I am just amazed that this dog could have been mistaken for a PB type dog???????????? I wish I could have seen a picture.

http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=603838&catname=Editorial&classif

I was actually thinking of a similar situation my girlfriend and I are having, as we are trying to move. We have found that NONE of the apartments here in Wichita will allow Dobermans, Rottweilers, or Pitt Bull Terriers. So, that precluded me from adopting a really nice 3 yr old PB a while ago, as we wouldn't have been able to find a place to stay without hiding our dog. Beyond that, only about 5 places will allow dogs that are over 35 lbs.! Rediculous!

I think I am preaching to the choir here, but the policies of disallowing certain breeds of dogs because of reputation by different facits of our society (i.e. apartments, home owners associations, city ordinances) is unwise and unfair. Ed says in Basic Obedience that he recieves quite a few emails regarding wheter or not the techniques will work with their breed of dog. Of course, these methods are not breed specific. In the same way, a certain breed will be no different from another if the handler knows how to control the dog. If you allow a dog to think they are dominant over you by petting them each time they come by, they will act like they are dominant over you. The most surprising dog bite I ever recieved was from some tiny little Terrier whose owners probably thought "My dog can't hurt anybody..."

It's not the breed, it's always the owners. These folks had a dog in a city that opressed PBs and PB mixes, so they probably should have made sure the dog could never get out or risk it being euthanized. Silly, isn't it?

This story is so sad and so right on. It actually makes me embarrased to be part of the human race on how we feel we can destroy any animal we feel like because of fear or lack of education. I live in Denver with probably one of the worst BSL's. If it is ever lifted or if I move to another city, I'll hopefully adopt a Pitbull, make him an embassador of his breed and educate people on how wonderful these dogs are.

This story is so sad. I complain about the lax leash-laws in my state all the time, or how hard it is to rent with dogs in general, but in truth I'm so grateful to live in a state that outlaws breed-bias. I've encountered a few very vocal individuals that complain about specific breeds, but they have no power here. Fortunately there are many trainers and owners in Vermont that aren't shy about voicing their opinions, or shooting down any attempts at unreasonable legislation. If only it were the same everywhere.

Quote from article: "victims of a system which refuses to listen to the many protests against this unfair and uncompromising law." Systems don't just come into being, they're thought up over alcohol served at dinner parties that idiot politicians attend. The older I get, the clearer it becomes that we, as citizens of whatever country, vote in total idiots to "lead" us.

I'm convinced that most people are unread, uneducated and care nothing about consequences of voting for certain laws and worse yet, for certain people. Voters vote in idiots (a nice word compared to what I want to say) by the way they look or a couple of phrases they make on the campaign trail. They don't bother to look into these people's voting records, don't bother to read their long speeches made during the course of their "service" in other areas (service - HA!). Laws that citizens can vote on are not scrutinized, just a couple of lines read and X marks the spot on which an uneducated voter casts his thoughtless vote.

Get the idiots out of office and maybe we'll be able to stomach some of the ridiculous laws we get put under.

The day they decide to ban my breed is the day I'll go up through the courts and end up begging the Supreme Court to judge the constitutionality of that law.

I realize the article concerns a law in Ontario, but we in the US have let idiots and idiot laws reign supreme as well.

Use your vote wisely. You only get one.

I'm in Ontario, and I was so mad when I heard the law passed that I got light-headed from all the blood rushing to my head. Ha!

Anyhow, it's definitely out of control...I'm against breed bans to begin with, but this one is so vague that anything with "bull" in the name or brindle as a possible coat pattern is subject to trouble. I even carry around Jenga's registration papers because he's been mistaken for a pit bull on many occasions (he's a rhodesian ridgeback).

We have this team (I think it's Canadian, maybe not) of dogs that perform tricks and agility, the "Super dogs"...anyway, one of the dogs is a staffie, and is no longer able to perform because at one of the events, someone in the crowd called A/C and reported the dog for not being muzzled in public. Can you believe that? I wish I could find the news story for you to see.

There are several groups working against the ban, but it unfortunately has a lot of support.

This kind of bias against an entire breed is disgusting. The amount of ignorance the general public has against bully breeds is both amazing and sickening. I'll have to wait until I move out (into my own HOUSE, even, because so many apartments don't allow dogs/no dogs over certain weight/no "bad" breeds) before I can get the dog I want and train him/her the way I want and feed him/her the way I want. I found an absolutely wonderful dog at the shelter I volunteer at, but becuase he's a *gasp* PIT BULL, my dad refused to even consider him, even as he watched the dog play with both me and the other dogs around him beautifully. A quote: "These kinds of dogs can snap at any time. It's in the news all the time." Um... what?

Despite my intelligent and educated responses, I was shushed for being "a smartass." This is the same treatment I get when I offer advice to anyone in my family concerning dogs, even though they have done NO research and I have done TONS. Luckily, I only have 8 more months until my 18th birthday. I don't want to move out so soon, but watching my parents and my grandma treat their dogs like, well... like they're not DOGS, just makes me want to get one of my own and make it be the best dog in the state.

Sorry for the long rant; I just needed to get that off my chest.

As a former landlord, I can understand why landlords do not allow animals, especially dogs in buildings. And yes there are always exceptional tenants and exceptional dogs, but the reality is that the unexceptional give everyone a bad name,

# 1 LIABILITY ... If I allow you to have a dog on the premises and he bites someone, then I am as liable as you are and I can be sued.

# 2 DAMAGE ... Chewing, Digging, Urination, Feces, Odor

# 3 Noise ... inside or outside ... Barking, Running, Jumping or the Owner yelling at the dog.

As a former tenant, I have risked eviction from breaking the rules, but knowing I was not allowed made me more vigiliant in insuring that the pet (cat) did not damage, et cetera.

Louanne

hi I live in Louisiana and the law for owning PBs is changing for the worst because of a few people not taking the responsiblity or lack of training re: this loving and protective breed. The law states that you have to register all PBs with the state and if you own a home or property you must buy insurance for you PB.
I wonder since you have to reqester your PB with the state that the dog can vote?ha

That is so funny Louanne! I feel exactly the same way! I have three rentals, and will NOT allow any dogs for those very reasons.

Ironically, I also rent (long story) and have two Rotts, and had to jump through hoops, and rightly so, to get the landlord to allow them. This even included having him over to the house I just sold and all of my rentals to see how I took responsibility of my dogs and rentals. I still won't let anyone have them though.

The sad thing is that many very bad dog owners, either through ignorance or malice, choose these typically banned breeds for the very reason they are banned. They can't handle them (read through all the very sad e-mails that Ed gets) and it creates a real problem for everyone. Unless a tenant can prove to me they are as responsible as I would be (or more) I refuse to take on their liability. I just say no to all breeds though. Wouldn’t want to be “breedist”

Gosh I feel like such a hypocrite