Carolyn, sorry but I have to agree with David Frost's post above. What you propose is just more government control. City, state and federal government can't even enforce the really important issues (or don't want to). I don't want them telling me what I have to do to get a dog and what I have to do afterwards with my dog. It's none of their damn business. What if some idiot (and there are plenty out there who think they're God's gift to society and want to cure all the perceived evils of the world) decides to further such a law and tell me I can't own a PPD?

Pitbulls are for sale here on the street, selling these pups to anyone who drives by and stops. There are hand-scribbled pieces of paper taped to lamp posts advertising pitbull puppies for sale.

Since most of pitbull breeders are BYB and idiots themselves, they know there's an idiot market out there for pitbulls, they aren't professional and don't care who their babies go to. Professional caring breeders WOULD care who gets their pups. So it's the BYB of pitbulls that are making the situation so bad.

As I'm sure we all know, breed bans generally affect the good owners more than the bad owners. I see some pretty dedicated pit owners out there, who muzzle up for their dog's sake but work hard at overturning the legislation. Then I see some jackass down the street with a dog that's clearly aggressive, who won't muzzle up, and asks 8 year old girls if their golden retriever mix wants to fight his dog (this happened to me as a child).

As Sandy Moore said, BYBs and puppy mills are a huge source of the problem. Why not toughen up the animal cruelty laws as an attack on the puppy mills and some of the larger-scale BYBs.

Honestly, whatever you do, people will crawl in through the cracks. But toughening up on puppy mills might help a little, and besides, they should be shut down anyway. Trying to get people to take classes or register themselves as dangerous dog owners - waste of time and money (no offense Carolyn, I used to think up systems like that too). People like the dedicated pit owner will do it, and people like the jackass down the street won't - and we both know who is more dangerous.

i think someone who drives past in the car and buys a puppy for themselves and wants to keep it as a pet thats anybreed needs there head checking, the only reason i myself would buy them was to take them to a shelter noing if they were rehomed the shelter would do a home check first and that its in safe hands, i think that wat many people have said, i dont think any dog breeds are "evil" or have bad temperaments its the way of the handler so to speak, if your a good pack leader and roll model to your dog then your going to have a great family pet

Its no wonder so many dogs are turning bad and packing together its these people who buy a pup off the street corner not having a clue what it takes to bring a dog up, the comitment.

x

and bye street corners i mean all puppy farms and animal trades that couldnt care less wat happens to their puppys

Hi,

I never said that anyone should register as a dangerous dog owner.

We can agree to disagree. Something has to be done. Breed bans don't help. I honestly feel that something along those lines would help clueless, yet honest dog owners. They would know what they are getting into and can't beg ignorance if something happens.

I also believe that people should be held accountable for their actions.

As for puppy mills, that is a whole other can of worms.

I have an American Staffordshire Terrier that is two years old. She is a very sweet, good dispositioned dog, but I am always vigilant about the situations I put her in. She is dog friendly and people friendly, but as an owner of such a powerful dog, I have a responsibility to make sure she is not put in siutations that could become potentially dangerous to her or others. I am always aware of her power. She is obdienced trained and well socialized, but I still need to pay attention.

This happened to me last week while walking my little guys. My dog did not make it and the pit was put down. It was horrifying!
I too am always aware of my surroundings as my other dog is an american bulldog. I also never have any of my dogs outside of my yard of leash. This one came out of nowhere.
http://www.nbc-2.com/Articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=11362&z=3&p=

 Quote: debbie high

don't forget about a law requiring classes for perspective parents.....would probably cut way back on child abuse and neglect.

i know you guys mean this in jest, so take this in the same vein:

i think that a license to have kids would do a lot more to solve the "dickhead dog owner" problem (among other problems) than a license to own a dog. there are just too many people in this country who are mentally and socially unfit to be parents, who in general are procreating faster than the intelligent ones!

Bob, my God, that news story was about you!!

I'm so very sorry about your dog. What an absolutely horrendous thing to have happen

Bob, wow. I'm really sorry. That must have been horribly, terribly traumatic. It's bad enough to read about...being there, having it be your dog that's killed...how unthinkable.

Did they ever find the pit's owner?