Quote: Jenni Williams

....If I had to approach an unknown dog, and I could choose between a Pit Bull and a German Shepherd, I gotta say I would still try the Pit. They still are not, as a whole, human aggressive.

I say this to everyone I know and I couldn't agree more. I don't want to rub the GSD lovers the wrong way, but IMO, a GSD is and will be more human aggressive than a PB. It's been bred into them for many, many years. Just like a PB is and will be more dog aggressive. It's just the way it is and I think a human aggressive breed is more dangerous to society than a dog aggressive breed.

If the government was to make up new guns laws in the USA, the media and the government would be all over it.

The word would spread, and people would know.

New laws could be passed, and a task force could be set up to help get the word out, in pet shops, with breeders, dog clubs, OB classes, on the tv and radio. Once the laws are in place, and people know, people would be much more cautious about letting there dog's go wild and no train them if It ment time in jail.

If the Canadian government said (if you get busted J-walking you will go to jail for 6 months.)
Heck I'd start crossing at the cross walk.

In reality, lives of dogs, animals and humans are at risk if something is not done. And fast

No, I think you're right Anita, but I don't think the widespread malice was quite as bad then. Now, it's mostly the worst kind of dog owners who let their dogs loose, so naturally, it's the most dangerous dogs loose nowadays. Back then, everyone's dog was running around, so the proportion of loose dogs to dangerous loose dogs was quite different. Know what I'm trying to say? I do, but it's not coming across right.

It's still the minority of people who use dogs in malicious, cruel ways, but I think media attention has really perpetuated it and caused a lot more problems than if it was less publicized. It's kind of like how I don't think serial killers should be given so much attention; it's what they want, and other sickos see it and want MORE attention, and so on. Dog fighters are small-minded people who thrive on the "image" of it all. If they had less attention, fewer "borderline" people would be exposed to it, and probably a good number of them wouldn't get to that level. Just a thought.

 Quote: alex corral

I say this to everyone I know and I couldn't agree more. I don't want to rub the GSD lovers the wrong way, but IMO, a GSD is and will be more human aggressive than a PB. It's been bred into them for many, many years.

I agree. I have only met one PB that wasn't a doll to me, and even he wasn't aggressive. I really, really like them...their looks, their general attitude, their energy, their temperaments, etc, etc.

I bolded the above section because I agree that this has been bred into many of the GSD lines; I'm just hoping that the same thing isn't happening to the PBs. Human aggression *can* be bred into them...and enough away-from-the-standard breeding can ultimately change the breed in general. I mean, how many GSDs do you know that do what they were ORIGINALLY bred for: herding. There aren't many anymore. And that doesn't even take into consideration the split between the showline and the workingline that came after that!

I don't want this horrible image that has been given to the PB from moronic owners and the media to make people (good, quality owners) shy away from them so that the only demand that is left for PBs is for the nasty ones.

I'm worried that's already happening: Thirty years ago, or even twenty, if someone mentioned that they wanted a PB, no one would have thought anything of it. Now they have a label and people are avoiding them for the flip side of why the jerkballs are getting them: They're afraid of their so-called "aggressive nature" or they're afraid of what people will think about them if they get them...that people will think that they're drug dealers or participate in dog fighting (these are actual reasons why people have given the shelters that I volunteer at for why they won't consider adopting PBs--and clients have said similar things).

I hate to say it, but 9 out of 10 PBs that I have seen in the last few years have been owned by the 17-25 group with their hats on sideways, their pants hanging below their butts and sometimes, chains and padlocks in place of leashes. My point isn't to bash an age group, music choice, race or anything like that. The one thing in common with these people is that they are hyper-concerned about fads and their image. What happens to these dogs when the fads change?

When I first came to Leerburg I was really happy to see how many responsible PB owners there are. I hate what's happening to the PBs...the rep, the BSL, the bias, the media attacks...all of it. Uhg.

Is this a joke?

What does the dog owners picking up poop have to do with dogs, animals and humans being attacked at a higher rate.

I have talked to older people who grew up in the 40's 50's 60's 70's and they all say the same thing, they did not hear about serious dog bites as much back then. It seems like every few days people are posting about fatal dog fights. The problem is only getting worst.

Read the post posted today about a women walking her dog with her child down the sidewalk and when a Lab came running out of a house and attacked her dog, when her dog fought back, the owner of the Lab shot her dog and killed it!

The more people who are born into this world = more people owning dogs = more stupid dog owners who let there dogs do whatever they want.

For goodness sakes, Ed says it best, hundreds of thoasands of owners and dogs go to OB training every year, and they don't come out respecting there owners.

Reason prevails. The Czech court has decided it's not the dog, it's the owner. I love the last sentence in the following article. "The message sent by the Constitutional Court is clear - if you can't control your dog keep him locked up because you will be held responsible for any physical damage your pet might inflict. " http://www.radio.cz/en/article/94947

FYI....This thread is really long so if I repeat please excuse me.

I currently own 2 APBT and 1 GSD. I have had these breeds as well as Dobies in my whole 25 years of life. The only thing that ever happened in my family was my when my sister was about 5 and put her face in the Dobies food bowl......( after repeatedly being told to leave the dog alone while eating) She was nipped in the ear and life went on. I grew up learning that I was the boss not the dog. There for I control my dogs.

I got into a conversation about dogs at my local tattoo shop. I told him that I had Pit Bulls and this is what he said "only people with small &!($ own those dogs" Being that I am a women I was very insulted. After a few choice words he backed down realizing that he was not going win the argument and potentially lose business over his ignorant remark. ( I still got my tattoo,but not by him)

I guess what I am trying to say is that I feel like there are other forces behind all this negative Pit press. The media pushes it so hard that I feel like they are being pursued by people like PETA to try and force BSL. It is like they have found the loop hole to reach there true goals. Some people say they don't care because it does not effect them, but it will. Cali is already trying to pass mandatory spay and neuter laws. FOR ALL BREEDS!!!!

I will admit, I am the first person to call someone stupid when they say they have rare blue Pit that weights 100 lb.. You know what is rare, go to the UKC site and look at the standards for an American Pit Bull Terrier. That's what is rare.... As DOG LOVERS we should make some attempt to save any breed from BSL, because if we don't I feel that PETA will get their way in the long run.

To lighten the mood, because all this PB stuff is depressing...

Pit Bulls can do many things, including dental examinations.
http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/Jenwilliams918/?action=view&current=8-31-07031.jpg

Sorry . We just have so many of these threads on these forums, and most of us here are in general agreement. It just seems like preaching to the choir sometimes, and I find it very depressing, from a futuristic standpoint. I got this little guy in the pic from my landscaper, who was afraid to leave him home while he worked on my lawn because his brother had just been stolen, because he was blue . What kind of plans does someone who steals puppies out of their homes have for a blue male??? They broke the stained glass part of his door and just reached in and grabbed him. I said I'd take this little one, b/c they won't come looking for him at my house, and if they did, chances are they wouldn't get away with it; his bodyguard/dental patient is kinda uncooperative about people takin' his stuff sometimes.