The Misunderstood Pit Bull

[kcmetric]

I started a new thread for this, not sure why, I should've just posted it here, haha:

Every year pit bull terriers are responsible for the death of 3 people.

40 children a year drown in 5 gallon water pails, in your lifetime you are 16 times more likely to drown in a 5 gallon water pail than be killed by a pit bull.

Pit bulls were known as the number 1 family dog in the 20th century, but the very same qualities that make this breed such a wonderful pet, are also valued by those who use them as fighting dogs, training them in brutal methods, some even going as far as to sew bottle caps under the dogs skin to ensure they're in constant pain, to make then more aggresive.

150 people a year are killed by falling coconuts, making you 60 times more likely to be killed by a palm tree than by a put bull.

Pit bull puppies, ones that have never fought before are often killed because their parents were fighters, since when did it become guilty until proven innocent?


According to the American Canine Temperament Testing Association, 82.5% of the American Pit Bull Terriers that took the temperament test passed, compared to a 77% passing rate for all breeds on average. In the test a dog is placed in a series of confrontational situations. The first sign of aggression or panic is a failure of the test. Pit Bulls have achieved the fourth highest passing rate of all 122 breeds tested.


It is more than half a million times more likely that a human will kill a pit-bull than the other way around.

For every pit bull that kills, there are 10.5 million that don't.

Most pit bulls are killed by they're owners because they REFUSE TO FIGHT in dogfights.

So millions of pit bulls are being blamed for the actions of .94% of the breed.

Copy and repost this somewhere else if you think the banning/killing of pitbulls is wrong.

 

[Puppylove]

I think BSL is Bull Legislation!

 

[MaryK]

I agree Puppylove the BSL is Bull Legislation. I've already posted Kc's post onto Ra Kismet's page on FaceBook and will post anywhere else I can think of, as I want to do all I can to bring awareness to the cause!

 

[Dlyteful]

Today I went to register my pup Layla with the city ( she is a pit bull mix).. Found out pit bulls are considered dangerous and vicious and have to be tattooed or chipped ( Layla was already chipped) where I lived. And of course labeled/ flagged. iI researched this and didn't find anything BEFORE trying to do the proper thing and register her. Well the info is buried in the ordinances which can not be searched from the city's website. This is seriously messed up. My dog is labeled vicious but we have un leashed small dogs who run up to her and scare her while we are walking. For real Layla tries to run away from these dogs not even half her size. My dog is not vicious my dog is not any more dangerous then any other dog her size. And as a responsible owner I do everything I can to make sure she is not put in a situation where she can be blamed unjustly for her actions. Even knowing all about BLS actually experiencing it is a whole different level. I'm really mad today about this.

 

[MaryK]

That's disgusting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's bad enough that you have to label/flag/chip and tattoo Layla just because she's a Pittie X but to not even have it on their website, makes me furious, as it shows they are actually ashamed of the Legislation! That's my take anyway on such despicable behavior on the part of the Council. It sure is seriously messed up.

I can imagine Layla wants to run away from the 'in your face' little dogs they can be a real nuisance. Not, be very sure of this, that I have ANYTHING against small dogs. I love ALL dogs!!!!!!!!! It's their owners I have a lot against "oh she/he is so small, wouldn't harm a fly' right! My boy had a bad trauma after being attacked by a dog who jumped his fence. Am working with him and making massive headway but one thing I dread is the small dog out walking, on the leash o.k., but pulling like mad and kicking up a real stink noise wise. I have to make a quick 'get away' as this unnerves Ra Kismet far more than the quiet, well trained bigger breeds of dogs. Along with two small dogs who habitually run all over the road, no leash, (we do have a leash law here) and are 'right in the face' of any dog around! The owner, just gives you a very rude finger 'salute' when you ask her to keep her dogs under control. I get concerned that the dogs will meet with an accident, only takes one car coming round the corner, and well you know the rest. Let alone that it's virtually impossible to 'get away from them' when walking either of my boys.

So sorry to hear of it all, can really feel for you and Layla. At least on this forum you can feel at home and Layla will be well loved. There are quite a few Pittie or Pittie X owners here. Jazzy and Veronica post a lot and do check out the post "Veronica Eating Her Greens" it's just ADORABLE!!!!!!!!! Plus SouthernGirl wrote a wonderful piece for her school exams re the BLS legislation and in the vid features a beautiful pic of Veronica, along with others.

 

[648117]

Just be careful not to start judging little dogs based on their size or it could result in the same prejudices that exist against pitbulls (but probably never as bad). I know everyone here would never judge a little dog without actually meeting it but as a small dog owner it is amazing how many people are impressed with Holly and already seem to judge little dog based on their size.
I have been told so many times that Holly is just like a big dog only little because of the way she behaves and is confident but never aggressive. I'm always being told how she has such a good temperament and isn't snappy or yappy (although she does bark at home, just never in public, lol).
I know it is meant as a complement and it is a complement because I have put a lot of work into Holly. But at the same time it irritates me that so many "big dog owners" have this perception of little dogs and feel like commenting on how Holly isn't a typical "small dog", when people say this I'm always thinking "really? she's a dog, why shouldn't she act like any other well socialized, well trained dog? what has her size got to do with it?"
If I meet a badly behaved "big dog" I never feel like saying "wow, your dog is really badly behaved for a big dog".
A lot of the people with larger dogs also like to tell me that their dog doesn't usually like little dogs (they tell me this while we are watching our dogs playing with each other )
People also like to tell me that little dogs are really hard to train compared to big dogs , I generally don't respond to those comments or tell them that Holly does obedience and agility and is very good at both

Sorry, this is a bit of a rant.

I know that "little dogs" will never have the same issues that pitbulls have but I have had this "little dog" thing mentioned to me a lot recently and I guess it's starting to get to me a bit. I mean, it is nice to have people say you have a nice dog, but when they add the bit about "little dogs" it kind of takes the shine off the compliment because it makes it seem like they have a prejudice against little dogs.

On a side note: I can't remember ever meeting a "scary" pitbull or staffy (just some untrained ones that are a bit too people friendly and need to let you know about it ) and I have actually always wanted to own a staffy, they are usually such sweet dogs and so cuddly . I mentioned this at the petshop the other day when I was buying treats for Holly and the owner basically said not to ever get a staffy because of the prejudice that people have about them and that people cross the road to get away from them, and it can cause a lot of trouble having a staffy, etc.

 

[MaryK]

I never judge a dog by it's size, breed or anything else.. Unfortunately though, the little dogs in this area are totally untrained, no fault of theirs of course, but they do cause a lot of problems with other dogs. I'm not the only person who gets annoyed at some of them off leash and in your dog's face. With my older boy it's not too bad he's 'bomb proof' but with Ra Kismet it can be a problem since his trauma. especially when one tried to hump Ra Kismet and actually HURT him! Owner thought the whole thing funny and just stood and laughed, while I tried to prevent her dog from humping Ra Kismet yet again!!!!!!!! I know it's NOT the little dogs fault at all, but it's still annoying to other dog owners that the small dog owners use the excuse 'their little to excuse behavior which a larger dog would be condemned for, such as biting etc. (yes a little dog actually tried to bite my older boy). And the owners don't seem to care about how much annoyance their dogs cause. Maybe it's because the greater percentage of the owners around here are elderly and just not able to train their little ones.

My mother once had a very small rescue dog, she was fantastic. Sorry you feel I am prejudiced, I'm not,just going on the behavior of dogs in this area. All dogs can be a nuisance or worse if not properly trained, using of course Positive Reinforcement Training.

I do think there needs to be more education regarding the training of small dogs. Sadly not all owners of small dogs are like yourself, prepared to put in the training which is GREAT! As I said in another post (not sure which one) I LOVE to see small dogs receiving the same training (with modification if necessary of course) rather than seeing them either totally untrained, boring for the dogs, or used as fashion accessories a la Paris Hilton.

So please don't think I have a 'down' on little dogs. I'd have a little dog in need without hesitation circumstances permitting of course. And I have known some grand littlies, not just my late Mom's dog Neighbor has a super little Poodle X (not sure with what) who's an absolutely gem, very good and so cute. LOL she knows 'boundaries' better than Ra Kismet. Her owner trains her a lot and the results are one smart little doggy who's a joy to know. I've said if she ever wants to find her a new home I'm first in line

Kudos to you for training Holly, who's a real cutie pie, and I am sure doesn't bother a single person or dog. We need more trainers like you for the small breed dogs!

Rant away though it may just WAKE UP the little dog owners who unlike yourself, feel because their dog is small it doesn't need training. I can understand though you do get tired of the 'little dog' comments. Just remind people YOU take the time to train Holly and that's why she's such a good girl. Pat yourself on the back too - you deserve it!

As to Staffies, again it's unjust but don't like it followed up by the little dog comment. I would have been annoyed too on all counts with that remark!

 

[648117]

Oh, I don't think you are prejudiced. I'm sure no one on this site would judge a dog based on its size, breed or general appearance.
It just sometimes seems like one of the things that always gets said when people are talking about BSL and pitbulls is that there are so many horrible/aggressive little dogs that no one does anything about but pitbulls are targetted. And in my personal experience it does seem like a lot of people do judge little dogs and expect them to be unpleasant.

I think especially because Holly looks a bit like a terrier they expect her to be snappy and a bit dog aggressive when in reality she doesn't lunge or bark at other dogs at all, even if they are barking and lunging at her. Holly is 1/4 Fox Terrier.

And I do agree that a lot of people don't bother to train their little dogs, but it's the same with pitbulls. Sure there are a lot of lovely pitbulls (and small dogs) but there are also owners that create not-so-lovely pitbulls (or small dogs) by not training/socializing them. It just seems like the way people tend to label all pitbulls as aggressive is also starting to be applied to small dogs. Which is very strange when you consider how many small breeds there are and how diverse they are.

I never understand people who don't worry about their little dog getting hurt. I would never find it funny if Holly was annoying another dog (of any size), if anything I get concerned that Holly will accidentally get hurt by big dogs. Luckily Holly decides that if there are more than three large dogs (or even two very bouncy large dogs) she would rather stay out of the play and stand with me rather than risking getting hurt. I like that she does this

So far the only modifications that have had to be made for Holly at obedience is that I have to bend more, she has smaller tennis balls for fly ball and her jumps are the lowest at agility ("micro" height). Also, sometimes I just pick her up when the bigger dogs get led by their collars. And all of the other dogs at obedience use head halters, but Holly doesn't need one (I guess her loose leash training was somehow more effective despite all the bending, lol).
Although I believe it is pretty much impossible to train her to not put her paws on people because people always encourage it so they can reach her better . But I don't feel bad when she gets them muddy because most of the time their much larger dog has just put mud and slobber all over me and much higher than Holly can reach, lol.

As for the Paris Hilton dogs, well Holly does have a number of jackets that are rather stylish , one was made to measure and matches her collar and leash . But she has a high surface area to volume ratio so she gets cold she only wears them when it's cold. And maybe she has her own hair dryer, pink grooming mat, and doggy towels . Perhaps she now has a trolly to store all her stuff on . And her treat bag and obedience/agility stuff bag might be purple and match each other but she is no Paris Hilton dog

Holly's not spoilt at all

I think me and Holly are going to try to bust all the myths about what little dogs can do. It will be great when she gets her first obedience or agility award, I will be waving that thing around like a flag. And no one will be able to say it's because of her breed or owner because she is 1/2 pug so not exactly a breed known for a great obedience or agility ability and she is the first dog that I've trained

 

[MaryK]

Thank you I can understand how you feel about all the comments on little dogs. I went through the same thing only with bigger dogs. The greater percentage of my life I ALWAYS had a German Shepherd (rescue of course some puppies some adults) and often more than one at the same time, along with other assorted breeds. I got so many 'bad' comments about Shepherds it wasn't funny. That was during the time when they were being 'targeted' as the 'bad boys' of the dog world. I felt just as you feel now, fed up and disgusted, so much so I got quite 'narky' and sarcastic when on the receiving end of the bad comments.

Again with Terriers, they're highly energetic dogs but only snappy if NOT TRAINED PROPERLY!!!!!!!!!!!! Rather like any dog! A well trained Terrier is a real joy, though LOL they can be a bit stubborn at times, but hey, so can Ra Kismet and I don't think he has terrier in him Trying desperately to teach him to 'hold' a basket for the Halloween Challenge, no luck so far!!!!!!! He refuses, head turned away and wearing his 'mule' look

Oh definitely, too many untrained, or even worse poorly trained dogs around (compliments of CM in the main here). ANY dog not well trained ad socialized has the potential to be 'vicious' although dogs are NOT BORN that way and by nature are not naturally vicious. Plus any dog can be made vicious, regardless of size, with the wrong person training the dog. Sadly, with the bigger dogs, it is the wrong people who get them and think it's all so 'macho' to have a 'vicious' dog, even if they don't want to use them for dog fighting - and don't start me on that!!!!!!!!!!!

I've heard so many times "oh my dog doesn't go on the road" when I ask a person to leash their dog (large or small) and then see them later sans the dog, only to hear the sad story of that one time, that one car, you get my drift, that it worries me to see even the most well trained dog, again size is irrelevant, off the lead on the streets. As to dogs getting hurt, it was my boy who was hurt in this instance, but yes I don't understand people not worrying or caring about whether their dog would be hurt, just doesn't make sense to me at all.

LOL that's what I had in mind with modifications, lowering the jumps, small balls etc. and a lot of bending down for you Funny thing, I too have the same problem with Ra Kismet and jumping on people. When he was a wee puppy everyone thought it so cute he would put his paws on them to be stroked. I was constantly saying 'please don't he will get bigger as he grows then it will not be so cute'. Took a lot of persistence on my part with PEOPLE not with Ra Kismet. To be honest, dogs jumping on me, large or small, doesn't worry me but I know a lot of people don't like it so worked hard to make sure Ra Kismet sits to be petted. LOL never had that problem with Zeus, he's not into all that jumping stuff at all!

With Holly's wardrobe, no reason why, especially as little dogs DO feel the cold more, she shouldn't have designer clothes. Or all the other things. Zeus has a coat as he feels the cold (though because it's only coolish for a short time here he just has the one) and it wasn't a cheapie either. Ra Kismet 'borrows' it if it's pouring with rain LOL only just got him to accept wearing a coat, but hasn't one himself as he doesn't feel the cold. Though when I move to cooler climes he'll have his own coat too. What I object too is when the dog is just 'used' as a dress up kinda toy, no training, hardly walks is always carried etc. etc. and the owner is more proud of the wardrobe than the dog's behavior. Knew a girl once who wanted to buy a toy poodle 'just so she could dress up the dog and paint it's claws'. That's when I get mad! I talked her out of buying a dog, pointing out there is more to dog ownership than just dress ups and nail painting. LOL mention having to do the 'poop run' twice a day and she forgot all about getting a dog, let alone all the daily training, walks etc. etc. Actually btw I do envy the small dog owners, being able to buy cute coats, but LOL cute coats and my boys just don't go together, they suit the 'macho' coats *sigh*. Plus many of the seriously cute coats/dresses etc. are not made in their size. Oh dear, too big for the clothes!!

Frame it, wave it and be VERY proud when Holly get's her certificates. Good for you and Holly, change the perceptions of small dogs, they will all be thanking you. And maybe, just maybe, you can get people to realize that little dogs CAN be trained and do train just as easily (or otherwise) as the bigger dogs.

Don't know if you have seen it, somewhere on this forum, was posted all the Dancing With Dogs videos from the World Championships, and the dog who came second was the cutest little Chihuahua ever. I almost cried with joy watching his/her performance. That tiny little dog really milked her/his audience and 'owned' the huge stage. It really was a flawless performance too and would have, I feel, been a first place had the music been a little faster.

 

[Dlyteful]

Thanks for the " keep your head up" post Mary. I was really upset that day and needed to just cool off. I'm glad Layla and her breed has a support. Sometimes it seems like only pit bull owners really know the true nature of the breed so it's so good to hear your experience and stories and understanding of them too.

 

[MaryK]

Thanks for the " keep your head up" post Mary. I was really upset that day and needed to just cool off. I'm glad Layla and her breed has a support. Sometimes it seems like only pit bull owners really know the true nature of the breed so it's so good to hear your experience and stories and understanding of them too.

We all need to have a 'rant' and cool off at times. As I said in the post above, I've been there with German Shepherds when they were the 'bad boys' of the dog world.

Yes, it does sometimes seem like it's only Pittie owners who know their true nature. I would have one myself, but the law here is totally against Pitties! German Shepherds and Pitties are two breeds who've had such a bad rap, along I have to say, with Rotties and some other breeds.

Now it also seems like, for different reasons, little dogs are getting a bad rap.

Oh why cannot people just LOVE dogs, understand them and even if they don't have one, accept them for the beautiful creatures they are, kind, loving, loyal, faithful, fun and so much more - LOL post will be a real 'tomb' just on adjectives to describe dogs BIG OR SMALL

 

[raymond upton]

first of all i'd like to thank anyone who stands up for or promotes the bully breeds they are amazin loving loyal dogs my pittie has had small kids pulling his ears and tail and hugging all over him and he's never complained just gives kisses
he's been attacked by lots of small dogs even one chihuahua hanging on to his ear never once did he act aggressively just kept going back trying to make friends with them don't know of any other breed that is that tolerent

 

[MaryK]

Your boy is beautiful, he's got soft eyes I somehow don't think either of my boys would tolerate a Chihuahua hanging on their ears Just shows how wonderful Pit Bulls are, I ADORE them but we cannot have them at all here I'm still trying to convince a friend of mine that Pit Bulls are NOT savage, unfortunately she reads all the 'bad press' and believes it One day I will convince her though, I am determined on that!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for sharing all about how wonderfully tolerant, sweet, loving and gentle your boy is