you chose a Cocker Spaniel as you pet and it run out of your hands toward some kid, chances are that he will kill him faster by drowning him with his saliva, licking him to death. Even if he bites, no big deal. But if we are comparing breeds of large dogs, those that can damage a person if they choose to, we need to recognize that not all large dogs have the same natural personalities. Comparing AH to GSD, the AH hunting instincts (and "knowledge"!) are about x100 that of a GSD for example. What's in the head of a Pitbull??? Can't we already say that there is an instinct to kill? Even if that is a human being?

MatWiz - truly excellent post. You highlight the crucial, often overlooked and/or underestimated, aspect in dog ownership and training - breeding/instinct. In my first post on this thread I noted that it was vital that dog owners "know their dog and understand the limits of their handling skills. I agree there are significant differences between breeds and differences of personality within breeds. All too often I hear that aggressive dogs are the result of improper socialization, and that all dogs can be rehabilitated. Indeed, this is a pervasive opinion as popularized by the "Dog Whisperer". In short socialization – training- has the power to trump genetic based innate behaviors. I have handled large protection dogs most of my life – I understand and appreciate the absolute necessity of proper socialization and training, but I also understand the limits of training.

Dogs are born with genetic predispositions.Training – such as Schutzhund – utilizes these inbreed predispositions to produce remarkably balanced dogs that can do complicated obedience, tracking and protection. However, I have learned that you face an uphill battle if you try to block or over- print natural instinctual behaviors. My experience is that you can modify almost any behavior but you cannot eliminate it. A responsible dog owner will not subject others – especially children - to a dog that has shown aggressive tendencies. Infamous words every trainer dreads – "he never did that before". If you have an aggressive dog, or a dog that is not trustworthy, you need to understand your dog's nature. Ignorance breeds both canine and human tragedy.

GSDs, as many dogs, see the world in black and white – you are either in the pack or outside the pack. Appropriate behavior intra-pack maybe entirely inappropriate outside the pack. My GSD is a very confident dominate dog that exudes power, but he treats his (my) family with patient tenderness. My mom who lived with us became sick and very fragile. My shepherd would go to the side of her bed and he was her constant companion – my mom adored him and they were inseparable. . My mom passed at hospice and my GSD the next day went to her bedroom and mournfully howled a very sad song for hours. It has been 5 months since she passed but he continues to go to her bedroom and lay beside her bed.

My GSD would appear to be a gentile spirit. People continually ask if they may pet him. My answer is an emphatic no – only his family is allowed to pet or handle him. I do not know what a person may do or say to my dog – it just is not worth the risk - even if that risk is very small. I love and respect my GSD too much to indulge my vanity and be a showboat with him in an uncontrolled circumstance. I marvel at his power and intelligence, and I respect him for who he is.

For years your mantra has been "Dogs are scary " – my retort is "some dogs are indeed scary" - Know your dog – know yourself

For years your mantra has been "Dogs are scary "

That was me being funny. Look at my title...

Dogs are born with genetic predispositions.Training – such as Schutzhund – utilizes these inbreed predispositions to produce remarkably balanced dogs that can do complicated obedience, tracking and protection. However, I have learned that you face an uphill battle if you try to block or over- print natural instinctual behaviors. My experience is that you can modify almost any behavior but you cannot eliminate it.

Exactly!

In a way, with "angry" dogs (i'm using the word loosely!) a training would be like sending an angry person to an anger management course. He'd know how to overcome and suppress his anger, but in many cases it is like keeping the cork on an unopened champagne bottle. You never know when the inherent instinct will take over the training if the stimulation that is waving in front of his face is just too much to overcome.

It reminds me of some of the crazy, totally unexpected experiences I had with my Afghan Hound. One day I was on a raised promenade at the beach. We were about 12' off the sand. We stood there and I am watching the water and the people and a pigeon was walking around on the sand looking for food and eating. My dog looked at it intently and all of a sudden just jumped like a bullet out of a gun through and underneath the guard rails 12' high onto the pigeon! I had to immediately let go of the leash or he would be hanged in there. The pigeon hardly escaped him as the AH was waiting for his back to turn to us and for him to be in his jump range. If not for the leash jerking him back he'd lend on it. Talk about explosive instinct taking over. I would have never think any of my GSD jumping like that, and never saw him jumping like that, but he never thought twice! Like I said before, from a Ford Fiesta mode to a Ferrari mode in a split of a second.

Then of course the dude is free. So his running instinct is taking over. After a minute of chasing pigeons on the beach he start racing - they can do 40mph... and he just runs and runs away until it is just a little black dot on the beach and disappears. I panic a little but I know the running routine. Had to walk to the stairs and go down and wait for him. About 10 minutes I see the dot becoming larger and he is galloping back. He knows not to come to ME, so he passed me by about 20', stopped for a second to look at me to acknowledge me, gives a shot bark, and start racing to the other direction. Small dot, disappears, 10-15 minutes and he is back. He'd either repeat the same thing again or come to me an let me get him. The GSDs would never get more than about 100' from me when let go free in the fields and would always keep looking back to check where I am. Not this clown. His perception of space, heights, or distance is a whole different universe.

Instincts. And I could not train him not to do that, and to be honest, I felt like I would kill his spirit if I would have. Got to let that guy be a racing hunter or he'd be a depressed dog.

And then there are those times when he'd go into the fields and the woods and not come back until before sunset. Then he'd be back dirty, covered with earth, mud, blood, feathers, fur, thorns, leaves.. that long hair is a mess.. Who knows what he was hunting and eating over there. And he would be as happy as possibly imaginable. Some instincts can not be domesticated. That guy was some fearless independent animal.

I heard on the radio (must be true) that years back, when Dobermans had a similar reputation, somehow a strict policy of purifying the breed went into effect. Not sure how it was enforced but word was that whenever a dobie displayed unprovoked aggression, it was neutered. You don't hear much about dangerous dobies anymore.

I visited a friend's house the other day for the first time - she has a pit mix, very pit looking, large head and mega strong neck. Those muscles always make me feel uncomfortable. We don't have pet lions and tigers in public for good reason. The sheer power of some pits leans that direction. Combine that with owners who have the dog precisely because of that power and reputation for badness, and it's not good. A kid in Richmond, CA (rough town maybe 10 miles N. of Berkeley) had much of his facial musculature removed by two pits maybe 8 years ago. If I lived in such a neighborhood, I'd be much, MUCH more likely to carry a handgun, legal or otherwise.

Originally Posted by cmac2012

I heard on the radio (must be true) that years back, when Dobermans had a similar reputation, somehow a strict policy of purifying the breed went into effect. Not sure how it was enforced but word was that whenever a dobie displayed unprovoked aggression, it was neutered. You don't hear much about dangerous dobies anymore.

I visited a friend's house the other day for the first time - she has a pit mix, very pit looking, large head and mega strong neck. Those muscles always make me feel uncomfortable. We don't have pet lions and tigers in public for good reason. The sheer power of some pits leans that direction. Combine that with owners who have the dog precisely because of that power and reputation for badness, and it's not good. A kid in Richmond, CA (rough town maybe 10 miles N. of Berkeley) had much of his facial musculature removed by two pits maybe 8 years ago. If I lived in such a neighborhood, I'd be much, MUCH more likely to carry a handgun, legal or otherwise.

I remember hearing the same thing from the GSD club I was belong to.

Originally Posted by Capobranco

Forsooth! For sale, for naught.
]Thrice the brined Imperial Blue'd.
Thrice the Oyster Nappa Hides,
.....
Add the retro driver's smell
Controls-Ceramic forged in hell,


Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
....Eye of newt,
..........Its sale we ban--
550i Dinan Sedan.

We all have limits...

You can mess with Capo. He can take it,
You can mess with Capo's Cars, He can handle that too.
But...
Come for his Dog?

You'll get a #%&@$@#!@$# HEX put on your car's sale.

I Got to say, though, ...he asked for it

We've been warned.

Originally Posted by MatWiz

I remember hearing the same thing from the GSD club I was belong to.

We had a dobie/dalmation mix when I was about 8. Looked like a miniature dobie. Dang that was a tough dog. Ran like a whippet, just beautiful to watch. But he leaned towards meanness, not to me but I thought he was about to rip the mailman's neck out a few times. I restrained him sufficiently but it wasn't good. Not long after, my mother told me they'd given him to a farmer in the country so he could have more room to run.

Originally Posted by dogguyX3

We all have limits...

You can mess with Capo. He can take it,
You can mess with Capo's Cars, He can handle that too.
But...
Come for his Dog?

You'll get a #%&@$@#!@$# HEX put on your car's sale.

I Got to say, though, ...he asked for it

We've been warned.

Ban the Deed, Not the Breed.

Wars are fought and people die,
spawned from the evils of stereotyping.
As it is with dog breed bias.
Respecting the individual, is a great measure
of our humanity.

Hyperbole aside, threaten banning my dog I become a pit bull

Spellbound,
Capobranco

I am certain the pics above were horrific, yes canines, in general, are capable of inflicting very serious injury, but this not a compelling argument to ban a breed.

Many believe cars are inherently evil and should be banned. To the extent cars are begrudgingly deemed a necessary evil, many believe, they should be required to achieve 100MPG and restricted to a top speed of 55MPH. Surely BMWs, and M3s in particular, constitute an anathema to this group.

Dog owners who engage in irresponsible behavior to vicariously receive a thrill to compensate for their own personal inadequacies should not be tolerated. Such behavior is nothing more than hubris. This grotesque behavior demeans not only responsible dog owners but objectifies the dog and in so doing strips the animal of its inherent dignity and respect. Moreover, responsible dog ownership requires more than love, but also discipline and responsibility.

Know your dog
Know yourself
Know your limits as a handler
Learn to anticipate situations that put you and your dog at risk – and go the other direction.

My relationship with very powerful, but keenly intelligent, German shepherd dogs, over many years, has taught me many lessons not only about nature, but has also demonstrated the strength of humility.

Originally Posted by Ryan...

....Pitbulls, in my experience and the experiences of thousands, have shown that these dogs can be some of the best companions imaginable..........Cliffs: educate yourself or risk continue looking/sounding like a complete moron.

YES!! Agreed 100%! We are on our 3rd pitbull right now.

We adopted Scarlett from a San Diego based rescue group back in April. She was found as a very pregnant girl wandering the streets of San Diego. I cannot state enough on what a kind-hearted gentle soul she is. It's almost as if she recognizes the new lease on life she has.

what is a pit bull? that is a generic term for a lot of different dogs, are we talking staffordshire terriers? American pitbull terrier? American Bulldog? English bulldog. Boxer, Bosten terrier, bull terrier, bull mastiff...etc are all from the same bloodlines. Where do you draw the line? What about the golden retriever that dismembered a baby this spring? We going to ban golden retrivers now? FWIW I have a American Bulldog that is more gentle and protective than my JRT...my JRT is 10x meaner than other dog.

some fycked up people are floating around this country
http://thinkingoutofstep.tumblr.com/...-event-that-is

What a Psycho. Sounds like a kid/teenager.

There is an article at the same blogsite of the OP article.

By Phyllis M Daugherty, Mon, September 24, 2012
Pit Bull advocates, animal lovers, animal control and humane directors are voicing concerns that the proclamation of Halloween as "National Kill a Pitbull Day" may inspire someone to actually harm a dog.

This ugly message encouraging killing pit bulls on Halloween was first sent out as a random text, according to WEDF.com on September 20. Since then it has gone viral on Facebook and Twitter and is causing alarm all over the country.

---- "I'm here by announcing October 31 National kill

a pitbull day. After you take the kids trick or

treating keep your costume .... http://www.opposingviews.com/i/socie...1-real-or-hoax

Also its cause the owners dont give enough love and train the dog right to have it friendly. My brother had about 25 pits in his house and they are all friendly and if you give it enought love they wont attack

//http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/25/14095596-police-pit-bull-fatally-mauls-3-month-old-baby-

Tragic and totally preventable - despite the very wonderful pics ^^ with kids and a very lovable pit - I would never trust any dog with infants or small children - "accidents" happen and you canot take it back. The parent in the expanded article is quoted as saying - the infamous words all experienced handlers dread hearing -" he never did that before" -

Dogs, as humans, display a range of personalities and emotions. I recognize breed characteristics, but I also appreciate trying to treat a dog as an individual. If you are going to have a dog, you should try to understand your particular dog's state of mind. A dog will comunicate very clearly his emotional state but few people have taken the time to learn their language.

In general, even though I have considerable experience with German shepherds, I would be very reluctant to allow small children to be near my shepherd. I would never allow children to be around a dog unsupervised under any circumstances. You can not take it back!

Originally Posted by MatWiz

What a Psycho. Sounds like a kid/teenager.

There is an article at the same blogsite of the OP article.

Yeah, if someone comes up to me and tries to kill my dog while i'm walking her they'll end up with so much damn lead in them they'll need a closed casket funeral

Originally Posted by Capobranco

//http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/25/14095596-police-pit-bull-fatally-mauls-3-month-old-baby-

Tragic and totally preventable - despite the very wonderful pics ^^ with kids and a very lovable pit - I would never trust any dog with infants or small children - "accidents" happen and you canot take it back. The parent in the expanded article is quoted as saying - the infamous words all experienced handlers dread hearing -" he never did that before" -

Dogs, as humans, display a range of personalities and emotions. I recognize breed characteristics, but I also appreciate trying to treat a dogs as individuals. If you are going to have a dog, you should try to understand your particular dog's state of mind. A dog will comunicate very clearly his emotional state but few people have taken the time to learn their language.

In general, even though I have considerable experience with German shepherds, I would be very reluctant to allow small children to be near my shepherd. I would never allow children to be around a dog unsupervised under any circumstances. You can not take it back!

This is a great post....

And here is an idiot owner who got his dog killed.

(Ignore the dumb video title)

IMO cops overreacted just a little, something similar happened to be back in the day in Ukraine with one dog, dont remember what breed, kept going for my arms, owner was drunk and laughing i was about 13-14. i was scared ****tles.

Originally Posted by Capobranco

//http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/25/14095596-police-pit-bull-fatally-mauls-3-month-old-baby-

Tragic and totally preventable - despite the very wonderful pics ^^ with kids and a very lovable pit - I would never trust any dog with infants or small children - "accidents" happen and you canot take it back. The parent in the expanded article is quoted as saying - the infamous words all experienced handlers dread hearing -" he never did that before" -

Dogs, as humans, display a range of personalities and emotions. I recognize breed characteristics, but I also appreciate trying to treat a dog as an individual. If you are going to have a dog, you should try to understand your particular dog's state of mind. A dog will comunicate very clearly his emotional state but few people have taken the time to learn their language.

In general, even though I have considerable experience with German shepherds, I would be very reluctant to allow small children to be near my shepherd. I would never allow children to be around a dog unsupervised under any circumstances. You can not take it back!

I just learned that an acquaintance of mine is the baby's aunt. They are obviously terribly upset. According to her, there had been problems with the dog in the past and neighbors were very concerned.